By Eric Christiansen
 

The Wabash varsity basketball teams both proved to be the cream of the crop at the Wabash County Tournament Wednesday, Dec. 28, and Thursday, Dec. 29, at Manchester Junior-Senior High School.

A Wabash native was named the Indiana Golf Association’s Player of the Year during a banquet Nov. 17.

Brett Widner received the honor during an event at the Broadmor Country Club.

The Wabash and Northfield each went 1-1 in the opening week of the 2022-23 season while Southwood and Manchester each went winless.

Officials from the Indiana Bar Foundation (Foundation), Indiana Housing & Community Development Authority (IHCDA), and Indiana Supreme Court have unveiled the first of 120 IndianaLegalHelp.org kiosks scheduled to be placed around the state starting this month. The North Manchester Public Library is honored to be one of these host locations. 

“This partnership furthers our mission of preventing eviction and promoting housing stability across our state,” said Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch. “We are proud of this collaborative effort to provide pro bono legal services to Hoosiers navigating the courts.”

The kiosks provide a way for Hoosiers to easily access IndianaLegalHelp.org, a Foundation program connecting Hoosiers to legal resources and services. The IndianaLegalHelp.org kiosks will initially focus on serving Hoosiers facing eviction or housing instability and will expand to include other legal topics later next year. 

“Through IndianaLegalHelp.org and a network of statewide partners engaged in assisting Hoosiers facing housing-related civil legal issues, the Foundation is uniquely positioned to expand services statewide and connect underserved communities with services not previously accessible,” said Foundation President & CEO Charles Dunlap. 

In Indiana, housing evictions are considered a civil matter, meaning individuals are not provided legal representation and are often left to navigate the legal system independently. Resources like the IndianaLegalHelp.org kiosks are critical in helping Hoosiers access the civil legal system and make the resources on IndianaLegalHelp.org available to individuals who don’t have access to reliable internet at home.

Indiana Chief Justice Loretta Rush explained, “These kiosks are an example of the courts embracing innovative solutions to increase access to justice. Indiana has some of the highest eviction rates in the country. To ensure solutions we must implement an avenue for people in the justice system to seek help.”

All 92 counties are anticipated to have at least one kiosk host site, and some counties have requested additional kiosks if more funding becomes available.   Earlier this year, the Foundation received a 13-million-dollar contract from IHCDA to fund housing stability legal services across the state. Kiosk development and deployment come from this two-year contract. 

In addition, the Foundation and seven statewide partners are collaborating to offer a network of legal services, including brief advice legal clinics, legal aid attorneys, and non-attorney legal navigators to support Hoosiers facing eviction.

The partners include: 

Indiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Inc.

Indiana Legal Services, Inc.

Indianapolis Legal Aid Society, Inc.

Legal Aid Corporation of Tippecanoe County

Legal Aid Society of Evansville, Inc.

Neighborhood Christian Legal Clinic

Pro Bono Indiana, Inc.

Individuals needing legal help with an eviction or housing instability are encouraged to access resources offered at IndianaLegalHelp.org.

“We are excited to be able to partner with the Indiana Bar Foundation to host this kiosk,” says Diane Randall, North Manchester Public Library Director. “We are always looking for ways to work collaboratively with communities, courts, and other partners to provide quality resources for our patrons.”

The kiosk is now available for use at the North Manchester Public Library.