Sadie is about 9 months old! She was transferred to the VHS from Hopkins County Humane Society. Her VHS caretakers describe her as laid back, gentle, adorable, and extremely sweet. She’s still pretty young and need a family that will help her understand all the essential puppy skills, but she’s very willing to learn. She does great in play groups with other dogs. Her adoption fee is $110 and includes her spay, microchip, vaccines, and more! Contact Vanderburgh Humane at (812) 426-2563 for details!
ADOPT A PET
EPD investigating non fatal shooting
Evansville Police are investigating a shooting that left a juvenile injured. The teen arrived at a local hospital with a gunshot wound just after 1:00pm. The shooting reportedly happened near Jackson and Englewood.
The teen was with an adult family member at the time of the shooting. The family member drove him to the hospital. The shooting is being treated as a criminal act, but no arrests have been made. The family member is being treated as a witness.
Police are gathering information from the victim and his relative at this time. Anyone with information about this shooting is asked to call EPD.
“IS IT TRUE” NOVEMBER 21, 2018
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 TRUEÂ that the newly elected Commissioner of Vanderburgh County was offered free tickets to professional sporting events from someone who does business with the county? …that County Commissioner-elect Jeff Hatfield declined the free ticket offer? …that he also declined an offer by another County vendor to wine and dine him at an expensive restaurant? Â …we are told that Commissioner-elect Jeff Hatfield also said he won’t accept any gifts of any kind from anyone doing business or want to do business with the county?
IS IT TRUEÂ we are told that County Commissioner-elect Jeff Hatfield would like to see road projects, professional services, and construction projects to be put out for competitive bidding?
IS IT TRUE we also hear that Mr. Hatfield will not appoint any members of his immediate family to serve on influential local Boards and Commission? …he is against the practice of nepotism in the public sector?
IS IT TRUE more than 700 case managers left their jobs with the Indiana Department of Child Services last year? …reviews of DCS found it wasn’t uncommon for one case manager to have more than two dozen children under their watch? …the assessment of the DCS found a ‘culture of fear’ among family case managers along with an overload of cases?  …this situation is an insult to the employees of the DCS, children in need of protection and the taxpayers of this great State?
IS IT TRUE it looks like the discussion if we should expand the Vanderburgh County jail is over? Â …that we expect that any day now the State of Indiana will be mandating that our local elected officials finalize the plans on what kind of addition should they build to the current jail? Â …that Vanderburgh County should now have the funds to build the addition to the jail because of the increases in the Wheel Tax and the County Income Option Tax beginning this year? Â …we hope that the committee in charge of designing the new Vanderburgh County jail expansion will build it to accommodate our needs for at least the next 25 years? Â …its time to serve the wine?
IS IT TRUE a group of American veterans who deal with some of the most debilitating mental anguish has called upon the State of Indiana to legalize medicinal marijuana? …some Veterans feel that legalizing medicinal marijuana and decriminalizing small amounts may just cut back on the overcrowding problem at the Vanderburgh County jail and VA hospitals ?…the veterans group also feel that putting someone who possessed a small amount of marijuana in jail at $50,000 per year cost to the taxpayers is bordering on insane?
IS IT TRUE that after over two centuries of statehood the State of Indiana has finally is allowing alcohol sales on Sunday? …last year a panel of experts established by the State of Indiana has concluded that firewater should be available on Sunday just like it is in nearly every other place on the planet?… Hoosiers have always been able to purchase booze on Sunday but only at certain times and only at bars or restaurants where beer and cocktails are marked up by a factor of more than 100% when compared to the cost at a grocery store or liquor store?…we are pleased that Indiana has finally come out of the Stone Age with respect to allow the sale of alcohol on Sunday?
IS IT TRUE that  the IRS documented that there has been massive migration of high earning individuals from high tax states to low tax states?…the big winner has been Florida with the losers being made up of Illinois, New Jersey, and New York?…we doubt that the people running these states with notice until their checks start to bounce?
IS IT TRUEÂ last year we posted that Deaconess Hospital will be offering online doctor visits?…this is a forward-looking action to take and we congratulate the management team at Deaconess for that decision?…telemedicine, as such things are referred to, is a tremendous cost saving activity in addition to offering potentially life-saving diagnostics in an emergency case prior to transporting a patient to a care facility?…it is good to see an Evansville business being an early adopter in such an impactful field like telemedicine? Â …we wonder how successful has this medical venture been since Deaconess launch it?
