http://www.vanderburghsheriff.com/jail-recent-booking-records.aspx
Breaking News: Governor’s Gaming Meetings Would Be Made Public Under House Amendment
By Emily Ketterer
TheStatehouseFile.com
INDIANAPOLIS — Governors would have to let the public know about their meetings with gambling interests under an amendment approved Thursday in the Indiana House.
The change was among a handful of amendments to Senate Bill 552, a huge gambling bill. The measure will expand gaming in several ways, including legalizing sports wagering, allowing two Gary casinos to move a single inland site and create a new casino license for Terre Haute. The amendment proposed by Rep. Pat Bauer, D-South Bend, would require the governor or anyone in the governor’s office to meet publicly for any matter regarding gaming, with 48-hour public notice of the meeting.
This amendment stems from a 2018 incident, first reported by The Indianapolis Star, in which Gov. Eric Holcomb took a $20,000 plane trip to a Republican Governors Association meeting with and paid for by a casino boss while the gaming legislation was on the line.
“It could be that nothing happened, they just had a pleasant chat and it was all a coincidence,†Bauer said. “Or some of the things being done here are running, in a way, as a possibility of whatever was decided there.â€
He noted he thought it peculiar that many changes were made to the bill after news of the plane trip broke, including cutting the fee assessed Gary for moving the casinos to $50 million from the original $100 million to $50 million. He said he didn’t want legislators or the governor go to jail in the future over a gaming matter.
The debate got heated when Rep. Todd Huston, the Fishers Republican, and Ways and Means co-chairman who sponsored SB 552 in the House, questioned Bauer about why he was bringing the issue of a governor’s gaming meetings up now. Bauer began to answer by citing “the recent rock-and-roll show you put on in Ways and Means.†But he was then cut off as other members shouted objections. After a brief recess to discuss if Bauer violated House rules against questioning motives, the debate ended.
Nonetheless, the amendment passed 61-28, with Huston voting in favor of the change.
Also added to the bill was a provision to use some gambling revenue generated from the casino at French Lick and West Baden Springs to help maintain the two historic facilities.
Other lawmakers were not as fortunate with passing amendments. Rep. Earl Harris, D-East Chicago, presented amendments to relieve the possible impact on other Region casinos with the Gary casino move with the casino expansion and to fund a long-sought bridge reconstruction in the area. Both failed.
“I represent East Chicago and Gary, which means I have been in the middle of the fun for months,†Harris joked.
Rep. Cherrish Pryor, D-Indianapolis, offered an amendment to use some of the money received from the taxes on sports bets to pay for injured college athletes’ sports scholarships and also their health insurance if they don’t have any. The amendment was ruled not germane to the bill.
The bill now goes to the full House for a vote on Monday.
FOOTNOTES: Emily Ketterer is a reporter for TheStatehouseFile.com, a news website powered by Franklin College journalism students.
“READERS FORUM” APRIL 13, 2019
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 are tired of money laundering, influences peddling, out of control deficit spending, and self-serving politicians. Most of all we are extremely fed up with taxpayers apathy.
WHAT’S ON YOUR MIND TODAY?
Todays “Readers Poll†question is: Do you feel if the Legislature approves a new Casino to be built in Terre Haute it will hurt Tropicana-Evansville?
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.
.If you would like to advertise on the CCO please contact us at City-County Observer@live.com
FOOTNOTE:  Any comments posted in this column do not represent the views or opinions of the City-County Observer or our advertisers.â€READERS FORUMâ€Â
DO WE WANT TO FOOL MOTHER NATURE? By Jim Redwine
Gavel Gamut
DO WE WANT TO FOOL MOTHER NATURE?
By Jim Redwine
China’s National Science Review reported in March 2019 that Bing Su of the Kunming Institute of Zoology has inserted human genes into monkeys. His apparent goal was to investigate how the brains of early primates developed along different paths with monkeys remaining in the trees and Homo sapiens progressing to the Internet.
Chinese scientist He Jiankui while at the Southern University of Science and Technology in Shenzhen, China claims to have modified the genome, the DNA, of twin female humans in an attempt to preempt the possibility of them someday contracting the HIV virus.
Both of these researchers dealt with DNA and CRISPR. DNA is familiarly known as deoxyribonucleic acid and CRISPR is an acronym for clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats. The genome is the famous Double Helix discovered by James Watson and Francis Crick in 1953. DNA is our 23 pairs of intertwined chromosomes that make us. CRISPR is the DNA from viruses that might protect us from other viruses such as HIV.
Gentle Reader, if I were you I would not rely upon this exposition of biological knowledge from me for answers you may wish some paid tutor to give on your child’s SAT test. Please remember, I was an English major.
