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IS IT TRUE NOVEMBER 2, 2018

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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 TRUE that the way to promote the best in an election is by candidates and their sponsors being straightforward, open, and clear in their communication to voters?

IS IT TRUE we are been informed that the candidate for Vanderburgh County Prosecutor Stan Levco’s failed to put the required “paid for” disclaimer on a couple of campaign billboards? …this oversight has been corrected by his campaign committee? … we also been told that Nick Hermann, Chris Kiefer, John Monstraselle campaign signs have been placed illegally on several public right-a-ways throughout the City and County which is a violation of local ordinances?  …as of this date, their signs still remain on the City and County public right-a-ways?
IS IT TRUE an “endorsement” and “solicitation” letter (dated September 14, 2018) supporting three school board members running for re-election (Kieffer, Guarino, and Ossenberg) were written by a select group of men and one woman (not a resident of Vanderburgh Co) defies clarity?
IS IT TRUE that several of our readers are asking if the above campaign “solicitation” letter meets the campaign finance requirement of IC 3-9-2-10, and if it does, why wasn’t there an IRS statement about “contributions are not tax deductible?” written on it?
Is It True that the definition of a legal PAC (political action committee) is in IC 3-5-2-37, that if this select group is a legally determined PAC, why wasn’t it noted in this letter?
IS IT TRUE  that “a lack of transparency results in distrust and a deep sense of insecurity.”  …this is a quote by the Dalai Lama?
IS IT TRUE that the Vanderburgh County Sheriff Dave Wedding is running unopposed in the upcoming November 6, 2018, General election?  …we apprecuiate if you would give Sheriff Wedding a complimentary vote because he has done a credible job during his first term in office?
IS IT TRUE we predict that the voters of Vanderburgh County will elect two new individuals to serve on the EVSC school board?
IS IT TRUE during the most recent budget hearing City Controller Russ Lloyd Jr., CPA stunned those in attendance when he announced that the city employee health care bills aren’t current?  …Mr. Lloyd stated that the city employee healthcare deficit is about $3 million dollars?
IS IT TRUE that the City of Evansville will raise our taxes by 7.6% in 2019?…we wonder how on earth can a city that has ZERO population growth and minimal wage growth feel that they can collect 7.6% more tax money from its huddled masses than it did the year before?
IS IT TRUE don’t be surprised to hear that the County Council will decide to use the entire allocation” of COIT funds for 2019 to build a new addition to the Vanderburgh County jail?
IS IT TRUE that very little has been said on how Mayor Winnecke plans to pay for the Evansville Thunderbolts Hockey 2019 team operating expenses?  …we can’t find any reference in the proposed 2019 City operating budget?  …we been told that some of the 2018 Thunderbolts operating expenses may have been quietly added to the Evansville/Vanderburgh County Building Authority and the Ford Center operating budgets?
IS IT TRUE that the Evansville City Council doesn’t have a revenue problem? …they just have a spending problem? …that ‘Government Shouldn’t Do For People What They Can Do For Themselves”?
IS IT TRUE we are told that several patrons of Ellis Park are hoping that the new owners of Ellis Park (Saratoga Gaming of New York) will invest the money to professional pave the parking lot, install proper exterior security lighting and signage, install a first-class exterior digital on-premise sign located next to the highway? … they also are hoping that the new owners will also decide to update the interior decor, remodeled the restrooms, correct the issues with the heating and air conditioning, fix the leaking roof and damaged ceiling tiles in the main Club House building and the Sky Theater area?  …a couple of patrons also told us that is would very easy for Ellis to round all the old that artifacts in storage and laying around the historical track to create a ‘Horse Racing Museum?”  …if done correctly this ‘Horse Racing Museum” would attract new visitors to visit Ellis Park?
IS IT TRUE over the years we have made numerous reference that the Evansville Water and Sewer Utilities Board were not only known for their political patronage activities but was also used as a funding source to help the City of Evansville in their occasional financial cash flow problems?  … it’s safe to say that over the last several years the Evansville Water and Sewer Utilities Board have advanced the City of Evansville many millions of dollars in cash to help the city with cash shortfalls?
Todays READERS POLL question is: If the election was held today in the District #2 Vanderburgh County Commission race who would you vote for?
Please take time and read our newest feature articles entitled “LAW ENFORCEMENT, READERS POLL, BIRTHDAYS, HOT JOBS” and “LOCAL SPORTS” posted in our sections.  You now are able to subscribe to get the CCO daily.
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EDITOR’S FOOTNOTE:  Any comments posted in this column do not represent the views or opinions of the City-County Observer or our advertisers.
City-County Observer Comment Policy. Be kind to people. No personal attacks or harassment will not be tolerated and shall be removed from our site.
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.

