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HOT JOBS IN EVANSVILLE
ADOPT A PET
Miss Havisham, named for the character from Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations, is actually not at all like her literary counterpart. She’s not really mad. She doesn’t wear a wedding dress every day of her life. And she wasn’t left at the altar. She does, however, get along great with other felines. She would love to live anywhere with you – even if it’s a rotting mansion. Come see Miss H Tuesday-Saturday at the VHS and ask for her specifically. Her adoption fee is $40 and includes her spay, microchip, vaccines, and more. Contact Vanderburgh Humane for adoption details at (812) 426-2563!
VANDERBURGH COUNTY COUNCILMAN JOE KIEFER TO SEEK RE-ELECTION
VANDERBURGH COUNTY COUNCILMAN JOE KIEFER TO SEEK RE-ELECTION
Vanderburgh County Councilmember Joe Kiefer will file for re-election to his County Council At-large seat at Noon, Tuesday, January 21st at the Election Office in the Civic Center.
Joe feels that he seeks to serve another term in order to finish the goals he wanted to achieve.
After Joes filing, he will address those in attendance
Court Documents Provide Details Of What Led To Former College President’s Arrest
By Victoria Ratliff
TheStatehouseFile.com
INDIANAPOLIS—Franklin College’s former president arranged to meet what he thought was a 15-year old boy at a fast-food restaurant in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, saying he was attracted to younger men.
Minar used a dating app called Grindr to exchange messages with an undercover police officer whom he understood to be a minor, according to a criminal complaint filed Wednesday in a Door County, Wisconsin circuit court.
The officer identified himself as Tyler and originally told Minar he contacted him on accident and was too young. Minar responded with “You’re not too young for me :)â€
The Franklin College community is reeling over the news that its former president, who held the post for five years, is accused of sex crimes involving children—child enticement, using a computer to facilitate a child sex crime and child enticement.
On Tuesday, just one day after the campus learned via email that Minar had been fired after his arrest, the college’s board of trustees announced that its long-time athletic director, Kerry Prather, would take over as acting president.
Minar was arrested on Jan. 6, more than a week before the campus learned of the allegations.
The complaint said after exchanging messages with an undercover police officer whom he understood to be a minor named Tyler, he sent multiple pornographic pictures and other sexual messages through the Grindr app.
When Tyler asked if Minar could text him instead of messaging on the app, Minar said, “I’d love to but it would be bad if anyone found texts from me on your phone…â€
They then agreed to meet at a nearby McDonalds, which is where Minar was greeted by an undercover police officer as well as other officers who placed him under arrest and took him to the Door County jail.
Minar agreed to an interview where he subsequently told the officer that he met with the minor to be a “friend†and to be his “mentor†but said, “Yes, I’m 56 years old. Yes, I’m attracted to young males.â€
Minar told the officer the messages to Tyler was simply a “fantasy chat†and that he would draw the line between sending sexually explicit messages to Tyler and actually having sexual contact with him.
When asked about what officers might find on his phone, Minar said it is unlikely that officers would find child pornography, but if pornography was found, it would be from “pornography sites he cannot control.â€
Minar, who was planning to leave Franklin College at the end of the current academic year, was released the day after his arrest on a $7,500 bond.
When asked if Minar’s college computer has been seized by any investigators, Deidra Baumgardner, Franklin’s communications director, said she did not know. In response to another question, Baumgardner said the college has not received any complaints from students about incidents on campus.
Former Athletic Director Kerry Prather assumed the position of acting president at Franklin College following the firing of Thomas Minar. Photo provided by Franklin College.
On Wednesday, one day after stepping into the acting president’s role, Prather sent a statement to the Franklin community saying that the faculty’s dedication to the students is what makes the college strong.
“They are about you, and that is really what makes Franklin distinctive,†he said, adding his goal is to keep the focus on students.
