  The Evansville Police Department is investigating a shoplifting case that occurred on Saturday, January 18th around 2pm., at Burlington Coat Factory (225 N. Burkhardt Rd.). The suspect, along with an accomplice who has already been identified, left the store with several clothing items that were not paid for.
 If you recognize the person in this picture, you are urged to call the Evansville Police Department’s Detective Office at 812-436-7989.Â
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 The Evansville Police Department is asking for help in locating a suspect involved in an attempted armed robbery on Thursday, January the 16th around 8pm. A male approached the victim in the parking lot of the Neighborhood Walmart, located at 3430 Taylor Ave., and while brandishing a handgun, he demanded she give him her purse. After she refused to give him her personal belongings, he fled the scene.Â
 Police were immediately called, but were unable to locate the suspect.Â
 If you recognize the person in this picture, you are urged to call the Evansville Police Department’s Detective Office at 812-436-7989.Â
Neighborhood Walmart Robbery
INDIANA HOUSE APPROVES HATFIELD AMENDMENT TO LOWER PRESCRIPTION DRUG PRICES
 INDIANAPOLIS – State Rep. Ryan Hatfield (D-Evansville) today offered an amendment to House Bill 1005, that allows Indiana to import certain prescription drugs, already used in the United States, from Canada to help lower prescription drug prices.
“Hoosiers have been crippled by the high cost of prescription drug prices for far too long,†said Hatfield.
“This amendment will allow us to import certain prescription drugs from Canada to ensure that Hoosiers have a safe and effective pathway to more affordable health care.
“Promoting competition in the prescription drug industry, through similar legislation, has already been implemented by the Republican governor in Florida and supported by President Trump,†continued Hatfield. “Accessible health care is not a partisan issue.â€
Currently, Colorado, Florida, Maine and Vermont have passed similar legislation to create a drug importation program.
This amendment passed with a vote of 49-44.
Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb on Monday said he supports the Indiana Gaming Commission’s investigation into casino executives who have been implicated in a federal campaign finance scheme.
Centaur Gaming, which operated the state’s two horse-track racing casinos in Shelbyville and Anderson until selling the properties to Caesars Entertainment in 2018, has been linked to a scheme that involved illegally funneling thousands of dollars in campaign contributions to an Indiana congressional candidate and others in 2015.
Court documents do not name Centaur but refer to “Company A†as an Indianapolis “gaming†company. The documents also say the vice president and general counsel for that company, referred to as “Person A,†helped coordinate the scheme.
The Indiana Gaming Commission said on Friday that it understands the company referenced in the court documents to be Centaur. John Keeler served as vice president and general counsel for Centaur.
Keeler and Rod Ratcliff, former CEO and chairman of Centaur, are still actively involved in Indiana gambling, but under a different company name — Spectacle Entertainment.
Spectacle was established in late 2018 when it acquired the two casinos in Gary. After successfully lobbying the Indiana General Assembly in 2019, Spectacle received permission to construct a new inland casino in Gary and close the riverboats. The new casino is currently under construction.
Spectacle is also the only applicant for a new Terre Haute casino license. The gaming commission had been expected to award the license to Spectacle at its Feb. 7 meeting, but that meeting has now been postponed for an investigation.
“We need clarity, and we’ll get it,†Holcomb said.
Holcomb said it’s the commission’s job to investigate the allegations, and he would wait for the results of that probe before commenting on what should happen next.
“You’re asking me to comment on something that has yet to be resolved from the investigation perspective,†Holcomb said. “I don’t want to interfere with that investigation in any way whatsoever.â€
Last year, Holcomb came under scrutiny for taking two private flights provided by Ratcliff and not disclosing the flights on his 2018 financial disclosure statement. The flights occurred while Ratcliff was lobbying to change state law to allow for the new Gary casino. Holcomb was later cleared of any ethical violation, as the flights were considered in-kind gifts to the Republican Governors Association.
The latest campaign finance allegations against Centaur and Keeler were made public last week after Republic strategist Chip O’Neil, who worked as vice president for the Strategic Campaign Group, pleaded guilty to conspiracy in federal court in Virginia and admitted to funneling money from an Indianapolis gaming company to an Indiana congressional candidate.
The candidate is not named in court documents, but Federal Election Commission campaign finance records indicate the candidate is former Republican state Sen. Brent Waltz, who unsuccessfully ran for Indiana’s 9th Congressional District in 2016.
According to court documents, Company A (believed to be Centaur) signed a contract with Strategic Campaign Group for “services related to U.S. presidential campaigns and campaign finance law†and paid the consulting firm $38,500.
O’Neil then used that money to reimburse several individuals who served as conduits, including himself and his girlfriend at the time, for contributions they made to Waltz’s campaign.
Court documents say the scheme was meant to avoid individual campaign contribution limits, get around the prohibition on corporate donations to federal office candidates and hide the fact that the money was coming from the gaming company.
According to court documents, this all occurred in the direction of Person A, believed to be of Keeler.
At least $16,200 went to Waltz’s campaign through six donations that are specified in court documents, and the donations caused his campaign to “unwittingly file false campaign finance reports.â€
Waltz told IBJ that he believed all his campaign contributions were legal and that he’s cooperating with the investigation.
In a statement released Friday, Spectacle said it is cooperating with the gaming commission’s investigation.
“We take such matters very seriously and we will share more information should additional details become available,†the statement read.
FOOTNOTE: Today’s “READERS POLL” question is:Â Would you spend $251,000 of your own money to purchase and renovated a house located at 101 East Tennesse Street?
