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HOT JOBS IN EVANSVILLE
ADOPT A PET
Rosie is a 5-year-old female pit bull mix. She is friendly with other dogs and is a staff/volunteer favorite at the shelter. She weighs 59 lbs. Rosie was surrendered in September from a family who had too many animals. Her adoption fee is $110 and includes her spay, microchip, vaccines, and more. Contact Vanderburgh Humane at (812) 426-2563 for adoption details!
How your students can experience our new exhibit
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Shooting death
The Vanderburgh County Coroner Office and the Evansville Police Department are investing the shooting death of DeAndre Ellington, age 18, of Evansville. The victim died at Deaconess Emergency room at 22:59 hrs. after having been transported by ambulance from the scene. An autopsy is scheduled for 16:30 hrs. today. The Evansville Police Department  can provide investigative updates as they become available.
“IS IT TRUE” DECEMBER 3, 2019
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?
IS IT TRUE last night members of the Evansville City Council took up ordinance F-2019-24 amended?  …in order to balance this year’s budget members of Evansville City Council voted to transfer many hundred of thousands of dollars from one city account to another? …City Council took the money from the Local Option Tax fund account?…after all that the City of  Evansville is still is forced to carry a $2.6 million employee hospitalization deficit into 2020?  …can you believe that some of our elected officials think that this is balancing the city budget?
IS IT TRUE the good news for the Evansville taxpayers is that the State Board Of Accounts (SBOA) has passed a new State Law that gives Governmental entities six (6) months to find a remedy to correct the problems of overdrawn city accounts?
IS IT TRUE we are told that the practice of not posting unrecorded accounts payable in a timely manner will come to an end starting January 1, 2020?  …starting in 2020 Finra and the SEC will require cities with populations greater than 100k to submit the year-end financial report to the State Board of Accounts by using the accrual method of accounting?
IS IT TRUE that six out of 10 TSA members signed up to speak at the most recent EVCS School  Board meeting?  …according to an article in a national publication that only one person was allowed to speak during the last EVSC School Board meeting and it was alleged that the others five (5) individuals were denied the right to speak by EVSC President Karen Ragland?  …later on, the other five were allowed to speak after a protest was launched by the TSA?
IS IT TRUE that EVSC School Board members continue to stifle the of “Freedom Of Speech”, disallows “Public Access To Public Records” and possible violations of the “Executive Sessions” (closed-door meetings)?  …these are the reasons why that many people are hoping that local attorney Charles Berger will force the officials at EVSC to create an atmosphere of open communication with the citizens they serve?
IS IT TRUE last week it was announced that Evansville has been awarded the 71st National Square Dance Convention, to take place June 22–25, 2022?  …this event is estimated to attract around 3,000 to 4,000 people to our area? …we wonder why anyone would announce an event scheduled two (2) years from now?
IS IT TRUE several years ago Steve Hammer was defeated in an extremely competitive Republican primary race for County Commissioner but he still remains involved in our community? … that Steve Hammer continues to be active in Vanderburgh County CASA, “A Hundred Men Who Cook”, “A Hundred Guys Who Cares”, YWCA Of Evansville, Ziemer Society Of St. Vincent, helping with the “Mickey’s Kingdom” playground project at Sunset Park?  …we would also thank him for hiring long-term unemployed veterans to work at the Roca Bar-North and helping to feed the less fortunate citizens of our community?
IS IT TRUE the saga continues concerning individuals competing for the Evansville City Council attorney position starting in 2020?…all three candidates continue to lobby all nine city council members but it looks like the trend is going towards current City Attorney Josh Claybourn ways?
Today’s non-scientific but trendy “Readers Poll†question is: Do you feel that its time to make a decision concerning the Vanderburgh County jail?
If you would like to advertise on the CCO please contact us at City-County Observer@live.com
Any comments posted in this column do not represent the views or opinions of the City-County Observer or our advertisers.
Indiana House Republicans Pick Huston As Heir To The Speaker’s Throne
TheStatehouseFile.com
INDIANAPOLIS- Republicans in the Indiana House have picked Rep. Todd Huston to become the next Speaker of the House once current Speaker Brian Bosma resigns that position at the end of the 2020 session.
Huston, a 47-year-old Fishers Republican, was first elected in 2012 to represent District 37, which includes Fishers and other Hamilton County areas. He was re-elected in 2018 to his fourth term with 54.5% of the vote and has served as one of Bosma’s key lieutenants as deputy speaker pro tempore.
Many were surprised when Bosma chose to announce on Nov. 19, the legislature’s one-day organizational meeting, that he’ll be resigning as a speaker and leaving the legislature next year. Speaking to reporters Monday with Huston by his side, Bosma said he had been advised not to make the announcement and proceed with a selection of a Speaker-elect months before his exit because it could diffuse power.
