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HOT JOBS IN EVANSVILLE
KY HBPA, Kentucky Downs enter unprecedented agreement to move $500K each in purses to Keeneland, Churchill, Ellis
Kentucky Downs is transferring $500,000 apiece to the purse accounts at Ellis Park, Churchill Downs and Keeneland in an unprecedented agreement with the Kentucky HBPA, which represents owners and trainers at the commonwealth’s five thoroughbred tracks.
“This is jaw-dropping and unparalleled in horse racing, to have one track boosting purses paid to horsemen at other tracks, especially when each track has different ownership,†said Marty Maline, executive director of the Kentucky HBPA. “We are proud to be working with Kentucky Downs’ visionary ownership and management to work to further strengthen racing in the commonwealth.â€
The Kentucky division of the Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association negotiates contracts with the racetracks, including the percentage of wagering and other considerations that go into purses, and must approve the conditions under which money is transferred to another track’s account.
“Churchill Downs sincerely appreciates the work and leadership of the Kentucky horsemen on this transfer of purse money,†said Kevin Flanery, president of Churchill Downs Racetrack. “Our partnership with our horsemen is key to the success of Churchill Downs and all Kentucky racetracks, and we look forward to strengthening Kentucky racing.â€
Said Bob Elliston, Keeneland’s vice president of racing and sales: “A pillar of the Keeneland mission is the betterment of the entire horse industry and, as a major subset of that, the Kentucky racing community. We appreciate the foresight of Kentucky horsemen to allocate their purse funds to continuously elevate one of the most competitive and highest-quality racing circuits in the country.â€
The purse money is available because of Kentucky Downs’ lucrative Historical Horse Racing terminals, which provide another betting product with electronic games based on the results of previously run races while remaining pari-mutuel in design.
“The tracks receiving this money for their horsemen either have, or in the case of Churchill Downs is well into the process of installing, Historical Horse Racing operations that have proven so beneficial to Kentucky Downs,†Maline said. “We already have $130,000 maiden races and $145,000 allowance races at Kentucky Downs, so it’s appropriate that some of the revenue generated for purses at Kentucky Downs beef up a need at sister tracks that are investing in a successful mechanism to increase purses as well as generating considerable tax money for the state.â€
Kentucky Downs offers the highest daily purses in North America for its elite five-date all-grass meet in September. A total of $2.4 million in purse money and Kentucky Thoroughbred Development Fund (KTDF) supplements already was in place for Ellis Park’s meet that runs July 1 through Labor Day. That includes funding for four $100,000 grass stakes on Aug. 5 that comprise Kentucky Downs Preview Day. The additional $500,000 will be used to enhance non-stakes races across the board, with maiden races now going for $42,000, the highest ever at Ellis Park.
“While Keeneland already has very nice purses, we felt that their claiming races could use a boost, especially with the competition for those horses from other tracks in the region,†Maline said. “The money going to Churchill Downs will be used to enhance purses at its September and fall meets.
“Kentucky racing was on the ropes several years ago, but we’re on an upward trajectory with the horsemen and racetracks working together. Summer racing had been a weak link, but Ellis Park now is a vibrant, economical option for owners and trainers, and that’s keeping horses and jobs in the state, which only helps our race meets in the fall.â€
Said Kentucky Downs senior vice president and general manager Ted Nicholson: “When current ownership purchased the track in 2007 from Brad Kelley, one of Mr. Kelley’s stipulations was that Kentucky Downs would be a positive force for the betterment of horse racing in the commonwealth. When purses are up at racetracks, a lot of good things fall into place.
“We’re happy that we’re in a position to lend an assist to the other racetracks. No one knows better of the needs of horsemen at each track than the Kentucky HBPA. So it’s appropriate — in addition to being their contractual right — that the HBPA leadership work with the other tracks’ managers to decide how the extra purse money is used.â€
The Kentucky HBPA has worked with Kentucky Downs the prior two years to augment Ellis Park purses by a total of $3 million for the 2016 and 2017 meets. There is precedent for Kentucky Downs transferring funds to tracks besides Ellis Park. In 2012, Kentucky Downs contributed KTDF purse supplements — which can only be used on non-claiming races — ranging from $153,206 to $500,946 to the other tracks in the state.
The $1.5 million total going to Ellis, Keeneland and Churchill Downs does not involve any KTDF money and therefore has no regulatory restrictions on how it can be used for purses.
