INDIANA’S GOP CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION SUPPORTS REP. KENDELL CULP’S BILL TO PROT
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Mike Braun and U.S. Representative Jim Banks have led a letter of support for State Representative Kendell Culp’s bill HB 1183, a bill to protect Indiana’s agricultural land from being purchased by our foreign adversaries, signed by Senator Braun, Representative Banks, Senator Todd Young, Representative Rudy Yakym, Representative Jim Baird, Representative Victoria Spartz, Representative Greg Pence, Representative Larry Bucshon, and Representative Erin Houchin.
The letter was covered by the Indianapolis Star today in the article State and federal lawmakers want to stop foreign adversaries from owning Hoosier farmland by Sarah Bowman.
The members write
“Over the last decade, foreign investors have expanded their acquisition of American agricultural land. While foreign ownership increased modestly between 2009 and 2015 by approximately 800,000 acres per year, this figure has more than quadrupled since 2015. In fact, since 2017, foreign investors have purchased an average of 2.9 million acres of American agricultural land every year – an amount of land, in total, nearly as large as the State of Indiana.
“In the State of Indiana, foreign investors own or lease 401,747 acres of agricultural land, about two percent of our total. Of Indiana’s foreign-owned or -controlled agricultural land, nearly 80 percent is cropland, 16 percent is pasture, and 3 percent is forestland.
“While most foreign investors do not pose a threat to our national security, the federal government maintains a list of foreign adversaries, including China, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Russia, and the
Maduro Regime in Venezuela, who are considered to ‘have engaged in a long-term pattern or serious instances of conduct significantly adverse to the national security of the United States.’
“While China is listed as a foreign adversary, the current legal regime has enabled Chinese individuals or entities to acquire American agricultural land. In fact, between 2010 and 2021, individuals or entities affiliated with China increased their ownership of American agricultural land from 13,720 to 383,935 acres. The increased interest of foreign adversaries like China in American agricultural land is gravely concerning and threatens our national security.
“During the same time that individuals and entities from China increased their ownership of American agricultural land, China also invested heavily in foreign energy and transportation infrastructure through its Belt and Road Initiative. stole and reversed engineered agricultural intellectual property, and leveraged corrupt influence over the international community. We are seriously concerned with China’s threat to American agriculture and believe that federal and state legislators share a responsibility to respond swiftly and seriously.
“We believe that HB 1183 provides the serious response needed to protect Hoosier agricultural land. Representative Culp’s bill creates a blanket prohibition against individuals or entities affiliated with any foreign adversary (as defined by 15 CFR § 7.4) from owning or leasing agricultural land. The bill also bans these individuals or entities from owning or leasing mineral rights, water rights, and riparian rights on agricultural land. Finally, HB 1183 includes language to prevent foreign adversaries from acquiring agricultural land by falsely and temporarily transitioning it out of agricultural use.â€
Ledbetter authors bill to protect Hoosier motorists, slow pursuit of driverless trucks
STATEHOUSE (Jan. 26, 2024) – State Rep. Cindy Ledbetter (R-Newburgh) authored legislation to protect Hoosier motorists by tapping the breaks on Indiana’s transition to automated semi-trucks until federal safety regulations catch up with the technology.Â
In 2021, the American Trucking Association reported the trucking industry was short nearly 80,000 drivers. As a result, autonomous tractor trailers and other automated vehicles have become a more attractive alternative to traditional trucking, however Ledbetter says many Hoosiers have safety concerns.
“I understand the desire for self-driving vehicles and the innovations that could result in the transportation industry from autonomous tractor trailers,” Ledbetter said. “However, there are also dangers and risks. Whether that’s Wi-Fi connectivity issues, sensors becoming blocked or cyber-attacks, many constituents have expressed concerns about sharing the road with these heavy vehicles. We have to pursue this technology cautiously and ensure guardrails are in place to protect all drivers.”
To help, Ledbetter said her bill would require a human driver with a valid commercial driver’s license to be on board of an autonomous tractor-trailer and be able to take control at any time.
“I believe the federal government needs to act on uniform safety regulations for these types of vehicles before their use becomes widespread,” Ledbetter said. “Until then, it’s important that we have an added layer of protection by having human backup on board and ready to act.”
According to an MIT study, humans are still more reliable than fully autonomous vehicles alone. Ledbetter said with the ability to make quick decisions and decipher complex environments, a person can better navigate on and off ramps, and left turns into oncoming traffic with less incidents than an autonomous vehicle without a driver.
In the first month of 2024, Â the national Autonomous Vehicle Collision Report shows 683 incidents reported by the Department of Motor Vehicles. Â
House Bill 1022 is assigned to the House Roads and Transportation Committee for consideration. To learn more and follow legislative proceedings, visit iga.in.gov.
Vanderburgh County Sheriff Noah Robinson Launches Neighborhood-Based Policing
Neighborhood-based Policing is here!
Sheriff Noah Robinson has begun assigning patrol deputies to serve as liaisons to select neighborhoods within the County as part of our new neighborhood-based policing initiative.
• The goal of this program is to create and sustain an interactive relationship between neighborhood residents and our sheriff’s deputies.
• Your assigned neighborhood patrol deputy will be Deputy Adam Lahanis, you can find his contact information below.
• Neighborhood-based Policing is here!
SINCERELYÂ
 DEPUTY ADAM LAHANIS
The duties and responsibilities of a deputy who has been assigned a neighborhood shall include, but are not limited to:
• Facilitate the exchange of information between neighborhood residents and the Sheriff’s Office.
• Call upon the combined resources of the Sheriff’s Office, Narcotics Task Force, Prosecutor’s Office, Health Department, Building Commission, homeowners association (HOA), property management company (if applicable), social services organizations, and individual residents in order to address crime and quality of life issues within the neighborhood.
• Attend HOA, crime watch, and other community meetings within the neighborhood in order to provide residents with crime statistics for their neighborhood, provide residents with crime reduction strategies, and reduce the perceived fear of crime.
