EPD DAILY ACTIVITY REPORT
FOOTNOTE: Â EPD DAILY ACTIVITY REPORT information was provided by the EPD and posted by the City-County-County Observer without opinion, bias, or editing.
Otters mount eighth inning comeback over Crushers
Evansville, Ind. – Bryan Rosario hit a go-ahead two-RBI triple to lead the Evansville Otters past the Lake Erie Crushers 6-4 Tuesday night at Bosse Field.
The Otters trailed by a run entering the eighth. Jomar Reyes led off with a base hit and after two straight outs, George Callil worked a walk.
Rosario then blasted a ball off the glove of the Crushers’ left fielder to plate both runs and give Evansville the lead.
A Kona Quiggle single scored Rosario to bring the Otters’ lead to two runs.
Jake Polancic worked around a leadoff single and a walk to secure the Evansville victory. The closer earned his ninth save of the season, tied for the most in the Frontier League.
Jeffrey Baez opened the Evansville scoring, hitting a two-run homer over the left field wall in the third inning. The slugger leads the team with 13 homers.
Quiggle joined the power party with a solo home run in the fourth inning to extend the lead to 3-0.
Lake Erie responded with a solo home run in the fifth inning. They took the lead with four hits in the sixth inning, good for three runs and a 4-3 lead.
Starting pitcher Tim Holdgrafer did not factor into the decision. He retired the first eight batters of the game.
Holdgrafer finished with 5.1 innings pitched, allowing four runs on six hits with six strikeouts.
Evansville’s bullpen allowed just three baserunners over 2.2 innings. Jon Beymer pitched four outs. Kevin Davis worked an in-order eighth inning.
Quiggle finished with three hits, two runs and two RBIs. Reyes added three hits including a double.
The win is Evansville’s first victory when trailing after the seventh inning or later this season.
The Otters and Crushers play the middle game of the series Wednesday evening with a 6:35 PM CT first pitch from Bosse Field. Senior fans can enjoy discounted senior GA tickets as part of a Senior Connection Wednesday.
Indiana State Police Seeks Recruits for the Capitol Police Section
The Indiana State Police Capitol Police Section is accepting applications.  Individuals interested in beginning a rewarding career as a Capitol Police Officer may apply online at https://www.Capitol Police Career Opportunities. This website provides a detailed synopsis of the application process and information on additional career opportunities with the Indiana State Police Department.
Applications must be submitted electronically by 11:59 pm (EST) on Wednesday, August 9, 2023.
Basic Eligibility Requirements and consideration factors for a Capitol Police Officer:
- Must be a United States citizen.
- Must be at least 21 years of age when appointed as a police employee.(Graduation date is December 15, 2023)
- Must meet a minimum vision standard (corrected or uncorrected) of 20/50 acuity in each eye and 20/50 distant binocular acuity in both eyes.
- Must possess a valid driver’s license to operate an automobile.
- Must be a high school graduate as evidenced by a diploma or general equivalency diploma (GED).
The academy begins on Monday, October 23, 2023.  The starting salary for a Capitol Police Probationary Officer is $62,327 a year.  After the first year of employment, the salary will increase to $64,472.00.  The Indiana State Police Capitol Police Section also offers an excellent health care plan, including medical, dental, vision, and pharmacy coverage for current and retired employees and their families.  The State maintains short-term and long-term disability plans for full time employees after six (6) months of continuous employment.  As an Indiana State Police Capitol Police Officer, you are automatically enrolled in the Public Employees Retirement Fund (PERF), and the State will contribute to your retirement account.
Interested applicants can obtain additional information about a career as a Capitol Police Officer by visiting https://www.Capitol Police Career Opportunities. Applicants can also contact a recruiter at isprecruiting@isp.in.gov.
PHE funds may have overpaid hospitals, study suggests
PHE funds may have overpaid hospitals, study suggests
July 19, 2023
Public health emergency funding during the COVID-19 pandemic helped hospitals’ net operating margins hit an all-time high, according to a study published in JAMA Health Forum July 14.
The study examined national RAND data and American Community Survey data between 2017 and 2021 to evaluate hospitals’ financial performance during the first two years of the COVID-19 public health emergency. Researchers assessed 4,423 short-term acute care and critical access hospitals.
Eighty percent of the hospitals received public health emergency funds during 2020 and 2021. Seventy-five percent had a positive net operating income during this period. For more than 3,000 hospitals, financial performance improved post-public health emergency; these facilities saw a median net operating income improvement of $5.3 million.
Median operating margins reached an all-time high of 6.5 percent between 2020 and 2021, compared with 2.8 percent margins pre-2020 according to the study. Hospitals saw a median $1.9 million increase in net operating income during this time period.
However, 16 percent of hospitals experienced new financial distress despite receiving public health emergency funding. Nearly one-fifth of the hospitals were located in a census tract with more than 20 percent Hispanic residents; these facilities were more likely to experience financial distress even after receiving federal funds. A high concentration of Hispanic residents was the only independent variable associated with financial distress after receipt of public health emergency funding, according to the study.
And not all funds were distributed equally, the study pointed out. Hospitals with uncompensated care that represented 10 percent or more of their operating expenses in 2019 were less likely to receive COVID-19 funding than those that reported no uncompensated care burden.
Highly urban hospitals averaged $4.8 million more in COVID-19 funding than rural hospitals and health system-affiliated hospitals received $1.2 million less than unaffiliated hospitals. For-profit hospitals received $5.4 million less than nor-for-profit hospitals, but still were not in financial distress during the emergency, according to the study.
