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Pence promises attack on infant mortality

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By Lesley Weidenbener
TheStatehouseFile.com

INDIANAPOLIS – Gov. Mike Pence on Friday called the state’s infant mortality rate – one of the worst in the nation – “deplorable” and said improving it is a key goal of his administration.

Gov. Mike Pence on Friday called the state’s infant mortality rate – one of the worst in the nation – “deplorable” and said improving it is a key goal of his administration. He spoke at the first Indiana Infant Mortality Summit at the JW Marriott in downtown Indianapolis. Photo by Lesley Weidenbener, TheStatehouseFile.com

Gov. Mike Pence on Friday called the state’s infant mortality rate – one of the worst in the nation – “deplorable” and said improving it is a key goal of his administration. He spoke at the first Indiana Infant Mortality Summit at the JW Marriott in downtown Indianapolis. Photo by Lesley Weidenbener, TheStatehouseFile.com

In 2011, the last year for which statistics are available, nearly eight out of every 1,000 children died before their first birthdays. That ranks the state 45th in the nation.

Pence said the “urgency and importance of this cannot be overstated.” That’s why he said the Indiana State Department of Health has made the issue its top priority.

“We need to think of this not as statistics we want to move on a scale,” Pence said. “This is not about reducing numbers. This is about reducing heartbreak in Indiana and we are going it together in this state.”

Pence was speaking to about 500 social workers and health care officials gathered at the first Indiana Infant Mortality Summit at the JW Marriott in downtown Indianapolis. He told the crowd the state would need help from everyone – professionals and parents – to ensure babies are born healthier and live longer.

The discussion came amid some good news. The March of Dimes presented the state with an award for reducing its premature births by more than 8 percent since 2009. Based on preliminary 2012 data, Indiana has reduced its rate of preterm birth from 11.9 percent in 2009 to 10.9 percent in 2012 – an 8.4 percent cut.

“This progress shows that when infant health becomes a leadership priority, significant progress is possible and families and babies benefit,” said Dr. Paul Jarris, executive director of the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials, who has been working with the March of Dimes to reduce on the project.

But Indiana officials said they still have significant work ahead. Dr. William VanNess, the commissioner of the Indiana State Department of Health, said the state needs more education for all Hoosiers and lifestyle changes for many pregnant women.

A majority of babies less than 1-year-old die due to complications related to birth defects, premature births or a mother’s weight or illness, VanNess said. And that’s particularly true in Indiana.

More Hoosier women smoke while pregnant – 16.6 percent in Indiana versus 9 percent nationally. They are more likely in Indiana to be obese. And they are also more likely to elect to have their babies delivered before the fetus is at least 39 weeks.

Indiana State Department of Health Commissioner William VanNess said his agency will be working to reduce premature births to battle infant mortality. Photo by Lesley Weidenbener, TheStatehouseFile.com

Indiana State Department of Health Commissioner William VanNess said his agency will be working to reduce premature births to battle infant mortality. Photo by Lesley Weidenbener, TheStatehouseFile.com

Indiana mothers are also less likely to breastfeed and more likely to sleep in the same bed with their infants.

All those problems lead to higher infant mortality rates, VanNess said.

“Indiana is consistently one of the worst in the U.S.,” he said. “It’s not that a lot of good people haven’t worked on this but we haven’t been able to stop the heartbreak.”

He outlined a plan the State Department of Health will be implementing in an effort to reduce the state’s infant mortality rate. It includes:

-       Working with Indiana Medicaid officials to try to reduce the number of pregnant women who are smoking and their obesity rates.

-       Educating more Hoosiers about so-called “safe sleep” practices that discourage parents from bringing their infants to their beds.

-       Work with hospitals to put a “hard stop” on elective, early deliveries.

-       Encourage more women to breastfeed their infants.

-       Analyze and share data with local and regional health organizations in an attempt to coordinate programs and education.

But VanNess warned the audience they will have to learn how to do more with less.

