D.J. Balentine named MVC Player of the Week
For the sixth time in his career at the University of Evansville, senior D.J. Balentine has been named the Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Week.
Balentine had his best week of the season and one of the top efforts of his career was the Purple Aces picked up victories over Alabama State and Murray State. Just two days after completing the Wooden Legacy in California, UE returned home to face the Hornets and Balentine was on fire, draining 10 out of 13 shots, 4 out of 5 triples and dished out 8 assists in a 26-point effort.
He upped the ante on Saturday as he led Evansville to its first win over Murray State since 1991. Balentine was 12-20 from the floor and finished with a game-high 32 points in the win that ended an 18-game home win streak for the Racers. Balentine averaged 29 points per game over the week while shooting 66.7% (22/33). Most of those shots came from at least 10 feet out. The senior also posted a total of 13 assists and was 6 out of 9 from outside.
His award marks the third time in four weeks that the Purple Aces have grabbed the MVC weekly honor. Egidijus Mockevicius was named the Player of the Week the other two times.
First Security Inc. Announces the Hiring of Kevin Carrico as Chief Market Officer
First Security Inc., the bank holding company for First Security Bank, Inc., announced the hiring of Kevin Carrico as Senior Vice President, Chief Market Officer of First Security Bank, Inc.
“Kevin will be an important part of the senior leadership team of First Security. His many years of experience in many different roles will be of great benefit to our Company as we look to enhance and build our franchise,“ stated Michael F. Beckwith, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of First Security.
During his 30 plus year career with PNC Bank and its predecessors, Kevin has held positions such as Branch Manager, Consumer Loan Officer, Business Banker, Commercial Loan Officer, Market Manager, Area Bank President and Regional Manager. His most recent responsibilities were managing eleven branches and 90+ employees located in various Western Kentucky communities. He holds an undergraduate degree from Brescia University, Owensboro, Kentucky. Having held various civic leadership positions during his career, he currently holds the position of the current Board Chair for the Board of Trustees of Brescia University.
“I am excited about Kevin’s ability to collaborate and build teams. His enthusiasm and passion for the community bank model are infectious. He will provide leadership over all of our Company’s retail branch locations, including deposit gathering, consumer and commercial lending, mortgage banking, and wealth management services,†stated Mr. Beckwith.
First Security, Inc. is a $590 million asset one-bank holding company with offices in Owensboro, Bowling Green, Franklin, and Lexington, Kentucky as well as Evansville and Newburgh, Indiana. The Company is traded over the counter, ticker symbol FIIT.
Governor Pence to Make Major Infrastructure Announcement
Governor Mike Pence will make a major infrastructure announcement regarding I-65. Details below.
Tuesday, December 8:Â
9:30 a.m. CST – Governor Pence to make a major infrastructure announcement regarding I-65
*Media are welcome to attend and are asked to arrive early to sign in. For those planning to attend, please RSVP to Mike Neal at mneal1@gov.in.gov.
NiSource, 801 E. 86th Avenue, Merrillville, IN
7th Circuit Reverses Benefits Denial; Judge Chastises Process
Jennifer Nelson for www.theindianalawyer.com
Seventh Circuit Judge Richard Posner had harsh words for the Social Security Disability Office regarding vocational expert testimony: clean up your act.
The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals reversed the denial of Anne Hill’s application for Disability Insurance Benefits and Supplemental Security Income, finding the administrative law judge’s credibility analysis was flawed. Hill, 56, worked for more than 13 years at a steel factory where she had to carry steel sheets weighing up to 100 pounds. The manual labor took a toll on her body and she applied for disability benefits in 2011. Her physical issues include total hip replacement, knee pain, recommended total shoulder replacement, and severe physical limitations in the use of her left side.
She babysits, but is unable to lift the child, does chores and goes to church, but is unable to sit or stand for long periods of time.
The vocation expert in her case testified that she could work at jobs classified as light and unskilled, such as dealer account investigator or a counter clerk. The expert, using his own experience to opine on how Hill’s issues with her left side would impact her ability to work, testified she could still perform sedentary jobs such as a registration clerk.