 

Braun Runs On Outsider Status In Race For Senate Seat

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Braun Runs On Outsider Status In Race For Senate Seat

 

By James Polston
TheStatehouseFile.com

INDIANAPOLIS —Life-long Hoosier, job creator and a political outsider. That is how Indiana Republican U.S. Senate candidate Mike Braun describes himself.

That might be the kind of message that resonates with voters, said Andy Downs, director of the Mike Downs Center for Indiana Politics based at Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne.

“Hoosier’s have a long history of liking elected officials who can make an argument about real-world experience,” Downs said. “Hoosiers are not a group of people that automatically say we want people who are career politicians representing us.”

Downs also said real-world experience is not a guarantee of success because candidates still have to demonstrate what has to be done and give voters a sense of how they plan to do it.

 

Braun is in a tightly-contested race against incumbent Democrat Joe Donnelly, with Libertarian Lucy Brenton playing the role of spoiler.

Recent polls have Braun and Donnelly trading leads, making the Senate race a toss-up heading into Election Day. Pete Seat, executive director of strategic communications and talent development for Indiana Republican Party, said the election has shifted in Braun’s direction.

“Mike Braun is leading in the polls and has the clear momentum in the race,” Seat said in a statement. “As a conservative outsider and businessman, Mike Braun has built a record of delivering results.”

Braun, whose campaign did not respond to several requests for an interview, made his campaign points in the debates where he argued that compared to career politicians,  he brings new ideas to the table rather than career politicians.

“Running for the Senate should be something you do where you bring something to the table and career politicians say one thing and do another,” Braun said in the first debate.

Much of the funding for the Braun campaign comes from the candidate himself, with more than $10 million of the $16 million raised since last July has been from personal loans.

Downs said most voters do not necessarily see that as an issue.

“He self-funds because he’s a successful business person and that’s part of his biography,” Downs said.

Braun is the founder and CEO of Meyer Distributing and owner of Meyer Logistics. Both companies have locations in 38 states with the headquarters located in Braun’s hometown, Jasper, Indiana. Meyer is an auto parts dealer that uses Meyer Logistics to ship the parts directly.

Braun and his wife, Maureen, have been married since 1976 and have four children.

The 1972 Jasper High School graduate, earned an economics degree from Wabash College and his MBA from Harvard Business School in 1978.

In his first elected position, Braun served on the Jasper School Board from 2004 to 2014.

Braun then served as a state representative from 2014 to 2017 in a district which serves portions of Daviess, Dubois, Pike, and Martin counties. Braun resigned from the state House last fall to focus on his Senate campaign.

 

In a primary where candidates tried to out-Trump one another, Braun won the 2018 Republican primary for over U.S. Reps. Todd Rokita and Luke Messer.

Braun said in the second debate that lowering the cost of health care would be his main focus if elected.

In his company, Braun has said in public appearances and campaign advertisements that he has taken on the insurance companies to fix health care for his employees and held their premiums flat for 10 years.

“It may not be the perfect plan but it’s a great plan and I held costs firm for 10 years and I’ll know more about what to do to actually reform healthcare than a career politician that gets briefed from the lobbyists,” he said.

But Donnelly has used that in attacks on Braun, noting in a series of television ads that employees at Meyer Distributing must spend $5,000 a year on health care before their coverage kicks in, and that number jumps to $10,000 for a family.

Donnelly has also criticized Braun for supporting a lawsuit to overturn the Affordable Care Act, saying that would allow insurance companies to deny coverage to people with pre-existing conditions.

Braun has said that he does support coverage for pre-existing conditions, which is included in his own company’s health insurance policies.

Downs said sometimes the best idea or the best argument loses out to the one that is easier to understand and Braun’s company having a $10,000 deductible is easy to understand.

“He’s using health care in his own organization as a way to demonstrate he knows how to get things done, not that he was saying it’s the best plan around,” Downs said of Braun’s defense of his plan.

Braun’s positions on the issues were gathered from the two debates and the candidate’s website.

