https://www.vanderburghsheriff.com/jail-recent-booking-records.aspx
IS IT TRUE OCTOBER 11, 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 that this is the week of the Westside Nut Clubs Fall Festival and nearly every person who grew up in or around Evansville is planning to attend to enjoy fun, games and a plethora of very odd things to eat?…there always seems to be a long line to get brain sandwiches that are not particularly appreciated across the country but it is an Evansville delicacy?…there are plenty of other different sorts of culinary treats like chocolate-covered insects, deep-fried everything, and lots of good carnival treats?…a good time will be had by most and plenty of charities and religious organizations will raise funds to be deployed to help people in need?…the Fall Festival is a truly unique Evansville experience?
IS IT TRUE that City Councilman Justin Elpers will propose changes to the City’s Health Insurance Plan at this coming Monday’s City Council meeting that will address the $3.4 million Hospitalization deficit?  …we give five (5) cheers to the current 5th Ward City Councilman Justin for thinking outside the box?  …we can’t wait to see if other City Council members will support Mr.Elpers worthwhile “Good  Public Policy” ordinance?
IS IT TRUE that former City-County Observer editor and content contributor Joe “Jack” Wallace got a nice surprise this week when the California Alliance for Renewable Energy underwrote the purchase of 900 copies of his book Living Outside the Box?…this is the largest single order that has been placed for Joe’s book and it will be provided to all of the attendees of a large convention that will be attended by business leaders who are interested in economic activity and green businesses?
IS IT TRUE that we would like to congratulate Joe  “Jack” Wallace on his continued success of “Living Outside the Box” and are looking forward to welcoming him to town for the October 25th CCO “OUTSTANDING COMMUNITY SERVICE” awards luncheon to be held at the Tropicana-Evansville?
IS IT TRUE that Evansville, Indiana is a traditional Democrat town and the political blood of this town still runs blue in spite of the recent success of the Vanderburgh County Republican Party in placing winning candidates on both the Evansville City Council and in the Mayor’s office?
IS IT TRUE that the local Republican party had better not take it for granted that they will be emerging with a majority of the seats on the Council because Evansville has a history of supporting Democrats?
IS IT TRUE the damage done to the fundraising capacity of the Vanderburgh County Democrat Party is something that the City-County Observer predicted in 2011 when the last Democrat mayor was told that Rick Davis would be running for the Democrat nomination?…that sent the former Mayor and many of his minions into a fit of rage that literally destroyed the cohesiveness that the Democrats had enjoyed for years?
IS IT TRUE between Floatgate, a surrogate of the former Mayor seeking the nomination, and Rick Davis’ victory, the seeds of destruction had been planted?…the local Republican party have been on an upswing ever since and all indications are that with a political war chest that the Democrats cannot compete with, the consequences of the arrogance of 2011 will continue for another election cycle?
IS IT TRUE that the local Republican party is currently experiencing some political infighting within their own ranks? Â …we predict that local Republican party movers and shakers will regret that they showed favoritism towards a couple of City Council candidates listed on the November General election ballot?
IS IT TRUE that our current “CCO MOLE” membership is now a 152 strong?  …because of our “Working Outside The Box” speakers series we have picked up 17 new ” CCO MOLES”? …  that five (5) “CCO MOLES” passed away during the last several years and we really miss them?
IS IT TRUE we would like to wish one of the top community cheerleaders, Steve Hammer a happy 50th birthday?
IS IT TRUEÂ we been told that the Vanderburgh County GOP party chairman Wayne Parke is president of Parkes Consulting firm? Â …many people have asked us what kind of consulting work does he do? Â …our answer is maybe he is consulting people on “How To Win Friends And Influence People”?
IS IT TRUE starting next the City-County Observer welcomes any local candidate running for elected office to send us a position paper? Â …we will print it without opinion, editing or bias?
Today’s “Readers Poll†question is:  Do you think that the Republicans will take control of the 2020 City Council?
We are pleased to provide obituaries from area funeral homes at no cost.  We are also are pleased to announce that we are now providing news from all of the area High Schools. Please scroll down the paper and you shall see a complete listing of them.