IS IT TRUE a member of our staff recently ate at the Dapper Pig restaurant located at Haynie’s Corner? …she was very pleased with the food and service she received?  …she said that the Dapper Pig offered a farm-to-table menu with an artisanal flair?  …she was also very impressed with the dessert selections?
Todays“Readers Poll†question is: Are you pleased that Vanderburgh County Commissioner-elect Jeff Hatfield would like for construction and professional contracts be put out for competitive bids?
If you would like to advertise on the CCO please contact us City-CountyObserver@live.com
Any comments posted in this column do not represent the views or opinions of the City-County Observer or our advertisers
700 DCS Case Managers Resigned Last Year
Indiana Lawmakers Seek to Reduce Employee Turnover
NOVEMBER 20TH, 2018 
TYRONE MORRIS INDIANA
The Indiana Department of Child Services is releasing new information on how it plans to solve the high turnover of family case managers.
More than 700 case managers left the job last year. Reviews of DCS found it wasn’t uncommon for one case manager to have more than two dozen children under their watch.
Now the agency is working to boost morale and caseworker salaries. An assessment of the Indiana Agency found a ‘culture of fear’ among family case managers along with an overload of cases.
A problem state senator Erin Houchin, a former caseworker herself, knows firsthand. Despite efforts to reduce caseloads after Houchin left the job the issues persisted.
One report from 2017 shows only two of the 19 regions in the state met the caseload standards.
Eagles Cruise Past IU Kokomo
Eagles Cruise Past IU Kokomo
Box Scores: Printable | Sortable | Postgame Comments | Photos
Sophomore forward Imani Guy (Columbus, Indiana), who recorded her first career start Tuesday, paced USI with a career and game-high 15 points to go along with seven rebounds, while senior center Kacy Eschweiler (St. Charles, Missouri) chipped in 12 points and a game-high eight rebounds. Sophomore guards Emma DeHart (Indianapolis, Indiana) and Kennedy Williams (Marshall, Illinois) contributed 12 and 10 points per game, respectively, to round out the Eagles’ double-figure scorers.
Freshman forward Lauren Godwin and freshman guard Sierra Peete each had nine points to lead the Cougars (3-2), who counted Tuesday’s game as an exhibition.
Home Winning Streak
USI’s home winning streak (24) moved into sole possession of second-place all-time in program history, just nine shy of the school-record 33 straight home games USI won from 1996-98. USI won 23 straight games at the PAC from 2000-02.
Extended Minutes
USI played all 12 players on Tuesday evening, with all 12 getting at least nine minutes of playing time. All but one player found the scoreboard, while all but one player had at least one steal and all but two players had at least two rebounds.
Turnovers/Paint
The Eagles forced IU Kokomo into 31 turnovers and scored 34 points off of those miscues. USI also outscored the Cougars, 50-14, in the paint.
Finally a breather
After four nail-biting games to begin the season, the Eagles win over IU Kokomo Tuesday marked the first time in five outings that there hasn’t been a tie score or a lead change in the fourth period of a USI women’s basketball contest.
Up Next
USI hosts Midwest Region opponent Lake Erie College Saturday at 2:30 p.m. at the PAC as part of the USI Thanksgiving Classic. The Storm is 2-0 after a 67-62 road win over Clarion University Tuesday afternoon.
Newspaper Box Score
Indiana Kokomo vs Southern Indiana
11/20/18 6 p.m. at Evansville, IN (PAC)
SOUTHERN INDIANA 84, INDIANA KOKOMO 57
INDIANA KOKOMO (3-2)
Godwin,Lauren 3-6 3-4 9; Peete,Sierra 4-9 1-1 9; Davis,Allison 3-6 2-2 8; Merriweather,Quaynik 3-5 1-1 7; Nickless,Natalie 2-2 0-0 6; Howe,Kaitlyn 2-5 0-0 5; Krueger,Brynda 1-3 1-2 4; Chambers,Tia 2-6 0-1 4; Gulley,Lakyn 1-6 0-0 3; Jolley,Kambrey 1-3 0-0 2; Scott,Abby 0-0 0-0 0; Mullins,Vanessa 0-3 0-0 0; Williams,Karson 0-1 0-0 0; Napier,Jessyca 0-1 0-0 0; Hurley,Braxtyn 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 22-58 8-11 57.
