MARCH 22, 2024 BRAUN, CASSIDY, MANCHIN LEAD LEGISLATION TO PROTECT SOCIAL SECURITY
BRAUN, CASSIDY, MANCHIN LEAD LEGISLATION TO PROTECT SOCIAL SECURITY
MARCH 23 2024
WASHINGTON –U.S. Senators Mike Braun (R-IN), Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), and Joe Manchin (D-WV) have introduced the Save Our Seniors Act, which would help protect the long-term solvency of Social Security by requiring the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) to include the honest projection of its financial health in its annual ten-year economic outlook.
“Every American needs to know the facts about our nation’s dire financial situation. Social Security trust fund is on the way to going bust, and if we’re going to protect Social Security for seniors who rely on it we can’t bury our heads in the sand.” — Senator Mike Braun
“In eight years Social Security trust fund will be broken. The American people deserve to know this. The Save Our Seniors Act puts a spotlight on something that every Social Security recipient now, or in the future, has the right to know.” — Senator Bill Cassidy
“I am committed to protecting our seniors by making good on the promises we’ve made to them, and our bipartisan Save Our Seniors Act is proof of that. Transparency is vital when it comes to the future of Social Security, and our legislation prioritizes the long-term solvency of the program while also highlighting critical information on its fiscal stability. I’m proud to introduce this commonsense bill with Senators Cassidy and Braun and I will continue working to get it across the finish line.”— Senator Joe Manchin
The Save Our Seniors Act would ensure that a simple and easy-to-understand graph depicting the actual outlook for the Old Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance (OASDI) Trust Fund is included in the CBO’s ten-year economic outlook. Similar graphs exist in other Social Security-related reports, like the Trustees Reports, but not in a document as widely viewed as the CBO’s outlook, which is used by members of Congress and economists to get a detailed look at the health of our nation’s economy and the federal budget.
Vanderburgh County Commission President Cheryl Musgrave’s Remarks on the Groundbreaking for the Veterans Memorial Coliseum
March 21, 2024
“The Coliseum is a special place. It feels alive with possibilities and makes everyone who enters come up with an infectious great idea on how to use the space.
My great idea is live music on the stage, pulsating lighting, and crowds dancing on the perfect open floor. I just know my dad —who was lead singer, guitar, and bass player in bands for many years —would come in and start walking around, snapping his fingers testing the acoustics. I can hear the echoes of the musicians who played here at the Coliseum, from major touring groups like BB King to the rich melodies of the Evansville philharmonic orchestra. We will bring musicians back to play once again in this building that holds the musical soul of Evansville.
The Commissioners have had the solid support of County Council to fund this beginning step using $6 million of American Rescue Plan Act funds. We thank our federal representatives for allocating these funds that will indeed rescue this facility from the impact of COVID’s devastating effects on the entertainment industry.
We have assembled a talented team to breathe new life into the Coliseum. Hafer has created a vision that will make the Coliseum what it was always intended to be: a center of respect for veterans, a place to promote culture, and the best dance floor in the region.
Harrell-Fish brings great construction talent to orchestrate repairs to the fundamental systems that power the Coliseum.
I’d like to especially thank Alyssa Nilssen, Superintendent of County Buildings, for her work coordinating this tremendous undertaking. Her organizational talent is making this look
effortless. Thanks also go to David Rector of the Building Authority for his expertise. We appreciate the mastery of Alexis Berggren of the Convention and Visitors Bureau for the vision and coordination she has brought to the project.”
March 21, 2024
“The Coliseum is a special place. It feels alive with possibilities and makes everyone who enters come up with an infectious great idea on how to use the space.
My great idea is live music on the stage, pulsating lighting, and crowds dancing on the perfect open floor. I just know my dad —who was lead singer, guitar, and bass player in bands for many years —would come in and start walking around, snapping his fingers testing the acoustics. I can hear the echoes of the musicians who played here at the Coliseum, from major touring groups like BB King to the rich melodies of the Evansville philharmonic orchestra. We will bring musicians back to play once again in this building that holds the musical soul of Evansville.
The Commissioners have had the solid support of County Council to fund this beginning step using $6 million of American Rescue Plan Act funds. We thank our federal representatives for allocating these funds that will indeed rescue this facility from the impact of COVID’s devastating effects on the entertainment industry.
We have assembled a talented team to breathe new life into the Coliseum. Hafer has created a vision that will make the Coliseum what it was always intended to be: a center of respect for veterans, a place to promote culture, and the best dance floor in the region.
Harrell-Fish brings great construction talent to orchestrate repairs to the fundamental systems that power the Coliseum.
