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“READERS FORUM” DECEMBER 21, 2018

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We hope that today’s “READERS FORUM” 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? 

WHATS ON YOUR MIND TODAY?

Todays“Readers Poll” question is: Who was the most effective City Council member in 2018?

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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.
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IMPD Officers Sued For Destroying Homeless Camp

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IMPD Officers Sued For Destroying Homeless Camp

December 20, 2018
Marilyn Odendahl
Lawyer Daily

The American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana filed a lawsuit Wednesday against two as yet

unidentified Indianapolis police officers, alleging they unlawfully seized and destroyed the belongings of five homeless individuals who had been living under a railroad bridge.  

Filed in the Southern Indiana District Court on behalf of five plaintiffs, the complaint claims the two officers went to the homeless camp at the intersection of South Pine and East Georgia streets in Indianapolis on the morning of Dec. 17. They are alleged to have removed the personal belongings of the plaintiffs and thrown everything away without giving prior notice or providing the opportunity for the items to be retrieved.

The ACLU of Indiana asserts the officers’ seizure and destruction of the plaintiffs’ property violated Fourth Amendment protections against unreasonable seizure and the 14th Amendment’s guarantee of due process.

“The plaintiffs had not abandoned their property, and there was no legal justification for officers to seize and destroy their personal property,” Ken Falk, ACLU of Indiana legal director, said in a press release. “Officers made no attempt to offer the plaintiffs an opportunity to reclaim their property. All the belongings were thrown away.”

Currently, the identities of the officers are unknown. However, Falk said if they do not come forward, they will be identified during discovery by reviewing Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department records of police runs.

The city of Indianapolis said it could not comment on the pending lawsuit.

According to the complaint, the five plaintiffs have resided for some time underneath the railroad overpass on the “little-traveled street” east of downtown Indianapolis. When the two police officers arrived, all the plaintiffs, except for Allen Hostetler, had left the area.

The officers, the complaint alleges, grabbed Hostetler’s ankles and dragged him out of his tent. In the process, they damaged his cell phone, which Hostetler uses to obtain odd jobs.

Then the officers gave Hostetler five minutes to gather his possessions. He was not able to secure all of his property, nor was he allowed to safeguard some of the property that belonged to the other plaintiffs.

After five minutes, a handful of workers who had arrived with a large white flat-bed truck began throwing the remaining items into the trailer of the truck.

“At no time did the officers or anyone else inform Mr. Hostetler of where he or the other plaintiffs could go to reclaim the property,” the complaint says. “Instead it was clear that the property was being disposed of as trash.”

Under IMPD General Order 1.21, homeless individuals must be given a written notice seven days in advance of removal of their personal property and verbal notification 24 hours prior to the cleanup of the camp. Also, the order states personal property should not be destroyed unless it creates a health hazard.

Among the items taken from the five plaintiffs were prescription medication, clothes, blankets, mattresses, heaters, and tents. In addition, one plaintiff, Michael Miller, lost his birth certificate and Social Security card.

The plaintiffs claim there was no legal justification to seize and destroy their property. They are asking for a hearing and the award of damages.

“Depriving these community members of what little property they have lacks compassion and will not solve public safety concerns,” Jane Henegar, executive director of the ACLU of Indiana, said in a statement. “To address concerns regarding homelessness in Indianapolis, elected officials should look into housing alternatives rather than further displacing an already destitute community.”

The case is Allen Hostetler, Vance Briggs, Michael Miller, Angela Day, George Bishop v. John Doe 1 and John Doe 2, members of the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department sued in their individual capacities, 1:18-cv-3995.

POSEY COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT GETTING NEW BUILDING!

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THE NEW-HARMONY GAZETTE.

POSEY COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT GETTING NEW BUILDING!
By: Dan Barton, Publisher of THE NEW-HARMONY GAZETTE

The Posey County Health Department is in the process of buying a new building in Mt. Vernon to replace its the current office at 126 Third Street, Room 20. The County Council passed a resolution expressing interest in purchasing the property at 100 Vista Drive in Mt. Vernon and agreed, along with the County Commission, on a price of $125,000, at their October meeting.

