“IS IT TRUE” AUGUST 9, 2019
IS IT TRUE according to Vanderburgh County School Board member Anne Ennis that the iLearn test has cost the Indiana taxpayers about $45 million over the last three year?
IS IT TRUE that  Dr. Adrian Brooks niece is the newly appointed Superintendent of the Indianapolis public school system?
IS IT TRUEÂ we are told that a couple of local of financially well-heeled business people would be interested in bringing back an ECHL professional hockey team to Evansville if they could get the same $1,000 Ford Center home game rate as the Evansville Thunderbolts?
IS IT TRUE that the person calculating the official attendance of September 1, 2019, live race at Ellis Park must have had a serious computer glitch?  …they reported around 18,000 people attended September 1, 2019, live races at Ellis Park?  …the track largest recorded attendance was 8,500 people when they had the Camel and Ostrich races on the same day?
IS IT TRUE a couple of years ago the only grocery store in Jacobsville closed without warning?…this creates a food desert right after a politician proclaimed Jacobsville is an up and coming neighborhood?…the reasons given by the Buehler’s IGA for closing the doors was the high levels of theft that were occurring at the store?…this is the same kind of criminality that supposedly killed the Wesselman’s, the Sunshine Market?
IS IT TRUE that a neighborhood grocery store is a vital part of any redevelopment effort?  …if you want to clean up places like Jimtown and Jacobsville, the first step is to get rid of the Jims and Jacobs who rob and pillage everything that is out there? …good-paying jobs, reliable public transportation, affordable livable housing, good schools, affordable daycare services, a quality grocery store, and accessible and affordable healthcare would go a long way in helping people in that area?
Vanderburgh County Board of Commissioners Meeting
AGENDA Of The Vanderburgh County
Board of Commissioners On September 10, 2019, At 3:00 pm, Room 301
- Call to Order
- Attendance
- Pledge of Allegiance
- Action ItemsÂ
- GAGE Update
- Health Department
- Analyst Systems Support Contract with Mark Healy
- Fatality Review and Prevention Grant
- Department Head Reports
- New Business
- Old Business
- Consent Items
- Approval of September 3, 2019, Meeting Minutes
- Employment ChangesÂ
- Economic Development Coalition August 2019 Report
- Sheriff: Christian Fellowship Church Road Closure Request
- County Engineer: Department Report
- Public Comment
- Adjournment
Tatum Tornatta Gives Verbal Commitment To Southern Illinois University
Tatum Tornatta Gives Verbal Commitment To Southern Illinois University
By Rachel Ketzner

CHRISTINE H. KECK SELECTED Â AS CITY COUNTY OBSERVER “OUTSTANDING COMMUNITY SERVICE” AWARD WINNER
CHRISTINE H. KECK Â ISÂ MANAGING DIRECTOR, FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS,Â
CENTERPOINT ENERGY Â
 With the February 2019 acquisition of Vectren Corporation by CenterPoint Energy (CNP) Christine leads Federal advocacy and policy engagement for CNP, enterprise-wide, covering the regulated gas and electric utility operations which now encompass 8 states as well as the company’s non- regulated subsidiaries which have a nation-wide footprint. With the Vectren acquisition, CNP is now the 2nd largest natural gas utility in the United States, serving more than 7 million metered customers.
 This builds upon Christine’s efforts since 2008 leading public policy, strategy and external engagement initiatives for Vectren and its subsidiaries, advancing public policy critical to addressing and improving our Nation’s pipeline infrastructure, the nexus between domestic energy production and independence with defense and national security, energy efficiency, regulatory regimes and tax policies.
 In 2015 Christine was recognized with the national “Energy Champion†award by the Energy Services Coalition, in recognition of her efforts to advance the use of performance-based contracting and for her efforts in successfully securing a 3-year cooperative agreement with the U.S. Department of Energy.
 Christine is active in energy industry associations, including the American Gas Association, the Edison Electric Institute, the Federal Performance Contracting Coalition, the National Association of Energy Services Companies and the Energy Services Coalition, for which she is the past board president.
 Prior to joining the company in 2008, Keck served as Senior Vice President, Southern Region Corporate Lending Executive for Evansville, Indiana based Old National Bank. Christine began her career with Old National as part of the Bank’s Management Training program, and worked in a variety of capacities, primarily in the Commercial and Corporate Lending groups.
 In October of 2018, Christine was elected as Chairman of the Southwest Indiana Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, serving in this capacity to October 2020. In July 2019 Christine became the Chairman of the St. Vincent Hospital Foundation Board of Directors.
 In recognition of her community service and leadership, Christine was recently awarded the Sara B. Davies Award by Leadership Evansville. She has also been a finalist for the Athena award in 2018, 2014 and 2012.Â
 EDUCATION
Christine attended McGill University in Montreal, Canada and graduated from Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana. She has received several professional certifications including the prestigious designation of “CRCâ€, Credit Risk Certified, by the Risk Management Association, a national organization dedicated to the use of sound credit and lending practices in the financial services industry.
 LEADERSHIP, PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS, AND RECOGNITIONS
- Chairman, SW Indiana Chamber of Commerce of BoardÂ
- Trustee, University of Southern Indiana
- Chairman St Vincent’s Hospital (Ascension Health) Foundation Board
- Board Member, University of Evansville Schroeder School of Business Dean’s Advisory Board
Young & Established Inspires And Motivate Area Youth
Courtney Lee Johnson, Founder of Young & Established, was born and raised in Evansville, Indiana. He completed his Bachelor’s degree at the University of Southern Indiana.
