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EPD DAILY ACTIVITY REPORT

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EPD DAILY ACTIVITY REPORT

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FOOTNOTE:  EPD DAILY ACTIVITY REPORT information was provided by the EPD and posted by the City-County-County Observer without opinion, bias, or editing.

Once the dog catches the car.

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Once the dog catches the car…

When the U.S. Supreme Court threw reproductive rights and abortion laws in America into upheaval a year ago with the Dobbs decision, a cliché emerged.

Republicans and conservatives, the joke went, was the dog that caught the car.

Once they had it, they didn’t know what to do with it.

The results in Ohio’s special election seem to validate the cliché. Ohio once was a swing or purple state, but now it is a solid red, reliably Republican in almost every statewide and national election.

Citizens of the Buckeye state went to the polls to vote on a measure that aimed to make amending the state constitution more difficult. At present, a simple majority in a statewide vote can change the state constitution.

Both proponents and opponents of the measure saw it as an early skirmish in the war to entrench reproductive rights in the Ohio constitution, which then would invalidate the draconian laws restricting abortion the state’s Republican legislators and governor adopted following the Dobbs ruling.

Ohio voters decisively rejected the attempt to make the constitution harder to alter, 57% to 43%. Turnout was high for a special election, which suggests that the Dobbs decision is reshaping the political dynamics of even red states.

That does not bode well for Republicans as they head into the 2024 election.

But the Ohio vote is important in other subtle ways.

Absent the turmoil created by a high court that seems unbound by precedent, constitutional precept or logic, the proposal to establish tougher standards for altering a state constitution makes sense.

Because, among other things, constitutions enshrine fundamental rights and processes, they should be difficult to amend. A simple majority should not be able to change a constitution because that would put individual liberties on the ballot in every election.

Thus, temporary majorities could deny people rights long considered inherent and turn the way we view constitutional questions into a game of ping pong.

In fact, part of the reason that we Americans are at each other’s throats over abortion is because that is what happened at the national level.

For much of this country’s history, judges—particularly U.S. Supreme Court justices—could not be appointed to the bench without the equivalent of a super-majority vote in the U.S. Senate.

But, as our national politics became more and more rancorous and partisan, both parties realized that a well-organized minority could block court appointments. The entire judicial branch found itself held hostage to politicians who cared more about scoring political points than serving the nation.

To get around this impasse, then U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada, embraced what was supposed to be the “nuclear option”—a process that allowed a simple majority to give someone a lifetime court appointment. It was called the nuclear option because it was supposed to be used only in rare circumstances.

When Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, became majority leader, he turned the nuclear into the normal.

He also enhanced the leverage his party enjoyed by inventing a rule that Supreme Court appointments couldn’t be made during election years. He used this new standard to deny President Barack Obama’s nominee, Merrick Garland, even a hearing.

Then McConnell dispensed with his self-created rule to push through Supreme Court appointments during the 2018 and 2020 election years.

All told, McConnell managed with his maneuvering to stack the high bench with three justices—Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett—who likely could not have won appointment under the old system.

Those three justices provided the votes that overturned more than a half-century of precedents regarding reproductive rights—and led the court for the first time in American history to restrict rather than expand individual liberty.

Worse, all three of the new justices said during their confirmation hearings that they considered Roe v. Wade settled law.

Clearly, they were less than truthful.

The result of these shenanigans has been predictable. When the rulebook is dispensed with, debates quickly become arguments and arguments rapidly escalate into all-out brawls.

In state after state, we’re now seeing and setting up clashes in which rights Americans consider guaranteed—rights of conscience, the right to bear arms—could be put on ballots.

When the Supreme Court issued its ill-thought-out decision, Republicans and conservatives weren’t the only ones who caught the car.

Thanks to them, we all did.

Now, we must figure out what to do with it.

FOOTNOTE: John Krull is director of Franklin College’s Pulliam School of Journalism and publisher of TheStatehouseFile.com, a news website powered by Franklin College journalism students. The views expressed are those of the author only and should not be attributed to Franklin College.

This article was published by the City-County Observer without bias, opinion, or editing.