• Establish trust between neighborhood residents, youth, and the Sheriff’s Office by fostering positive, cooperative, and productive relationships.
• Routinely review incident reports and field contacts for assigned neighborhoods, ensuring complaints are followed-up on and that resident’s concerns and complaints do not “fall through the cracks†without being addressed.
The goal of this program is not to discourage a resident from calling 911, but instead provide an additional method of communicating with our Office regarding non-urgent matters. The hope of this program is that deputies will develop a sense of ownership over their assigned neighborhoods and take pride in the relationships that are built as a result.
Mike Goebel Selected 2022-23 National Coaches of the Year by NFHS Coaches Association
When Vanderburgh County, Indiana, declared December 7, 2022, “Mike Goebel Day,†it was to celebrate a longtime county council member, dedicated community volunteer – and one outstanding high school football coach. That fall, Goebel had just led Evansville Mater Dei High School to the second Indiana High School Athletic Association (IHSAA) Class 2A state championship of his coaching career, which also includes four runner-up finishes, six semi-state championships, 10 regional titles and 17 sectional crowns, nine Evansville city championships and seven Southern Indiana Athletic Conference titles. Goebel has compiled a 263-90 record in his 27 seasons at Mater Dei and boasts a 2022 Varsity Brands “National Coach Award†and a 2023 Indiana Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame induction among his myriad of coaching awards. Goebel was also an NFHS National Coach of the Year for the Mater Dei wrestling program, which won 12 IHSAA state championships and posted a 533-14-2 record in dual meets during his 29 seasons.
2022-23 National Coaches of the Year Selected by NFHS Coaches Association
Submitted By NFHS Pn January 29, 2024
Twenty-three high school coaches from across the country have been selected as 2022-23 National Coaches of the Year by the NFHS Coaches Association.
The NFHS, which has been recognizing coaches through an awards program since 1982, honors coaches in the top 10 girls’ sports and top 10 boys’ sports (by participation numbers), and in two “other†sports – one for boys and one for girls – that are not included in the top 10 listings. The NFHS also recognizes a spirit coach as a separate award category. Winners of NFHS awards must be active coaches during the year for which they receive their award. This year’s awards recognize coaches for the 2022-23 school year.
Recipients of the 2022-23 national awards for boys sports are: Kim Nelson, baseball, Orem (Utah) Timpanogos High School; Steve Hall, basketball, Detroit (Michigan) Cass Technical High School; Joe Tribble, cross country, Atlanta (Georgia) Westminster Schools; Mike Goebel, 11-player football, Evansville (Indiana) Mater Dei High School; Tim Cram, golf, Benton (Louisiana) High School; Rey Ramirez-Alvarez, soccer, Wichita (Kansas) Maize South High School; Paul Winkeler, swimming and diving, Kansas City (Missouri) Rockhurst High School; Darby Norman, tennis, Amarillo (Texas) Randall High School; Spencer Huls, track and field, Corvallis (Montana) High School; and Klel Carson, wrestling, La Grande (Oregon) High School.
The recipients of the 2022-23 national awards for girls sports are: Jan Azar, basketball, Dacula (Georgia) Hebron Christian Academy; Charles Covington, cross country, Saltillo (Mississippi) High School; Vicky Kowalski, golf, Farmington Hills (Michigan) Mercy High School; Patricia Alexander, lacrosse, Raleigh (North Carolina) Cardinal Gibbons High School; Angie Lensing, soccer, Evansville (Indiana) Reitz Memorial High School; Kelli Smith, softball, Chattanooga (Tennessee) The Baylor School; Milton “Butch†Briggs, swimming and diving, East Grand Rapids (Michigan) High School; Donna Roisom, tennis, Portland (Oregon) Grant High School; Shaun Hardt, track and field, Queen Creek (Arizona) High School; and Jessica Burke, volleyball, Lafayette (Louisiana) St. Thomas More Catholic High School.
The recipient of the National Coach of the Year for spirit is Jennifer Marks of Raleigh (North Carolina) Cardinal Gibbons High School. Travis White, an 8-player football coach from Tipton (Oklahoma) High School, was chosen in the “Others†category for boys sports, and Gerald Harris II, girls wrestling coach at Tulsa (Oklahoma) Union High School, was chosen in the “Others†category for girls sports.
The NFHS receives nominations from its member state associations, which often work with the state coaches association in its respective state. The state association then contacts the potential state award recipients to complete a coach profile form that requests information regarding the coach’s record, membership in and affiliation with coaching and other professional organizations, involvement with other school and community activities and programs, and coaching philosophy. To be approved as an award recipient and considered for sectional and national coach of the year consideration, this profile form must be completed by the coach or designee and then approved by the executive director (or designee) of the state athletic/activities association.
The next award level after state coach of the year is sectional coach of the year. The NFHS is divided into eight geographical sections. They are as follows: Section 1 – Northeast (CT, ME, MA, NH, NJ, NY, RI, VT); Section 2 – Mideast (DE, DC, KY, MD, OH, PA, VA, WV); Section 3 – South (AL, FL, GA, LA, MS, NC, SC, TN); Section 4 – Central (IL, IN, IA, MI, WI); Section 5 – Midwest (KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD); Section 6 – Southwest (AR, CO, NM, OK, TX); Section 7 – West (AZ, CA, HI, NV, UT); and Section 8 – Northwest (AK, ID, MT, OR, WA, WY).
The NFHS Coaches Association has an advisory committee composed of a chair and eight sectional representatives. The sectional committee representatives evaluate the state award recipients from the states in their respective sections and select the best candidates for the sectional award in each sport category. The NFHS Coaches Association Advisory Committee then considers the sectional candidates in each sport, ranks them according to a point system, and determines a national winner for each of the 20 sport categories, the spirit category, and two “other†categories.
A total of 874 coaches are being recognized this year with state, sectional, and national awards.
