The Evansville Police Merit Commission scheduled meeting for today
Monday, November 11, 2019 has been cancelled for the impending weather.
The next scheduled meeting of the Police Merit Commission will be onÂ
Monday, November 25, 2019, in Room 307 of the Civic Center Complex at 4:00pm.
Notice submitted by Sgt. Doug Schneider,
 Liaison to the Evansville Police Merit Commission
University of Southern Indiana Men’s Soccer won a wild second half shootout to defeat University of Indianapolis, 3-2, in the first round of the Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament Sunday afternoon in Indianapolis, Indiana. The Screaming Eagles, the fifth-seed, see their record go to 9-6-3 overall, while UIndy, the fourth-seed, goes to 12-5-1.
The Eagles advance to play in the GLVC Tournament semifinals at 6:30 p.m. (CST) Friday at Woehrle Athletic Complex in Jeffersonville, Indiana. USI will play winner of top-seeded McKendree University and 8th-seeded Drury University, which are playing in Lebanon, Illinois, this afternoon. GLVC Tournament information can be found on GLVCsports.com.
USI and UIndy were scoreless through the first 70 minutes when Eagles senior midfielder Sean Rickey broke the tie with a blast from 18 yards for the 1-0 lead. The Greyhounds responded with the tying goal at 79:23 before senior midfielder Morgan Kelly gave the Eagles the lead back, 2-1, with a tally at 80:36.
Rickey would strike again at 84:06 to give the Eagles a two-goal, 3-1, advantage. The senior’s two goals in the match were his sixth and seventh of the season.
The Greyhounds cut the Eagles’ lead in half, 3-2, by converting a penalty kick at 86:18, but would be their last chance in the match as USI finished off the last four minutes for the victory that snapped a five-match losing streak to UIndy. USI junior goalkeeper Justin Faas picked up his ninth win of the year by making six saves in the match.
University of Southern Indiana Women’s Soccer opened the Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament by upsetting the University of Indianapolis, 1-0, Sunday afternoon in Indianapolis, Indiana. The seventh-seeded Screaming Eagles go to 11-6-1 overall, while UIndy bow out of the league tournament to 13-4-1.
The Eagles advance to play in the GLVC Tournament semifinals at 10 a.m. (CST) Friday at Woehrle Athletic Complex in Jeffersonville, Indiana. USI will play third-seeded Rockhurst University (14-4-0), which defeated sixth-seeded Maryville University, 2-0, this afternoon in Kansas City, Missouri. The Hawks defeated the Eagles last month in Kansas City, 2-0. GLVC Tournament information can be found on GLVCsports.com.
USI got on the scoreboard late in the first half with the eventual game-winning goal when sophomore midfielder Rachel Gray scored from five yards out at 35:45. Gray’s second goal of the season was assisted by junior forward Taylor McCormick.
The Eagles, who were outshot in the match, 9-4, let their defense take over in the second half. USI freshman goalkeeper Maya Etienne tied an Eagles’ single-season record with nine shutouts after making five saves in the match. Etienne tied the USI single-season record for shutouts that was set by Angie Gries in 1998.
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 this coming Tuesday, November 12, 2019, is the deadline for you to pay your property taxes?
IS IT TRUE we are told that Mayor Winnecke is negotiating with two of the largest riverboat cruise companies in the United States to convince them to begin stopping in Evansville?  …if Mayor Winnecke can pull off this feat it would have a serious economic impact for the City of Evansville and downtown businesses?  …this is a developing a story?
IS IT TRUE that Evansville has one of the most charismatic and hard-working Mayors in years?  …Mr. Winnecke is also very personable and likable? …since he now has to deal with a 7 t0 2 Democratic majority City Council we predict that he will be forced to put more focus on budgetary issues and stop going along with every capital project that comes along?  …that Mayor Winnecke has a lot of talented people surrounding him and he should start seeking their advice before he agrees to invest money on any future big-ticket capital projects?