Four UE men’s golfers named GCAA All-America Scholars

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Gushrowski, Ikejiani, Kato and Parker earn recognition 

NORMAN, Okla. – For the first time in program history, four University of Evansville men’s golfers were recognized as the 2022-23 GCAA All-America Scholars for NCAA Division I have been announced.

Evansville’s recipients include Nicholas Gushrowski, Michael Ikejiani, Masatoyo Kato and Carson Parker.  To be eligible for GCAA All-America Scholar nomination, an individual must be a sophomore, junior or senior both academically and athletically in NCAA Division I, II, III, and NAIA, or receiving their Associate’s Degree and in their last year of athletic eligibility in the NJCAA.

In addition, they must participate in 50% of their team’s competitive rounds, have a stroke average under 76.0 in NCAA Division I, under 78.0 in NCAA Division II, under 79.0 in NCAA Division III, under 78.0 in NAIA, and under 77.0 in NJCAA, and maintain a minimum cumulative career grade-point average of 3.2. A recipient must also be of high moral character and be in good standing at their college or university.

A total of 548 NCAA Division I athletes from 194 schools earned 2022-23 GCAA All-America Scholar honors.

Gushrowski, a member of the 2023 Missouri Valley Conference Scholar-Athlete First Team, has the distinction of posting the highest GPA and lowest stroke average for the Purple Aces.  The Civil Engineering major currently has a 3.848 GPA.  On the course, he ranked 15th in the MVC with a 74.08 average.  Gushrowski picked up top ten finishes at the Alabama A&M Fall Invite and the TSU Big Blue Intercollegiate before coming home in 11th at the MVC Championship.

Ikejiani saw multiple highlights from his junior season.  The MVC Men’s Golfer of the Week on Nov. 3, 2022 carded a 67 in the final round of the Alabama A&M Fall Invite.  His effort was tied for the 4th-lowest round in school history.  In five spring events, he finished 8th or better on three occasions to lower his season stroke mark to 74.43.  Majoring in Literature, Ikejiani holds a 3.677 GPA.

Kato completed his second season with the UE squad with a 75.43 stroke average.  He tied for 24th in each of the fall events that he played in while adding a season-low round of 71 in the opening round of the Golfweek/AGT Intercollegiate.  He is majoring in Exercise Science and holds a 3.505 GPA.

Coming off a solid season, Carson Parker was second on the squad with a stroke average of 74.25.  He was even better in the spring, posting a 73.33 mark.  In the second round of the MVC Championship, Parker registered a 67, which tied him for the 4th-lowest round in school history.  That round helped him tie for 20th place, his top finish of the season.  Majoring in Accounting, Parker holds a 3.335 GPA.

Vanderburgh County Board of Commissioners Awards Ark Crisis Children’s Center with ARPA Funds

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With the support of the Vanderburgh County Council, the Vanderburgh County Commissioners were proud to award Ark Crisis Children’s Center with $65,000 in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Funds.

To respond to the public health emergency impact with respect to COVID-19 and its negative economic impacts, Vanderburgh County appropriated funds to non-profit organizations whose missions focus on arts, culture, and educational initiatives benefiting the County’s residents.

Ark Crisis Children’s Center keeps children safe and strengthens families in times of stress. Their goal is to protect children from abuse and neglect. Licensed to care for children six weeks to six years old, Ark provides free short-term child care to families in need where no emergency requests are ever denied.

FROZEN MEAT RECALLED BY USDA

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PRODUCT RECALL
PRODUCT RECALL

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E.N.A. Meat Packing Inc. Recalls Frozen, Raw Beef and Lamb Products Produced Without Benefit of Inspection

FROZEN MEAT RECALLED BY USDAE.N.A. Meat Packing Inc., a Paterson, N.J. establishment, is recalling approximately 58,721 pounds of frozen, raw halal beef tripe, beef feet, and lamb tripe products that were produced without the benefit of federal inspection.

 

New state representative championing the importance of Indiana’s small towns

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Rural voice: New state representative championing the importance of Indiana’s small towns

  • By Marilyn Odendahl, The Indiana Citizen

Monday evening in Versailles, population 2,167, the courthouse square offered the kind of placid, picturesque, small-town setting that makes city dwellers sigh with envy.

