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AG Zoeller joins states’ call for HHS to overturn approval of Zohydro
INDIANAPOLIS – Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller joined five other state attorneys general today in calling on the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to overturn the recent approval of Zohydro ER.
A pure hydrocodone pill, Zohydro is 5 to 10 times more potent than currently available products like Vicodin or Lortab and is set to hit the market this month. The painkiller’s high potential for abuse prompted attorneys general from Indiana, Illinois, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky and Maine to pen a letter to HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius asking her to reverse the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) approval of the drug.
In 2011, prescription drugs were blamed for the deaths of 718 Hoosiers, a nearly 10 percent increase from 2010, according to the Indiana State Department of Health.
“Zohydro does not contain any abuse-deterrent properties, which means there is a high potential for users to crush, snort or inject this powerful drug,†Zoeller said. “Without the appropriate safeguards, the release of this drug could fuel the nation’s prescription drug abuse epidemic and undermine the progress made by so many. I join my colleagues in calling on the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to use its regulatory authority and overturn the FDA’s decision.â€
The FDA approved Zohydro last October despite its own advisory committee voting 11-2 in opposition of the drug being released. In November, Zoeller joined 28 other state attorneys general in asking the FDA to reconsider its approval of the drug. It has been reported that Zohydro can be prescribed in pills ranging from 10 milligrams to as high as 50 milligrams and current hydrocodone products only range from 5 to 10 milligrams.
To combat prescription drug abuse in Indiana, Zoeller established the Indiana Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention Task Force made up of state legislators, law enforcement, members of the medical community, health officials, pharmacists, state and local agencies and education providers. The goal of the task force is to significantly reduce the abuse of prescription drugs and to decrease the number of deaths associated with these drugs in Indiana.
Last year, Zoeller and the task force launched a statewide prescription drug abuse awareness campaign and website, www.BitterPill.IN.gov. The website serves as a one-stop-shop for information about prescription drug abuse and misuse including where to get help
3 on 3 Basketball Tournament hosted by Nkosi Records
Nkosi Records will be hosting a single elimination 3 on 3 basketball tournament Saturday, April 26, 2014 at Anthony Oates Park, 2340 Sunburst BLVD, 47714.
The cost is $75 for a team of 3 or $ for a team of 4. Everyone in participation will receive a t-shirt and concessions are available. The winners will receive their team name on an Nkosi Trophy, a CD by the Nkosi artist E2, a champions t-shirt and wristband.
Teams can register at www.3on3tournament.eventbright.com or mail checks and contact information to Nkosi Records ( 210 Theatre Drive, Evansville, IN 47715. The rainout location for the event will be Bosse High School Gym. It is expected to last from 8:15 until around 4:00.
Nkosi Records Artists E2, Charis and Beamz will be performing live at the event. Nkosi records was co-founded by the Evansville Police Department’s Nathan Schroer.
What: 3 on 3 basketball tournament.
Where: Anthony Oates Park (Bosse High school Rainout location)
When: Saturday, April 26 at 8:30 a.m.
Why: Promote healthy lifestyle choices while raising money.
For more information or for help registering, contact Brian Turpin at BTurpin@EvansvillePolice.com
EVSC’s Stacy Mauser Earns the Certified Education Technology Leader (CETL)tm Designation
Stacy Mauser, chief technology officer for the Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation, recently earned the Certified Education Technology Leader (CETL) designation by passing a rigorous certification exam.
The CETL certification, awarded by the Consortium for School Networking (CoSN), signifies that Mauser has mastered the knowledge and skills needed to bring 21st century technology to our K-12 school systems.
“Earning the Certified Education Technology Leader certification demonstrates a commitment to bringing 21st century learning to our nation’s schools. Because of the CETL recertification requirements, certified leaders pledge to stay current in this ever-changing field of education technology,†said Keith Krueger, CAE, Chief Executive Officer of CoSN.
To become certified, the candidate must have demonstrated experience in the education technology field and pass a comprehensive two-part examination based on the 10 skill areas in CoSN’s Framework of Essential Skills of the K-12 CTO. Once the CETL certification is earned, the ed tech professional must complete 60 hours of professional development activities every three years to maintain the designation.
The CETL certification is awarded by the Consortium for School Networking. Founded in 1992, CoSN is the premier professional association for school system technology leaders and its mission is to empower educational leaders to leverage technology to realize engaging learning environments. CoSN is committed to providing the leadership, community, and advocacy tools essential for the success of these leaders.
Pence nixes Energize Indiana program by letting bill become law without signature
By Lesley Weidenbener
TheStatehouseFile.com
INDIANAPOLIS – Gov. Mike Pence will let a bill that eliminates an energy conservation program become law without his signature, prompting harsh words from environmental leaders who opposed the bill.
