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UPDATE: STATEWIDE COVID-19 CASE COUNTS IS NOW 329,008
Commentary: How Curtis Hill Stole Christmas!
Commentary: How Curtis Hill Stole Christmas!
By John Krull
TheStatehouseFile.com
INDIANAPOLIS – Maybe disgraced Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill has a new career plan.
Perhaps he’s heard somewhere that there are casting calls for a new version of “How the Grinch Stole Christmas!â€
That might account for Hill’s mean-spirited attempt, on his way out the door, to bust up families, deny parents their children and children their parents.
A few days ago, Hill submitted a brief arguing that the U.S. Supreme Court should overrule a Southern Indiana U.S. District Court decision that would allow both parents in a same-sex marriage to be listed on their child’s birth certificate. The case began when a Tippecanoe County couple – two women – found that Indiana’s software system wouldn’t allow both their names to be listed when their child was born.
Judges in Indiana’s federal Southern District Court found that denying both parents in a same-sex marriage the right to be listed on birth certificates was discriminatory. The U.S. 7th Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed that lower-court decision.
Those courts and judges were following precedent.
In 2017, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the constitutional rights of an Arkansas same-sex couple were violated because they both couldn’t be listed on their child’s birth certificate.
This clear precedent didn’t deter Indiana Attorney General Grinch – er, Hill – from springing into action.
That’s because a couple of strange notions animate his peculiar brand of conservatism.
The first involves Hill-like conservatives’ odd definition of “activist†judges. In their dictionary, an “activist†judge isn’t simply one who ignores both precedent and law but one who refuses to ignore both precedent and law when precedent and law refuse to conform to these conservatives’ prejudices.
Thus, now that Justice Amy Coney Barrett has been instilled on the nation’s highest bench, Hill and his fellow travelers hope the court will throw out the decision recognizing the rights of same-sex couples to marry. They hope this will happen even though it will do lasting damage to millions of American lives and families and create chaos in our legal system.
But what happens to gay Americans, their children and the millions of people who love them doesn’t worry Attorney General Grinch – er, Hill – all that much.
This brings us to the second point.
Our outgoing attorney general touts himself as a family-values conservative. (His definition of “family values†seems to include gripping and groping women young enough to be his daughters without their consent and over their protests, but that’s another story.)
As such, he doesn’t much care for the idea of same-sex marriage. Doubtless, he doesn’t like the idea of gay people serving as parents. He even may not have any fondness for gay people, period.
That is his right, even if his beliefs seem short-sighted and ugly to many of the rest of us. It’s a free country and he’s allowed to think what he wishes.
What is downright bizarre is his notion that he’s entitled to use the power of government to deny other human beings the basic right of parentage just because he doesn’t like the way they live.
And that, somehow, he thinks this use of government power to tell people how to live and how to parent is consistent with “small-government†conservatism.
But consistency doubtless isn’t what Attorney General Grinch is after here.
What’s he about is telling gay parents – gay citizens – that they don’t and shouldn’t have the same rights the rest of us do. He’s willing to throw good Indiana taxpayer money after bad to try to punish Hoosiers – Americans – who dare to think and live differently than he does.
He’s willing, even eager, to do this even though it will cause Hoosier families headed by same-sex parents unnecessary and cruel anxiety, even anguish, during this holiday season.
He’s a mean one, that Mr. Grinch.
Er, Hill.
FOOTNOTE: John Krull is director of Franklin College’s Pulliam School of Journalism and publisher of TheStatehouseFile.com, a news website powered by Franklin College journalism students.
The City-County Observer posted this article without bias or editing.