 J. Alex Zimmerman speaks after his victory in the caucus.  Photo from Indiana Republican Party.

The air was still and the sky was gently brushed with hints of pastels as the sun began its lazy descent over the horizon. A few stray dog walkers and a couple pushing a stroller meandered along the sidewalks while a handful of pickup trucks and a yellow fire engine ambled through the streets.

The revving engines, loud music, clogged roadways, and the constant bustle of people common to urban centers were replaced by quiet and peace.

“I think we just get overshadowed by people in the city,” said Deborah Morin. “They seem to think that that’s all there is. Well, we have a different way of life.”

Morin and her husband, Dan, were in Versailles to participate in the Republican Party caucus to select the new representative for House District 67. Others at the caucus, including the candidates, echoed her sentiments about preserving Indiana’s small communities and giving rural residents an equal voice in state government.

“It’s just a different way of life,” Morin continued. “We want to preserve that and have someone that we send (to the Statehouse) to honor that and to speak up for us.”

The caucus tapped the young North Vernon Republican, J. Alex Zimmerman, an attorney who chose to move his family from Indianapolis to rural southeastern Indiana almost three years ago.

His stump speech championed traditional conservative Republican values – pro-law enforcement, pro-military, pro-school choice, and pro-life – and called attention to the importance of the district’s rural heritage.

Zimmerman said he wants the state to invest in its rural communities so more young families, like his, will settle in small towns and “bring jobs, housing and development” as well as “ultimately increasing the tax revenue” of the district.

“I chose to live here,” Zimmerman told the caucus members. “I want southeast Indiana to be better, and I know all of us do too.”

Advocating for the Heartland

Zimmerman was one of four candidates vying for the open House seat. The vacancy was created when former Rep. Randy Frye, who was first elected to the Indiana General Assembly in 2010, resigned on July 8 due to “multiple health issues.”

Because Frye stepped aside mid-term, his replacement was selected by the Republican precinct members from House District 67.

The district stretches across a swath of rural Indiana, covering Jennings, Jefferson and Ripley counties, and extends into southern Decatur County to include the towns of Millhousen and Westport. Madison anchors the district with 12,266 residents while tiny outposts like Holton, population 422, and Deputy, population 34, dot the landscape.

Zimmerman was not only the youngest of the four candidates vying for the open House seat, he was a relative newcomer to the area. He and his wife moved to North Vernon and opened their individual law offices in late 2020.

The other candidates were Deanna Burkart, a member of the Decatur County Council, Pamela Crozier, a member of the Jefferson County Council, and Lisa Seng Shadday, a former candidate for the General Assembly.

Zimmerman acknowledged his youth but emphasized his experience. He is a graduate of Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law and the attorney for Jennings County. Most importantly, he worked for the Senate Republicans in the Statehouse for six years, rising to deputy majority attorney.

The one thing he learned from his Statehouse experience is that he will be the most junior member of the House majority. In addition, he will be starting in the middle of a term, so he will not get the benefit of having an orientation or enjoying the camaraderie that comes from being a part of a freshman class of legislators.

Speaking after his selection Monday, Zimmerman was focused on his agenda. He wants to streamline state government to benefit constituents and communities rather than what he has seen as the government working “harder against the people instead of working for the people.”

Also, he wants to bring state dollars to rural Indiana.

“We do a good job of incentivizing rural development around Indianapolis or Jeffersonville or Fort Wayne or South Bend,” Zimmerman said, “but we don’t see a lot of that in the rural areas.”

He said he would like to see more push for rural development but conceded, “What that looks like, I don’t exactly know.”

First ballot

Once he decided to run in the caucus, Zimmerman launched a determined campaign. He focused on the caucus voters, visiting and calling them to introduce himself and discuss the issues.

The Morins are precinct members from Jennings County. In phone conversations and face-to-face meetings, the couple quizzed all four candidates on a variety of topics such as which legislative committees they would like to serve.

Dan Morin noted the House hopefuls were not much different in their political ideals. All were on the same side of “hot-button issues” like abortion and school choice and “the need for a rural community to have good representation in the state.”

“We had a good feel for what they intended to do and how well we thought they would do the job,” he said, adding, in his opinion, any one of the candidates would have been a good representative.

To win the caucus, the candidate needed to capture a simple majority of the votes (50% plus 1). Zimmerman won on the first ballot getting 26 votes to send him to the Statehouse. When his selection was announced, the caucus members cheered and applauded.