JUST IN: Inspector General Says Comey Not Biased In Clinton Probe; Agent Vowed To ‘Stop’ Trump
by Pete Williams, Julia Ainsley and Mike Memoli / Â / UpdatedÂ
The Justice Department’s watchdog said Thursday that former FBI Director James Comey breached protocol but was not politically motivated in his handling of the Hillary Clinton email probe.
But the long-awaited report from DOJ’s inspector general does contain new text messages from two FBI employees that Republicans and the White House are sure to seize on as evidence of FBI bias against President Donald Trump. Â “[Trump’s] not ever going to become president, right? Right?!” FBI lawyer, Lisa Page, wrote to FBI agent Peter Strzok. Â “No. No, he won’t. We’ll stop it,” Strzok responded.
JUN.14.201803:32
But the new messages are more damaging.
“Peter Strzok should no longer be an employee at the FBI,†Rep. Jim Jordan, an Ohio Republican, said after a congressional briefing on the IG’s report.
Federal law enforcement personnel are entitled to their own political opinions, but only so far as they do not let it interfere with their investigations of political subjects.
“The damage caused by [Strzok and Page’s] actions extends far beyond the scope of the [Clinton email] investigation and goes to the heart of the FBI’s reputation for neutral fact-finding and political independence,” Horowitz said in the report.
The report did not draw any conclusions about Strzok’s conduct when he began participating in the FBI investigation of Russian election interference, which led him to join Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s team.
The IG is conducting a separate review touching on that investigation, looking into the question of how and why the FBI began surveillance on a Trump aide, Carter Page. Strzok was removed from the Mueller team when Mueller learned about the texts that appeared to show bias against Trump.
Comey, who was fired by Trump in May 2017, reacted to the IG’s report in a tweet and an op-ed for The New York Times.
“I do not agree with all of the inspector general’s conclusions, but I respect the work of his office and salute its professionalism,” he wrote on Twitter.
The IG’s report comes three years after the FBI launched its 2015 investigation into Clinton’s handling of classified materials while she was Secretary of State, sparked by revelations that she used a private email server instead of her government email address.
In January 2017, just before Trump’s inauguration, Inspector General Michael Horowitz initiated the review of how the email probe was handled, looking at decisions by FBI and Justice officials — including Comey’s surprise decision to speak about it publicly.
“While we did not find that these decisions were the result of political bias on Comey’s part, we nevertheless concluded that by departing so clearly and dramatically from FBI and Department norms, the decisions negatively impacted the perception of the FBI and the Department as fair administrators of justice,” Horowitz wrote.
“We found that it was extraordinary and insubordinate for Comey to conceal his intentions from his superiors, the Attorney General and Deputy Attorney General,” Horowitz said of Comey’s decision to call the press conference.
Then on Oct. 28, just 10 days before the election, Comey notified Congress that he was reopening the investigation because New York FBI agents had found additional emails on the computer of former congressman Anthony Weiner, the husband of Clinton’s assistant Huma Abedin, during the course of a separate investigation into Weiner.
Horowitz said Comey made a “serious error of judgment” when he decided to notify Congress about the existence of new Clinton emails found on disgraced Congressman Anthony Weiner’s computer.
The report also says that the FBI had all the information it needed on Sept. 29, 2016, to issue a subpoena to retrieve the emails from Weiner’s computer, but acted too slowly. Comey told the inspector general he isn’t sure if he knew at the time that Weiner was married to Huma Abedin, Hillary Clinton’s aide.
Horowitz ruled out political bias in the delay to subpoena the emails in the case of most FBI personnel working on the case, including Comey and his deputy Andrew McCabe. But Horowitz could not rule out whether Strzok was politically motivated, though he points out the decision did not entirely rest on him.
The report does not indicate whether any of the subjects of the investigation will be referred for criminal prosecution, but Horowitz did recommend the FBI take administrative action against Strzok, Page and three other unnamed FBI employees.
Former Attorney General Loretta Lynch was also criticized in the report, particularly for two decisions she made during the course of the Clinton email investigation.
First, she directed the FBI to call the probe a “matter” rather than a criminal investigation. Second, she met with Clinton’s husband, former President Bill Clinton, when he climbed aboard her plane on an Arizona tarmac in June 2016. Comey has said the appearance of a cozy relationship between Lynch and the Clintons motivated his decision to independently announce the investigation was closed.