SOUTHERN INDIANA (4-1)
Guy, Imani 7-14 1-3 15; Eschweiler, Kacy 6-10 0-0 12; DeHart, Emma 5-6 2-2 12; Williams, Kennedy 2-6 6-6 10; Davidson, Alex 2-6 2-2 7; Matias, Milana 3-8 0-2 7; Brown, Ashlynn 3-5 0-0 6; Turner, Audrey 2-3 0-0 4; Rowan, Mikayla 1-6 2-3 4; Johnson, Ashley 2-5 0-2 4; LaPlaca, Samantha 0-3 3-4 3; Sherwood, Morgan 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 33-74 16-24 84.
Indiana Kokomo…………….  13  14  16  14 -  57
Southern Indiana…………..  22  21  28  13 -  84
3-point goals—Indiana Kokomo 5-17 (Nickless,Natalie 2-2; Gulley,Lakyn 1-4; Krueger,Brynda 1-1; Howe,Kaitlyn 1-2; Chambers,Tia 0-1; Mullins,Vanessa 0-1; Williams,Karson 0-1; Napier,Jessyca 0-1; Merriweather,Quaynik 0-1; Davis,Allison 0-1; Peete,Sierra 0-2), Southern Indiana 2-15 (Matias, Milana 1-3; Davidson, Alex 1-5; Williams, Kennedy 0-1; LaPlaca, Samantha 0-3; Sherwood, Morgan 0-2; Eschweiler, Kacy 0-1). Fouled out—Indiana Kokomo-None, Southern Indiana-None. Rebounds—Indiana Kokomo 36 (Merriweather,Quaynik 5), Southern Indiana 49 (Eschweiler, Kacy 8). Assists—Indiana Kokomo 11 (Chambers,Tia 2; Scott,Abby 2; Gulley,Lakyn 2; Peete,Sierra 2), Southern Indiana 14 (Davidson, Alex 4). Total fouls—Indiana Kokomo 21, Southern Indiana 17. Technical fouls—Indiana Kokomo-None, Southern Indiana-None. A-169
Chamber Suggests Appointing Attorney General; Bosma Says No
Chamber Suggests Appointing Attorney General; Bosma Says No
By Janet Williams
TheStatehouseFile.com
INDIANAPOLIS—No sooner had Indiana Chamber of Commerce President Kevin Brinegar floated the idea of appointing rather than electing the state’s attorney general than House Speaker Brian Bosma shot it down.
“AWK-ward,†Bosma said when asked about the proposal Monday at the chamber’s annual legislative preview luncheon at the Hyatt Regency.
Brinegar, in his opening remarks, suggested it might make sense to include legislation to appoint the attorney general when the General Assembly takes up the issue of moving up the appointment of the superintendent of public instruction in 2021, rather than 2025 as is now planned.
Brinegar said that in the past, the attorney general at times has worked at cross-purposes with the governor.
“They’ve not always been aligned and we think the attorney general should have the governor as his client,†he said, adding that he wasn’t singling out current Attorney General Curtis Hill for criticism.
Nor did the suggestion have anything to do with the allegations that Hill groped a lawmaker and three legislative staff members during an end-of-the-session party in March, Brinegar stressed.
Bosma, one of four legislative leaders on a panel discussing the upcoming session, quickly said that now is not the time to make a change like that. None of the other lawmakers on the panel—House Minority Leader Phil GiaQuinta, D-Fort Wayne; Sen. Mark Messmer, R-Jasper; and Senate Minority Leader Tim Lanane, D-Anderson—responded to the suggestion.
Hill later weighed in on the proposal in a statement, saying: “There’s a good reason that 43 of America’s 50 states have attorneys general who is elected by the people. Namely, we have a rich tradition in our democratic republic of respecting the people’s wisdom in choosing their leaders.â€
Former Attorney General Greg Zoeller noted that the trend nationally has been to move from appointing attorneys general to electing them.
