Chopper – female, American Staffordshire Terrier, 3 years old, red & white, gets along with other dogs, $110 adoption fee which includes her spay, vaccines/tests & nationally registered microchip
Threats Directed At Good Shepard School Will Be Investigated By Kentucky Authorities
Threats Directed At Good Shepard School Will Be Investigated By Kentucky Authorities
The investigation into online threats directed at Good Shepard Catholic School has been handed over to Henderson County authorities.
Evansville Police began investigating the threats on Monday night. The student who made the threats was located at a parent’s house in Evansville prior to the start of the school day on Tuesday.
During the investigation, Evansville Police was able to determine the threats were posted online by the student while he was at a home in Henderson County Kentucky.
Although the target of the threat was in Indiana, the alleged criminal activity took place in Kentucky.
The juvenile was released to a parent while Kentucky authorities continue the investigation.
EPD Officer injured during investigation into suspicious person at Fairlawn Elementary School
An Evansville Police Officer was injured while investigating a complaint of a suspicious person at Fairlawn Elementary School. The officer was sent to the school around 6:50 on Wednesday morning when a school employee called to report LOGAN STIDHAM was at the front doors acting suspicious. The employee asked Stidham why he was at the school and he replied he had a child in daycare there. The employee knew that to be false and called 911.
The responding officer located Stidham near the school and attempted to question him. Stidham was uncooperative and would not comply with the officers instructions or identify himself.
When the officer tired to handcuff Stidham, he pulled away. The officer deployed his TASER, but it was unsuccessful in subduing Stidham. A physical altercation between the officer and Stidham resulted in the two wrestling on the ground. As Stidham resisted, the officer was able to call for assistance.
Stidham was able to gain control of the officer’s TASER and discharged it as he held it against the officer’s face.
Stidham lost control of the TASER, but ended up on top of the officer. While pinned on his back, the officer was able to partially control Stidham’s hands and wrist. He was able to do so until another officer arrived.
Stidham refused to let the officer up. Another TASER was used, but was also ineffective. The second officer then used physical force to stop Stidham’s actions. As other officers arrived, Stidham continued to ignore instructions. Additional force was used. Stidham was eventually taken into custody.
The officer received facial injuries during the assault. He was treated at a local hospital and released. Stidham was examined at a local hospital and then booked into the Vanderburgh County Jail. He is charged with:
Battery with a Deadly Weapon
Battery with Serious Bodily Injury
Resisting Law Enforcement
Trespass
Theft
Customers can save nearly $200 annually on energy bills by reducing vampire load
This Halloween, Vectren is reminding customers they can save nearly $200 per year on their electric bills by cutting “vampire†load. The average home has up to 40 devices contributing to vampire load, often called phantom load, which refers to the amount of electricity that’s being drained by equipment when it’s off or in standby mode.
Any device that has a remote control or instant-on capability is slowly draining power. Examples of these energy vampires include Blu-Ray and DVD players, digital cable boxes, DVRs, microwaves, video gaming systems, alarm clocks, cell phones that are fully charged, computers, televisions and any device with a digital display.
“Most people don’t realize just how easy it is to shave significant dollars off your electric bill by ridding your home of these energy vampires,†said Brad Ellsworth, president of Vectren Energy Delivery of Indiana – South. “The individual vampire loads range from a fraction of a watt to more than 45 watts, and these electric appliances may account for as much as 10 percent of the total electric bill even when switched off.â€
For instance, mobile phone chargers that are left plugged in after your phone is disconnected consume .26 watts of energy — and 2.24 watts when your phone is fully charged and still connected. According to the Department of Energy, 45 “vampire†watts feeding off of your electric power bill for a year totals nearly 400 kilowatt hours – enough energy to operate a new, 21 cubic-feet refrigerator for nearly one year.
Combat these energy vampires in the following ways:
- Plug all components of a home entertainment system into a power strip and turn it off when the equipment is not in use. Anything plugged into the strip is then truly turned off.
- Computers and their peripherals should be placed on a Smart Strip, which automatically powers down a computer’s peripherals, such as speakers, modems and printers, once the computer is turned off. Smart Strips range from $25 to $40. Essentially, a Smart Strip detects when the primary appliance in a group has been turned off and then electronically powers-off the associated peripherals.
- Unplug devices that are rarely used as well as chargers that aren’t in use. Unplug items such as televisions, toaster ovens and other well-used appliances before leaving on vacation or more frequently as desired.
- Curb idle time by simply setting your computer to sleep mode, or stopping a game and powering down your video game console instead of leaving it paused for a prolonged period.
- Buy energy-efficient appliances or those bearing the ENERGY STAR® label. ENERGY STAR-qualified appliances incorporate advanced technologies that use 10 to 50 percent less energy than standard models. Find a list of products at EnergyStar.gov.
For additional ways to conserve energy for your home or business, visit www.vectren.com/saveenergy.
