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$6.7 million in grants available to strengthen food supply chain infrastructure

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The Indiana State Department of Agriculture (ISDA) announced it has a cooperative agreement with U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) under the Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure Program (RFSI). Through this agreement, the two entities are working together to offer over $6.7 million in competitive grant funding for projects designed to build resilience across the middle of the supply chain.

The purpose of this program is to improve food supply resilience in the middle of the food chain through increasing distribution, aggregation, storage capacity, market expansion and facility updates/expansions. Following federal guidance, the project performance period will be June 2024 through May 2027. Applicants must demonstrate how this project will improve resilience in the middle of the food chain.

“These grants are critical to ensuring the security of our food supply,” said Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch, Indiana’s Secretary of Agriculture and Rural Development. “Federal partners like USDA-AMS are a wonderful asset to Indiana and to agriculture. I am excited to see Hoosier businesses expand with these grants.”

The purpose of this program is to improve food supply resilience in the middle of the food chain through increasing distribution, aggregation, storage capacity, market expansion and facility updates/expansions. Following federal guidance, the project performance period will be June 2024 through May 2027. Applicants must demonstrate how this project will improve resilience in the middle of the food chain.

“Our Hoosier farmers, producers, agribusinesses and consumers need a steady food supply chain system. We are grateful that USDA recognized this need in Indiana and across the country and continue to work with us to enhance our middle of the food chain businesses,” said Don Lamb, Indiana State Department of Agriculture director. “These grants will go a long way in ensuring rural vitality and success for our small and mid-sized producers, processors as well as Hoosier consumers.”

WHO IS ELIGIBLE:

Indiana businesses and producers that work in the middle of the food chain sector, defined as “from the farm gate to the end retail market” or the processing and aggregation/distribution sector of the food chain. Eligible product ideas could include, but are not limited to, creating a produce packing line, value added dairy and egg products, establishing/expanding a co-packing facility or building a commercial kitchen.

BAD OFFENSIVE LUCK COSTS THUNDERBOLTS IN 2-1 LOSS TO KNOXVILLE

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Evansville, In.:  Despite heavily outshooting the Ice Bears 45-23 on home ice, Knoxville goaltender Zane Steeves stole the game for Knoxville, as the Thunderbolts were held to a single goal in a 2-1 loss on Friday night at Ford Center.   The Thunderbolts’ next home game will be on Saturday, February 3rd against the Knoxville Ice Bears, puck drop at 7:00pm CT.

 

A late first period power play allowed Rex Moe to give the Ice Bears a 1-0 lead at 14:32 of the first period, before Dawson McKinney doubled the lead to 2-0 at 4:04 of the second period.  It was all Evansville the rest of the way, and they finally got on the scoreboard in the opening moments of the third period as Myles Abbate scored on the power play from Grayson Valente and Vadim Vasjonkin to pull Evansville to within 2-1.  Evansville appeared to score again just over a minute later, but the goal was waived off due to a high stick redirection, a call that was confirmed following video review.  The Thunderbolts outshot the Ice Bears 21-6 in the third period, but somehow could not find the tying goal.

 

Abbate finished with Evansville’s goal, while Brendahn Brawley finished with 21 saves on 23 shots faced in his Thunderbolts debut.  The Thunderbolts and Ice Beats meet for the final time this season on Saturday, February 3rd at Ford Center.

 

Individual game tickets and group packages are on sale for this 2023-24 season.  Season tickets for the 2023-24 season are also on sale.  Call 812-422-BOLT or visit our all-new website (www.evansvillethunderbolts.com) for details.

Five records fall for Aces track and field at PNC Bank Bellarmine Classic

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The Purple Aces full field of runners returned to action on Friday
 
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The University of Evansville track and field team continues to break running records in its first meet of February.

