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“IS IT TRUE” JUNE 3, 2019

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We hope that today’s “IS IT TRUE” 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 everyday members of our local law enforcement work many scenes of shootings several times every week?  …they also chase and apprehend suspects fleeing the scene of the shootings? …we are proud of our men and women in blue for help keeping our community safe from bad people?…the next time you see our first responders please give them five (5) “thumbs up” for doing a great job in protecting us?

IS IT TRUE we want to commend Evansville Police Department media spokesman Jason Cullum for doing an outstanding job of keeping the public aware of the policing activities of the EPD?  …Jason Cullum is considered to be one of the top law enforcement media spokesmen in Indiana?
IS IT TRUE several years ago we predicted when Ben Shoulders (D) was elected to the Vanderburgh County Commissioner the Commission will start conducting themselves in a non-partisan manner? …we are pleased that the Vanderburgh County Commissioners are making a well thought out decision based on “Good Policy Policy”? …that County Commissioners Cheryl Musgrave, Ben Shoulders, and Jeff Hatfield are making us glad that they were elected the “Three Mayors Of Vanderburgh County”?
IS IT TRUE  it looks like the era of the Superintendent of EVSC schools always getting his way with the school board members may be coming to an end? …we give five (5) cheers to Ann Ennis for encouraging EVSC officials to adhere to the “Open Door and Freedom Of Information Laws”?
IS IT TRUE that the McCurdy one million dollars plus water bill issue has been out of the news for a long time? …that the lawsuit between the City and the Kunkel Group won’t be coming to trial until January 2020? …the McCurdy is a classic example of how bad things can get when politics get in the way of business?  …that our City officials seemly fail asleep at the wheel during the refurbishment of this historic building? …if the Evansville water department would have done their due diligence by inspecting the installing of the water/sewer service open loop geothermal system at the time it was installed it would have been discovered and corrected?  …we also wonder if the McCurdy water and sewer bills payment are current?
IS IT TRUE that last year Deaconess Hospital and Henderson Community Methodist Hospital formed a group called an “ACO?”  …that “ACO” is where referrals are preferably kept within the group and only certain doctors at Deaconess and Methodist are invited to be a part of that group?  …we wonder how the “ACO” referral group between Deaconess Hospital and Henderson Community Methodist Hospital is currently doing?
IS IT TRUE that Deaconess Hospital is now advertising on TV that they are “A Deaconess Network Affiliate of Methodist Hospital?  …we wonder what this is all about?
IS IT TRUE according to the Washington Post the average millennial net worth is $8,000 less than the previous generations?
IS IT TRUE during his last year in office City Councilman John Friend, CPA sponsored a “separation of funds ordinance” in order to ensure that the City Controller would not manipulate general fund balances?  … upon the urging of the City Controller and the former City Council Finance Chairman, Dan McGinn the newly elected City Council voted to repeal this ordinance?  ...we hear that the money collected from all income sources are now put into one (1) fund account which makes it extremely hard to track on how much money is in each city account on a weekly basis?  …could this be the main reason why key fund accounts haven’t been balanced for 10 out of 11 months last year?
IS IT TRUE we are hearing that several local Democratic attorneys are vying to replace the current Evansville City Council attorney Josh Claybourn a Republican who lives in Newburgh?

IS IT TRUE if only the powers that be would have listened to past County Commission Dave Mosby, Vanderburgh County wouldn’t be experiencing today’s overcrowding problem at the county jail?

IS IT TRUE we have been told because of the increases in the County Income Option Tax (CIOT) and the Wheel Tax that Vanderburgh County now has the money to fund a reasonable expansion of the county jail?

IS IT TRUE that over the years that there has been talked about locating a “Slack Water Port” in the Evansville area?  …that the need for such a port is because many of our goods being shipped by containers?  …that many of thousands of containers arrive at the “Slack Water  Port” in Owensboro, Kentucky each week?  …we wonder why haven’t our elected city and county officials looked into developing a “Slack Water Port” in Evansville?
IS IT TRUE we would like to thank long-time supporter and friend Joe Wallace for his help with the City-County Observer during the time that our publisher was facing serious health problems?  …that Joe Wallace is a shining example of what true friendship is all about?
Todays “Readers Poll” question is: Are you pleased that Ann Ennis is encouraging the EVSC officials to adhere to the “Open Door and Freedom Of Information Laws”?
Please take time and read our newest feature articles entitled “OBITUARIES, LEFT JAB, AND RIGHT JAB,  BIRTHDAYS, AND HOT JOBS” posted in our sections.  Oh, You can now be able to subscribe to get the CCO daily.
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EDITOR’S FOOTNOTE:  Any comments posted in this column do not represent the views or opinions of the City-County Observer or our advertisers.
City-County Observer Comment Policy. Be kind to people. Personal attacks or harassment will not be tolerated and will be removed from our site.
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.