 AGENDA  Of VANDERBURGH COUNTY COUNCIL ON DECEMBER 2, 2020
 AGENDA  Of VANDERBURGH COUNTY COUNCIL On December 2, 2020, 3:30 P.M. In-Room 301 At The Civic Center
1. OPENING OF MEETINGÂ
2. ATTENDANCE ROLL CALLÂ
3. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCEÂ
4. INVOCATIONÂ
- 5. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: (A) County Council November 11, 2020Â
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- 6. OLD BUSINESS: (A) Dave Rector/Court space discussionÂ
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- 7. PERSONNEL REQUESTS: (A) Circuit Court Supplemental Adult Probation 1. Request to fill vacancy for Receptionist/Secretary 21010000-210165Â
- (B) Superior Court 1. Request to fill vacancy for Bailiff 10001370-137132Â
- (C) Work Release-User Fees/Superior Court 1. Request to move Business Director position from 25050000-250502 to General Fund Superior Court line 10001370-137194Â
- (D) Peacemaker Grant 1. Request to create and fill four full-time Peacemaker position lines 82060000-820611, 820612, 820613 & 820614.Â
- 2. Request to create and fill Coordinator Stipend line 82060000-820621Â
- (E) Vanderburgh County Cyber Crimes Unit 1. Request to create and fill full-time Director position line 82080000-820811Â
- 2. Request to create and fill Investigator Stipend line 82080000-820845Â
- 3. Request to create and fill four part-time Student Investigator position lines 82080000-820812, 820813, 820814 & 820815Â
- (F) Surveyor/Surveyor Corner Perpetuation Fund 1. Request to fill vacancy for Office Manager 10001060-106119Â
- 2. Request to fill vacancy for Engineering & Information Tech 12020000-120224Â
- 3. Request to fill vacancy for Assistant to Surveyor 10001060-106121/12020000-120223Â
- (G) Public Defender 1. Request to allow special Step 3 placement for Public Defender 10001420-142168Â
- (H) Health Department 1. Request to fill vacancy for Administrative Aide 11590000-115939Â
- (I) Immunization Grants 1. Request to move Administrative Aide stipend line 84210000-842111 from the 8421 Immunization grant to 8408 Immunization Grant 84080000-840811Â
8. APPROPRIATION ORDINANCE: (A) AuditorÂ
(B) SheriffÂ
(C) CoronerÂ
(D) Election OfficeÂ
(E) COIT/CommissionersÂ
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- 9. REPEAL: (A) ClerkÂ
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- 10. TRANSFERS: (A) ClerkÂ
- (B) AuditorÂ
- (C) TreasurerÂ
- (D) CoronerÂ
- (E) Election OfficeÂ
- (F) Circuit CourtÂ
- (G) Superior CourtÂ
- (H) Cumulative BridgeÂ
- (I) Health DepartmentÂ
- (J) Local Roads & StreetsÂ
- (K) HighwayÂ
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- 11. NEW BUSINESS: (A) Mill Road BridgeÂ
- (B) SurveyorÂ
- (C) CoronerÂ
- (D) Superior CourtÂ
- (E) Public DefenderÂ
- (F) Health DepartmentÂ
- (G) Surveyor Corner PerpetuationÂ
- (H) Circuit Court SupplementalÂ
- (I) Work Release-User FeesÂ
- (J) Peacemaker GrantÂ
- (K) Vanderburgh County Cyber Crimes Unit GrantÂ
- (L) Immunization GrantsÂ
12. AMENDMENTS TO SALARY ORDINANCE:Â
(A) ClerkÂ
13. PUBLIC COMMENTÂ
14. REMINDER UPCOMING MEETING DATES/TIMES:Â
County Council meeting January 6, 2021 @ 3:30 p.m.Â
15. ADJOURNMENTÂ
EVSC Foundation Celebrates Education by Kicking Off ‘Make Change’ Campaign
EVSC Foundation Celebrates Education by Kicking Off ‘Make Change’ Campaign
Make change. Those two simple words are the theme for this year’s EVSC Foundation GivingTuesday campaign. GivingTuesday is a movement where people celebrate volunteering and generosity the Tuesday after Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
“Make Change is our end-of-the-year campaign because that is what EVSC teachers and students did great this year— change and adapt,†said EVSC Foundation Executive Director Maureen Barton. More than ever, we are focused on our school community. Our gratitude this year is for the many supporters from booster clubs, volunteers, parents, donors, and alumni who are generous with their time and support of students. We want them to know we are thankful for the positive change they make each day.â€
As part of GivingTuesday, the EVSC Foundation is celebrating supporters who are “making change.†A few of those include:
Marcia Kennard Kiessling, Ph.D., 1973 Bosse High School graduate
Kennard Kiessling created the “Beverly Kennard Legacy Scholarship†in honor of her mother, who was also a Bosse graduate, advocate, and volunteer for the school. Beverly Kennard worked tirelessly to support her four children during their time at Bosse and touched the lives of thousands of more students through her involvement in BHS programs. Marcia’s legacy gift helps cover a Bosse student’s college tuition while reiterating the importance of community—something her mother was an example of daily.
