Man Arrested after Assaulting Wife with Pistol and Setting Fire to Home
An Evansville man is in custody this evening after assaulting his wife with a handgun and setting fire to his mobile home in Grandin Pointe subdivision.
On Tuesday, May 14, 2019 at 8:30 pm the Sheriff’s Office responded to an address in the 6100 block of Rockford Drive for a report of Domestic Violence in progress. The female victim was able to flee the home and call 911 from a neighbor’s phone.
The victim reported that her husband, Mr. Steven Goldstein, had hit her in the head with a pistol and then shot her with a BB gun. She said Goldstein was in the home, was armed with several handguns, and had been using methamphetamines most of the day. Deputies went to the address and attempted to make contact with Goldstein. Goldstein refused to exit the home. After brief negotiations, Goldstein cut off communications and set the home on fire. Within a few minutes Goldstein emerged from the front door and was taken into custody. McCutchanville Fire Department and German Township Fire Department quickly extinguished the fire.
Both the victim and suspect were transported to local hospitals for treatment of non-life threatening injuries.
ARRESTED:
Steven Howard Goldstein, 46, of Evansville. Arson as a Level 4 Felony, Domestic Battery as a Level 5 Felony
MAY 15, 2019 “READERS FORUM”
We hope that today’s “READERS FORUMâ€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.
HERE’S WHAT’S ON OUR MIND TODAY
We hope that the powers that be will agree on a new jail design that will be meet the future needs of the Vanderburgh County Sheriff Office for the next 25 years.  We don’t want to see our elected officials make the same mistake when they built the jail years ago by miscalculating how many inmates the jail should accommodate.
That the downtown Evansville 6,600 square foot limestone building known as the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Coliseum was dedicated to the memory of those who served in the Civil War and the Spanish American War? …the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Coliseum has hosted a wide range of events since its dedication in 1917?  …that Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Coliseum is one of the few historical “Crown Jewels” left standing in our community?  …that it seems like the only public event that the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Coliseum that is attracting on a regular basis are bingo?  …we were very surprised to find out that longtime Director of the Veterans Coliseum Commander Mark Acker retired without fanfare and moved back to his roots in another State?  …we have been told that Commander Acker’s daughter has replaced him?  …we are told that numerous people feel that members of the Vanderburgh County Commission should invite the new Coliseum Director to explain to them her future plans of this historic building?
WHAT’S ON YOUR MIND TODAY?
“LEFT JAB AND RIGHT JABâ€
“LEFT JAB AND RIGHT JABâ€
“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 JABâ€Â 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.
Indiana Teachers Caught Off Guard by New License Requirements
MAY 14TH, 2019 
JESSICA HARTMAN INDIANA
New requirements have been put in place for Indiana teachers renewing their license and some teachers say the new rules blindsided them.
Indiana teachers may now have to complete a 15-hour externship with a company, as one of several options connected to license renewal.
Teachers are required to renew their license every five years. During that period, they must acquire 90 points according to the Department Of Educations’s Professional Growth Plan, or PGP.
The PGP is not new, but legislators are changing the requirements of attaining points towards the PGP.
Starting July 1st, teachers will have to complete 15 of those 90 PGP points in one of three ways.
The first option requires teachers to complete an externship with a company or have a representative from a company come to their school to educate them.
The second option is for teachers to participate in professional development provided by the state, a local business, or a community partner that provides opportunities for school and employers to partner in promoting career navigation.
The final option is to participate in professional development that outlines current or future economic needs of the community.
Indiana State Senator Dennis Kruse said the new requirement will help students prepare for the workforce.
“For some reason, there’s been a gap between what the kids are learning in school and what employers want them to have, as far as skills and knowledge on the job,†he said. “So we want to try and connect those two and teachers is one of the key things to connect to employers so the teacher knows what the employer needs and want, so they can help teach and guide those kids so they can fulfill those job opportunities that are out there.â€
President of the Fort Wayne Education Association Julie Hyndman said Fort Wayne Community Schools teachers were blindsided by this law.
“It’s another opportunity to demoralize public school teachers that the Indiana legislatures have continued to do, this year and most years prior,†she said. “This is a complete insult.â€
Hyndman, an FWCS elementary school teacher of 24 years, said lawmakers don’t understand educators or the hardships and business of their career.
She explained that teachers already participate in conferences, workshops, and continuing education through their districts. She doesn’t see any value in going to an outside source for professional development.
“Living Outside the Box†Meet and Greet and Book Signing with Joe Jack Wallace
“Living Outside the Box†Meet and Greet and Book Signing with Joe Jack Wallace
 May 18, 2019; 11:00 am to Noon
Bar Louie, 7700 Eagle Crest Blvd, Evansville, IN 47715
The City-County Observer is pleased to announce a meet and greet and book signing with Joe Jack Wallace who has just published his first book “Living Outside the Box” that had its origins in Evansville’s Innovation Pointe.
“Living Outside the Box” debuted on Amazon in mid-April and was named #1 New Edition in three categories including Green Business and Intergovernmental Policy.
Mr. Wallace will discuss the inspiration that launched the book and explains the content of the book from its opening chapters about dispelling myths with science, through the habits that poise people to be highly impactful and how vision followed by execution lead to establishing a state of the art technology center in Greater Palm Springs California.