Lawmakers in 2017 voted to make the superintendent of public instruction appointed, and are expected to easily move forward with speeding up the timetable to make the switch in 2021. The current superintendent, Jennifer McCormick, has announced she will not seek a second elected term.
Among other issues, the chamber proposed raising the cigarette tax by $2 per pack, for a total of $3 per pack, to reduce smoking and deter teenagers from taking up the habit. Bosma indicated that might be difficult to pass next session, noting their members did not run on a tax increase in this year’s elections. He was more optimistic about raising the smoking age to 21 from the current 18.
Brinegar reiterated the chamber’s support for a hate—or bias—crime statute that would include penalty enhancements for crimes motivated by bias against individuals, including sexual orientation and gender identity.
But Bosma said legislation that would make hate crimes a separate statute rather than adding aggravating factors to existing law would run into trouble.
“This is a big knock-down dragged out RFRA-esque discussion,†Bosma said, referring to how Indiana was the center of a national controversy when lawmakers passed a religious freedom law allowing businesses to discriminate against customers on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.
“Does it cover all protected classes?†Lanane asked, adding that gender identity needs to be included in any legislation. If lawmakers fail to pass a bill, “then shame on us,†he added.
The chamber also unveiled workforce development proposals that would prioritize training for the current job market and require high school students to take at least one career or technical course as a requirement for graduation beginning with the class of 2023.
Footnote: Janet Williams is executive editor of TheStatehouseFile.com, a news website powered by Franklin College journalism students.
BETTER THAN A PARDON-THE PRESIDENT FIRED ME
by Danny Tyree for Cagle News
This year I can’t think of Thanksgiving without thinking of Barry Manilow’s melancholy song “Tryin’ To Get The Feeling Again.â€
Google news items about “Thanksgiving,†and amidst the tofu turkey recipes and 2017 versus 2018 price comparisons, you’ll find a growing number of stories about (a) Christmas decorations popping up before Halloween, (b) Thanksgiving getting lost in the holiday shuffle and (c) traditionalists denouncing the encroachment of “Black Friday†sales onto Thanksgiving Day.
As both a Christian and someone who knows which side his bread is buttered on (retailers DO pay the bills at the newspapers carrying my column, of course), I can see both sides of the holiday desecration issue.
I believe the merchants when they insist that they take pains not to intrude upon the family time or spiritual activities of their employees. I try to ignore the scurrilous rumors that the retailers have asked that the Rapture is abbreviated to allow more time for showcasing housewares and linens.
I sort of pity the “big box†stores that try to obtain a competitive edge by rushing the Christmas selling season. It’s just a Band-Aid. Once we eventually reach the cherished goal of promoting Christmas 365 days a year, they’ll have nowhere else to expand. They’ll finally have to compete by having the best products and service or settle for being Number 2 (or lower).
Traditionalists, let’s not pretend that commercialism is something new. The Pilgrims represented a minority of the passengers aboard the Mayflower; most of the passengers were just out to exploit the New World. Currier & Ives did not produce their prints on a pro bono basis. The “traditional†Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade obviously has ulterior motives. Thanksgiving hosts have never been shy about showing off their material wealth to poorer relations.
I am glad that Abraham Lincoln instituted a national day of thanks, even though the United States somehow got by without one for the first 88 years of its existence. And let’s step back for a moment and put some perspective on the things we do on Thanksgiving. After a perfunctory prayer, we eat the bird that Benjamin Franklin championed as the national symbol, we talk behind the backs of the cousins who chose to spend the day with their in-laws instead of blood kin and we watch millionaires playing football.
I can empathize with those who have to work on Thanksgiving. My high school job in a convenience market required me to work every Saturday, Sunday, and holiday. Yes, I ate a lot of leftovers and missed a few hugs from my grandmother, but there were pluses. I came to the rescue of absent-minded shoppers who needed last-minute items, I saved money for my college education and I learned to appreciate the time I do have with family.
As in the days of the Plymouth celebration and the Civil War, Thanksgiving is not about a picture-perfect world. It’s about taking life warts and all and still finding enough of the positive to offer heartfelt gratitude to the Creator (or whomever you credit with the good things in your life).
This Thanksgiving roll with the punches, make new traditions, forge new bonds and savor every second you DO get to spend with the ones you love.