The Board of School Trustees of the Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation will meet in executive session at 3:30 p.m. on Monday, October 29, 2018, in the John H. Schroeder Conference Centre at the EVSC Administration Building, 951 Walnut, IN 47713, Evansville, IN. The session will be conducted according to Senate Enrolled Act 313, Section 1, I.C. 5-14-1.5-6.1, as amended. The purpose of the meeting is for discussion of collective bargaining, (2)(A); initiation of litigation or litigation that is either pending or has been threatened specifically in writing, (2)(B); purchase or lease of property, (2)(D); and job performance evaluation of individual employees, (9).
Beatles Festival Commits to Five More Fab Years in Jeffersonville
Organizers of Abbey Road on the River, the City of Jeffersonville, and Southern Indiana Tourism announced today that the world’s largest Beatles-inspired music festival will extend its commitment to Jeffersonville and the Big Four Station Park for five more years. After three years in Cleveland and twelve exceptional years in Louisville, the event moved to Jeffersonville in 2017 with a 3 year commitment. The extension will allow the festival to remain in Jeffersonville through 2024, which will mark its 20th anniversary in Kentuckiana.
Southern Indiana Tourism is releasing new data that indicates the festival generates an approximately $1.3 million dollar economic impact in the local community. Abbey Road on the River fills approximately 1,800 hotel room nights each year at hotels in Southern Indiana Clark and Floyd counties including the Raddison, the Sheraton, and the new TownePlace by Marriott, as well as additional rooms in Louisville and Jefferson County.
“This has been a fantastic partnership with the City of Jeffersonville, Abbey Road on the River, plus all the suppliers, vendors and sponsors,” said Jim Epperson, executive director of SoIN Tourism. “Thanks to Gary Jacob and Abbey Road on the River family for their renewed commitment to Jeffersonville and SoIN.”
“We’re thrilled that Abbey Road on the River will continue in Jeff. The festival has delivered,” said Mayor Mike Moore. “It’s brought excitement and energy to our downtown while giving a huge economic boost for our restaurants, hotels, retailers, attractions and tourism industry.”
“Jeffersonville and Big Four Station Park have exceeded our initial goals and expectations, which were to (as seamlessly as possible) transition the event and its customer base from its longtime home in Louisville to this new venue and hotels,” says festival producer Gary Jacob. “Our goals between now and 2024 are to establish Jeffersonville as a worldwide destination for live Beatles music, create a solid economic benefit, reflect the spirit of the community, and continue to be safe, clean, family friendly and fun.”
Abbey Road on the River is the world’s largest Beatles-inspired music festival. The 5-day annual event is held over Memorial Day weekend and draws a crowd of about 20,000 attendees, roughly 80% of whom are within a 50-mile radius of Louisville. Past headliners include The Beach Boys, America, Leon Russell, Felix Cavaliere, Peter Noone, Peter Asher, The Zombies and The Family Stone.
The 2019 WAVE 3 News Abbey Road on the River will be held May 23-27 at the Big Four Station Park. It will feature more than 50 bands performing on 8 indoor and outdoor stages. Headlining bands include The Grass Roots, The Cowsills and The Buckinghams. Festival attendees can also enjoy a playground area for children, a Beatles merchandise marketplace, interactive art installations, on-site food and bar services, and art and craft vendors.
To purchase tickets, make a hotel reservation, or get more information, visit www.arotr.com.
BREAKING NEWS: Kentucky Family Foundation Have No Choice But To Appeal The Historical Racing Machines Court Decision
Kentucky Family Foundation Have No Choice But To Appeal The Historical Racing Machines Court Decision
LEXINGTON, KY— “After an initial analysis of the ruling, we have no choice but to appeal,” said Kent Ostrander, executive director of The Family Foundation. “We thank the Court for its diligence over the last eight years, but we are convinced the opinion overlooks several critical elements of what it means to have pari-mutuel wagering—specifically, wagering among the patrons. The very definition of the French phrase ‘pari-mutuel’ requires ‘mutuality.’â€
Yesterday, Wednesday, Oct. 24, the Franklin Circuit Court ruled that the Exacta gambling system, a form of historical racing, was legal.
