http://www.vanderburghsheriff.com/jail-recent-booking-records.aspx
IS IT TRUE NOVEMBER 16, 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?Â
IS IT TRUE that we would like to thank area road crews for doing an outstanding job in keeping our roads clean and safe during yesterdays winter storm?  …we are also very pleased that our first responders were really to handle any unforeseen emergency during the impending winter storm?  …we give five (5) cheers to our area road crews and first responders for a job well done?
IS IT TRUEÂ that a couple days ago Channel 25 TV did an investigative piece on the McCurdy? …according to Channel 25 TV report that owner of the McCurdy have problems with the elevators, pest control issues, allowing free access to anyone wanting to enter the building because the main entrance doors are not locked, trash is allowed to accumulate in lobby and stairwells, deferred maintenance issues, they are defendants in over 60 plus lawsuits, allegedly not handling rental deposit refunds properly? …if the issues raised in the Chanel 25 investigative report are true it looks like the McCurdy may have City Codes, Vanderburgh County Board of Health Department and OSHA violations that need to be addressed?
IS IT TRUE that starting in January 2019 the Vanderburgh County School Board will have two well qualified and independent thinking School Board members?  …they are Ann Ennis and  David Hollingsworth?  …we expect that Ennis and Hollinsworth will encourage the EVSC Superintendent of Schools to be more transparent? … we don’t expect that the school board will be any making decisions behind closed doors?  …it may be even possible that the new School Board could even adopt a policy ending the practice of “nepotism”?
IS IT TRUE starting in January 2018 a new era in local county politics will begin? Â …the Vanderburgh County Commision will have a banker, successful businessman and knowledgeable person in of how government works? Â …we expect that County Commissioners Cheryl Musgrave, Ben Shoulders, and Jeff Hatfield will do great things for the citizens of Vanderburgh County starting January 2019?
IS IT TRUE Â it been reported that a Congressional sub-committee heard testimony from Department of Veterans Affairs officials concerning computer problems that have caused GI Bill benefit payments covering education and housing to be delayed for months or never be delivered? …because of this unacceptable bureaucratic mistake that many veterans are facing serious debt problems or even homelessness because of this issue? Â …that the Veterans Affairs official that caused this unacceptable problem was demoted instead of being fired?
IS IT TRUE that Kathryn Martin retained her position for the third time as Knight Township trustee in the recent mid-term election? Â …that Democrat Martin crushed her opponent by a margin of 8 percent? …Ms. Martin beat her challenger, Johnny Kincaid, by 1,671 votes? …we congratulate Kathryn Martin for getting elected to a third term? Â Â …we commended Mr. Kincaid desire to serve the public in an elected office? Â …that Mr. Kincaid has run for several political offices in the past and always fell short of being elected? Â …feel that Mr. Kincaid should approach the mover and shakers of his party and ask them to appoint him to a meaningful board or commission because we feel he has the talent and desire to serve us well?
IS IT TRUE that over the years that there has been talked about locating a “Slack Water Port” in the Evansville area? Â …that the need for such a port is because of the goods being shipped by containers? Â …that many of thousands of containers arrive at blue water ports in the United States every day? Â …we wonder when will our locally elected city and county officials look into this issue?
IS IT TRUEÂ the committee that’s was in charge of moving and redesigning the Kids Kingdon at Sunset Park really did a bang-up job? Â …we would like to thank Evansville Chief of Police Billy Bolin, Mayor Winnecke, the Kids Kingdon committee and community volunteers for building an awesome playground for the kids?
IS IT TRUEÂ the old casino boat has left Evansville with lots of memories and has not only made lots of money for the owners but also added much-needed money to the city coffers? …that Tropicana on the other hand now has a plush new land-based casino that took $50 Million dollars to build and is an awesome upgrade from the old boat? Â …the employees are very accommodating, the food at the buffet and deli are affordable and delicious, the gaming offerings are extremely impressive?…we highly recommend that you visit Tropicana-Evansville because its this regions best gaming establishment?
IS IT TRUE we want to commend Evansville Police Department media spokesman Jason Cullum for doing an outstanding job of keeping the public aware of the policing activities of the EPD? Â …Jason Cullum is considered to be one of the top law enforcement media spokesmen in Indiana?
IS IT TRUE In honor of men’s health month, St. Vincent wanted to share a story with you about St. Vincent pediatrician, Dr. Jon Voyles who suffered a heart attack earlier this year and found himself in St. Vincent’s emergency room? … Dr. Voyles is encouraging men to see their doctor regularly?  …St. Vincent has produced a video with Dr. Voyles sharing his story?  …if you are interested in seeing this video or would like to speak to Dr. Voyles and his cardiologist, Dr. Frizzell so you can learn more about this story please contact Tangela Floyd, Director of Public Relations at 812-485-4044 or e-mail her at mailto:tangela.floyd@ascension.org?
