http://www.vanderburghsheriff.com/jail-recent-booking-records.aspx
EDITORIAL:Â EVSC Superintendent Needs To Pay Part-Time Safety Officers A Reasonable WageÂ
 EVSC Superintendent Needs To Pay Part-Time Safety Officers A Reasonable WageÂ
School safety has become a serious situation that requires law enforcement officers to be embedded in our schools to assure that the students, teachers, and staff are safe from violent actions as they carry out their daily duties.
This is a situation that was not heightened until the turn of the century. Perhaps the shootings at Columbine High School in Aurora, Colorado were the inflection point where fear found a home in public education. We are a long way from the days when spit wads on the blackboard, smoking in the boy’s room, and an occasional fistfight on the playground are the most destructive things that happen at school. In those days the principal and most teachers were authorized to use a paddle to keep order in school and the paddles, for the most part, worked to whack the mischief out of the students. Paddles do not stop bullets. Paddles also do little in the hands of a typical teacher to stop a violent student who weighs in excess of 200 pounds. Thus today, we as a society find ourselves in a nation where law enforcement officers are needed to maintain order at school. This sad situation means that money that could have been spent on education must be spent on safety.
Recently the  Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) and the Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation have publicly aired a grievance over the cost of police protection in the public schools. EVSC Superintendent Dr. David Smith, who reportedly earns a compensation package of over $300,000 per year.  He’s on record that an additional $2.50 per hour pay increase over the amount recently approved by the school is excessive.  We feel that what these officers are paid is every bit as necessary to the educational process as the highly paid superintendent is.
The Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) recently asked for a pay increase for officers choosing to work off-duty shifts in the high schools. At the November 13th meeting, the EVSC Â school board approved increasing the part-time police officers hourly officers rate by 10%, to a total amount of $27.50 per hour. Even while the members of the FOP are disappointed in this decision they pledged to continue to post schedules for these off-duty shifts. Officers and deputies who are interested in working may continue to sign up as they have for the past 8 years.
The City-County Observer calls upon EVSC Superintendent Dr. David Smith to do the right thing and budget for sufficient school security and to pay them a wage that is appropriate for the service that they provide. These officers have gone more than a couple of years without a reasonable increase in pay and need an adjustment just to stay even with what their pay would have bought at their last adjustment.
We certainly wish that our schools were safe and that this money was not needed to control unruly and violent students but realize that the reality of the situation is that safety is a necessity and that it does not come cheap. Dr. Smith needs to compensate these officers with a reasonable wage increase and do everything within his power to blunt the violence on campus.
“READERS FORUM” DECEMBER 5, 2018
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?Â
WHATS ON YOUR MIND TODAY?
Todays“Readers Poll†question is: Are you pleased with the overall progress of Evansville since Mayor Winnecke took office?
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Any comments posted in this column do not represent the views or opinions of the City-County Observer or our advertisers.
Commentary: George H.W. Bush And History’s Strange Pivot
Commentary: George H.W. Bush And History’s Strange Pivot
By John Krull
TheStatehouseFile.comÂ
INDIANAPOLIS – A lifetime ago, it seems, I talked with conservative commentator William F. Buckley Jr. about President George H. W. Bush’s political travails.
Buckley came to Indiana to deliver a speech at a time when Bush’s presidency was unraveling. The resolution of the first Persian Gulf War had left Bush with stratospheric public approval ratings – 90 percent in some polls.
John Krull, publisher, TheStatehouseFile.com
Never again would Americans express such complete agreement about a president.
Then it all started to come undone.
It wasn’t Democrats but his fellow Republicans who undid Bush.
They were unhappy about a tax increase Bush supported. He had pledged not to raise taxes while campaigning, but – concerned about galloping deficits – he changed his mind. The members of his own party reacted with rage.
On a trip to Washington, D.C., I’d talked with the then rising bad boy of conservative politics, Rep. Newt Gingrich, R-Georgia, who led the charge against Bush. Gingrich described with a wicked glee how he’d taken Bush’s legs out from under him.
“We reminded him not to take us for granted,†Gingrich smirked.
I asked Buckley why Republicans had turned with such fury on one of their own.
