There was plenty to like about Indiana Football’s season-opening win against Ball State last weekend at Lucas Oil Stadium, and there will be even more for Hoosier football fans to enjoy this Saturday when Coach Tom Allen’s team welcomes Eastern Illinois for IU’s home opener at 3:30 p.m. at Memorial Stadium.

IU’s new beer and wine pilot program, renovated restrooms, improved wayfinding and welcome signage, tiered ticket pricing, the return of the names to the back of the football jerseys and the renovation of the “Orange” parking lot highlight the exciting and enticing changes in store for Hoosier fans on what is forecasted to be a picturesque early fall afternoon this Saturday.

“We pride ourselves on offering one of the most welcoming, family-friendly and affordable gameday experiences in the Big Ten, and we’re excited to activate these new options and additions for our fans to enjoy beginning this weekend,” said IU Vice President and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Fred Glass. “There’s no better place to be on a football Saturday than at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington, and I’m confident that these changes will enhance what was already an outstanding football game experience.”

In addition to the new fan experience enhancements (which are detailed below), IU Football fans will get their first chance to see Allen’s Hoosier football team line up and play at home this fall. The Hoosiers are coming off a 34-24 win over Ball State, a game that saw a number of award-winning individual performances. Most notably, freshman quarterback Michael Penix, Jr., was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week after completing 24-of-40 passes for 326 yards and a touchdown, while placekicker Logan Justus was named Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week after tying an IU single-game record with four field goals, including a series of career bests from 48, 49, and 50 yards.

IMPROVEMENTS TO THE GAME-DAY EXPERIENCE

While the play on the field promises to be exciting, there’s also plenty in store for football fans to enjoy off the field. Among the new items that fans can expect Saturday are:

2. Beer and Wine Pilot Program: IU Athletics retained Upland Brewery for a pilot program to sell beer and wine in the public areas of Memorial Stadium this season. The main goals for this program are to enhance the game-day experience for our fans and reduce alcohol-related incidents in and around the stadium.  Additional details about the program can be found HERE.
3. Restroom Renovations:  Not coincidentally to the new beer and wine sales, the restrooms in Memorial Stadium’s main concourse have all been renovated in preparation for the 2019 season. The improvements in the 14 restroom facilities include new roofs, new lighting, and fresh paint.
4. Improved Wayfinding and Welcome Signage:  The wayfinding and directional signage in and around Memorial Stadium have been increased and improved, highlighted by the new, friendlier “Welcome to Memorial Stadium” sign. We have doubled the directional and wayfinding signs inside Memorial Stadium All parking lot entry signage have been updated.  We have added five eight-foot “YOU ARE HERE” signs in parking lots to help direct fans to gates and provide helpful information.  We have also added signage stressing the ability to call or text 812-369-6948 (MYIU). 
5. Tiered Ticket Pricing:  Hoosier fans can now take advantage of new tiered single-game ticket pricing for home games at Memorial Stadium. The new single-game pricing structure includes four options for each of IU’s six home football games, with a single-game, general public ticket against Eastern Illinois available for as little as $20. While the IU Football season ticket remains the most affordable option for fans attending multiple games, the new single-game tiered pricing structure gives fans another option to consider. Additional details on the tiered ticket pricing can be found HERE.
6. Names Return to the Back of IU Football Jerseys:  IU Athletics has returned the names of IU’s football players to the back of their jerseys. In so doing, IU Athletics recognized the unique nature of football in terms of the size of the competition venue, the distance between players and fans as well as the size of the roster and use of the duplicate numbers. Additional details about this decision can be found HERE.
7. “Orange” Parking Lot Renovation: Thanks to a project funded by the university, the IU Athletics “Orange” Parking Lot, located between Memorial Stadium and Simon Skjodt  Assembly Hall, underwent a $1.71 million reconstruction and re-alignment over the summer.  The project included the improvement and addition of green space similar to what can be found in the recent, university-funded renovation of the “Purple” Lot. The reconfigured Orange Lot, accessible through Gate 4 at the intersection of Woodlawn and 17^th Street, will dramatically improve game-day vehicular and pedestrian traffic flow, as well as enhance the tailgating experience.

GETTING TO THE GAME
To seek assistance for our fans in getting to our games as quickly and conveniently as possible, IU Athletics recently convened a meeting with senior representatives from the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT), Indiana State Police, Indiana University Police Department, and other Indiana University campus entities. Athletics sought assistance, particularly from INDOT, to identify and address traffic issues during the upcoming season and to communicate publicly those issues so that Hoosier fans have the most up-to-date and complete information for their trips to Memorial Stadium.

INDOT has advised that there are several ongoing traffic projects that could impact travel times from various points around the state. INDOT has further advised that some, but not all, of those projects will be cleared for every IU home football game. Because the impact of these projects is constantly evolving and changing, INDOT advises that fans should utilize the following tools:

 Waze App

Waze, a community based traffic and navigation app, will be used to communicate traffic patterns in real time. Fans are strongly encouraged to download it and utilize it during their trip to Memorial Stadium. The app will automatically update the football pre and postgame traffic pattern as they go into effect. Download it here.