Judge Les Shively was selected by his colleagues to serve another term as chief Judge of the Vanderburgh Superior Court. Judge Shively has been on the bench for 7 years and previously served as chief Judge in 2018 and 2019.Â
Judge Shively currently serves on the Board of Managers of the Indiana Judges Association; the EBA Board of Director of the Indiana Judicial Conference; and is a member of the Domestic Relations Committee of the Indiana Judicial conference.Â
Attorney General Curtis Hill expressed satisfaction today with a federal jury’s finding that an Indiana state trooper was justified when he fatally shot a suspect in 2015.
“As compassionate people, we always regret the loss of human life in police-action shootings,†Attorney General Hill said. “At the same time, we appreciate the jury’s correct finding in this case that the trooper was simply doing the job he was entrusted to do.â€
On Monday, the jury found that the defendant, Indiana State Trooper Michael Allen, did not use excessive force in violation of the U.S. Constitution when he fired his weapon at Jose Damiani Jr. to stop a threat to Officer Bobby Troutman of the West Baden Police Department.
The incident occurred on Sept. 4, 2015, after Trooper Allen and Officer Troutman responded to a domestic dispute call in French Lick in which a suspect allegedly had strangled his wife. The alleged victim directed police to the couple’s back yard, at which time the suspect came out of his shed wielding an approximately 4-foot-long pole. The officers tried unsuccessfully to convince Damiani to drop the pole. Instead, the suspect charged at Officer Troutman while wielding the pole in a threatening manner. When Trooper Allen observed Damiani begin to swing the pole at Officer Troutman’s head, he responded by firing fatal shots.
After hearing evidence from multiple witnesses, the jury rendered its verdict in favor of the defendant, who was represented by the Office of the Attorney General.
“The men and women of law enforcement deserve our gratitude daily for putting themselves in harm’s way as they protect and serve their communities,†Attorney General Hill said.
WILLIAM HILL SPORTS BOOK AT TROPICANA EVANSVILLE CASINO HOSTS BIG GAME PARTY
(Indiana’s Big Game Party Headquarters Features Buffet, Great Prizes, & Live ESPN Broadcast on Sunday, Feb. 2 at 3 p.m. C.S.T.)
 In celebration of legalized sports betting in Indiana, fans and bettors are invited to come to place their bets on the biggest sporting event of the year. William Hill Sports Book at Tropicana Evansville Casino will host a Big Game Party Sunday, Feb. 2, starting at 3 p.m. C.S.T. in the Tropicana Evansville Executive Conference Center.
Sunday, Feb. 2
1 to 3 p.m.:Â ESPN 97.7 FM/WREF Hosts Gene Whorl & Dan Egierski will broadcast their show, All About Sports, live from the William Hill Sports Book
3 p.m. through the end of the game:Â The party, for sports fans 21 years of age and older, will include an all-you-can-eat buffet available throughout the game. Party guests will receive a commemorative Pro Football Championship T-shirt while supplies last and have the chance to win prizes, including an Elijah Craig Golf Bag, Coors Light Mini Refrigerator, Yuengling Grill, Patron Hammock Lounge Chair, Coors Light Prizes, and $100 Bets provided by William Hill Sports Book.
One lucky guest will win the end-of-game Grand Prize, Indianapolis 500 Weekend Tickets for Two which include the Friday Carb Day Miller Lite VIP Party, General Admission to a Saturday Concert, Sunday VIP Passes to the Coors Light Snake Pit & VIP Passes to the Miller Lite Party Deck.
Tickets to the Tropicana Evansville Big Game Party are $20 each at the door.
The Tropicana Evansville Hotel is offering fans a special $100 Overnight Hotel Rate Sunday, Feb. 2, which includes two Big Game Party tickets, when they reference offer code: BIG GAME.
Within the William Hill Sports Book, seating is complimentary and first come, first served. Sports fans will be able to enjoy the new menu including beef chili, hotdogs, pizza and more!
William Hill will be offering more than 800 ways to bet the Big Game, including prop bets such as:
The Sports Book also will be offering a $100,000 Parlay Card where bettors have the chance to win up to $100,000 by correctly choosing all 15 winners of 15 Big Game Props on the card. The parlay card is $5 to play, and sports fans may play multiple cards for the chance to win.
WHAT: Â William Hill Sports Book at Tropicana Evansville Casino Hosts Big Game Party
WHERE: William Hill Sports Book at Tropicana Evansville Casino ON 421 NW Riverside Drive Evansville, IN 47708
WEBÂ https://www.tropevansville.com/event/casino-tournament/hey-sports-fans
MAYORS TRAVELING CITY HALL
What: January Traveling City Hall
When: Wednesday, January 29, 2020, from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.
Where: Ivy Tech Community College Southwest, Room 107 (Directions)
Join us as we kick off the 2020 series of Traveling City Hall meetings.
Evansville Water & Sewer Utility (EWSU) officials will present an overview of the First Avenue Water Main Replacement project.
The project is estimated to include 7,900 feet of new 4-inch to 36-inch water main pipe. The new water line will be installed from the Pigeon Creek Bridge north to Ivy Tech.
The goal is to increase water supply to the northern areas of the EWSU distribution system and improve overall water distribution.
 The public and media are encouraged to attend and ask questions as this will be one of the Utility’s largest and most important water projects of the year.
Utility staff will also showcase and provide technical assistance for the recently relaunched MyWater EWSU mobile app. The new app features make it more convenient for residents and businesses to access their accounts, monitor usage, make payments, report water waste and communicate directly with EWSU Customer Service.
Mayor Lloyd Winnecke and City department heads will be available after the EWSU presentation to talk one-on-one with residents about any issue involving local government. The event is free and open to everyone.
More:
MyWater EWSU App (Google Play | iOS)
For more information, reach out to me or EWSU PIO Ella Johnson-Watson.