Buckley was well-positioned to answer. He was the intellectual godfather of modern conservatism and had moved through life on courses parallel to Bush.
They were about the same age. They both were Yalies, sons of privilege and World War II veterans. Both served in the intelligence community. Both were leaders in the effort to turn America away from the New Deal and move the nation rightward.
Buckley being Buckley, he talked at length and with a rhetorical flourish about how the gulf between the president and his party had widened. But then he got to the nub of the matter.
“He is conservative,†Buckley said of Bush, “but he is not a conservative.â€
On such strange points history pivots.
George H.W. Bush’s presidency was perhaps the last moment in our history when Americans could achieve something resembling consensus. The dissolution of his term in office anticipated the dissension that would come to dominate the nation.
He struggled with questions of authenticity. He labored in the shadow of Ronald Reagan, his predecessor in the White House, a figure who projected both a sense of bluff, even oblivious assurance and an aura of easy approachability. Bush suffered by comparison.
There was irony in this.
Bush was what Reagan only had pretended to be on the screen – a genuine war hero and a crack athlete, the captain of his college baseball team. And, whereas the Gipper in real life was a distant figure who remained unknown and unknowable to his children, his supposed friends and his supporters – to everyone, it seemed, but his second wife – Bush possessed the gift of true friendship and endeared himself to both allies and opponents.
Because Reagan embodied a sense of lost strength, candidate Bush struggled to prove his toughness, to battle what critics at the time referred to as the “wimp factor.†(One cartoonist often depicted Bush carrying a purse.)
Once in office, though, it wasn’t Bush’s aggressiveness but his restraint that merits respect. Perhaps because he had been a real war hero, he didn’t have to prove his bravery by proxy.
He resisted both Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein’s attempt to conquer neighboring Kuwait and uninformed political pressure urging him to invade Iraq and overthrow Saddam in response. Bush knew large-scale land wars in the Middle East were easier to start than to end, wisdom his son failed to acquire.
Bush also was unimpressed with the magical realism embraced by the true believers of supply-side economics – “voodoo economics,†he called it. Thus, he pushed for the tax increase that helped lose him the White House but set the stage for the surpluses and prosperity of the 1990s.
In short, he was a president who tried to do what presidents should do – hold the country together, even when it was trying to fly apart, and protect it, even from itself.
Neither Buckley nor I knew in that conversation a lifetime ago the price George H.W. Bush would pay for trying to do that.
Or that, in crucial ways, when they said farewell to his presidency, many Americans also would be saying farewell to each other.
May he rest in peace.
FOOTNOTE: John Krull is director of Franklin College’s Pulliam School of Journalism, host of “No Limits†WFYI 90.1 Indianapolis and publisher of TheStatehouseFile.com, a news website powered by Franklin College journalism students.
This article was posted by the City-County Observer without opinion, bias or editing.
CenterPoint Energy Announces Executive Leadership Team for Combined CompanyÂ
CenterPoint Energy Announces Executive Leadership Team for Combined CompanyÂ
HOUSTON, Dec. 3, 2018
CenterPoint Energy, Inc. (NYSE: CNP) today announced the executive team that will lead the combined company following the close of the pending merger with Vectren Corporation (NYSE: VVC), which is expected in the first quarter of 2019.
As previously announced, at the closing of the merger CenterPoint EnergyPresident and Chief Executive Officer Scott M. Prochazka will be appointed to the same role for the combined company. The combined company will be named CenterPoint Energy, headquartered in Houston and execute a unified business strategy focused on the safe and reliable delivery of electricity, natural gas, and related services to customers.
“This talented and experienced group of leaders is uniquely qualified to drive value for our shareholders, customers, employees, and communities while enhancing growth opportunities for our businesses,” said CenterPoint EnergyPresident and Chief Executive Officer Scott M. Prochazka. “I look forward to working alongside this team to further advance our vision to lead the nation in delivering energy, service, and value.”
The following leaders will be members of the company’s executive leadership team, reporting to Prochazka as of the close of the transaction. Unless otherwise noted, the leaders will be based in Houston.
