EPA Honors WaterSense Partners for Helping Consumers Save Water
Since 2006, WaterSense partners helped communities save more than 7.5 trillion gallons of water, 880 billion kilowatt-hours of energy, and $171 billion on utilities.
BIGGER THAN BARNUM AND BAILEY
Bigger than Barnum & Bailey
As the joke goes, if you elect a clown, you should expect to see a circus.
John Krull, publisher, TheStatehouseFile.com
The big-top free-for-all in the U.S. House of Representatives demonstrates that a circus is exactly what the national Republican Party has become.
The GOP at the federal level is peopled with—and, in many ways, dominated by—cluelessly tragicomic performance artists who think striking poses is the same as striking blows. They not only have no intention of ever governing—because governing means taking responsibility and accepting accountability for one’s actions—but they’re also not really serious about winning.
If they were, they wouldn’t have timed their ouster of U.S. Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-California, to drown out any attention that might have been paid to Hunter Biden’s first day in court. Republican strategists have been working for months to make the president’s surviving son the poster boy, not just for Joe Biden’s administration, but for the Democratic Party as a whole. But, seeing a chance to steal the spotlight one more time for their antics, U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Florida, and his little band of deep thinkers made history by toppling a speaker of their own party for the first time in U.S. history.
And they let the younger Biden plead not guilty to three charges of possessing a firearm illegally in relative quiet.
Thanks to Gaetz’s prancing antics in the center ring, the GOP now is in complete disarray. After McCarthy was ousted, a microphone near the House floor caught a Republican member of the people’s chamber asking plaintively, “What happens now?â€
Good question.
McCarthy captured the speaker’s post after years of maneuvering by selling his soul—and then a little bit more. He promised fealty to the most radical members of his caucus after being pushed through 15 humiliating votes to elect the House speaker—even though he was the only viable candidate.
His abasement of himself and his position bought him nothing but embarrassment and frustration, punctuated by the indignity of being the only leader of the House to be tossed overboard by his own party since America became a republic.
Now, no sane person would want the job, knowing that he or she was likely to be shown the same respect that a pinata at a child’s birthday party typically receives.
Sanity, though, is not a prerequisite for being a Republican member of the House, as Gaetz and crew have demonstrated. Someone will emerge from the snarling pack, unaware that the wolves inevitably will turn on him or her too as soon as the mood suits them.
That’s because Gaetz and company raise money not by accomplishing anything, but by providing good theater. Nestled in safely gerrymandered districts around the country, they can do the most outlandish things secure in the knowledge that they cannot alienate their constituents. That frees them up to pitch unchecked and untethered nonsense—much of it dangerous nonsense—to like-thinking marks and rubes all around the country.
This was predictable.
In the interim between Donald Trump’s election in 2016 and his inauguration of January of 2017, I had lunch with a Republican elder and a longtime Solon of the conservative movement.
I told him I thought Trump would end up destroying the Republican Party.
He chuckled at my naivete about how the world and political power work.
Trump, he reassured me, would be a conventional GOP president, one who focused on providing tax cuts, deregulation and promotion of corporate interests. The wise men of the Party would bring him around and curb his excesses—sort of like wranglers gentling a horse—and turn him into a typical Republican.
That didn’t happen.
Instead, Trump turned on the party, driving out Republicans who voted with him 95 percent of the time because they weren’t sufficiently “loyal.†He chased away those—the Cheneys, the Bushes—with much longer Republican pedigrees than he possessed.
If Ronald Reagan had living descendants who aspired to leaders in the GOP, Trump doubtless would have turned the firehose on them too.
Worse, he dragged into the party hustlers, grifters and con artists such as Gaetz and his camp followers who realized that Trump had provided them with a whole new money tree to shake.
Traditional Republicans now are shocked at what their party has become.
They shouldn’t be.
Elect a clown and the circus will follow.
Every time.
City-County Observer posted this article without opinion. bias or editing.
The Indiana Department of Insurance SHIP Program Launches Events to Help Hoosiers Navigate Medicare Open Enrollment
Medicare open enrollment is October 15 through December 7
Indianapolis – The Indiana Department of Insurance State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) has started its statewide virtual and on-site Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment presentations and events to help Hoosiers prepare for Medicare Open Enrollment. Hoosiers eligible for Medicare will be able to select coverage for 2024 from October 15 to December 7, 2023.