Instead of science, let’s you and I turn to literature for our analysis of genetic engineering. We can start at the beginning. In Genesis, that was written about 400 BC if we look to the Dead Sea Scrolls for a date, Yahweh was doing a little human manipulation when he decided Adam needed a companion. The DNA from Adam’s rib was used to create Eve. The Bible does not explain why two Adams was not the result. However, blissful ignorance was the life these humans led until fruit from the Tree of Knowledge was eaten. Some may think it’s been all downhill since.
About 300 years before Adam and Eve those marvelous Greeks were writing about Achilles who was the product of a human, Peleus, and the immortal nymph, Thetis. This mixing of DNA’s of differing species helped lead to the sack of Troy.
Of course, Jesus, about 2,000 years ago, was a similar product of the human Mary and a god who used genetic merging to create a Prince of Peace. To my way of thinking this was evidence, there may be some true benefit to Mankind from such geometry.
As for me, I could support the manipulation of human genetics if we could create drivers who would not clog up the passing lane and who could survive at least a few moments without a cell phone stuck in their ear. Also, as a husband, could we not embed in wives a gene that allows for beer and football instead of yard work?
For more Gavel Gamut articles go to www.jamesmredwine.com
Or “Like†us on Facebook at JPegRanchBooks&Knitting
Mesker Zoo Hosting Benefit to Raise Money for Penguin Exhibit
Mesker Zoo Hosting Benefit to Raise Money for Penguin Exhibit
APRIL 12TH, 2019 
PAUL WILCOXEN EVANSVILLE, INDIANA
Softball hosts Bradley for 3-game series
Aces and Braves start with Saturday DH
 Coming off of a doubleheader split against Indiana State on Wednesday, the University of Evansville softball team welcomes Bradley to Cooper Stadium for a 3-game set this weekend
– The squads face off in a noon doubleheader on Saturday before wrapping things up on Sunday at 11 a.m.; The Valley on ESPN will have live coverage of both games
Last Week
– After dropping a 5-1 game to open Wednesday’s doubleheader against the Sycamores, UE rallied to take a 6-3 victory to split the day
– Haley Woolf hit a solo home run in each game and scored a total of three runs on the day while Eryn Gould went 3-5 and walked twice over the course of the two games
– Emily Lockhart started game one and gave up five runs, four earned, in the complete game while Izzy Vetter allowed three runs on six hits to earn the win in game two
– Last weekend, the Purple Aces wrapped up their road trip with a 3-game series at Southern Illinois
– The Salukis took the opener by a 6-3 score before finishing the series sweep with 2-1 and 2-0 wins in Saturday’s doubleheader
– Allison Daggett recorded three hits in nine at-bats to lead UE with a .333 average; Halie Fain was just behind with a .300 average, posting three hits
– Emily Lockhart made three appearances and one start, giving up two earned runs in eight innings of work
Looking for #200
– UE head coach Mat Mundell sits at 199 victories in his career with the next marking #200
– In six seasons at Illinois-Springfield, Mundell accumulated 117 wins and sits at 82 with the Aces
Showing Her Power
– Freshman Haley Woolf has three home runs on the year with each one coming at Cooper Stadium
– Woolf hit a home run in each game of Wednesday’s doubleheader and improved her home batting average to .286
– She has eight hits in 28 home at-bats with three home runs, 10 RBI, four doubles and four walks
– Away from Evansville, Woolf is batting .176 with nine hits in 51 at-bats; she has one road RBI and three doubles
Report: Lawyers’ Pro Bono Activity Increases In Indiana
IL for www.theindianalawyer.com
Pro bono activity is increasing among Indiana attorneys, with more than half of all non-exempt lawyers licensed in the state contributing time, money or both, according to a report released Friday by the Indiana Supreme Court.
The report is based on the data collected as part of the pro bono reporting rule. Since 2016, attorneys are asked if they have provided any legal services to the indigent or made any financial contributions to legal aid agencies. Answering the question is voluntary with attorneys being allowed to put zero as the amounts.
According to the most recent data, 8,445 attorneys contributed time and/or money to civil legal aid in 2017, which is 55 percent of the 15,388 non-exempt lawyers in Indiana. In total, 442,585 hours were contributed, offering help either at no charge or a reduced charge. Also, $1.89 million was donated either as a monetary contribution or in-kind donation of tangible property.
Comparatively, the number of attorneys reporting and the donations have been climbing.
Attorneys who gave either time and/or money started at 7,895 in 2015 and rose to 8,280 in 2016. Likewise, the total dollars rose from $1.06 million to $1.28 million in 2015 and 2016 respectively.