Ann Ennis Wants EVSC’s To Adhere to Open Door and Freedom Of Information Laws

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June 3, 2019

Special to City-County Observer From Ann M. Ennis

In response to the City-County Observer’s request for a written comment about the content of the May 26, 2019, Evansville-Vanderburgh School Corporation Board of Trustees meeting, I offer five statements.

  1. The EVSC Board of School Trustees is a member of the Indiana School Boards Association and through that membership, EVSC Trustees receive training.  In two sessions of New Board Training (totaling 5.5 hours plus two trips to Jasper, IN) and in a recent webinar titled “Open Door Law” the ISBA highly recommends that school boards avoid Executive Sessions as a matter of routine.
  2. According to the ISBA webinar, which all school trustees throughout Indiana have been provided as part of continuing education training, “Courts will look at Executive Session very closely in determining if it is lawful Executive Session… (the) opportunity to have an Executive Session is limited and (a board) cannot expand on these instances to have an Executive Session.” 
  3. Since my election, the EVSC Board of School Trustees has had 2-hour Executive Sessions prior to every Regular School Board meeting. This is public knowledge, as the occurrence of Executive Session is posted to the public prior to each session.
  4. I am impressed by the breadth, depth, passion and striving for excellence I see in the EVSC as a citizen, taxpayer, former EVSC student, former EVSC parent and now as an EVSC Trustee.  It is no small thing to be an open admission, welcoming all comers, unified school system with more than 22,500 students, thousands of employees and scores of facilities.  Educating National Merit Scholars, national award-winning academic honors students, and also educating profoundly physically and mentally handicapped students, with every step in between – as well as providing a host of services to private and parochial schools that cannot provide the expected level of service — is a challenge. The EVSC staff from top to bottom is working honestly, diligently and consistently to meet and exceed goals.
  5. Holding Executive Sessions that are longer than Regular School Board meetings on a routine basis hurts the credibility of the EVSC and invites distrust.  People do not see the work that is taking place:  They should see the work the schools do.  A community-supported school system needs to engage the community.  

I will continue to support the EVSC’s adherence to Open Door and Freedom of Information laws to benefit all students, staff, parents, and residents. By engaging the community in the work, wisdom, and even the worries we have, our schools will accomplish even more.

By the way, I also wish that our many voucher and Scholarship Granting Organization-funded private and parochial schools would adhere to Open Door Laws – but the state does not require that.  This is an entirely different conversation for another day.

Commentary: What Americans Think About Abortion

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Commentary: What Americans Think About Abortion

May 31, 2019,

By John Krull
TheStatehouseFile.com 

INDIANAPOLIS – The recent opaque U.S. Supreme Court decision regarding one of Indiana’s abortion laws sent the tea-leaf readers into overdrive.

America’s high court ruled that abortion providers could be forced by the state to bury or cremate fetal remains. But it refused to comment on the portion of the state law that would have criminalized abortion if the mother chose to end the pregnancy because of the fetus’s race or because it would be born with certain birth defects. That means a lower court ruling striking down that portion of the law stands.

John Krull, publisher, TheStatehouseFile.com

The ruling itself might not have sparked much comment at another time.

But since Alabama, Missouri, Georgia, and Louisiana, among other states, have engaged in a race to get the most draconian abortion laws possible on the books in hopes of overturning Roe vs. Wade, every abortion case before the Supreme Court now receives the most intense scrutiny.

Both sides in the white-hot reproductive rights debate could discern smoke signals that seemed to support their position.

The fact that the court decided to allow states to impose an additional burden on Planned Parenthood reassured the anti-abortion crowd. And the justices’ refusal to allow the state to thought-police women seeking abortions offered consolation to those who believe in reproductive rights.

The thinking on both sides seems to be that we’re headed for a high-stakes, winner-take-all legal battle regarding abortion.

But what if they’re wrong?

What if the justices are trying to do what America’s politicians either have failed to do or really haven’t even tried to do?

What if the court is looking for a way to interpret the law that reflects what Americans really believe regarding abortion?

A study of the polls over the past few decades reveals a remarkable consistency. The reality is that Americans’ thinking about abortion hasn’t changed much over the years.

