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SOUTHWEST INDIANA CHAMBER POSEY COUNTY OFFICE HOSTS REPORT TO THE POSEY COUNTY BUSINESS COMMUNITY

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The Southwest Indiana Chamber Posey Co. Office will host the Report to the Posey County Business Community from 5:30 to 7:30 pm at New Harmony Conference Center on May 1, 2019.

Join us for a highlight of recent business impacts made in the Posey County community and for a celebration of 2019 Posey County award recipients. Awards will be given in the categories of Teacher/Administrator of the Year, Young Professional of the Year, Business Person of the Year and Business of the Year. Keynote Speaker for this event is Dave Richardson, General Manager, BWXT Nuclear Operations.

Gold sponsor: Warehouse Services, Inc.; Silver Sponsors: BWX Technologies, Old National Bank and Valero Registration for this event is at https://members.swinchamber.com/events/details/2019-re-

port-to-the-posey-county-business-community-4531

For more information on this event, contact: Randy Owens, Posey County Office Director, at 812-838-3639 or rowens@swinchamber.com.

About Southwest Indiana Chamber

Since 1915, the Southwest Indiana Chamber has been a trusted ally of the regional business community. Today we are one of the state’s largest, strongest, and most impactful nonprofit business organizations, representing a total membership of more than 1,400 businesses, organizations, and agencies. About one-third of members have invested in our organization for 10 or more years. While nearly all major employers in our region invest in the Southwest Indiana Chamber, 71% of our member businesses have 25 or fewer employees.

Learn more about the Chamber, our members, and the Southwest Indiana regional business community at www.swinchamber.com. 318 Main St., Suite 401, Evansville, IN 47708. Posey County Office: 231A Main Street, PO Box 633, Mt. Vernon, IN 47620, 812-838-3639

 

State Police Release Results of Targeted Slow Down and Move Over Enforcement Project

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Troopers from the Indiana State Police concentrated their enforcement efforts last week on catching those drivers who fail to slow down and move over for emergency vehicles. The effort was coordinated with state police agencies from five other states, Kentucky, Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania and West Virginia.

With the increase in construction zones this was an opportune time to utilize special patrols not only to find those drivers who violate the law, but to educate the public on the importance of slowing down and moving over for emergency vehicles. Troopers concentrated efforts on all emergency vehicles, including construction vehicles, fire trucks, ambulances, police vehicles, maintenance crews, and roadside service crews.

The results of the efforts are in the chart below.

Violation Tickets Warnings Total
Fail to change lanes for stationary Highway Maintenance Vehicle on 4 lane highway 10 27 37
Fail to reduce speed for Stationary Highway Maintenance Vehicle on 2 lane highway 5 8 13
Failure to change lanes for Emergency Vehicle on 4 lane highway 83 137 220
Failure to reduce speed for Emergency Vehicle on 2 lane highway 17 22 39
Total 115 194 309

 

Original news release explaining the project is below:

1Indiana – We’ve all heard about it before; the Move Over Law.  In 1999 Indiana was the first State in the nation to pass such a law requiring motorists to move to an adjacent traffic lane, or reduce speed by 10 mph below the posted speed limit if unable to change lanes safely when driving by a stationary police, fire or ambulance emergency vehicle stopped along the side of the road.  Over the years Indiana’s law has expanded to include stationary recovery, utility service, solid waste haulers, road, street highway maintenance vehicles, as well as a stationary survey or construction vehicles when displaying alternately flashing amber lights.

Indiana’s law was originally crafted and passed the result of the death of ISP Tpr. Andrew Winzenread who was killed in April of 1997 while assisting a stranded motorist on I-74 in Dearborn County.  Now, in 2019, every state, with the exception of Hawaii has some form of a move-over-law.

But we all know laws are only effective when followed.  In Indiana we still have too many emergency vehicles being struck by inattentive or distracted motorists.  And in neighboring Illinois, three state troopers have been struck and killed since the beginning of 2019.