Following are biographical sketches of the 23 NFHS National High School Coaches of the Year for 2022-23:
COACHES OF THE YEAR – BOYS SPORTS
Football, 11-Player
Mike Goebel
Evansville, Indiana
When Vanderburgh County, Indiana, declared December 7, 2022, “Mike Goebel Day,†it was to celebrate a longtime county council member, dedicated community volunteer – and one outstanding high school football coach. That fall, Goebel had just led Evansville Mater Dei High School to the second Indiana High School Athletic Association (IHSAA) Class 2A state championship of his coaching career, which also includes four runner-up finishes, six semi-state championships, 10 regional titles, and 17 sectional crowns, nine Evansville city championships and seven Southern Indiana Athletic Conference titles. Goebel has compiled a 263-90 record in his 27 seasons at Mater Dei and boasts a 2022 Varsity Brands “National Coach Award†and a 2023 Indiana Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame induction among his myriad of coaching awards. Goebel was also an NFHS National Coach of the Year for the Mater Dei wrestling program, which won 12 IHSAA state championships and posted a 533-14-2 record in dual meets during his 29 seasons.
Baseball
Kim Nelson
Orem, Utah
While his complete resume includes four high school sports, it’s Kim Nelson’s baseball coaching career that stands above the rest, characterized by more than 40 seasons and a combined nine state championships at two different schools. After leading the American Fork (Utah) High School baseball program to two Utah High School Activities Association (UHSAA) state championships over 15 seasons, Nelson moved on to Timpanogos High School in Orem, where he has now coached the past 26 seasons. In addition to winning seven more UHSAA titles, Nelson has improved his career record to 688-344 at Timpanogos, which includes a 28-7 ledger in 2023. Nelson has been named Coach of the Year 10 times by various organizations and was inducted into the Utah Sports Hall of Fame as an official in 2019. Aside from coaching baseball, Nelson coached high school golf for 22 years and has also spent time as an assistant coach for football and basketball.
Basketball
Steve Hall
Detroit, Michigan
Steve Hall completed the fourth state championship season of his high school basketball coaching career in 2022-23, as he led Detroit (Michigan) Cass Technical High School to the Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) Division 1 title on the strength of a 28-1 record. Hall was also the head coach at Detroit Rogers High School from 1996 to 2005 and at Detroit Northwestern High School from 2005 to 2008 and owns a 361-103 combined record. Hall won three consecutive MHSAA Class D state championships at Rogers from 2002 to 2005, where he was also named Coach of the Year by the Detroit Free Press, Detroit News, Associated Press, Basketball Coaches Association of Michigan and the Detroit Public School League a total of 16 times. He followed that up with five more Coach of the Year honors during his time at Detroit Northwestern and currently has 15 such awards thus far in his Cass Tech tenure.
Cross Country
Joe Tribble
Atlanta, Georgia
In 40 years as the boy’s cross country coach at The Westminster Schools in Atlanta, Joe Tribble has built a program unmatched in the state. Remarkably, his teams have never finished lower than third in a Georgia High School Association state championship across three classifications. Westminster has won 29 state championships under Tribble, including a winning streak of 10 from 1996 to 2005. In addition, nine of Tribble’s runners have claimed individual championships. He was named the Georgia Athletic Coaches Association Class AAA Coach of the Year in 1987 and was twice named coach of the year for Section 3 by the NFHS Coaches Association in 1995 and 1996. He is also a member of The Westminster Schools Athletic Hall of Fame and the Track/Cross Country Coaches of Georgia Hall of Fame. Tribble’s love of coaching extends to the classroom where he has taught a summer course titled “Running Through History†combining sport and history lessons.
Golf
Tim Cram
Benton, Louisiana
Under the leadership of Tim Cram, the Benton (Louisiana) High School boys golf team has achieved greatness across multiple competitive divisions of the Louisiana High School Athletic Association (LHSAA). Cram’s first state championship team reigned supreme in LHSAA Division III in 2004, which was followed by a dynastic run of six consecutive Division II state championships from 2012 to 2016 and another title in 2018. He has also guided Benton to two state runner-up finishes since the program moved up to Division I in 2021, and at the sub-state level has claimed 12 regional championships since 1998. In addition to the team-based accolades, Cram mentored individual state medalists in 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2018 and individual state runners-up in 2013, 2021 and 2022. Cram was also an assistant coach for the Benton football team for 25 years and spent 23 seasons with the basketball program, including 14 years as head coach.
Soccer
Rey Ramirez-Alvarez
Wichita, Kansas
Rey Ramirez-Alvarez has built one of the best high school soccer programs in the state of Kansas during his 12 seasons at Maize South High School in Wichita. He has led the Mavericks to the Kansas State High School Activities Association (KSHSAA) state finals in six of the past seven seasons, including back-to-back KSHSAA Class 5A state titles in 2022 and 2023. Maize South was especially dominant during its two championship runs, posting a combined 41-1 record while boosting Ramirez-Alvarez’s career tally to 156-50-4. Ramirez-Alvarez was named KSHSAA Class 5A All-State Coach of the Year as a result of his teams’ undefeated 21-0 campaign in 2022 and has also been named Wichita All-Metro Coach the Year three times and All-Ark Valley Chisholm Trail League Coach of the Year five times. In addition to coaching, Ramirez-Alvarez runs a youth soccer training program in Wichita during the summer and works as a collegiate soccer official.
Swimming & Diving
Paul Winkler
Kansas City, Missouri
The architect of the state’s winningest high school swimming and diving program, Paul Winkeler has won 14 Missouri State High School Activities Association state championships in 22 seasons as the head coach at Rockhurst High School in Kansas City. After earning its first title in 2005, Rockhurst became unstoppable under Winkeler, claiming the next 10 in a row through 2014, as well as three more from 2020 to 2022. Named Coach of the Year a total of 14 times on the state and national levels, Winkeler’s teams have posted a 97-13 record in dual meets during his tenure and have won more than 150 invitationals. Winkeler has mentored 73 all-Americans, 71 academic all-Americans and 40 individual state champions, and has seen nine state records broken by swimmers under his tutelage. In addition to leading the swimming and diving program, Winkler has coached the Rockhurst hockey team for 22 seasons and the baseball team for 20 seasons.