On gun violence, Braun touts his membership in the National Rifle Association, its endorsement of him and his support of the Second Amendment.

“I’m going to be for anything that proves effective that keeps guns out of the hands of criminals,” Braun said in the first debate. “I’m going to always be there to defend the Second Amendment rights because so often politicians and liberals end up going there, not the source of the problem.”

On the issue of abortion, Braun said he supports legislation that states life begins at conception and makes abortion illegal.

“I am 100 percent pro-life and when it comes down to just trying to nurture life in general and take us from where we are currently, all I can tell you is I got the endorsement from Indiana Right to Life, the National Right to Life, the Susan B. Anthony Group,” Braun said.

On other issues:

Braun has said he wants to continue rolling back regulations to allow to focus on creating jobs, not red tape, and invest in improving infrastructure, in both urban and rural communities, to help move goods and services through Indiana more efficiently.

He said he wants to enact term limits to remove career politicians from Washington and ban retiring legislators from becoming lobbyists for five years after leaving office.

Braun said he supports building the wall along the United States and Mexico border and enforce immigration laws and banning federal money from flowing to sanctuary cities, require businesses check the immigration status of prospective employees and crack down on criminal gangs like MS-13, who bring illicit drugs and crime to our communities.

FOOTNOTE: James Polston is a reporter for TheStatehouseFile.com, a news website powered by Franklin College journalism students.

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Opioids and Tobacco Hurting Hoosiers

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Opioids And Tobacco Hurting Hoosiers

NOVEMBER 1, 2018 TYRONE MORRIS INDIANA

More than 14,000 Hoosiers died last year from drugs and tobacco. That’s according to the Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation which says most of those deaths came from smoking and second-hand smoke.

For the fourth straight year, the number of Hoosiers dying from opioid overdoses has grown killing a little more than 1,100 Hoosiers in 2017. The number of tobacco-related deaths is seven times higher than that.

Drug-Free Marion County Randy Miller says, “Even if we turn the corner on overdose deaths, which is a great thing. Fewer people are dying. That doesn’t factor in the number of folks whose lives are still being ruined by opioids or some other drug.”

While tobacco use hasn’t seen a drop since 2013 early reports for 2018 in Marion County show overdoses may be starting to go down.

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USI Board of Trustees “Roll Out The Welcome Mat” For New Fuquay Welcome Center

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USI Board of Trustees “Roll Out The Welcome Mat” For New Fuquay Welcome Center

Dan and Janet Fuquay, USI President Dr. Ronald Rochon, and representatives from the Old National Bank Foundation and USI Student Ambassadors reveal the welcome mat of the new Fuquay Welcome Center on Thursday, November 1.
Image copyright: USI Photography and Multimedia. Click here to view this release in a browser and download images.

The University of Southern Indiana Board of Trustees marked the opening of the Fuquay Welcome Center and its Old National Bank Foundation Atrium on campus Thursday, November 1 during a public ceremony and open house. The event, which featured remarks from Dr. Ronald Rochon, USI president and representatives from USI Student Ambassadors, included the unveiling of a welcome mat for all future students that will be placed at the entrance of the new building.

The Fuquay Welcome Center will serve as the official front door for the University and will be a gathering and tour starting point for prospective students and their families as well as University visitors, alumni, and friends. Annually, volunteer Student Ambassadors donate more than 3,000 hours providing tours to more than 7,000 visitors to campus. This new building offers space for Undergraduate Admissions to better provide opportunities for both potential students, their families, and all other guests to experience the USI campus in person.

Space consists of formal and informal meeting and gathering areas for visitors, a large presentation space with seating for up to 100 people and Undergraduate Admissions offices. Garage doors integrated into the building design allow for the space to be opened up or segmented for more intimate gatherings. The building also features an innovative green roof, landscaped with pathways and plazas, which serves as an extension of the existing topography and allows pedestrians to use it as a learning and gathering space.

Use of the Welcome Center began this fall with the first groups coming through the building in September. The center was made possible through the generous leadership gifts to Campaign USI: Elevating Excellence from longtime University friends Dan and Janet Fuquay and Old National Bank.

In regular business conducted prior to the ceremony, the Board of Trustees approved the conferral of master, baccalaureate, and associate degrees for the 2018 Fall Commencement Ceremonies, to be held on Saturday, December 8 in the Physical Activities Center.