Prather, who has worked for the college since 1982, was the athletic director and head men’s basketball coach. He has been called upon in the past to fill other leadership roles at the school, including assistant dean of students, associate director of admissions, acting vice president for enrollment management and acting vice president for administration.
“Franklin has a bright future,†Prather said in his message, “and I am excited to help ensure that the institution remains focused on the heart of its mission, our current and future students.â€
FOOTNOTE: Â Victoria Ratliff is a reporter for TheStatehouseFile.com, a news website powered by Franklin College journalism students.
Prosecutors Testify In Support Of Senate Bill 206
Senate Committee Hears Important Child Victim Bill
INDIANAPOLIS (January 16, 2020) – Tippecanoe County Prosecutor and President of the Association of Indiana Prosecuting Attorneys, Inc., Pat Harrington, testified in support of Senate Bill 206 on Wednesday.
SB 206, authored by Sen. Mark Messmer, R-Jasper, disallows discovery depositions of sex crime victims under the age of 16 unless the victim will not be available to testify at trial or the court finds that exceptional circumstances exist and the deposition is in the best interests of justice. Harrington told the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday the bill would go a long way in protecting child victims in sex crimes from experiencing further and unnecessary trauma. Between forensic interviews, discovery depositions conducted by defense attorneys and testifying in court, child victims are tragically re-traumatized on a regular basis, which can result in emotional distress, self-harm, and depression.
Prosecutors believe limiting depositions in these types of cases will benefit child sexual abuse victims, while also protecting a defendant’s constitutional right to confront their accusers at trial. The U.S. Supreme Court established in a 1977 case that the opportunity for cross-examination at trial is sufficient to satisfy the 6th Amendment right to confrontation.
“We understand the challenges at times of balancing the rights of a defendant with a victim’s right to be treated with respect and dignity,†Harrington said. “And this bill will help restore that balance and provide a more victim-centered approach for child victims who have been through a very traumatic experience.â€
Courtney Curtis, Assistant Executive Director for the Indiana Prosecuting Attorneys Council, also testified in support of SB 206. Curtis explained that in sexual abuse cases, the vast majority of child victims are given a forensic interview by a trained child forensic specialist. Their training is trauma-informed and designed to be legally sound in order to protect the integrity of the evidence, regardless of the child’s age or communication skills. Curtis also informed committee members that these forensic interviews of child victims are both audio and video recorded and those recordings are shared with defense attorneys.
SB 206 is expected to receive a vote in committee next week.
THE FIRST CASUALTY
THE FIRST CASUALTY
Gavel Gamut By Jim Redwine
When our son, Jim, served in the Gulf War in 1990-91 and the Iraq War in 2006-07 and briefly in the Afghanistan War in 2007 he observed one of war’s most vital premises: our country should never fall behind the curve of military superiority. America was fortunate to recover from Pearl Harbor in time to help the Allies survive World War II. In the age of nuclear and cyber warfare, we might not be able to survive World War III with outdated technology.
The United States must remain vigilant. Vigilance does not call for aggression. In fact, our Constitution demands defense, not offense. However, we have been in an offensive mode militarily since we unwisely intervened in Viet Nam after France was driven out in 1954 after the Battle of Dien Bien Phu. Beginning in 1956 America saw fit to emulate the errors of the French and we have been intervening militarily in numerous countries ever since.
One thing we Americans thought we had learned from the discovery that our government had misled us into the Viet Nam War was the old truism that in war the first casualty is truth. This adage is often attributed to Aeschylus (525-456 BCE) but it probably has been noted by many observers of peoples drawn into wars by their leaders. By the way, those leaders have almost always not been the ones to do the fighting.
Such examples as King David sending Uriah to die in battle to hide David’s seduction of Uriah’s wife, Bathsheba, Second Samuel, chapter 11, or perhaps President George W. Bush’s false claim that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction or now our government’s claims about our war in Afghanistan may illustrate this ancient principle.