Just under 30 percent of Americans say they support abortion in any circumstances. Just under 20 percent say they oppose abortion under any circumstance.

Those are the extremes in the debate – and, as is so often the case in America these days, they are the ones driving and dominating the discussion.

They do this even though neither group represents anything close to a majority.

Beyond those extremes, though, there are points that reflect something closer to consensus.

Over the years, somewhere between 60 percent and 70 percent of Americans have said they believe abortion should be legal. A little more than half, though, say there should be some restrictions on ending a pregnancy.

In other words, most Americans want abortion to be an option, but they want some limits on that option.

The question is: Where should those lines be drawn?

Again, the polls offer some insight.

Most Americans – between 80 and 90 percent – believe abortion is justified to protect the life of the mother. Nearly two-thirds support ending a pregnancy in the first trimester. Another strong majority supports abortion in cases of rape or incest.

Support for abortion as an option, though, drops as the pregnancy progresses. Most Americans oppose abortion in the second and third trimesters.

But, again, their positions aren’t unqualified.

Majorities of Americans ranging from slightly more than 50 percent to more than 80 percent support abortion even in the third trimester if the mother’s life is in danger, if the child will be born with a life-threatening illness, if the baby will have a birth defect or if the pregnancy is the result of rape or incest.

All this makes clear that Americans have nuanced, even sophisticated understandings of the moral and ethical challenges abortion presents.

Unfortunately, that nuance and sophistication rarely are reflected in the political debate over reproductive rights.

That’s going to be the case so long as we allow the most strident voices on both sides to hog the conversation. We’ll continue to have fight after fight after fight, but no victories.

And no solutions.

Maybe, just maybe, the Supreme Court will try to change that.

Let’s hope.

FOOTNOTE: John Krull is the director of Franklin College’s Pulliam School of Journalism and publisher of TheStatehouseFile.com, a news website powered by Franklin College journalism students.

This article was posted by the City-County Observer without bias or editing.

Meet Tim O’Brien 1st Ward Candidate For The Evansville City Council

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Tim O’Brien is the 2019 Republican Candidate for Evansville City Council in the 1stWard. He is a 2015 graduate of the University of Southern Indiana with a Bachelor of Science in Economics, as a University Honors Scholar. Tim is a driven, hardworking professional who is well equipped with strong problem solving, communication, and leadership skills.

O’Brien is a Real Estate Broker with F.C. Tucker Emge REALTORS and represents consumers in and around the Evansville area. While in this position, he has had the honor of advocating for his clients and assisting many individuals to pursue their dreams down the path to homeownership.

Tim O’Brien strives to serve the city of Evansville and its residents. He is currently serving as the Southwest Indiana Association of Realtors President. In this role, Tim has spent time in Indianapolis and in Washington D.C. representing Southwest Indiana, advocating for the American Dream of homeownership, private property rights, and the advancement of the real estate industry. He is heavily involved in the community through SIAR’s Young Professional Network, serving as the 2018 Chairman. He volunteers regularly with Junior Achievement of S.W. Indiana, Ronald McDonald House, USS LST 325 Memorial, and Evansville Habitat for Humanity.

Tim serves on the Board of Directors for Heritage Federal Credit Union and is currently their board Treasurer. Additionally, Tim serves on the boards of the Indiana Association of Realtors, USI Society for Arts and Humanities, and the Borrowed Hearts Foundation.

O’Brien tells us that he has decided to run for City Council, representing Ward 1, because he wants to help steer the course of progress in our city.  Tim is focused on cultivating a community in which we all can call home.  As a City Councilman, Tim wishes to keep the city moving in the right direction while serving in the best interests of the citizens of Evansville.  His priorities are attracting and retaining businesses/talent, public safety, and improving our infrastructure. Tim says that he will help Evansville move forward and continue to be a desirable place for all current and future residents.

Tim’s enthusiastic passion for the community is obvious.
If elected, he pledges that he will serve the First Ward, and the entire city, with great distinction.

Lt. Governor Crouch: Public Schedule For June 3

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 Below is Lt. Governor Suzanne Crouch’s public schedule for June 3, 2019.