However, the total hours worked actually slipped in 2017.
Attorneys reported offer 377,346 hours of pro bono help in 2015 and 448,909 hours in 2016. In 2017, the upward trend reversed, with 442,585 hours being reported.
Because attorneys report what they donated in the year prior to their registration, the data looks back at past years. When lawyers registered in the fall of 2018, they would have reported their pro bono activity for 2017 and when they register in the fall of 2019, they will provide the donations they made in 2018.
Aces Track And Field Return To Action At Bellarmine Classic
After a successful meet last weekend, the University of Evansville men’s and women’s track and field teams head to the Bellarmine Classic on Friday and Saturday in Louisville, Ky.
The Aces are coming off a pair of team victories and program records at the KWC Twilight Invite last Friday. Winning both men’s and women’s team titles, the invite marked the first time the Aces had ever accomplished the feat in program history.
On the women’s side, the Aces earned wins in the 1500 meters, 100 meter dash, 200 meter dash, 3000 meters, pole vault, and discus.
Sophomores Monica Watkins and Anna Lowry shined for Evansville each dominating their disciplines. Watkins won both the 100 meters (13.02) and 200 meters (26.87), including a .35 second advantage over second-place in the 200 meters. In middle distance events, Lowry finished as the winner in both the 1500 meters (4:59.34) and 3,000 meters (10:45.15), earning the 3,000 meter victory by more than 30 seconds.
In the field, Evansville won a pair of events as McKenna Sapp won the pole vault competition and Brittany Corley tallied a win in the discus. Sapp secured the win in the pole vault, clearing a height of 3.35 meters. Competing in the discus, Corley threw a distance of 34.44 meters, adding another individual victory for Evansville.
For Evansville’s men, the win marks the second team victory of the season for the Aces after winnings the Stan Lyons Invitational earlier this year. Individually, an Ace recorded wins in the 110 meter hurdles, 100 meter dash, 800 meters, triple jump, and discus.
Leading the way for the Aces was Stanley Chepchieng who finished with an individual win on the track and in the field. Opening the meet, Chepchieng ran a 1:56.46 to win the 800 meters. In the triple jump, Chepchieng continued to impress, earning an individual win with a distance of 13.92 meters.
A duo of freshman in Trey Riggs and Greg King have shown strong performances and continued their impressive seasons. Riggs won the 110 meter hurdles with a time of 16.19, while King marked a win for Evansville in the 100 meter dash, clocking in at 11.16.
Adding an Aces victory in the field, Michael Boots continued his strong freshman campaign. In the discus, Boots released a throw of 46.33 meters, capturing one of Evansville’s 11 individual wins.
Evansville begins competition in the Bellarmine Classic with the men’s and women’s hammer throws on Friday evening.
This Week Recap Of Senator Braun Acticities
SENATOR BRAUN’S WEEKLY UPDATE
THE FIRST 100 DAYS
April 7 – April 12
This week, Senator Braun weighed in on Senator Bernie Sanders' plan for $32 trillion socialized healthcare, Mayor Pete Buttigieg's comments about Vice President Pence, and discussed his first 100 days of progress for Hoosiers in Washington.Â
Senator Braun joined sat down with The Hill‘s Jonathan Easley to discuss how healthcare will play into the GOP’s 2020 election prospects and presidential candidate Mayor Pete Buttigieg’s “risky business” attacking Vice President Pence.Â
Senator Braun joined CBSN to discuss his first 100 days in Washington, offer his take on the Trump campaign spying news from Attorney General Barr’s hearing, and Senator Bernie Sanders’ Medicare-for-All proposal.
Senator Braun joined Hugh Hewitt on Wednesday morning to discuss his first 100 days of progress for Hoosiers and holding the healthcare industry accountable.
Senator Braun joined Bulls & Bears on Fox Business to discuss Bernie Sanders’ plan for socialized healthcare, noting that “Sanders’ revamped Medicare for All treats a symptom of a sick industry,” and that Americans aren’t ready to government-run insurance for all.
Following Senator Bernie Sanders’ proposal of government-run single payer insurance for all, Senator Braun joined Abigail Robertson of CBN News to discuss the GOP’s path to repealing and replacing Obamacare, as well as how to get the healthcare industry onboard through price transparency.
Senator Braun sat down with Breitbart‘s Sean Moran in a wide-ranging interview on his first 100 days in office, the Mueller report, and how healthcare can be a defining issue for Republicans.
Senator Braun joined Tony Katz on WIBC to discuss his progress for Hoosiers in his first 100 days in office.
Senator Braun joined Todd Huff Radio to talk about his first 100 days of progress on prescription drug prices, defending life, and draining the swamp in Washington.