FOOTNOTES: This year’s awards luncheon will be held at Tropicana-Evansville Walnut rooms A and B. The registration begins at 11:30 am, the event officially starts at 12 noon on October 25, 2019. Â The Keynote speaker will be announced later this week.
Reservations for this event may be obtained by calling JIM KNAUFF at 812-457-1017. The deadline for registration is October 20, 2019. Last year’s event was a sellout.
If you would like to advertise on the CCO please contact us at City-County Observer@live.com
We understand that sometimes people don’t always agree and discussions may become a little heated.  The use of offensive language, insults against commenters will not be tolerated and will be removed from our site.
Any comments posted in this column do not represent the views or opinions of the City-County Observer or our advertisers
FIFTH WARD CITY COUNCILMEN JUSTIN ELPERS PROPOSES BUDGET AMENDMENT TO REDUCE CITY EMPLOYEES HEALTH CARE DEFICIT
FIFTH WARD CITY COUNCILMEN JUSTIN ELPERS PROPOSES BUDGET AMENDMENT TO REDUCE CITY EMPLOYEES HEALTH CARE DEFICIT
Budget Amendment to Insurance Sponsor: Elpers
Ordinance F-2019-16
Amendment No. 01
WHEREAS, the Common Council of Evansville (“City Councilâ€) is the legislative and fiscal body for the City of Evansville, Indiana;Â
WHEREAS, the City Council exercises legislative authority pursuant to Ind. Code § 36-4-4-4 and makes the laws that govern the city;
WHEREAS, as the fiscal body, the City Council has the sole responsibility of adopting a City budget each year;
WHEREAS, the Mayor of Evansville proposes to City Council a detailed budget for all City departments, considering revenue sources and restrictions on how money from each revenue source can be used;
WHEREAS, state law requires that the budget be balanced;
WHEREAS, by state law found at Ind. Code § 36-4-7-7(a), City Council can cut any of the mayor’s spending proposals; and
WHEREAS, following a review of the proposed budget, City Council wishes to exercise its fiscal and legislative powers by altering the health insurance benefits offered by the City to its employees.
NOW, THEREFORE, the Common Council of Evansville, Indiana, moves with respect to Ordinance F-2019-16, that:
- Budget item 7046101-338020, designated as City contributions to non-Teamster employee health insurance premiums, shall be cut by an amount equal to fifteen percent (15%) of premiums for non-Teamster employees. This cut is made under the expectation that the City will reduce employer contributions to health insurance premiums by 15% for each non-Teamster employee.
- Concurrent with this reduction, budget item 7046101-399005, designated as the employee share of health insurance premiums, shall increase by an amount equal to fifteen percent (15%) of premiums for non-Teamster employees.Â
- Following such changes, City Council would expect monthly premium rates to change as follows:
Monthly Rates PPO Benefit Plan 1
| Current premiums | Proposed premiums following increase | |
| Employee Only | $65.43 | $75.24 |
| Employee / Spouse | $137.41 | $158.02 |
| Employee / Child(ren) | $124.33 | $142.98 |
| Family | $183.22 | $210.70 |
Monthly Rates HDHP Plan 2
| Current premiums | Proposed premiums following increase | |
| Employee Only | $56.14 | $64.56 |
| Employee Plus One | $73.57 | $84.60 |
| Family | $83.03 | $95.48 |
United States Senator Braun’s Statement On Impeachment Inquiry
WASHINGTON, D.C. –– Senator Braun released the following statement regarding Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Representative Adam Schiff’s impeachment proceedings against President Trump.
“Speaker Pelosi’s impeachment inquiry based on hearsay, secrecy, and no regard for due process is a partisan sham intended to overturn the 2016 election.
Instead, Democrats should pass USMCA. President Trump is right to refuse to participate in this unfair, unprecedented, and illegitimate process.” – Senator Mike Braun
Governor Holcomb and Indiana Department of Transportation Award Nearly $100 Million Through Next Level Roads Community Crossings Initiative
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About Next Level Roads Next Level Roads is Governor Eric J. Holcomb’s initiative to elevate Indiana’s economic competitiveness and quality of life for all Hoosiers through investment in transportation infrastructure. This sustainable, data-driven plan dedicates more than $60 billion over the next 20 years to improving the conditions of existing roads and bridges – both state and local, finishing major projects, and building for the future. Next Level Roads is enhancing Indiana’s position as a leader in freight and logistics and empowering cities, towns and counties to build communities that attract jobs and talent. Learn more about Next Level Roads at in.gov/indot.