Tennis
Darby Norman
Amarillo, Texas
Amarillo (Texas) Randall High School (RHS) tennis program had risen steadily under Darby Norman until it made history in the coach’s 15th season when it won its first University Interscholastic League (UIL) Class 4A team tennis state championship in the fall of 2022. The Raiders went on an undefeated 35-0 march during their title run that also earned Norman his second career Texas Tennis Coaches Association Coach of the Year award. RHS followed that up with a 28-5 campaign in 2023 that saw a return to the state tournament semifinals while improving Norman’s career coaching record to 329-68. Norman also earned his third career Panhandle Sports Hall of Fame Coach of the Year honor as a result of the 2023 season and is a 10-time District 5-4A Coach of the Year. Norman also currently coaches members of Randall’s UIL Academic Team and has previously led RHS’ Ready Writing, Literary Criticism, and Spelling and Vocabulary teams.
Track and Field
Spencer Huls
Corvallis, Montana
Spencer Huls has led the Corvallis (Montana) High School track and field program to impressive heights in his tenure as head coach. Huls has coached the boys team for 20 years, capturing six Montana High School Association (MHSA) state championships in that time. He has also led the girls team for 15 years, leading that program to seven MHSA state titles, including six consecutive championships from 2011 to 2016. The 2023 season marked the third time in Huls’ time as a coach that both boys and girls teams won an MHSA state championship. Among his honors, Huls has been named Montana Coaches Association Coach of the Year 14 times for boys and girls and was the USA Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Girls Coach of the Year from 2013 to 2015. In addition to track and field, Huls spent three years as an assistant cross-country coach and 10 years as a football assistant coach.
Wrestling
Klel Carson
La Grande, Oregon
For 31 years, Klel Carson has led the La Grande (Oregon) High School boys wrestling program with the philosophy to “strive to teach and model for young athletes how to become champions in life, great parents and great people.†On the mat, Carson has coached 28 individual state champions and 328 state qualifiers. La Grande has won the Oregon School Activities Association (OSAA) team wrestling championship four times under Carson, including back-to-back titles in 2022 and 2023. His teams also have won the OSAA state dual-team championship three times. Carson has twice been named Oregon’s Class 4A Coach of the Year and was the state’s wrestling Coach of the Year in 2023. In 1996, Carson was inducted into the La Grande High School Hall of Fame. He also has 28 years’ experience coaching middle school football and another 15 years coaching youth baseball and softball.
COACHES OF THE YEAR – GIRLS SPORTS
Basketball
Jan Azar
Dacula, Georgia
Jan Azar measures her success as a girls basketball coach not by wins and losses, but by the success of her players after they leave her program. However, in 26 years as a head coach in Georgia at Wesleyan High School and Hebron Christian Academy, Azar has compiled an impressive win-loss record, too. She has won 688 games to just 122 losses. That includes a perfect 32-0 season a year ago at Hebron, which culminated in a Georgia High School Association (GHSA) Class 3A state championship. It marked the 15th time between the two schools that Azar has led her team to a GHSA title. Her teams have also finished second six times. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has named Azar its state coach of the year 15 times, and she was the Bobby Cremins State of Georgia Girls Coach of the Year for all classifications in 2006 and 2010. Azar is also a 2012 inductee into the Gwinnett County Sports Hall of Fame.
Cross Country
Charles Covington
Saltillo, Mississippi
Charles Covington started the cross country program at Saltillo (Mississippi) High School more than 30 years ago and built a dynasty. This past fall, he retired from coaching the boys and girls teams having led the programs to 27 Mississippi High School Activities Association (MHSAA) state championships. The Saltillo girls program was especially successful, winning 19 state championships, including the past nine MHSAA Class 5A titles. The Mississippi Association of Coaches named Covington its Coach of the Year four times, and he is a six-time winner of the NFHS Coaches Association State Coach of the Year. In his time at Saltillo, Covington also coached boys and girls track, and boys and girls soccer, and continues to teach a class in ancient history.
Golf
Vicky Kowalski
Farmington Hills, Michigan
Leading the girls golf team at Mercy High School in Farmington Hills, Michigan, Vicky Kowalski believes every athlete should have a chance to compete and grow in the sport. As she says, “no one sits the bench.†That philosophy has paid off for Kowalski, who has led the program to four Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) state championships, including back-to-back titles in 2022 and 2023. Kowalski’s teams have also captured 20 conference titles and compiled a 220-50 record in dual-meet matches. The Michigan Interscholastic Golf Coaches Association (MIGCA) has twice named her Coach of the Year and she was inducted into the MIGCA Hall of Fame in 2009. In 2022, Kowalski was among the charter class of the Mercy Athletic Hall of Fame. In addition to golf, Kowalski has coached the Mercy bowling team for 21 years.
Lacrosse
Patricia Alexander
Raleigh, North Carolina
If not for the COVID-shortened seasons in 2020 and 2021, Patricia Alexander and the Cardinal Gibbons High School girls lacrosse program might be riding an eight-year state championship streak. Alexander led the Raleigh, North Carolina, school to four straight North Carolina High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA) state titles from 2016 to 2019 and was 3-0 before the 2020 season was halted due to the pandemic. After going 13-1 in a short winter season in 2021, Alexander has led the team to back-to-back NCHSAA championships in 2022 and 2023. In just 13 seasons as head coach, Alexander has a win-loss record of 197-39. She was honored with the NCHSAA Doris Howard Female Coach of the Year in 2019 and is an eight-time Conference Coach of the Year. She is also active in the local community leading the Cardinal Gibbons Youth Lacrosse Camp and the North Carolina Lacrosse Academy’s recreation program
Soccer
Angie Lensing
Evansville, Indiana
With Angie Lensing at the helm of the Evansville (Indiana) Reitz Memorial High School girls soccer program, there’s a good chance the team is going to advance deep in the Indiana High School Athletic Association (IHSAA) state tournament each year. In her 24 years as head coach, Lensing has led Reitz to 17 sectional championships, 13 regional championships and five state titles. In 2022, Lensing led the team to an undefeated 22-0-1 record, placing Reitz’s squad as one of the best teams in the country that year. Lensing has been named State Coach of the Year twice by the Indiana Soccer Coaches Association (ISCA) and earned District Coach of the Year honors six times. In 2015, the ISCA honored Lensing with the Above and Beyond Award, and she was named Metro Coach of the Year in 2021 and 2022. The former standout athlete at the University of Evansville was inducted into the Purple Aces Hall of Fame in 2009.