County Health Officer Kyle Rapp, M.D. has been pursuing the purchase of this building since at least September 2018. He stated to the Council that in the past three to five years the Health Department has seen significant growth in services and employees. He said it is outgrowing its current space. He has not been specific about how many services have been added, but the Indiana Local Boards of Health Orientation Manual currently used by Dr. Rapp’s Board, and which officially defines the services his office provides the public, was written in 2006 with no changes since that year.

The variable operating expenses that would have been expected to increase along with a “significant growth in services” are not reflected in any of the County budgets over the past several, three to five years or more, other than the automatic salary increases of the government employees. Dr. Rapp was also not specific about how much of an increase in staff the Health Department has seen over the period he defined. 2013, ’14, ’15 ’16 ’17 ’18 and 2019 Budgets all show the same number of five full-time employees working for the Health Department. Where’s the demonstrated need for this building? Why no prying questions by our elected representatives?

Dr. Rapp said in September that the Health Department would pay $100,000 toward the purchase of the building, leaving $25,000 for the County to resolve. The 2018 budget approved a total allocation of $325,000 for the Health Department, without the $100,000 building designation included. The new 2019 Budget shows a total allocation to the Health Department of $432,326. Including the $100,000 for a “Building.”

I contacted the Posey County Auditor, Sara Beth Meighen, and asked her how Rapp’s statement could be made with such certainty in September while not having the money already in the Department’s budget. She couldn’t answer that question, other than to say that County Commissioner Jim Alsop would address any issues before he leaves office on January 1, 2019. In addition to the $125,000 base purchase price, the building will have to be remodeled. No price for the remodeling has yet been set. Neither has the Health Department provided any information, at this time, concerning how much the annual maintenance and upkeep of the building will be. Also not answered is who will be responsible for the utilities, such as phones, internet, water, sewage and electric for the new building.

This will be the fourth major building project for Posey County in the last three years. The County Coroner’s building cost the County $374,000, the new Storage Building cost $351,000 and now the new Health Department Building will cost in excess of $125,000. In addition, the new County Jail, which went from an initial estimate in 2015 of $11.5 million to the finished product of $16.4 million, was also built in 2018.

The Jail project required a first time ever perpetual Public Safety Tax that will cost every County taxpayer an additional $63 for every $25,000 in income per year that they earn. Posey County’s accounting processes had to be shifted in order to accommodate the tax and the financing of the Jail project, transferring much of the Sheriff’s Department expenditures from the General Fund to a new Public Safety Tax Fund in order to accommodate paying off the huge finance arrangement that the County made on the Jail.

But let’s get back to the new Health Department building! Public records show that the new building at 100 Vista Drive will be purchased from a Vice-Chairman on the Health Department Board, Larry Horton. Mr. Horton bought the building at a William Wilson Auction on June 18, 2015, for $68,750 and now stands to sell it to the Health Department, where he serves as a fiduciary, for $125,000; making a $56,250 gain in just over a three year period.

Indiana Code 16-20-2-13 -Conflict of Interest, clearly states: An individual who has a vested interest or stands to gain financially from any activity of the local health department or a policy decision of the board is ineligible to serve on a local health board.

I texted County Councilman Aaron Wilson, who has lived and worked most of his life in New Harmony and asked him to look into this County purchase transaction. I advised him that many of the details that I have now revealed in this article were never released to the public during the County Council or Commission meetings for the purchase of the Vista Drive building. Wilson responded that it, “was all done by [County Commissioner] Alsop and [Medical Board Administrator] Denny Shaffer.” He also made it clear to me that he was not the Councilmember for New Harmony, that it was Councilman David Pearce, the owner of the Posey County News, who is New Harmony’s Council Representative.