Using the five-step analysis for assessing disability, the ALJ concluded Hill is not disabled. The ALJ noted that Hill was not taking narcotic pain relievers, but Hill had testified that was because of her past alcohol addiction. The judge reasoned Hill exaggerated her back pain because she hadn’t been diagnosed with certain conditions, but that conclusion is not supported by any medical evidence in the record.
“We are not confident that the ALJ would have reached the same conclusion about Hill’s credibility had she not inappropriately ‘played doctor,’ ignored possible explanations for Hill’s conservative treatment, and conflated a desire to work with the ability to do so. So the ALJ’s errors are not harmless,†Judge Anne Claire Williams wrote.
Posner wrote a concurring opinion in which he focused on “a persistent, serious and often ignored deficiency in opinions by the administrative law judges of the Social Security Administration†in denying benefits. He noted the issues regarding vocational expert testimony concerning the number and types of jobs that an applicant deemed not to be totally disabled could perform. It appears the experts simply divide census data estimates on the number of jobs in a broad category that includes the narrow category of jobs that the applicant can perform, by the total number of narrow categories in the broad category.
“The assumption is thus that every narrow category has the same number of jobs as every other narrow category within the broad category – a preposterous assumption,†Posner wrote.
“In short, the vocational expert’s testimony was worthless – and this apart from the apparent arbitrariness of his numerology,†he continued. “It is time the Social Security Disability Office cleaned up its act.â€
The case is Anne R. Hill v. Carolyn W. Colvin, acting commissioner of Social Security, 15-1230.
Special Offer for Blue Man Group Tickets – December 16 at Old National Events Plaza!
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Save 25% when you buy 3 or more tickets to see BLUE MAN GROUP at the Old National Events Plaza on December 16! Use code FAMILY online .
Offer valid for Price Level 1 only, expires at 11:59pm on Dec. 15. |
Wednesday, December 16 at 7:30pm BLUE MAN GROUP Back by Popular Demand |
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UE Annual Holiday Pops Concert Planned for Tuesday, December 8
The Department of Music at the University of Evansville will present its annual Holiday Pops concert on Tuesday, December 8. The event is at 7:30 p.m. in the Victory Theatre in downtown Evansville. This concert is free and open to the public.
The concert program will feature the University Choir, the Men’s and Women’s Choruses, the UE Symphony Orchestra, the UE Wind Ensemble, and the UE String Ensemble performing separately and in various combinations. Director of Choral Activities Dennis Malfatti, Director of Orchestra Activities Jessica Morel, and Director of Bands Kenneth Steinsultz will lead ensembles in a program of traditional and popular holiday favorites. Assistant Professor of Music Alana Keenan will sing during the event.
Vandals damage numerous vehicles over the weekend
Evansville Police received 11 reports of car windows being damaged over the weekend. In several of the cases, the damage appears to have been caused by a BB or pellet gun. In other cases, the damage was too extensive to determine what caused it.
The incidents happened in two different areas of town. They include the area around the 800 block of E Iowa and the area around the 1700 block of E Illinois.
That creates the possibility of two scenarios. The first is one individual or group being mobile and causing all of the damage. The second is two separate individuals or groups causing the damage in their own area.
Anyone with information on these vandalisms is asked to call EPD at 812-436-7979 or WeTip.
For full details, view this message on the web.