The Purple Aces runners had a strong showing at the PNC Bank Bellarmine Classic hosted by the Knights on Friday. Three new records were set by UE while the 4×400 relay teams all update their previous records from earlier in the season. The men’s relay team of Austin Liversgowdy (Florence, Ky. / Cooper HS), Raymond Felton III (Houston / Clear Brook HS), Alvaro Monfort (Castile Y Leon, Spain), and Cedrik Flipo (Beloil, Quebec, Canada) finished 4th. It improved the previous record by over three seconds at 3:19.68. While the women’s relay team of Taylor Johnson (Evansville, Ind. / Reitz HS), Eilen Brenne (Skien, Norway), Nayla Martin (Vaudreuil-Dorion, Quebec, Canada), and Nicole Prauchner (Neuhofen an der Ybbs, Austria) improved their time by five seconds with a time of 3:58.59.

But the first record of the meet broken for the Aces came from sophomore Kate Walke (Batesville, Ind. / Oldenburg Academy) in the 60-meter hurdles. Walke ran a sub-10-second hurdle at 9.81 to break the 2018 record set by Samantha Bittner. Flipo continued to break decades-old records in his second meet of the season, setting a new men’s 800-meter record that hadn’t been touched since 1983. The freshman runner completed the 800-meter in 1:52.86 for sixth place among 55 finishers. Evansville’s final record of the day came from the hometown kid as Johnson added a third program record to her belt in her brief career. Johnson set a new mark for the 200-meter sprint at 25.39, taking over a second off the 2022 record.

On the men’s side in Louisville, nine runners set new personal bests starting with junior Antwaun Powell (Ringgold, Ga. / Heritage HS) in the 60-meter dash at 7.61 seconds. The only other sprint PR at the Bellarmine Classic came for Liversgowdy in the 200-meter race with a time of 22.92 seconds. Four runners set new PRs in the 800-meter race along with Flipo. Monfort and Rafael Rodriguez (Segovia, Spain) finished in the Top 10 with times of 1:54.13 and 1:54.53. Jakub Nowicki (Poznan, Poland) and Tommaso Losma (Lombardia, Italy) PR’s in the 800 came at times of 1:56.69 and 1:59.69. The last PR on Friday for the UE men came in the mile race for Samuel Lea (Worchester, England) with a time of 4:20.98.

The women also had multiple PRs during the Bellarmine Classic with eight throughout the day. Similar to the men’s team, the Aces women had multiple 800-meter PR results from Brenne at 2:14.44, Kalina Urbaniak (Suchy Las, Poland) at 2:15.69, and Martin with a time of 2:17.86. All three finished in the Top 15 in the event while Brenne led the pack in fifth place. Two runners also set PRs in the mile as Sonja Inzinger (Mautern an der Donau, Austria) ran in 5:05.99 and Kyndall Anthis (Pakota, Ind. / Princeton Community HS) ran a 5:39.92. The women’s final PR of the day was Prauchner’s in the 400-meter race as she finished in under a minute at 59.61 seconds.

UE’s throwers will be in action tomorrow morning at the Blue-White Classic hosted by Indiana State. Field events in Terre Haute will begin at 11 a.m. with the women’s weight throw. Evansville’s runners and throwers will be back at the same meet next weekend for the Music City Challenge on Feb. 9 and Feb. 10.

Gov. Holcomb, FSSA announce an additional $6.9 million in grants to support child care

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86 Hoosier employers will benefit from Gov. Holcomb’s $25 million fund

INDIANAPOLIS — Governor Eric J. Holcomb announced today the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration’s Office of Early Childhood and Out-of-School Learning is awarding another $6.9 million in employer-sponsored child care grants to an additional 22 businesses, community groups and school corporations, bringing the total invested to $25 million. The initiative, part of Gov. Holcomb’s 2023 Next Level Agenda, is mobilizing employers and communities to create or expand child care offerings that address the needs of working Hoosiers.

“By having more child care options, Hoosiers are provided the flexibility to enter and stay in the workforce and attain a better quality of life for their families,” Gov. Holcomb said. “The State is pleased to partner with businesses to provide more opportunities for their workforce, leading to a sustainable future for Indiana families.”

Forty employers plan to provide on-site child care to their employees, and 15 will offer child care tuition benefits to their workers. The remaining awardees plan to support child care for their employees in a variety of other ways, such as reserving seats at partner child care centers. The full list of allowable uses and details can be found here.

