Trixie is a beautiful female black cat! She was surrendered in May with a bunch of her other feline roommates when her owner had landlord issues from having so many cats. Only her & her sister Tilly remain unadopted (but they do NOT have to go home together.) Trixie’s adoption fee is $40 and includes her spay, microchip, vaccines, and more. Apply online at www.vhslifesaver.org/adopt!
VANDERBURGH COUNTY FELONY CHARGES
 Below are the felony cases to be filed by the Vanderburgh County Prosecutor’s Office today.
Michael Douglas Travers Jr.: Residential entry (Level 6 Felony)
Randy Lee Rhoads: Burglary (Level 4 Felony), Theft (Level 6 Felony)
Collin M. Sloat: Carrying a handgun without a license (Level 5 Felony), Driving while suspended (Class A misdemeanor), Operating with expired plates (C infraction)
Zachary Gage Johnston: Domestic battery (Level 5 Felony), Domestic battery resulting in bodily injury to a pregnant woman (Level 5 Felony), Domestic battery (Level 6 Felony)
Misty D. Waters: Dealing in methamphetamine (Level 2 Felony), Possession of a controlled substance (Class A misdemeanor), Possession of marijuana (Class B misdemeanor)
Wesley Paul Taylor: Possession of methamphetamine (Level 6 Felony), Possession of marijuana (Class B misdemeanor)
James Daniel Krawetz Jr.: Carrying a handgun without a license (Level 5 Felony), Carrying a handgun without a license (Level 5 Felony), Unlawful possession of syringe (Level 6 Felony)
Tyler Neal Johnson: Possession of methamphetamine (Level 6 Felony), Possession of a controlled substance (Class A misdemeanor)
Virginia Gildersleeve: Dealing in methamphetamine (Level 2 Felony), Theft (Class A misdemeanor)
Kelly Marie Lacer: Robbery (Level 5 Felony), Attempt Obstruction of justice (Level 6 Felony), Criminal recklessness (Level 6 Felony), Attempt Failure to remain at the scene of an accident (Class B misdemeanor)
Darrell Lee Wetzel: Criminal trespass (Level 6 Felony)
Pierre Kenneth Johnston: Operating a motor vehicle after forfeiture of license for life (Level 5 Felony), False informing (Class B misdemeanor)
Emmanuel Tashaje Crowe: Domestic battery (Level 5 Felony), Possession of marijuana (Class B misdemeanor)
James Hanley Cowan: Possession of methamphetamine (Level 6 Felony), Invasion of privacy (Class A misdemeanor)
Wendy Clair Russell: Dealing in marijuana (Level 6 Felony)
Joseph Aaron Barfield :Resisting law enforcement (Level 6 Felony), Resisting law enforcement (Class A misdemeanor), Disregarding stop sign (C infraction), Disregarding automatic signal (C infraction)
Division of Family Resources offices open once again to serve Hoosiers
FSSA continues to encourage online and telephone services for fastest and safest service
This week the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration has reopened its local Division of Family Resources offices in all 92 counties for Hoosiers preferring in-person service. The offices had been closed to the public since March 20 in an effort to help contain the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19). FSSA had been processing an increased amount of applications for food and cash assistance and health coverage virtually and continues to strongly encourage Hoosiers to apply for these benefits or check the status of their application or case either online at www.fssabenefits.in.gov or over the phone by calling 800-403-0864.
DFR staff are required to wear face coverings and take other protective measures for themselves and the public, and is encouraging all visitors to wear masks while inside or around others. Face coverings will be required wherever local mandates are in place.
DFR local office locations can be found here. Each office is open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. local time. The number of clients who can be served at the same time varies from office to office due to their variations in size and configuration.
FSSA encourages patience, should be there long lines or waits, and understanding that due to social distancing requirements and capacity limitations, clients may be required to wait outside. Each office is currently equipped with a drop box, where any paperwork or documents can be left by applicants or clients without requiring them to enter the building.
FSSA’s Division of Disability and Rehabilitative Services is also once again serving its clients in person at its Bureau of Developmental Disabilities Services and Vocational Rehabilitation Services offices, while also continue to offer services remotely. Many of these offices are co-located with DFR. These office locations can be found at this page by clicking the “Find a DDRS Local Office†link.
IUHoosiers.com recently caught up with rising junior swimmer Brandon Hamblin.