Softball
Kelli Smith
Chattanooga, Tennessee
Kelli Smith has been girls softball coach at her alma mater, The Baylor School in Chattanooga, since 2003 and has compiled an outstanding 622-144 record, including a 244-30 record the past 10 years. She has led her teams to 14 state championships, including eight consecutive titles and 11 in the past 12 years. The Baylor girls softball team was ranked in the top 25 nationally by USA Today in 2013, and has been recognized by Max Preps multiple times as the best team in the state of Tennessee. In addition to success on the field, Smith’s teams have received the A.F. Bridges Sportsmanship Award from the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association on three occasions. Smith has been named Coach of the Year by the Chattanooga Times-Free Press three times and was inducted into the Greater Chattanooga Area Hall of Fame in 2022. Smith serves on the Tennessee Athletic Coaches Association Board and the TSSAA Softball Advisory Committee.
Swimming & Diving
Milton “Butch†Briggs
East Grand Rapids, Michigan
Milton “Butch†Briggs is in his 49th season as the girls swimming coach at East Grand Rapids (Michigan) High School. He has led his teams to 32 conference titles and 25 Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) state championships, and he has compiled a career record of 522-65-1. He also coached for East Grand Rapids boys teams for a number of years and claimed 12 MHSAA state championships. Briggs has been honored on many occasions, including Michigan Interscholastic Swimming Coaches Association Coach of the Year 22 times between the girls and boys programs. He also was Michigan High School Coaches Association State Coach of the Year six times and NFHS State Coach of the Year four times. He was inducted into the Michigan High School Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2001 and the National High School Athletic Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2011, and he has served in all leadership positions with the Michigan Interscholastic Swim Coaches Association.
Tennis
Donna Roisom
Portland, Oregon
Donna Roisom has been coaching high school tennis in the Portland, Oregon, area for 36 years. Currently the coach at Grant High School in Portland, Roisom previously coached at St. Mary’s Academy, Catlin Gabel School and Valley Catholic High School. She played tennis at Portland Franklin High School and Lewis & Clark College before beginning her career in education. Roisom posted a 280-122 record at Valley Catholic, and overall in 36 years she has had a singles player or doubles team qualify for state every year except for four years. Roisom has been district coach of the year for girls once and four times for the boys team. In 2017, she was selected Northwest Girls Tennis Coach of the Year by the NFHS, and she was Girls State Tennis Coach of the Year in 2018. In 2019, she became the 13th recipient of the Lewis and Clark Hall of Fame Lifetime Achievement and Leadership Award for involvement in tennis as a player and coach. In 1990, Roisom received her “most meaningful award†when her team received the sportsmanship award voted on by opposing coaches.
Girls Track and Field
Shaun Hardt
Queen Creek, Arizona
Shaun Hardt has coached more than 240 meets in 21 years as head coach at Queen Creek (Arizona) High School and has finished in the top three in meets 95 percent of the time during his career. He also serves as boys track and field and cross country coach and has also been boys and girls basketball coach and head football coach. Hardt’s teams have won 120 invitationals and finished second 73 times. He has led Queen Creek girls track teams to one second-place finish and the boys teams to three state runner-ups and three third-place finishes. Hardt was the 3A East Region Girls Basketball Coach of the Year in 2001 and the 4A Division 2 Cross Country Region Coach of the Year in 2009. He has been the Queen Creek USD Coach of the Year 12 times. Hardt said, “Athletics is not just about competition and winning but a journey that shapes one’s character, fostering qualities that extend well beyond the playing field, and empowering individuals to become better versions of themselves.â€
Girls Volleyball
Jessica Burke
Lafayette, Louisiana
Jessica Burke led the St. Thomas More Catholic High School girls volleyball team to its ninth Louisiana High School Athletic Association (LHSAA) state championship – and third consecutive – this past November. In 14 years as volleyball coach at St. Thomas More, Burke has compiled a 492-109 record (34-5 last year), which includes the nine LHSAA state titles. Her best season was a 44-1 mark in 2015. Burke has been selected Louisiana Volleyball Coaches Association Division II Coach of the Year seven times and District Coach of the Year 10 times. Off the court, Burke had attended mission trips to Puerto Rico with St. Thomas More and serves as the strength coach for female athletes. Burke said she does her “best to instill a ‘championship mentality’ with my teams that comes with a disciplined approach to life, showing up and working hard even if you receive zero recognition for doing so. Doing the hard things daily even on the days where you may not feel like it, or not giving up when the typical person would.â€
COACHES OF THE YEAR – OTHER SPORTS
Girls Spirit
Jennifer Marks
Raleigh, North Carolina
Jennifer Marks has been the head cheer coach at Cardinal Gibbons High School in Raleigh, North Carolina, for 27 years and has led her teams to 23 state titles and four Carolina Cup championships. Cardinal Gibbons was 2022 North Carolina High School Athletic Association Super Large Varsity state champions, and 2023 North Carolina Cheerleading Coaches Association state champions. She also has claimed three CheerSport national titles and has three top five finishes at the UCA nationals. Marks was named Coach of the Year by the North Carolina Cheer Association in 2008 and 2022. Marks’ teams have been involved in numerous community projects over the years, including the Oxford Children’s Home of North Carolina and Feed the Need program. Marks’ coaching philosophy is centered around love, respect and discipline, and she reminds her athletes that “the point of a coach is to get an athlete to do something they never imagined they could do and/or something they could never do on their own.â€
Boys Other – 8-Player Football
Travis White
Tipton, Oklahoma
In just nine years as Tipton (Oklahoma) High School’s eight-player football coach, Travis White has rapidly compiled an impressive resume, winning five Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association (OSSAA) state championships. Tipton has not lost a game in the past two seasons, capping each with a state title and a perfect 14-0 record. Overall, White has won 107 games and lost only 21 in his time as head coach. Prior to becoming head coach, White was the defensive coordinator helping lead the team to a state championship and two other finals appearances. He was the OSSAA Class C Coach of the Year on four occasions and was the Assistant Coach of the year once. Outside of football, White currently serves as the principal of both the high school and middle school and led the Tipton boys basketball team to the state tournament in 2013.