Further, Wilson said, “I suggested using the New Harmony School.” However, the County Council minutes attest otherwise. Councilwoman Stefani Miller had made the motion to adopt the Resolution to consider buying the new building. And it was, in fact, Councilman Aaron Wilson who seconded her motion. The Council vote, which included Wilson’s, was 7-0 in favor of adopting the Resolution. Councilman Wilson also approved the allocation of the $100,000 on the 2019 County Budget for the Health Department to buy a “Building.” His signature is the first one on the Budget approval. {Wilson telephoned me on the evening of November 30th and said that he had just gotten off the phone with Councilman/Posey County News owner Dave Pearce and that they had discussed the details of the article that you have just been reading. I then later received an email correspondence from Pearce himself, where he stated, “Dan: You did a nice job on this one and told me some things I didn’t know (which isn’t necessarily difficult). Perhaps we should talk sometime about merging or sharing information? Your thoughts?” I politely turned Councilman Pearce’s offer down. Apparently, now, everyone is in the loop on this development.}

I have indicated to Mr. Wilson that it should be part of our county’s goal to spread County government throughout the county. In recent years, part of Indiana’s main goal has been to stem the tide of de-population in rural communities. Interconnecting the small rural towns with our State’s population centers, like Mt. Vernon, our County Seat. That was the objective that the Regional Cities plan was supposed to address. One sure way to start that process would be to take advantage of situations such as the County government’s purchasing of new County offices which are being acquired at needlessly high prices per square foot. Instead, they could use already existing structures within small towns, like New Harmony, for the additional desired municipal office space. I’m talking about the former New Harmony School, in this case. It has been offered for sale by the Town of New Harmony several times over the past four years and is currently advertised again on the market for $360,000.

The proposed new Vista Drive Health Department building, before rehabilitation, is selling at a price of $125,000 for it’s 1,683 square feet, with only 18 parking slots. It is going for a price of $74.27 per square foot. The former New Harmony school is for sale on the market at $360,000 and has 56,000 square feet of space with 50 rooms, plus 20 surrounding acres that include 10 acres of parking. Its sale price is $6.43 per square foot.

Since the County is on a building and buying spree, I would think that someone down at the County Seat, the Council, and Commission, in Mt. Vernon would think about the advantages that can be gained by including the entire County in its plans. Why keep spending taxpayers

dollars on boondoggle deals all the time? Is there something we’re not getting up here in North Posey?

C’mon Councilman Wilson, pound the table! Cite Indiana Code 16-20-2-13, Conflict of Interest; or something! Merely suggesting that they use the New Harmony School just won’t work! Does this Health Department deal have a smell about it?

On Tuesday, December, 18th, 2018, The Town Council of New Harmony president Alvin Blaylock announced that the 56,000 square foot, former New Harmony School will be put on the market for sale at a new minimum price of $80,000. That comes to $1.43 per square foot. Bargain basement pricing.

 

YESTERYEAR: MAIN STREET CHRISTMAS BY PAT SIDES

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In this image of Main Street from the early 1940s, the main hint that the country was engaged in a major war was the sign on the Christmas garland hanging over the street reminding citizens to buy Victory Bonds.

The mood is sedated and the weather inclement, but a handful of shoppers still braved the slushy streets in search of bargains. The Woods Drugs store (at right) was situated at the corner of Third and Main, across the street from DeJong’s department store; it was one of eight pharmacies owned by H. A. Woods, seven of which were located downtown.

The busy block was also home to two other clothing stores — Moskin’s and Hoffman’s — as well as Smith & Butterfield and the ten-story Citizens Bank at the end of the block. 

AG Curtis Hill Confirms Investigation Into USA Gymnastics

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Attorney General Curtis Hill today confirmed his office’s investigation into USA Gymnastics and filed limited objections to the organization’s requests to continue the services of two consulting firms, Alfers GC Consulting LLC and Scramble Systems LLC.

The limited objections request the court deny USA Gymnastics’ motions if the consulting firms do not agree to: 1) comply with all laws and rules regarding the reporting of suspected child abuse; 2) monitor and promote compliance with the policies designed to protect and promote athlete welfare; and 3) work toward full implementation of the recommendations contained in the Daniels Report. (The “Report to USA Gymnastics on Proposed Policy and Procedural Changes for the Protection of Young Athletes” was issued by attorney Deborah Daniels on June 26, 2017.)