Monday, June 3
What: Crouch speaks at Corteva Founders Day
Host: Corteva Agriscience
When: 7:45 a.m. – 9:45 a.m., ET, with Crouch remarks at 8:43 a.m., ET
Where: 9330 Zionsville Rd., Indianapolis, IN 46268

Monday, June 3
What: Crouch speaks at LaPorte Rotary
Host: Rotary Club of LaPorte
When: 11:45 a.m. – 1:00 p.m., CT, with Crouch remarks at 12:15 p.m., CT
Where: Civic Auditorium, 1001 Ridge St., LaPorte, IN 46350

Monday, June 3
What: Crouch visits BraunAbility
Host: BraunAbility
When: 3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m., ET
Where: 631 W. 11th St., Winamac, IN 46996

VANDERBURGH COUNTY DEMOCRATIC PARTY HAPPENINGS

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Vanderburgh Democratic Party
–Newsletter –
June 2019

Vanderburgh County Democratic Party Central Committee

Chairperson: Scott Danks
Vice Chair: Edie Hardcastle
Treasurer: Alex Burton
Secretary: Cheryl Shultz
2019 PRIMARY ELECTION RESULTS
SUMMARY REPORT
MUNICIPAL PRIMARY ELECTION, VANDERBURGH COUNTY, INDIANA
OFFICIAL TOTALS
MAY 7, 2019

PRECINCTS COUNTED (88 OF 88). . . . . . . . . . . . . .100.00%
REGISTERED VOTERS – TOTAL. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79,538
BALLOTS CAST – TOTAL. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4,998
BALLOTS CAST – DEMOCRATIC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,772
PERCENT OF BALLOTS DEMOCRATIC . . . . . . . . . . . 55.46%
BALLOTS CAST – REPUBLICAN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2,226
PERCENT OF BALLOTS REPUBLICAN . . . . . . . . . . . .44.54%
           VOTER TURNOUT – TOTAL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6.28%
DEMOCRATIC BALLOT RESULTS
(CANDIDATES IN GREEN WILL BE ON THE BALLOT FOR THE GENERAL ELECTION IN NOVEMBER)
MAYOR EVANSVILLE
            Vote for not more than 1
NO CANDIDATE FILED . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0
CLERK EVANSVILLE
             Vote for not more than 1

LAURA BROWN WINDHORST . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,213      100.00%

CITY COUNCIL MEMBER AT-LARGE EVANSVILLE
             Vote for not more than 3
                         ED BASSEMIER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,377        20.02%
                         KAITLIN E MOORE MORLEY . . . . . . . . . . . . .1,684        24.48%
                         MIKE TALARZYK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .587           8.53%
                         GINA ROBINSON UNGAR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1,621         23.57%
                         JONATHAN WEAVER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,609         23.39%
CITY COUNCIL MEMBER 1ST WARD
             Vote for not more than 1
                         BEN TROCKMAN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 382       100.00%
CITY COUNCIL MEMBER 2ND WARD
             Vote for not more than 1
                         MISSY MOSBY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 351        53.42%
                         D’ANGELO S. TAYLOR  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 306        46.58%
 CITY COUNCIL MEMBER 3RD WARD
           Vote for not more than 1
                        ZACHARY HERONEMUS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 283      100.00%
CITY COUNCIL MEMBER 4TH WARD
          Vote for not more than 1
                        ALEX BURTON . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 624      100.00%
CITY COUNCIL MEMBER 5TH WARD
          Vote for not more than 1
                      JENNIFER YASER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .289       100.00%
CITY COUNCIL MEMBER 6TH WARD
          Vote for not more than 1

JIM BRINKMEYER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .284       100.00%

These are our Evansville and Vanderburgh County Democratic Candidates on the Ballot this November.
Want one of these?

You can become a Card-Carrying Member of the Vanderburgh County Democratic Party by contributing $20 through ActBlue”  “Help support local Democratic candidates and build the Party.

https://secure.actblue.com/donate/vandemsmembership

JUNE 2019 EVENTS OF INTEREST

DATE TIME EVENT LOCATION
Sunday,
June 2		 12:00pm Evansville Food Truck Festival Bosse Field
Wednesday, June 5 3:30pm Vanderburgh County Council Room 301 of the City/County Administration Building,
1 N.W. Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd.
Thursday, June 6 5:30 – 7:30pm Zachary Heronemus for City Council Fundraiser Pangea Kitchen, 111 S. Green River Road, Evansville, IN
Friday,
June 7		 5:00pm First Friday Haynie’s Corner
Monday,
June 10		 5:30pm Evansville City Council Room 301 of the City/County Administration Building,
1 N.W. Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd.
Thursday, June 13 4:40pm Evansville/Vanderburgh Public Library Board Central Library, 200 SE Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Evansville, IN
Monday, June 17 5:00pm Evansville Dust Bowl C.K. Newsome Center
Tuesday, June 18 6:00pm Indivisible Evansville 50 Years of Pride Red Bank Library
June 20-23 Various Shriner Fest and Air Show (Democrat Booth) Different venues at Evansville Downtown Riverfront
Saturday, June 22 11:00am – 11:00pm 1st Annual River City Pride Parade and Festival Haynie’s Corner
Sunday,
June 23		 4:00 – 7:00pm Fundraiser for City Council at-Large Candidate, Gina Robinson Ungar Senate Estates Clubhouse, 810 Senate Avenue, Evansville 47711
Monday,
June 24		 5:30pm Evansville City Council Room 301 of the City/County Administration Building,
1 N.W. Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd.
Vanderburgh County Democrat Party
P.O. Box 3208
Evansville, IN 47731
812-550-3812
vanderburghdemocrats1@gmail.com