Some relief funds went to hospitals that did not need them while others received too much, the study’s authors noted in their discussion. This led some hospitals to hit peak operating margins rather than restore to pre-pandemic levels.
“It should be underscored that policymakers were required to act quickly to direct COVID-19 PHE funding; however, based on the COVID-19 lessons, it will be important to consider alternative ways of allocating scarce public dollars to support our nation’s health system in crisis,” the authors wrote. “To that end, policymakers should ensure they have the necessary data to estimate the effects and to proactively build models to simulate relief payments and their effects on hospital finances, which could be used to better inform decision-making regarding the allocation of emergency aid.”
ICON 2023: THE PREMIERE CONFERENCE FOR INDIANA ASSOCIATIONS COMING TO EVANSVILLE
Evansville, IN – July 18, 2023 – ICON 2023 is set to be the ultimate event for executives and professional staff of membership-based nonprofits headquartered in Indiana. Hosted by the Indiana Society of Association Executives (ISAE) and taking place in Evansville at the Old National Events Plaza from Monday, July 24 through Wednesday, July 26, this highly anticipated event offers valuable educational programs, exhibitors, and networking opportunities for regional community members.
Attendees of ICON 2023 can expect programming to cover four featured themes: Controlling the Unexpected, Staff Engagement, Managing Stakeholders, and Member Engagement. These sessions will equip nonprofit professionals with practical strategies and best practices to tackle challenges, foster a positive work culture, effectively communicate with stakeholders, and engage members.
The event’s exhibit hall will host solution providers catering specifically to Indiana-based nonprofits. Attendees will have the chance to explore innovative products, services, and resources while networking with industry experts and peers.
“Hosting ICON 2023 in Evansville is a tremendous honor for our community. In addition to almost $175,000 in economic impact over three days, we are afforded the unique and valuable opportunity to showcase our city to hundreds of association executives and meeting planners from across Indiana at the same time,†said Alexis Berggren, President & CEO with Visit Evansville.
Erin Lewis, Executive Director for the University of Evansville’s Center for Innovation and Change, will present the closing keynote on “Navigating Change through Design Thinking.â€Â Registration is still open, and you do not need to be an ISAE member to attend. Evansville Region community members are encouraged to seize this unique opportunity and discover strategies to overcome challenges, engage stakeholders, and enhance member satisfaction. For more information or to register, visit the ICON 2023 website.
Four On Caucus Ballot To fill Open Republican Seat In Statehouse
By Marilyn Odendahl, The Indiana Citizen
July 19, 2023
Two county council members, one unsuccessful candidate for state representative, and a practicing attorney are the four individuals who will vie for the seat formerly held by Rep. Randy Frye at a Republican Party caucus Monday.
The event will begin at 6 p.m. at the Ripley County Courthouse Annex in Versailles. Fifty-four Republican precinct members are eligible to vote in the caucus that will select the person to represent House District 67 through 2024.
Republican Party officials would not release the names of the precinct members. However, they did give a breakdown of the eligible voting members by county: Decatur (3), Jefferson (19), Jennings (20), and Ripley (12).
At the start of the caucus, each candidate will be able to have a colleague or supporter give a two-minute introduction. Then the candidates will have the opportunity to speak directly to the precinct members for three minutes.
After the speeches, the members will vote. The voting will continue until one candidate garners 50% plus 1 of the votes. With each round of voting, the candidate who receives the lowest number of votes will be dropped from the contest.
The four candidates:
Deanna Burkart of Decatur County is in her second term as a member of the Decatur County Council and has worked with local officials on economic development projects such as the Regional Economic Acceleration Development Initiative (READI) and the Make My Move program, according to The Greensburg Daily News.
Four years ago, she was recognized as the 2019 honoree from the Decatur County Republican Women’s Club, The Daily News reported. Also, in 2023, she was elected to serve as the secretary of the Indiana County Councils Association.
Burkart is a graduate of Indiana University.
Pamela Crozier of Jefferson County is the business development manager at First Financial Bank in Madison and has served on the Jefferson County Council since January 2017, according to her LinkedIn profile. She is also chair of the Jefferson County Republican Party and has served as treasurer on the board of directors for CASA of Jefferson County.
Crozier holds a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Indiana University Southeast.
Lisa Seng Shadday of Jefferson County is an insurance agent in Madison. In 2014, she defeated two opponents in the Republican primary for then-House District 66. Shadday, capturing 41% of the vote, lost to former Democrat Rep. Terry Goodin in the November general election.
J. Alex Zimmerman of Jennings County is an attorney practicing in North Vernon since November 2020. According to his biography on his law firm website, he served for nearly six years in the Statehouse before entering private practice. He worked for the Republican majority in the Senate in a variety of roles including majority legal associate and deputy majority attorney.
He is a 2020 graduate of Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law in Indianapolis and a 2015 graduate of Franklin College.
Frye resigned from his House seat on July 8, citing declining health as his reason for stepping down. He was first elected to the Indiana General Assembly in 2010 and served as chair of the House Veterans Affairs and Public Safety Committee.
House District 67 covers Jennings, Jefferson, and Ripley counties and extends into southern Decatur County to the towns of Millhousen and Westport.
CHEAP TRICK AT THE VICTORY THEATRE ON SEPTEMBER 15TH!
TICKETS GO ON SALE Friday July 21 ST ,2023
Evansville, IN– Cheap Trick rocks the Victory Theatre on September 15th! Tickets are expected to sell quickly! Tickets on sale starting Friday, July 21 st @10AM at the Ford Center Ticket Office & Ticketmaster.com!
Tickets may be purchased at Ford Center Ticket Office or www.Ticketmaster.com