“When a patron is sitting at his own distinct historical horse racing machine, with his own distinct randomly-selected race or races, pushing the button at his own distinct nano-second moment of time, the question is: ‘Who is the wagering with …among …against?’ No one can point to a single other people with whom he is ‘pari-mutually’wagering. That is the crux of this case – there is no mutuality.’ Obviously, absent ‘mutuality’ there is no ‘pari-mutuel.’”
Sadly, the specific reasoning of the decision raises major issues, both within and outside the horse racing world. For example, the opinion states: “Pari-mutuel wagering does not require patrons to wager on the same horse races, nor does it require reciprocity among patrons, or for a pool to remain open for a specified period of time.â€So, should or can tote boards and totalizators be removed from all race tracks?
And outside the racing world, will Frankfort Courts now take on the responsibility of making major policy decisions for the Commonwealth when the General Assembly choose not to? The ruling does not address numerous policy issues, such as: What is the effect of the predatory gambling practices on the poor? What about a problem/addicted gamblers? What sort of tax rate should be applied? Where should the tax revenue go? Should there be a license fee; and, if so, how much? When and how often are operators audited? Etc.
“Not one legislator has voted to change the law and not one citizen has voted to expand gambling, yet, an unelected Racing Commission and one judge has sided with race tracks and ruled that these new-fangled, slot-like machines are pari-mutuel and compliant with the law,†said Ostrander.
Currently, in Kentucky, there are five facilities using such gambling devices with an estimated 2700 to 3000 machines.
FOOTNOTES: Contract Kent Ostrander at 859-255-5400.  For legal questions call Stan Cave at 859-309-3000.
Suit Against Hill Could Cost Taxpayers; Accusers To Name State
Marilyn Odendahl for www.theindianalawwyer.com
The Indiana Attorney General’s Office is now in the process of investigating a complaint filed against it, the state and Attorney General Curtis Hill after four women who publicly accused Hill of groping them at a party filed official notice of a civil lawsuit. If the women succeed on their claims against state defendants, taxpayers could be on the hook to pay any judgments.
A tort claim notice outlining potential state liability was filed by Indianapolis law firm Katz Korin Cunningham P.C. on behalf of State Rep. Mara Candelaria Reardon, D-Munster, and three legislative aides: Niki DaSilva, legislative assistant for the Indiana Senate Republicans;Â Gabrielle McLemore, communications director for the Indiana Senate Democrats;Â and Samantha Lozano, legislative assistant for the Indiana House Democrats. According to the notice, the women intend to bring assault and battery, false imprisonment, defamation, false light invasion of privacy and Indiana Anti-SLAPP Statute claims against Hill, his office and the state. Hill admitted to touching them at a party celebrating the end of the legislative session in March. The notice was filed with the Office of the Attorney General on Oct. 23, the same day a special prosecutor declined to press criminal charges against Hill for his reported misconduct.
According to the tort claim notice, a report from the Indiana Inspector General and multiple news reports, Hill:
• Slid his hand down Reardon’s back and under her dress and groped her buttocks once, then attempted to do so a second time;
• Ran his entire hand up and down McLemore’s back;
• Put his arm around Lozano’s waist and pulled her close to him, and;
• Slid his hand down DaSilva’s back before placing both her hand and his on her buttocks.
If the claims proceed and a judgment is entered against any of the three state defendants, Indiana Code 34-13-3-17 allows a court to order a governmental entity to “levy and collect a tax to pay the judgment if there are insufficient funds available for that purpose.†Conversely, if the state successfully defends itself against the tort claim, a court can require, under I.C. 34-13-3-21, that the women pay the state’s attorney’s fees if their claims are found to be frivolous, unreasonable or groundless, or in bad faith.