Kyle Hupfer, chair of the Indiana Republican Party, said every caucus has a different dynamic and explaining how the members reach their decisions can be difficult.

Since 1973, a total of 131 members of the General Assembly have been elected through the caucus system, according to the Capitol & Washington database. Currently, the Statehouse has 31 members who entered the legislature through the caucus system.

Monday’s caucus started at 6 p.m. in the Ripley County Courthouse Annex. Each candidate was introduced by a supporter in a two minute speech then was given three minutes to talk to the room packed shoulder-to-shoulder with 49 voting caucus members. The candidates stood at the podium, outlining their beliefs and legislative agenda, and then stopped when a party official shouted, “Time!”

Jeanie Hahn, former Jennings County Republican Party chair, introduced Zimmerman. She echoed others on two themes – the importance of rural communities and the qualifications of all the candidates.

“We have small cities and small towns. That’s the way we like it,” Hahn said. “So we need someone to go to Indianapolis and fight for us.”

From his vantage point, Hupfer sees the state making investments in rural areas.

“If you look at what’s been going on, there’s a significant flow of dollars to rural communities,” Hupfer said. “Every single county now is part of a regional development that has been getting dollars out of READI (Regional Economic Acceleration Development Initiative) grants and then those regions are deciding the best way to deploy them.”

Hupfer noted along with bringing a rural voice to the Statehouse, Zimmerman will also inject some youthful energy into the House majority. The young attorney, greeting well-wishers and patiently answering reporters’ questions following the caucus vote, seemed to reflect a generational shift within the Grand Old Party.

Zimmerman championed mainstay GOP issues such as advocating schools stick to teaching reading, writing, and arithmetic. “No more critical race theory and no teaching about gender issues in our schools,” he said.

But, when discussing Indiana’s future, he pointed to the need for renewable energy. The state has “no framework for solar or wind energy” even as utilities converting their coal-fired plants, he said.

In seeing energy as a pressing issue for the Hoosier state, he highlighted the connection between rural and urban. Indiana’s plans will have to keep places like Versailles vibrant while also ensuring what helps one region does not harm another.

“I hope to be part of that conversation,” Zimmerman said, “so that it benefits not just southeast Indiana but the whole state.”

FOOTNOTES: This article was published by TheStatehouseFile.com through a partnership with The Indiana Citizen (indianacitizen.org), a nonpartisan, nonprofit platform dedicated to increasing the number of informed, engaged Hoosier citizens.

Marilyn Odendahl has spent her journalism career writing for newspapers and magazines in Indiana and Kentucky. She has focused her reporting on business, the law, and poverty issues.

ISDA and Red Gold Announce 2023 Stewardship Award Winners

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INDIANAPOLIS (Aug. 7, 2023) — The Indiana State Department of Agriculture and Red Gold recently announced the winners of the 2023 Red Gold Stewardship award. Niese Ag LLC of Pandora, Ohio was selected as the first-place winner, and Myers Sod Farms LLC of Seymour, Ind. received second place.

This presentation, now in its 15th year, is a partnership between Red Gold and the Indiana State Department of Agriculture. The award is presented to Red Gold tomato growers who value improving soil health and water quality on their operations.

“Red Gold is proud of being in a partnership with ISDA and celebrating 15 years of a formal program for all of our tomato growers to participate within,” said Curt Utterback, Director of Agriculture at Red Gold. “The growers are committed in continuing their good efforts with soil and water conservation practices. They are appreciative to be part of an industry providing nutrient food for an ever-growing population, and they want to ensure that their future family generations will have the same opportunity of producing the freshest, best-tasting tomatoes. It is an honor to be able to formally recognize this year’s winners Niese Ag, LLC and Myers Sod Farms, LLC.“

Located in northeast Ohio, Derek Niese of Niese Ag LLC has put a strong emphasis on not only growing excellent crops, but also on the conservation of the land they farm. On their family farm, they grow tomatoes, corn, soybeans, wheat, blackberries and strawberries. They also grow organic corn, soybeans and cabbage. The Nieses have implemented a multitude of conservation practices to promote soil health and water quality on their farm, such as interseeding cover crops in corn and soybeans, grass filter strip and vegetative field borders.

