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HOT JOBS IN EVANSVILLE
ADOPT A PET
Molly is a 12-year-old female gray tabby cat with white socked feet. Senior kitties like her are very vulnerable in a loud & busy shelter setting, so she would love a home as soon as possible! Her adoption fee is only $40, or ask about our Senior Pets program for senior citizens who need a companion. Contact Vanderburgh Humane at (812) 426-2563 or adoptions@vhslifesaver.orgfor adoption details!
Investigating the Death of Austin Smith of Evansville
The Vanderburgh County County Coroners Office and the Evansville Police Department are investigating the death of Austin Smith of Evansville. Austin Smith was shot last August in Evansville and today died from injuries sustained. Â The Evansville Police Department can provide details of the investigation.
THE MAYOR AND HIS WIFES FUNDRAISER FOR DUCKWORTH GENERATED $30,000
Last nights political fundraiser for County Commission candidate Mike Duckworth hosted by the Mayor and the First Lady of Evansville at the home of John David Engelbrecht generated more than $30,000.
The cost to attend this plush political gala started at $500 and topped out at $5,000 per person. It’s been reported that Steve Hammer, Mike Schopmeyer, Jeff Ahlers, Brian and Barbara Williams, Ron Beacon, Bill Fluty, Michelle Mercer, Wendy McNamara, Vaneta Becker, Andy Guarino, Bob Dillow, Tom Gant, Russ Lloyd, Jr., John David Engelbrecht, Tony Flittner, Gary Burdsall, Justin Elpers, Carol and Lloyd Winnecke and many more attend this political fundraiser?
Below is the breakdown of those individuals who contributed to the Duckworth For County Commissioner fundraiser hosted by the Mayor and the First Lady of Evansville.  This list of contributors was posted by the City-County Observer without opinion, bias or editing.
Otters Walk-Off On Grizzlies For Second Straight Night To Take Series
With five runs in the final two innings, the Evansville Otters came storming back to top the Gateway Grizzlies 7-6 in the rubber match of the series at Bosse Field on Thursday evening at Bosse Field in front of 1,540 fans.
Jeff Cardenas opened the scoring with an RBI single in the top of the second inning to put the Grizzlies up 1-0.
Shane Mardirosian pushed the lead to 2-0 with an RBI single in the third, before an RBI groundout from Cam Adams made it a 3-0game in favor of the Grizzlies.
The Grizzlies tacked on another run in the fifth on another RBI single from Mardirosian.
The Otters cut the deficit in half on a Toby Thomas two-run double in the bottom of the sixth.
Gateway got those runs back immediately in the top of the seventh on Brent Sakurai’s two-run single.
The Otters made it a one-run game with three runs in the eighth. Joe DeLuca got the scoring started with an RBI double. Hunter Cullen then drove in a run with a groundout before Manny Cruz cut the deficit to 6-5 with an RBI single to right.
In the ninth, Ryan Long lead off with a double off the right-field wall. Thomas walked to put runners at first and second before Jeff Gardner singled to right to tie the game at 6-6. After an intentional walk to Joe Lytle loaded the bases, DeLuca lifted a ball to left that was deep enough to score Thomas from third and win the game for the Otters on the sacrifice fly 7-6.
Tyler Beardsley gets the win for the Otters, his second, after throwing a scoreless ninth.
Josh Glick is hit with the loss for the second straight game after allowing two runs on two hits in 0.1 sinning.
Otters starter Tyler Vail gets the no-decision after tossing 4.1 innings and allowing four runs on seven hits while striking out four.
Taso Stathopoulos also receives a no decision as he threw 5.1 innings and allowed two runs on five hits.
The nine-game homestand for the Otters will now finish with a three-game series against the River City Rascals. The series against the Rascals will be highlighted by Edward Jones Night and postgame fireworks, Heritage Federal Credit Union hat giveaway and Boy Scout Night, and another family fun day. Tickets are still available at evansvilleotters.com or by calling 812-435- 8686.