As the national governing body for the sport of gymnastics in the United States, USA Gymnastics has been the subject of numerous lawsuits alleging improper conduct, including that it failed to protect its member gymnasts and failed to report allegations of sexual abuse of said gymnasts to proper authorities. USA Gymnastics, which is headquartered in Indianapolis, currently is facing decertification by the United States Olympic Committee. While facing these lawsuits and decertification as the national governing body of gymnastics, USA Gymnastics filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in Indianapolis on Dec. 5, 2018.

“The allegations against USA Gymnastics are extremely disturbing,” Attorney General Hill said. “While my office typically refrains from commenting about ongoing investigations, we can confirm today that we have been investigating USA Gymnastics for nearly a year. Today we took an initial step toward strengthening protections for athletes participating in USA Gymnastics events and at member gyms around the country. We will continue working diligently to ensure non-profit entities in Indiana act with integrity.”

The Indiana Attorney General is charged with protecting the public interest in charitable and benevolent instrumentalities and ensuring the integrity of nonprofit entities operating within the State of Indiana.

THE AIRING OF GRIEVANCES

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THE AIRING OF GRIEVANCES

by RICH MANIERI, DECEMBER 19, 2018

I am on record as a staunch supporter of Christmas. However, this time of year, I like to borrow just one component from another tradition – Festivus.

If you’re not familiar, Festivus was created by “Seinfeld” character Frank Costanza. One of the highlights of the made-up holiday was the “airing of grievances” which, I believe, is a worthwhile, real-life exercise, at least once a year.

Thus, back by lukewarm demand, I give you my apolitical list of grievances, in ascending order, for 2018.

10. “Special Days” – I’m all for dedicating a day to honor an individual or event that played an important role in our country’s history. But now we’re just getting silly. National Pancake Day, brought to you by the good folks at International House of Pancakes. National Suckling Pig Day. National Hugging Day which, given the current climate, someone should consider postponing.National Ask a Stupid Question Day. Here’s a stupid question: What are your plans for National Tortellini Day?

9. Pooh-poohing rules – This might not qualify as breaking news but the domestication of the canine continues. You know those signs people put on their lawns, “Please pick up after your dog” or those clean-up stations you see in apartment communities and public parks? Those aren’t meant for “other people.” Those are for you.

8. Winter – It’s late December and I think I’ve seen the sun for a grand total of 15 minutes since Nov. 1. Every year, I try to fool myself into thinking it’s still warm outside by not wearing a coat deep into the winter. This has proven to be a flawed strategy. My mother said the other day that she “likes the seasons” and that’s why she’ll never move to Florida. Despite the fact that we share the same DNA, I would rather bake like a glazed ham under glass than endure another January.

7. Christmas light violations – What you do inside of your own home, as long as you’re not breaking the law, is your own business. But when your illuminated icicles are still hanging from your roof in March, I’m afraid I can hold my tongue no longer. “There’s no deadline,” you say. Yes, there is. The second week in January.

6. Fake food – For years, I’ve naively been under the impression most fine restaurants were preparing their food on the premises. That was until I received a wake-up call when, after ordering dessert at an upscale – and by upscale I mean expensive – establishment, I was informed by my server that my cheesecake was still in Houston, which was unfortunate because I was in Atlanta. How hard is it to make a cheesecake? If the restaurant was going to order out, at least the chef could have found a cheesecake somewhere in Georgia.

5. Zombie Awareness Month – (See above)

4. Runaway grocery carts – If ever there was a reason for reintroducing the pillory into the U.S. penal system, this is it. I’m hardly the first one to notice this but there is something seriously wrong with a person who would allow his discarded cart to meander across the parking lot into someone’s fender instead of depositing said cart into the return a few steps away. We shouldn’t be surprised. I’ve realized that most people will do just about anything to avoid walking another 15 feet.