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IS IT TRUE OCTOBER 31, 2018
We hope that today’s “IS IT TRUEâ€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?
IS IT TRUE that yesterday the Rotary Club of Evansville planned to host a political discussion between a candidate for Vanderburgh County Prosecutor, Stan Levco and current County Prosecutor Nick Hermann? Â …those in attendance were dismayed when they were informed that current County Prosecutor Nick Hermann opted out of this important political event to attend a drug symposium in Indy? …we are told that the decision made by Mr. Hermann to go to Indy instead of attending the Rotary Club political event may have cost Mr. Hermann some votes? Â …Gary Schutte, Chief Deputy Prosecuting Attorney of Vanderburgh County represented Mr. Hermann while he attended a drug symposium in Indy did a credible job? Â …Mr. Levco did an outstanding job in explaining the reasons why he is running for Prosecuting Attorney for Vanderburgh County? …we commend both Mr. Levco and Mr. Schutte for not only attending this most worthwhile public political forum but treating each other with respect?
IS IT TRUE we have been told by reliable sources that a full-time employee of the Vanderburgh County Prosecutor Nick Hermann office (working 37.5 hours per week), has allegedly billed Vanderburgh County for 4,000 hours during the year for time spent writing grants for another Vanderburgh County department? …this grant writing job had nothing to do with the Vanderburgh County Prosecutor office? …if the above information is correct this calculates to 77 hours per week if they work a full 52 weeks per year, never taking vacation, holiday, sick day, etc?…that simple math shows the claims of working 114.5 hours per week (37.5 +77) or 22.9 hours a day Monday through Friday?… this only leaves 1.1 hours per day to sleep, eat, bathe, drive to and from work, spend time with family, etc., etc. etc.? …it’s possible that someone may have errored when they reported that they spent 4,000 hours on grant writing but in reality only spent 400 hours writing grants? …sometime mistakes happen? …the City-County Observer respectfully request that the Vanderburgh County Prosecutor Nick Hermann look into the above allegations in order to determine what is fact and what is fiction? …if Mr. Hermann decides not to investigate this matter, we suggest that he appoints an independent special prosecutor to investigate this issue?
IS IT TRUEÂ that the State Board of Accounts states that routinely overdrawn funds could be an indicator of serious financial problems which should be investigated by the unit? Â …according to the SBOA audit, it looks like the City of Evansville might have some serious financial problems?
IS IT TRUEÂ we are told that the patrons of Ellis Park are excited that the new owners of Ellis Park (Saratoga Gaming of New York) has promised to do some extensive updates to the interior decor of the main Club House? Â Â …we urge supporters of Ellis Park to be a little more patient with the new owners of Ellis because we’re told that they shall address the interior remodeling challenges in the main Club House area in the very near future?
IS IT TRUE that it is not just Thunderfest racing event that is a perpetual drain on public and private funds?…the Evansville Thunderbolts Hockey team has done the same thing in a much shorter time frame and the latest rendition called the Evansville Thunderbolts are going the way of the past sporting venues in Evansville with serious operating losses that have already picked the pockets of every private investor that has been seduced by the sirens song of being a big shot team owner?…the fun and games crowd of Evansville needs to learn how to throw in the towel when the time has come to do so?
IS IT TRUE that the Jacksonville Icemen (formerly the Evansville Icemen) are not only the undefeated team in their conference (5 and 0) but are also are the only undefeated team in the ECHL? …we send the Jacksonville Icemen owner Ron Geary big congrats?  …it looks like the City of Evansville made a major mistake when that forced the Evansville Icemen to move to Jacksonville, Fla?
IS IT TRUE we hear that the 5th Ward City Council member Justin Elpers and his wife are going to have a baby boy in the future? Â …we send best wishes and congratulations to the Elpers?
IS IT TRUE that we would like to thank Susan Harp for donating two pet oxygen masks to the EFD?
Today’s “Readers Polls” question is: Do you feel when County Prosecutor Nick Hermann decided to attend a drug seminar in Indy instead of participating in the Rotary Club political forum has hurt him politically?
If you would like to advertise on the CCO please contact us City-CountyObserver@live.com
Footnote: City-County Observer Comment Policy. Â Be kind to people. No personal attacks or harassment will not be tolerated and shall be removed from our site.
Rotary Club Hosts Prosecutor’s Forum Without Nick Hermann
Rotary Club Hosts Prosecutor’s Forum
(Hermann Skips Rotary Event to Attend Drug Symposium In Indianapolis)Â
OCTOBER 30TH, 2018 
JOYLYN BUKOVAC EVANSVILLE, INDIANA
The Rotary Club of Evansville hosted a discussion for Stan Levco and Gary Schutte, who was representing Nick Hermann while he attended a drug symposium.