The commencement speaker for the College of Nursing and Health Professions and Pott College of Science, Engineering, and Education ceremony will be Dr. Glenna Bower, associate dean of the Pott College and 2018 recipient of the Distinguished Professor Award. The commencement speaker for the College of Liberal Arts and Romain College of Business ceremony will be Xavia Harrington-Chate, instructor in English and 2018 recipient of the H. Lee Cooper Core Curriculum Award.

In other business, the Board of Trustees approved the sale of three properties in New Harmony and heard updates on student financial assistance, insurance renewals and campus construction projects.

Evansville-Vanderburgh School Board District Two Candidate Clark Exmeyer

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Evansville-Vanderburgh School Board District Two Candidate Clark Exmeyer

NOVEMBER 1ST, 2018 MITCH ANGLE CAMPAIGN 2018, EVANSVILLE, INDIANA

Election day is only a few days away, and 44News continues to quiz candidates on the issues, then play back their unedited responses.

Today’s candidate is Evansville-Vanderburgh School Board District Two Candidate Clark Exmeyer.

Would you support or oppose any major changes to the school calendar, including when then school year begins and ends?

What is the single largest change you would like to see in the EVSC?

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Indiana Law Professors Support Changes To Judicial Conduct Rules

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Marilyn Odendahl for www.theindianalawyer.com

Although they concede that more needs to be done, two Indiana law professors are applauding the recommendations on how to handle sexual harassment complaints made against the federal judiciary.

The legal scholars, Indiana University Maurer School of Law professor Charles Geyh and Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law professor Jennifer Drobac, offered their comments as part of the public hearing held Tuesday in Washington, D.C., to consider the proposed changes to the Code of Conduct for U.S. Judges and the Rules for Judicial-Conduct and Judicial-Disability Proceedings.

These changes are based on recommendations made by the Federal Judiciary Workplace Conduct Working Group, which was formed at the request of Chief Justice John Roberts. In his 2017 year-end report, Roberts stated the judicial branch is not immune from the problem of sexual harassment.

The hearing was convened jointly by the Judicial Conference committees on Code of Conduct and Judicial Conduct and Disability. Senior Judge Sarah Evans Barker of the Southern Indiana District Court and Judge Joel Flaum of the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals are members of the Judicial Conduct and Disability Committee.

Geyh testified at the hearing. Drobac had a scheduling conflict and provided her comments in a letter.

Both Geyh and Drobac described the proposed rule changes as a “terrific start” and a “promising response” to the problem of sexual misconduct. While Drobac wrote she agreed with others that the potential new rules may not go far enough and may not completely address the issue, she nevertheless endorsed the changes.

“I am not ordinarily known for my patience but I would rather see reasonable, even if arguably inadequate, first steps than no change because of unproductive and unnecessary wrangling over the efficacy of every proposed change,” she wrote.

Geyh told the committees that sexual harassment and gender bias are chronic problems. The issues range from insensitive remarks to abusively exploiting one’s position, he said.

Geyh advised the committees to include a clear definition of unacceptable conduct in the new rules and give examples to avoid any squabbles or misunderstandings. In addition, he recommended that the changes provide definitions for gender bias and prejudice.

The IU Maurer professor also pointed out the conundrum that confidentiality can pose. He said he understood the need for confidentiality, but also noted a complaint might necessitate that action be taken that would make the situation public.

Worried that some individuals might not come forward if the matter could not be kept private, Geyh suggested the rules provide for a safe place where a complainant could talk to someone informally. The incident or situation could be assessed, and questions could be answered without the requirement that the allegation be passed up the chain of command.

Drobac pointed to a special report by CNN in January 2018, which discovered that courthouse employees and others with complaints against judges rarely use the judiciary’s misconduct system or get no relief when they do.

“At the worst, judicial bodies ratify and condone sex-based misconduct and predation through their negligence and deliberate inaction,” Drobac wrote in her letter. “In this post-#MeToo rea, the judiciary is being called upon to provide strong leadership for interpersonal safety, gender equity, professionalism, justice, and due process, and simple courtesy.”

The committees will accept comments on the proposed changes until Nov. 13, 2018.

Any individual, including anyone representing a group or organization, may submit a comment by emailing CodeandConductRules@ao.uscourts.gov. The top of the email should include the name of the individual submitting the comments, whether the person is commenting on behalf of an entity and on which documents (the Code, JC&D rules or both) the individual is providing comments.