3. Parking proximity – I recently bought a new car. I haven’t purchased many new cars in my life and I admit I’m a bit compulsive about keeping it dirt and dent free. Thus, in a parking lot, I usually park as far away from other vehicles as possible. Maybe I’m a little paranoid but I actually believe other drivers are going out of their way to park right next to me when there is a 100-yard radius of open spaces around me. I’m convinced that I could park in the middle of the Bonneville Salt Flats at 2 a.m. and someone driving an ’85 Crown Victoria would nestle in three inches from my door handle.

2. Postal problems – I can honestly say that I’ve never transacted any business in a post office that has taken longer than 30 seconds. Without fail, however, I always find myself in line behind someone with an incredibly complicated shipping predicament. “I’m shipping these live toads to Myanmar and I need a return receipt for each toad. I’d also like to pay in dimes.”

1. Distracted Drivers – Is it me or is virtually everyone you see behind the wheel of an automobile doing something else? I was behind a guy in a red pickup truck the other day. He had a cigarette in his left hand, a phone in his right and he kept veering off onto the shoulder. He should have just gone for the trifecta and tried balancing a beach ball on his nose. Hey folks, just a reminder: A 4,000-pound car is a dangerous thing, especially while it’s moving.

Now that that’s out of my system, Merry Christmas.

–

AG Curtis Hill Endorses National Prison Reform Legislation Known As First Step Act

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Attorney General Curtis Hill today joined 37 other attorneys general in signing a bipartisan letter endorsing the national prison reform legislation known as the First Step Act. In announcing his support for the legislation, Attorney General Hill issued the following statement:

“All Americans should be encouraged by the bipartisan manner in which Congress and the White House have worked together toward the improvement of the federal criminal justice system. As to the specific measures enacted as part of the First Step Act, I especially applaud the new incentives encouraging inmates to participate in programs that develop skills, improve character and reduce the risk of recidivism. I expressed my strong support for such measures to President Trump and Vice President Pence at a White House summit on prison reform this past May.

“We can and must insist that offenders are provided genuine and meaningful opportunities to turn their lives around and break the cycles that lead them repeatedly into criminal behavior. The best correctional models are those that not only penalize offenders for their crimes but that also address social, emotional, spiritual, educational and family issues through targeted services.

“I support commonsense reforms such as equalizing penalties for crack cocaine versus powder cocaine. I also support granting judges greater discretion in handing down sentences. However, I continue to have reservations about legislation that summarily reduces sentences for chronic criminal behavior.

“People still need to be held accountable to the law. We must recognize that a very small percentage of people commit the large majority of crime in any particular community. And in order to protect law-abiding citizens, we must keep chronic offenders off the streets.

“On balance, the First Step Act represents welcome progress for the federal criminal justice system. In an era of political polarization, it also represents the kind of bipartisan compromise that is needed in a healthy democratic republic.”

PEF and EVSC Announce Summer Musical 2019 –Title Sponsor: Old National Bank

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The Public Education Foundation and Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation are pleased to announce their 31st annual Summer Musical: LES MISERABLES SCHOOL EDITION to be presented July 11-14, 2019 in the Aiken Theatre at Old National Events Plaza in downtown Evansville. Show times are July 11, 12 and 13 (Thurs. – Sat.) at 7:00 p.m. and Sunday, July 14 at 2:00 p.m.

Les Misérables is the world’s longest running musical – a true modern classic based on Victor Hugo’s novel and featuring one of the most memorable scores of all time. With countless

awards to its name, Les Misérables is as groundbreaking today as it was when it first premiered in London in 1985.

The show’s memorable songs include “I Dreamed A Dream,” “Who Am I,” “Castle On A Cloud,” “Master of the House,” “Stars,” “On My Own” and “One Day More.”*

page1image28683520page1image28683904Current 7-12th grade students from around the Tri-State are invited to audition April 3 or 4, 2019 from 3:30-8:00 p.m. in the performing arts center at the Academy for Innovative Studies –Diamond Avenue. Callbacks will be on Tuesday, April 9, 2019, 3:30-8:30 p.m., also at AIS Diamond.

