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2014 Mayor’s Arts Awards
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Indiana consumers to begin receiving $2.6M in refunds from e-book antitrust case
INDIANAPOLIS – Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller announced electronic book customers will receive refunds beginning today as a result of a multistate price-fixing case involving five major U.S. publishers. About 370,000 Indiana e-book buyers will receive more than $2.6 million in refunds over the next three days as a result of settlements reached between the publishers and 33 state attorneys general, including Indiana. Refund amounts will range from about $0.73 to $3.17 per e-book, with the higher amounts for those on the New York Times best seller list. “Customers were ultimately the ones harmed by the decision made by Apple and these publishers to set e-book prices in order to knock out competition,†Zoeller said. “Many states and the federal government worked diligently together to hold the parties responsible and ensure consumers were refunded.†In 2012, the U.S. Department of Justice and 33 states filed lawsuits against Apple Inc., Hachette Book Group Inc., HarperCollins Publishers L.L.C., Penguin Group (USA) Inc., Simon & Schuster Inc., and Holtzbrinck Publishers LLC d/b/a Macmillan over allegations the companies conspired to artificially raise the retail prices of e-books. In July of 2013, Apple Inc. was found to have violated antitrust laws, and the company is currently appealing the decision. The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York approved the settlements with the publishers in December of 2013. Overall, 23 million e-book customers nationwide will receive more than $166 million as a result of these multi-state settlements. The refund amount will be applied either as an account credit or made out in the form of a check, and will be based on the number of eligible e-books a consumer purchased between April 1, 2010 and May 21, 2012. Whether a consumer receives a credit or check depends on the retailer through which the e-book was purchased: · Amazon, Apple, Barnes & Noble, Kobo or Sony: These consumers should have received email notice from the retailer or from the settlement claims administrator, advising how to use or activate credits in their current accounts. Sony customers should have received email notice from the administrator which is also responsible for dispersing refund checks. · Google or any other retailer: These consumers were required to file a claim form by Oct. 21, 2013, in order to receive a check from the administrator. All eligible consumers could have requested to receive a check by the administrator if they filed a “check request†by Oct. 21, 2013. For more information on the settlements visit www.ebooksagsettlements.com.
Hoses Hockey Team to Play Charity Game
Last October, 911 Gives Hope presented the second annual Guns & Hoses Hockey game at Swonder Ice Arena. While that tradition will continue this fall, both teams continue to practice in the off season.
On Friday, April 4, 2014, the Hoses Hockey Team will play in a charity game at Swonder Ice Arena vs. the St. Louis Metro Fire Department Hockey Team. The puck will drop at 7:15. Tickets are just $10 and are available at the door.
All ticket proceeds will go to benefit a firefighter from the McCutchanville Fire Department (not on the hockey team) who lost his own hose in a fire earlier this year.
Contact me with questions. For quotes or an interview, talk to the Captain of the Hoses Hockey team, Evansville Fire Department Captain Eric Tanner at 812-205-7664 or etanner17@gmail.com.
EVSC School Kindergarten Orientations Set
Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation elementary schools will host kindergarten orientation meetings on Thursday, April 3, with the exception of Cynthia Heights whose orientation will take place on Tuesday, April 1.
The orientations give parents/guardians the opportunity to enroll students in kindergarten if they haven’t already done so, and receive additional information regarding kindergarten, meet school staff, ask questions and share information about their children.
Children should be 5 years old on or before August 1, 2014, to enroll in kindergarten for the 2014-2015 school year. When enrolling, parents or legal guardians will need to be present and provide the child’s legal birth certificate (hospital certificates cannot be used) at the time of enrollment. For more information, parents can contact their child’s school.