But, Bosma said, his decision wasn’t about power but how best to serve the public. Choosing a Speaker-elect months before the post becomes vacant – a highly unusual step – ensures a smooth transition of leadership as Huston learns the job he’ll take over.
“We tried to do this in the least disruptive way possible,†Bosma said.
The announcement was made in the House chamber shortly after House Republicans met behind closed doors to select Huston – a selection Bosma said was unanimous and by acclamation.
Bosma said Huston would bring “stability†to the position but would bring his “own views on issues and his own flair†to the position.
Huston said he is honored and humbled by his selection.
He has, he said, “huge shoes to fill and I am just going to do the best I can.â€
Asked how his style would differ from Bosma’s, Huston said he doesn’t have Bosma’s lengthy legislature tenure and would perhaps rely more on caucus members’ input. And, he said, he believes in listening and reaching decisions based on data, not stories.
Huston, who holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from Indiana University, is a senior vice president for state and district partnerships at The College Board, a non-profit that develops and administers standardized tests. In 2019, he served as co-chairman of the budget-writing House Ways and Means Committee. Bosma said he won’t have that role in 2020 as the chairman, Rep. Tim Brown, R-Crawfordsville, has recuperated from a serious motorcycle accident.
In a statement, Gov. Eric Holcomb called Huston “a home run pick for Indiana House Speaker.â€
“He has proven himself a strong leader and has touched so many facets of state government through the budget process,†Holcomb said. “I look forward to working with him and Sen. Bray going forward.
Senate President Pro Tempore Rodric Bray, R-Martinsville, will be working closely with Huston as the leaders in the two parts of the General Assembly. In a statement, he called Huston “ a great choice†to succeed Bosma.
“Over the years I’ve worked with Todd, I have come to know him as a dedicated public servant with vision and integrity,†Bray said.
House Minority Leader Phil GiaQuinta, D-Fort Wayne, said he looks forward to working with Huston “in making sure that the House conducts a healthy and vigorous debate on the issues that concern Hoosiers across our state.â€
Indiana Democratic Party Chairman John Zody, though, focused on the political implications of the win for Huston, who represents a suburban area that is trending more Democratic after being a GOP stronghold for decades. In the 2019 municipal elections, Zody noted in his statement, Democrats running for council seats got slightly more votes than Republicans.
“In ‘winning’ behind closed doors today, Rep. Huston just made his own reelection a tossup,â€? Zody said. “There’s no winning when Speaker Huston’s decisions imperil Representative Huston’s electoral future.â€
Huston asked at the news conference about the changing political tide in suburban areas, dismissed the concern, saying that a presidential election year will bring out more voters and that the GOP will run aggressive campaigns.
FOOTNOTE: Brandon Barger is a reporter for TheStatehouseFile.com, a news website powered by Franklin College journalists.
Federal Investigators Seek Student Records And Spending Details At Indiana Virtual School

And investigators also want to know who got paid with the millions of public funds that flowed to Indiana Virtual School and Indiana Virtual Pathways Academy.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office declined to comment on Tuesday. The Federal Bureau of Investigation did not respond to a request for comment.
But a subpoena was included among dozens of documents provided Monday night by the two virtual schools in response to a move to revoke their charters.
The subpoena summoned representatives of Indiana Virtual School and Indiana Virtual Pathways Academy to testify in front of a grand jury Aug. 6 with requested documents, ranging from student files to bank information.
But in front of the Daleville school board on Monday, the online schools’ attorney, Mary Jane Lapointe, disputed any errors in enrollment, contending that “there were no overpayments — in fact, that there were no miscalculations, none. And that in fact, there were always more students enrolled than they were getting paid for.â€
The subpoena does not spell out exactly who is being investigated, and why. Grand jury proceedings are secretive — prosecutors present evidence to a grand jury behind closed doors. The 16 to 23 grand jury members are tasked with determining whether there is probable cause to charge an individual with a crime.
Often, grand jury considerations only come to light if an individual is indicted. Then, a case proceeds in court. If a grand jury decides not to indict someone, the public often never finds out, and grand jurors are ordered by law not to disclose their discussions.
Lapointe indicated Monday night that the schools are still compiling their response to the request for documents. She did not return a call for comment Tuesday.
“There’s a tremendous amount of virtual and hard paper that is being collected by the attorneys handling the subpoena,†Lapointe said.
Here’s what we know so far.
Investigators are digging into the schools’ enrollment practices.