Dr. Gerald Oakley, 1964 Reitz High School graduate
Watching the news surrounding the pandemic, Dr. Gerald Oakley decided to make a substantial gift to the Medical Professions Academy, EVSC’s premier program for high school students interested in healthcare and medicine. Oakley made the gift in honor of his mother, Dorothy Oakley (Central High School Class of ‘43) to purchase additional equipment and add hands-on opportunities for students. Oakley shared, “Why to wait until I am gone?†then chose to make a gift now instead of leaving one in his will.
Robert (Bob) Francis, Reitz High School graduate
When Reitz alum, beloved husband, father, and west-side local Robert (Bob) Francis passed away in April, his family decided to do something special in memory of his kind and giving spirit. Bob’s wife, Angie Francis, asked that memorial gifts be directed to EVSC’s Grab & Go Meal Program during the quarantine. “It’s what he would have wanted,†shared Francis. “Bob was always working to help those who needed it most. As in-laws of an EVSC educator and with two grandchildren on their way into the school system, we always have our eyes and ears open for those kinds of needs. We know there are many kids relying on the school as their main food source, and we can help them.â€
“As the season of giving approaches, we ask our community to join us in finding their own ways to ‘make a change,’†Barton said. “Maybe it’s adopting a student from the ‘angel trees’ at Evans, Dexter, or Caze, cleaning out your closet to give clothing to Hangers, or donating to the student relief fund to help children in crisis. Today, we invite everyone to ‘make a change for ’20’ by helping young people in our schools.â€
To make a change for young people, email info@evscfoundation.org or call 812-435-0913.
ADOPT A PET
Archibald is a 6-month-old male orange tabby! He was just a neighborhood dude, but was so friendly that a kind stranger decided he needed to come to VHS to find a warm inside home for winter. His $40 adoption fee includes his neuter, microchip, vaccines, and more. Get adoption details at www.vhslifesaver.org/adopt!
Board of School Trustees of the Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation Meeting
 The Board of School Trustees of the Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation will meet in executive session at 3:30 p.m. on Monday, November 30, 2020, at the EVSC Administration Building, 951 Walnut, IN 47713, Evansville, IN.
The session will be conducted according to Senate Enrolled Act 313, Section 1, I.C. 5-14-1.5-6.1, as amended. The purpose of the meeting is for discussion of the assessment, design, and implementation of school safety and security measures, plans, and systems (3Â
HOT JOBS IN EVANSVILLE
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weinzapfel
As for the curious entry of Local Union Boss Mr. Jack McNeely into the inside world of Democratic candidates for Mayor of Evansville, we can only ask why? Is it because Mayor Weinzapfel appointed him to the Board of Directors of the City of Evansville’s Public Works Department with an annual stipend of $3,199.00? Is it because as was reported today that many of the $525,000 dollars in Mayor Weinzapfel’s war chest came from the brotherhood of unions? Is it because he believes that Rick Davis is going to exercise independent judgment as the Mayor of Evansville that is less controllable? We at the CCO are confused by Mr. McNeely’s position as both the Mayor and Treasurer Davis seem to be equal supporters of local collective bargaining units. In every poll that has been running this week Rick Davis has been selected over Mayor Weinzapfel. It is highly probable that Mr. Davis will become the Democratic candidate for Mayor of Evansville. The City County Observer questions the wisdom of Mr. McNeely’s irrational response to a man who has a very legitimate chance to be the next Mayor of Evansville. Perhaps a Republican candidate will emerge that Mr. McNeely is more comfortable with than he is with Mr. Davis as his criticisms were quite severe.
Journalism depends on consistent and reliable sources such as the City County Observer’s Mole #3 who says that if Rick Davis stays in the race for Mayor of Evansville that Jonathon Weinzapfel will not announce his candidacy for that office. He will be more likely to enter the private sector or run for higher office. Mole #3 (Nostradamus of local politics) furthermore predicts that the Democratic primary for Mayor of Evansville will pit Rick Davis against County Commissioner Troy Tornatta, who is currently in a political dog fight to keep his office as the Democratic incumbent against Marsha Abell. That is a story for another day.