The production team includes Producers Kate Reibel and Tiffany Ball, Director/Choreographer Robert Hunt, Vocal Director Terry Becker, Orchestra Director Kimberly Wren, Scenic Designer/Technical Director Tanya Sweet, and Lighting Designer Chuck Meacham.

Rehearsals, which begin June 3rd, will be held at the Southern Indiana Career & Technical Center. Students interested in participating must be able to commit to the program, including all rehearsals and show times (June 3 through July 14, 2019.)

To make a donation in support of the Summer Musical, visit the PEF website atwww.pefevansville.org or contact Kate Reibel, Executive Director of the Public Education Foundation, at 812-422-1699 or 618-263-8950.

The mission of the Public Education of Evansville, Inc. (PEF) is inspiring and cultivating innovative education for all students. PEF board, supporters and staff believe that high quality public education is fundamental to the strength of our community and that all students deserve the best possible public education in order to realize their full potential.

Follow PEF on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/pages/Public-Education-Foundation-of- Evansville-Inc/), Twitter (PEFEVV), and at www.pefevansville.org

Eagles are 15th in preseason poll; release 2019 schedule

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University of Southern Indiana Baseball is ranked 15th nationally in the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper Division II Preseason Top 40 Poll as it prepares for the first pitch of 2019 on February 15 versus University of North Georgia. The Screaming Eagles have been ranked nine times in the last 12 preseason polls, getting the top spot in 2011 and 2015.

USI throws out the first pitch in eight weeks when it travels to North Georgia for a three-game series with the Nighthawks February 15-17. The Eagles open the 2019 home schedule with the Dunn Hospitality Classic February 22-24, featuring match-ups with Ohio Dominican University, Grand Valley State University, and Truman State University.

The early non-conference schedule also is highlighted by a visit to Trevecca Nazarene University (March 1-2) for two games in Nashville, Tennessee; neutral site meetings with the University of Wisconsin-Parkside (March 2-3) in Nashville; and a two-game series at Missouri Western State University (March 5-6) in St. Joseph, Missouri.

Locally, the non-conference schedule has the cross-town match-up with the University of Evansville (March 12); a home game with Oakland City University (April 23); and a home-and-home series with Kentucky Wesleyan College (April 16 and April 24).

The 2019 Great Lakes Valley Conference schedule has been revamped to feature 11 three-game conference series (33-games). League play starts March 9-10 at Drury University in Springfield, Missouri. USI begins the home portion of the league schedule March 16-17 when Lewis University visits the USI Baseball Field

The conference home campaign, in addition to the three-game set with Lewis, includes 28th-ranked Bellarmine University (March 20 DH); Missouri University of Science & Technology (March 30-31); McKendree University (April 9); 35th-ranked Quincy University (April 13-14); the University of Missouri-St. Louis (April 27-28); and Maryville University (May 3-4). USI is on the road against William Jewell College (March 23-24); Bellarmine (March 26); McKendree (April 3 DH); the University of Indianapolis (April 6-7); and the 17th-ranked University of Illinois Springfield (April 19-20). USI Senior Day will be May4 versus Maryville. The Eagles will not play Rockhurst University and Truman State University in 2019 GLVC action.

The GLVC Tournament is May 9-12 and will be played at U.S. Baseball Park in Ozark, Missouri.

The NCAA Division II Tournament has changed this season to include a super-regional format. The Midwest Regional is May 16-19, followed by the Midwest Super-Regional May 24-26. The NCAA II Championship Series is June 1-8 in Cary, North Carolina.

USI completed the 2018 campaign as the NCAA II Midwest Regional champion for the fifth time since the 2007 season. The Eagles were 36-23 overall and 15-9 in the GLVC, placing third in the conference tournament, last spring.

The Eagles begin their 13th seaso

ADOPT A PET

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Zara is a female American Staffordshire Terrier/Black Lab mix! She has gorgeous brindle coloring. She was adopted from VHS originally, but then recently returned because her family moved. Her adoption fee is $110 and she’s spayed & ready to go home today. Contact Vanderburgh Humane at (812) 426-2563 for adoption details!

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