SHIP is the state’s official Medicare educational and counseling program. During these presentations and events, participants will learn Medicare fundamentals and changes, how to compare plans, prescription drug coverage options, and ways to save money. After October 15, one-on-one health insurance counseling will be available at select locations throughout the state. Virtual appointments are also available. Plan comparisons for 2024 are included in most one-on-one appointments.
The careful evaluation of Medicare Advantage options is imperative because plans may have different benefits, out-of-pocket costs, covered prescription drugs, in-network physicians, and premiums each year. Medicare will release 2024 plan information on Oct. 1 at medicare.gov.
A current list of presentations and events (both in-person and virtual) can be found at www.medicare.in.gov. For more information regarding one-on-one counseling appointments at local SHIP sites, call SHIP’s Helpline at 1-800-452-4800 from 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Medicare representatives are available at the national call center 1-800-MEDICARE (800-633-4227) 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Indiana Beats Kentucky in Opening Meet
BLOOMINGTON – Indiana swimming and diving pulled off an emphatic win over Kentucky in its season-opening meet on Wednesday (Oct. 4) inside the Counsilman-Billingsley Aquatic Center.
The two programs raced long course meters, and IU won all but two events after a strong summer in the 50-meter pool. Nine Hoosiers won multiple events, and Indiana swept the diving competitions.
On the springboards, junior Skyler Liu won the women’s 1-meter and 3-meter events, and junior Carson Tyler did the same on the men’s side. IU diving’s most dominant performance came in the women’s 1-meter, as Liu and freshmen Lily Witte and Ella Roselli took the top three spots.
A pair of swimmers made solid first impressions as well. Freshman Ahmed Hafnaoui started his afternoon winning the 800-meter freestyle by almost 16 seconds in 8:04.76. Two events later, he placed second in the 200 free with a 1:49.63. Hafnaoui closed his individual performance with a win in the 400 free, leaving a nine-second gap, before dropping a 51.97 split to open IU’s 400 freestyle relay victory.
Coming off a breakout performance at the Asian Games last week, freshman Mikkel Lee earned his first collegiate win in the 50-meter freestyle with a 22.59 in front of junior teammates Finn Brooks (23.42) and Luke Barr (23.72). Lee finished his day in the 400 freestyle relay as the opening leg for the second-place finishing quartet. In 49.51, Lee had the fastest opening leg of any swimmer and was one of two under 50 seconds.
TEAM SCORES
Men
Indiana 218, Kentucky 82
Women
Indiana 232, Kentucky 66
HOOSIER WINNERS
Men
Luke Barr – 400 medley relay (3:43.92)
Finn Brooks – 400 medley relay (3:43.92), 100 butterfly (53.55)
Brendan Burns – 400 medley relay (3:43.92)
Ahmed Hafnaoui – 800 freestyle (8:04.76), 400 freestyle (3:56.51), 400 freestyle relay (3:22.57)
Mikkel Lee – 50 free (22.59)
Josh Matheny – 100 breaststroke (1:02.14)
Rafael Miroslaw – 200 freestyle (1:48.62), 100 freestyle (49.69), 400 freestyle relay (3:22.57)
Maxwell Reich – 400 medley relay (3:43.92)
Carson Tyler – 1-meter (393.90), 3-meter (386.40)
Kai Van Westering – 100 backstroke (56.75), 200 backstroke (2:08.64), 400 freestyle relay (3:22.57)
Gavin Wight – 400 freestyle relay (3:22.57)
Jassen Yep – 200 breaststroke (2:15.99), 200 IM (2:05.93)
Women
Brearna Crawford – 400 medley relay (4:10.94), 100 breaststroke (1:10.43), 200 breaststroke (2:34.36)
Katie Forrester – 200 butterfly (2:14.54)
Anna Freed – 200 IM (2:19.57)
Lily Hann – 400 medley relay (4:10.94), 100 butterfly (1:01.31)
Skyler Liu – 1-meter (301.88), 3-meter (303.30)
Kacey McKenna – 100 backstroke (1:02.34)
Kristina Paegle – 400 medley relay (4:10.94), 50 freestyle (25.82), 100 freestyle (56.14), 400 freestyle relay (3:49.25)
Anna Peplowski – 400 medley relay (4:10.94), 200 freestyle (2:00.86), 200 backstroke (2:12.76)
Ella Ristic – 400 freestyle (4:20.17), 400 freestyle relay (3:49.25)
Ashley Turak – 400 freestyle relay (3:49.25)
Chiok Sze Yeo – 400 freestyle relay (3:49.25)
NCAA ZONE QUALIFYING SCORES
1-meter: Quinn Henninger (357.98), Skyler Liu (301.88), Ella Roselli (280.50), Carson Tyler (393.30), Lily Witte (293.48)
3-meter: Morgan Casey (280.20), Quinn Henninger (332.70), Skyler Liu (303.30), Carson Tyler (386.40)
UP NEXT
Indiana returns to action October 18 in Columbia, Missouri, to challenge Missouri and Auburn in a tri-meet.