In his sophomore campaign, Hamblin nabbed CSCAA All-America honors and was named an All-Big Ten first team nod. He claimed a handful of individual points for the Hoosiers at the conference meet with a 13th-place finish in the 100 Freestyle. Hamblin captured his first career Big Ten Gold medal as a member of the winning 200 Freestyle Relay team. The four-man squad also broke the Counsilman-Billingsley Aquatics Center record in the event.
 Where are you at right now?
Home – Stafford, Va.
What is your major?
I am a marketing major. My plans for the future involve working in sports in some capacity. I would like to either work with a team or a sports marketing agency in brand management.
How are you interacting with your teammates?
I have been able to stay in contact with the team through our Zoom meetings and our various group text message threads.
How was the adjustment to online classes?
It went alright for me. There was obviously much more time to spend on the classes, but the lack of face-to-face interaction was difficult at times.
What gives you encouragement and motivation during this time?
My motivation has always come from my goals in and out of the pool. My goals of qualifying for NCAA Championships and maintaining a high grade point average should not be put off because I am subjected to the confines of my home.
What is something you and your family are doing to pass the time?
My family has kept busy by doing puzzles together as well as watching a ton of movies.
What shows are you catching up on?
Early on during the pandemic, I finished “Tiger Kingâ€. More recently, I have shifted my attention to “The Sopranosâ€.
What are you most looking forward to when you get back to practice/competition?
I am excited to see all of my teammates and friends again. Also, it will be good to feel in “swimming shape†again.
What advice do you give to your fellow Hoosiers during this time?
My best piece of advice would be to find a new hobby or to work on a new talent to keep yourself occupied. For my teammates and fellow IU athletes, I would say workout whenever you can and strive to create a consistent workout schedule.
Six Weeks, Six Cities, 600 Murders
The single most important domestic issue of our time is not the rising number of new people testing positive for COVID-19. Deaths have hit all-time lows.
The single most important domestic issue of our time is not even the continued economic hardship of a nation that was artificially shut down and sent spiraling into a faux recession. Millions of jobs have been added over the past 60 days and the skyrocketing unemployment has turned around to nearly where it was percent wise in most of the Obama early years (11.1 vs 9.9.)
Nope!
The single most important issue, affecting some of the largest swaths of populations in America, is the scandal the media ignores even as it explodes in our faces.
In only six weeks, city after city operated by entrenched Democrats have seen a massive expansion in lawlessness, violence, and murder. Stunningly, many news outlets seem gobsmacked and mystified at how or why such an explosion of lawlessness has occurred.
For the sake of brevity, let’s sample six of the nation’s largest cities, including all of the top three.
New York:
The Democratic mayor has long been understood as anti-police. His wife recently imagined the city as “Nirvana†if the NYPD were eliminated altogether.
Thus far in 2020, homicides are up 21 percent. Shootings are up by 46 percent. The Democratic mayor’s agenda included emptying the prison known as Rikers Island, bail reform letting perps walk before the paperwork is completed, and the effort to #DefundPolice that took 600 anti-crime units out of commission.
LOS ANGELES
June saw disturbing trends. An increase in the month’s first week by 250 percent of homicides, and a 56 percent increase in shootings. Following the death of George Floyd in May the LAPD received a $150 million cut.
Chicago:
Year-to-date shootings have eclipsed 1,508 for 2020, putting them 350 ahead of 2019. To date homicides sit at 254, placing them ahead of 2019. Important to note that the Cook County board voted in favor of defunding police. Eleven city alderman raced to the fore to demand that not a single penny of $333 million in federal dollars not go to police, and various proposals are being considered to cut current funding by more than $30 million in current spending.
Washington, D.C.
Year-to-date homicide numbers are 13 percent higher than this time a year ago. Nevertheless, the District PD is slated to be defunded by more than $15 million.
Philadelphia:
Shootings are up 67 percent. Victims of armed violence are up 29 percent. Homicides are up 25 percent. So of course it makes sense to defund the Philadelphia PD by $19 million.
Baltimore:
As consistently one of the most dangerous cities in America with a five-year streak of more than 300 murders, last year Baltimore set a new record at 348 homicides. Yet in 2020 they outpace last year’s record and will see defunding to the effect of $22 million.
As I said there are many more that I could highlight for you.