Food Inspection Report For Vanderburgh County

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Food Inspection Reports 11-1-18

Jackson Kelly PLLC Ranked Law Firm of the Year in Mining Law by 2019 U.S. News-Best Lawyers ‘Best Law Firms™

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Jackson Kelly PLLC is pleased to announce that U.S. News-Best Lawyers ‘Best Law Firms™’ named the firm the 2019 Law Firm of the Year in Mining Law. Only one law firm per legal practice area receives this recognition. Additionally, the firm received National Tier 1 recognition – the highest possible ranking – in the areas of Mining Law and Natural Resource Law.

“Best Law Firm” bestowed a national ranking in Energy Law, as well as 77 Metropolitan area rankings.   The “Best Law Firms” publication is a collaboration between U.S. News & World Report and the prestigious “Best Lawyers” peer review guide. For its ninth annual edition, “Best Law Firms” ranked U.S. law firms in 75 major legal practice areas nationally and in 122 practice areas across 188 metro areas.

“We are proud that Jackson Kelly has again been recognized by “Best Law Firms” as one of the top firms in the nation and in cities and regions where our attorneys are based,” said Ellen S. Cappellanti, the firm’s Managing Member. “These accolades reinforce our commitment to provide high caliber services to our corporate and public clients.”

Jackson Kelly received the following Tier 1 “Best Law Firms” Metropolitan area rankings:

Tier 1 – Akron, Ohio

  • Litigation – Construction

Tier 1 – Charleston, W.Va.

  • Administrative / Regulatory Law
  • Banking and Finance Law
  • Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law
  • Commercial Litigation
  • Corporate Compliance Law
  • Corporate Law
  • Criminal Defense: White-Collar
  • Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law
  • Employment Law – Management
  • Energy Law
  • Environmental Law
  • Financial Services Regulation Law
  • Health Care Law
  • Legal Malpractice Law – Defendants
  • Litigation – Bankruptcy
  • Litigation – Environmental
  • Litigation – Labor & Employment
  • Litigation – Mergers & Acquisitions
  • Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions – Defendants
  • Medical Malpractice Law – Defendants
  • Mergers & Acquisitions Law
  • Mining Law
  • Natural Resources Law
  • Oil & Gas Law
  • Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants
  • Product Liability Litigation – Defendants
  • Project Finance Law
  • Public Finance Law
  • Real Estate Law
  • Tax Law
  • Workers’ Compensation Law – Employers

Tier 1 – Colorado

  • Energy Law
  • Mining Law

Tier 1 – Evansville

  • Environmental Law
  • Health Care Law

Tier 1 – Indianapolis

  • Workers’ Compensation Law – Employers

Tier 1 – Lexington, Ky.

  • Construction Law
  • Environmental Law
  • Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions – Defendants
  • Medical Malpractice Law – Defendants
  • Product Liability Litigation – Defendants

Tier 1 – Morgantown, W.Va.

  • Commercial Finance Law
  • Commercial Litigation
  • Employment Law – Management
  • Health Care Law
  • Labor Law – Management
  • Litigation – Labor & Employment
  • Litigation – Trusts & Estates
  • Trusts & Estates Law
  • Workers’ Compensation Law – Employers

Tier 1 – Pittsburgh

  • Mining Law
  • Natural Resources Law

The “Best Law Firms” list recognizes firms for professional excellence with persistently impressive ratings from clients and peers. To be eligible for a ranking, a firm must have at least one lawyer who is included in the annual The Best Lawyers in America, which recognizes the top 4 percent of practicing attorneys in the United States.

National Reputation. Industry Insight. Client Focus. Jackson Kelly PLLC is a national law firm with more than 160 attorneys located in eleven offices throughout Colorado, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Washington, DC. Focusing on clients’ industry-specific needs, the Firm serves a wide variety of corporate and public clients and enjoys a national reputation in business, labor and employment, litigation, government contracts, tax, safety and health, permitting, natural resource and environmental law.

 

Volleyball set for weekend trip to MSU and SIU

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Aces look for conference road wins

 The University of Evansville volleyball team begins the month of November on the road, heading to Missouri State for a showdown on Friday night before making their way to Carbondale, Ill. to take on Southern Illinois on Saturday.  Both matches will begin at 7 p.m.