Prescription Drug Abuse Impacts 80 Percent Of Indiana Workplaces, says National Safety Council poll
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Statewide survey sheds light on the scope of a hidden workplace epidemic Indianapolis – Eighty percent of Indiana employers have been impacted by prescription drug misuse and abuse, including opioid painkillers, in their workplaces, according to a survey released today by the National Safety Council and the Indiana Attorney General’s Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention Task Force. The survey, the first of its kind in the nation, found nearly two-thirds (64 percent) of employers believe prescription drugs such as Vicodin, OxyContin and Percocet are bigger problems than illegal drugs. The findings come in the midst of the state’s prescription drug abuse epidemic. Drug poisonings, largely from opioid painkillers, have increased fivefold in Indiana since 1999 and now eclipse car crashes as the leading cause of injury death among adults. “It is important for employers to understand that the most fatally abused drug today may be sitting in their employees’ medicine cabinets,†said Deborah A.P. Hersman, president and CEO of the National Safety Council. “Ensuring employees are as safe and healthy as possible should be every employer’s highest priority. It is our hope that employers take the lead on this emerging safety threat so our workplaces can be safer than ever before.†Other key findings from the survey include:
“We’ve seen how the public health crisis of prescription drug abuse is taking a toll on families and communities in Indiana, and this survey shows that it has infiltrated our workplaces, just as it has with so many other facets of our society,†said Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller, creator and co-chair of the Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention Task Force. “Beyond the loss of productivity, prescription abuse can cause impairment, injury and may lead employees to bad choices such as theft or embezzlement from the employer. I challenge all Hoosier businesses to recognize the risks and start this conversation in their workplaces to elevate the issue, deter abuse and create avenues for people to seek help before it’s too late.†To help protect workers, the Council recommends employers expand drug testing to include detection of opioid painkillers, train employees and supervisors how to spot signs of misuse and leverage Employee Assistance Programs to help employees return to work following treatment for addiction. Employers are also encouraged to download the free Prescription Drug Employer Kit for help developing policies and managing opioid use at work. Companies of all sizes, including Indiana-based Cummins, Inc., have established prescription drug policies. “At Cummins, we demand that everything we do leads to a cleaner, healthier, safer environment,†said Dexter Shurney, Chief Medical Director at Cummins, Inc. “We make every effort to avoid workplace injuries, particularly in our manufacturing environments. We do this by providing education and support to help employees take better care of themselves at work and at home. We find that identifying the issues employees are facing is the first step toward developing appropriate resources for them. We applaud these efforts to raise awareness of these important issues.†The National Safety Council poll was conducted in first in Indiana, and it will be used as a model for other states interested in addressing prescription drug abuse in the workplace. The poll surveyed more than 200 employers from May through August 2015. For resources and information about prescription drug abuse in Indiana, visit BitterPill.IN.gov. About the National Safety Council Founded in 1913 and chartered by Congress, the National Safety Council, nsc.org, is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to save lives by preventing injuries and deaths at work, in homes and communities, and on the road through leadership, research, education and advocacy. NSC advances this mission by partnering with businesses, government agencies, elected officials and the public in areas where we can make the most impact – distracted driving, teen driving, workplace safety, prescription drug overdoses and Safe Communities. About the Indiana Attorney General’s Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention Task Force Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller created the Task Force in 2012 to bring stakeholders across the state together to address the rising opioid abuse and overdose rates in Indiana. The mission of the Task Force is to significantly reduce the abuse of controlled prescription drugs and to decrease the number of deaths associated with these drugs in Indiana. The Task Force is made up of 100 members including state legislators, law enforcement, health and medical professionals, pharmacists, federal, state and local government agencies, educators, advocates and treatment providers. More information and resources for the public can be found at www.BitterPill.IN.gov. |
Banner Week for Committee’s Energy Efforts
| House Clears 10 Committee Energy Bills and Provisions Including Landmark H.R. 8 and Bills to Fight Cap and Trade, Protect the Grid, and Boost Rural Drinking Water
 WASHINGTON, DC – The House of Representatives this week said #Yes2Energy and passed a number of Energy and Commerce Committee energy bills that keep electricity affordable and reliable, modernize our dated energy laws, and boost drinking water for rural America. Additionally, the House passed a long-term highway bill that contained committee priorities to improve #Safety4Drivers and bolster America’s energy security. “When it comes to legislating thoughtful energy policy, this was a banner week for the committee – years in the making – with the 10 bills and provisions we got through the House,†said Energy and Commerce Committee Fred Upton (R-MI). “The House said yes to energy and yes to jobs. We stood up to protect the grid, protect rural drinking water, and keep energy affordable. But our work continues, and we look forward to building upon our bipartisan record.†The energy-related bills that cleared the House this week are detailed below:
PASSED TUESDAY by a vote of 235 to 188
PASSED TUESDAY by a vote of 242 to 180
PASSED THURSDAY by a vote of 249 to 174 The House on Thursday also considered the “Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act,†a long-term highway bill that included important proposals from the Energy and Commerce Committee to improve auto safety and strengthen American energy security. The legislation included the following committee energy-related provisions:
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