Girls Other – Wrestling
Gerald Harris II
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Gerald Harris is off to an amazing start as a girls wrestling coach in Oklahoma. He has coached the winning team in the first three sanctioned Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association (OSSAA) Girls Wrestling State Championships – the first one at Broken Arrow High School and the last two years at Union High School in Tulsa. Including his boys state titles at Collinsville High School in 2019 and 2020, Harris has won state wrestling titles in five consecutive years. He has won numerous coaching awards, including Oklahoma Coaches Association, Oklahoma Women’s Coaches Association and OSSAA Coach of the Year in 2023. Harris is executive director of “Wrestle for Equality,†a non-for-profit for girls wrestling and financial assistance, and the Oklahoma representative for “Wrestle Like a Girl,†which seeks to empower girls and women through opportunities in female wrestling. Harris said he stresses the “importance of the classroom first, because without academics you have nothing regardless of how talented you are. I want that same mentality to carry them through life, keeping their priorities in order and making the world a better place with their presence.â€
Congressional Candidate Randy Niemeyer Condemns Iran-Backed Militia Attack on U.S. Troops
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Cedar Lake– Following the news that an Iran-backed militia killed three U.S. troops and injured twenty-five in a drone strike in Jordan, Randy Niemeyer, Republican Candidate in Indiana’s First District issued the following statement: “The loss of American lives in this cowardly attack is a stark reminder of the ongoing threats posed by Iran-backed militias in the region. I want to express my deepest sympathies with the families of the fallen and injured soldiers and acknowledge the immense sacrifice made by those who serve in defense of our nation. “Our brave men and women in uniform deserve unwavering support, and we must not tolerate attacks on their lives or compromise of their safety. When this administration lifted effective sanctions on Iran, it helped create the unrest that we see today, leading to the death of American soldiers, and putting American lives at risk. I call upon our leaders to take swift and decisive action to ensure the safety of our troops deployed in the region.” ### |
| Randy Niemeyer, is a member of the Lake County Council, elected in 2022, after having served as President of the Cedar Lake Town Council. Under Randy’s watch, Cedar Lake was able to turn itself around financially, while expanding its police force, conducting major upgrades to roads, utilities, sewers, and parks, while establishing a municipal fire department. He is a lifelong resident of Northwest Indiana, and has lived in Cedar Lake most of his life, having raised two children there with his wife of twenty-one years. He is the fourth generation of his family in trucking, as the owner of Niemeyer Milk Transfer, where he started working at 18 years old, right after graduating from Hanover Central High School. |
Gov. Holcomb Makes Appointments to Various Boards and Commissions
Gov. Holcomb Makes Appointments to Various Boards and Commissions
INDIANAPOLIS — Governor Eric J. Holcomb today announced several appointments to various state boards and commissions.
Alcohol & Tobacco Commission
The governor made one new appointment to the commission, who will serve until January 31, 2026:
- The Honorable Mark Jones (Indianapolis), former judge of the Marion Superior Court
Department of Financial Institutions Board of Trustees
The governor made one new appointment to the board, who will serve until August 31, 2025:
- Bryan Price (Bloomington), president and CEO of IU Credit Union
Emergency Response Commission
The governor made one new appointment to the commission, who will serve at the pleasure of the governor:
- Stephanie McKinney (Princeton), deputy director and floodplain administrator with the Gibson County Emergency Management Agency
Governor’s Commission on Supplier Diversity
The governor made two reappointments to the commission, who will serve until November 30, 2027:
- Ellen Dunnigan (Carmel), founder of Accent on Business
- Frances Vega-Steele (Portage), associate vice chancellor of student affairs for Ivy Tech Community College Northwest
The governor also made five new appointments to the commission, who will serve until November 30, 2027:
- Maurice Coates, Jr. (Evansville), president and CFO of CK United Trucking, Inc.
- Angela Franklin (Indianapolis), executive vice president of operations with Mid-States MSDC
- Nick Lunn (Indianapolis), president and CEO of Cornerstone Construction Group
- Darren Patterson (Jasper), broker/owner of The Mortgage Company of Southern Indiana, Inc.
- Carol Slager (Schererville), founder of Inkwell Healthy Lifestyles
Governor’s Council for People with Disabilities
The governor made four new appointments to the council, who will serve until December 31, 2026:
- Casey DePriest (Newburgh), founder and CEO at Optimal ACCESS
- Kevin McCracken (Nashville), director of adaptive educational services at Indiana University
- Shawn Rector (Lafayette), production worker at Greenbush Industries
- Jessica Witherspoon (Valparaiso), WIOA partner navigator with the State of Indiana
Graduate Medical Education Board
The governor made four reappointments to the board, who will serve until December 31, 2025:
- Kevin Gebke (Indianapolis), senior vice president of community medicine for IU Health
- Tricia Hern (Zionsville), vice president of improvement and physician leadership development for Community Health Network
- Rob McLin (Bruceville), CEO of Good Samaritan Hospital
- Rachel A. Shockley (Carmel), program director for Community South Osteopathic Family Medicine
The governor also made three new appointments to the board:
- Jennifer Choi (Zionsville), associate dean of graduate medical education and professor of clinical surgery with Indiana University School of Medicine, who will serve until December 31, 2024.
