|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
HOT JOBS IN EVANSVILLE
Freedom win in 11 innings over Otters
Despite tying the game at three in the eighth inning Friday, the Evansville Otters couldn’t push across the go-ahead run as the Florence Freedom took the series opener 6-3 in 11 innings.
In a game that was a pitcher’s duel for most of the game, both offenses started to scratch and claw for runs in the latter part of the game.
Florence grabbed a 1-0 in the top of the fourth inning, which Evansville equalized in the bottom of the sixth when Rob Calabrese scored from second on a throwing error by Florence catcher Ryan Rinsky.
After that fourth inning run, Otters starter Matt Quintana had a stretch of retiring 10 of the 12 next batters he faced.
The Otters’ tying run in the sixth would be the only blemish on Scott Sebald’s line for Florence. He went six innings, allowing one run on four hits. He would earn a no-decision.
The Otters would take a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the seventh on a bases-loaded hit by pitch to Keith Grieshaber and scoring Tanner Wetrich.
Quintana would be pulled in the middle of the eighth inning, giving way to reliever Abraham Almonte. Quintana pitching 7.1 innings, allowing three runs on three hits and struck out seven. He took a no-decision.
With two men on and two outs, Isaac Bernard hit a two-RBI double off Almonte, giving the Freedom a 3-2 lead.
The Otters tied the game at three in the bottom of the eighth as Elijah MacNamee scored on a pinch-hit infield single by Dakota Phillips.
The game remained tied at three until the 11th inning, forcing the international tie-breaker rule to come into effect.
With Brandon Pugh starting at second base, Austin Wobrock reached base on an error and Pugh advanced to third.
Connor Crane lined a two-RBI triple to give the Freedom a 5-3 lead off Otters reliever Cam Opp.
Luis Pintor followed with an RBI single, giving Florence a 6-3 advantage.
The Freedom and Jared Cheek retired the Otters in the bottom of the 11th inning to get the series-opening win.
Cheek got the win after going 2.1 innings in relief, moving his record to 1-1.
Cam Opp would be given the loss, dropping his record to 4-2.
Game two of the series will be Saturday at 6:35 p.m. from Bosse Field.
Illinois Man Arrested for Sexual Misconduct with a Posey County Teen
Posey County – Indiana State Police initiated a criminal investigation on June 19th after receiving information that a 55 year-old Illinois man allegedly had sexual relations with a female that was under the age of 16.
During the investigation, Indiana State Police Detective Wes Kuykendall revealed Jonathan Mericle, 55, of Mt. Vernon, IL, made contact with the female through a dating website. After texting and sharing pictures, they met on June 14th at an undisclosed location in Mt. Vernon, Indiana, and allegedly had sexual relations.
After reviewing the investigation, the Posey County Prosecutor’s Office issued a felony warrant for Mericle’s arrest. This evening at approximately 5:00 p.m., Mericle was arrested at his residence without incident by Mt. Vernon, IL, Police Department. He is currently being held at the Jefferson County Jail in Illinois.
 Arrested and Charges:
- Jonathan E. Mericle, 55, Mt. Vernon, Illinois
- Sexual Misconduct with a Minor, Level 4 Felony
- Child Solicitation, Level 4 Felony
HOOSIER HISTORY HIGHLIGHTS
August 25 – August 31The Week in Indiana History |
|||||||||
DID YOU KNOW?       The St. Louis World’s Fair,also called the Louisiana Purchase Exposition, was held from April to December in 1904. More than 60 countries and 43 states had exhibition spaces at the fair, which covered 1,200 acres. New technology included the wireless telephone and the telautograph, an early type of fax machine. Visitors marveled at demonstrations of an X-ray machine. The new 20th century was bringing a revolution In transportation, and electric streetcars, automobiles, and airships were all on display. A fair is not a fair without great food, and many visitors were delighted to sample for the first time hot dogs, ice cream cones, peanut butter, iced tea, and cotton candy. Answers: Left to right: Madam C. J. Walker, James Dean, Wendell Willkie, Hoagy Carmichael |
|||||||||
1920   Mary Bostwick of Indianapolis became the first woman in Indiana to serve on jury duty. She was also a newspaper reporter who pursued adventure of all kinds. She took part in balloon races and flew with barnstorming pilots. With 500 winner Howdy Wilcox at the wheel, she was the first woman to ride around the track at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway (at 110 mph.)
2009   Space Shuttle Discovery lifted off from Cape Canaveral. Among the crew was pilot Kevin A.Ford from Montpelier, Indiana. A graduate of Blackford High School in Hartford City and the University of Notre Dame, he served many roles at NASA, including that of commander of the International Space Station.