Tracy Bridge, currently CenterPoint Energy’s executive vice president and president, Electric Division, will lead the company’s Texas electric utility business. He will be responsible for electric transmission, distribution, electric engineering, and power delivery solutions in the greater Houston area. Bridge will also oversee the company’s technology operations and enterprise-wide safety and training programs.
Lynnae K. Wilson, currently Vectren’s vice president, Energy Delivery, will lead the company’s Indiana electric utility business. She will be responsible for power generation operations and construction, transmission and distribution operations, electric engineering, Midwest Independent System Operator (MISO) and wholesale power marketing, key account management, and integrated resource planning. Wilson will be based in Evansville, Ind.
Scott E. Doyle, currently CenterPoint Energy’s senior vice president, Natural Gas Distribution, will lead the company’s natural gas utility business. He will be responsible for the company’s eight-state natural gas operations utility footprint, natural gas supply, natural gas engineering, and operations support. In addition, Doyle will oversee the enterprise customer organization, including utility sales and marketing. He will be based in Evansville, Ind.
Joseph (Joe) J. Vortherms, currently senior vice president of CenterPoint Energy Services, will lead the company’s competitive businesses, including natural gas supply and sales, commercial development and marketing, and Vectren’s Miller Pipeline, Minnesota Limited and Energy Systems Group.
Dana O’Brien, currently CenterPoint Energy’s senior vice president and general counsel, will lead the company’s legal organization. She will be responsible for regulatory and government affairs, corporate and securities, litigation, audit, corporate responsibility, the corporate secretary role, and ethics, compliance, and privacy. O’Brien will also have oversight of environmental and claims.
Sue Ortenstone, currently CenterPoint Energy’s senior vice president and chief human resources officer, will lead the company’s human resources organization. She will have responsibility for talent, compensation and benefits, labor relations, and enterprise communications and community relations. Ortenstone will also have oversight of facilities and security, as well as the charitable foundation.
Kenneth (Kenny) Mercado, currently CenterPoint Energy’s integration officer, will serve as the company’s integration lead. He will lead the company’s integration implementation, including process improvement, change leadership, the technology integration management office, and strategic sourcing and purchasing.
The company also announced that William (Bill) D. Rogers, currently CenterPoint Energy’s executive vice president and chief financial officer, plans to retire for personal and family reasons. He will remain in his current role through the first quarter of 2019 to help ensure a seamless closing of the pending merger and transition to his successor.
“I want to thank Bill for his invaluable contributions and commitment to CenterPoint Energy,” said Prochazka. “He has been a valued member of the executive leadership team and played an instrumental role in driving our strategy to advance functional excellence within the finance organization and grow our businesses as we strive to better serve our customers’ needs. Bill also played a key role in our pending merger with Vectren. Thanks to Bill’s leadership and dedication, CenterPoint Energy is well positioned for the future.”
In preparation for the completion of the merger, CenterPoint Energy and Vectren continue to work on integration planning. Until the close of the transaction, CenterPoint Energy and Vectren will operate as two separate companies under their current leadership structures.
CenterPoint Energy, Inc., headquartered in Houston, Texas, is a domestic energy delivery company that includes electric transmission & distribution, natural gas distribution and energy services operations. The company serves more than five million metered customers primarily in Arkansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and Texas. The company also owns 54.0 percent of the common units representing limited partner interests in Enable Midstream Partners, a publicly traded master limited partnership it jointly controls with OGE Energy Corp.Enable Midstream Partners owns, operates and develops natural gas and crude oil infrastructure assets. With more than 8,000 employees, CenterPoint Energy and its predecessor companies have been in business for more than 150 years. For more information, please visit www.CenterPointEnergy.com.
TROPICANA EVANSVILLE JEANS DAYS HELP TRI-STATE FOOD BANK, UNITED WAY
                  TROPICANA EVANSVILLE JEANS DAYS HELP TRI-STATE FOOD BANK, UNITED WAY
Tropicana Evansville Team Members upped their game in November by dressing down to raise $500 for the Tri-State Food Bank and $393 for United Way. Tropicana Evansville designated special days between the two charities, allowing Team Members to don their denim in exchange for a cash donation to a worthy cause.