“Two thirds of our budget is federal dollars,” which have been reduced and are expected to fall farther, he said. “There are going to be changes.”

Lesley Weidenbener is the editor of TheStatehouseFile.com, a news website powered by Franklin College journalism students.

Career and Tech Center Plans Controlled Burn

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EVSC
Monday, November 4
1 p.m.

Southern Indiana Career and Technical Center, 1901 Lynch Rd.

 

Students in environment science classes at New Tech Institute and those in the Southern Indiana Career and Technical Center’s public safety classes will join forces Monday for a controlled burn in the New Tech Natural Area on the southwest edge of the property at the Southern Indiana Career and Technical Center.

 

As part of the controlled burn, the school received permission from the EPA to burn four small areas within the natural area, each measuring 2 x 2 meters. The areas being burned contain experimental plots of Johnson grass. The burn is a project to see if burning will eliminate the Johnson grass from the area.

 

The EPA as well as the Evansville Fire Department also will be onsite for the burn.

 

VANDERBURGH COUNTY FELONY CHARGES

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nick hermanBelow is a list of felony cases that were filed by the Vanderburgh County Prosecutor’s Office on Thursday, October 31, 2013

 

Derek Johnson                  Possession of Marijuana-Class A Misdemeanor

(Enhanced to D Felony Due to Prior Convictions)

 

Roberta McClintoch       Unlawful Possession or Use of a Legend Drug-Class D Felony

Possession of Paraphernalia-Class A Misdemeanor

Possession of Marijuana-Class A Misdemeanor

False Informing-Class B Misdemeanor

 

 

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.

Lawmakers consider ways to attack sexual violence problems

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By Lesley Weidenbener
TheStatehouseFile.com

INDIANAPOLIS – Feelings of guilt, societal pressures and fear of police and court involvement keep young sexual assault victims from reporting the crimes, experts told a legislative committee on Thursday.

Malea Crosby, a therapist who was the victim of sexual violence as a teenager, told lawmakers Thursday that she didn't tell anyone about the assault because she felt guilty and afraid. Photo by Lesley Weidenbener, TheStatehouseFile.com

Malea Crosby, a therapist who was the victim of sexual violence as a teenager, told lawmakers Thursday that she didn’t tell anyone about the assault because she felt guilty and afraid. Photo by Lesley Weidenbener, TheStatehouseFile.com

That means thousands of Indiana girls – and boys as well – go without the treatment they need to deal with the incidents, said Roberta Hibbard, the director of the Child Protection Program at Riley Hospital for Children.

“It is very, very clear that the lack of counseling and mental health support after sexual assault is what causes the most long term problems,” Hibbard told the Criminal Law and Sentencing Policy Study Committee, a bipartisan group of lawmakers, prosecutors and judges.

But lawmakers can’t start to address that problem – and develop better intervention and treatment options – until they gather more data about the breadth of the issue in the state, said John Parrish Sprowl, co-director of the Global Health Communication Center at Indiana University.

He proposed a study that would include two surveys to gather information from physicians, educators, coaches, bus drivers, therapists and others who deal with children. The surveys would measure how the current reporting systems are working and how they could be better. He also suggested a series of focus groups – in rural and urban areas – to gather more detailed information and anecdotes to find out how reporting happens in practice.

Rep. Matt Pierce, D-Bloomington, listens during testimony about sexual violence during a meeting Thursday of the Criminal Law and Sentencing Policy Study Committee at the Statehouse. Photo by Lesley Weidenbener, TheStatehouseFile.com

Rep. Matt Pierce, D-Bloomington, listens during testimony about sexual violence during a meeting Thursday of the Criminal Law and Sentencing Policy Study Committee at the Statehouse. Photo by Lesley Weidenbener, TheStatehouseFile.com

The information would give “us an evidence base for what we’re doing, rather than just because we think we know what we’re doing,” Sprowl said. “I and these people have a number of ideas of what interventions could look like but I’d never recommend one until we have the research.”

A recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Indiana leads the nation in reported sexual assaults involving girls. In Indiana, 17.3 percent of girls in grades 9 through 12 said they have been raped, compared to the national average of 10.5 percent of girls in the same age range.

And Rep. Christina Hale, D-Indianapolis, said the findings do not fully reflect the scope of the problem because up to 50 percent of all sexual assaults are never reported.

Hale told the legislative committee Wednesday that the numbers are frightening and unacceptable.

“It’s just not acceptable that our children are in danger of being victims of sexual crime,” Hale said. “What if we decided to do something together and do something about it? We could choose this issue and lead our nation.”

Rep. Christina Hale, D-Indianapolis, told the Criminal Law and Sentencing Policy Study Committee on Thursday that the state needs to do more to help young victims of sexual violence. Photo by Lesley Weidenbener, TheStatehouseFile.com

Rep. Christina Hale, D-Indianapolis, told the Criminal Law and Sentencing Policy Study Committee on Thursday that the state needs to do more to help young victims of sexual violence. Photo by Lesley Weidenbener, TheStatehouseFile.com

Lawmakers heard from Malea Crosby, a therapist who was the victim of sexual violence as a teenager. She talked about getting into the backseat of a car with a boy who didn’t stop when she screamed and said didn’t want to have sex.

She never reported the assault. And she said adults – including her mother and a physician who should have realized there was a problem – never asked her about it or tried to get her help.

“It was a fear of not being believed,” Crosby said. “There are all these self-doubts and they were confirmed by all the experiences I was having” with adults.

Crosby urged lawmakers to create an atmosphere that encourages discussions about sexual violence in schools, at home and in physicians’ offices.

“Kids need to know there are resources out there to help them,” she said. “I didn’t know that.”

Anita Carpenter, the chief executive officer of the Indiana Coalition Against Sexual Violence, said a 2010 law required the Indiana Department of Education to create a curriculum about sexual violence for schools. But she said there are no teeth in the law to ensure the information is used.

That’s important, Carpenter said, because when students learn the difference between healthy sexual contact and sexual violence, they often report assaults.

“We’ve only been putting a Band-Aid on this problem,” Carpenter said. “In order to fix this problem, we need really good data. We need to understand the magnitude of the problem.”

Sen. Mike Young, the Indianapolis Republican who chairs the Criminal Law and Sentencing Policy Study Committee, asked Hale to develop a proposal for a study that gathers the information needed and bring it back to the group for consideration in December.

Lesley Weidenbener is executive editor of TheStatehouseFile.com, a news website powered by Franklin College journalism students.

IS IT TRUE Part 2 November 1, 2013

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IS IT TRUE that City Controller Russ Lloyd  Jr. stated at this week City Council meeting that the “Riverboat Fund” has presently has $14 million dollars in it? …that City Controller Lloyd forgot to tell City Council that $9 million dollars of this fund is already committed for 2014 capital projects?

City County Observer Mole
City County Observer Mole

IS IT TRUE that we wonder what the status of the Old National Bank collection effort of forcing a Kansas City Steel manufacturing firm to refund the City of Evansville for an alleged double payment made to them for $350,000 for steel provided by them towards the Ford Center project?

IS IT TRUE we heard that the Mayor has officially cancelled Halloween activities in Evansville last night? …we hope he doesn’t do similar on Easter and Christmas? …we wonder upon what moral authority does he have the right to cancel Halloween?

IS IT TRUE we would like to help promote the public boxing challenge made by “Good Public Policy” advocate Brad Linzy yesterday in the City County Observer challenging City Councilman Weaver to a public boxing duel? …we think this is a great idea? …we feel that this boxing duel between Weaver and Linzy could be part of the this years “Guns and Hoses” fund raising event? …that the City County Observer will donate $500 to the favorite local charity of the winner of this boxing match? …if Councilman Weaver beats Linzy the City County Observer shall donate $1000 to the winner of a boxing match between City Councilman Weaver and Al Lindsey to the winners favorite charity? …we say its time for Weaver, Lindsey and Linzy to man up for the good of a worthwhile area charity?