Commentary: Words With The Weight Of History
Words With The Weight Of History
By Mary Beth Schneider
TheStatehouseFile.com
INDIANAPOLIS — Even for this president, the one who claims he has the “best words,†these words were startling.
These words evoked decades of anti-Semitism that questioned the loyalty of Jews.
Rabbi Mike Harvey of Temple Israel in West Lafayette said there were two comments that sent a shiver of recognition through many: “One that we went to sleep to, and one that we woke up to.â€
The first was Trump’s comments on Tuesday that Jews who support Democrats — and a majority do — were either stupid or disloyal.
They woke the next morning to Trump retweeting the comments by Wayne Allyn Root, a conspiracy theorist, that Israelis “love him like he’s the king of Israel. They love him like he is the second coming.â€
In past delusions, Root has questioned Barack Obama’s American birth and religion said the Las Vegas mass shooting was coordinated by Muslims and that George Soros — a Jew and a wealthy supporter of Democrats — had paid the white nationalist who drove into a crowd in Charlottesville, Virginia, killing Heather Heyer.
“Those are two different, extremely problematic things,†Harvey said of the double-dose of Trump comments and tweets. “The first one is scary… To label a particular group of people as disloyal unless they vote along the party line is something that has been seen in Jewish history all too well. That language, not just in ancient history but in modern history as well, has been used to fuel genocides.â€
“All this sort of rhetoric, they are not just words,†the rabbi told me. “They fuel hatred. They fuel violence. They help dehumanize certain groups of Americans.â€
And Root’s fawning words that Trump savored? “The last time that someone was referred to as the ‘King of the Jews’ that message was written on Jesus’ cross when he was crucified. So that’s symbolic,†Harvey said. And as Jews do not believe there was a first coming of the Messiah, calling Trump the “second coming†for Israeli Jews “shows either an extreme disassociation from the views of Judaism or it is simply another implication that evangelical Christianity knows better and Jews, if they would just wake up, would understand. And that’s a very deep-rooted anti-Jewish, anti-Semitic trope.â€
Harvey grew up in St. Louis, Missouri, without the fears children face today.
“Thirty years ago, anti-Semitism had not boiled to the surface in America,†he said. “Certainly there were under the surface anti-Semitic acts, anti-Semitic feelings and comments, that sort of thing. It was nothing like it is today.â€
These days we see bigots marching in Charlottesville chanting “Jews will not replace us†— and a president who says there were good people among them. We see a video of California high school boys raising their hands in a Nazi salute and singing a Nazi war song. We see a Carmel synagogue defaced with swastikas. And, worst of all, we see 11 people killed and six wounded at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh.
Children who already have to fear to go to school now also have to fear being shot where they worship.
After the killings at Tree of Life synagogue, synagogues began discussing protective measures and active-shooter drills.
“We just voted this past week on our board to have a locked-door policy, meaning that the doors are 100 percent all the time locked. That is a new cultural change for us,†he said, adding that things such as shatterproof glass and a safe room where people can seek refuge are being planned.
Harvey said he tells children in his congregation that “every generation of Jews, of Jewry, encounters something like this… It’s simply part of our lives. It makes us stronger and more resilient and we’re still here. There’s no need to give up hope.â€
Especially not in the face of what is the brightest light of hope in what seems like a dark epoch: They are not alone.
“We have seen incredible amounts of unity and support and interfaith understanding,†Harvey said. “We have so many allies, so many churches and mosques and organizations and government officials that are so supportive when things like Tree of Life happen.â€
He tells the children that “despite the fact that there is so much vocal hatred, there is a great deal of support, a great deal of protection by our friends here. And to remember that the loudest voice isn’t always the strongest voice.â€
Even if the loudest voice belongs to the president.
FOOTNOTE: Mary Beth Schneider is an editor at TheStatehouseFile.com, a news website powered by Franklin College journalists.
The City-County Observer posted this article without bias or editing.
Office of the Attorney General Achieves Another Year Of Successful Outreach At Indiana State Fair
Attorney General Curtis Hill announced today that he and his staff interacted with more than 7,000 Hoosiers at the Indiana State Fair this month.
During the fair’s 17-day run, staff members also found more than $100,000 in unclaimed property for fairgoers who stopped by the Attorney General’s booth.
“Our Unclaimed Property Division has done an outstanding job of safeguarding and returning millions of dollars in unclaimed property,†Attorney General Hill said. “We value every opportunity to reach out to Hoosiers from all across our great state and provide them with direct services from our office.â€
On Aug. 9, Attorney General Hill also sponsored “Consumer Protection Day†at the fair. Besides operating the office’s booth, staff members circulated throughout the fairgrounds to distribute helpful information about identity theft, ongoing scams and other consumer issues.