Overall, more than 40 large employers with 1,000 or more employees will receive up to $750,000 each. More than 30 mid-sized employers with between 100 and 999 employees will receive up to $350,000. And 12 small employers with between 20 and 99 employees will receive up to $50,000.

“Thousands of families will benefit from affordable, convenient access to child care, and nearly 100 businesses, community groups and schools will benefit from a workforce that doesn’t have to worry about where they’re going to find it,” said Courtney Penn, OECOSL director. “But most importantly, children will benefit from quality early education that will set them up for success in K-12 and beyond.”

The program, a partnership with the Indiana Chamber of Commerce, uses a portion of the state’s remaining federal relief funds from the COVID-19 pandemic and is part of the state’s broader efforts to strengthen the early child care and education sector, providing support for today’s workforce and investing in tomorrow’s. The program is also supported by the Indiana Manufacturers Association.

UE women’s basketball hosts Bradley for National Girls and Women in Sports Day

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The Purple Aces will celebrate the annual event at Saturday’s game

EVANSVILLE, Ind. — The University of Evansville women’s basketball team finishes its three-game home stand with a special game on Saturday evening.

The Purple Aces will be celebrating National Girls and Women in Sports Day during their game Saturday against the Bradley Braves. To celebrate, UE Athletics is hosting a clinic with area girls to introduce them to sports offered at Evansville. The girls will also get to see the game against Bradley for free and receive autographs from the team afterward.
The Braves come into Saturday’s game with a 5-15 overall record and a 1-8 conference record. Bradley’s lone MVC win came against Southern Illinois in mid-January on a last-second shot from junior guard Nika Dorsey. The Braves are coming off a loss to Northern Iowa 105-59. Freshman Halli Poock led Bradley in points with 19 and dished out 4 assists. Senior Isis Fitch led the Braves on defense with five rebounds and finished second on offense with 13 points.
Despite a fast first half on offense, Evansville was not able to pick up its first Missouri Valley Conference win in a Sunday afternoon match up with the Valparaiso Beacons. Only 26.5% shooting in the second half stifled UE in the 70-59 loss. While the Aces’ overall offense struggled over the weekend, three players scored in double-figures on Sunday afternoon. Guard Madlena Gerke, forward Nevaeh Thomas, and center Barbora Tomancova combined for 37 of Evansville’s 59 points against the Beacons’ defense.
Since returning to the lineup from a foot fracture in January, freshman forward Nevaeh Thomas has been an offensive leader for UE. Thomas is currently on a six-game double-figure scoring streak dating back to her return on January 14th. Along with her scoring streak, Thomas set a career-high in steals against Valpo with two in 27 minutes of action.
Junior guard Madlena Gerke had a season-best game on Sunday in the Aces contest with Valparaiso. Gerke became a focal point for Evansville’s offense as she led UE at the free throw line. She set a season-high in points in 37 minutes with 12, coming just a basket shy of her career-high. Gerke did set one career-high with six made free throws on seven attempts.

Supporting Indiana’s Jewish students

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by Wendy McNamara

According to the Anti-Defamation League, reports of antisemitic events have increased by nearly 360% since the Israel-Hamas war began in October 2023.

Sadly, across the nation, we’re seeing the unfortunate and ugly treatment of Jewish students, and we must do more to make sure they feel safe and welcome here. 

That’s why I co-authored legislation to target antisemitism and better protect Hoosier Jewish students on college campuses and K-12 classrooms. House Bill 1002 would define antisemitism in state law to ensure that K-12 schools and universities do not include the concept in teaching materials or resources. Under the bill, antisemitism would be defined as “a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities.” This definition is already adopted by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance, the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Education.

Recently, this legislation cleared the Indiana House of Representatives and is now being considered in the Senate.

To learn more about House Bill 1002, or to watch session and committees live, visit iga.in.gov.

Eagles taken down by Bisons in home opener

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EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Men’s Tennis (0-1) dropped its season-opening match Friday afternoon to Lipscomb University, 6-1, at the Evansville Tennis Center.