As part of a joint ‘Move Over Law’ traffic enforcement project Indiana will be working with our ‘Six State Trooper’ law enforcement partners in Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia during the week of April 14th through the 20th.  During this time motorists can expect to see additional patrols looking for distracted driving violations which often lead to motorists failing to move over when they approach an emergency vehicle stopped roadside or at a crash scene.  Some violations associated with Driving While Distracted include speeding, following too close, drifting from lane to lane and failing to signal turns or lane changes.

It is not the goal of the Indiana State Police to simply write tickets.  We encourage and desire voluntary compliance with traffic laws to ensure the safety of the public as well as the safety of public safety professionals.  Our historical enforcement of the move over law reveals about 50% of persons stopped for this violation receive a written warning, but citations are issued for particularly egregious violations of the law.

To learn more about Move Over Laws in other States, visit this site: https://www.moveoveramerica.com/
YEAR Tickets Warnings
2017 517 1,023
2018 664 1,292
2019 to April 1st 144 239

Tickets and Warnings Issued for Violation of Indiana’s Move Over Law

Indiana State Police 2017 2018 2019 to April 1st
Struck at Crash Scene 10 6 7
Struck while Assisting Motorist 0 4 1
Struck while Directing Traffic 0 0 1
Struck in Work Zone 0 1 0
Stuck on Traffic Stop 3 0 1
TOTAL 13 11 10

Indiana State Police Vehicles Struck When Not in Motion

YEAR Crash with Property Damage  Crash with Injury Crash with Fatality
2016 424 15 0
2017 396 16 0
2018 444 11 0
2019 to April 1st 124 9 0

Crashes of a Parked Police Vehicle from ANY Indiana Police Agency

Tpr. Andrew Winzenread On April 25, 1997 while patrolling I-74 in Decatur County, Trooper Winzenread stopped to assist a motorist who had run out of gas. Returning to the stranded vehicle after getting gas, Trooper Winzenread exited his patrol car and was struck by an oncoming semi-tractor trailer. Trooper Winzenread died at the scene.

ADOPT A PET

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Esmerelda is a female Lionhead mix rabbit! She was also found as a stray with 3 other bunnies including Claire. Esmerelda is a shy girl who could use a confident bunny owner to help her come out of her shell. Her adoption fee is $50 and she’s spayed & microchipped. Contact Vanderburgh Humane at (812) 426-2563 for adoption details!

 

Obituary Of Christopher James Schmidt

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Obituary Of Christopher James Schmidt

by Koehler Funeral Homes Chandler and Booneville

Dale, IN – Christopher James Schmidt, 34, of Dale, Indiana passed away on Sunday, April 21, 2019, at his home in Evansville, Indiana.

He was born on July 19, 1984, in Huntingburg, Indiana, the son of Clinton Schmidt and Kimberly (Perkins) Stephens.

Christopher was an avid sports fan, favoring the UK and the 49ers. He also enjoyed Marvel films, motorcycles, and listening to music.

He served in the U.S. Navy and was a member of the American Legion Post 444 in Dale, Indiana. He was an Ivy Tech graduate and a graduate of Tecumseh High School with the class of 2003.

He is survived by his father, Clinton Schmidt (Angie); mother Kimberly Stephens (Charles); sisters Sierra Stephens, Hayley Stephens, and Erica Schmidt; brothers Jacob and Caleb Schmidt; grandmother Faye Stephens as well as his girlfriend Kelly Ewin and her son, Corbin.

He is preceded in death by his grandparents, Janet Perkins, James and Bernadette Schmidt, Charles E. Stephens, and Bernard and Estelle Wahl.

Visitation will be from 2 p.m. until 7 p.m. Thursday, April 25, 2019, at Koehler Funeral Home in Boonville, Indiana.

Services are 7 p.m. Thursday, April 25, 2019, at the funeral home with military rites.
Koehler Funeral Home of Boonville, Indiana is entrusted with care.

EPD REPORT

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EPD REPORT

VANDERBURGH COUNTY RECENT BOOKING RECORDS

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http://www.vanderburghsheriff.com/jail-recent-booking-records.aspx

“IS IT TRUE” APRIL 23, 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 the next several days we will be reminiscing about the things that the City-County Observer wrote about over the years?  …we will start out with the first story that was exposed where Joe Wallace was approached by the City-County Observer Publisher to fess up to something that had happened at GAGE under his watch?…the “SNEGAL” (Sneaky But Legal) action we refer to as the contract between GAGE and former Director of the Evansville Department of Metropolitan Development Tom Barnett to supplement his income?