Indiana receives highest award for financial reporting for the 30th year
STATEHOUSE — The State of Indiana received the highest award for financial reporting for the 30th consecutive year from the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA), announced State Comptroller Tera Klutz, CPA today.
GFOA awarded the Comptroller’s Office the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting for the state’s 2022 Annual Comprehensive Financial report (ACFR). The ACFR is prepared annually by the State Comptroller and audited by the State Board of Accounts.
“The Certificate of Achievement from the GFOA is the highest form of recognition in governmental accounting and financial reporting, and a huge accomplishment by our team,†said Comptroller Klutz. “Year after year, Indiana continues to showcase our talent for responsible and accurate reporting.â€
Indiana’s ACFR is one of the main components used by the nationally recognized statistical rating organizations to review and analyze the state’s financial condition and assign a credit rating. Indiana is one of 13 states that currently has an AAA rating.
“AAA is the best you can get,†added Comptroller Klutz, “and it may not mean much to the average citizen, but it does have an impact on their wallet.†The higher a state’s credit rating, the lower the cost to repay its bonds. For investors, meanwhile, high ratings are a clear indication that Indiana can meet its financial obligations to pay both interest and principal.
The in-depth report accounts for all the state’s financial data for all of Indiana’s funds. The report also includes other financial, demographic, economic and statistical information.
To view the 2022 ACFR and previous reports, click here.
Arts Commission announces additions to Indiana’s Digital Poetry Archive
(INDIANAPOLIS) The Indiana Arts Commission (IAC), in partnership with the Indiana State Library, announced today that the works of 57 poets have been added to the State of Indiana’s poetry archive, INverse.
“The promotion, preservation and commemoration of Indiana poetry is a very worthy cause. The INverse Poetry Archive is a terrific project and partnership, and the State Library is honored to be part of this ongoing effort,†said Jacob Speer, Indiana State Librarian.
“We are grateful for the partnership with the Indiana State Library that allows us to showcase the work of Indiana poets,” said Miah Michaelsen, IAC Executive Director. “This collection of poetry is especially important to share during National Arts and Humanities Month. The poets highlighted in this archive are great examples of the arts and humanities talent at work in Indiana.”Â
An initiative of former Indiana Poet Laureate Adrian Matejka, INverse celebrates and preserves the diverse range of Indiana poetry for future generations of Indiana writers and readers.
“I’m excited and encouraged that the INverse Poetry Archive constantly adds  more and more Hoosier voices to its diverse collection. Please enjoy the bounties of our state,” said Matthew Graham, Indiana Poet Laureate.
Oct. 4 Was Energy Efficiency Day
- Make sure your heating system is operating safely and efficiently with an annual tune-up by a qualified technician. Check your furnace filter monthly and clean or change it as needed to help your unit run at full efficiency and supply better air flow.
- Use a programmable thermostat to match your household’s schedule by automatically lowering the heating temperature at night or while you’re away from home. It can maximize your energy savings without the hassle of manually adjusting your thermostat.
- Caulk and weather strip around windows and doors to keep warm air from escaping and cold air from entering. These two simple air sealing techniques can pay for themselves in energy savings within one year.
- Keep curtains and blinds open during the day to allow the sun’s heat to warm your house. Close curtains and blinds at night so you don’t lose heat when the sun goes down.
- Look for the ENERGY STAR® label when shopping for a new appliance to help you get a product that meets high efficiency standards.
EPA’s GreenChill Program Celebrates Achievements in Environmentally Friendly Refrigerant Management Across the Supermarket Industry
Netcott reaches milestone as Blazers sweep Wabash Valley on Faculty and Staff Appreciation Night
VINCENNES, Ind. – There was plenty to celebrate Wednesday night at the Physical Education Complex as the Blazers returned home to play in front of the home crowd for the first time since mid-September and came away with a big Region 24 sweep over Wabash Valley College 25-16, 25-12, 25-15.
