We hope that today’s “IS IT TRUEâ€Â will provoke honest and open dialogue concerning issues that we, as responsible citizens of this community, need to address in a rational and responsible way?
Methodist board will vote today on Deaconess deal. Methodist board has never had a full reading of the agreement and the general board has no idea of the actual content of the deal they have only been given a slide presentation by Deaconess of the points Deaconess felt they needed to know
They do not know if it is an affiliation a merger I’ll buy out or a lopsided management arrangement where deaconess it holds all the power
ZFTC has had additional complaints filed against this deal unknown if they will take action
The attorney general for Kentucky has been contacting do not know if they will take action
IS IT TRUE many times during the week we post pictures of individuals that have been arrested for shoplifting by local law enforcement? Â … that everyone that has been arrested for shoplifting spends at least one night in the slammer until they are bonded out?
IS IT TRUEÂ in the private sector when a person is accused of taking funds from an existing business to pay personal debts its called embezzlement or misappropriations? Â …in Evansville when a person is working in the public sector is accused of taking funds from an existing non-profit business to pay personal debts it’s called “we never file an official police report?…as of yesterday, the Evansville Police department told Channel 44 news that there is no criminal investigation into the former Executive Directors of ECHO Housing alleged financial misappropriations at this time?
IS IT TRUE for those in doubt, Indiana is unique and Misappropriation of Funds or Embezzlement is called what it is, theft. 35-43-4-2, a person commits theft when he or she “knowingly or intentionally†exerts “unauthorized control†over another person’s property with the intent to deprive the other person of the value of the property
IS IT TRUEÂ it was recently reported by the Evansville Courier and Press that Stephanie TenBarge, the Executive Director of the ECHO Housing, left the agency abruptly last week? Â …according to a statement released to the Evansville Courier and Press by an employee of the non-profit housing development organization that they “wish Ms.TenBarge the best in the future”? Â …the Courier and Press also reported that the acting Director of ECHO Housing is not available to comment on this issue? Â …that the ECHO Housing Inc. receives many millions of dollars from Federal, State, and local governmental agencies?
IS IT TRUE it was reported that the former Executive Director of ECHO Housing Stephanie TenBarge used funds from the agency to pay her personal property taxes? ..ECHO Housing attorney Scott Wylie told the Courier and Press that the former Executive Director Stephanie TenBarge used ECHO funds to pay her personal property taxes?  …it was reported that TenBarge used ECHO money to pay the taxes for three (3) of her personal properties in November 2017, May 2017 and November 2016?
IS IT TRUE that ECHO Housing attorney Scott Wylie alleges that “all donor funds that have come to ECHO have been accounted forâ€?  …we wonder if ECHO attorney Wylie did a forensic audit of all the funds earmarked and collected on the 66 properties that ECHO owns in Evansville; the proposed $6.1 million dollars 27-unit homeless housing complex; the $8 million dollars 44 unit Garfield Commons project scheduled to open in a couple of months?  … also wonder if attorney Scott Wylie alleged financial review included the payroll and travel vouchers of the former Executive Director during the last 3 years?
IS IT TRUE the City-County Observer request that the ECHO Housing attorney and members of the ECHO Board of Directors to immediately file a police report concerning the misappropriation of agency funds that will allow the Indiana State Police to conduct a full investigation? …if the ECHO Housing authorities don’t, we respectfully suggest that members of the Evansville City Council do so? …we are told that the public is concerned that there could have been further misappropriation of ECHO funds? …if the Indiana State Police agrees to do an investigation of the possibility of additional misappropriations of the ECHO agency funds they should turn their findings over to the Vanderburgh County Prosecutor and the US Attorney’s office so they can determine if criminal charges are warranted?
IS IT TRUE that the Evansville Courier and Press reported that the city will continue funding ECHO Housing Corp. following the discovery that its former director used the nonprofit’s money to pay her personal property taxes?  …“ECHO Housing is an important partner for the Department of Metropolitan Development,†said Kelley Coures, DMD’s director? …Courses also stated that  “We’re going to continue without missing a beat. We’re going to support ECHO just the same as we always have?†…that Mr. Courses  also told the Courier and Press that “We combed through all of our grant programs and all the money that we run through ECHO, “We are 100 percent confident that ECHO used all our fund’s property?†…we find it interesting that Mr. Coures told the Courier and Press  “that he did not know what funding source TenBarge used to pay her personal property taxes?”
IS IT TRUE we did an extensive search to locate a list of current ECHO Board of Directors members but couldn’t find any?  …can anyone help us to identify the current members of the ECHO Housing Board Of Directors?
IS IT TRUE according to the Vanderburgh Co. Department of Health that Indiana has the worst infant mortality rate in the Midwest and that 7 out of 1,000 babies die before their first year in Southwestern Indiana?  …the Vanderburgh Co Health Department initiated a program Pre to 3 to address the risks to infants and giving information and support to mom?  …one of the initiatives in the program is a new commercial of local participants that calls moms to seek support?  …the commercial offers the community the chance to help through donations of children’s items, a welcome opportunity for us to show our support of mom and her baby?  …you can check it out at by clicking the following link:
https://youtu.be/cRhlIWXd9dk
IS IT TRUE that both St Vincents and Deaconess Hospitals are part of an important data gathering effort to learn more about Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome  (NAS)?  …that NAS is when a baby is born dependent on drugs (mostly opioids) due to mom’s substance abuse?  …the Commission on the Improvement of Children (CISC) has on its website a factual explanation of infant mortality, including an explanation of the survey our hospitals have volunteered to participate?  …attached is the link to the CISC for your review?
http://www.in.gov/children/files/cisc-2017-1108-pp.pdf
Todays “Readers Poll” question is: Do you feel that a police report should have been filed concerning the misappropriation of ECHO Housing funds in order to allow the Indiana State Police to conduct a full investigation?
Please take time and read our articles entitled “STATEHOUSE Files, CHANNEL 44 NEWS, LAW ENFORCEMENT, READERS POLL, BIRTHDAYS, HOT JOBS†and “LOCAL SPORTSâ€.  You now are able to subscribe to get the CCO daily.
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