Anyone wishing to contact the Office of the Attorney General is encouraged to visit the website at www.in.gov/attorneygeneral/ or call th
MARGARET KOCH SELECTED AS A CCO “OUTSTANDING COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD WINNER FOR 2019
MARGARET KOCH Selected As A City-County Observer “Outstanding Community Services Award” Winner For 2019
The City-County Observer is proud to announce that Margaret Koch has been selected a City-County Observer “Outstanding Community Services Award” winner for 2019.
Margaret is an extremely popular and very personable person that is extremely involved in every aspect of our community.
She was born and raised in Houston, Texas, and has her parents to thank for teaching her the importance of stewardship and working to make the world a better place. She moved to Evansville in the spring of 2000 and worked as a registered nurse for Visiting Nurse Plus, HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital and most recently Deaconess Hospital. She and her husband, Kevin, have two wonderful and busy daughters who are 11 and 9 years old. They both attend St. Bens Catholic school.Â
Due to the needs of her family, Margaret made the decision in 2013, to become a full-time house spouse and community volunteer. Â
She is a Junior League of Evansville Sustainer, and it was with this amazing organization that she began honing her fundraising skills while working on several money-generating committees. Since completing her seven-year stint with the Junior League, she has served on the boards of Ark Crisis Child Care Center and the Reitz Home Museum. With both of these boards, she cultivated relationships within our community working to build partnerships with these wonderful organizations and our many individuals and corporate champions. Â
Presently she serves on the stewardship committee and pastoral council at St. Ben’s Cathedral, and helps raise money for the Summer Social and Holiday Luncheon. She also is very involved with St. Ben’s School Mardi Gras committee where she focuses on raising sponsorship dollars that go toward the ongoing upkeep of this outstanding school along with updating technology and educational tools.Â
She also is a member of the Evansville Museum board, where she helps with the annual gala and serves on the art committee. She has been a member of the Vanderburgh Community Foundation Alliance Women’s Fund for the past two years and more recently joined 100+ Women Who Care. She feels privileged to be a part of both of these groups of strong, giving women. Â
Her passions for animals, conservation, and FUN have been fulfilled with her role as a board member of the Evansville Zoological Society, which is the non-profit arm of Mesker Park Zoo and Botanic Garden. She perhaps a little too enthusiastically participated in a feasibility study and was subsequently asked to chair our zoo’s first-ever capital campaign in 2014. She is so pleased with the outcome of the campaign so far when she and family enjoy the Engelbrecht Carousel and walk among the spectacular parakeets in the Evansville Convention and Visitors Bureau’s Budgie Walkabout. She invites you to visit the zoo and see these spectacular additions, thanks to the generosity of so many individual and corporate donors. Â
Margaret thrives on helping others and strives to make the world a better place. She is so proud of the progress happening throughout Evansville and feels honored to be a part of it. Â
FOOTNOTE: This year’s awards luncheon will be held at Tropicana-Evansville Walnut rooms A and B on October 25, 2019. The registration begins at 11:30 am, the event officially starts at 12 noon.
Defense Contractors Return $200 Million in Self-Reported Waste
Defense Contractors Return $200 Million in Self-Reported Waste
A little over 10 years ago, it became mandatory for Department of Defense contractors to self-report potential fraud, waste, or abuse.  Now the department’s inspector general reports that defense contractors have returned more than $200 million over the last decade in self-reported waste.
Until November 2008, the Defense Department had a voluntary program for contractors to disclose potential violations. Â Congress then passed a law to make such disclosures compulsory or the contracting company could risk suspension or disbarment when there is evidence of criminal wrongdoing.
There is a lot of waste in the budget for the U.S. military. At $717 billion for FY2019, the U.S. has by far the largest budget of any military in the world.  The second-highest spender on the military is China, but even China’s spending is three times less than the U.S. budget.  The military now accounts for one-sixth of federal spending.
The astronomical amount of U.S. military spending has not led to military preparedness.  Our armed forces have seen a decline in mission-capable aircraft, the Navy continues to produce ships that it doesn’t want and says do not meet its mission standards, the Pentagon continues to suffer from security issues with its information technology systems, and the department lacks inventory accuracy.
The necessity for the Pentagon to get its financial house in order is a constant reminder, as numerous problems have cropped up in recent years. A July 26, 2016 DOD OIG report noted that the Defense Financing and Accounting Service, which provides payment for military and civilian personnel and retirees, could not adequately document $6.5 trillion worth of year-end adjustments to general fund transactions and data. The books are so bad that areas within the DOD have been on the GAO list of programs at high risk for waste, fraud, abuse, and mismanagement since 1995.
The recovery of $200 million in self-reported overpayments is a good start, but much more remains to be done to get the Pentagon’s fiscal house in order.