EVSC elementary schools will host their respective orientation meetings at the following times on April 3:
- Caze:Â 6 p.m. 2013 S. Green River Road, 477-5567
- Cedar Hall K-8:Â 5 p.m., 2100 N. Fulton Ave., 435-8223
- Cynthia Heights: Tuesday, April 1, 5:15 p.m., 7225 Big Cynthiana Road, 435-8740
- Daniel Wertz:Â 6 p.m., 1701 S, Red Bank Road, 435-8312
- Delaware:Â 2:30 p.m., 700 N. Garvin St., 435-8227
- Dexter: 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. and 6-7 p.m., 917 S. Dexter Avenue, 476-1321
- Evans:Â 6 p.m., 2727 N. Evans, Avenue,
- Fairlawn:Â 5:30 p.m., 2021 S. Alvord Boulevard, 476-4997
- Glenwood K-8:Â 1 – 2:30 p.m., 901 Sweetser Ave., 435-8242
- Harper:Â 6 p.m., 21 S. Alvord Boulevard, 476-1308
- Hebron:Â noon, 4400 Bellemeade Ave., 477-8915
- Highland: 7:30 a.m. – 3 p.m., 6701 Darmstadt Road, 867-6401
- Lincoln K-8:Â 6-7 p.m., 635 Lincoln Ave., 435-8235
- Lodge K-8: noon – 6 p.m., 2000 Lodge Avenue, 477-5319
- Oak Hill: 5:30 – 7 p.m., 7700 Oak Hill Rd., 867-6426
- Scott: 5:30 – 7 p.m., 14940 Old State Road, 867-2427
- Stockwell:Â 6 p.m., 2501 N. Stockwell Road, 477-5345
- Stringtown:Â 4:30-6 p.m., 4720 Stringtown Road, 435-8320
- Tekoppel:Â 6-8 p.m., 111 N. Tekoppel Avenue, 435-8333
- Vogel: 2:30 – 3 p.m., 1500 Oak Hill Road, 477-6109
- West Terrace:Â 6 p.m., 8000 West Terrace Drive, 435-8733
If parents/guardians do not know what school their child should attend, they can call the EVSC Office of Student Services at 435-8463, or go to www.evscschools.com and click on the “Parent†link in the red box choosing, “Where Will My Child Attend School?â€
Pence signs bills to help veterans
By Paige Clark TheStatehouseFile.com
INDIANAPOLIS – Gov. Mike Pence has signed four bills into law that will help the more than half a million Hoosier veterans.
“Anything for veterans is a good step for Indiana,†said Tim Dyke, director of Training and Services for Veteran Affairs.
The bills target four different areas of veteran assistance:
- SEA 180: Establishes the Veterans Disability Clinic Fund. The fund will provide grants to certain law schools that maintain a veteran’s clinic. The little to no cost clinics will allow law students to gain career experience by counseling or representing veterans in claim for disability compensation.
- HEA 1242: Makes it illegal to refuse a person employment based on veteran status, either because he is a U.S. Armed Forces veteran, a member of the Indiana National Guard or of a reserve component.
- SEA 345: Establishes the Hoosier women veterans program. Also, creates a gender-specific position at the Indiana Department of Veteran Affairs.
- SEA 331: Establishes the Second Service Program for Veterans. Requires public universities to award educational credit to veterans for courses they took while in the service. It also requires state institutions to award educational credit to current military members taking courses from other schools.
Dyke said these bills are a positive for Indiana Veterans but the state should work on outreach.
“I primarily mean the rural communities, getting the word out to those veterans that don’t live in the towns and cities. Make them aware of the programs and benefits,†Dyke said. “There can always be more done.â€
Paige Clark is a reporter for TheStatehouseFile.com, a news website powered by Franklin College journalism students.
Indiana readers to receive $2.6M from e-book antitrust case
IL for www.
theindianalawyer.com
Electronic book customers in Indiana will begin receiving refunds this week as a result of a settlement reached between five major U.S. publishers and 33 state attorneys general.
About 370,000 Indiana e-book buyers will receive more than $2.6 million in refunds, with refund amounts ranging from about $0.73 to $3.17 per book. Throughout the country, 23 million customers will receive more than $166 million as a result of the settlements.
In 2012, the U.S. Department of Justice and 33 states filed lawsuits against Apple Inc., Hachette Book Group Inc., HarperCollins Publishers L.L.C., Penguin Group (USA) Inc., Simon & Schuster Inc., and Holtzbrinck Publishers LLC d/b/a Macmillan over allegations the companies conspired to artificially raise the retail prices of e-books. In July of 2013, Apple Inc. was found to have violated antitrust laws, and the company is currently appealing the decision. The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York approved the settlements with the publishers in December 2013.
The refunds will be applied either as an account credit or made out in the form of a check and will be based on the number of eligible e-books a consumer bought between April 1, 2010, and May 21, 2012.
More information on the settlements is available at www.ebooksagsettlements.com.
St. Mary’s Warrick Gala honors three leaders
 
Sister Jane Burger, D.C., Dr. Walter Hancock and Dr. Rick Yeager have each played an essential role in the success of St. Mary’s Warrick Hospital. In appreciation of their service, the St. Mary’s Warrick Hospital Foundation honored these three pioneers at the 21st Annual Warrick Foundation Gala on March 7, 2014.