I’d like to especially thank Alyssa Nilssen, Superintendent of County Buildings, for her work coordinating this tremendous undertaking. Her organizational talent is making this look effortless. Thanks also go to David Rector of the Building Authority for his expertise. We appreciate the mastery of Alexis Berggren of the Convention and Visitors Bureau for the vision and coordination she has brought to the project.”
SENATOR BRAUN GETS SENATE TO ADMIT NATIONAL DEBT IS A NATIONAL SECURITY THREAT
WASHINGTON — Today the Senate unanimously passed Senator Braun’s resolution to recognize the national debt as a threat to national security. The national debt now stands at over 34 trillion dollars, which is $102,776 for every single person in America.
According to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, this is the first year in American history that we will spend more on interest payments (debt service) than on national defense.
“We have more than doubled our national debt in just ten years. America is moving down a dangerous and unsustainable path of reckless spending and the federal government has yet to take it seriously. Our colossal national debt is an absolute threat to national security and I’m glad that I was able to make the Senate to recognize this dire threat today unanimously.” — Sen. Mike Braun
Excerpts from Sen. Braun’s Resolution:
- In January 2024, the total public debt outstanding was more than $34,000,000,000,000, resulting in a total interest expense of more than $659,000,000,000 on debt held by the public for fiscal year 2023;
- The Senate failed to pass a balanced budget for fiscal year 2024 and failed to restore regular order to the legislative process by not allowing Senators to offer and debate amendments;
- More than $8,056,100,000,000 of Federal debt is owned by individuals not located in the United States, including more than $1,050,000,000,000 of which is owned by individuals in China;
- Federal spending on interest to service the national debt is now projected to exceed Federal spending on national defense in 2024 according to the Congressional Budget Office’s Budget and Economic Outlook: 2024 to 2034 report;
Aces track and field begins the outdoor season at Margaret Simmons Invitational
MURRAY, Ky. — UE track and field will compete in its first meet of the outdoor season at a conference opponent’s meet.
The Purple Aces outdoor season begins with the Margaret Simmons Invitational hosted by the Murray State Races on Friday, March 22, and Saturday, March, 23. UE will also race against fellow MVC squad Southern Illinois, Division I teams Purdue Fort Wayne, Lindenwood, UT Martin, Ball State, Saint Louis, and NAIA teams Bethel (Tenn.), Freed-Hardeman, Olivet, and Oakland City. Evansville’s first event will be the women’s hammer throw at 12 p.m. on Friday.
At the end of the 2023 outdoor track and field season, Evansville broke almost all of its program field records. The Purple Aces saw records fall in the discus, shot put, and hammer throw events at the 2023 MVC Outdoor Championships, including two records broken by returners Zach Dove (Princeton, Ind. / Princeton Community HS) and Jaden Hayes (Huntingburg, Ind./Southridge).
Dove and Hayes also had a successful 2024 indoor season as graduate throwers, setting program records in the weight throw and shot put. Hayes broke the men’s indoor weight throw record at the MVC Indoor Championships in Chicago in February with a throw of 18.02 meters. Dove broke the men’s shot put record earlier in the indoor season at the Indiana Invitational with a throw of 15.53 meters. For the women’s side in the field, returning sophomore thrower Gwen Darrah (Cleveland, Ohio / Orange HS) broke the program weight throw record at the Blue-White Classic in Terre Haute with a throw of 14.45 meters.
On the track, UE saw several freshmen runners break out during the 2024 indoor season. Freshman Nicole Prauchner (Neuhofen an der Ybbs, Austria) was the Aces only runner to qualify for an individual final race at MVC Indoor Championships. Prauchner broke the program record for the 800-meter race in the qualifying heats with a time of 2:12.93 to qualify fourth.
On the men’s side of the track, Evansville had a standout newcomer in all three distances. In the sprints, freshman Raymond Felton III (Houston / Clear Brook HS) set records in the 200- and 300-meter races early in the indoor season. At the mid-distance level, freshman Rafael Rodriguez (Segovia, Spain) had program records in the 1,000-meter and mile races, including resetting the mile record at MVC Indoors with a time of 4:13.89. While in the distance races, Samuel Lea (Worchester, England) was the program record setter with new records in the 5,000-meter and 3,000-meter races.
Heading into the 2024 outdoor season, the Aces will look to improve on their indoor season finishes of 10th place. In the preseason poll from league coaches, UE was picked to finish 10th on both the women’s and the men’s side.