The sweep also increases VU’s winning streak against Region 24 opponents, which now sits at 33 matches dating back to the 2021 season.
Vincennes sophomore libero Morgan Netcott (Montague, Mich.) was recognized after the match after she surpassed the 1,000 career digs milestone in September at the Wallace State Fall Bash.
“When we were dealing with different injuries and having to play without some big sophomore leaders, Morgan really stepped up and took that leadership role under her belt,†VUVB Head Coach Gary Sien said. “She’s not a big hitter. She’s not a setter. Typically, you think of the defensive player or libero as more down the list of leaders but she doesn’t let that stop her. She’s always had that ability and that’s one of the main reasons why we recruited her. She knows how to talk to people. She knows how to encourage her teammates and she also knows when to look at her teammates and say, ‘let’s go’.â€
“On top of all of that you have to mention what she does in the classroom,†Sien added. “Being a First-Team Academic All-American, being recognized as the top student in her department last year. Those are not small feats along with her athletic accomplishments of being a First-Team All-Region player last year. What more can you say about her? She’s a great example of what we like our students to be. Not everybody has to be Academic All-American, but we just want everybody to do their best. She has been a great example for our program.â€
The Trailblazers were also celebrating Faculty and Staff Appreciation Night, where each member of the VU volleyball team invited one member of the VU Faculty to come and be recognized before the for all that they do for Vincennes University, the students and the Vincennes community.
“I always use the phrase ‘Student-Athlete’, so of course I want to emphasize the student part of that, but you cannot be a student unless you have a teacher,†Sien said. “A neat thing about this University is that all of these faculty members have previous work experience and what better way to teach a student than through your own real-world and life experiences rather than just straight out of a textbook. I really appreciate that about this University.â€
“Similarly, most of the time, one of your professors in your department is going to be your academic advisor, which helps build a great relationship that can last for life,†Sien added. “I really believe that if a student does their job, attends class and does the homework, it should be really easy to pass your classes here with all of the help this University offers in professors and tutors. I just cannot say enough about the academic side of Vincennes University and how that is very important when it comes to attracting student-athletes to come to school here.â€
“We, as a volleyball program, just want to continue to recognize and honor those professors and staff members,†Sien said. “We have a tremendous resource of professors and staff here at VU that these students can use down the road on resumes and as references. I’ve always been very up front about the importance of academics because we want our student-athletes to do extremely well, not just in their sport, but what is probably going to be more important is what they do in the classroom.â€
The match began with the two teams trading points with VU holding their largest lead at 13-9 midway through the set, before Wabash Valley cut the deficit down to one point at 13-12.
Vincennes would fully break away late in set one, outscoring the Warriors 7-1 and later closing out the set with three unanswered points as VU grabbed set one over Wabash Valley 25-16 and took a 1-0 match lead.
The Blazers looked to carry this momentum into set two but the Warriors put up a really good fight early on, with VU only able to hold a two-point advantage midway through the set.
Vincennes would then use a massive 9-0 scoring run to take complete control of the set and close out the second set on a 4-0 scoring run to take set two 25-12 and gain a 2-0 match lead.
Looking to complete the sweep, the Blazers again got off to a slow start, with the game tied at 10-10 early in set three.
VU would break away with a 5-0 scoring run and continue to grow their lead throughout the rest of the set by trading two points for one as Vincennes pulled away to take set three 25-15 and complete the 3-0 match sweep over Wabash Valley College.
“We’ve only had two practices out here on the main floor and it really just felt like we were just getting reacquainted with the gym,†Sien said. “We haven’t played in the main gym since late August and that seems like it was a lifetime ago.â€
“It was definitely nice to see both sides of the gym pretty well full with fans, family and faculty members,†Sien added. “I really thought that the team really enjoyed that tonight. Of course, it was a busy day with the Faculty and Staff Night recognitions, so what we say when we have these special games is that yes, all of this extra stuff is going on, but do not forget that we still have a game to be played.â€
“I really felt like we focused in on the game really well tonight,†Sien said. “I thought that the first set was just okay, which is understandable. We had a long break from warmups to the game. But once we got into the second and third sets, it was pretty established and pretty dominant of a performance.â€
“I really want to give credit to the team for how they handled everything with the game and coming into tonight,†Sien added. “Like how they have handled all of our travel and playing in all of these different states against ranked teams every weekend. Different lineups, people in and people out. All of the nights in hotels and the thousands of miles of being on the road. None of that phased them. They have had a great attitude and they haven’t slacked off at all, which is really a credit to them.â€
“With that, we now move to 9-0 in Region play,†Sien said. “Our goal, of course, is to continue the streak and we are really in a nice position right now. We got some of those tough road Region games done early and now a majority of our remaining Region games are at home. We also have a little bit of a break in the schedule here to recover, so our schedule is pretty good for us going forward right now overall.â€
The VU offense was led by sophomore Paige Parlanti (Las Vegas, Nev.) who came away with 13 kills, a pair of aces, two digs and one block.