 INDOT TrafficWise

TrafficWise can be found on INDOT’s website and provides information about traffic conditions, road closures, traffic cameras, travel times and message boards. Fans can also call 1-800-261-7623 for updates. Current Restrictions/Closings.

 Text Updates

Fans can opt in to the text alert system by texting IUFB to 313131 to begin receiving alerts from IU Athletics.  Only pertinent information surrounding travel, traffic, weather and emergency situations will be shared on the text system.

S.R. 39 will close in Washington County beginning at 8 p.m. on Friday, September 6, weather permitting, for a small structure replacement project located approximately two miles north of S.R. 56 in Little York.

The road will be closed to thru traffic from S.R. 56 to S.R. 256 and will be closed to all traffic at the site of the structure replacement, between Mill Road and the Gibson Township Fire Department. The road is scheduled to reopen by 5 a.m. on Monday, September 9. 

The official state detour for the closure is S.R. 56 to I-65 to S.R. 256 to S.R. 39. Work will continue in the area with flagging operations through late September.

Motorists are encouraged to slow down and use caution in and near the work zone.

The contract was awarded to Temple & Temple Inc. in March 2019 for $118,000.

Stephanie K. Rockey, Clerk of Washington County graduated from the Certificate
in Election Administration, Technology, and Security (CEATS) program in August. 

CEATS is offered by the Voting System Technical Oversight Program (VSTOP) in the Bowen
Center for Public Affairs at Ball State University.

The CEATS program is generously supported by Indiana Secretary of State Connie Lawson.

Election Administrators are expected to be proficient in a number of diverse areas
including human resources, poll worker training, election and procedural law,
budgets, physical space management, organizational communication, public
relations, information technology, and cybersecurity. This diversity is not
traditionally captured in any one single educational or training program.

The CEATS certificate satisfies an unmet need of being able to house these
domains of knowledge in one educational experience. With changes in laws and
technology associates with elections in the United States after 2000, a need has
emerged to provide education in the area of Election Administration.

The Certificate Program in Election Administration, Technology, and Security aims to
fill an unmet need within the state of Indiana.

Graduates of the program successfully completed a year-long 170 hours plus of
instruction including a comprehensive capstone project.

Framed certificates signed by the Indiana Secretary of State, the President of Ball State University, the co-directors of the Indiana Election Division, and the certificate program co-directors were awarded on August 14, 2019, in a ceremony held in the Senate Chamber of the Indiana State House.

According to Washington County Clerk Stephanie Rockey, here are some important dates for the upcoming election:

• Absentee applications by mail requests are currently being accepted by calling Elections and Voters Services Office at 812-883-5748 x1128.
• Our Public Test is set for Tuesday, September 24^th at 10:30 AM, public and media are encouraged to attend.
• Voter Registration for those living in Salem 1, Salem 2, Salem 3, & Salem 4 ends on October 7^th.
• Early voting starts on Tuesday, October 8^th, 2019 through November 1^st, 2019 from 8am- Noon and 1pm-4pm and Monday, November 4^th, 2019 from 8am- Noon.
• Early Voting  Saturday date and hours are: November 2^nd, 2019 from 8am – Noon
• 2019 Municipal General Election Day is November 5^th, 2019, polls will be open 6am- 6pm, Salem Armory , 1100 N. Shelby Street.

The Indiana State Department of Health (ISDH), at the direction of Governor Eric J. Holcomb, today announced a three-pronged strategy to reduce vaping among Indiana youth. According to the 2018 Indiana Youth Tobacco Survey (IYTS), vaping has increased more than 300 percent since 2012, and recent reports from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) link vaping to more than 200 severe respiratory illnesses nationwide, including at least 24 in Indiana.

Governor Holcomb and State Health Commissioner Kris Box, MD, FACOG, unveiled the plan today at Fishers High School among students, educators, administrators, health partners, and local leaders. Following an analysis of the new data, ISDH will increase awareness of the risks associated with e-cigarettes. The plan includes an educational toolkit for schools, parents, and students, a youth-focused text-to-quit program and a statewide vaping public awareness campaign to focus both on prevention and cessation.

“The number of new young Hoosiers vaping is alarming, and that’s why today’s announcement is critical to the health of our people,” Governor Holcomb said. “Under Dr. Box’s leadership, we will take an all-hands-on-deck approach to curb youth vaping by educating the public on health risks so that fewer young people start using e-cigarettes, while also providing resources to those who want to quit.”

The IYTS is a school-based survey of students in grades 6 through 12 that asks about all types of tobacco use, exposure to secondhand smoke, access to tobacco products, knowledge and attitudes, media and advertising, school curriculum, and tobacco cessation. The IYTS found that vaping has increased 387 percent among high school students and 358 percent among middle school students since 2012 and that between 2016 and 2018, nearly 35,000 more Indiana students used e-cigarettes.

The U.S. Surgeon General has labeled the rising use of e-cigarettes among youth an epidemic and called for action to protect young people from the dangers of nicotine addiction. Earlier today, the Surgeon General’s office announced that according to its records, 30 percent of youth who regularly vape also use marijuana.

