Sixteen students from the Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation will be among approximately 5,000 high school students converging on Orlando, Fl., for the Business Professionals of America (BPA) national conference, May 8-12.
The following students have qualified to compete at the conference. The award they won at the state level and school is noted below.

· Hannah Riffle, 1st in Interview Skills, Bosse High School

· Madison Osbourne, 4th in Fundamental Spreadsheet Applications and 5th in Medical Office Procedures, Bosse High School

· Maddie Bogan, 1st in Presentation Management – Individual, Reitz High School

· Garett Goebel, Sammy Tadros and Mitchell Schnarr, 2nd Economic Research Team, Reitz High School

· Evan Logue, 3rd Legal Office Procedures, Reitz High School

· Rebecca Cobb, 5th Legal Office Procedures, Reitz High School

· Kate Lutz, 1st Advanced Office Systems and 4th Medical Office Procedures, Reitz High School

· Marek Rathousky, 1st Fundamental Accounting and 2nd Payroll Accounting, Reitz High School

· Dylan Blankenship, 1st in Advanced Desktop Publishing, North High School

· Chase Clayton, 2nd in Advanced Desktop Publishing, North High School

· Caleb Chambers, 3rd in Advanced Desktop Publishing, North High School

· Derek Tapley, 1st in Cisco Systems Administration and received a $2,000 college scholarship to IUPUI, North High School

· Lakota Ironrope, Cody Kennedy and Andrew McVey, 4th in Presentation Management – Team, Central High School

· Hillary Smith, 2nd in Advanced Interview and 3rd in Accounting, Central High School

In addition, Cory Simmons from Central earned the opportunity to advance by completing his Ambassador Award for service and leadership. He also was recognized for being a member who has made a difference in his/her local chapter. And, Reitz High School’s BPA chapter received a “2013 Membership Award for Largest Increase in Numbers.” The school’s chapter was recognized at the state conference and presented with a plaque at the General Session event.

The students advanced to the national competition by competing against nearly 1,500 students at the state level in Indianapolis in early March. In order to advance, students had to finish in the top two for teamed events, the top three for judged events and the top five for written or computer tests.

Students at Perry Heights have been learning their lines and remembering their places for their school’s spring play, Alice in Wonderland. Students will perform the play with a little twist to the regular story line on Wednesday, March 20 and Thursday, March 21, at 7 p.m.

Tickets for the performance can be purchased at the door or in advance at the school for $4.

Reforms Broken Job Training System, Helps Put Hoosiers Back to Work

(Washington, D.C.) – Congressman Larry Bucshon (IN-08) voted in favor of H.R. 803, “The Supporting Knowledge and Investing in Lifelong Skills Act (SKILLS Act),” which will fix our nation’s broken job training system and help put Hoosiers back to work. The SKILLS Act passed the House today, 215-202.

Congressman Larry Bucshon (IN-08) released the following statement regarding his vote today:

“Our nation’s current job training system is broken. Millions of jobs are going unfilled, while many Americans are struggling to find good paying jobs, simply because they do not have the proper training. We are spending billions of taxpayer dollars every year on duplicative and ineffective job training programs that fail to bridge the skills gap that is preventing employers from matching with potential employees.

“In his 2012 State of the Union address, President Obama claimed he wanted to ‘cut through the maze of confusing training programs.’ The SKILLS Act is the only proposal that moves us toward this goal.”

“This bill streamlines our workforce development programs, ends the long line of bureaucratic red tape, lowers costs, and empowers state and local agencies to provide our workers a more dynamic, flexible, and efficient network of job training services . These are the vital reforms that will match skills with needs to ensure all Americans have the opportunity to find good paying jobs.”

Mayor Lloyd Winnecke encourages Evansville residents to attend a public hearing next week to learn about changes to the 812 area code. The Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission (IURC) will host the local hearing Tuesday, March 19, at 6 p.m. at Washington Middle School, 1801 Washington Ave.
The North American Numbering Plan Administrator predicts the 812 area code will run out of available phone numbers by March 2015. The area code serves 38 counties in Southern and Central Indiana. The shortage is caused by population growth, economic growth and the demand for new services, including cellphones.
The Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission (IURC) is being asked to consider two options. A geographic split would result in the existing area being divided into two or more area codes. An overlay option allows for a new area code to be assigned to new users within to the same geographic area.
More information about the 812 area code change is available online at www.in.gov/iurc/2703.htm.

