Governor Mike Pence today posthumously named Amos C. Brown III the 2015 recipient of the Sachem Award, Indiana’s highest honor. This announcement comes following Mr. Brown’s untimely death at his family home in Chicago last Friday. Governor Pence is also directing flags at state facilities in Marion County to be flown at half-staff in honor of radio broadcaster Amos Brown on the day of his funeral, Saturday, November 14, 2015. He also asks businesses and residents to lower their flags to half-staff to honor the life and legacy of Amos Brown.

The Sachem, whose name comes from the Algonquin term given to leaders who exhibit wisdom, judgment and grace and whose character underscores the importance of moral example, is given annually by the Governor to Hoosiers whose life and character exemplify these qualities. Previous recipients include college basketball coaching legend John Wooden; the Reverend Theodore M. Hesburgh, C.S.C., president emeritus of the University of Notre Dame and world statesman; philanthropist Jane Blaffer Owen; and gospel music singing and songwriting pioneers Bill and Gloria Gaither. This is the 10^th year in a row this award has been presented to notable Hoosiers. The Governor plans to present the posthumous award to the family of Amos Brown in the coming months. With this recognition, Amos Brown’s name will be enshrined in the Rotunda of the Indiana Statehouse.

“The Sachem is Indiana’s highest honor and is reserved to honor one Hoosier every year whose life and example enriched our state with wisdom, judgment and grace,” said Governor Pence. “Amos Brown was such a man and he will be dearly missed. For more than 40 years, Amos Brown used his extraordinary talents as a broadcaster and thought leader to serve as a passionate advocate for Hoosiers. The life and legacy of Amos Brown will leave an indelible impact on Indianapolis and our state. Amos used his voice as a platform to address some of the most challenging issues facing underprivileged and underserved Hoosiers. From education inequality, racial and socioeconomic issues, Amos Brown strived each and every day to improve lives. For all these reasons, I can think of no one more deserving to receive the state’s highest honor than Amos C. Brown III.”

Amos Brown was born in Chicago and earned his undergraduate degree from Northwestern University. He also received an honorary doctorate from Martin University in Indianapolis in 2006. Mr. Brown has been awarded several recognitions for his work on the radio and in his community, including induction to the Indiana Broadcasters Hall of Fame in 2007, a Sagamore of the Wabash, four CASPER Awards from the United Way/Community Service Council, the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) Crystal Award for Community Service, and a four-time nominee and two-time winner of the Indiana Broadcasters Association Spectrum Award. He was also a two-time finalist of the NAB Marconi Award and has received the Heritage Place Lifetime Achievement Award, Indiana Civil Rights Commission Drum Major Award, Indiana Black Expo’s President’s Award, Indianapolis NAACP Humanitarian Award, the Mass Media Award and Director’s Award from the Center for Leadership Development, two Communications Awards from the Indianapolis Education Association and the Outstanding Leadership and Service Award from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Amos Brown began his radio career in 1976 as an advertising sales representative, and quickly rose through the ranks to station manager in 1981. He was the longest-serving African-American media manager in the Indianapolis market after serving 40 years in Indianapolis broadcasting. He also was the on-air host for Morning with the Mayor for 15 years, from 1977 to 1993. He launched his first daily radio talk show called “The Noon Show” in 1992 and in 1994, he transitioned to Hoosier Radio and TV, hosting “Six Thirty PM” and later “The Amos Brown Show.” In 2004, Mr. Brown became the host of the well-known “Afternoons with Amos” show on WTLC, in addition to his role as Director of Strategic Research.

Over the last 40 years, Mr. Brown has been an advocate for the Indianapolis community. He has worked with organizations such as the United Negro College Fund, Riley Hospital for Children, Mozel Sanders Foundation’s Thanksgiving Dinner, Indiana Black Expo, Indiana Education Roundtable, and Circle City Classic.

Governor Mike Pence today announced school safety awards of more than $10 million allocated to 260 local schools and school corporations across Indiana. The Indiana Secured School Safety Board approved the grants.

The Secured School Safety Grant program is a dedicated state grant fund that provides matching grants to school corporations, charter schools, or coalitions of school corporations and/or charter schools applying jointly to:

• Conduct a threat assessment;
• Purchase equipment to restrict access to the school or expedite the notification of first responders; and/or
• Employ a school resource officer (SRO).