Since its inception, the Gala has raised almost $500,000 for St. Mary’s Warrick Hospital, which serves the healthcare needs of those in Warrick County. The Gala was emceed by Ron Rhodes, Meteorologist at Eye Witness News, and featured the unique Eat It Now! Dessert Auction, where attendees bid on locally made desserts to share with the guests at their table.
During the program, a video highlighted the honorees and their dedicated involvement with St. Mary’s Warrick Hospital. To see photos from the evening, visit the St. Mary’s Foundation: Evansville, IN Facebook page.
A special thanks to the St. Mary’s Warrick Gala Committee, the St. Mary’s Warrick Hospital Foundation Board of Directors, Gala sponsors and everyone who attended and made the night a success for St. Mary’s Warrick Hospital and our Mission.
Commentary: Voters need to keep lawmakers accountable
By John Krull TheStatehouseFile.com
INDIANAPOLIS – Between them, Rep. Eric Turner, R-Cicero, and Sen. Mike Delph, R-Carmel, have managed to shine a light on what happens behind closed doors in caucus at the Indiana General Assembly.
The lawmakers likely will not welcome the glare.
John Krull, publisher, TheStatehouseFile.com
Delph made himself an outcast among his fellow Republicans by throwing a prolonged tantrum over the outcome of House Joint Resolution 3, the proposed constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage and civil unions. When the Indiana Senate Republican caucus refused to reinstate the civil union ban the Indiana House had stripped out, Delph took to Twitter for 72 hours and held a largely incoherent press conference to express his outrage.
The undignified and churlish nature of his outburst overshadowed Delph’s one legitimate point – that an issue that had claimed an immense amount of public time, energy and attention was being decided not in open debate, but behind closed caucus doors, away from the eyes and ears of the voters.
Delph could have made that point from the Senate floor and forced precisely the kind of discussion he called for, but he chose not to. If he had, his argument likely would have received a much more sympathetic hearing.
Comes now Turner, who, according to some fine reporting from the Associated Press, probably honored the letter of the House ethics rules but may have violated the spirit of those rules. The AP reports that, while Turner recused himself from voting on nursing home legislation because of a conflict of interest, he lobbied intensely in caucus for a preferred outcome.
The source of the conflict was that Turner’s son and daughter both work in the nursing home industry and stood to gain financially if the state were to do away with a moratorium on new nursing home construction that had been in place since 2009. Turner lobbied so fervently in caucus – again, away from public eyes and ears – that his conduct troubled some of his Republican colleagues, but Turner got his way. The moratorium died.
Democrats, predictably, cried foul and sent a letter to House Speaker Brian Bosma, R-Indianapolis, demanding an investigation. Bosma complied and sent a letter asking the House Ethics Committee to take a look.
The committee’s chairman, Rep. Greg Steuerwald, R-Avon, didn’t make it sound as if he were in any great hurry to get to work.
“What’s interesting is that the letter concerns conduct inside of caucus. It’s well known that (discussions within caucus) are private and confidential,†Steuerwald said. “I will contact the committee members and see how they view comments inside of caucus. I will go with the will of the committee.â€
The fact that the conversations in caucus on public policy matters are private and confidential is precisely the problem.
It’s a problem that is exacerbated by the fact that one party has such a lopsided majority right now. There really is no effective mechanism to force public officials to do their business in, well, public.
I remember talking back in 2010 with former U.S. Sen. Richard Lugar, R-Ind., about why political battling over health care had gotten so vicious.
Lugar blamed the heavy majorities that Democrats had in the U.S. Senate and House at the time. He said that more balanced representation forced legislators to work with each other and, just as important, served as a check on the temptation to behave as if the public’s concerns didn’t matter. Heavy majorities, he said, were a breeding ground for arrogance.
Lugar focused his fire at that time on Democrats – with considerable justice – but his reasoning is non-partisan and hard to argue with.
Left unchecked, public officials from either party will do their best to evade scrutiny and accountability. They just don’t like that kind of light.
That’s why it is important for voters – citizens in a self-governing society – to make sure that the light keeps shining on their elected officials all the time.
John Krull is director of Franklin College’s Pulliam School of Journalism, host of “No Limits†WFYI 90.1 Indianapolis and publisher of TheStatehouseFile.com, a news website powered by Franklin College journalism students.