Pence said he’ll look to lawmakers next year for help developing “a new energy efficiency program for our state that will encourage conservation and promote a strong Indiana economy.â€
And Pence said he’s asking state utility regulators to make recommendations for a new program that includes an opt-out for large electricity consumers.
“By reducing our need for electricity, we reduce our need to build expensive power plants at a cost to Hoosier ratepayers,†Pence said in a statement issued Thursday, the last day he could take action on the bill.
“For this reason, I believe that energy efficiency is an important part of our ‘all of the above’ energy strategy,†Pence said.
The change will eliminate a fee now added to the electric bills of all Hoosier households and businesses to pay for the conservation efforts that include weatherization and other programs.
Pence said maintaining the Energizing Indiana program – created by Gov. Mitch Daniels’ administration – is too expensive for Hoosiers and makes “Indiana less competitive by denying relief to large energy consumers.â€
But the governor said he didn’t want to sign the bill into law either because it eliminates what he called a “worthwhile†energy efficiency program.
“For that reason, I have declined to sign this bill and acknowledge that this bill will become law without my signature,†Pence said.
The decision makes Pence the first governor in the country “to repeal a successful, ambitious and foresighted program aimed at significantly cutting energy bills for Hoosiers,†said Jesse Kharbanda, executive director of the Hoosier Environmental Council.
He accused Pence and lawmakers of a “rushed decision†to end the Energizing Indiana program.
“The governor’s decision needlessly creates instability in the energy efficiency market, when a careful deliberation – before any radical shift in policy is made – was what was merited,†Kharbanda said.
Environmentalists say the Energizing Indiana program has created more than 1,500 jobs and served more than 200,000 Hoosier households and businesses. The Sierra Club estimated the program resulted in $80 million in savings for utilities in 2012.
“It is critical that Gov. Pence and the Indiana General Assembly now follow through on their promise of creating an improved energy efficiency program for Indiana,†said Jodi Perras, the Indiana representative for Sierra Club’ Beyond Coal Campaign, in a statement issued late Thursday.
“There’s no denying that hundreds of energy efficiency workers will be out of a job next January when utilities cancel or scale back home energy audits, appliance rebates and low-income home weatherization programs,†Perras said.
Critics of the Energizing Indiana program complained that it cost too much – especially for manufacturers and other big businesses – while providing few tangible benefits.
The bill’s author, Sen. Jim Merritt, R-Indianapolis, originally sought to exempt businesses from paying the Energize Indiana fee. But the House amended the bill to eliminate the program.
Merritt has said the program costs too much too little benefit. He said previously that the program had cost ratepayers $500 million since 2009 and would have cost as much as $1.9 billion more by 2019.
Lesley Weidenbener is executive editor of TheStatehouseFile.com, a news website powered by Franklin College journalism students.
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Renowned Economist Study Suggests Potential $12.5 Billion Economic Impact For Coachella Valley iHub
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 31, 2014
Study Suggests Potential $12.5 Billion Economic Impact
For Coachella Valley iHub Network Over 20 Years
Economist John Husing estimates iHubs may create 3,500 desirable jobs,
facilitate 81 new businesses, and diversify the Coachella Valley economy
PALM SPRINGS, Calif. — A new report on the long-term potential of the Coachella Valley iHub network — which includes the Palm Springs Accelerator Campus and the forthcoming east valley iHub for advanced manufacturing — suggests billions of dollars in economic impact, including 3,500 high-skill, high-wage jobs at about 80 new companies engaged in clean and renewable energy, high-tech, health and medicine, and advanced manufacturing.
Economist John Husing of Economics & Politics Inc. in Redlands based his study on modest assumptions (see executive summary) such as annual iHub company graduation rates, number of employees they hire, average salaries, and profit-to-revenue ratio. He projects that by the 20th year, the impact would be:
• 81 new companies operating
• 3,544 new jobs
• $711 million in revenue
• $174 million in payroll
• $142 million in profits
Palm Springs Mayor Steve Pougnet was an early leader in the California Innovation Hub program as a participant in the development of a white paper that established its vision. Cathedral City Mayor Kathy DeRosa and former Desert Hot Springs Mayor Yvonne Parks joined him in 2009 to form the Coachella Valley iHub, one of the first six in California, which now has 16 with others in development.