“I am thankful today to announce the newest distribution from the Secured School Grant Program for the safety of Indiana’s school children, and for those who teach, mentor and help them at school,” said Governor Pence. “The safety of our kids is our highest priority, and this grant program continues to be a valuable partnership between local schools and the state.”

This year’s funding comes from the account’s $3.5 million original allocation, $3.5 million from excess Indiana Department of Homeland Security admin funds, as announced by Governor Pence in early October, and more than $3 million in unspent and unallocated funds from previous years. These carryover funds continue to increase as grants from previous years go unused and the money is returned to the state.

This is the third time Secured School Safety grants have been awarded.

Of the awarded funding, nearly $5 million will be used to purchase equipment and more than $5.1 million will go to employ school resource officers.

School corporations, charter schools, or coalitions with an average daily membership (ADM) of at least 1,000 students applied for grants of up to $50,000. Eligible entities with an ADM of less than 1,000 students applied for grants of up to $35,000. During the 2014 legislative session, the pool of eligible recipients was expanded to include cooperative career and technical education centers.

The members of the Secured School Safety Grant Program are: Eric Bowlen, Principal at Ronald K. Bell East-Middle School of Martinsville; Doug Carter, Superintendent of the Indiana State Police; Scott Mellinger, Sheriff of Madison County; David Kane, Director of the Indiana Department of Homeland Security; David Murtaugh, Director of the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute; Scott Reske, Executive Director of Public and Governmental Affairs for the Indiana Department of Education; and Greg Zoeller, Attorney General.

A full list of schools and the proposed use for their grant awards can be found attached.

An Indiana law firm has filed a class-action lawsuit against one of the world’s largest seed and agrochemical companies in an effort to allow more time for individual farmers to sue the company after corn prices plummeted last year.

Wagner Reese filed the action Monday in Marion County alleging the actions of Syngenta, which is based in Switzerland, caused the value of a bushel of corn to fall drastically because it sold products to farmers that contained a genetically modified trait that had not yet been approved by China, a leading importer of U.S. corn.

Muncie farmers Kevin and Betty Orebaugh are the named plaintiffs in the lawsuit, filed on behalf of all Indiana farmers who grew corn in 2013 and 2014 and who have not already filed individual lawsuits against Syngenta.

Their lawsuit stems from the use of the MIR 162 genetic trait in genetically modified corn Agrisure Viptera. The corn had been deregulated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in 2010, but China had not yet approved the genetic trait. The lawsuit says Syngenta sold the corn to farmers in the years that followed despite knowing that China had not yet approved the trait. In November 2013, China began rejecting shipments of corn from the U.S. after discovering MIR 162, and U.S. corn exports to China have not yet begun to recover, according to the lawsuit. Another Syngenta product, Agrisure Duracade, also contains MIR 162 and a new trait (Event 5307) not yet approved by China and other export markets.

Wagner Reese attorney Jason Reese said the firm represents around 3,200 Indiana farmers who have filed suits against the company in Minnesota state court, where Syngenta has offices.

Plaintiffs allege Syngenta in 2012 convinced farmers to buy the seeds containing genetic traits not yet approved by China by claiming the country was going to approve Agirsure Viptera and another product, Agrisure Duracade “within the matter of a couple days.” Agrisure Viptera was not approved by China until December 2014.

All U.S. corn farmers, whether they purchased these products from Syngenta, who priced their corn after November 2013 have received a lower price for their corn than they would have received if China’s imports of U.S. corn had not effectively stopped, the suit says.

Industry experts have estimated losses to American farmers of up to $3 billion in both 2013 and 2014, the firm says. Reese said the estimate is Indiana farmers lost anywhere from 11 cents to $1.10 a bushel over a two-year period.

Reese does not expect the state court to certify the class, but said filing this lawsuit buys time for other farmers to file individual suits. He said his firm and other national counsel handling claims in federal court believe under American Pipe and Construction Co., et al. v. State of Utah, et al., 414 U.S. 538 (94 S.Ct. 756, 38 L.Ed.2d 713) (1974), that Indiana farmers who have not yet filed an individual lawsuit should have until the date the Marion County court rules on the motion to certify the class action in which to file individual claims. He estimates it may allow farmers up to three to five additional months to file suit.

Reese said many have been focusing on harvesting their crops over the last month or so and not aware that the statute of limitations was approaching.

He estimates that only 20 percent of farmers in Indiana have filed suit. Indiana is in the top 5 of corn-producing states.