U.S. Senators Todd Young (R-Ind.), David Perdue (R-Ga.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), and Chris Coons (D-Del.) today announced they will introduce bipartisan legislation called the Healthcare Workforce Resilience Act to provide a temporary stopgap to quickly address our nation’s shortage of doctors and nurses, which poses a significant risk to our ability to effectively respond to the COVID-19 crisis.

The senators’ proposal, to be introduced when the Senate reconvenes, would recapture 25,000 unused immigrant visas for nurses and 15,000 unused immigrant visas for doctors that Congress has previously authorized and allocated those visas to doctors and nurses who can help in the fight against COVID-19. The proposal will not increase the current immigration numbers.

“The U.S. Department of Labor has declared that we have a shortage of nurses and need the support of trained professionals from other countries. This is especially true in rural parts of our country that are too often overlooked. I have been working to remove unnecessary barriers for nurses to get visas to come to the United States and help us combat coronavirus, the opioid crisis, and other health challenges. This legislation will help address our immediate healthcare needs during this unprecedented crisis,” said Senator Young.

“The growing shortage of doctors and nurses over the past decade has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 crisis,” said Senator Perdue. “Fortunately, there are thousands of trained health professionals who want to practice in the United States. This proposal would simply reallocate a limited number of unused visas from prior years for doctors and nurses who are qualified to help in our fight against COVID-19. This shortage is critical and needs immediate attention so that our healthcare facilities are not overwhelmed in this crisis.”

“Consider this: one-sixth of our health care workforce is foreign-born. Immigrant nurses and doctors play a vital role in our health care system, and their contributions are now more crucial than ever. Where would we be in this pandemic without them? It is unacceptable that thousands of doctors currently working in the U.S. on temporary visas are stuck in the green card backlog, putting their futures in jeopardy and limiting their ability to contribute to the fight against COVID-19,” said Senator Durbin. “This bipartisan, targeted, and timely legislation will strengthen our health care workforce and improve health care access for Americans in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. I encourage my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support these vital health care workers.”

“American health care workers are on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic, putting their lives at risk to care for our loved ones,” said Senator Coons. “This commonsense, bipartisan bill would provide reinforcements in the fight against the virus by targeting doctors and nurses stuck in the green card backlog for immediate relief. This narrow solution will not fix our broken immigration system, but it will help prevent its dysfunction from blocking medical professionals who can help give patients across the country the care they urgently need.”

Specifically, the senators’ proposal:

·       Recaptures unused visas from previous fiscal years for doctors, nurses, and their families

·       Exempts these visas from country caps

·       Requires employers to attest that immigrants from overseas who receive these visas will not displace an American worker

·       Requires the Department of Homeland Security and State Department to expedite the processing of recaptured visas

·       Limits the filing period for recaptured visas to 90 days following the termination of the President’s COVID-19 emergency declaration

NASCAR today announced it will return to racing on May 17, which will kick off a slate of races that includes seven events in three series at two race tracks – Darlington Raceway and Charlotte Motor Speedway.

The NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series,and NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series will each host its first on-track event since mid-March. 

The NASCAR Cup Series will return to Darlington Raceway on Sunday, May 17, with a 400-mile event scheduled for 3:30 p.m. ET, live on FOX, FOX Deportes, MRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

What follows is a unique schedule that includes midweek races in primetime and a NASCAR crown jewel – the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway – in its traditional Memorial Day Weekend home for the 60th consecutive season.

The opening slate of races is as follows:

• Sun, May 17      Darlington          Cup                              400 mi         3:30 PM
• Tue, May 19      Darlington          Xfinity                           200 mi         8:00 PM
• Wed, May 20     Darlington          Cup                              500 km        7:30 PM
• Sun, May 24      Charlotte           Cup                              600 mi         6:00 PM
• Mon, May 25     Charlotte           Xfinity                           300 mi         7:30 PM
• Tue, May 26      Charlotte           Gander Trucks              200 mi           8:00 PM
• Wed, May 27     Charlotte           Cup                              500 km         8:00 PM

“NASCAR and its teams are eager and excited to return to racing, and have great respect for the responsibility that comes with a return to competition,” said Steve O’Donnell, NASCAR executive vice president and chief racing development officer.