So why did all of these cities take such violent turns? Is it because their leadership capitulated to the anger of the mobs as opposed to thinking clearly and strategically about an effective response?
Or do these Democrat-run towns literally operate with denial in good and evil?
How else can you explain that in the city of Minneapolis (where a nation watched in horror and subsequently responded to the murder of an innocent man) that within 30 days they would record 1,600 shots fired? But then respond by voting to dismantle its police operations all together?
Beth Baumann
The single most important threat to our nation at this moment are Democrats who are voting in favor of eliminating law enforcement and who are by extension responsible for the greater and greater increase in the loss of life.
They are allowing Marxists and Anarchists to create complete chaos and disorder. They also seem utterly unconcerned about any lives mattering, black or white.
They appear to be holding on to an idea that they are not impacted by the scum and villainy at play under their jurisdiction.
They even perhaps believe that this is all worth it, if it will allow them to have electoral success in the fall.
If so, they need to brace themselves for three basic truths.
It’s time they learn the truth
It’s time they be held accountable.
And…It’s time to stop them!
HEALTH DEPARTMENT UPDATES STATEWIDE COVID-19 CASE COUNTS
INDIANAPOLIS — The Indiana State Department of Health (ISDH) today announced that 314 additional Hoosiers have been diagnosed with COVID-19 through testing at ISDH, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and private laboratories. That brings to 48,626 the total number of Indiana residents known to have the novel coronavirus following corrections to the previous day’s total.
Intensive care unit and ventilator capacity remains steady. As of today, 41 percent of ICU beds and 84 percent of ventilators are available.
A total of 2,524 Hoosiers are confirmed to have died from COVID-19, an increase of 19 over the previous day. Another 193 probable deaths have been reported based on clinical diagnoses in patients for whom no positive test is on record. Deaths are reported based on when data are received by ISDH and occurred over multiple days.
To date, 530,075 tests have been reported to ISDH, up from 521,722 on Monday.
VANDERBURGH COUNTY FELONY CHARGES
 Below are the felony cases to be filed by the Vanderburgh County Prosecutor’s Office today.
Stuart Dean Cater: Domestic battery (Level 5 Felony)
Darrion Cortez Eastwood: Strangulation (Level 6 Felony), Domestic battery (Level 6 Felony)
Zachary Aaron Brown: Robbery (Level 5 Felony), Unlawful possession of syringe (Level 6 Felony)
Trevon Anthony Brown: Domestic battery resulting in moderate bodily injury (Level 6 Felony)
Shawn Michael Stone: Domestic battery (Level 5 Felony)
Melissa Marie McKinney: Neglect of a dependent (Level 6 Felony), Neglect of a dependent (Level 6 Felony), Neglect of a dependent (Level 6 Felony), Neglect of a dependent (Level 6 Felony), Neglect of a dependent (Level 6 Felony), Disorderly conduct (Class B misdemeanor)
Percy Alexander Porter Jr.: Possession of a narcotic drug (Level 6 Felony), Resisting law enforcement (Level 6 Felony)
William Arthur Paul Martin: Unlawful possession of syringe (Level 6 Felony)
“IS IT TRUE” JULY 7, 2020
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?
City-County Observer Comment Policy. Be kind to people. No personal attacks or harassment will be tolerated and will be removed from our site.â€
We understand that sometimes people don’t always agree and discussions may become a little heated.  The use of offensive language, insults against commenters will not be tolerated and will be removed from our site.
IS IT TRUE during his last year in office City Councilman John Friend, CPA sponsored a “Separation Of Funds Ordinance” in order to ensure that the City Controller would not manipulate general fund balances?  … upon the urging of the City Controller, the newly elected City Council voted to repeal this ordinance?  ...we now hear that the money collected from all income sources is now put into one (1) fund account which makes it extremely hard to track how much money is in each city account on a weekly basis?
IS IT TRUE the Evansville/Vanderburgh County Convention and Visitors Bureau funds from the Innkeepers Tax which is paid by people when they stay at our local hotels? …this fund generates many millions of dollars a year? … Its time that members of our local media start paying closer attention to the financial activities of the Convention and Visitors Bureau board?
IS IT TRUE the best way for Evansville City Council to balance the budget is to make budget cuts not increase taxes?
IS IT TRUE that its time for the taxpayers of this community to start holding our public officials accountable for their bad business decisions?
