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Board of Public Safety Minutes

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Board of Public Safety MINUTES

Gov. Holcomb’s Statement on Indiana’s 2018 Fiscal Year Close Out

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Governor Eric J. Holcomb offered the following statement regarding the 2018 Fiscal Year Close Out Report released  by Indiana Auditor Tera Klutz, CPA:

“Once again, Indiana is ending the fiscal year in a solid position with strong June revenue, healthy reserves and a growing economy. This is a tremendous achievement in light of serious needs in our Department of Child Services. Looking ahead to the upcoming budget year, we must remain vigilant and manage state resources carefully to maintain our position as the fiscal envy of the nation.”

Ellis Park Kids Day is THIS Sunday!

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Kids Day is this Sunday at Ellis Park!
Bring the kids out to Ellis Park this Sunday for Kids Day!
Gates open at 10am CT and the first post is at 12:50pm CT. There will be free pony rides and a petting zoo, starting at 11am CT! Kids can jump in our inflatable and run on the track after the last race. Appearances will be made by Evansville Otters mascot, Texas Roadhouse mascot and Ellis Presley. We will be celebrating National Icecream Day with a Dippin Dots Deal (buy 1 get a free mini cup) and a Backpack Giveaway!
For more information, please contact Ellis Park Special Events by calling 812-435-8907 or email us at bvitt@ellisparkracing.com.

EPD ACTIVITY REPORT

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EPD REPORT

King Zachary made 6-5 favorite for Indiana Derby

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Owner: ‘Dale’s awful high on him, about half as high as I am’

Trainer Dale Romans long has said that King Zachary is as good as any 3-year-old in his large Churchill Downs-based stable.
Owner Tom Conway has been talking up his homebred son of two-time Horse of the Year Curlin long before King Zachary ever ran.
Now King Zachary takes another step toward backing up their beliefs when the strapping chestnut runs in Saturday night’s $500,000 Indiana Derby at Indiana Grand, where he was installed as the 6-5 program favorite Wednesday after taking Churchill Downs’ Grade 3, $100,000 Matt Winn in his last start. King Zachary will break from post 8 in the field of nine 3-year-olds running 1 1/16 miles, with post time scheduled for 9:48 p.m. EDT.
“Tom and I talked about it (Sunday) night,” Romans said. “It just made a lot of sense. A half-million dollars is a lot of money, and the timing is good to try to make the Travers at Saratoga with him. This is a really good horse. You know the (handicapping) number he ran in the Matt Winn is the same thing that (Triple Crown winner) Justify has been running.
“He’s a good horse, just coming into his own. I think the Matt Winn is going to move his breakthrough race. He came out of there training like a man, like he’s figured the game out. I think he’ll just keep moving forward. I look for him to run a huge race.”
Especially being a longtime Louisvillian, the 80-year-old Conway was very much hoping to run King Zachary at his hometown track the first Saturday in May. He did, just not in the Kentucky Derby, with King Zachary winning of an entry-level allowance that went off as the 13th race.
“He got some ‘shins’ at a bad time last year and had a few little issues that kept him from getting into the Derby,” Romans said. “But he’s ready to run now.”
Conway bred King Zachary in partnership with a lifelong friend, buying the colt outright for a bid of $550,000 at the Keeneland yearling sale, albeit having to put up only half that.
“I’ve liked him since he was a baby,” said Conway, who is an attorney. “You know how sometimes a horse stands and its ears are up; and they’ve got a wandering eye, they’re looking around to see who’s watching them? Taking everything in. This horse has presence. I think he’s a classy individual.”
King Zachary started his career with a pair of thirds before winning March 18 at Gulfstream Park. But Conway says it was the second start, when King Zachary was a late-running third, that convinced jockey Robby Albarado that the colt was the real deal.
“A horse came out of the 6 hole and ran over him in the 1 hole, and then stopped right in front on him,” Conway said. “He was coming up off his knees and lost all chance. He got up and got beat a length and a half for all of it. That’s when Robby said we had a runner. We brought him back in another maiden special, and he won in the easiest of ways. So that got the old Derby beat going. Sorry to admit I had Derby Fever in the worst way. But I asked too much of him in the Wood Memorial.”
King Zachary finished sixth of nine in New York’s Grade 2 Wood, beaten 13 1/2 lengths behind victorious Vino Rosso.
“He was making a move about the half-mile pole, got blocked and he just lost interest,” Conway said. “He just wasn’t ready.”
Romans won’t go that far, saying, “I don’t have any explanation. I didn’t care that he was coming off a maiden race. I thought he’d win the Wood and go on to the Derby. But he didn’t pick his feet up.”
Conway said running two hours from home for $500,000 rather than shipping early to New York for Saratoga’s Jim Dandy was “a no-brainer.” The goal remains the prestigious Travers Stakes Aug. 25 at Saratoga.
“Dale’s awful high on him, about half as high as I am,” Conway said with a laugh during a phone interview. “But we’re having fun with him, very fortunate to have a horse of this caliber. I think he’ll win some Grade 1 races before he’s through. I know he will if he doesn’t get hurt. That sound you hear is me pounding my fist on my head. That’s how I knock on wood.”
Conway frequently names horses after relatives and people he knows, including his 2010 Toyota Blue Grass winner Stately Victor, whom he owned with his son Jack and named for a high school friend of Jack’s killed in an auto accident while in law school. King Zachary is named for Conway’s 8-year-old grandson as well as a young man he represented as a baby 18 years ago in a medical malpractice lawsuit.
“I thought about naming him Two Zachs, and then I thought I’d just name him King Zachary and tell both he was named after them,” Conway said.