A couple of lines in the subpoena appear to be redacted, but the document request includes student files and records on “attendance, course participation, or student presence.â€
The subpoena also asks for extensive documentation on enrollment — communication from families or other schools about students enrolling enrollment applications, and both incomplete and complete enrollment forms. It seeks information about whether people were paid based on recruitment, and any discussions the schools may have had with its authorizer, the state education department, or the U.S. Department of Education about enrollment.
Two other agencies have already looked into enrollment issues at Indiana Virtual School and Indiana Virtual Pathways Academy. Daleville Community Schools, which oversees the two online schools, analyzed course data and said most students never earned any credits throughout the year, and many were not even signed up for any classes.
State auditors discovered that the schools reported re-enrolling students who had moved out of state or students who had been kicked out of the schools for not participating. In one case, Indiana Virtual School kept a student on its rolls after he had died.
State auditors deduced that the schools were likely reporting twice as many students as they actually had enrolled, and their examination of the schools’ finances is still ongoing. The state education department said the schools should return $47 million in state money and cut off future funding.
A line in the subpoena also asks about special education funding — federal dollars that come with strict regulations on how they’re spent.
Lapointe provided numbers on monthly enrollments and withdrawals, pointing out that students enroll throughout the year and that the schools did not have a process for removing inactive students. The numbers contradicted Daleville’s findings, claiming that most students were enrolled in five or more courses.
On Monday night, Lapointe said the schools were holding off on making copies of copious student records for the response to the subpoena. Officials could also waive their right to appear and provide them to an FBI agent to present to the grand jury instead, according to the subpoena.
Investigators also want to know where the money went.
The documents requested through the subpoena could create a detailed map of who has been involved in running and providing services to the two virtual charter schools. The subpoena asks for information on who’s in charge of the two virtual schools and who has any ownership interests in the schools’ businesses. It looks for a list of vendors, contracts, invoices, and receipts.
A Chalkbeat investigation in 2017 raised the question of conflicts of interest between the school’s founder, Thomas Stoughton, and lucrative contracts that the school forged with businesses led by him and his son. An attorney for the schools contended at the time that they could not have started up without support from Stoughton’s business.
Stoughton stepped down from Indiana Virtual School’s board and sold his interest in a business hired to manage the schools, AlphaCom, Inc. It’s unclear whether he is still affiliated with the schools or businesses contracted by the schools.
AlphaCom — which has no online presence — was allowed to charge the schools monthly fees for each student, with extra fees for special education services, according to contracts. AlphaCom could charge more for “supplemental services,†developing or modifying courses, or other special projects. At one point, Indiana Virtual School agreed to pay AlphaCom up to $500,000 for “course gamification.â€
In 2018, however, it appears a company called American Pathways Academy took over many of the services that had been provided by AlphaCom. The company is listed at the same address used by both AlphaCom and the schools. An attorney that formerly represented AlphaCom described it as “defunct,†though it still appears active in state business records, and its name repeatedly came up in Monday night’s discussion in Daleville about the problems at the virtual charter schools.
The subpoena hones in on any communications that Stoughton had with the two schools. It also names another individual: Merle Bright, who once signed an agreement with Indiana Virtual School as president of AlphaCom. Contracts show Bright also managed a Florida company called Cyber Educational Services that worked with Indiana Virtual School in 2016 and 2017.
An attorney for Stoughton declined to comment. Bright could not be reached on Tuesday.
On Monday night, Lapointe said AlphaCom was building its defense against the allegations of enrollment miscalculations and overpayments.
The group’s response, she said, “is going to be, ‘didn’t do anything wrong at all.’â€
It’s possible that some information might never come to light.
The subpoena indicates that investigators are preparing for the possibility that some of the records they have requested may no longer exist. The final line instructs recipients to share information about missing records — including who is responsible for their absence.
“If you have knowledge of any documents that would be responsive to this Subpoena, but has been lost, destroyed, redacted, or discarded,†the subpoena reads, “you shall identify the document to the extent possible, and provide an explanation of the loss, destruction, redaction, or discarding, including identification of each person authorizing or having knowledge of the loss, destruction, reaction, or discarding.â€
Rick Stein Radio Show Premieres Wednesday
The “Rick Stein on USI Women’s Basketball” radio show begins Wednesday night, live from St. Phillips Inn off Upper Mount Vernon Road on Evansville’s Westside.
This year’s show will air live on WREF 97.7 FM/ESPN Radio The Ref between 7-8 p.m. and feature USI Women’s Basketball Head Coach Rick Stein as well as USI Men’s Basketball play-by-play commentator Dan Egierski.
The show will feature live comments from Stein about the Screaming Eagles’ recent games and upcoming opponents; insight into the women’s basketball program and women’s college basketball; and live interviews with players from the team.
Dates for the shows are December 4, December 18, January 22, February 12, February 26 and March 11.