“While our tourism industry continues to thrive, it is critical that we also focus on diversifying the economy in Palm Springs and the Coachella Valley†Mayor Pougnet says. “The iHub program is the path for us to do so with its focus on renewable energy and clean technologies. This valley is a global center for key renewable energy, such as solar, wind, and geothermal, and we can capitalize on the enabling technologies that will bring them to the consumer. The Husing report validates that these good-paying jobs are there and will help build the future economic vitality of the Coachella Valley.â€
Responding the Husing report, Joe Wallace, managing director of the Coachella Valley iHub, says, “To secure an economic impact projection of this magnitude by a respected economist like Dr. Husing validates the investments made by the founding stakeholders of the Coachella Valley iHub as visionary, and also demonstrates the profound positive impacts that public-private partnerships with the perseverance to focus on long-term objectives have the potential to achieve.†The numbers in the study are contingent on financial support of public and private stakeholders and generated revenue to ensure continuous operation of the iHub network.
“In September, CVEP received a U.S. EDA planning grant to expand the iHub to focus on advanced manufacturing,†says Tom Flavin, president/CEO of CVEP. “Sixteen of the 20 current iHub/Accelerator businesses, with others in the pipeline, clearly fit the definition of advanced manufacturing. We also identified advanced manufacturing opportunities associated with the Salton Sea, agribusiness, and other industies throughout the Coachella Valley.
With the federal grant, seven of the region’s 10 jurisdictions have engaged in the program. In addition to Palm Springs, Cathedral City, and Desert Hot Springs, the iHub has garnered the support of La Quinta, Palm Desert, Indio, and Riverside County.
The Coachella Valley iHub is helping to diversify the economy with sustainable businesses that create desirable jobs that will retain the Coachella Valley’s brightest high school and college graduates, many of whom are already preparing in career pathways programs.
John Raymond, director of the City of Palm Springs Community & Economic Development, adds, “To grow companies focused on renewable energy and advanced technology is important to the goal of diversifying the region’s economy. It makes sense for all jurisdictions to work together to pull resources and commit to a long-term strategy, because industrial development jobs have no borders, and those jobs benefit all the communities.â€
“The long term economic impact of the Coachella Valley iHub is, without question, significant, and we are proud to be a founding partner in this program,†says Cathedral City Mayor Kathleen DeRosa.
About Coachella Valley Economic Partnership
The nonprofit Coachella Valley Economic Partnership promotes a diversified, year-round economy through its Workforce/Jobs Collaborative, based on business attraction, expansion, and retention, and developing a workforce aligned with the needs of business. CVEP and its various programs — Workforce Excellence, Coachella Valley iHub, Coachella Valley Small Business Development Center, and Creative Resource Center — focus on planning and nurturing the growth of three emerging industry clusters: Healthcare and Life Science; Clean Technology and Energy; and Creative Arts, Media, and Design. Visit www.cvep.com or call 760-340-1575.
About Coachella Valley iHub and Palm Springs Accelerator Campus
The Coachella Valley iHub and Palm Springs Accelerator Campus, part of a statewide innovation hub network, consist of 20 high-tech and renewable energy companies in their “incubation†stage. The iHub provides them with an office, conference area, consulting, and administrative support. The Palm Springs Accelerator Campus will open a Health and Medical Innovation Center in May.
To request a copy of the full impact study email Joe Wallace at hadannahbusiness@aol.com
Pet O f The Week
Sable is a beautiful 1-year-old female orange tabby. When she arrived as a stray, she weighed around 7 lbs. But since she lives in the lap of luxury in the cageless cat room, she just may be the next face of Weight Watchers! Sable gets along well with other cats. She’s been waiting for a home since October, and is now our longest feline resident! Her adoption fee is $30, which includes her spay, microchip, vaccines, and more. Visit www.vhslifesaver.org to learn how to adopt Sable!
Evansville man arrested after ramming his truck into another truck and causing injury during a dispute
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Evansville Police arrested 35 year old ADAM HARTZEL on several charges stemming from a dispute on Sunday afternoon. |
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VANDERBURGH COUNTY FELONY CHARGES
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Below is a list of felony cases that were filed by the Vanderburgh County Prosecutor’s Office on Friday, March 28, 2014
Megan Hodges                Possession of Methamphetamine-Class D Felony
Possession of a Schedule II Controlled Substance-Class D Felony
Unlawful Possession of Syringe-Class D Felony
Possession of Paraphernalia-Class A Misdemeanor
Angela Stewart                Theft-Class D Felony
(Habitual Offender Enhancement)
For further information on the cases listed above, or any pending case, please contact Kyle Phernetton at 812.435.5688 or via e-mail at KPhernetton@vanderburghgov.org
Under Indiana law, all criminal defendants are considered to be innocent until proven guilty by a court of law
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EPD Activity Report March 30, 2014
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