“NASCAR will return in an environment that will ensure the safety of our competitors, officials,and all those in the local community. We thank local, state,and federal officials and medical experts, as well as everyone in the industry, for the unprecedented support in our return to racing, and we look forward to joining our passionate fans in watching cars return to the track.”

NASCAR officials have collaborated with public health officials, medical experts and local, state,and federal officials to create a comprehensive plan to ensure the health and safety of competitors and surrounding communities at the above events. All races will be strictly tailored, in every way, to follow specific guidelines set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Event procedures will be significantly modified in accordance with CDC, OSHA and state and local government recommendations — including hosting one-day shows at the above tracks, which are all within driving distance of North Carolina race shops to minimize travel and time spent in a community.

There will be no practice sessions for any event, and qualifying will only be held for the Coca-Cola 600.

Other adjustments include mandating the use of protective equipment, health screenings for all individuals before entering the facility and maintaining social distancing protocols throughout the event.

Of note, the May 17 race — and then the May 20 Cup Series race at Darlington — will not replace the scheduled Southern 500 on Labor Day Weekend, the opener of the NASCAR Playoffs. NASCAR intends to keep its 10-race postseason format and tracks involved unchanged, but the situation remains fluid.

No dates beyond May 27 have been announced, but NASCAR officials have said on multiple occasions that the sanctioning body intends to run a full 36-race NASCAR Cup Series slate in 2020.

Additional schedule updates specific to tracks that have had races postponed, and are not part of this new May schedule, will be revealed at a later date.

NASCAR’s most recent race of the 2020 season saw Joey Logano win his second event of the year at Phoenix Raceway on March 8, the fourth race weekend of the season.

The series was slated to visit Atlanta Motor Speedway the following weekend, but the dwide impact from the novel coronavirus led to NASCAR postponing the Atlanta weekend and the ensuing race weekend, scheduled to be at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

In response to public health officials’ advice regarding the outbreak of coronavirus in the United States and abroad, ensuing races scheduled for Texas Motor Speedway, Bristol Motor Speedway, Richmond Raceway, Talladega Superspeedway, Dover International Speedway and Martinsville Speedway later were postponed as well.

By State Sen. Erin Houchin (R-Salem)

Growing up in Southern Indiana, and now representing our rural district in the State Senate, I consistently work to represent our Hoosier values and focus on the issues which matter most to my constituents. Some of these issues are common priorities across the state – supporting balanced budgets without raising taxes and while maintaining adequate reserves (something we should all be thankful to have these days); improving educational opportunities for children by adequately funding our schools and classrooms and ensuring every Hoosier child receives a quality education; and, keeping our communities safe by supporting law enforcement and holding criminals accountable for their actions. While my colleagues and I can agree on many issues, our rural southern Indiana communities face our own challenges and have unique needs other communities don’t face.

One of these issues is the lack of affordable and efficient high-speed broadband access. Since I was elected to the State Senate in 2014, I have made improving access to this vital service a top priority, and have introduced legislation each session to move to close the digital divide that exists in Southern Indiana. 

In 2018, I authored legislation that created the framework for a state matching grant program for certain broadband deployment projects in unserved areas of the state. Only a handful of other states had similar grant programs prior to this legislation taking effect, and I’m proud of us for helping to incentivize rural broadband deployment. Prior to HEA 1065, we had no way of ensuring certain broadband funding would be prioritized for communities that need it most, therefore leaving the possibility that some areas with existing infrastructure would get funding instead and continually leaving underserved communities behind. Indiana’s Office of Community and Rural Affairs has since awarded Broadband Readiness Pilot Grants, and Next Level Connections Grants. While I am grateful for this investment, I know we still have work to be done. 

Last session, I authored legislation to ensure grant funding is first going to areas who need broadband the most, and to prevent overbuilding where some infrastructure is already in place. This better process for applying for grants would have allowed for greater negotiation flexibility before awards were granted, allowing providers more time to finalize plans, provide new information, and guarantee buildouts would be targeted to the most unserved communities. Additionally, this legislation would have clarified higher upload and download speeds to ensure we are not just building basic broadband infrastructure, but building it at the quality needed to serve Hoosiers and compete in the global economy, now and into the future. 