IS IT TRUE we just heard from reliable sources this morning that the State Board of Accounts 2012 audit for the City of Evansville was due today?  …that our sources also told us told that the State Board of Accounts may be still working on financial issue pertaining to this audit and may be forced to defer making this audit public until December 2013?  …if our sources are correct that the State Board of Accounts shall release the 2012 City Audit in December 2013 that this might signal there are problems with the city financial records?

EPD ACTIVITY REPORT: 10.31.2013

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EPD PATCH 2012

EPD ACTIVITY REPORT: 10.31.2013

Former Indiana Supreme Court chief justice condemns big money in judicial elections

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By Jessica Wray
SHFWire

WASHINGTON – Former Indiana Supreme Court Chief Justice Randall Shepard argued Tuesday about the importance of keeping campaign money and strategies out of judicial elections.

Former Indiana Supreme Court Chief Justice Randall Shepard says Indiana has largely been spared from highly politicized judicial elections. To combat misleading and distorted attack ads, he said, voters need to be educated about what makes a good judge. SHFWire photo by Jessica Wray

Former Indiana Supreme Court Chief Justice Randall Shepard says Indiana has largely been spared from highly politicized judicial elections. To combat misleading and distorted attack ads, he said, voters need to be educated about what makes a good judge. SHFWire photo by Jessica Wray

The Evansville native stepped down from the bench last year after 25 years as chief justice, but he has been busy in his retirement.

Shepard became a board member with Justice at Stake, which works to keep courts fair and impartial. He spoke at a news conference in Washington about the release of a Justice at Stake report, The New Politics of Judicial Elections 2011-2012.

The report says special interest groups and political parties spent more than $24 million in state judicial races in the 2011-2012 election cycle – an increase of more than $11 million from four years earlier.

A total of $56.4 million was spent in state high-court races, with a majority of that money going to television ads. Michigan, Wisconsin, Florida and North Carolina had the most expensive judicial elections.

Bert Brandenburg, executive director of Justice at Stake, said the judicial system was created in part to keep conflicts of interest out of the courtroom.

He said that goal “is being worn away steadily a year at a time by a relentless campaign of big money spending and political bullying.”

Marsha Ternus, former Iowa Supreme Court chief justice, describes how large national special interest groups poured money into a campaign against her in a retention election. Ternus and two other justices were voted out of office because of their decision to strike down a same-sex marriage ban. SHFWire photo by Jessica Wray

Marsha Ternus, former Iowa Supreme Court chief justice, describes how large national special interest groups poured money into a campaign against her in a retention election. Ternus and two other justices were voted out of office because of their decision to strike down a same-sex marriage ban. SHFWire photo by Jessica Wray

Former Iowa Supreme Court Chief Justice Marsha Ternus was one of the justices targeted by national special interest groups such as the National Organization for Marriage and other local groups to prevent her retention on the bench. That came after the court struck down Iowa’s gay marriage ban.

Ternus and two of her former colleagues received the 2012 John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award after being removed from office because of their unpopular but principled votes.

She said the amount of outside dollars pouring into judicial elections is politicizing the judicial system and creating a hostile environment for judges trying to make impartial decisions.

She said that, in situations like hers, that kind of interest from outside groups can be intimidating for other judges across the country. They’re trying to send a message, she said, to other judges not to vote a certain way or fear political retribution.

States have various ways to choose supreme court justices. Some use different procedures for other courts. Fourteen states, including Kentucky and Georgia, have nonpartisan general elections, but sometimes candidates run with party endorsements. Seven states have contested elections for supreme court justices, when the judges declare a party and run on the party ticket. In Indiana and 16 other states, judges are appointed and later face uncontested retention elections. The remaining states grant life tenure or use a reappointment of some type.

Shepard said taking the financial reins from outside special-interest groups and giving them back to the local committee parties and candidates could reduce some of the extreme hostility and negativity in ads.