IS IT TRUE one should never forget when one invests in a multi-million capital project they should also make financial provisions to do long term preventive maintenance on the project?
IS IT TRUE we are told by several of our golfing “Moles” that it looks like the fix may be in? Â …they predict the Board of Park Commissioners will decide to close down Wesselman Par 3 Golf Course? ..everybody knows that the Evansville Parks Board are political appointments and they generally do what the politicians want?
IS IT TRUE we are told that the choice for the next Evansville City Council attorney will be most interesting?
IS IT TRUE when a Chairman of a political party sweeps an election he takes total credit for this accomplishment? Â …when a Chairman of political party loses he blames everyone else for the loss?
IS IT TRUE we are getting a big kick out of watching a couple of newly elected City Councilmembers jockeying for a leadership position on 2020 Council?
IS IT TRUE that sometimes the names change but the games remain the same?
IS IT TRUE that individuals who like to be kept abreast of the current and future political happenings in Indiana should read an extremely well-researched article written By Mary Beth Schneider of TheStatehouseFile.com?  …this article is entitled “Patches Of Blue In The Red Sea” is posted in today’s City-County Observer?
IS IT TRUE we are told that the practice of not posting unrecorded accounts payable in a timely manner has come to an end starting in 2020?  …that Finra and the SEC now 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 TRUEÂ we wonder if the Evansville City Controller Russ Lloyd Jr., CPA has paid all the city employees health care bills for this year? Â …our guess is a resounding “NO”?
IS IT TRUEÂ that our newly elected City officials are the stewards of the public trust and we hope that the 2020 City Council will start acting like it?
IS IT TRUE that the Vanderburgh County Superior Court Judge Richard G. D’Amour is doing an outstanding job for the citizens of Vanderburgh County?
IS IT TRUE on October 30, 2019, DMD Director Kelly Coures sent the following e-mail to members of the ERC Board of Directors?  …he said: “I got an e-mail from Randy this morning about the announcement of the project the former IGA site which stated that there was unawareness of the project by the ERC?  …Mr. Coures also stated that  “It was my understanding that we discussed the project with ERC at the last meeting the ERC approved the initial resolution to begin the work on issuing $1.5 million in TIF bonds for the project and we discuss the parameters of the project living units with a commercial element?  …also wrote that “you approved the funding for the grocery store market study earlier this summer which we are still working on with the developer”? …Coures concluded that “The announcement this morning is a nice cornerstone to what we have been doing the area the last eight years”?
IS IT TRUE we are told that Mr. Coures is attempting to find out who sent us the above e-mail? Â …the answer is “MOLE 29”?
Since its founding in 1776, the United States has fought in about a dozen major wars—and intervened militarily on hundreds of others—with every generation of Americans witnessing combat in one form or another. As such, tens of millions of Americans have suited up for the armed forces, including some 16 million during World War II alone. These servicemembers include 31 of the 44 presidents.
Well over 1 million Americans have died in warfare, the vast majority in just two conflicts: the Civil War and World War II.
- Nathan Hale, 1776, in his alleged last words prior to being executed by the British for being a spy.
- General (and future President) George Washington, 1783, in his farewell orders to the Continental Army.
- President Abraham Lincoln, 1863, in the Gettysburg Address.
- Civil rights leader and ex-slave Frederick Douglass, 1863, in remarks encouraging the enlistment of African-American soldiers during the Civil War.
- President Woodrow Wilson, 1919, in proclaiming Armistice Day (which would later become Veterans Day) on the anniversary of the end of World War I.
- Philosopher George Santayana, 1922, in his book, “Soliloquies in England and Later Soliloquies.†(This quote is often misattributed to Plato.)
- Comedian Bob Hope, 1944, in “I Never Left Home,†his book about going on tour to entertain the troops, which he did in every U.S. conflict from World War II to the Persian Gulf War.
- Author Kurt Vonnegut, 1969, in “Slaughterhouse-Five,†his novel about the Allied firebombing of Dresden during World War II.
– President Ronald Reagan, 1983, in a radio address to the nation.
