Latest news with #HealthCareersDay
Yahoo
01-03-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
CenterPoint discusses response to January ice storm
HENDERSON, Ky. (WEHT) – Debris from the January ice storm is still visible in the form of mulch at the Evansville debris drop-off site. These piles are a reminder of the impact the storm had on the Tri-State. Officials with CenterPoint Energy met with the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission (IURC) to review their response to the storm. 'I think those early, pre-January 5th conversations helped reassure us that our external partners were ready as well,' says Mark Roedel, CenterPoint's Senior Vice President of External Affairs. Roeder and Shane Bradford, CenterPoint's Vice President of Indiana Electric, say the pre-staging of hundreds of linemen gave a head start on power outage response, which later increased to more than 1,000 by the Wednesday after the storm. CenterPoint officials reveal that at least two workers were injured during the storm. Hundreds of weather forecasters fired in latest wave of DOGE cuts 'We had one lineman with the CenterPoint in Houston actually slip on ice and break an ankle,' explains Bradford. 'And we had one of our vegetation contractors had a branch fall off and hit him in the head that.' Bradford says outages peaked Monday January 6, with 61,244 customers in the dark at 4:45 that morning. During the storm, some customers noted issues on the accuracy of the company's outage map, prompting CenterPoint to unveil a new map service this April. 'We're trying to continually improve on that, and I think going to this new platform that CenterPoint in Houston has adopted, will help improve that as well,' says Bradford. With trees and vegetation weighing down lines during the storm, CenterPoint will look at implementing software that highlights areas of vegetation that could impact existing lines. 'That uses satellite imagery,' explains Bradford, 'and if we can use that to predictively model, you know, some cycles may be three years, some may be four, some may be six depending on the type of vegetation, but if we can do that, that may help us perform our vegetation in a more constructive manner to where we're more reliable.' No timetable was given on if or when that system would be put into place. CenterPoint discusses response to January ice storm Evansville woman hopes disability support group sparks change Non-profit helping eligible HWU customers with water bills I-69 ORX project on schedule despite flooding Surgery demonstration highlights annual Health Careers Day Eyewitness News. Everywhere you are. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
28-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Evansville woman hopes disability support group sparks change
EVANSVILLE, Ind. (WEHT) – Evansville resident Megan Seiler has been in a wheelchair all her life and says there are daily obstacles she faces that many of us would never see. Now, she is hoping a newly-formed community group will make way for change. 'I was very surprised at how many people I got,' says Seiler, 'and I was like, 'There's obviously a need for this.' A need for support and a need for change. Earlier this year, Seiler helped form the 'Evansville Disability Community' support group. She says her daily obstacles range from accessibility in older downtown buildings to issues with sidewalks. 'You can take one path one way and it's completely smooth,' explains Seiler, 'and you can take another path to get to the same place and there's a big hole in the sidewalk. So, it is hit or miss, and I've had to learn the routes and places I can and cannot go.' Seiler navigates these challenges with the support of family, friends, and her caretaker, who helps with household tasks every day. She hopes the group, open to anyone with any type of disability, will be that same support for others. 'The whole idea, or belief, behind my group is that everyone deserves connection,' says Seiler, 'because I believe every single person deserves a group of people who understand them and want them and can relate to them.' Seiler goes on to say, 'We aren't just a support group, we're a social support group. We go and we live our life like everyone else. We're not just talking about our disability, we're not just talking about medical stuff, we're talking about friends, we're talking about books we've read.' Thunderbolts stop by Humane Society before Pucks and Paws Night For now, the group aims to be that avenue for connection and support, but eventually, Seiler hopes to push for real change with the help of the city. 'I know (City Councilman) Ben Trockman,' syas Seiler, 'and I've talked with him about the sidewalks and stuff, and so I'm working on making change and I'm working on that.' Seiler says she needs help from the community to provide locations to host these monthly meetings. She is also hoping for guest speakers for future events, and to connect with non-profits and businesses to better accommodate those with disabilities. For more information about the support group regarding meetings and how to join, visit the Evansville Disability Community page on Facebook or Instagram. You can also reach out to Seiler via email at mns351z@ Evansville woman hopes disability support group sparks change Non-profit helping eligible HWU customers with water bills I-69 ORX project on schedule despite flooding Surgery demonstration highlights annual Health Careers Day Madisonville residents take advantage of snow day Eyewitness News. Everywhere you are. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
27-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Non-profit helping eligible HWU customers with water bills