Horowitz said Lynch made an “error in judgment” by not ending the conversation with Bill Clinton sooner but found no evidence that they discussed the email investigation.
Trump has accused the Justice Department and FBI of being part of a “deep state” conspiracy to help Clinton and hurt his chances of winning the election. He, along with Republicans in Congress, has called for a special counsel to investigate the Justice Department and FBI for political bias and corruption.
FOOTNOTE: THE CITY-COUNTY OBSERVER POSTED THIS STORY THAT JUST BROKE BY NBC NEWS WITHOUT OPINION, BIAS OR EDITING.
Otters Bested By Boomers To Even Series
The Evansville Otters fell 6-4 to the Schaumburg Boomers in the second game of a three-game series at Boomers Stadium on Wednesday night.
Schaumburg got on the board first in the third inning thanks to a Sean Godfrey solo homer to left.
Evansville put up two runs in the fourth to take the lead. An RBI single from David Cronin and an RBI groundout for Ryan Long pushed the Otters in front.
In the bottom half of the fourth, Schaumburg battled back to once again claim the lead. Clint Hardy singled home the first run to tie the game at 2-2. A wild pitch then allowed Zack Weigel to scamper home from third and put Schaumburg in front. Jack Parenty added another run with a two-out RBI single.
The Otters tied the game with two runs in the top of the fifth. Luis Vilorio knocked home a run with a single and Cronin was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to force home a run and tie the game at 4-4.
Schaumburg jumped in front on a perfectly executed squeeze play as James Keller dropped down a bunt that allowed Ty Moore to score and give the Boomers a 5-4 lead.
The Boomers added an insurance run in the eighth on a Keller RBI single.
Jake Joyce came on in the ninth to pitch a perfect inning to close the game and earn his sixth save of the season.
Austin Nicely is handed the loss for the Otters, his second of the season. Nicely threw six innings, allowing five runs, all earned, on eight hits while striking out two.
Schaumburg starter Sam Myers received a no-decision after pitching just 4.1 innings and allowing three runs, two earned.
Darrell Thompson earned the win in relief for the Boomers. Thompson tossed 2.2 innings, allowing just an unearned run while striking out four.
The series will wrap up tomorrow at 6:30 p.m. at Boomers Stadium.
Coverage of the series will continue on WUEV 91.5 FM presented by Kruckemeyer & Cohn with Sam Jellinek (play-by-play) on the call.
Evansville will return to Bosse Field June 15-17 for a three-game set against the Traverse City Beach Bums. The weekend series is highlighted by Boys and Girls Club Weekend with Evan the Otter’s birthday and Superhero Night on Friday, postgame fireworks Saturday and Family Fun Day with the family package available on Sunday.
Fans can also follow Otters social media on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for game updates throughout the day.
The Evansville Otters are the 2006 and 2016 Frontier League champions. Season tickets, group outing packages, and single game tickets are on sal
“READERS FORUM” JUNE 14, 2018
We hope that today’s “Readers Forumâ€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?
WHATS ON YOUR MIND TODAY?
Todays “Readers Poll†question is: DO you feel that Evansville City Council did the right thing in amending the “Noise Ordinance”?
Please take time and read our articles entitled “STATEHOUSE Files, CHANNEL 44 NEWS, LAW ENFORCEMENT, READERS POLL, BIRTHDAYS, HOT JOBS†and “LOCAL SPORTSâ€.  You now are able to subscribe to get the CCO daily.
If you would like to advertise on the CCO please contact us CityCountyObserver@live.com.
RESIDENT OF HARBORS EDGE SENDS CITY COUNCIL BASHING E-MAIL
JUNE 11, 2018
DEAR MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL
To say I was disappointed on Monday night would be a giant understatement. You would have to add disgusted, discouraged, and disrespected to the list of adjectives just to get in the ballpark. It was clear that some of the Council members had prepared and done their homework and it was also clear that others never planned to because they had their minds made up from the start. The term compromise was thrown around at the end of the vote. It is apparent that many of the members of council have been compromised and are not able to think through the problem with the kind of clarity and objectivity required to make policy.