- President George W. Bush, 2001, in remarks honoring the Navajo code talkers of World War II.
- Senator John McCain, 2008, in a foreign policy speech.
- Maya Angelou, writer and civil rights activist who received the 2010 Presidential Medal of Freedom.
- John F. Kennedy in his 1963 Thanksgiving proclamation, issued before his death.
- Homelessness advocate and film producer Maria Cuomo Cole, 2015, in an editorial pointing out that tens of thousands of vets are homeless.
– Iraq War veteran and author Roy Scranton, 2016, in an interview with a reporter.Â
AGENDA
| I. | INTRODUCTION |
Agenda Attachment:
| II. | APPROVAL OF MEETING MEMORANDUM |
Memo Attachment:
| III. | REPORTS AND COMMUNICATIONS |
| IV. | SPECIAL ORDERS OF THE DAY |
| V. | CONSENT AGENDA:Â FIRST READING OF ORDINANCES AND RESOLUTIONS |
A. ORDINANCE G-2019-15 An Ordinance of the Evansville Common Council Authorizing the City of Evansville, Indiana, to Issue One or More Series of Its “Economic Development Revenue Bonds (House Investments Evansville Oz, LLC Project)”, and Approving and Authorizing Other Actions in Respect Thereto Sponsor(s): Weaver Discussion Led By: Finance Chair Weaver Discussion Date: 11/18/2019 G-2019-15 Attachment:
| VI. | COMMITTEE REPORTS |
| VII. | REGULAR AGENDA:Â SECOND READING OF ORDINANCES AND RESOLUTIONS |
A. ORDINANCE G-2019-14 An Ordinance Amending Chapter 6.05 (Animal Control) of the Evansville Municipal Code Sponsor(s): Mosby Discussion Led By: ASD Chair Mosby Discussion Date: 11/11/2019 G-2019-14 Attachment:
B. ORDINANCE F-2019-23 Amended An Ordinance of the Common Council of the City of Evansville Authorizing Transfers of Appropriations, Additional Appropriations and Repeal and Re-Appropriation of Funds for Various City Funds Sponsor(s): Weaver Discussion Led By: Finance Chair Weaver Discussion Date: 11/11/2019 F-2019-23 Amended Attachment:
| VIII. | RESOLUTION DOCKET |
A. RESOLUTION C-2019-21 A Resolution to Support Mesker Park Zoo & Botanic Garden’s Destination Development Grant Proposal Sponsor(s): McGinn Discussion Led By: Finance Chair Weaver Discussion Date: 11/11/2019 Notify: Jennifer Evans, Mesker Park Zoo & Botanic Gardens C-2019-21 Attachment:
| IX. | MISCELLANEOUS BUSINESS |
A. THE NEXT MEETING of the Common Council is Monday, November 18, 2019 at 5:30 p.m.
B. ADDITIONAL MISCELLANEOUS BUSINESS
| X. | COMMITTEE REPORTS |
| XI. | ADJOURNMENT |
By Mary Beth Schneider
TheStatehouseFile.com
INDIANAPOLIS—While the nation seemed riveted Tuesday night by a big Democratic victory in Kentucky, more significant Democratic wins were happening in Indiana.
The defeat of Republican Gov. Matt Bevin said more about Bevin than it did about trends for future elections. As Louisville Courier-Journal columnist Joe Gerth wrote, “Matt Bevin lost because he’s a jerk.â€
But in some key races in Indiana, we saw Republicans with no scandal, no big personal negatives lose in places where election victory was once assured simply by being Republican.
In Hamilton County, Democrats for the first time ever won council seats—one in Carmel and two in Fishers. And a Democrat unseated the Republican incumbent in oh-so-GOP Zionsville.
In Marion County, areas that once were solidly Republican have been gradually becoming more Democratic. Tuesday, there was nothing gradual about it as Democrats picked up six seats to win a supermajority of 20 seats on the Indianapolis City-County Council, with only five Republicans from the southern part of the county elected. It’s a 180-degree swing from the council make-up when I first moved here in the 1970s.