Some of the largest telecommunications companies lobbied against this legislation, while others took a neutral position. The bill was ultimately killed by the committee Chairman as he declined to allow a vote on the bill. I do not blame the big providers for not supporting my bill, as they were simply doing what they believed to be in their corporation’s best financial interests. Some providers choose not to build high-speed broadband infrastructure in rural areas because the return on investment isn’t as high as more densely populated cities and towns. 

Incentivizing them to build where it’s needed most, and providing much needed support to smaller companies who can’t undertake such large projects on their own is our responsibility. I will continue to do whatever it takes to expand access to the last mile, despite any opposition. 

We have always known that some of our communities are underserved by limited broadband access, but today these challenges are greater than ever. As we face the COVID-19 pandemic and Hoosiers are increasingly relying on working from home, Tele-Health services, E-Learning, online shopping for groceries and other essential supplies, staying in touch with family and loved ones, and more, the lack of broadband service is having real world consequences. These are unprecedented times, and it pains me to see my constituents and others around the state lacking such basic, yet vital technological resources. While I certainly and unequivocally support the free market, it is our duty to incentivize and support the buildout of affordable and efficient high-speed internet access to all Hoosiers. 

I will continue fighting to ensure every Hoosier has the access they need to be successful, and will continue to work on creating public-private partnerships to bring access to unserved communities. I hope I can count on my colleagues to understand the importance of this mission, and join me. 

Today, Lt. Governor Suzanne Crouch and the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs announced that an additional 49 rural Hoosier communities will receive more than $8.8 million in federal grant funding through the new COVID-19 Response Program.

Among those were the City of Salem receiving $250,000 to fund a local small business grant program to help retain jobs within local businesses. Businesses will be able to apply for $5,000 grants to sustain expenses such as rent, working capital, and utilities.

Mitchell was awarded $250,000 to provide small businesses, with 25 or fewer employees, funding for rental or mortgage payments, supplies to re-start business and salary dollars.

Floyd County was awarded is awarded $50,000 to provide relief for the homeless and elderly in need of food and supplies. The county will coordinate with local restaurants and foodservice businesses to supply meals to area non-profits serving the homeless and elderly populations.

Lawrence County is awarded $250,000 to provide working capital to businesses, assisting with operational costs and remote work capabilities.

The Town of Corydon is awarded $250,000 towards a local grant program. Applicants may request up to $10,000 in grant funds for working capital to assist with the payroll of essential employees and allow non-essential employees to work remotely.

The Town of Clarksville is awarded $250,000 to help fund an existing Forgivable Loan Program. The funds will be distributed to businesses that have been most severely impacted by the economic downturn due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“With today’s announcement, Indiana has awarded more than $10.7 million to our rural communities,” said Crouch. “From increasing access to necessary testing and medical supplies to providing businesses and their workers with much-needed relief, these funds are directly assisting in the fight against COVID-19.”

On April 22, Lt. Governor Crouch announced the first 13 recipients of the COVID-19 Response Program who received more than $1.96 million in funding.

“Public-private collaboration and intergovernmental coordination are critically important in ensuring funding is distributed to our rural communities,” said Jodi Golden, Executive Director of OCRA. “The creativity and local partnerships OCRA has seen in these applications is inspiring and the Hoosier spirit of collaboration continues to thrive even through this crisis.”

The Office of Community and Rural Affairs is continuing to develop a long term response program. More information will be available in the coming weeks.

Below is a summary of the projects being funded under each category. For more information on the program, visit www.in.gov/ocra/3010.htm.

Internet access

• Union County is awarded $10,000 to purchase equipment and install internet “hot spots” around the county courthouse in the Town of Liberty.

Provide testing, diagnosis or other services

• The City of Elwood is awarded $51,280 to purchase personal protective equipment (PPE)  for the local fire department, police department, and hospital workers.
• The Town of Fountain City is awarded $40,765 to purchase PPE for the local volunteer fire department, along with a commercial washer and dryer to sanitize their turn-out gear.
• The City of Hartford City is awarded $114,355 to provide PPE, ultraviolet wands, testing and hand sanitizer for first responders including the fire department and police department.
• The City of Montpelier is awarded $51,250 to purchase all the necessary supplies to conduct community-wide COVID-19 testing for the residents of Harrison Township, in Blackford County.
• Marshall County is awarded $150,000 to install electronic billboards to help communicate information about the county’s response and resources available to residents.
• Union County is awarded $71,750 to provide COVID-19 testing and purchase PPE items for emergency response personnel.

