Indianapolis – Governor Mike Pence is visiting farms in northern Indiana today to survey damage caused by recent heavy rains.  He met with farmers at Culp Farm in Jasper County earlier today and will meet with Hoosier farmers in Plank Farm in Cass County to see how the heavy rains are causing significant crop damage and to gauge the potential economic impact to farmers across Indiana.

“Our farmers and agriculture industry are a major part of Indiana’s economy, and we are closely monitoring how the industry may be impacted by the heavy rains that have occurred across much of the state,” said Governor Pence. “Hoosier farmers can be assured that the state of Indiana will continue to work with the Farm Service Agency of the United States Department of Agriculture to provide the appropriate assistance to those farmers experiencing great losses.”

The Governor was joined by Congressman Todd Rokita, as well as Don Villwock of Indiana Farm Bureau and Patrick Pfingsten of the Indiana Soybean Alliance. Photos from today’s Jasper County farm visit can be found attached.

“In trying times like these, I have no doubt we will see the kindness and generosity of Hoosiers in communities across the state. While the flood damage I saw today is a temporary setback, I know our farmers will bounce back thanks to their strong work ethic and resiliency,” said Congressman Todd Rokita. “My office is trained for this type of situation and we are prepared to act in Washington and in the District should the damages require federal intervention.”

Farmers can submit crop damage reports to their county Farm Service Agency (FSA) offices as soon as possible to help measure the extent of damage to this year’s crop production.  Federal programs that are available include:

Disaster Designation

Low interest emergency loans will be made available to all producers in counties where 30% or more of a single crop has been damaged according to the FSA.

Federal Crop Insurance

Failed crop areas of greater than 20 acres or 20% of the insured acreage are eligible for crop insurance claims.

The former president and CEO of Junior Achievement of Indiana lost a defamation appeal against an Indianapolis attorney Tuesday. The Indiana Supreme Court ruled the complaint was time-barred.

Jeffrey M. Miller named Ice Miller LLP partner Kristine C. Danz in a lawsuit that claimed she defamed him as he was attempting to obtain a job with the city of Indianapolis. Before Danz’s identity was known, Miller had named her “John Doe #8, a partner, employee or agent of Ice Miller.”

Danz was granted summary judgment at the trial court, which the Court of Appeals affirmed. Justices of the Supreme Court agreed, finding that Miller had reason to know Danz’s identity long before she was named as a defendant in one of many suits Miller and his wife, Cynthia, filed.

“Finding that the existence and identity of Kristine C. Danz was not unknown to the plaintiff before he commenced this action, yet he waited until after expiration of the applicable statute of limitations to substitute her name for John Doe #8, we affirm summary judgment in Danz’s favor,” Justice Brent Dickson wrote for the court in  Jeffrey M. Miller and Cynthia S. Miller v. Kristine C. Danz, 49S05-1506-PL-400.

“It is undisputed that all of Miller’s claims against Danz are subject to a two-year statute of limitations. … The parties also agree that Miller’s cause of action arose, at the latest, on March 19, 2010, the day Miller learned through a conversation with Chris Cotterill, then Chief of Staff for the Mayor of Indianapolis, that others had made statements to Cotterill that may have influenced his decision not to hire Miller. Both parties argue in part that Trial Rule 17(F) is limited by Trial Rule 15(C).  We disagree,” Dickson wrote.

“In this matter of first impression, we find Trial Rule 15(C) does not supersede Trial Rule 17(F) nor does it apply to the ‘John Doe’ situation before us and affirm the trial court’s judgment on the proper application of Trial Rule 17(F) alone.”