“Vaping among Indiana’s youth is at an all-time high, and that’s putting thousands of Hoosiers in harm’s way of this epidemic,” Dr. Box said. “Many young people think vaping is harmless, but one e-cigarette can contain the same amount of nicotine as an entire pack of cigarettes. As the number of hospitalizations rises, it’s clear that we need to help youth and parents better understand the health risks of these products before they become the next generation of smokers.”

E-cigarettes have become increasingly popular among young people, in part because they come in a variety of flavors, such as mint, candy, fruit, and chocolate. According to the IYTS, e-cigarettes are the most commonly used tobacco product among Indiana youth. The 2018 survey included questions about USB-type products, such as the popular JUUL, to help health officials better understand the current use of these products. The data show that while nearly 19 percent of high school youth reported current e-cigarette use, 24 percent reported JUUL use. About 22 percent of both high school and middle school students who currently use e-cigarettes also use traditional cigarettes, the survey found.

Parents and educators who want to view the full survey and learn more about ways to protect Indiana youth from the dangers of vaping can visit vapefreeindiana.isdh.in.gov.

For the latest on vaping-related illnesses nationwide, visit the CDC’s website.

The Indiana Secured Schools Board has approved more than $19 million in matching state grant funds, marking the largest ever single-year investment in safety initiatives at Hoosier schools.

This includes more than $70,000 for Washington County schools and nearly $1 million for surrounding Kentuckiana schools. 

The $19 million in awards allows the Board to partially or fully fund all top-priority projects identified by 429 schools in their applications to the Secured School Safety Grant program (SSSG).

In addition, the Board fully funded all eligible projects geared toward creating health and wellness support services for parents and students, a newly eligible grant request passed in April by the General Assembly.

Every school that applied for FY20 funds has received notification that their top priority requests were fully funded for all eligible items. With the matching funds required by schools, more than $35 million will be invested in school safety this year in Indiana.

“Indiana remains fully committed to ensuring the safety of Hoosier schools,” said Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb. “I’m proud this critical grant program can meet the top safety needs of school districts across the state. This is the latest evolution of how our state partners with local schools to address this issue and help parents, students, and staff feel safe and secure each day.”

The SSSG fund is administered by the Indiana Department of Homeland Security. Considering the funds committed this year, the SSSG program will have distributed more than $72 million in state matching grants to schools since the program became law in 2013. All of these funds focus specifically on school safety. Visit the IDHS website for a full breakdown of SSSG awards.

“The focus on school-safety initiatives in Indiana continues to grow each year, and thankfully the funding was on hand to support every school (applicant) in some capacity,” said Rusty Goodpaster, director of the Secured Schools Board. “Schools were asked to identify their top priority in their district, and the Board approved matching grants for all of those eligible projects.”

The SSSG issues matching grants for eligible items and then schools match those funds at a certain level, either 25 percent, 50 percent or 100 percent. The match requirement is based on average daily membership of the school district, the total amount of the project or what the request covers.

Eligible items in the grant include funding for school resource officers (SROs) and law enforcement officers in schools; equipment and technology; active event warning systems (no matching requirement), firearms training for teachers and staff that choose to allow guns on school property; threat assessments and to implement a student and parent support services program.

In addition, the Indiana Department of Administration operates a free metal detector program that has distributed more than 3,400 metal detectors to more than 420 Indiana schools since mid-2018.

The Indiana Department of Education has supported its nationally recognized School Safety Specialist Academy since 1999 to train personnel to address safety concerns. The Indiana School Safety Hub also provides schools with a wealth of resources, training opportunities and other information designed to give schools the tools they need to keep students and staff safe.

Local School Awards:

Washington Couty

East Washington School Corp Washington 27,425
Salem Community Schools Washington 34,060
West Washington School Corp Washington 10,000

Crawford County

Crawford County Community Sch Corp Crawford 50,000

Clark County

Clarksville Community School Corp Clark 19,000
Greater Clark County Schools Clark 100,000
St John Paul II Catholic School Clark 35,832
West Clark Community Schools Clark 50,000

Floyd County

Christian Academy of Indiana Floyd 60,000
Community Montessori Inc Floyd 3,500
New Albany-Floyd Co Con Sch Floyd 100,000

Harrison County

Lanesville Community School Corp Harrison 50,000
North Harrison Com School Corp Harrison 50,000
South Harrison Community School Corporation Harrison 87,499

Jackson County

Brownstown Cnt Com Sch Corp Jackson 62,910
Crothersville Community Schools Jackson 39,122
Immanuel Lutheran School Jackson 10,735
Medora Community School Corp Jackson 17,700
Seymour Community Schools Jackson 100,000

Lawrence County

Mitchell Community Schools Lawrence 37,500
North Lawrence Com Schools Lawrence 100,000

Orange County

Orleans Community Schools Orange 50,000
Paoli Community School Corp Orange 45,000
Springs Valley Com School Corp Orange 44,000

Scott County

Grace Christian Academy Inc Scott 4,500
Scott County School District 1 Scott 30,000
Scott County School District 2 Scott 99,900