Increase the capacity of local health services

• Benton County is awarded $112,550 to purchase medical equipment necessary to increase the capacity of local health staff or services.
• The Town of Sheridan is awarded $102,100 to assist Riverview Health with expanding medical staff, which includes a physician.
• The City of Tipton is awarded $16,000 to employ two ambulance drivers to increase the response capacity of their local health care system.

Establish delivery service

• The Town of Cicero is awarded $25,549 to provide funding to the local food bank so they can purchase food and hygiene supplies.
• The City of Hartford City is awarded $20,510 to provide funding to the Community Health Services food pantry which serves the residents of Hartford City.
• Floyd County is awarded $50,000 to provide relief for the homeless and elderly in need of food and supplies. The county will coordinate with local restaurants and foodservice businesses to supply meals to area non-profits serving the homeless and elderly populations.
• The City of Brazil is awarded $75,000 to provide groceries and hygiene products through a partnership with the Clay County Emergency Food Pantry and the Senior Citizen’s Center Open Food Pantry.
• The Town of Roachdale is awarded $75,000 to purchase a month’s supply of groceries for the local food pantry.
• Starke County is awarded $75,000 to establish service through a local non-profit to deliver needed supplies to quarantined individuals or those who are medically vulnerable.
• Fountain County is awarded $75,000 to engage volunteers and staff at local non-profits to create a supply delivery program to meet the increasing needs of the county’s unemployed, elderly, immunocompromised, isolated and quarantined.
• The City of Columbia City is awarded $75,000 to provide a delivery service to 75 individuals with disabilities and who are living in group homes and supportive living, as well as 125 senior citizens.
• The Town of Arcadia is awarded $33,473.50 to assist Hamilton County Harvest Book with serving local food banks with additional food and hygiene supplies.
• The City of Tipton is awarded $29,500 to help the local food pantries facilitate a drive-up distribution center and provide workers with gloves, masks, and additional sanitation equipment while distributing food. The grant will purchase hygiene boxes and provide delivery assistance to homebound individuals.
• The Town of Sheridan is awarded $34,792 to support an existing food program by purchasing food and hygiene products for six local facilities.