IS IT TRUEÂ don’t be surprised to hear that the Vanderburgh County Council will decide to use the entire allocation” of COIT funds to build a new addition to the Vanderburgh County jail?
IS IT TRUE we wonder why members of City Council haven’t demanded that City Controller Russ Lloyd Jr to informed them how much did it cost the taxpayers of Evansville to subsidized the Evansville Thunderbolts operating expenses during the 2018-19 hockey season?
IS IT TRUEÂ we hear that nepotism is alive and well at the EVSC?
IS IT TRUE members of the Vanderburgh County school board were elected to be “good stewards of the public trust” and not the stewards of the Superintendent of Schools?
IS IT TRUE many people are really missing former City Councilman, Dr. Dan Adams, because of his common sense approach of governing?
IS IT TRUE that over the years that there has been talked about locating a “Slack Water Port” in the Evansville area? Â …that the need for such a port is because of the goods being shipped by containers? Â …that many of thousands of containers arrive at blue water ports in the United States every day? Â …we wonder when will our locally elected city and county officials look into this issue?
IS IT TRUEÂ we have been told by credible sources the Parks Department may be considering closing at least one public pool in the very near future?
IS IT TRUE we are told by credible sources that a couple of well-known business people have purchased several pieces of property located on North Main Street close to the Bosse Field area?  …we wonder what they know that we don’t?
IS IT TRUE that Republicans Steve Schaefer, Hobart Scales, Alfonso Vidal, Ryan Schulz, and Steve Hammer started a political PAC called “Evansville’s Future?” …this political PAC’s main focus is to help Republican City Council candidates in the upcoming November 2020 general election?
IS IT TRUE we are extremely pleased with the way that 1st Ward City Councilman Ben Trockman (D) is conducting himself?
IS IT TRUE the patrons of Ellis Park are extremely disappointed that the new owners of the historic racetrack haven’t spent the money to professionally pave and stripe the parking lot, install additional exterior security lighting in the parking area, update the on-premise information and directional signage, install a first-class exterior digital on-premise sign located next to the highway and most importantly replaced some of the out-dated Historial Horse Racing slot machines?
IS IT TRUE that that Tropicana plush new land-based casino is an awesome upgrade from the old boat? Â …the employees are very accommodating, the food at the buffet and deli are affordable and delicious, the gaming offerings are extremely impressive?…we highly recommend that you visit Tropicana-Evansville because its this region’s best gaming establishment?
IS IT TRUE that all eyes will be focused on the future announcement concerning who the Evansville Fraternal Order of Police Lodge #73 Political Action Committee will be endorsing in the upcoming November 2018 County election?
IS IT TRUE that the way to promote the best in an election is by candidates and their sponsors being straightforward, open, and clear in their communication to voters?
IS IT TRUE The City-County Observer is beginning to see some positive changes coming to Evansville?  …those changes are within local party politics and they have been needed for decades?
IS IT TRUE we thank all the candidates who felt the need to run for public office in order to make Evansville a better place to live, work and raise a family?
IS IT TRUE we been told that many people are wondering what the current status of multi-million “penguin” displays at the Zoo?
IS IT TRUE that 6th Ward City Councilman Jim Brinkmeyer is finally doing things that his Westside constituencies are agreeing with?
IS IT TRUEÂ that the City-County Observer has been doing well in the first half of 2020?…that we have increased our page views and unique site visitors by 65%?…that we are excited about providing local news to an increased readership while providing more value to our advertisers?…the recent changes we have made to our paper have kept readers on our site 20% longer?…despite the impressive increase in site traffic, we have decided to keep our same low rates for advertisers, choosing to pass on the increased value? Â
IS IT TRUE when the people fear the Government we have Tyranny! Â When the Government fears the people we have Liberty
IS IT TRUE our “READERS POLLS†are non-scientific but trendy?
Today’s “Readers Pollâ€Â question is: HOW DO YOU FEEL THAT WE SHOULD ADDRESS THE COVID-19 VIRUS.
Please take time and read our articles entitled “STATEHOUSE FILES, LAW ENFORCEMENT, “READERS POLLâ€, BIRTHDAYS, HOT JOBSâ€, EDUCATION, OBITUARIES and “LOCAL SPORTSâ€.
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FOOTNOTE:  Any comments posted in this column do not represent the views or opinions of the City-County Observer or our advertisers.