Todays“Readers Poll†question is: Do you feel that elected officials should be allowed to award no-bid contracts to people who give contributions to their political campaigns?
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
Indiana’s Schools Show Improvement in 2017-18
Indiana’s Schools Show Improvement in 2017-18
By James Polston
TheStatehouseFile.com
INDIANAPOLIS—Nearly one in four Indiana schools showed improvement in the 2017-18 academic year over the prior year, the Indiana Department of Education reported Wednesday.
IDOE released its school accountability grades that also showed nearly two out of three schools throughout the state scored an A or B letter grade on the department’s A-F scale.
“Our current accountability grades are an indication of the great education Indiana students are receiving,†said Superintendent of Public Instruction Jennifer McCormick in a press release after the grades were made public.
“Our work is paying off and as a Department, we will continue to partner with dedicated stakeholders to ensure every school and every student is successful.â€
The state’s first accountability system went into effect in 2001 after the Indiana General Assembly passed a law in 1999 to create a performance-based system of measuring schools.
In 2015, the State Board of Education established new metrics for Indiana’s student-centered accountability system that include measures for how much students improve year over year as well as the number who graduate within four years. Current metrics went into effect in the 2015-2016 school year.
About 9 percent of schools improved their letter grade to an A, with close to 29 percent of schools overall receiving an A for the 2017-18 school year.
The grades are a snapshot of the great teaching and learning going on in Indiana’s schools, said J.T. Coopman, executive director of the Indiana Association of Public School Superintendents.
“IAPSS wants to thank all Indiana public school teachers and administrators for the tremendous work they do on behalf of Indiana’s 1.1 million public school students in 289 public school districts in Indiana,†Coopman said.
The data show that nearly 56 percent of school grades were unchanged from the 2016-17 school year with about 21 percent of schools receiving a lower grade over the same period.
In the current year, 14.5 percent of schools received a D or F in school accountability grades, with 4.5 percent of schools receiving an F.
McCormick’s office also released federal accountability grades, which are based on different standards, for the 2017-18 school year.
Nearly 67 percent of public schools received the same letter grade for both state and federal accountability systems, with about 31 percent of schools receiving a higher letter grade on the state system.
Differences in performance metrics between the two systems were the main factor for discrepancies for 33 percent of school letter grades, according to the IDOE.
School accountability grades can be found on the IDOE website at this link.
FOOTNOTE:Â James Polston is a reporter for TheStatehouseFile.com, a news website powered by Franklin College journalism students.
COMMENTARY: New Chair Of Senate Education and Career Development Committee Will Make Changes
New Chair of Senate Education and Career Development Committee Will Make Changes
by Gail Riecken, CCO Statehouse Editor
It looks like those supporting a closer relationship of workforce development and public education will see renewed support with the newly announced Chair of the State Senate Committee on Education and Career Development. Senator Rod Bray, Senate President Pro-Tem, has announced the chairmanship will go to Senator Jeff Raatz.
A recent Indy Star article (Nov. 9) reported Terry Spradlin, Executive Director of the Indiana School Boards Association:  “ Raatz,†he said, “ has been more engaged on some of the workforce and career and technical education issues that have been front and center in the last year or so, so there could be a shift in focus towards more of those bills.â€
This is particularly interesting as the Lumina Foundation continues to take more of a prominent role pushing State policymakers toward establishing initiatives with the goal of increasing the number of post-graduate industry certifications and associates degrees.
Does the new chairmanship mean there will be legislation introduced where the department of workforce development and the education department will work closely together in both funding and policy issues?
Does the new chairmanship mean there will be more funding for high schools that favor trade-specific programs and internships graduating students with industry-recognized certifications and more funding for high schools with programs graduating more students with associate degrees?
It will be interesting to watch these issues in the State legislative session that will begin in January.
More Affordable Housing Coming to Evansville
More Affordable Housing Coming to Evansville
NOVEMBER 15TH, 2018 
MITCH ANGLE EVANSVILLE, INDIANA
Two new housing development projects in Evansville means good new for affordable housing in the city.
As of November 15th, The Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority approved $3 million in tax awards for these two projects.
The first development announced was Homes of Evansville II.  30 single family homes on vacant and abandoned lots and one 30 unit multifamily building in Evansville by HOPE of Evansville will be built. 20% of the units will serve those with intellectual or developmental disabilities. Awarded $1,200,000 in RHTCs and $500,000 from the Development Fund.