In fact, Republicans held the council majority only three elections ago, thanks to the four at-large seats which the GOP-controlled legislature eliminated once Democrats started to win those.
Among the casualties: The Republican minority leader, Mike McQuillen, who lost his district in the northeastern corner of the county.
While Republicans did well in many areas of the state—including Muncie, where FBI raids seem to have become a regular feature of local government—the Grand Old Party shouldn’t party too hard. If the 2018 election loss of long-time Republican Sen. Mike Delph of Carmel was a hint of trouble, the 2019 election losses in suburban areas is a big red flag—or maybe I should say blue flag.
Republicans could once count on suburban areas as reliable vote gushers, the Old Faithfuls of election math. There is little to indicate that they’ll swing back by 2020. That could put in play the 5th Congressional District, where Republican Susan Brooks is retiring, and even the legislative seat of House Speaker Brian Bosma, an Indianapolis Republican whose district includes northeastern Marion County.
As he collected his campaign yard signs from around his district, McQuillen said several factors contributed to his loss: A somewhat-confusing ballot design; the lack of coattails, or even much of a coat, from GOP mayoral candidate Jim Merritt; and a relatively popular incumbent mayor, Democrat Joe Hogsett.
But he also had to carry the baggage of simply being a Republican in the era of President Donald Trump.
“Going door-to door, shaking hands, I had a lot of people ask me about Trump and about being a Republican with Trump,†McQuillen said. “My response was always, well, city and local politics are different than national politics; my tweets are happier than Trump’s and I’m just trying to do the best job I can for my constituents.â€
McQuillen said he did a radio call-in show in which more than half of the 15-20 calls he fielded were about Trump and Washington, D.C.
“Marion County is becoming more Democratic every day,†McQuillen said. “It just made it more difficult. I won in 2015 with 59 percent of the vote, and in 2019 I had 48 percent of the vote. It just speaks volumes about the other things swirling around.â€
Everyone on the 2020 ballot needs to pay attention, he said.
Adam Kirsch, a political consultant and former Marion County Democratic Party executive director, argued that “any suburban Republican in Indiana needs to be very, very afraid.â€
The suburban realignment that Kirsch says arguably started in 2008 when Barack Obama carried this state on route to the White House has now seriously taken hold. In addition to Indianapolis, Carmel, Fishers and Zionsville, he pointed to Columbus, where Democrats apparently have won control of the council in Vice President Mike Pence’s hometown.
It wasn’t just a Hoosier phenomenon. From battleground Pennsylvania, to Virginia, Kentucky, Kansas and, yes, Indiana, suburban voters came out to vote and voted largely for Democrats.
Republicans remain the dominant party here, and they can continue to take for granted the votes of most rural areas. But the patches of blue across the Indiana landscape are no longer limited to a handful of cities. They’re spreading—and once lost to the GOP, getting them back could take years.
FOOTNOTE: Mary Beth Schneider is an editor at TheStatehouseFile.com, a news website powered by Franklin College journalists.
YESTERYEAR: Sunset Drive-In Theater by Pat Sides
Evansville’s last surviving drive-in theater was the Sunset, which closed in 1984, marking the end of an era. In 1950, an Evansville Courier entertainment columnist noted that the city had fifteen indoor theaters. In addition to these, local movie fans could patronize at least five outdoor drive-in theaters, all of which opened in the years from 1947 to 1952.
The local drive-ins included the Evansville, Family, Westside, and Sunset, as well as the Mt. Vernon Drive-in. The first of these to open was the Evansville Drive-in (originally named the Air Line Theater) on Morgan Avenue near Green River Road. On the first night of operation, July 15, 1947, cars had to be turned away because of the overflow, despite rain earlier in the evening.
The “golden age†of drive-ins peaked in the 1960s. Their popularity waned as multiplex theaters began to appear, offering a variety of films that could be viewed in dry, air-conditioned comfort.