Under I.C. 34-13-3-6, the women had 270 days to file notice of their claim with the AG’s Office. The office now has about two months to review and investigate the complaint, an apparent conflict of interest considering the complaint takes aim at Hill and his office, as well as the state. But some attorneys say these types of inquiries tend to be perfunctory at best, and the AG’s office has the discretion to hire outside counsel to defend against the lawsuit.
When asked about the possibility of hiring outside counsel, a spokeswoman for the AG’s Office directed all questions to Indianapolis law firm Voyles Vaiana Lukemeyer Baldwin & Webb, which represented Hill in the criminal investigation by the special prosecutor and inspector general. Jennifer Lukemeyer, an attorney with the firm, said she had no comment on the question of whether the Attorney General’s Office would hire outside counsel.
If the AG’s office opts not to hire outside counsel, I.C. 34-13-3-15 requires Hill to “defend, as chief counsel, the state and state employees … .†B.J. Brinkerhoff, a Katz Korin Cunningham attorney representing the women, said the firm trusts Hill’s office to “handle the investigation appropriately.â€
If the women’s tort claim proceeds, the notice indicates their claims will be based not only on Hill’s conduct at the sine die party, but on his conduct in the months after the public revelations of the groping. After a report by a Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP attorney regarding Hill’s actions was leaked, the Attorney General went on the offensive, denying the accusations and claiming his reputation had been ruined.
Hill took specific aim at Reardon and DaSilva, claiming Reardon had admitted her allegations were “materially inaccurate†and publicly releasing DaSilva’s email address after she emailed a copy of a prepared press statement to an employee in the AG’s Office for review.
The women are also challenging Hill’s decision to hold a press conference in his Statehouse office to defend himself against the claims and to use official state Attorney General’s Office letterhead and social media accounts to garner support. They also claim his legal defense fund, “Fairness for Curtis Hill,†was created in an effort to discredit them.
In addition to the civil claims against the state, OAG and Hill in his official and individual capacity, the tort claim notice says the women “intend to bring several federal claims against the State of Indiana, the Office of the Attorney General, and Hill.†The claimants have already filed a discrimination complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, but that complaint is not a public record.
Once the tort claim is officially filed, Hill’s office will have 90 days to notify the women whether their claim has been approved or denied. If the claim is denied in whole or in part, the claimants can initiate a lawsuit, according to I.C. section 34-13-3-13.
Hill, a Republican, has defied calls for his resignation from Republican Gov Eric Holcomb and from key leaders of both the Democratic and Republican parties.
Washington County Missing Person Case Leads to Troopers Finding a Body and One Person Arrested
This morning, the Washington County Sheriff’s Department requested assistance from detectives from the Indiana State Police Post at Sellersburg in searching for a missing person from Washington County.
During their search for the missing male, Jacob Ray Dodson, 22, from the Campbellsburg area of Washington County, officers located and questioned Jerry Lee Carson Jr., 47, from the Vallonia area in Washington County. Jerry Lee Carson Jr. was an associate of Jacob Ray Dodson.  After speaking to Jerry Lee Carson Jr., detectives from the Indiana State Police placed him under arrest. He was charged with Obstruction of Justice and False Informing to Police. He was incarcerated at the Washington County Jail. Officers were also able to gain enough information to obtain a search warrant to search a property located at 4031 Wheeler Hollow Road, Vallonia, in Washington County.
While searching the property, officers located a body in a duffel style bag located under an abandoned mobile home. The body was positively identified as Jacob Ray Dodson by the Washington County Coroner’s Office. An autopsy is planned for Sunday morning in Washington County to determine a possible cause of death.
Jacob Ray Dodson was reported as a missing person this morning by a family member and was allegedly last seen on Saturday, October 20th, in Washington County.
This investigation is a death investigation. After the autopsy and a possible confirmation of the cause of death is made, this status could obviously change.
The Washington County Sheriff’s Department, Coroner’s Office and Prosecutor’s Office are assisting in the investigation.