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Madison, Ind. – Governor Eric J. Holcomb and Indiana Department of Transportation Commissioner Joe McGuinness today announced 229 Indiana cities, towns, and counties received a combined $99.2 million in state matching funds for local road projects through the Next Level Roads: Community Crossings Initiative.
The Community Crossings Initiative has provided more than $612 million in state matching funds for construction projects. The latest round garnered more applications than dollars available—making the call for projects highly competitive. In response to local requests to help manage project flow, INDOT now accepts applications in both January and July, with a $1 million cap annually per community. An estimated $100 million will be available for communities opting to apply during the January 2020 call for projects.
EPA Proposes Updates to Lead and Copper Rule to Better Protect Children and At-Risk Communities
As part of Children’s Health Month, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a proposed rule that significantly improves the actions that water systems must take to reduce lead in the nation’s drinking water. EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler announced the proposal at an event in Green Bay. This action represents the first major overhaul of the Lead and Copper Rule since 1991 and marks a critical step in advancing the Trump Administration’s Federal Action Plan to Reduce Childhood Lead Exposures.
“Today, the Trump Administration is delivering on its commitment to ensure all Americans have access to clean drinking water by proposing the first major overhaul of the Lead and Copper Rule in over two decades,â€Â said EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler. “By improving protocols for identifying lead, expanding sampling, and strengthening treatment requirements, our proposal would ensure that more water systems proactively take actions to prevent lead exposure, especially in schools, child care facilities, and the most at-risk communities. We are also working with the Department of Housing and Urban Development to encourage states and cities to make full use of the many funding and financing options provided by the federal government.â€
In conjunction with today’s announcement, EPA and the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) have launched a new website that summarizes available federal programs that help finance or fund lead service line (LSL) replacement. The new resource also includes case studies demonstrating how cities and states have successfully leveraged federal resources to support LSL replacement projects.
“During my time as a physician, I saw firsthand the devastating impacts lead exposure can have on children,” said HUD Secretary Ben Carson. “I applaud the EPA for taking action to reduce lead exposure in drinking water, particularly in our most vulnerable communities.â€
The agency’s proposal takes a proactive and holistic approach to improving the current rule—from testing to treatment to telling the public about the levels and risks of lead in drinking water. When finalized, this proposal will:
- Require more water systems to act sooner to reduce lead levels and protect public health.
- Improve transparency and communication.
- Better protect children and the most at-risk communities.
The proposal focuses on six key areas. Under the proposal, a community water system would be required to take new actions, including, but not limited to:
1) Identifying the most impacted areas by requiring water systems to prepare and update a publicly-available inventory of lead service lines and requiring water systems to “find-and-fix†sources of lead when a sample in a home exceeds 15 parts per billion (ppb).
2) Strengthening drinking water treatment by requiring corrosion control treatment based on tap sampling results and establishing a new trigger level of 10 ppb (e.g. trigger level outlined below).
3) Replacing lead service lines by requiring water systems to replace the water system-owned portion of an LSL when a customer chooses to replace their portion of the line. Additionally, depending on their level above the trigger level, systems would be required take LSL replacement actions, as described below.
4) Increasing drinking water sampling reliability by requiring water systems to follow new, improved sampling procedures and adjust sampling sites to better target locations with higher lead levels.
5) Improving risk communication to customers by requiring water systems to notify customers within 24 hours if a sample collected in their home is above 15 ppb. Water systems will also be required to conduct regular outreach to the homeowners with LSLs.
6) Better protecting children in schools and child care facilities by requiring water systems to take drinking water samples from the schools and child care facilities served by the system.