IS IT TRUE back in those days the City of Evansville was limited in what department heads could earn and the limit was not sufficient to attract Mr. Barnett away from Paducah, Kentucky a town that is smaller than Henderson?…Mr. Barnett actually had an offer in hand from a town of 2,000 people in Florida that was over 30% higher than what the maximum pay could be in Evansville? …former Mayor Weinzapfel hatched an idea to pay Mr. Barnett the maximum the City allowed and to supplement that with a $41,000 contract between GAGE and Barnett even though he wasn’t an employee of GAGE? …Weinzapfel himself signed the contractual agreement with Mr. Barnett as he was the Chairman of the GAGE Board of Directors at the time? …Mr. Wallace declined to sign the contract because Mr. Barnett wasn’t an employee of GAGE?…later on Joe Wallace indeed fessed up to what his Chairman had done and wrote an article for the CCO that became the first of many? …much to our surprise was that the area mainstream media picked up on this story?

IS IT TRUE another situation that arose with the old Executive Inn was covered by the CCO with Joe Wallace’s help and the article was called “The Executive Inn Dilemma”?…the dilemma came up when some people were considering using the old steel framework for a new downtown hotel?…it was discovered by a structural engineering team that the building’s frame was not strong enough to use double pane windows and was thus useless for anything but scrap metal?…about that time there was an earthquake in Haiti and our old friend John Kish–who was the project manager for the Ford Center arena project–justified tearing down the Executive Inn by pointing out the damages from the Haiti earthquake as Evansville’s fate if the Executive Inn was allowed to stand?…what was amazing was that our elected officials and members of the local mainstream media believed Mr. Kish’s earthquake analogy and thus the old Executive Inn was dismantled for scrap?

IS IT TRUE that we also reported the comical error about a multidirectional bridge to nowhere spanning MLK Blvd.? …that bridge eventually added $3 million to the cost of the Ford Center project?…many people were mystified about how anyone with good sense could have overlooked the need for a walk bridge between the Ford Center and Old National Events Plaza?  …at that point “Ready, Fire, Aim” was created by the CCO and later that phrase was used by Mayoral candidate Rick Davis in an attempt to remove the Democrat Cabal from power?

IS IT TRUE that the Vanderburgh Democrat Party has had a difficult time recovering from the debacles of the election of 2011 including Floatgate, TurnCoatGate, failing to pay the rent on the headquarters, and stiffing the Bauer Haus for a big chicken dinner for the party faithful?

IS IT TRUE that several years ago the Evansville Convention and Visitor’s Bureau was outed by the CCO for spending an excessive amount of our tax dollars on a Christmas Dinner at Biaggi’s where 5 bottles of Opus One wine were consumed along with many double shots of top-shelf liquor?…the CCO had the receipts from the party where well over several hundred dollars per person was squandered on a fun evening and published it?…the dinner receipt came to the CCO from a mainstream media source whose boss seemingly felt that this event wasn’t newsworthy?  …that our mainstream media source thought it was newsworthy and gift wrapped the story for the CCO to publish? …the mainstream media also printed this story that caused the total revamping of the management structure of the Evansville CVB?

IS IT TRUE we wish that our locally elected officials, business leaders of this region, patriots and Veterans groups would feel similar about the Veterans Memorial Coliseum as they do the LST?  …its time that the citizens of this community demand that the Veterans Memorial Coliseum receive the same media attention and financial support as the LST does? …its time that the community brings back the “Veterans Memorial Colosseum”  to its original grandeur?

IS IT TRUE that the Evansville city employees hospitalization fund has been insufficiently funded over several years? …the city’s hospitalization fund, from which city employee medical claims are paid, has had a negative balance of several millions of dollars over the last several years?  …we are now hearing that the city’s hospitalization fund will not be an issue in the proposed 2020 City budget? …all we can say is “very interesting?”