Cross Country heads to MVC Championships
With the regular season complete, the University of Evansville men’s and women’s cross country teams travel to Peoria, Ill. to compete in the 2018 Missouri Valley Championships on Saturday morning, hosted by Bradley.
Being held at Newman Golf Course, the action begins with the women’s 5-kilometer race at 10:300 a.m. with the men’s 8-kilometer race following at 11:30 a.m..
The Purple Aces’ men’s and women’s teams are coming off successful regular seasons that saw the men earn top five finishes in all five meets, while Evansville’s women won three-straight meets and finished fourth-or-better in every competition during the regular season.
Heading into the MVC Championships, the conference’s coaches participated in a pre-championship poll. Reigning champions on both the men’s and women’s side, Bradley, were picked to repeat as champions with the Braves’ women the unanimous selection to repeat.
For the Aces’ women’s team, sophomore Anna Lowry and senior Sienna Crews have led the way for Evansville, finishing first and second for UE in all five competitions. Evansville has been consistent on the men’s side as well, with junior Stanley Chepchieng pacing Evansville in the five meets this season.
At the MVC Championship a season ago, Evansville’s women’s team finished 10th, just eight points behind ninth-place Valparaiso. Crews led UE at last year’s championship, finishing in a time of 19:14.76 in 53rd place. On the men’s side, the Aces earned a ninth-place finish with 276 total points, 29 back of Valparaiso who finished in eighth place.
Postseason play begins Sunday for Aces
With the regular season concluded, the sixth-seeded University of Evansville women’s soccer team has its sights set on the postseason with a matchup with No. 3 seeded UNI in the opening round of the 2018 Missouri Valley Conference Championship in Cedar Falls, Iowa at Noon on Sunday.
In the MVC Championship, the Purple Aces have seen plenty of recent success in postseason play. Dating back to 2013, Evansville has won at least one match in the championship, including a tournament championship in 2015.
Sunday’s match marks just the second time that the Aces and Panthers have met in the MVC Championship. In the only previous postseason meeting, UE picked up a 1-0 win over UNI in the semifinals of the 2015 MVC Championship in route to capturing the tournament championship and an NCAA Tournament berth.’
The two sides earlier season meeting went the way of the Panthers, who earned a 3-0 win over Evansville on October 5 at Arad McCutchan Stadium. On Sunday, the Aces and UNI will meet for the 21st time with Evansville holding a 13-5-2 advantage in the all-time series. The winner of the opening round contest will head to Chicago, Ill. to face No. 2 Drake in the semifinals of the MVC Championship on Friday at 3:30 p.m. at Loyola Socce
Men’s Soccer plays host to Valparaiso on Senior Day
The Purple Aces return to the field at home, a place where Evansville has seen success this season. UE is 3-7-6 overall on the season, but holds a 3-1-4 mark in matches played at Arad McCutchan Stadium. On the year, the lone loss for the Aces at home came to No. 2 Indiana on September 21. Coming into the match, Evansville is unbeaten in five-straight matches at home.
Saturday evening’s match is the final regular season match at Arad McCutchan Stadium in 2018 for the Aces. In home finales, Evansville has won four-straight with its last loss in its final home match of the season coming in 2013.
On Saturday, the Aces and Crusaders will meet for the seventh time with Evansville holding a 3-2-1 advantage in the all-time series. In last season’s matchup, Valparaiso earned the 2-1 win over UE in Valparaiso, Ind. on October 7. The Aces are undefeated at home against the Crusaders with a 3-0-1 record in matches played at Arad McCutchan Stadium. Heading into Saturday’s match, Valparaiso is 4-7-3 overall and 1-1-2 in Missouri Valley Conference action and are currently on a four-match unbeaten streak that includes draws with Loyola and Central Arkansas. Offensively, the Crusaders are powered by Lucca Lacerda, who has scored four goals to go along with one assists for Valparaiso this season. In goal, Nacho Miras has appeared in 13 matches, making 36 saves while recording a 1.19 goals-against average.