When asked what was important to Niese Ag LLC, Derek Niese said, “trying to build and preserve the farmland for future generations.”

Second place winner, Myers Sod Farms LLC, is located Jackson County, Ind. In addition to tomatoes, they grow sod, corn, soybeans and wheat. On each of their farms, they have implemented a variety of stewardship and conservation practices, such as reduced tillage, regular soil testing and cover crops and living covers in 2022.

“Practicing conservation is important on our farm. We feel that if we take care of the land, it will take care of us,” said Adam Myer of Myers Sod Farm.

The Midwest is leading the pack in soil conservation efforts. Specifically in the Hoosier state, farmers utilize a variety of soil conservation practices and planted more than 1.6 million acres of cover crops in 2022.

“The Red Gold Stewardship Award recognizes those agriculturalists committed to soil conservation and its role in supporting agriculture, specifically here in the Midwest,” said ISDA Director Don Lamb. “Congratulations to the 2023 winners, it is well-deserved.”

As the top winner, Niese Ag LLC received a $1,000 scholarship and the option to ship an extra truckload of tomatoes per day during harvest season. Myers Sod Farms LLC was awarded a $500 scholarship and the opportunity to ship an extra half truckload of tomatoes per day during harvest.

12 USI Softball student-athletes recognized with NFCA academic honors

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EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Softball had 12 student-athletes recognized by the National Fastpitch Coaches’ Association (NFCA) for their academic success in 2022-23.
 
The Easton/NFCA Academic All-America Scholar-Athletes from Southern Indiana included outfielder Mackenzie Bedrick (Brownsburg, Indiana), first baseman Lexi Fair (Greenwood, Indiana), designated player Allie Goodin (Evansville, Indiana), pitcher/infielder Hailey Gotshall (Lucerne, Indiana), infielder Julianna Hibbs (Henderson, Kentucky), outfielder Olivia Howard (Fishers, Indiana), infielder Hannah Long (Haubstadt, Indiana), infielder Rachel Martinez (Chicago, Illinois), outfielder Kennedy Nalley (Huntingburg, Indiana), infielder Jordan Rager (Fishers, Indiana), outfielder Caroline Stapleton (Shirley, Indiana), and outfielder Emma Tucher (New Palestine, Indiana).
 
The student-athletes were among the 8,297 collegiate student-athletes honored in all divisions. Team GPAs and scholar-athletes are submitted by member head coaches. The award goes to those who earned at least a 3.5 grade point average.
 
USI was 21-23 overall and 13-9 in the first season as an NCAA Division I program and OVC member last spring. The Screaming Eagles claimed an OVC Tournament berth and captured their first-ever OVC Tournament win in May.

Petco Love and Vanderburgh Humane Society Aim to Stop the Spread of Deadly Diseases

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Petco Love and Vanderburgh Humane Society Aim to Stop the Spread of
Deadly Preventable Diseases Through Vaccinations at Next Community Outreach Event

AUGUST 10, 2023

As part of Petco Love’s Initiative to Provide One Million More Free Pet Vaccines,
the Vanderburgh Humane Society will provide free vaccines on August 21st in Evansville

Evansville, IN (August 1, 2023) – The Vanderburgh Humane Society (VHS) will once again be providing free vaccinations for pets in Vanderburgh County at their next monthly community outreach event on August 21, 2023. The free vaccines are made possible through Petco Love’s new national vaccination initiative, which is providing one million more free pet vaccines to existing animal welfare partners, including the VHS, for family pets in need. Families will also be able to receive free pet food while supplies last thanks to Chewy and Humane Society of the United States, and free microchips thanks to Best Friends. The event as a whole is made possible by the Best Friends Prince & Paws Shelter Collaborative, and will be the sixth such event hosted by the VHS and Evansville Animal Care & Control in 2023.

Parvovirus and distemper in dogs and panleukopenia in cats — the most prevalent deadly diseases affecting pets — are preventable with a simple vaccine. An estimated 30% of pet parents do not take their pet to a veterinarian annually for preventative care. To ensure the health and wellness of our beloved pets and to address this critical need, the VHS and Petco Love have partnered to make pet vaccines free and accessible.