Vanderburgh County Recent Booking Records

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http://www.vanderburghsheriff.com/jail-recent-booking-records.aspx

“IS IT TRUE” JULY 12, 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 according to our most recent “Readers Poll” the large of majority of our readers would like a response from Mayor Winnecke concerning who’s responsible to pay all the operational costs involved in the ownership of the Evansville Thunderbolts? …our “Readers Poll” is considered to be trendy, not scientific?

IS IT TRUE when the Evansville IceMen leased the Ford Center they paid all the costs associated with playing hockey at the Ford Center?  …not only did the Evansville IceMen pay all their bills at the Ford Center but also generated big profits for the arena during the time they played hockey at this arena?

IS IT TRUE we are hearing that several citizens are talking about starting a local government watchdog group? …we are told that the mission of this organization will be to encourage locally elected officials to practice fiscal responsibility and good public policy?  ..we are told when this group is fully organized they will file Freedom of Information Requests, attend local political meetings, send out informational newsletters via social media, endorse candidates vying for elected for local offices and when deemed necessary will stage public protests?  …if this group decides to organize it should be a fun group to watch?

IS IT TRUE we encourage you to drive down Lincoln Avenue starting from Highway 41 and go east towards Boeke Road during the late evening time?  … last week a staff member of the CCO drove down Lincoln Avenue and headed east and observed that around 20 overhead security street lights were not working?  …please don’t tell us that the City Controller used the money in the 2018 City Budget earmarked for the street lights to fund the penguin and anteater exhibits at the Zoo?

IS IT TRUE that Jon Webb created another piece of prose on the resignation of Scott Pruitt who served briefly as head of the EPA?…the assumption was that his resignation was going to be bad for Evansville since the person who is replacing him is pro-coal and may just let Evansville, the Ohio River, and the air in the Tri-State get by without compliance on EPA regulations?…while we understand the spirit of the article we also realize first that the EPA hasn’t exactly been breathing down local government’s neck during the last 10 years since the consent decree to reduce the raw sewage dumps into the Ohio River were agreed to?…the EPA Directors under President Obama have not enforced fines against Evansville and neither has the departed Mr. Pruitt?…it almost seems as though one of the strategic initiatives to keep spending money on fun and games is to kick the can called the dilapidated sewer system down the road as far as possible?…it is working too?…since being saddled with the consent decree to repair the sewers so that raw sewage is not spilled into the Ohio River, the City of Evansville has borrowed money to build the Ford Center, highly incented a downtown hotel, subsidized the medical school, contributed to some overpriced ball fields, and with the exception of the ball fields all of these $200 million plus fun and games monuments are connected to the very sewer that needs to be replaced?

IS IT TRUE that the reality is that Scott Pruitt was just one more government employee that did not hold the City of Evansville’s feet to the fire to comply with the consent decree and it is highly likely that his replacement won’t either?…we live in one of the most polluted places in the country on the banks of the well documented most polluted river in the country?…between the Ohio River, the contaminated air, the not so well publicized soil contamination problem due to plating factories and an old cannon ball factory, Evansville has some serious pollution problems to deal with and the EPA has been lax about enforcing things since it was formed by President Nixon?…if the people of Evansville make strong demands these issues may have a chance to be mitigated?…without local voter support for cleaning the air, water, and soil, the politicians will keep spending borrowed money on fun and games?…based on reality Mr. Pruitt’s departure will just usher in a new boss that is the same as the old boss and the boss before him and the boss before him ad nauseum? 

IS IT TRUE yesterday one of our posters made the following comment we found very entertaining concerning the ongoing Forensic audit of ECHO Housing?  …our poster said: “Has Robert Mueller finished the Echo Housing investigation yet? Everything thing has been quiet hoping everyone forgets about it. Am I sure the Russians are involved”?