I have attached a video from the Peter Frampton/Steve Miller Band concert last night at the Ford Center. The music was so loud and I was curious what the decibels were so I measured, astonishing. The bands were playing at 75 decibels, which you can see in the video, the song I recorded average d72 Db. What City Council has passed now puts the Evansville Police Department in the position of having to scream over the offending noise to tell the complainer that the noise is under the legal limits allowed. Seriously, when you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem. We still have a very big problem.
As I have mentioned in the past, I am not a politician and don’t understand the games you all play with each other, but I do understand that Disturbing the Peace is never okay and the citizens of Evansville deserve Quiet and Peaceful Enjoyment in their own homes.  I have no idea where you go from here, but I believe you have only made the issue worse.
SINCERELY,
Stacy J Stevens
GRI, CRS, SRES
BROKER/OWNER Of LANDMARK REALTY
FOOTNOTE: THIS E-MAIL WAS SENT TO NOT ONLY MEMBERS OF EVANSVILLE CITY COUNCIL BUT ALSO TO OTHER INDIVIDUALS INTERESTED IN THIS ISSUE. MS. STEVENS IS A LONG TERM MEMBERS AND PRESIDENT OF THE AREA PLAN COMMISSION, OWNER AND BROKER OF LANDMARK REALTY AND RESIDENT OF HARBORS EDGE COMMUNITY LOCATED NEXT TO KC’S MARINE POINT BAR AND GRILL.Â
THIS E-MAIL WAS POSTED BY THE CITY COUNTY OBSERVER WITHOUT OPINIONÂ OR EDITING.
á§
A VISUAL JOURNEY: FROM AIDS TO MARRIAGE EQUALITYÂ
A VISUAL JOURNEY: FROM AIDS TO MARRIAGE EQUALITYÂ
TRAVELING EXHIBITION OPENS AT THE EVANSVILLE MUSEUM
A traveling exhibition organized by the Indiana Historical Society celebrating 30 years of LGBTQ history in Indiana opens June 1, 2018, at the Evansville Museum. As seen through the lens of Indianapolis photographer Mark A. Lee, the photographic display gives viewers a front row seat to events, both public and private, that shaped the lives of many Hoosiers.Â
“A VISUAL JOURNEY: FROM AIDS TO MARRIAGE EQUALITY†documents members of the AIDS community, past and present Bag Ladies, members of Pride and those who fought for marriage equality,†writes Lee.†“It also pays tribute to five very special people who are no longer here – for reasons other than AIDS – and takes a peek into our future as it provides a closer look at the transgender community.†Mark A. Lee will attend a reception at the Museum on Thursday, June 14, at 6:00 pm, that is open to the public admission-free.
The June 1 – June 27 exhibition, sponsored by Eli Lilly and Company and Cummins, also highlights the Indiana Historical Society’s work with the Indiana LGBTQ Collecting Initiative. First announced in 2014, the initiative includes oral histories, photographs and research materials donated to the IHS archive. The Indiana LGBTQ Collecting Initiative is supported by the Efroymson Family Fund and a grant from The Indianapolis Foundation, a Central Indiana Community Foundation affiliate.Â
For Museum hours and additional information go to www.evansvillemuseum.org
The Place to Worship Initiative Announced by Department of Justice
The Place to Worship Initiative Announced by Department of Justice
The “Place to Worship Initiative†has been announced today by the United States Department of Justice.
This initiative will focus on protecting the ability of houses of worship and other religious institutions to build, expand, buy, or rent facilities.
Attorney General Sessions provided this statement in announcing the initiative: The Constitution doesn’t just protect the freedom to worship in private—it protects the public exercise of religious belief, including where people worship together,†Attorney General Sessions said. “Under the laws of this country, a government cannot discriminate against people based on their religion–not in law enforcement, not in grant-making, not in hiring, and not in local zoning laws. President Trump is an unwavering defender of the right of free exercise, and under his leadership, the Department of Justice is standing up for the rights of all Americans. By raising awareness about our legal rights, the Place to Worship Initiative will help us bring more civil rights cases, win more cases, and prevent discrimination from happening in the first place.
The Department is also launching a new web page that can be found here: justice.gov/crt/place-worship-initiative.
It includes easy access to an information page, complaint portal, a new Q and A document, and other materials.
In addition, the Department has created a new RLUIPA (Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act) toolkit for Department lawyers working on RLUIPA cases.
A webinar will be held on June 26 to provide training and resources for U.S. Attorney’s offices.