IS IT TRUE that the EPA has allowed the City of Evansville to pussyfoot around with the lead contamination issue in the Jacobsville area for over 20 years? …the real tragedy is that lead poisoning can be treated, but any damage caused by contaminated lead cannot be reversed? …we hope that before the City builds the new $28 million dollar Aqua Center at Garvin Park they will do extensive testing of possible lead contamination and toxic cleaning chemicals issues in the Garvin Park?

IS IT TRUE during the next several days there will be a few more of these posts about looking back on the accomplishments of this column as we decide what to do about the future of “IS IT TRUE”?…we would appreciate any feedback, encouragement, or recommendations that any of our readers will offer?

IS IT TRUE we encourage you to encourage your family members, friends, and business associates to read the City-County Observer?  …make sure you tell them that the CCO is complimentary and other online publications charge? …If you would like to advertise on the CCO please contact us at City-County Observer@live.com

Todays“Readers Poll” question is: Do you feel that Mayor Winnecke has earned a third term?

Please go to our link of our media partner Channel 44 News located in the upper right-hand corner of the City-County Observer so you can get the up-to-date news, weather, and sports.

We are pleased to provide obituaries from several area funeral homes at no costs.  Over the next several weeks we shall be adding additional obituaries from other local funeral homes.  Please scroll down the paper and you shall see a listing of them.

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

 

Gaming Bill Will Allow Mobile Sports Betting, Private Casino Meetings With Governors

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Gaming Bill Will Allow Mobile Sports Betting, Private Casino Meetings With Governors

April 22, 2019  

By Emily Ketterer
TheStatehouseFile.com

INDIANAPOLIS —Hoosiers may soon be able to place sports bets anywhere in the state, but they won’t know if casino bosses are meeting privately with public officials.

Previously filed as Senate Bill 552, the gaming expansion legislation was moved to House Bill 1015. These changes had to be made because all revenue-generating bills have to come through the House. The gaming expansion is expected to bring around $75 million into the state.

Although the language was moved to another bill, the concept is still the same. The legislation would allow two Gary casinos to merge and move inland and give Terre Haute a license to build a new casino––adding to Indiana’s 11 casinos and two racinos. The bill would also legalize sports betting, which passed through both chambers with little to no debate from lawmakers or the public.

But changes were still made, including removing the provision to prevent casino owners from meeting in private with the governor. That language had been amended into the bill on the House floor by Rep. Pat Bauer, D-South Bend, in reaction to The Indianapolis Star story about Gov. Eric Holcomb taking a paid-for private plane ride last year with the owner of Spectacle Entertainment, the company operating the two Gary casinos.

“Apparently they want to keep everything secret,” Bauer said. “It amazes me they’re going about recklessly on this thing.”

A few other changes were made, including adding mobile sports betting on computers or phones back into the bill. The provision was in the Senate version but was removed by Rep. Ben Smaltz, R-Auburn, when the bill went to the House Public Policy Committee. Smaltz argued that allowing mobile sports betting could lead to every community having gambling. And he questioned how lawmakers could explain why people can bet digitally on sports, but not legally play other casino games like black-jack.

Betting on e-sports or youth sports would be illegal, and all sports bets would still have a 9.5 percent tax levy as stated in the original language.

This new version of the bill will likely be the final version, said Sen. Mark Messmer, R-Jasper, who introduced the new language of the bill in conference committee.

“I think we’re 99 percent there,” Messmer said.

Other changes include allowing the two racinos, in Anderson and Shelbyville, to have live dealers in 2020, rather than 2021 as current law states, and reducing the fee to move the Gary casinos from $50 million to $20 million, paid over five years. Spectacle Entertainment would also be required to give up their second license if Terre Haute builds the casino. However, a change made to the bill would now give Spectacle a $40 million tax credit for forfeiting the second license, even if the company ends up buying the Terre Haute location.

“That sacrifice of that license in Gary is regardless of who is operating the Terre Haute location,” Messmer said.

Spectacle would have to give up the second license anyway if the two Gary casinos merge inland, even if Terre Haute decides not to build a casino.