Doubles: Neither doubles team could get anything done for the Screaming Eagles as numbers one and two dropped 6-2, leaving number three unfinished.

Singles: Sophomore Mathys Bove (Lyon, France) picked up his first singles win at USI with a thrilling 6-2, 3-6, 1-0 victory at the three spot. Despite Bove’s efforts, the Eagles could not catch fire and dropped the other five singles matches to the Bisons.

NEXT UP FOR THE EAGLES:
The Eagles have a long weekend ahead as USI will travel to Crestview Hills, Kentucky to battle Thomas More University on Saturday at 3 p.m. (CT) before heading to Dayton, Ohio to face off against the University of Dayton on Sunday at 8 a.m. (CT).

Attorney General Todd Rokita invites Hoosiers to visit IndianaUnclaimed.gov to celebrate National Unclaimed Property Day

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Attorney General Todd Rokita invites Hoosiers to visit IndianaUnclaimed.gov or text CLAIM to 46220 to see what types of treasures await you on National Unclaimed Property Day. 

 

“What’s yours is yours, and the government should not be holding onto it,” Attorney General Rokita said. “Our office returned a record-breaking $81 million to hardworking Hoosiers in 2023, and hundreds of millions is just waiting to be claimed.” 

 

Indiana is the only state where the attorney general oversees unclaimed property.  

 

Unclaimed property is any financial asset with no activity by its owner for an extended period of time.  

 

Examples of potential unclaimed property consists of the following: 

 

  • Unclaimed wages or commissions 
  • Money orders 
  • Safety deposit box contents 
  • Savings and checking accounts 
  • Refunds 
  • Overpayments such as:  
  • Credit card balances  
  • Cell phone bills 
  • DMV payments

 

Individuals and/or businesses have 25 years to claim money once it is reported to the Unclaimed Property Division.  

Money isn’t the only thing waiting for you in the Unclaimed Property Division. There are also some tangible items received from dormant safe deposit boxes. After three years, the division typically liquidates those items through such means as eBay auctions. 

 

Be sure to check IndianaUnclaimed.gov or text CLAIM to 46220 to search your name, family, or business.  

Weekly Death Report

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Weekly Death Report Jan 1 to Jan 7 2024

E-REP Announces Consultant to Develop Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy

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EVANSVILLE, Ind. (January 31, 2024) – The Evansville Regional Economic Partnership (E-REP) has announced the selection of Fourth Economy as the consultant to guide the region’s development of a new Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS). The Pittsburgh-based firm was awarded through a request for proposals process, which was led by E-REP and assisted by partners Success Warrick and Go Gibson.

Fourth Economy was the consensus pick of a scoring committee after six consultants submitted proposals to E-REP in late 2023. The funding to utilize a consultant stems from a grant E-REP was awarded in October by the Economic Development Administration (EDA), a federal agency of the Department of Commerce.

“We are thrilled to partner with a firm of the caliber of Fourth Economy,” said Lloyd Winnecke, CEO of E-REP. “It’s a firm known for a deep commitment toward equity and resiliency – two key components of a CEDS. Fourth Economy is also well acquainted with our state and our region. It was contracted by the Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC) to complete a Statewide CEDS, which is nearing completion. Rowing in sync with the state is critical for our region.”

Counties to be covered in the Evansville Region’s CEDS include Vanderburgh, Posey, Warrick, and Gibson. A CEDS is a strategy-driven plan for regional economic development and is designed to build capacity and guide economic resiliency. Fourth Economy plans to produce a draft CEDS by September. Following public comment and county resolutions of support, E-REP will submit the final version in late 2024 for EDA approval, and then apply to become an Economic Development District, a designation the Evansville Region (excluding Henderson, Kentucky) has never held.

“We are honored to be working with the Evansville Region, a community that we see is focused on strategic actions to improve the quality of place and economic opportunities,” said Rich Overmoyer, CEO of Fourth Economy. “The development of a CEDS is an excellent opportunity to assess strengths, needs, and hear the aspirations of residents for what can make the community even more successful.”

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