Through this national effort, the VHS aims to vaccinate 500 pets overall. 240 pets received vaccines at the July event, with the remaining 260 expected to be vaccinated in August and October. The next event is Monday, August 21st, 2023 at the Vanderburgh Humane Society from 12:00-4:00. It is first-come first-served with no pre-registration required, and is available to Vanderburgh County residents only. Vaccine records will be provided. Puppies & kittens must be at least 6 weeks of age. Adult dogs must be leashed, cats & kittens must be in individual carriers, and puppies who have not received their full series of vaccines yet should be carried ONLY, not placed on the ground, for their safety.

The free vaccines distributed at events through the Petco Love initiative will be the DAPPv Canine and HCP Feline vaccines. There will not be rabies vaccines available.

“Thanks to Petco Love, we can offer these important vaccine events at no cost to pet owners,” said Amanda Coburn, Director of Advancement. “We urge community members to take advantage of this no-cost resource to ensure the health and wellness of our community’s pets.”

“It is heartbreaking when any pet suffers or dies from a disease that could have been prevented. It is further exacerbated when unvaccinated pets come into busy shelter kennels, where these deadly diseases can spread quickly, resulting in multiple deaths, skyrocketing expenses, and hindering saving pet lives,” said Susanne Kogut, Petco Love President. “By creating greater awareness and making this crucial preventative care more accessible to pets not currently receiving these lifesaving vaccines, we can prevent the dangerous spread of disease.” 

For more information about vaccine distribution, contact the Vanderburgh Humane Society at www.vhslifesaver.org. Learn more about Petco Love’s lifesaving impact at PetcoLove.org. 

For information about this new collaboration between the VHS and Evansville Animal Care & Control thanks to Best Friends, visit https://www.vhslifesaver.org/news/team-up. 

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About the Vanderburgh Humane Society

The Vanderburgh Humane Society is leading our community to eliminate pet overpopulation through Spay/Neuter, Adoption, and Humane Education. The organization serves more than 11,000 Tri-State families each year through multiple programs and serves as a regional animal welfare leader, celebrating 65 years of operation in 2022. Alter, Adopt, Adore.

About Evansville Animal Care & Control

Evansville Animal Care & Control is Evansville’s only open admission shelter; meaning it doesn’t turn away any animal from Evansville or Vanderburgh County. The Evansville Animal Care & Control Shelter is dedicated to: promoting pet safety and responsible pet ownership, reduction of animal overpopulation, and enforcing section 6.05 of the Evansville Municipal Code.

About Petco Love

Petco Love is a life-changing nonprofit organization that makes communities and pet families closer, stronger, and healthier. Since our founding in 1999 as the Petco Foundation, we’ve empowered animal welfare organizations by investing $350 million in adoption and other lifesaving efforts. We’ve helped find loving homes for more than 6.7 million pets in partnership with Petco and organizations nationwide. 

Our love for pets drives us to lead with innovation, creating tools animal lovers need to reunite lost pets, and lead with passion, inspiring and mobilizing communities and our more than 4,000 animal welfare partners to drive lifesaving change alongside us. Is love calling you? Join us. Visit petcolove.org or follow on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn to be part of the lifesaving work we lead every day.

About Best Friends Animal Society 

Best Friends Animal Society is a leading animal welfare organization working to end the killing of dogs and cats in America’s shelters by 2025. Founded in 1984, Best Friends is a pioneer in the no-kill movement and has helped reduce the number of animals killed in shelters from an estimated 17 million per year to about 347,000. Best Friends runs lifesaving programs all across the country, as well as the nation’s largest no-kill animal sanctuary. Working collaboratively with a network of more than 3,300 animal welfare and shelter partners, and community members nationwide, Best Friends is working to Save Them All®. For more information, visit bestfriends.org. 

Indiana Arts Commission Announces 2023 Recipients of State’s Highest Honor in the Arts

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(INDIANAPOLIS) Today, the Indiana Arts Commission (IAC), in partnership with the Office of the Governor, announced the 2023 recipients of the Governor’s Arts Award.