Additionally, the Vigo County board created to select the new owner of the Terre Haute casino was removed, and the Indiana Gaming Commission would be responsible for choosing the best candidate, with input from Vigo County. The competitive betting process to operate the new casino was also removed, and an interested operator would have to submit a proposal to the gaming commission with a $2 million fee for the license.

To open the new casino, the county must pass a referendum in either this fall’s elections or the 2020 primary election to approve the building.

The bill still needs to be approved by the House and Senate, likely by or before Wednesday.

FOOTNOTE: Emily Ketterer is a reporter for TheStatehouseFile.com, a news website powered by Franklin College journalism students.

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City Council Approves Funds for LST Visiting Center

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City Council Approves Funds for LST Visiting Center

APRIL 22ND, 2019 PAUL WILCOXEN EVANSVILLE, INDIANA

During its regularly scheduled meeting Monday night, the Evansville City Council approved the transfer of $1.3 million dollars to be used to build the LST Visitors Center along the Evansville Riverfront.

It was the second reading on the transfer before the vote of 9-0 was approved.

The total budget for the LST relocation project sits at $3.6 million. Work has started on the mooring barge that will be used to dredge the area.

Once the river heads into a safe level, work will be on the dredging. More than half the money will be spent on the LST Visitors Center.

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FEATHERED FRIENDS!

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FEATHERED FRIENDS! PART I

by Dan Burton, Publisher of The New Harmony Gazette 

They call them our Feathered Friends, those sleek little, fluffy flyers we see perched on our window sills, bird feeders and park benches. Happily chirping and frolicking through the sky. But the story I’m about to tell you puts that relationship and that phrase, our Feathered Friends, in a whole different light!

It was a Tuesday morning, the way I recall it, and the sun had finally broken through the overcast and rain of the past few days. Ol’ Sol was playing havoc with the clouds which had encased it’s brilliance most of the prior week. Yep! The day broke bright and cheery that Tuesday morning.

In celebration of Spring’s triumph over Winter, I decided to leave the back door to the Gazette office, at 505 Main Street, open to Mother Nature’s fresh breezes.

I went upstairs to my desk and began the task of writing the monthly political sermon. Little did I know, but Mother Nature had an adventure and a lesson in store for me. My mind was heavily focused on what to put on that blank piece of steno paper that was staring up at me from the note-pad. When “What was that?” I exclaimed to myself. “Birds?” That chirping sounded mighty distinct! “Was I suddenly getting my hearing back?” I wondered. “Will miracles never cease?” I thought. That music sounded to close to be coming from outside my window pane. Then I heard a flutter of wings rushing behind me in the air. At that point, I decided I’d better put down the pen and see what was afoot…er… or a-wing, in this case. What was going on inside my castle?

At first when I saw them cavorting under the twenty-foot ceilings. I thought two Bluebirds had inadvertently found their way into my domain. “How cute!” I observed. Two little one-ounce- wonders, having a time, dancing on the hanging lampshades and landing gently on the motionless ceiling fans. Whoosh! They’d chase each other up to the mezzanine, land on the sill of the small west-facing window, and were probably wondering where the heck they had ended up in the rapid aerial journey of their mating frenzy.

Now I was able to get a closer look at them, Birdie Beau and Birdie Belle. They were not Bluebirds as I had first thought, but Finches. I could tell now by their off-purple or reddish coloring. They didn’t seem to be paying any attention to me at all, but they were doing a good job of eliminating any hope of my concentrating on writing an article for the New-Harmony Gazette on that particular day.

“Well!” I said to myself. “This has got to end or I won’t get any work done and will miss my deadline!” So I decided to open the large, fifteen foot high, front door to the building and then

they’d soon be on their way. After all, that’s what they were desiring, to get on with their skyward romance and leave this dank old building behind. But no! They kept flying against the north and east windows to no avail. Sometimes fluttering up and down the panes and sometimes pecking at them as they moved up and down. The male, the Beau, was especially aggressive. He would fly with force into these encasing walls of glass. “Go through the door!” I yelled. Fly toward the bright light and the morning breeze!” Suddenly Beau decided that he’d challenge the glass wall. END PART I

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