“I think to be an effective leader, you have to put your staff at a position to where they have the greatest capacity to have the greatest impact on their community, and I think Nick is taking steps to try and do that,†says Gary Schutte, Chief Deputy Prosecuting Attorney for Vanderburgh County.
Levco says he’s worried about the office’s 45 percent conviction rate and the outcome of the Beckerle case in addition to a few others.
“He blamed his not guilty verdict on the bad publicity the jurors had read. Well, the reason you have jury selection is you can tell what kind of publicity the jurors have had and he didn’t ask a single question to the second panel of jurors, and that’s just beyond belief,†says Levco.
However, Schutte says there are more cases they have faced than that specific one.
“I understand the criticism of the Roach case, I do. It wasn’t the result we intended, but I think it needs to be taken into perspective in compared to all of the other cases. The last five murder trials our office has tried have resulted in guilty verdicts,†says Schutte.
Schutte says the most significant challenge their office is facing is overcrowding of the Vanderburgh County Jail. Levco says, if he’s elected he will do more work releases.  However, Schutte believes there are more effective alternatives.
“Free time is a dangerous thing for people with addiction problems. So one of our reasons for that is there’s technology available that allows you to track in the eyes of the prosecutor’s office in a better, more effective way.â€
Court of Appeals Upholds Darmstadt Apartment Complex
The Indiana Court of Appeals upheld a trial court’s dismissal of Darmstadt’s lawsuit against CWK Investments-Hillsdale, LLC (owned by Wayne Kinney). The court dismissed the suit on procedural grounds—Darmstadt failed to file its suit within the time required under state law. A copy of the decision is available here: http://publicaccess.courts.in.gov/Appellate/Document?id=2af339e4-5f4a-443b-aafa-dcbff1bff5b8
The decision upholds the trial court’s decision which found the planned apartment complex was properly zoned on the southeast side of Darmstadt. As a result of the ruling, the development company may proceed with construction of four apartment buildings containing approximately 350 apartment units (175 two-bedroom units and 175 three-bedroom units) on a 28-acre development.
Separately, CWK Investments filed suit in 2017 against Darmstadt and its Town Council members for violating the Fair Housing Act (FHA) by discriminating against minorities and multi-family residents. The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana, remains ongoing and charges that Darmstadt and its Town Council violated the FHA and discriminated against minorities by imposing requirements on affordable multi-family housing often used by racial minorities that they did not impose on single-family developments more frequently used by white residents. According to 2010 census data, Darmstadt is 97% white. In 2000 census data, Darmstadt was 99% white. By denying Mr. Kinney’s permit to build affordable housing, Darmstadt perpetuates segregated housing patterns and denies minorities the opportunity to seek affordable housing.
The law firm of Jackson Kelly, PLLC represents CWK Investments and Mr. Kinney in all of these matters, including the most recent litigation before the Indiana Court of Appeals which found in favor of Mr. Kinney and CWK.
USI Names Chief Government And Legal Affairs Officer
President Ronald S. Rochon has announced the appointment of Aaron C. Trump to the position of chief government and legal affairs officer at the University of Southern Indiana. He will assume official duties Monday, December 3.
Trump will undertake responsibilities previously held in part by Cindy Brinker, senior vice president emerita of government relations, who retired on June 30, 2018. This position also combines the newly established, internal role of legal affairs for USI. The position will report to the president of the University and is a member of the President’s Council.
As chief government and legal affairs officer, Trump will serve as USI’s principal liaison to local, state and federal government officials, including members and staff of the Indiana General Assembly, the Office of the Governor, the Indiana Commission for Higher Education, the Office of Management and Budget as well as related associations, groups and organizations locally, throughout the State of Indiana and at the federal level. He also will provide legal counsel and guidance to the president, Board of Trustees and other members of the University community on a broad range of legal matters relevant to the institution.
“Sound guidance in the government and legal affairs realms are vital to the University,” said Rochon. “Combining these fields is new to USI. Mr. Trump shows enormous passion and demonstrated skill in these two areas and we look forward to him joining our team.”
Currently, Trump serves as the civil rights investigator for all complaints falling under Title IX, Title VII and other federal and state laws for the University of Colorado in Denver. He was an associate attorney for two Evansville-based law firms: Ziemer, Stayman, Weitzel and Shoulders, L.L.P. and Kahn Dees Donovan and Kahn L.L.P. In these roles, among other duties, he provided counsel to universities on student affairs and federal compliance.
Trump is licensed to practice law in the State of Indiana and has received certifications in trial advocacy skills, advanced sexual misconduct and civil rights investigation. His legal career includes representing municipalities, manufacturers, retailers and other business clients in small claims, Superior, Circuit and Federal Courts, and advising governmental departments on the policy implications of local, state and federal codes. He served as a Section Chief/Staff Sergeant – Field Artillery for the United States Army National Guard.
Trump received a Juris Doctor degree from Washington University in St. Louis. He also earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s degree in higher education and student affairs from Indiana University.