Grants to businesses to retain jobs

• The City of Attica is awarded $148,000 to provide grants to local business owners to stay open and provide for their low to moderate-income workers.
• The City of New Castle is awarded $250,000 to fund a business grant-making program to assist its hardest-hit manufacturers and retail businesses.
• The City of Oakland City is awarded $100,000 to establish a grant program to help local small businesses, with 25 employees or less, continue to operate.
• The City of Wabash is awarded $250,000 to provide grants to hospitality, food and beverage, tourism, manufacturing, and retail sectors. Grant amounts would range from $2,000 to $15,000 and would be available on a first-come, first-serve basis for applicants meeting the low-to-moderate (LMI) criteria that are confirmed by a review committee.
• The Town of Cicero is awarded $134,888 to create a business and economic development retention program which will provide grant assistance for operational costs, employee retention, and expansion of business services.
• The Town of Poseyville is awarded $150,000 to establish a grant program to help local small businesses, with 25 employees or less, continue to operate.
• The City of Franklin is awarded $200,000 to offer small business grants to address the needs of the community’s businesses.
• The City of Mitchell is awarded $250,000 to provide small businesses, with 25 or fewer employees, funding for rental or mortgage payments, supplies to re-start business and salary dollars.
• The City of Princeton is awarded $250,000 to establish a grant program to help local small businesses, with 25 employees or less, continue to operate during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• The City of Richmond is awarded $250,000 to create a grant program for Center City District businesses that show the utmost need due to COVID-19 and who are at risk of low-to-moderate income (LMI) income job losses.
• The City of Salem is awarded $250,000 to fund a local small business grant program to help retain jobs within local businesses. Businesses will be able to apply for $5,000 grants to sustain expenses such as rent, working capital, and utilities.
• The City of Vincennes is awarded $250,000 to create a loan program that will be administered through an existing revolving loan program to assist businesses affected by closures and other hardships due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• The Town of Edinburgh is awarded $240,000 to provide grants to small businesses to retain LMI employees and assist with working capital.
• The City of Tipton is awarded $204,500 to establish a forgivable loan program to help 25 local businesses with re-opening or continuing business operations, ultimately saving 150 LMI jobs.  
• The Town of Arcadia is awarded $34,215.50 to provide grant assistance for operational costs, employee retention, and expansion of business services. The funding will help local businesses with rent abatement, loss of income, and continuity of operations.
• The Town of Corydon is awarded $250,000 towards a local grant program. Applicants may request up to $10,000 in grant funds for working capital to assist with the payroll of essential employees and allow non-essential employees to work remotely.
• The Town of Clarksville is awarded $250,000 to help fund an existing Forgivable Loan Program. The funds will be distributed to businesses that have been most severely impacted by the economic downturn due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• The Town of Newburgh is awarded $200,000 to establish a grant program to help local small businesses, with 20 employees or less.
• The Town of Sheridan is awarded $110,890 to develop a grant program for operational costs to ensure small, downtown businesses are able to operate during and after the COVID-19 emergency.
• Blackford County is awarded $240,000 to fund a business grant program to assist its hardest-hit manufacturers and retail businesses. This will be administered by the Blackford County Economic Development Corporation.
• Daviess County is awarded $160,000 to benefit struggling businesses and entrepreneurs with workforce and business retention.
• Fayette County is awarded $250,000 to provide funds for a business grant-making program to assist its hardest-hit manufacturers and retail businesses. The goal is to provide businesses with short-term working capital to continue operations, reopen businesses, restock inventory or pay for technology for remote working.
• Knox County is awarded $250,000 to assist area businesses with operational and retention costs.
• LaPorte County is awarded $250,000 to provide grants to small businesses to serve as working capital for the purpose of retaining jobs within those businesses.
• Lawrence County is awarded $250,000 to provide working capital to businesses, assisting with operational costs and remote work capabilities.
• Owen County is awarded $243,750 to provide grants to businesses demonstrating an impact from COVID-19 to be able to retain LMI employees.
• Morgan County is awarded $250,000 to create a grant program to provide working capital to support the day-to-day operations of small businesses.
• Randolph County is awarded $250,000 to provide grant assistance to local businesses with the assistance of the Randolph County Community and Economic Development Foundation.
• Warrick County is awarded $250,000 to establish a grant program to help local small businesses, with 25 employees or less, during the COVID-19 pandemic. 
• Wells County is awarded $50,000 to provide small business grants to help local small businesses remain open and retain their employees. 

Loans to businesses to retain jobs

• Brown County is awarded $250,000 to establish a grant program designed to provide economic relief for small businesses to retain jobs. 
• The City of Huntington is awarded $250,000 to fund its existing revolving loan fund framework in order to quickly deploy critical financial resources to small businesses for operations and remote work capabilities.
• The City of Rushville is awarded $250,000 to help fund its existing revolving loan fund to help local small businesses and create an expedited distribution system.
• The Town of Windfall is awarded $44,870 to establish a grant program to help eight local businesses with re-opening or continuing business operations, ultimately saving 40 local jobs.  
• Kosciusko County is awarded $245,000 to offer zero-interest, forgivable loans to businesses for the purpose of business retention within the County.
• Miami County is awarded $250,000 to assist small businesses in retaining employees and paying for operational expenses.

Legislative actions will be critical to how quickly Indiana can rebound from the COVID-19 pandemic and return to the economic prosperity it enjoyed as a leader in the Midwest and national competitor, says the Indiana Chamber of Commerce.

The organization today released a public policy agenda to help achieve both short-term relief and long-term economic growth for Hoosier businesses and their workforce.

The more than 30 recommended policies fall into six areas: economic stimulus, employment, health, tax, and unemployment, as well as federal initiatives. As events progress and the Indiana Chamber policy committees continue their work, potentially more specific initiatives in some policy areas will be added.

The list has been shared with Governor Holcomb and his Economic Recovery Task Force, state legislators, and the Indiana congressional delegation.

“We’re encouraging all state and federal officials to thoughtfully consider the agenda. We believe there is an opportunity to garner bipartisan support for a number of the proposals, offers Kevin Brinegar, Indiana Chamber president, and CEO.