- Grace Greist (Indianapolis), director of medical education at Ascension St. Vincent, will serve until December 31, 2025.
- Angie Zaegel (Fort Wayne), president and CEO of Neighborhood Health Clinics, Inc., will serve until December 31, 2025.
Home Inspectors Licensing Board
The governor made one new appointment to the board, who will serve until December 31, 2027:
- Randy Surette (Carmel), president of Cornerstone Inspection Services, Inc.
Horse Racing Commission
The governor made one reappointment to the commission, who will serve until December 31, 2027:
- Bill Estes (Carmel), longtime auto dealer
The governor also made one new appointment to the commission, who will serve until December 31, 2027:
- Becca McCuaig (Noblesville), chief legal counsel for Accelerate Indiana Municipalities
Indiana Arts Commission
The governor made two reappointments to the commission, who will serve until December 31, 2027:
- Jake Oakman (Indianapolis), executive director of White River State Park
- Azizi Arrington-Slocum (Terre Haute), associate professor and program coordinator of Interior Architecture Design at Indiana State University
The governor also made one new appointment to the commission, who will serve until December 31, 2027:
- Mark Maxwell (Jeffersonville), owner of Maxwell’s House of Music
Indiana Board Tax Review
The governor made one reappointment to the full-time board, who will serve until January 1, 2028:
- Timothy Schultz (Indianapolis)
Indiana Education Savings Authority Board of Directors
The governor made one new appointment to the board, who will serve until September 30, 2026:
- The Honorable Kelly Mitchell (Carmel), former Treasurer of State
Indiana Housing & Community Development Authority Board of Directors
The governor made one new appointment to the board, who will serve until September 30, 2026:
- Chad Greiwe (Noblesville), COO of Zidan Management Group, Inc.
Indiana Public Retirement System Board of Trustees
The governor made one reappointment to the board, who will serve until June 30, 2026:
- Brian Abbott (Huntington), teacher with Huntington County Community School Corporation
The governor also made two new appointments to the board:
- Barry Gardner (Speedway), director of school services for Policy Analytics, LLC, who will serve until June 30, 2026
- The Honorable Elise Nieshalla (Zionsville), State Comptroller, who will serve until June 30, 2027
Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission
The governor made one reappointment to the full-time commission, who will serve until January 31, 2028:
- David Veleta (Greenwood)
Interagency Coordinating Council for Infants & Toddlers with Disabilities
The governor made six reappointments to the council, who will serve until December 31, 2026:
- Charlie Gibson (Indianapolis), homeless education coordinator with IDOE
- Kristi Linson (Indianapolis), children special healthcare services director with IDOH
- Tanya Merritt-Mulamba (Indianapolis), assistant director of mental health and wellness with FSSA
- Jennifer Owens (Lanesville), family services director with Blue River Services, Inc.
- Courtney Penn (Indianapolis), director of the office of early childhood and out-of-school learning with FSSA
- Stacy Williams (Indianapolis), associate & LPCC director with ProKids
The governor also made one new appointment to the council, who will serve until December 31, 2026:
- Jessica Minor (Fishers), director of community engagement with accessibility
Natural Resources Commission
The governor made five reappointments to the commission, who will serve until September 30, 2026:
- Phil French (Zionsville), president and CEO of Adams French Property, LLC
- Bart Herriman (Indianapolis), partner with Clark, Quinn, Moses, Scott & Grahn, LLP
- Bryan Poynter (Indianapolis), senior director with Cushman & Wakefield
- Jane Ann Stautz (Indianapolis), sustainability leader with Advanced Analytics
- John Wright (Terre Haute), agent with USI Insurance Services
The governor made one new appointment to the commission, who will serve until September 30, 2026:
- Tom Kelley (Fort Wayne), president of Kelley Automotive Group
Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District Board
The governor made two new appointments to the board:
- The Honorable Jon Costas, Mayor of the City of Valparaiso, who will serve until May 31, 2026
- The Honorable Eddie Melton, Mayor of the City of Gary, who will serve until May 31, 2028
Respiratory Care Committee
The governor made one new appointment to the committee, who will serve until November 30, 2027:
- David Burnworth (Bloomington), executive director of the Monroe Owen County Medical Society
Secondary Market for Education Loans Board
The governor made five new appointments to the board:
- Douglas Brown (Indianapolis), partners with Bose McKinney & Evans LLP, who will serve until December 31, 2025.
- Tom Guevara (Bloomington), director of the Indiana University Public Policy Institute, will serve until December 31, 2026.
- Fred Payne (Indianapolis), president and CEO of the United Way of Central Indiana, who will serve until December 31, 2027.
- Jim Snyder (Carmel), partner and CCO with HKW, who will serve until December 31, 2025.
- Betsy Wiley (Indianapolis), president & CEO of the Institute for Quality Education, will serve until December 31, 2025.