Originally presented in 1973, these awards recognize outstanding achievement and contributions to arts and creativity in Indiana. Presented biennially, the Governor’s Arts Awards are the highest honor the state gives in the arts and recognize those who maximize their roles as innovators, supporters, and advocates to grow arts and creativity on the state or national level. The 2023 recipients of the Governor’s Arts Awards are:

Bryan Ballinger (Huntington) 

Bryan “Breadwig” Ballinger is a muralist, toy designer, professor, and children’s book author and illustrator. His murals can be found in towns and cities across Indiana. Bryan has done illustration work for companies such as Nintendo, Disney and Scholastic and was the 3D Design Lead for 5 years at Big Idea Productions, the producers of the “VeggieTales” children’s videos. Bryan teaches digital media arts at Huntington University in Huntington and is currently a visiting artist for the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis for the next year. He has three new picture books coming out in the next year, including “The Big Wig Parade” in October. Bryan also loves doing author visits to Indiana elementary schools. View more of Bryan’s work at his website.

Christy Burgess (South Bend) 
Christy Burgess is the co-founder and director of the Robinson Shakespeare Company (RSC), a program based out of the Robinson Community Learning Center in South Bend, Indiana. Founded in 2008, the RSC has reached thousands of students and hundreds of teachers through drama classes, workshops, and Drama Integration outreach and Burgess has been called the “Cornerstone of Drama Integration” in Indiana. Burgess was selected as a North American Teaching Consultant for the Royal Shakespeare Company in 2011 and won the Susan D. Wisely Youth Worker of the Year Award in 2016.  She is currently the Education Co-chair for the Shakespeare Theatre Association. Burgess received her undergrad at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks and her M.A. in Theatre Education at the University of Warwick.  Learn more about the RSC.

D. Del Reverda-Jennings (Indianapolis) 

As a self-taught Alaskan born, Indianapolis-based interdisciplinary artist D. Del Reverda-Jennings’ practice draws from a kaleidoscope of cultural nuance, insight, and experience as a creative. Del Reverda-Jennings’ award-winning 2 and 3-dimensional artworks feature personal symbolism and reflective imagery pervasive of African/Caribbean Latine/o/a diasporic culture, relative to her lineage and as a celebration of womankind. Her artworks have been exhibited and are held in private and corporate collections internationally. She is a noted cultural producer, independent curator, gallerist, the founder of the annual FLAVA FRESH ! Juried Exhibition Presentation Series Of Contemporary Fine Art in Indianapolis, and a journalist and author whose book “On Being A Visual Artist: Guidance To Thrive And Survive” will be reissued in 2024. Visit D. Del Reverda-Jennings’ website.

Jim Smoak (Washington County) 
From the 1940’s through the present, banjo player Jim Smoak has helped shape Bluegrass as a musical genre. Smoak belongs to a generation of banjo players who popularized three finger technique, a complex syncopated style that emerged from the western Carolinas and came to define the bluegrass sound for a national audience. Smoak’s career has followed a winding path beginning in his hometown of Round O, South Carolina, leading to Nashville and other centers of country music, and finally to Pekin, Indiana, where he settled in the mid 1970’s. His accomplishments include working with the father of Bluegrass music, Bill Monroe, recording for folklorist Harry Oster, and publishing one of the first instrumental books on three finger banjo method. He began writing songs in the 1970’s, and continues to teach banjo, guitar, and harmonica today.  Learn more about Jim Smoak. 

Shaun Dingwerth and the Richmond Art Museum (Richmond)
Shaun Thomas Dingwerth has served as the Executive Director at the Richmond Art Museum, since 2004. Before becoming the Executive Director, he served as the Director of Operations for five years and is celebrating his 25th anniversary this September. He is a noted curator and art juror, creating and curating many important exhibits throughout his career. He is a recognized Indiana art historian and an author. The Richmond Art Museum was founded in 1898 as the Art Association of Richmond and continues as the second oldest art association in Indiana. The Richmond Art Museum’s purpose for 125 years has been to promote art, culture, and art appreciation. It carries out this mission by offering an array of exhibits and programs that appeal to all ages with Shaun Dingwerth at the helm. Learn more about the Richmond Art Museum.

Each of the five award winners will be profiled in a video later this year, and each will receive an artist-made award made by Emily Bennett, a fiber artist based in Terre Haute, Indiana. Visit Emily Bennett’s website.

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