Both teams have the ability to clinch a spot in the 2018 MVC Championship on Saturday evening. With a win, Evansville would secure itself a berth in the tournament, while a win or tie would lock the Crusaders into the championship.
Rodriguez has career night against Braves
UE falls in 5-set match
On a night where she was honored for recording the 1,000th dig and kill of her career, senior Mildrelis Rodriguez set her career mark with 29 kills as the University of Evansville volleyball team dropped a hard-fought 3-2 match against Bradley inside Meeks Family Fieldhouse.
Rodriguez eclipsed her previous mark of 23 kills, which also came against Bradley in 2016. She also had 21 digs for UE (8-17, 2-10 MVC). Alondra Vazquez notched 13 kills and 18 digs while Kerra Cornist added 10 kills. Olivia Goldstein led the defense with a career-high 30 digs while Allana McInnis posted 51 assists. As a team, the Aces had eight service aces as Rodriguez and Cecilia Thon notched two each. Joselyn Coronel added five block assists. Bradley (19-5, 9-3 MVC) saw Erica Haslag notch 24 kills while Hannah Angeli posted 49 helpers. Five Braves players finished with double figure digs.
After being recognized for her milestone, Rodriguez responded in the early going for the Purple Aces. After UE fell in a 7-4 hole, Rodriguez’ 5th kill of the night capped off a 5-0 run that saw Evansville take its first lead at 9-7.
Bradley responded with four in a row to go up 11-9, but an ace by Allana McInnis put UE back in front as the Aces added to it to go up 17-14. The Braves tied it back up once again before four ties led to a 21-21 score. BU forced a pair of Evansville errors to go up 23-21 before Rodriguez’ 9th kill along with a block assist knotted the score right back up at 23 all. From there, BU posted the final two points to open the evening with a 25-23 victory.
Evansville jumped out to a 3-0 lead in game two, but the Braves reeled off four in a row to take their first lead at 4-3. A Rachel Tam service ace coupled with a block assist by Kerra Cornist and McInnis saw UE retake a 9-7 advantage. The teams swapped the lead before UE was able to wrestle away a 20-17 advantage on back-to-back kills by Kerra Cornist. Bradley found some late magic once again as they rallied back to win by a 25-23 final.
In the third frame, the Braves took a 9-6 lead, but UE would get within a single tally at 9-8 on a triple block from Joselyn Coronel, McInnis and Rodriguez. With BU up 12-11, they would add to the advantage and go up by a 16-11 score thanks to four points in a row. UE never let the deficit deter their efforts and it paid off as a service ace from Olivia Goldstein got her squad back within one at 19-18. On the next point, a Braves error would tie it up before the 18th kill from Rodriguez put the lead in the Aces hands. Alondra Vazquez consecutive kill in a late run that saw the Aces take a 25-21 win.
The Braves scooted out to a 4-0 lead in the fourth set before extending it to 7-2. UE used its defense to close back in with two blocks in a row. Bradley ended the run and responded by extending its lead to 14-8. Evansville battled back as an ace by Elena Redmond made it a 15-12 contest in favor of the Braves. The Aces kept plugging away as a Bradley error cut their lead to just a point at 20-19.  Another Rodriguez kill tied it up at 21-21 and was followed by a Rocio Fortuny kill that put UE in front. UE held on from there, forcing a fifth set with a 25-22 triumph.
After BU scored the first two points of the fifth game, Fortuny notched her 7th kill of the night to get UE on the board. A Cecilia Thon service ace tied it up before Rodriguez registered two more kills to give the Aces 8-6 lead. UE went up by a 10-7 tally before Bradley roared back with four in a row to retake an 11-10 edge. Fortuny put the lead right back on UE’s side as a kill made it a 12-11 game. The decisive stretch came as BU notched three in a row to go up 14-13. After a UE point, the Brave scored the final point to clinch the match.