Working To Improve Air Quality In Schools By Wendy MCNamara

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Over 50 percent of Indiana’s counties have dangerously high rates of radon gas, which is a naturally occurring, radioactive, odorless gas formed by radium decay in the soil.

Evansville College Teapot by Pat Sides

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Evansville College employee Elsie Johnson (left) offers student Sue Gilmour (right) a cup of tea as she sits in a gigantic teacup in the college’s Administration Hall.

Photographed in 1947, the teacup, which was made of English moss rose china, measured 44 inches high. It arrived in Evansville from England in the 1880s as a present to the old Ichenhauser & Sons Company on NW First Street, which claimed to be the largest glass and china dealer in the Midwest.

Silas Ichenhauser was a trustee of Evansville College, and when the firm closed in 1927, he presented the teacup to the college, where it was displayed in the administration building. After it was damaged by “hurrying students,” it was stored in a closet on the top floor. 

“LEFT JAB AND RIGHT JAB”

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“LEFT JAB AND RIGHT JAB”

“Right Jab And Left Jab” was created because we have two commenters that post on a daily basis either in our “IS IT TRUE” or “Readers Forum” columns concerning National or International issues.
Joe Biden and Ronald Reagan’s comments are mostly about issues of national interest.  The majority of our “IS IT TRUE” columns are about local or state issues, so we have decided to give Mr. Biden and Mr. Reagan exclusive access to our newly created “LEFT 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 “RIGHT JAB” several times a week.  Oh, “Left Jab” is a liberal view and the “Right Jab is representative of the more conservative views. Also, any reader who would like to react to the written comments of the two gentlemen is free to do so.

FOOTNOTE: Any comments posted in this column do not represent the views or opinions of the City-County Observer or our advertisers

Productive hitting gives Otters the series win over the Freedom

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Productive hitting allowed the Evansville Otters to get key RBI knocks in a 4-2 win over the Florence Freedom Sunday, clinching a series win for the Otters.

Patrick McGuff provided a gritty, quality start on the mound for the Otters, beginning in the first inning.

McGuff worked around a bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the first by picking up two strikeouts.

Offensively, the Otters struck first in the second inning.

Carlos Castro led off the inning with a double to right-centerfield.

Hunter Cullen moved Castro over to third with a groundout, and Rob Calabrese singled to score Castro, giving the Otters the first run of the game.

Later in the inning with runners on the corners, J.J. Gould smacked an RBI single to score Calabrese, giving the Otters a 2-0 lead.

In the top of the third, Taylor Bryant hit a sac fly to put Florence on the board with the score 2-1.

The top of the fourth was almost identical to the start of the top of the second.

Castro doubled, Cullen moved him to third on a groundout, and Calabrese doubled to score Castro to give the Otters a two-run lead. Then with runners on the corners, David Cronin ripped an RBI single to centerfield, scoring Calabrese to give the Otters a 4-1 lead.

The Freedom cut the lead in half when shortstop Austin Wobrock ripped an RBI double to score Ricky Ramirez Jr. in the bottom of the fifth.

There would be no more runs scored from that point on, as McGuff pitched a scoreless sixth, exiting the game with over 110 pitches thrown.

Patrick McGuff went six strong innings, surrendering two runs on seven hits while fanning nine.

Freedom starter Mike Castellani exited after the sixth inning as well, giving up four runs on nine hits and tossing three strikeouts.

Taylor Wright retired the side, ending the seventh inning with his 22nd strikeout of the year.

Abraham Almonte shut the door in the eighth, and Danny Hrbek earned his second save of the season with a scoreless ninth as Keith Grieshaber caught the final out of the game in left field to seal the win for the Otters.

Calabrese had two clutch RBIs, increasing his total to three for the series. Castro was three 3 for 4 at the plate with two runs scored.

 

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