Sophomore Audrey Buis (Franklin, Ind.) and freshmen Isadora Dias (Rio Grande de Norte, Brazil) and Laura Tavares (Merida, Venezuela) each recorded six kills for Vincennes Wednesday night.
Buis would go on to add nine digs and one ace, while Dias led the Blazers with six blocks, and one dig and Tavares recorded five blocks and one dig.
Sophomore Kennedy Sowell (Effingham, Ill.) and freshman Elisa Dalla Pozza (Vincenza, Italy) each recorded three kills for VU, with Sowell adding three digs and one block, while Dalla Pozza added two blocks, one dig and one ace.
The VU offense was rounded out by libero Morgan Netcott who came through with one kill to go along with her team-high 12 digs.
The VU offense was again run by sophomore Maecy Johnson (Chrisman, Ill.) and freshman Libby Mehringer (Jasper, Ind.).
Johnson led the Blazers with 18 set assists against Wabash Valley, while also adding five digs and an ace, while Mehringer finished with 14 set assists, two digs and two aces.
Freshman Grace Flexter (Oblong, Ill.) recorded two digs on the night, while fellow freshmen Dylan DeCoursey (Montgomery, Ind.) and Ellie Reed (Washington, Ind.) each recorded a dig.
Freshman Allison Czyzewski (Louisville, Ill.) played Wednesday night but did not record a stat.
The Trailblazers will be in action this weekend Friday, Oct. 6 and Saturday, Oct. 7 when VU hosts the Showdown on the Wabash.
VU will start the weekend by taking on St. Louis Community College Friday, Oct. 6 at 3 p.m. eastern, before closing out the night against NJCAA Division II No. 19-ranked Wallace State Community College at 7 p.m. eastern.
The Blazers will then return to the floor Saturday, Oct. 7 to close out the weekend against Edison State Community College at 2 p.m. eastern.
“We probably need a couple more games with everybody back just to get back to where we were,†Sien said. “It’s almost like restarting or starting all over again. But it will definitely be less difficult to do that when you are at home. With all of these home matches coming up and having more practices coming up, our schedule is really favorable for us going forward.â€
“A couple of weeks ago we had our overall winning streak ended and our goal now is to just start a new streak,†Sien added. “We are 2-0, we’ve got nine matches left before our Region tournament. My challenge to the team right now is set. We’ve got the band back together. When we get these next couple of matches in and get everybody back used to playing together again, we are going to be better than we were before just because different people had to step up and we found out how different people would handle playing in different positions and they handled it great. Now, once we get to that point, we are going to be a much stronger team than we were prior to people being out and we were pretty good before. But I truly believe that we will be a much better team because of the adversity that we faced these last couple of weeks.â€
BOX SCORE
Wabash Valley – 16   12  15  x  x
VUVB (22-4, 9-0) – 25   25  25  x  x
VINCENNES STATS
Grace Flexter – 2 digs
Audrey Buis – 7 points, 1 ace, 6 kills, 9 digs
Dylan DeCoursey – 1 dig
Morgan Netcott – 1 point, 1 kill, 12 digs
Paige Parlanti – 16 points, 2 aces, 13 kills 1 solo block, 2 digs
Isadora Dias – 9.5 points, 6 kills, 1 solo block, 5 block assists, 1 dig
Maecy Johnson – 1 point, 1 ace, 5 digs, 18 set assists
Kennedy Sowell – 3.5 points, 3 kills, 1 block assist, 3 digs
Elisa Dalla Pozza – 5.5 points, 1 ace, 3 kills, 1 solo block, 1 block assist, 1 dig
Laura Tavares – 10 points, 6 kills, 3 solo blocks, 2 block assists, 1 dig
Libby Mehringer – 2 points, 2 aces, 2 digs, 14 set assists
Ellie Reed – 1 dig