“Providing legal protections for employers that follow established safety guidelines is an important short-term step, with a variety of tax measures needed to assist employers and employees.”

The Indiana Chamber’s full Road to Recovery policy agenda can be found at www.indianachamber.com/recoveryagenda.

Brinegar also notes that companies looking for guidance to restart their operations can go to the Indiana Chamber’s Employer Coronavirus Resources page at www.indianachamber.com/coronavirus. 

The site, which has seen more than 25,000 visitors in six weeks, is shifting to an Economic Road to Recovery focus May 1 – to help employers and their workers get back to business as soon as it is feasible and safe to do so.

The Duke Energy Foundation has announced $382,000 in grants to support Indiana K-12 programs focused on summer reading programs, STEM, and experiential learning.

Given the COVID-19 crisis, the Foundation has also provided each organization with the flexibility to reschedule programming.

“These extraordinary education organizations are essential to the well-being and success of our state in these difficult times,” said Stan Pinegar, Duke Energy state president for Indiana. “We are grateful for the work they do to serve our communities and recognize that flexibility in applying these funds is needed during this time of uncertainty.”

“At Rose-Hulman, it’s critical now more than ever to ensure we deliver a meaningful curriculum to continue to inspire and cultivate careers in STEM fields,” said Jim Bertoli, senior major gift officer at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology. “Being able to shift our grant award from our in-school offering to an e-mentoring program allows us to stay on track with our mission. We’re grateful to Duke Energy for their flexibility during these pressing times.”

The following organizations have received grant awards:

• Avon Education Foundation, Hendricks County – $10,000
• Brownsburg Education Foundation, Hendricks County – $25,000
• Crawford County Community School Corp., Crawford County – $20,000
• East Washington School Corp., Washington County – $12,974
• Fayette County Community Voices, Fayette County – $13,450
• Fayette County School Corp., Fayette County – $12,411
• Foundation of Monroe County Community Schools, Monroe County – $17,600
• Franklin Community Schools, Johnson County – $5,000
• Greater Clark County Schools, Clark County – $15,000
• Hamilton Heights School Corp., Hamilton County – $7,500
• Hamilton Southeastern School Foundation, Hamilton County – $21,039
• Indiana State University, Statewide – $40,000
• Ivy Tech Foundation, Vigo County – $10,000
• Johnson County Early Learning Center, Johnson County – $24,000
• Kokomo School Corp., Howard County – $24,993
• Lafayette School Corp., Tippecanoe County – $10,000
• Milan Community Schools, Ripley County – $7,500
• MSD of Martinsville, Morgan County – $13,715
• North Knox Primary, Knox County – $10,000
• Purdue University, Tippecanoe County – $25,000
• Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, Vigo County – $12,500
• Salem Community Schools Corp., Washington County – $5,000
• United Way of Howard County, Howard County – $15,000
• Vincennes Community School Corp., Knox County – $15,000
• Wabash County YMCA, Wabash County – $10,000

Duke Energy Foundation

The Duke Energy Foundation provides philanthropic support to meet the needs of communities where Duke Energy customers live and work. The Foundation contributes more than $30 million annually in charitable gifts and is funded by Duke Energy shareholder dollars.

In Indiana, the Foundation provides approximately $2 million in charitable gifts to a wide variety of nonprofit groups.

More information about the Foundation and its Powerful Communities program can be found at duke-energy.com/foundation.

Duke Energy Indiana

Duke Energy Indiana, a subsidiary of Duke Energy, provides about 6,600 megawatts of owned electric capacity to approximately 840,000 customers in a 23,000-square-mile service area, making it Indiana’s largest electric supplier.

United States Attorney Josh J. Minkler announced today, April E. Hayworth, 31, Indianapolis, and Christina A. Smith, 37, Indianapolis, were charged today on federal drug, conspiracy, and burglary charges.   

“During this COVID19 pandemic, it is vitally important to protect our medical system and the supplies that are needed to treat patients and protect our medical workers,” said Minkler. “These individuals were trying to make some quick money at the cost of endangering innocent lives. This conduct will not be tolerated during a pandemic or ever.”