IS IT TRUE we wonder why we haven’t heard any complaints about the noise level at KC’S Marina Point Bar and Grill?  …could the reason be that the adjoining property owners can’t hear the live music anymore is because the work done on the building to reduce the nose level worked?

IS IT TRUE we apologize to County Commissioner Ben Shoulders for not telling him that yesterday he could have gotten a free “slushy” from the local 7-11 store?  …its legend that Mr. Shoulder is the “Taco” eating and “Slushy” drinking king of this region?

Todays“Readers Poll” question Is  Do you feel that Mayor Winnecke is a better public relations person or is stronger at making business decisions?

Please take time and read our articles entitled “STATEHOUSE Files, CHANNEL 44 NEWS, LAW ENFORCEMENT, READERS POLL, BIRTHDAYS, HOT JOBS” and “LOCAL SPORTS”.  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.

 

 

 

 

 

Public Gives Feedback To Proposed Vectren Projects

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Public Gives Feedback To Proposed Vectren Projects

JULY 11TH, 2018 JEFF GOLDBERG EVANSVILLE, INDIANA

When Vectren CEO announced the company’s plan to move into more energy efficient power generation he called it “the biggest project the company has ever taken on.”

The proposed project would mostly end the company’s reliance on coal. The plan calls for a new 865-megawatt natural gas plant that would sit on Vectren’s current A.B. Brown site. That plant and a 50-megawatt solar field would make up for 4 out of 5 coal-fired plants the company currently uses. With those four retired the company would also retrofit the fifth plant in Warrick County.

Before any of those changes can go into effect Vectren needs approval from the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission. Vectren has already given testimony and exhibits to the IURC and on Wednesday night it was the public’s time to testify.

Those who wished to speak at a public feedback forum were sworn in just like a normal court case. Their testimony will be used down the line as the IURC forms their final decisions about the projects.

The committee was hearing feedback about the big natural gas plant the retrofitting of the Warrick County coal plant and some rate increases that may come along with the project. The solar project is a different case.

There were plenty of environmentalists on hand, giving testimony that this plant doesn’t go far enough to be energy efficient. They want even more renewables to power the Vectren’s 145,000 customers.

Interestingly enough, the other folks testifying against this project were those with coal in mind. Those folks also want the project to fail so the coal-fired plants can stay open.

Those with business interests directly related to the project we’re the ones speaking for the project. A man saying he represents the local builders guild was for the project because he wants his construction workers to help construct the new plant.

There were no final decisions made tonight. There is still a chance to have your voice heard in the matter. If you’re a Vectren ratepayer and want to submit testimony it can still be done until August 3rd. It can be done online at www.IN.gov/OUCC by clicking the “Contact Us” link. You can send in your comments by email at uccinfo@oucc.IN.gov. It can also be done by fax at (317) 232-5923.

If regular mail is your thing comments can be sent by mail to:
Indiana office of Utility Consumer Counselor
Consumer Services Staff
115 W. Washington St., Suite 1500 South
Indianapolis, IN 46204

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Protecting Their Passion: Keeping Principal Power

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Protecting Their Passion: Keeping Principal Power

July 12, 2018,
By Ashley Shuler
TheStatehouseFile.com

 

INDIANAPOLIS–The defeat of the student journalism bill in the 2018 session of the Indiana General Assembly has as much to do with freedom as it does power and control.

Major opposition to the legislation came from outside the Statehouse. The Indiana Association of School Principals, the Indiana Association of Public School Superintendents, the Indiana School Boards Association and the Indiana Department of Education all opposed it.

Todd Bess, executive director of Indiana Association of School Principals, said existing law works well because principals have ultimate responsibility for their schools, their students and the content published or broadcast by student media.

“When an item comes up for publication, the principal hopefully should, and most often does, have a good pulse on everything in the school and the impact a particular article or topic could have,” Bess said. “With their ability to say, ‘This isn’t the right time,’ or, ‘This isn’t the right approach,’ or, ‘Can we look at a different scenario?’, they’re—in our estimation—not trying to take away from the journalism program that’s in their school, but consider everything else that could be impacted by that content.”

Rather than legislate the issue, Bess said, schools should promote good relationships between advisers and their administrators. By allowing schools to determine their level of review on a case-by-case basis, students can learn the right approach to publishing content about topics that could negatively impact other students in the building, he said.

If students wanted to report on a tough issue, nothing is stopping them from researching and writing the piece anyway and sharing it with their class of 30 or so students rather than publishing it to the entire school, he said.

Lisa Tanselle, Indiana School Boards Association general counsel, said her organization also wants the standard to remain broad.