He currently serves as the CEO and Chief Innovation Officer of the Coachella Valley Economic Partnership. Â
Wallace graduated from Stanford University and the University of Evansville with Masters and Bachelor Degrees in Mechanical Engineering. He also holds certifications in Cybersecurity and The Internet of Things from Harvard and MIT. He is a sought after speaker on topics from entrepreneurship to politics and will be available to autograph books during this event.
Attendance is limited and by appointment. Please contact City-County Observer  Editor Justin Phillips at 812-653-96621 for details.
Mesker Park Zoo & Botanic Garden to Host Ribbon Cutting Ceremony
WHO: Evansville’s Mesker Park Zoo & Botanic Garden, Mayor Lloyd Winnecke, Evansville Zoological Society, Evansville Convention & Visitors Bureau, and Southwest Indiana Chamber.
WHAT: Mesker Park Zoo & Botanic Garden opens its new animal habitat, the Budgie Walkabout, with a ribbon cutting ceremony in partnership with the City of Evansville’s Mayor Lloyd Winnecke; Evansville Zoological Society; presenting donor Evansville Convention & Visitors Bureau; and Southwest Indiana Chamber. The Budgie Walkabout is an outdoor walk-through aviary, home to nearly 300 brightly colored Australian birds. Entry into the aviary is free with regular Zoo admission, and guests may purchase feed sticks (2 tokens per feed stick) to enhance their experience.
The Budgie Walkabout is the final project from the Zoo’s first set of capital developments, which includes the Engelbrecht Carousel and Koch Family Event Lodge. The Evansville Zoological Society has launched its second round of fund development for the Zoo’s next endeavor, Penguins of Patagonia.
WHEN: Friday, May 17, 2019, 10:00AM, CDT
WHERE: Evansville’s Mesker Park Zoo & Botanic Garden, 1545 Mesker Park Drive, Evansville, Indiana. Complimentary shuttle service from the Zoo parking lot to the ribbon cutting site is provided for the news media.
Father Convicted Of Murdering Children’s Mother Denied TPR Appeal
An imprisoned father who murdered the mother of his children and burned down her home lost his appeal of the termination of his parental rights after an appellate court concluded that the children were better off out of his care.
In September 2016, minor children S.K. Jr., E.K. and M.K. were removed from their father’s care and adjudicated children in need of services after father S.K. was arrested and charged with murdering their mother and burning down her house. He was ultimately convicted of the crimes and sentenced in January 2018 to an aggregate 65 years in prison.
A trial court soon after concluded that efforts to reunify S.K. with his children were no longer necessary pursuant to Indiana Code section 31-34-21-5.6, and DCS filed petitions to involuntarily terminate his parental rights.
The children, who are intended to be adopted by their maternal grandmother, had already been twice removed from their parents’ care and adjudicated as CHINS when S.K. was issued a no-contact order in 2011 and again in April 2016, after he was charged with battery of their mother resulting in bodily injury.
After his murder conviction, Warren Circuit Court concluded that S.K did not have the ability to care for his children and that any sort of visitation or reunification with him would only further traumatize the kids. It also ruled that the reasons for their placement outside of S.K.’s care would not be remedied, and that the termination of his parental rights was in the children’s best interest.
S.K. appealed, arguing an abuse of discretion occurred in allowing the children’s therapist to testify concerning statements they made during therapy, that DCS failed to prove it made reasonable reunification efforts, and that the termination order lacked sufficient evidence.
The Indiana Court of Appeals rejected all of S.K.’s claims in In re the Termination of the Parent-Child Relationship of S.K., E.K., and M.K. (Minor Children), and S.K., Sr. (Father) v. Indiana Department of Child Services, 18A-JT-2200, first finding that there was no inadmissible hearsay in the therapist’s testimony of the children’s fear of and anger with S.K.
Those statements — which would be harmless even if admitted hearsay — were based primarily on the therapist’s observations of the children and the statements made to her during therapy, as well as the treatment plan and the children’s therapy goals, the appellate court concluded.
It further found DCS’s failure to offer reunification services for S.K. and the children was not a violation of his due process rights based on his incarceration, lengthy sentence and the fact that he killed their mother.
Lastly, the appellate court found there was sufficient evidence to support the termination of S.K.’s parental rights. It therefore concluded that termination was in the children’s best interests and was supported by the opinions of their therapist and DCS service providers.
“In this case, Father destroyed his relationship with his children when he murdered their mother and burned down their home. Father caused significant harm and trauma to his children,†Judge Paul D. Mathias wrote. “Even considering the possibility that Father’s convictions might eventually be reversed on appeal, the children require stability immediately. They have suffered long enough.â€
Braun Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Require Warning Labels On Addictive Prescriptions
WASHINGTON – Senators Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Mike Braun (R-Ind.) today introduced two pieces of bipartisan legislation to help combat the opioid epidemic. The first bill, the Lessening Addiction By Enhancing Labeling (LABEL) Opioids Act, calls for labeling prescription opioid bottles with a consistent, clear, and concise warning that opioids may cause dependence, addiction, or overdose.