On April 14, 2020, two females broke into a restricted medication storage area at the Central Indiana Cancer Center and stole thirty carpujets of morphine, a schedule II controlled substance. With a covering over their heads, each individual opened multiple cabinets, removing the missing controlled substances.

Agents also discovered that Personal Protective Equipment (“PPE”) and other medical supplies had been stolen from the hospital, including 7 boxes of Isolation masks; 50 tubs of Sani-wipes; 10 containers of soap; 20 bottles of hand sanitizer; 8 bottles of air deodorizer; and 6 tubs of bleach wipes.

During the investigation, one of the females was identified as April Hayworth, a member of the cleaning crew at the hospital. Further investigation identified the other female as Christina Smith. Investigators discovered that Smith planned on selling the morphine.

Investigators later observed Smith entering a vehicle with an associate. Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department Officers initiated a traffic stop.

Ms. Smith was identified and arrested on an outstanding arrest warrant.

During the arrest, officers discovered twenty-nine carpujets of morphine in the vehicle.

This case was the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department.

“It is absolutely shameful with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, that Ms. Hayworth and Ms. Smith would burglarize the Central Indiana Cancer Centers, and steal a significant amount of morphine and personal protective equipment,” said DEA Assistant Special Agent in Charge, Michael Gannon.

“The DEA Tactical Diversion Squad, Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, United States Attorney’s Office, Indiana University Health Care, and the cleaning company are to be commended for their assistance in holding Ms. Hayworth and Ms. Smith accountable for their misconduct.”

“As our community faces the challenges that result from COVID-19, it is our collective responsibility to support the healthcare workers serving on the frontlines of this pandemic – and that means ensuring they have all of the tools, and especially the Personal Protective Equipment, they need to serve residents,” said IMPD Chief Randal Taylor. “We are in this together. When someone seeks to profit from harming our healthcare partners, law enforcement will hold them accountable to the fullest extent possible.”

According to Assistant United States Attorney Kyle Sawa who is prosecuting this case for the government, each defendant faces up to 20 years’ imprisonment, 3 years of supervised release, and a maximum fine of $1,000,000.

A charge is not evidence of guilt. All parties are presumed innocent until proven otherwise in federal court.

In October 2017, United States Attorney Josh J. Minkler announced a Strategic Plan designed to shape and strengthen the District’s response to its most significant public safety challenges. This prosecution demonstrates the office’s firm commitment to targeting the prosecution of opioid dealers to prevent the spread of opioid addiction in the district. See United States Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Indiana Strategic Plan Section 3.2.

This prosecution also shows the office’s strong commitment to combating fraud and criminal activity related to COVID-19, which is reflected in the creation of a Coronavirus Fraud Task Force in the Southern District of Indiana.

Three people were arrested after the Lawrence County Drug Task Force served a search warrant at a home at 231 Greer Lane on Thursday afternoon.

Officers requested a warrant from Lawrence County Superior Court I Judge John Plummer III on Tuesday. Officers served the warrant at 2:10 p.m. Wednesday.

Police arrested 35-year-old Valerie Parsley, 36-year-old Michael Parsley, and 36-year-old Thomas Burton on charges of dealing meth, possession of meth over 5 grams, possession of marijuana, unlawful possession of syringes, and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Burton told police he had grown the marijuana himself. He was detained while officers searched the home.

Police found Valerie and Michael Parsley laying in a bed.

Michael Parsley told police he would show officers were the syringes were located because he didn’t want an officer to get stuck with a needle.

Officers found needles, smoking devices, and baggies on a coffee table. In Thomas’ room officers found a duffel bag. Inside the duffel bag were more syringes.

In a utility closet, officers found a container filled with more syringes.

In the bedroom of Valerie and Michael, officers found a safe that contained baggies of meth, smoking devices, spoons with meth residue, marijuana, and other drug paraphernalia.

In total police seized more than 11.33 grams of marijuana that was in Thomas’ pocket, 5.01 grams of meth, and 72 syringes.

Michael Parsley told police he was not a “big-time dealer” and that his friends would come to him when they wanted something. He then overcharged them and took their money to the main dealer where he would buy the drug. He then would take some of the drugs for himself before giving the remaining amount to his friends.

Michael Parsley said he had used meth the morning of the arrest.