“But money finds whatever crevice it can, and flows into groups which are less transparent and less accountable,” Shepard said.

With political parties and candidate committees, Shepard said it’s easier for the public to track where the money is changing hands.

“You know where a party got its money,” he said. “There is a kind of responsibility that flows from being the person who has to say his or her name as party treasurer down at the bottom of the ad.”

Indiana, he said, has for the most part stayed out of the judicial political arena.

“Indiana has had a pretty satisfactory experience with merit selection at the state level and in some of the urban courts,” Shepard said. “We have thus been spared these big-dollar money contests. But that vineyard requires tending; you have to work at that.”

Indiana has a system of merit-based nomination. The governor chooses justices from a list provided by a merit committee. After two years they stand for retention. After that, the justices come up for retention votes every 10 years. The Indiana Supreme Court says justices may not “campaign or solicit public support or campaign funds unless there is organized opposition to their retention.”

Shepard said taking a look at recusal laws could be a good place for states to start reforming their judicial election processes. Those laws allow judges to recuse themselves – or remove themselves from a case – or for other  parties to ask them to do so in cases involving a person or group who supported the judges financially.

The report was put together by the Brennan Center for Justice, Justice at Stake and the National Institute on Money in State Politics.

Reach reporter Jessica Wray at jessica.wray@shns.com or 202-326-9865. SHFWire stories are free to any news organization that gives the reporter a byline and credits the SHFWire.

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IS IT TRUE November 1, 2013 (Updated)

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Mole #3 Nostradamus of Local Politics
Mole #3 Nostradamus of Local Politics

IS IT TRUE the sentiment of the comment writers on the City County Observer is that City Councilman Jonathan Weaver was out of line in filing a criminal complaint against Jordan Baer for bringing the situation to light about the continued dilapidated state of Evansville’s cemeteries?…some of these critiques have been quite harsh?…if this sentiment is widespread come 2015 we may have seen the last of Jonathan Weaver as an elected official?

IS IT TRUE the Evansville Economic Development Loan Committee is meeting today at 10:00 a.m. on Friday, November 1, 2013 in the Conference Room in Room 306 of the Civic Center?…we hope this cast of characters that was hoodwinked by the Winnecke Administration into handing a $200,000 advance to Earthcare Energy LLC will put a line item on their agenda to start the discussion about how to go out and get that $200,000 back?…it is becoming a pattern for this committee to announce a meeting with no agenda?…that is just another smoke screen technique well honed by political puppet masters who do not want to attract the attention of the media?

IS IT TRUE that the NCAA basketball rankings are out for 2013-2014 and two teams with local followings are ranked among the top 3?…the University of Kentucky Wildcats on the strength of what some are calling the most talented freshman class since the Michigan Wolverines fielded the “Fabulous Five” back in the early 1990’s are ranked #1?…the defending champion Louisville Cardinals are sitting just behind Michigan State in the #3 position?…we will learn early in the season if John Calipari’s “live by the freshman and die by the freshman” philosophy will justify a #1 ranking as Kentucky will be playing both #2 and #3 before New Year’s Day?…if the dynamic duo of Oladipo and Zeller would have deferred becoming NBA millionaires for one year we are sure that the Indiana Hoosiers would have been ranked near or at the top of the college basketball world?

IS IT TRUE comedian and liberal political commentator Bill Maher says President Barack Obama should have been upfront that people would lose the health insurance they like under the Affordable Care Act?…Maher stated that if the President had told the truth, Obamacare likely would never have passed?…Maher went on to say, “I don’t think Obama should have lied to people,” on CNN’s Piers Morgan Live?…Morgan, a supporter of Obamacare and native of Great Britain where healthcare is provided by the government, agreed with Maher that Obama’s repeated promise was “a barefaced lie?”…Maher stated that if Obama told people that many of them would lose the insurance they like it wouldn’t have had a chance?…Maher also expressed doubts Obama is being truthful when he says he was unaware the United States was spying on the leaders of allied countries, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel?…the march of liberal members of the media from Jon Stewart to Bill Maher and many in between have made late night comedic fodder of President Obama much like Jay Leno did to President Clinton over pecadillos and many comedy kings did to Richard Nixon over declaring he was not a crook?