Taking on two of the top teams in the MVC, the Aces took both Bradley and Illinois State to five sets in a pair of home matches last weekend.  Mildrelis Rodriguez set her career mark with 29 kills in 85 attempts against the Braves while Alondra Vazquez was the difference-maker on Saturday, notching 20 kills against the Redbirds.

UE’s top player over the weekend was senior Mildrelis Rodriguez, who finished with 4.60 kills and 3.60 digs per set.  Rodriguez was honored on Friday for recording the 1,000th kill and dig of her career and she responded with her top collegiate performance.  She set her career mark with 29 kills while also tallying 21 digs, two service aces, two block assists and a solo block; Rodriguez had another nice outing on Saturday against Illinois State, totaling 17 kills, 15 digs and three aces.

In the home match against Bradley, Olivia Goldstein set her career mark with 30 digs; she leads the Purple Aces with 3.29 digs per set and has had 10 or more in six of the last eight outings.  Goldstein has posted 20 or more digs in four matches in 2018.

Senior Rocio Fortuny looks to finish her career on a high note and took a big step towards doing that in the last two matches.  She had her best 2-game stretch since the second weekend of the season as she recorded 19 kills in matches against Bradley and Illinois State.  Fortuny finished with 9 kills against the Braves before notching 10 on Saturday.

Missouri State starts this weekend with a 13-12 record while going 6-6 in their first 12 league contests.  Defensively, Makina Wratten leads the Valley with 1.19 blocks per set.  The offense for the Bears is paced by Amelia Flynn, who checks in with 3.20 kills per game.

Southern Illinois stands with a 4-21 mark and have lost their opening 12 MVC matches.  Maggie Nedoma leads the Salukis with 3.41 kills per set while Alayna Martin currently averages 7.39 assists per game.

INFO: For all of the latest information on University of Evansville athletics, visit GoPurpleAces.com or follow the program on Twitter via @UEAthletics.

DONATE: For information on giving to UE Athletics or its individual athletics programs, visit the DONATE tab on the top of GoPurpleAces.com.

TICKETS: To purchase tickets for University of Evansville athletics events, log on to GoPurpleAces.com and click on the TICKETS tab on top of the page.

 

 

 

$1 million DOJ community grant awarded to Indy’s east side

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Katie Stancombe for www.theindianalawyer.com

The City of Indianapolis has received another grant from the Department of Justice aimed at reducing violent crime. Announced by Mayor Joe Hogsett and Indiana Southern District U.S. Attorney Josh Minkler on Wednesday, the Community Based Crime Reduction grant is designed to assist in efforts to eliminate gun violence and crime on Indianapolis’ east side.

Community members gathered under a tent pitched in the abandoned Sherman Park and cheered despite the rainy weather, applauding when Hogsett announced that the nearly $1 million grant will be used to target root causes of crime in their neighborhood.

The award, which Hogsett described as a “giant shot in the arm,” comes a key time for the area. The money will target the Indy East Promise area and the John Boner Neighborhood Centers, including Sherman Park, 10th and Rural and Englewood Village.

“In recent years, we have witnessed a lot of development on the Eastside, and that comes down to the efforts of the people who live here,” Hogsett said. “Residents of the Eastside believe in their community, and they are working alongside the City of Indianapolis and police to find out how best we can, together, reverse trends on violence and crime.”

Over the course of the next three years, the grant will be used to address key barriers in the area, including poverty, family economic instability, substance abuse, mental illness and a decaying environment. The coordinated efforts will also include a focus on targeted enforcement, community policing and wraparound social service programs.

Work with the grant money begins immediately and continues through September 2021. Year one will include an intensive neighborhood planning process to develop community-oriented revitalization strategies that improve quality of life for residents and reduce crime in the area, which is located entirely within the 46201 area code. Years two and three will focus on the implementation of that plan, pending its approval by the DOJ.

Eastside resident Chris Staab has lived in the community for 30 years and said the grant will be a great tool that they intend to use to better their neighborhood.

“This is a huge deal for us. I’m thrilled to death to see how all of this is coming together,” Staab said. “Now the hard work is going to come in the next three years to see what we can do with this.”

Staab said the community can no longer afford to rely solely on the IMPD and city agencies to target the issue of crime and gun violence.

“The community has got to step up and take charge of their neighborhoods, or we’ll lose it,” Staab said. “This is a great way that we can take that data and then go back and actually talk to neighbors, find out what their needs are and how we can find ways to reduce the violence.”

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