The Tri-State Food Bank reports that one dollar serves seven meals. Organizations in 33 counties receive the support of their services including food pantries, soup kitchens, daycare and senior citizen programs, after-school programs and disaster relief from tornadoes and floods.
Money collected from Jeans Days also supplemented the annual fundraising effort for United Way at Tropicana Evansville. A worldwide organization, United Way “fights for the health, education and financial stability of every person in our community.â€
About Tropicana Evansville
Tropicana Evansville is a multi-million dollar entertainment complex located on the scenic banks of the Ohio River in southwestern Indiana.  The single-level 24-hour casino encompasses 45,000 square feet of gaming space featuring over 1,100 slot games, over 30 table games, a dedicated Poker Room and a High Limit Room. Accommodations include a 243-room hotel tower and a 95-room boutique hotel. The property showcases an ultramodern entertainment lounge, four dining options, four bars, conference center, riverfront event center, and a 1,660-vehicle attached parking garage.
USI Fall Commencement Exercises To Be Held On Saturday, December 8, 2018
The University of Southern Indiana will hold two Fall Commencement ceremonies on Saturday, December 8, in the Physical Activities Center (PAC).
The ceremony for the College of Nursing and Health Professions and Pott College of Science, Engineering, and Education will be held at 10 a.m. The ceremony for the College of Liberal Arts and Romain College of Business will be held at 1 p.m. Doors will open one hour prior to each ceremony, and tickets are required for all attendees.
Dr. Glenna Bower, professor of kinesiology and sport and the recipient of the 2018 Distinguished Professor Award, will present the commencement address at the 10 a.m. ceremony. Xavia Harrington-Chate, instructor in English and the recipient of the 2018 H. Lee Cooper Core Curriculum Award, will present the commencement address at the 1 p.m. ceremony.
In all, 666 students are eligible to participate in the two ceremonies. Of those, 10 will graduate summa cum laude, 43 magna cum laude, and 63 cum laude.
Summa cum laude graduates, with a perfect 4.0 grade point average, and recognizable at the ceremony by their gold stoles and tassels, are: Karina Arrue, Nour Awad, Lara Barbee, Leland Braun, Kaysie Collins, Samuel Coward, Logan Hartman, Tyler Parkhurst and Amy Proctor.
Of the graduates, nine are University Honors Scholars —  students who have successfully completed the Honors Program — and can be recognized by the white honor cords worn with their regalia. They are: Nour Awad, Mackenzie Crane, Allison Donham, Carissa Dyer, Samantha Enders, Logan Hartman, Alyssa Plumlee, Kelynn Shafer, Savannah Smith, Aubrey Stoll and Grace Voyles.
Following each ceremony, a reception will be held on the first floor of University Center East. The reception is sponsored by the USI Alumni Association and is free for graduates, their guests and USI faculty and staff.
Live video of the ceremonies will be streamed at USI.edu/commencement, and also will be available in University Center East, Rooms 2217-2220. Follow the ceremonies on social media with the hashtag #USIgrad on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
2019 ATHENA AWARD® FINALISTS ANNOUNCED
ATHENA AWARD® FINALISTS AWARD ACKNOWLEDGES AND HONORS OUTSTANDING WOMEN LEADERS IN THE COMMUNITY
EVANSVILLE, IN, December 4, 2018
THE 2019 ATHENA AWARD® FINALISTS ARE:
• Gina Gibson – Executive Director at Evansville Christian Life Center
• Mary Kessler – Dean of Education and Health Sciences at University of Evansville
• Deena Laska Lewis – Founder and Choreographer at Children’s Center for Dance Education
• Millie Marshall – President of Toyota Motor Manufacturing Indiana
• Susan Parsons – CFO at Koch Enterprises
• Carrie Roelle – Partner at Kahn, Dees, Donovan &Kahn, LLP
The recipient of the 2019 ATHENA Award® will be announced at the 28th annual ATHENA Award® Luncheon on Friday, Feb. 22, 2019, at Old National Events Plaza in Downtown Evansville.
Past award recipients include Chris Ryan (2018), Jan Davies (2017), Sara Miller (2016), Parri Black (2015). To view recipients prior to 2015, visit www.swinchamber.com/ATHENA.