IS IT TRUE the CCO learned this morning from CBS reports and other national news sources that the number of people who signed up for ObamaCare on the first day was exactly 6?…that’s right, it was not 6 million, or 6 thousand, the number was SIX?…this tidbit of information was obtained through the use of a subpoena as the Obama Administration has never willfully released or acknowledged any actual count?…the were crowing in day one and through the first week that there were as many as 8 million hits to the failure of a website they spent over $600 million on?…as Bill Maher and many others have openly stated the words coming from the President to sell the American people on this were false and now we are learning that the reports of demand are being intentionally obstructed so false information can be disseminated?

Tibetan monks presenting cultural events in Evansville

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Seven monks from the Labrang Tashi Kyil Monastery in Dehradun, India will be in Evansville during the week of November 5-10 educate the public about the culture of Tibet.
Their schedule includes creating the World Peace Sand Mandala at Central Library with Opening Ceremony at 10:00 am on November 5 and Closing Ceremony on Friday, November 8 at 3:30 pm. Construction of the Mandala will continue on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.  Tuesday, November 5 at 6:00 pm the monks will be presenting at the University of Evansville, Ridgway along with Arjia Rinpoche, director of the Tibetan Mongolian Cultural Center in Bloomington, Indiana.  Wednesday, November 6 at 5:00 pm the monks will present a Let’s Travel to Tibet program at the Arts Council of Southwestern Indiana.  Thursday, November 7 at 11:30 am the monks will be attending the Interfaith Group monthly meeting at the Mindful Heart Buddha Sangha.  Thursday, November 7 at 5:00 the monks will do a Blessing of the Woods for Wesselman Nature Society, followed at 6:00 pm by a benefit dinner at Wesselman Nature Center.  All proceeds go to Tashi Kyil Monastery and reservations must be made by Monday, November 4th for the dinner. Tickets available at www.bwmassage.com or Bodyworks, 812-490-9009.  Friday, November 8 at 6:00 pm the monks will present a Dharma Talk/Meditation at Evansville Power Yoga.  Sunday, November 10 at 9:30 am the monks will be in attendance at St. Mary’s Catholic Church downtown with a reception to follow.
There is no charge to attend these events, and all events are open to the public with the exception of the benefit dinner.

Halloween Safety Tips

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ISPThe Indiana State Police would like to remind parents of a few safety tips to observe during the Halloween holiday. Parents and children will be out in full force next week trick-or-treating and the Indiana State Police would like to remind parents that observing just a few rules will help can make the evening both fun and safe.

Costume Tips-
•Keep costumes short to prevent trips and falls.
•Try make-up instead of a mask. Masks often obstruct a child’s vision, which makes tasks like crossing the street and going up and down stairs dangerous.
•Make sure children wear light colors or put reflective tape on their costumes.

Trick or Treating-
•Make sure older children trick-or-treat with friends. Together, map out a safe route so parents know where they will be.
•Instruct children to stop only at familiar homes where the outside lights are on.
•Encourage children to trick-or-treat while it’s still light out. If children are out after dark, make sure they have flashlights and travel on well lighted streets.
•Remind children not to enter the homes or cars of strangers.
•Follow your communities trick-or-treating hours.

Treats-
•Remind children not to eat any of their treats until they get home.
•Check out all treats at home in a well-lighted place.
•Only eat unopened candies and other treats that are in original wrappers. Remember to inspect fruits for anything suspicious.

Additionally, many communities, schools and churches offer children safe alternatives to trick-or-treating designed to keep children safely within parents’ view. Some hospitals and schools allow children to trick-or-treat by going from room to room virtually eliminating the dangers associated with being out walking on the street after dark.

For full details, view this message on the web.

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