Just this month Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction John Sopko testified before the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee that America’s war in Afghanistan, our longest war ever, was conducted on a basis of lies to get and maintain Congressional political and funding support. The Washington Post newspaper published reports that Douglas Lute, former White House Afghan War official under both President George W. Bush and President Barack Obama, had testified America invaded Afghanistan in 2001 without a fundamental understanding of Afghanistan or what America planned to accomplish there.
Of course, Americans are no longer surprised that our government misleads us into wars. Unfortunately, we have become inured to it. That is the danger. It is as frightening as the old story of the boy who cried wolf. If our government continues to mislead us into unnecessary wars, will we citizens respond appropriately when, and it could happen someday, we are asked to sacrifice our lives and treasure for a just cause such as our country’s survival?
For more Gavel Gamut articles go to www.jamesmredwine.com
Or “Like†us on Facebook at JPegRanchBooks&Knitting
County Commissioners 2020 Meeting Dates
RESOLUTION CO.R-01-20-001
A RESOLUTION CONCERNING COUNTYÂ
COMMISSIONER MEETING DATES FOR 2020
WHEREAS, I.C. §36-2-2-6 requires regular meetings of the Board of Commissioners of Vanderburgh County, Indiana be established by resolution or ordinance on or before the first meeting in February of each year;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the Board of Commissioners of Vanderburgh County, Indiana as follows:Â the County Executive of Vanderburgh County shall hold a regular meeting at least once a month and at other times as needed to conduct all necessary business. The regular meetings of the Board of Commissioners of Vanderburgh County, Indiana in 2020 shall be held at 3:00 p.m. in Room 301 in the Civic Center Complex in Evansville, Indiana on the following dates:
January 14, 2020Â July 14, 2020
January 28, 2020 July 28, 2020
February 11, 2020August 11, 2020
February 25, 2020August 25, 2020
March 10, 2020September 8, 2020
March 24, 2020September 22, 2020
April 14, 2020October 13, 2020
April 28, 2020October 27, 2020
May 12, 2020November 10, 2020
May 26, 2020November 24, 2020
June 9, 2020December 1, 2020
June 23, 2020December 15, 2020
Rezoning petitions will be heard by the Board of Commissioners of Vanderburgh County, Indiana on the following dates of the County Commissioner meetings beginning at 3:00 p.m. in Room 301 of the Civic Center Complex in Evansville, Indiana.Â
January 28, 2020July 28, 2020
February 25, 2020August 25, 2020
March 24, 2020September 22, 2020Â
April 28, 2020October 27, 2020
May 26, 2020November 24, 2020
June 23, 2020December 15, 2020
Vanderburgh County Drainage Board meetings will be held on the following dates immediately following the regular meeting of the Board of Commissioners of Vanderburgh County, Indiana in Room 301 in the Civic Center Complex in Evansville, Indiana.
January 14, 2020July 14, 2020
January 28, 2020July 28, 2020
February 11, 2020August 11, 2020
February 25, 2020August 25, 2020
March 24, 2020September 22, 2020
April 14, 2020October 13, 2020
April 28, 2020October 27, 2020
May 12, 2020November 10, 2020
June 9, 2020December 15, 2020
June 23, 2020
The County Commissioners will hold a County Cabinet (department head) meeting prior to each regularly scheduled County Commissioner meeting beginning at 2:00 p.m. and immediately following the monthly Solid Waste Board District meeting in the County Commissioner conference room in Room 305 of the Civic Center Complex in Evansville, Indiana.
SO ADOPTED this 14th day of January, 2020.
Â
THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS OF
VANDERBURGH COUNTY INDIANA Â Â Â
Jeff Hatfield, President   Â
Ben Shoulders, Vice President   Â
Cheryl Musgrave, Member
ATTEST: Brian Gerth, Vanderburgh County Auditor
APPROVED AS TO LEGAL FORM: David L. Jones, Vanderburgh County Attorney