Since embarking on his entrepreneurship journey, Courtney has dedicated his time and energy to giving back to his community and inspiring those he meets along the way.
Johnson created Young & Established 6 years ago to build a community-oriented organization which seeks to inspire and motivate youth while addressing the challenges young people face every day.
Through our mentoring programs, community events, and relevant campaigns, we strive to make a lasting impact on the lives of today’s youth. Courtney believes the work he does is bigger than himself, and his greatest desire is to do everything possible to make the world a better place, one community at a time!
USI Men Finishes Road Trip With Wild 3-3 OT Tie
USI sophomore midfielder Ryan Nevins (St. Peters, Missouri) put the Eagles on the scoreboard first with a goal inside the box at 23:23. Nevins was assisted on his first tally of the season off a through ball by junior forward Graham Miller (Owensboro, Kentucky).
The USI lead would last until the 44th minute of the first half when Northwood put heavy pressure on the Eagles’ defense and knotted the match at 1-1 before the intermission.
A wild second half ensued with the Eagles and the Timberwolves scoring a pair of goals each. The Timberwolves took the lead for the first time in the match, 2-1, with a goal 1:19 into the second half. USI rallied for the first time in the match to tie the game, 2-2, when sophomore defender Colten Walsh (St. Louis, Missouri) recorded his first goal of the season at 72:27 off a pass from senior midfielder Adam Becker (Columbia, Illinois).
The tie did not last long as the Timberwolves grabbed a 3-2 advantage 30 seconds later at 72:57. Miller put the Eagles back into contention in the final 10 minutes when he got USI’s second equalizer at 80:40 off of a second assist by Becker.
The USI defense blocked a pair of shots and junior goalkeeper Justin Faas (Carmel, Indiana) made a pair of tough saves in the final minutes of regulation to get the Eagles to the overtime periods.
In the overtime periods, both teams got off two shots each, but no one was able to put an end to the match before the final whistle on the tie. Faas recorded the tie for the Eagles, allowing the three goals and making seven saves.
The Eagles start the 2019 home schedule and GLVC campaign next weekend when they host McKendree University at Strassweg Field at 2:30 p.m. USI was forecast to place fourth, while McKendree was predicted to finish seventh in the GLVC.
McKendree has started the year 1-1-0 after falling to Saginaw Valley State University, 2-0, and defeating Oakland City University, 3-0, this weekend in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Lady Eagles Pound Cavaliers, 4-0
Lady Eagles Pound Cavaliers, 4-0
NORTH CANTON, Ohio. – The University of Southern Indiana women’s soccer team concluded 2019 non-conference play with a convincing 4-0 victory at Walsh University this afternoon in North Canton, Ohio. The Screaming Eagles start the year 2-0-0, while Walsh begins 1-1-0.
USI junior forward Maggie Winter (St. Louis, Missouri) led the Eagles’ offensive attack with a pair of second-half goals after assisting on the first goals of the match. Winter, who has a team-high seven points on three goals and one assist in the first two matches of the season, scored her goals within a minute, finding the back of the net at 74:14 and 75:07. She was assisted on her goals by sophomore midfielder Rachel Gray (Franklin, Tennessee) and junior forward Taylor McCormick (Rapid City, South Dakota).
Senior forward/midfielder Emilie Blomenkamp (Smithton, Illinois) posted the eventual game-winning goal at 22:32 of the first half off an assist by Winter and junior defender Madelyne Juenger (Columbia, Illinois). The goal was Blomenkamp’s second of the season and would stand up through halftime.
Sophomore forward Katlyn Andres (Louisville, Kentucky) sealed the victory for USI 51 seconds into the second half with her second goal of the season. She was assisted on the play by Juenger.
Between the posts, freshman goalkeeper Maya Etienne (Midland, Michigan) posted her second-straight shutout. Etienne faced a total of 12 shots and made eight saves to earn the win.
The Eagles start the 2019 home schedule and GLVC campaign next weekend when they host McKendree University at Strassweg Field at noon. USI was forecast to place sixth, while McKendree was predicted to finish second in the league.
McKendree has started the year 1-1-0 after defeating Kentucky Wesleyan College, 3-2, and losing Ohio Dominican University, 1-0, this weekend at home.
Live coverage of the USI-Walsh match-up can be found at GoUSIEagles.com.
Yesteryear: Old Vanderburgh County Courthouse
Yesteryear: Old Vanderburgh County Courthouse
BY PAT SIDES
Seen here in the 1920s, the stately old Courthouse has occupied an entire city block downtown since its completion as Evansville’s third courthouse.
The building’s ornate Baroque style reflected the city’s growing civic pride and economic prosperity as the century drew to a close.
The cornerstone was laid on November 27, 1888, in an imposing ceremony led by the Grand Lodge of Masons, and citizens were granted a half-day off work to participate in the festivities. “It Is Done,†a headline in the Evansville Courier proudly proclaimed in late 1890, calling the structure a “perpetual monument of Vanderburgh’s greatness.â€
In the distance (at right) are Lockyear College and the YMCA building, which were erected in the early twentieth century.Â