HENDERSON, Ky. (WEHT) – Some Henderson Water Utility (HWU) customers may be able to get some help paying their bills thanks to a new partnership with the city and the Henderson Christian Community Outreach (HCCO). This comes just weeks after some customers were left footing the bill of miscalculated rates due to a meter reading issue. The partnership between HWU, the City of Henderson and the Christian Community Outreach establishes a $50,000 water utility assistance fund. 'We like a good challenge, this may be it,' says HCCO Executive Director Susan Smith. The non-profit was approached in early February by the city about facilitating the funds. The city and HWU are contributing $25,000 each. The assistance fund was made official during a February 25 City Commission meeting. 'Each family or household is going to be eligible for up to $200 to help them with any issues,' says Henderson Mayor Brad Staton. 'Not just the recent water meter issues, but any issues that might have caused them trouble to be able to pay their water bills.' Audubon Kids Zone has big plans for a nearby property Qualifying candidates must be HWU customers and fall at or below the federal poverty line. Smith says the goal is to help 250 families, but high demand could deplete the fund sooner rather than later. 'Now, what that may translate into is that we don't, we go way over 250 people,' explains Smith. 'So it's more first come, first served than it is guaranteeing that we're going to help with $200 over the next year.' Smith goes on to say, 'This will be a month-to-month thing and, again, if we have 500 people show up, then the funding is going to go a lot faster than meeting that $200 limit.' Residents can apply through the HCCO starting Monday March 3. Smith admits she isn't sure what to expect, but her and her non-profit will take this challenge in stride. 'It's an honor to be doing this,' says Smith. 'To partner with the city and be a part of just another great thing that's going on in Henderson is awesome.' Smith says updates could be provided through their Facebook page, found here. You can find more details about the HCCO by visiting their website. Non-profit helping eligible HWU customers with water bills I-69 ORX project on schedule despite flooding Surgery demonstration highlights annual Health Careers Day Madisonville residents take advantage of snow day OFD back home after helping Eastern Kentucky flood operations Eyewitness News. Everywhere you are. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
26-02-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
I-69 ORX project on schedule despite flooding
EVANSVILLE, Ind. (WEHT) – For more than a week, work on Section 3 of the I-69 Ohio River Crossing (ORX) Project has been paused due to the rise of floodwaters just as progress began to take shape. 'When you look at the aerial footage,' says I-69 ORX Spokesperson Mindy Peterson, 'and you see where we were this past September, and you see where we were in January already before we were hit by the high water, you can see the progress.' Section 3 of the project includes the construction of 3 access bridges. These are being built to provide all-weather access for construction workers. Once the main Ohio River bridge is built, these access bridges will be open to drivers. 'You can look around today at the high water and you can see how vitally important it is to have that all-weather construction access in place,' says Peterson. She says flooding delays are actually part of the schedule. Evansville councilwoman charged with fraud 'This is not unexpected,' says Peterson. 'It's a challenge when you have the high water, but this is something crews have prepared for, they know it's coming, it's part of the schedule. So, Section 3 remains on schedule, and that means that construction will be about 60% complete by the end of this year and complete by the end of next year.' Just because there's no physical work going on at the construction scene because of the floodwaters, officials say that doesn't mean work is not going on behind the scenes. 'We actually have two construction yards that are off-site and they are above flood level,' explains Peterson. 'And so we have some pre-assembly work going on there, we have some form work going on there.' Peterson says before construction can resume, crews will need to assess the area once flooding improves. 'We'll definitely have clean-up to do,' says Peterson. 'Once the water recedes, we'll have a lot of trees, we'll have a lot of debris that we'll need to move out, but we are expecting all of the equipment to be in great shape.' Construction on the new Ohio River bridge is set to begin in 2027 and be complete in 2031. I-69 ORX project on schedule despite flooding Surgery demonstration highlights annual Health Careers Day Madisonville residents take advantage of snow day OFD back home after helping Eastern Kentucky flood operations Gibson Southern Students use iRacing to fuel their future Eyewitness News. Everywhere you are. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
22-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Students make sure 'no one eats alone' to improve long-term health
OWENSBORO, Ky. (WEHT) — It's a small gesture meant to make a big impact. National No One Eats Alone Day aims to promote inclusion in middle schools and high schools across the is the second year for Daviess County's Heritage Park High School to take part. Lunchtime can be the best part of a student's day, but for some it can be the loneliest. Studies show 1 in 3 students feel isolated at school. Teachers and staff at HPHS will make sure every student gets a hot meal and a conversation. The day extends to over one million students in all 50 states. Experts say the event promotes inclusion and reduces the long-term effects of social isolation in youth. Some of those effects include like anxiety and depression. Surgery demonstration highlights annual Health Careers Day 'There are studies across the board that show children that are connected and know more about each other are less likely to bully .You really want your children knowing each other and having a little bit of context of where everybody's coming from, so they can empathize and sympathize with them,' says Melissa Gregory, HPHS's Family Resource Youth Service Center Coordinator. While some students may actively choose to use their lunchtime for themselves, others say dedicating one day to stepping out of your comfort zone isn't so bad. 'It's super cool. Yeah, you might not be used to it. It might make you really nervous. Once you do it, it'll probably make you feel way better,' Capitola Donahue, a senior at HPHS. 'I think it's good. It can be quite uncomfortable. I think it's good for people to, you know, try new things and learn more,' says Jai'Ameis White, another senior at HPHS. Teachers also receive lesson plans that educate students directly on the physical and mental effects of isolation. '[Students are] still learning how to make friends, and how to get along and how to have those intricate relationships,' says Gregory. Leaders say question cards, a new addition, encourage students to have deeper conversations. The initiative was started by an organization called Beyond Differences. The day is supported statewide by Wellcare of Kentucky, who was excited to see it unfold at the school of the second year. '…with the relationship that we have with Heritage Park High School is something that we can build upon in the years to come, ' says Jarrod Roberts, a Wellcare Community Advocate. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