“[Local school officials] know the expectations of the community, and expectations of communities vary from school corporation to school corporation,” Tanselle said. “What might be offensive in one school corporation might not be offensive in another. Because this is part of the curriculum, we think the administrator should be able to make that judgment call.”

By giving school administrators local control, they can—along with the media adviser—determine what’s appropriate to include in student media, which is often school-sponsored with the school logo on it, she said.

“We can’t identify every situation that might result in censorship or review that might then ultimately result in the community being upset as to this article coming out,” Tanselle said. “The community’s perception then is, ‘My goodness, what are you teaching kids if you let this article out?’”

Testimonies for and against the bill showed schools have different adviser-administrator relationships, and different prior review agreements, under the Hazelwood standard, Tanselle said. And it should stay that way.

“While there may be some inconsistency in this state, we certainly have evidence there are quality publications out there under this standard,” she said.

State Rep. Ed Clere, R-New Albany, said it’s unfortunate none of the administrator groups have been willing to work with him on the legislation.

“They’ve made it clear that they will oppose any legislation that rolls back or limits their authority under Hazelwood,” he said. “They are clinging to that absolute control.”

Plainfield administrators are exercising their control.

Sabrina Kapp, communications director for Plainfield Community School Corporation, directed TheStatehouseFile.com to a blog post written in October 2017 as the district’s comment in place of interviews or specific statements from Superintendent Scott Olinger and the school board.

“We felt then, and still do, that the post says everything that we can, and will, say about the matter,” Kapp said in an email.

The post doesn’t include information about the administrative move to review each page of the magazine before publication or why. Kapp declined to arrange interviews or provide specific statements about Plainfield’s ongoing prior review process.

Plainfield High School Principal Melvin Siefert did not respond to requests for comment.

“The biggest change under this legislation is administrators would have to justify their censorship,” Clere said. “If content did not fall into one of the prohibited categories, then it could be published or broadcast. And that’s what administrators don’t want. They don’t want to have to justify censorship. They want the ability to censor anything they don’t like.”

FOOTNOTES: Ashley Shuler is a reporter for TheStatehouseFile.com, a news website powered by Franklin College journalism students.  Despite the national notion of “fake news,” censorship within their own schools and the recent failure of a bill that would’ve protected their First Amendment rights, Indiana high school journalists are determined to make a change and get the story. This is the second of three parts.

TROPICANA EVANSVILLE ANNOUNCES JOB FAIR

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TROPICANA EVANSVILLE ANNOUNCES JOB FAIR

Evansville, IN (July 11, 2017) Tropicana Evansville is looking for fun, energetic and dedicated workers to add to their Team.

On Monday, July 16, 2018, the Tropicana Evansville Human Resources Department will be hosting a Job Fair showcasing their variety of employment opportunities. The Job Fair will be held in the Tropicana Evansville Hotel in the Las Vegas & Atlantic City Conference Rooms from 3:30 PM to 6 PM CT.

“This Job Fair will feature all open jobs at Tropicana Evansville,” explains Bill Plahn, Executive Director of Human Resources at Tropicana Evansville. “We have over 70 open and diverse positions including Food & Beverage, Hotel Front Desk, Housekeeping, Receiving, Valet Attendants, Casino Dealers, Casino Bartenders and Cocktail Servers, Security/EMT, and Groundskeeper, among others. Qualified applicants may receive an on-the-spot job offer.”

Tropicana Evansville offers a Referral Bonus Program, an opportunity for Team Members and applicants to share a total of $1,150 over a one-year period.

To be considered for an interview, visit www.tropicanacasinos.com/careers/ and search Tropicana Evansville for current job openings.  Review the job listings and complete an online application.  Tropicana Entertainment is an equal opportunity employer and prescreens for illegal substances.

About Tropicana Evansville

Tropicana Evansville is a multi-million dollar entertainment complex located on the scenic banks of the Ohio River in southwestern Indiana.  The single-level 24-hour casino encompasses 45,000 square feet of gaming space featuring over 1,100 slot games, over 30 table games, a dedicated Poker Room and a High Limit Room. Accommodations include a 243-room hotel tower and a 95-room boutique hotel. The property showcases an ultramodern entertainment lounge, four dining options, four bars, conference center, riverfront event center and a 1,660-vehicle attached parking garage.

 

About Tropicana Entertainment Inc.
Tropicana Entertainment Inc. is a publicly traded company that, through its subsidiaries, owns and operates eight casinos and resorts in Indiana, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nevada, Missouri, New Jersey and Aruba. Tropicana properties collectively have approximately 5,526 hotel rooms, 8,075 slot positions, and 277 table games. The company is based in Las Vegas, Nevada and is a majority-owned subsidiary of Icahn Enterprises, L.P. To learn more about Tropicana, visit Tropicanacasinos.com.

 

 

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