Hagerstown loses first game in Little League World Series, but still alive
Hagerstown, Indiana’s state Little League Champs, suffered a loss in the Little League World Series for the first time, falling 5-2 in extra innings to Nolensville, Tennessee. Hagerstown still has a shot at winning the Little League World Series, although the road is much more challenging with the loss, now entering the elimination bracket. Tennessee tied the game in the last inning, and rallied in extra innings to solidify the 5-2 victory. Tennessee is one win away from a seat in the Championship game.
INDY FOP votes No Confidence in Marion County Prosecutor and Court System
The Indianapolis Fraternal Order of Police, Lodge #86 announced the FOP membership has voted a Vote of Confidence in the Marion County Prosecutor and the Marion County Court System. This move comes on the heels of the murder of a Central Indiana police officer. The suspect arrested has a lengthy criminal history as a habitual serious violent offender who had been previously convicted of shooting at police in Indianapolis, but was released following a lenient modified sentence from a Marion County Judge.
This vote also follows several other incidents of failures to act by the Marion County Prosecutor in which several officers and civilians have been critically injured or killed. Examples include an IMPD Officer who was shot in the throat allegedly by a serious violent offender who was released back onto the streets in violation of his parole and is alleged to have subsequently shot the officer. Additionally, thirteen (13) people shot with eight (8) civilians killed in the FedEx massacre in which it was later found the Prosecutor did not previously submit a filing on the murderer to the courts under the Officer Jake Laird Red Flag law. Indy FOP President, Rick Snyder, shared that rank-and-file members unanimously directed the FOP Executive Board to hold the vote during the month of August.
The FOP membership is made up of officers from the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, Marion County Sheriff’s Office, Indiana State Police, Beech Grove, Speedway, Cumberland, Airport, Southport, IUPUI, University of Indianapolis, Butler, IPS and Township School Police and several other local departments and law enforcement agencies.
Ivy Tech Community College Announces Start of Fall Semester
Ivy Tech Community College kicked off its fall semester yesterday with the first 8-week course term. The College is offering free textbooks for this academic year and offers over 70 programs in-person and online. Students who wish to enroll in Ivy Tech are able to do so every eight weeks. The next eight-week term begins October 24 and students are encouraged to enroll today for the second eight-week term.
The State of Indiana provides free tuition at Ivy Tech for a number of programs through the Next Level Jobs program. Through this program, students can enroll in high-demand fields including IT, healthcare, building and construction, advanced manufacturing, business, and transportation and logistics.
Enroll at Ivy Tech today by visiting www.ivytech.edu.
City of Bloomington Awards 2022 Digital Equity Grants Funds to Eleven Area Nonprofits
The City of Bloomington Information & Technology Services Department (ITS) announces the 2022 Digital Equity Grants awards to support Bloomington-based nonprofit organization efforts to bridge the digital divide and increase digital resources for residents. Now in its third year, this grant program began as part of Mayor John Hamilton’s Recover Forward initiative to help Bloomington recover from the pandemic and economic collapse, and advance racial, economic, and climate justice. Starting in 2022 these grants are funded from the ITS Department’s regular annual budget.
“Bridging the digital divide is an imperative toward greater equity in our community,“ said Mayor John Hamilton. “Partnering with these creative and effective nonprofits is an important step across that divide. We are happy to take that step together.”
The Digital Equity Grants program awarded eleven area nonprofits a total of $50,000 in 2022, an increase from nine nonprofits in 2021. This year’s recipients, programs supported, and grant amounts follow:
- Alexandra’s Army, Internet Safety Training, $4,000
- Area 10 Agency on Aging, Creating Digital Literacy Opportunities and Tackling Social Isolation in the World of COVID, $6,000
- Artisan Alley, Wi-Fi Mill/Tech Education, $4,100
- Courage to Change Sober Living, Breaking Down Digital Divide Barriers for Those Suffering from Substance Use Disorders, $5,500
- Farmer House Museum/TechHeroes, Bloomington Stories, $4,000
- Hotels for Hope, Long Term Access to Technology and Skill Building for Those Experiencing Homelessness, $5,500
- Monroe County Public Library, Enhancing the Circulating iPad Collection at Monroe County Public Library, $3,800
- My Sister’s Closet, Providing 21st Century Life Skills Training with Up-to-Date Electronics, $5,700
- New Leaf New Life, Expanded Computer & Internet Access, $4,000
- Robin & Trisha’s House, Inc, Access to Skill Building Internet Services and Computing Devices for Individuals Currently Overcoming Homelessness, $3,300
- South Central Community Action Program, Digital Action Plan for Thriving Connections Families, $4,100
“In this third year of the City’s Digital Equity Grants initiative we’ve been gratified to see an increase in organizations applying for these grants,” said Information and Technology Services Director Rick Dietz. “Bloomington nonprofits are playing a key role in addressing the community challenges identified in the City’s Digital Equity Strategic Plan and we are grateful for their partnership in this important effort.”
Area 10 Agency on Aging Endwright Senior Centers will be creating digital literacy opportunities and providing technology assistance. Establishing digital support systems is a major protective factor against loneliness and isolation. Offering one-on-one assistance and support to senior community members wanting to gain the knowledge and confidence to use their own or borrowed devices and safely browse the web is an important and needed resource.
The Sunday Soup and Stories project will participate in learning how to capture and publish stories. As part of the seeding of the Bloomington Stories Project program, recipients will be trained in how to manage their digital content and publish the stories to their own site as well as to the Story Corp project.
Alexandra’s Army, an organization founded by an eight-year-old and driven by youth invested in ending local hunger, will apply their grant funds to an internet safety program.
“Alexandra’s Army is honored to have been chosen as a 2022 Digital Equity Grants award winner,” said Alexandra Daley, President and Founder of Alexandra’s Army. “We are excited for the opportunity to provide local kids and their parents with an internet safety program. In this digital world, we need to make sure kids have the tools and training to safely use technology.”
The Digital Equity Grants program sought proposals from nonprofits for projects that build capacity in the community to address digital equity challenges, in the following ways:
- Facilitate access to broadband services
- Increase access to computing devices to effectively use the internet
- Cultivate the knowledge, familiarity, and digital skills needed to secure the benefits of the internet and digital technology
- Mitigate community digital equity gaps identified in the City’s digital equity survey, the results of which are available at https://bton.in/mE_-Q.
This Week in Hoosier History
1948 – Joe Louis, former heavyweight boxing champion of the world, was in Indianapolis to compete in the United Golf Association Tournament at the Coffin Municipal Course. Louis, formidable on the links as well as in the ring, took time to visit patients at Veterans Hospital.
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