State Ethics Commission
The governor made two reappointments to the commission, who will serve until December 31, 2027:
- Sue Anne Gilroy (Indianapolis), former Indiana Secretary of State and former executive director of the St. Vincent Foundation
- Rafael Sanchez (Fishers), chief impact officer at Old National Bank
State Fair Board
The governor made one reappointment to the board, who will serve until September 30, 2027:
- Elisha Modisett Kemp (Sheridan), state government and industry affairs leader with Corteva Agriscience
Statewide 911 Board
The governor made one new appointment to the board, who will serve until December 31, 2026:
- David Bubb (Fort Wayne), executive director of the Consolidated Communications Partnership (CCP) of Fort Wayne / Allen County
Vocational Rehabilitation Services Commission
The governor made two reappointments to the commission, who will serve until December 31, 2026:
- Jennifer Diaz (South Bend), representing INSOURCE
- Zaida Maldonado-Prather (Indianapolis), representing Indiana Disability Rights
The governor also made 10 new appointments to the commission, who will serve until December 31, 2026:
- Kate Barrow (Indianapolis), representing the Governor’s Council for People with Disabilities
- Amanda Blaise (Kokomo), representing FSSA’s Office of Healthy Opportunities
- Katie Connel (Indianapolis), representing the Bureau of Disability Services
- Mason Ellis (Bloomfield), representing VR participants
- Whitney Ertel (Indianapolis), representing the Governor’s Workforce Cabinet
- Ian Ragains (Noblesville), representing the Indiana Department of Education
- Cadence Riley (Evansville), representing youth
- Marc Ruiz (Hebron), representing the business community
- Kindall Stewart (Spencer), representing youth
- Barbara Thompson (Indianapolis), representing NAMI Indiana
White River State Park Development Commission
The governor made three reappointments to the commission, who will serve until December 31, 2027:
- Bill Browne, Jr. (Indianapolis), president and founding principal of RATIO Architects
- Lou Gerig (Indianapolis), president of Sease, Gerig & Associates
- Brad Rateike (Indianapolis), founder and principal of BAR Communications
COMMUNITY ACTIVISTS AND POLITICAL ICON DON MOSBY FUNERAL HELD TODAY
Donald Mosby, 92, of Evansville, passed away on Sunday, January 21, 2024. He was born on July 17, 1931 in Evansville to the late Earl and Amelia (Antey) Mosby.
From the beginning, Don lived a long and fulfilled life. In his youth, Don enjoyed sports. He was a Golden Glove boxer and he played football at Reitz High School for the legendary Herman Byers. Don played on the 1948 State championships team. He also enjoyed racing cars in his younger days, although the word on the street is he did not finish many races because he would always crash. During the summers of his high school years, he was one the first life guards at the new Burdette Park. After high school, while he was busy with his family, he started his new quest for life coaching Little League at South Little League. Don coached all three of his sons and two grandchildren at South Little League off and on for 40 years. While coaching Little League, he was busy building a fast-pitch softball dynasty. First with Mosby 66 and later with Vanco, winning the Kentucky state championship. After his softball days, Don was a proud Union Man of Glaziers Local #1385 for over 70 years. He moved into leadership positions in his union first as president and then as a business agent along with leadership positions in the Building Trades and AFL-CIO. While doing all of these things, Don was very active in local Democratic politics; serving as a precinct committee man for all 50 years. He was inducted into the first class of the Vanderburgh County Democratic Hall of Fame in the 2000s.
Later in life, Don started enjoying his grandkid’s sporting events becoming a fixture at soccer matches, basketball games, baseball games, cheer events, football games, track, cross country meets, and high school swim meets. He loved watching his grandkids swim for the Howell swim team. Don enjoyed the Howell swim team so much, he kept involved after his grandkids left the program, selling half-pot tickets and raising money.
He was a member of the Reitz R-Men Club and Howell Booster Club. He also took up golf after retirement and was a regular at Howell Golf Course in the 90s and early 2000s. Donald also received the Kentucky Colonel and Indiana Sagamore of the Wabash along with several awards throughout his life.
Don was known for when you showed up at his house he offered you a soft drink and something to eat. He never met a stranger, every person he met he considered a friend. Don was known for helping anyone who needed help, he was also known to just stop if someone on the side of the road needed help and he would change tires for strangers.
Don was the definition of a Good Samaritan, servant, leader, and hard-headed all-in-one.
He will be missed by many people because he touched so many lives during his 92 years.
Donald was preceded in death by his wife of 68 years, Martha Jean Mosby; brothers, Thomas Mosby, Carl “Pete†Mosby, Norman “Red†Mosby, William “Bill†Mosby, and Charles Joseph Mosby; sisters, Kathleen Weimer and Mary Jane Tieken.
He is survived by his sons, Ricky Mosby, Kim Mosby (Eileen), and Stuart Mosby (ex-daughter-in-law, Dawn); grandchildren, Kathryn Caudill (Chris), Cole Mosby (Michelle), Jordan Mosby, Nick Mosby (Maura), Madison Davis (Austin), Makenli Cleek (Jaden), Maddux Mosby and Maguire Mosby; great-grandchildren, Samantha Hazelwood, Natalie Mosby, Jacob Scott, Michael Mosby, Jameson Mosby, William Mosby, Donovan Mosby, Declan Mosby, Branson Davis, Aurora Davis, Maeve Mosby; sister, Bernadette Wade; and brother, James Mosby (Barbara); and nieces and nephews.
The family would like to thank the nursing staff at Solarbron, especially the head nurse, Charice Curtis, and the Deaconess Hospice staff.
A Prayer Service will be held at 9:15 a.m. on Monday, January 29, 2024 at Alexander East Chapel, 2115 Lincoln Avenue, followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 10:00 a.m. at Holy Spirit Catholic Church with Fr. Rigi George officiating. Burial will follow at Alexander Memorial Park. Friends may visit on Sunday from Noon to 6:00 p.m. at Alexander East Chapel.
Memorial contributions can be made to the Reitz R-Men Scholarship Fund or the Howell Swim Team.
Condolences may be offered at www.AlexanderEastChapel.com.
January 2024 Birthdays
Shannon Edwards
Steve Culley
Karen Edwards
Misty Davis
    Sherry Ramsey
Krystle Clar
Allen Whisenant
Bret Nicholson
Cody Banks
Sandy Smith
Bob Deig
Randy Stephens
Steve Fleenor
Tommy Waterman
Johnna Hancock-Blake
Matt Scheessele
Stephanie Trip
Gloria Millay
Ron Kuhlenschmidt
Terry Bilder
Julie Gellert
Babette Whitlock
Stephen Slow
Gayle Schuler
Chester Rycroft
Robbie Kent
Shannon Williams
Anna Kallas
James Grant
Donna Anderson
Andrew Herbertz
Patricia Miller
Doris Flowers
Glenn Grampp
Katie Claspell
Evie Sue
Mark Norman
 Cathy Cook
Nick Dilegge
 Leta Osborne-Goedde
Matthew Neville
Lisa Karger-Summers
Gwen Lewis
Glenn Grampp
Michael Young
Jim Phillips
HOT JOBS
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