The chain of events that led to Mr. Davis’s announcement if nothing else certainly put the Democratic Party leadership, union leadership, and Mayor Weinzapfel on the defensive. Quite frankly, the Mayor and his supporters are acting more like challengers than an incumbent. All of this is coming from a person who has never publicly expressed an interest in running for Mayor of Evansville again. Mayor Weinzapfel has recently had his eye on the offices of Governor or Lt. Governor in Indianapolis as his next objective. The City County Observer is confused over why such an over the top reaction came from the Mayor’s supporters. We are also confused on the Mayor’s silence on the issue while his known supporters are rattling their sabers.
The City County Observer is beginning to finally see some change coming to Evansville. Those changes are within the Democratic Party and they have been needed for decades. It appears as though the torch that should have been passed to a new generation of progressive thinkers long ago is not being passed at all. That torch is either being forcefully taken from the dying hands of an aging machine or maybe that machine just misplaced its torch and the Kennedy Club with Rick Davis as a leader has retrieved it to carry it to higher place. That higher place will hopefully be a place without an entitlement mentality of office holders and is devoid of political patronage positions that are used to keep the herd inside the fences.
Mr. Davis has certainly not been welcomed with the open arms of Central Committee of the Democratic Party. He has however excited the silent majority of Vanderburgh County Democrats who are rallying around his candidacy. That excitement is being expressed from the from halls of the Civic Center to the boothless street of the Fall Festival and like it or not Mayor Weinzapfel and his political operatives are going to have to accept that Rick Davis is a power to be reckoned with.
In conclusion this editorial should be interpreted as a political endorsement. We endorse freedom of speech, freedom of choice, and the right to choose. Rick Davis and any other aspiring candidate for public office has the constitutional right to choose when, where, and how to enter a race without getting permission from any incumbent, party chairman, political action committee, major contributors, or union bosses before doing so. It is up to the candidates to choose when to run and the people to choose their elected officials by having free elections. We say Run Rick Run, Run Troy Run, Run McGinn Run, Run Lloyd Run, Run Winnecke Run, and for that matter Run Jonathon Run. Thanks to the founding fathers of the United States of America that the final decision is still in the hands of the voting citizens.
Eagles grounded in opener by Hawks
25th-ranked University of Southern Indiana Men’s Basketball rallied from a 21-point deficit, but it was not enough as it fell to Rockhurst University, 81-70, Friday afternoon at Screaming Eagles Arena. USI starts the season 0-1, while Rockhurst begins 1-0.
The Screaming Eagles spotted the Hawks large leads in the opening 15 minutes of the game, falling behind 11-0 in the first two minutes and trailed by as many as 21 points, 38-17, before 14 minutes were gone in the half. USI junior guard Jelani Simmons sparked a 26-7 surge for USI in the final six minutes before halftime by scoring 15 of his 21 first half points to drag the Eagles to within two by the intermission, 45-43.
In the second half, the Eagles added to the rally from the end of the opening stanza (30-9) when sophomore guard Chance Coyle knotted up the score, 47-47, with a pair of free throws with 18:48 left. The Hawks quickly regained the lead, re-extending the margin to seven points, 56-49, with 14:34 remaining and never looked back.
Rockhurst pushed the lead to as many as 13 points in the final eight minutes, 68-55, before closing out its 81-70 victory. USI shrunk the deficit to seven points twice in the last five minutes, but could not get over the top in experiencing the loss.
Simmons finished his explosive USI debut by adding five second-half points and finished with a game-high 26. The junior guard was eight-of-19 from the field, six-of-12 from beyond the arc, and four-of-six from the stripe.
Senior forwards Josh Price and Emmanuel Little followed with 15 points each. Price, who also capped off a double-double with a game-high 11 rebounds, was six-of-17 from the field and three-of-four from the line, while Little was five-of-15 from the field, one-of-two from long range, and four-of-seven from the free throw line.
USI continues its season-opening five-game homestand Sunday when it hosts William Jewell College at 3:15 p.m. The Cardinals, who opens their schedule tonight when it visits the University of Indianapolis, was 10-18 overall a year ago, placing 14th in the GLVC with a 5-15 league mark.
The Eagles lead the all-time series with the Cardinals, 7-1, after winning the only match-up a year ago, 76-60, in Liberty, Missouri. Senior guard Mateo Rivera led the way with 14 points in the victory.