Reitz senior Samuel Tadros was notified recently that he is one of only 40 students from across the state to be selected by the Indianapolis Star and the Indiana Association of School Principals (IASP) as an Academic All-Star.

Tadros was one of 90 regional honorees that were selected from nominations from students’ individual schools. Once selected as a regional honoree, Tradros was eligible to be selected as one of 40 Academic All-Stars based on the his academic accomplishments, including grade point average, academic courses, academic achievement, extracurricular activities and community service and involvement.

As an Academic All-Star, Tadros will be recognized at an awards luncheon on April 10 in Indianapolis. In addition, the Indianapolis Star will publish a special section recognizing all honorees on the same day.

On Tuesday, March 19, Leadership Evansville will honor and
celebrate 124 community individuals, businesses, organizations and projects for their
servant leadership at Celebration of Leadership (COL). The ceremony will be held at
5:30 p.m. at The Centre Ballroom in downtown Evansville.
A total of 39 awards will be presented to recipients who have shown exceptional
community and public service in the following categories: Arts, Education, Environment,
Government & Public Service, Health & Social Service and Neighborhood &
Community.
One individual will receive the prestigious Jefferson Award through a partnership with
the Evansville Courier & Press.
“The diversity of the Celebration of Leadership nominations demonstrates the incredible
passion and commitment to our citizens in making our community even better,”
Executive Director Lynn Miller Pease. “Watching COL and learning about all of the
incredible things people are doing helps inspire all of us to engage in our community to
make it a better place.”
The partnership between Leadership Evansville and the Evansville Courier & Press has
led to four Evansville recipients of the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Awards for Public
Service in the past nine years, an accomplishment no other community in the United
States has achieved. The past Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis recipients include: Kathryn
Martin, 2007; Holly Dunn-Pendleton, 2006; Billy Bolin and Paul Kirby, 2005; and
Bridget McDaniel, 2003.
Members of the Evansville community demonstrate leadership every day, according to
Miller Pease. However, many of those individuals, businesses and organizations go
unrecognized. COL is one channel for all of these leaders to be recognized and
applauded for their actions to better our community.
The nominations are diverse, emotional and amazing stories of our community. They
range from a teacher changing her students’ lives at school but also after school, a young
man who spent the last months of his life dedicated to cancer research, community
leaders setting out to make Evansville a more beautiful place to live, a high school girl
focused on teaching other women self-defense, a library who sees technology growing
and wants to get people an opportunity to learn and grow with it. These are just
examples of all of the fantastic nominations that will be recognized at COL.
“COL is the academy awards for servant leadership,” said Miller Pease. “Recognizing
ordinary individuals for doing extraordinary things to make our community the best place
to live, work and play.”
Reservations are still being taken for COL. If you would like to attend, call the
Leadership Evansville office at 812-425-3828 or make an online reservation at
http://leadershipevansville.org/programs/celebration-of-leadership. Admission is
$15/adult, $5/student.
ABOUT CELEBRATION OF LEADERSHIP
Celebration of Leadership is Leadership Evansville’s conscious effort to recognize
servant leaders in our community. Awards are given to recognize individuals,
organizations, projects and businesses for going above and beyond the call of duty to
improve our community.
ABOUT LEADERSHIP EVANSVILLE
Leadership Evansville was founded in 1976 by a group of future-thinking local leaders
whose original commitment to community-wide betterment remains unique and strong.
Leadership Evansville brings together people with different talents, gifts and perspectives
and transforms these individuals into leaders who embrace the concept of community
trusteeship and the collaborative process. The experience helps participants develop an
understanding of how today’s leaders function, and teaches them the skills to apply this
knowledge in provided real life opportunities through practice and performance. These
attitudes, skills and processes are taught to, adults, youth, organizations, not-for-profits,