The second project announced is the rehabilitation and preservation of 30 existing affordable units and new construction of 30 multifamily units by Advantix Development Corporation. Awarded $1,000,000 in RHTCs and $500,000 from the Development Fund.
At today’s IHCDA Board of Directors Meeting, recommendations for the remaining 2018 RHTC Awards and the 2019 RHTC’s were presented.
USI 49th Annual Madrigal Feaste Leads Holiday Festivities With Renaissance Food And Music
The University of Southern Indiana Chamber Choir will present the 49th annual Madrigal Feaste from Thursday, November 29 through Sunday, December 2 in Carter Hall located in University Center West on the USI campus.
First performed in 1969 and USI’s most enduring musical tradition, the Madrigal Feaste is a festive dinner and concert set in Renaissance Ireland. Attendees witness the reenactment of a royal feast, with processionals and holiday music accompanying each item on the menu as performers and guests welcome the holiday season.
The USI Chamber Choir will entertain with selections of old English Madrigals, Irish traditional folk songs and carols, as well as stirring choral selections for the holiday season from a wide variety of European repertory. This year’s menu will include green tossed salad, hot wassail, soup of beef and barley, roasted chicken, holiday roasted potatoes, fresh steamed vegetables, bread pudding with rum sauce, tea and coffee.
Tickets are $28 for USI students and seniors (60+) and $34 for adults and non-USI students. Doors open at 7 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and 1:00 p.m. for the Sunday matinee. To purchase tickets, visit USI.edu/madrigals or call at 812-461-5237.
For more information, contact Dan Craig, associate professor of music, at 812-464-1736.
Order To Return 5-Unit Apartment To Single-Family House Upheld
Katie Stancombe for www.indidnalawyer.com
The Indiana Court of Appeals affirmed a public works and safety board’s order that a man restores a property he uses as apartments back to a single-family dwelling after finding the home to be unsafe and sufficient evidence proved it was not a multi-family unit.
Jose Andrade, a landlord who owns 32 properties with a total 62 rental units, purchased a Hammond home in 1998 with the intention of renting it out. Before he purchased it, the home had been divided into five apartments, which Andrade continued upon acquiring it.
After receiving two separate notices from the City of Hammond of various violations of the Hammond Municipal Code and International Building Code, the home was declared unsafe and all five apartments inhabitable.
The findings concluded that the home had inadequate fire stopping, lack of fire blocking, flammable support beams, inadequate fire separation, improperly braced stairs of inadequate width, lack of basement apartment bedroom windows, low basement ceilings that would contribute to smoke accumulation and prevent egress in an emergency. The house also had inadequate smoke detectors.
At a hearing, the Hammond Board of Public Works and Safety concluded that the home, constructed in 1927, was originally built as a single-family residence and that the apartments could not be lawfully occupied in the home’s current condition. It then ordered Andrade to restore the home to a single-family dwelling, which the Lake Superior Court upheld in a March 2018 decision.
On appeal, Andrade contended that the Board exceeded its statutory authority by acting as a zoning authority when it ordered him to restore the home to a single-family dwelling.
The Court of Appeals found that the board’s order that the four unsafe apartments in the home be removed fell squarely within the ambit of the Indiana Unsafe Building Law’s unambiguous provisions.
“Because the UBL provided the authority for the action ordered by the Board and the Board did not make any impermissible findings to support that action, we conclude that the Board did not exceed its statutory authority when it ordered Andrade to restore the Home to a single-family dwelling,†Judge Patricia Riley wrote for the court.
Andrade further argued that the order was without substantial evidence and not in accordance with law because he met his burden of proof to show that the home was constructed as a multi-family unit. However, the appellate court agreed with the board that Andrade’s argument was misplaced and that because the inspector found the home comparable to other similar single-family homes in the area built in the same year, the decision was not clearly erroneous.
Lastly, Andrade argued that the order should be reversed because the city did not comply with his subpoena, which he claimed resulted in his inability to cross-examine city experts and inspectors.
But the appellate court found that Andrade offered no authority for his proposition that the board had an obligation, to enforce his discovery request. It concluded that the city’s failure to comply with Andrade’s discovery request did not merit reversal.
Additionally, the appellate court concluded in Jose Andrade v. City of Hammond and Hammond Board of Public Works and Safety, 18A-MI-1199, that the board did not exceed its statuary authority in its order and that there was sufficient evidence to prove the home was constructed with the intention of serving as a single-family dwelling.
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