EPA’s proposal does not change the existing action level of 15 ppb. EPA is proposing for the first time a new lead trigger level of 10 ppb, which would compel water systems to identify actions that would reduce lead levels in drinking water. EPA’s new 10 ppb trigger level will enable systems to react more quickly should they exceed the 15 ppb action level in the future. These actions could include reevaluating current treatment or conducting a corrosion control study. Systems above 10 ppb but below 15 ppb would be required to set an annual goal for conducting replacements and conduct outreach to encourage resident participation in replacement programs. Water systems above 15 ppb would be required to annually replace a minimum of three percent of the number of known or potential LSLs in the inventory at the time the action level exceedance occurs.
Additionally, small systems that exceed the trigger and action levels will have flexibility with respect to treatment and LSL replacement actions. This will allow smaller systems to protect public health by taking the action that makes sense for their community.
EPA’s Lead and Copper Proposed Rule reflects input received from the agency’s state, local and tribal partners, the Science Advisory Board, the National Drinking Water Advisory Council, and best available peer-reviewed science. EPA is taking public comment on this proposal for 60 days after publication in the Federal Register via:  http://www.regulations.gov [Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OW-2017-0300].
USI Theatre Presents A Student-Directed Production Of A Doll’s House, Part 2
University of Southern Indiana Theatre continues its fall 2019 season with a student-directed production of A Doll’s House, Part 2, by Lucas Hnath, from October 17-19. It will be directed by USI theatre student Brennen Hobson.
In A Doll’s House, written in 1879 by Henrik Ibsen, Nora Helmer made the decision to walk out on her husband and children – a decision that in the nineteenth century was practically unheard of. Now, in A Doll’s House, Part 2, fifteen years have gone by. With only a knock on the door to announce her arrival, Nora has returned to her former home. But why? What will it mean for her family and friends that she left behind?
Hobson will be joined by a design team of fellow USI students: Cheyenne Welte as costume designer; Megan Gilbert as lighting and sound designer; Jacey Stewart as scenic designer; and Ryan Butler as production stage manager.
The cast of A Doll’s House, Part 2 includes USI students Paige Murray, Allen Karch, Clare McGregor, and Kyra Roberts.
Admission is free on a first come, first served basis. All performances will take place in the Helen Mallette Studio Theatre, located in room 0105 in lower level of the College of Liberal Arts.). The performances will be held October 17-19 with all showings starting at 7:00 p.m. Follow us on Facebook at USITheatre and NewHarmonyTheatre, Twitter @TheatreUSI, and Instagram @USI_theatre for updates and photos. For questions, contact the box office at 812-465-1635.
Tickets are also now on sale for the rest of the 2019-20 season. Join us for A Midsummer Night’s Dream, directed by Elliot Wasserman and running November 14-17, 2019.  Brighton Beach Memoirs, the 2020 Repertory Project co-produced by USI Theatre and New Harmony Theatre, runs from February 13-16, 2020. Brighton Beach Memoirs will feature professional Equity actors and stage management. The second spring show will be Little Shop of Horrors, directed by Eric Altheide from April 16-19, 2020. For more information on the remainder of the USI Theatre season visit USI.edu/theatre or call 812-465-1635.
98th Annual West Side Nut Club Fall Festival Now Through October 12!
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“Right Jab And Middle Jab And Left Jab†October 11, 2019
Right Jab And Middle Jab And Left Jabâ€Â was created because we have a couple of commenters that post on a daily basis either in our “IS IT TRUE†or “Readers Forum†columns concerning National or International issues.
The majority of our “IS IT TRUE†columns are about local or state issues, so we have decided to give our more opinionated readers exclusive access to our newly created “LEFT JAB and Middle Jab and RIGHT JAB† column. They now have this post to exclusively discuss national or world issues that they feel passionate about.
We shall be posting the “LEFT JAB†AND “MIDDLE JAB†AND “RIGHT JABâ€Â several times a week.  Oh, “LEFT JAB†is a liberal view, “MIDDLE JAB†is the libertarian view and the “RIGHT JAB is representative of the more conservative views. Also, any reader who would like to react to the written comments in this column is free to do so.
Today’s “Readers Poll’ question is: Do you think the Republicans will take control of the 2020 City Council?
If you would like to advertise in the CCO please contact us at City-County Observer@live.com