Vanderburgh County Commissioners Announce New Home for Milton Z. Tinker Organ
EVANSVILLE, IN – March 21, 2024 – The Vanderburgh County Board of Commissioners is thrilled to announce that the Milton Z. Tinker Organ has found a new home with the Lynnewood Hall Preservation Foundation.
Lynnewood Hall Preservation Foundation, a nonprofit cultural and historical preservation organization, has agreed to take the organ into their care, ensuring its preservation and continuation as a living piece of history. Finding a historical organ in need of restoration is one part of the Foundation’s nearly $100 million project, which aims to preserve historical artifacts to be used in educational programs, recitals, and for overall public enjoyment inside Lynnewood Hall, a 100,000-square-foot facility located in Elkins Park, Pennsylvania. Following installation in its dedicated space within Lynnewood Hall, the Foundation’s team of experts is committed to maintaining the organ in pristine condition.
Gavin McIlhinney, Lynnewood Hall Organ Project Director, states, “The legacy of such an instrument is not only an embodiment of auditory beauty, but also a testament to the craftsmanship and cultural heritage of a bygone era.
At Lynnewood Hall, we have a dedicated space that is in search of such a history centerpiece that can be celebrated and shared with the community.”
About the Milton Z. Tinker Organ: Originally constructed for temporary use during the Centenary Celebration of the American Methodist Missions in Columbus, Ohio, the organ was among the largest pipe organs in the world, covering 900 square feet, containing 21 miles of wire, and weighing approximately 8 tons. Upon the closure of the
Centenary, the organ was purchased to be installed in the new Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Coliseum in Evansville, Indiana. After a four-month installation at the Coliseum, the organ was dedicated on November 18, 1919, in memory of Milton Z. Tinker, Evansville’s first music supervisor in local public schools.
The organ was used in recitals by local organists, in performances when the Evansville Chapter of the American Guild of Organists sponsored famous players, and in harmony with the Evansville Philharmonic. Despite efforts by local organ enthusiasts to maintain the organ’s playability, the organ lacked the necessary financial support for essential maintenance, resulting in gradual deterioration. In 2013, the University of Evansville acquired the organ with aspirations of restoring it for placement in Neu Chapel, but unfortunately, those plans never came to fruition, leading the University to return the organ to the Coliseum in 2019.
FOOTNOTE: On December 31, 2023, the Vanderburgh County Commissioners assumed responsibility for the operations, repairs, and maintenance of the Coliseum. As part of their evaluation of the Coliseum and its contents, the Commissioners entered into a contractual agreement to conduct a professional assessment of the organ. An over $4.8 million restoration cost, combined with the expense of improvements to the Coliseum, led the Commissioners to deem the organ as surplus and prompted the search for an alternative venue for its revitalization and preservation.
EVANSVILLE POLICE MERIT COMMISSION MEETING AGENDA
EVANSVILLE POLICE MERIT COMMISSION
MEETING AGENDA
Monday, March 25th, 2024
4:15 p.m. Room 307, Civic Center Complex
- EXECUTIVE SESSION:
- An executive session will be held prior to the open session.
- The executive session is closed as provided by:
- I.C. 5-14-1.5-6.1(b)(5): To receive information about and interview prospective employees.
- I.C. 5-14-1.5-6.1(b)(6)(A): With respect to any individual over whom the governing body has jurisdiction to receive information concerning the individual’s alleged misconduct.
- I.C. 5-14-1.5-6.1(b)(9): To discuss a job performance evaluation of individual employees. This subdivision does not apply to a discussion of the salary, compensation, or benefits of employees during a budget process.
- OPEN SESSION:
- CALL TO ORDER:
- ACKNOWLEDGE GUESTS:
- APPROVAL OF MINUTES:
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- March 11th, 2024 (Sutton, Dr. Johnson-Kincaid, Thompson)
- APPROVAL OF CLAIMS:
- COMMISSION ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS:
-
- Cancel the meeting scheduled for April 8th, 2024.
- Reschedule this meeting for Wednesday, April 10th, 2024, at 4:30pm.
- PROBATIONARY OFFICER UPDATE:
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- Update for officers in SWILEA/Field Training.
- PROMOTIONAL PROCESS:
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- Accommodation request from Officer Erik Belford concerning the 2024 test date for the Promotional Exam for the rank of Corporal.
- APPLICANTS:
-
- 23-188
- 23-182
- 23-146
- 23-179
- 23-144
- RETIREMENTS:
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- Chief Billy Ray Bolin, Badge Number 100, retiring effective March 29th, 2024, after serving twenty-six years and six days with the Evansville Police Department.
