Afternoon News: Thursday April 6th 2023

Posey County Radio News and Sports

News: 

Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb has signed Senate Bill 480, the bill banning gender-affirming health care procedures for transgender minors, into law. Right away, the ACLU filed a lawsuit to stop it from being implemented. The bill is the first of several targeting the transgender community to hit Holcomb's desk after the Indiana legislature's Republican supermajority approved it in both chambers. It says that doctors in Indiana can no longer perform surgeries or prescribe medication, like puberty blockers, to minors who wish to transition to a gender different from their sex assigned at birth. Children who had been taking hormone therapy prior to June 30th can continue their therapy until December 31st. Otherwise, minors seeking these services could travel to neighboring states where it is still legal, including Illinois, Michigan, and Ohio. In a statement explaining his decision to sign the legislation, Holcomb said he believes only adults should be able to undergo these procedures. The ACLU of Indiana and the national ACLU have filed a class-action lawsuit to challenge the law, alleging it violates the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. The lawsuit also alleges the law violates the Medicaid Act and the Affordable Care Act because it prohibits "essential services" Medicaid currently authorizes and reimburses. Further, it alleges a violation of doctors' First Amendment right to free speech since the law prohibits physicians from referring children to other doctors for gender-affirming services. Indiana Attorney Todd Rokita said his office is prepared to defend the law in court.

 

A reminder that MSD of Mt. Vernon and MSD of North Posey County Schools will be out of session tomorrow and Monday. All schools and offices will be closed during this time. School will resume on Tuesday, April 11th.

 

Mt. Vernon Youth Baseball and Softball registrations are now available online for tee-ball. Registrations run through May 5th with practices starting soon after that date. They are also looking for volunteers to coach a team. You can find the registrations online at leaguelineup.com. Once you are at the site, click on search and enter your zip code.

 

The 5th Annual Mt. Vernon Football POPS Auction is coming up on Saturday, April 15th. Tickets must be purchased by April 10th. They are 30 dollars per-person, or 50 dollars per-couple. There will be an auction, games, raffles, food, drinks, and a live band. You must be at least 21 years old to attend. Tickets can be purchased by texting 2023MVFOOTBALLAUCTION to 243725, or by going online at one.bidpal.net/2023mvfootballauction/welcome.

 

More information is being unveiled about the state of Indiana’s “Lloyd4U” project, which will be making changes to the Lloyd Expressway. Project officials say the changes are meant to make the road more efficient and safer. Officials say their intent is to make things run a bit more smoothly and cut down on unsafe areas. In his State of the City presentation, Evansville Mayor Lloyd Winnecke talked about several infrastructure projects coming to the city. One of these was the upcoming Lloyd4U project. Officials say the growth of the city makes the project necessary. The Lloyd4U project is made up of 17 smaller projects, stretching from the Posey to the Warrick County lines. These include replacing pavement and bridges, as well as improving intersections and widening the road in places. Project officials say the state is investing more than $150 million in the work, which they expect to take about three years. They say there won’t be any road closures or detoured traffic while the work is underway, so they encourage people to leave earlier, or make alternate plans once construction starts.

 

The Evansville Police Department wants to make people aware of a recent phone scam officers say is going around. Police say many people have called to report they are receiving calls from the EPD Administration Number: (812) 436-7896. EPD officials say when these people answer or return the call, a man responds claiming to be with EPD. Police say the scammer tells the person they are calling that they have jury duty, owes money, or has a warrant out for their arrest. EPD officials say this is a scam and a way to try to get someone to pay money. For those who have been the victim of this scam, or a similar scam, please contact your local police department and report the incident.

 

Sports: 

- Mt. Vernon Baseball plays at Boonville at 5:30 PM

- Mt. Vernon Softball is also at Boonville at 5:30 PM

- North Posey Baseball travels to Tell City at 5:00 PM

- North Posey Softball is home against Gibson Southern at 5:00 PM

- USI Baseball (8-20, 1-5) welcomes Southeast Missouri State at 6:00 PM

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