- RESIGNATIONS:
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- Officer Jason Allen Pagett, Badge Number 1350, resigned effective March 18th, 2024, after serving fifteen years and two days with the Evansville Police Department.
- REMINDERS:
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- The next scheduled meeting is April 10th, 2024, at 4:30pm.
- ADJOURNMENT:
Hoosier Records Fall on NCAA Opening Night
ATHENS, Ga. – Indiana crushed two program records and tied its best-ever finish in the 800-yard freestyle relay, taking fifth at the 2024 NCAA Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships Wednesday (March 20) inside Gabrielsen Natatorium on the campus of the University of Georgia.
IU’s finish marks its best relay placing since 2019, when it took second in the 400 medley relay and fourth in the 200 medley relay. The Hoosiers have finished fifth in the 800 only one other time: 2010.
Indiana sits tied-for-seventh on the team leaderboard after the first day of the 2024 NCAA Championships, totaling 36 points from the two opening night relays. The Hoosiers placed above their seed in both events.
“It was a good start for the Hoosiers,” IU head coach Ray Looze said. “We moved up a few spots in the medley relay and I think one spot in the 800 free relay, and I thought it was a fine start for the ladies.
“I still think there’s a lot left in the tank for these ladies. The 800 free relay foreshadows what we’re capable of. All four of those ladies did their lifetime best splits, and that was about a maximum of what we could do. I think if we can have performances like that on the rest of the relays, we’re going to continue to move up. We’ll take it one session at a time but good start – solid but not spectacular.”
Junior Anna Peplowski kicked off IU’s relay in 1:41.16, a program record in the 200-yard freestyle and the third-fastest time in that distance this season. Only Florida’s Bella Sims was faster in Wednesday night’s relay, going 1:41.03. Peplowski beat her own program record by nearly a second, going 1:42.04 in the relay at the Big Ten Championships last month. She owns the top eight times in program history and will swim the individual event Friday.
Indiana has chopped 4.41 seconds off its program record this season, finishing in 6:54.03 Wednesday. The same quartet of Peplowski, senior Ella Ristic, junior Ching Hwee Gan and sophomore Kristina Paegle beat their previous best by 2.99 seconds at the Big Ten meet in 6:55.45.
Indiana also earned second-team All-America honors in the 200-yard medley relay to kick off the night, finishing 13th with a time of 1:35.84. The Hoosiers finished three spots above their seed after coming in as the No. 16 relay. Indiana has earned All-America accolades in the 200 medley relay at eight consecutive national championships.
Junior Kacey McKenna tied the third-best leadoff leg of the relay, kicking things off in 23.58. Paegle’s 21.39 – the sixth-fastest anchor – closed IU’s NCAA debut swim.
RESULTS
200 MEDLEY RELAY
12. Kacey McKenna, Brearna Crawford, Chiok Sze Yeo, Ashley Turak – 1:35.84 (Second-team All-America)
800 FREESTYLE RELAY
5. Anna Peplowski, Ella Ristic, Ching Hwee Gan, Kristina Paegle – 6:54.03 (All-America, Program Record)
- 200 free – Anna Peplowski – 1:41.16 (Program Record)
HOOSIER ALL-AMERICANS
Brearna Crawford (200 medley relay*)
Ching Hwee Gan (800 freestyle relay)
Kacey McKenna (200 medley relay*)
Kristina Paegle (200 medley relay*, 800 freestyle relay)
Anna Peplowski (800 freestyle relay)
Ella Ristic (800 freestyle relay)
Chiok Sze Yeo (200 medley relay*)
ORGAN FROM SOLDIERS AND SAILORS MEMORIAL COLISEUM FINDS NEW HOME
ORGAN FROM SOLDIERS AND SAILORS MEMORIAL COLISEUM FINDS NEW HOME
MARCH 22, 2024
The Milton Z. Tinker organ, named for the first music supervisor in Evansville public schools, has a new home with the Lynwood Hall Preservation Foundation in Elkins Park, PA.
The organ was one of the largest pipe organs in the world, covering 900 square feet, containing 21 miles of wire, and weighing about 8 tons. It was purchased for use in the coliseum, and after a four-month installation period, it was dedicated on November 18, 1919. Many organ recitals were performed with the organ, and it accompanied the Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra on several occasions.
As the years passed, maintenance became a burden, making the old organ unplayable. In 2013, the University of Evansville acquired the organ with the intent of installing it in Nue Chapel, but those plans never came to fruition, and UE returned the organ to the Coliseum.
Recent estimates placed the cost of restoration at over $4.8 million. The County Commission determined that restoration would be too much of a burden, and the organ was deemed surplus.