Vehicle Model from Fatal I-69 Hit and Run Identified
The Sheriff’s Office has identified the make and model of the suspect vehicle from the fatal hit and run crash that occurred on Friday, June 22, 2018 on I-69 near S. Green River Road.
SUSPECT VEHICLE: Silver 1998-2002 Honda Accord sedan. 2-door or 4-door body style. The vehicle will have damage to the front end.
If you know of a vehicle matching this description, please contact the Sheriff’s Office TIP line at 812-421-6297 or leave a web tip here.
(Images for illustrative purposes only)
“IS IT TRUE” JUNE 29, 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?
IS IT TRUE that it’s been alleged that the Henderson Community Methodist Hospital and Deaconess-Evansville board members may have gotten together yesterday to talked about a proposed complicated business arrangement between them?  …we wonder if the proposed business agreement between Henderson Community Methodist Hospital and Deaconess-Evansville board is an affiliation, a merger or a total buy out?  …all we can say is this that is a developing story?
IS IT TRUE that last nights political fundraiser for County Commission candidate Mike Duckworth hosted by the Mayor and his first lady at the home of John David Engelbrecht generated more than $30,000?  … were told that the cost to attend this plush political gala started at $500 and topped out at $5,000 per person?  …it’s been reported that Steve Hammer, Mike Schopmeyer, Jeff Ahlers, Brian and Barbara Williams, Ron Beacon, Bill Fluty, Michelle Mercer, Wendy McNamara, Vaneta Becker, Andy Guarino, Bob Dillow, Tom Gant, Russ Lloyd, Jr., John David Engelbrecht, Tony Flittner, Gary Burdsall, Justin Elpers, Carol and Lloyd Winnecke and many more attend this political fundraiser?
IS IT TRUE in the private sector when a person is accused of taking funds from an existing business to pay personal debts its called embezzlement or misappropriations and the business owners immediately file a police report?  …in Evansville when a person is accused of taking funds from an existing non-profit business to pay personal debts the agency Board of Director only file an official police report when they are forced to do so?
IS IT TRUE we are told if anyone is having a difficult time in paying their 2018 personal property taxes they might consider asking ECHO Housing Board of Directors to help pay them without paying an interest penalty?
IS IT TRUE at the conclusion of last Monday evening City Council meeting City Controller Russ Lloyd, Jr., CPA informed Council members that he didn’t pay $369,000 worth of bills accumulated by Victory Theater during the 2017 budget year?  …Mr. Lloyd also told council members that he paid the 2017 Victory Theater bills from the 2018 city budget funds?
IS IT TRUE we are extremely pleased that the 3rs Ward Councilman G John Hayden, CPA  e-mailed City Controller Russ Lloyd Jr. yesterday requesting a detailed explanation concerning the Victory Theater transactions?  … as of this morning Councilmen, Hayden hasn’t heard from Mr. Lloyd?  …we are told that members of the local mainstream media are trying to find out more details concerning most intriguing story.?  ..this is definitely a developing story?
IS IT TRUE that it looks like the political contest between the current Vanderburgh County Prosecutor Nick Hermann and the former County Prosecutor Stan Levco is going to be in-your-face and knock down political braw?
IS IT TRUE we wonder what the collections status between the Evansville Water and Sewer Utilities Department and the owners of the McCurdy?
Indiana’s Barrett A Top Contender In Brewing Supreme Court Battle
Indiana’s Barrett A Top Contender In Brewing Supreme Court Battle
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With another seat opening on the U.S. Supreme Court, Notre Dame Law School professor and 7thCircuit Court of Appeals Judge Amy Coney Barrett is being viewed as a leading contender on President Donald Trump’s list of potential nominees.
Barrett, who was confirmed to the Chicago-based appellate court less than eight months ago, is on Trump’s list of 25 Supreme Court-worthy nominees, but she is now seen as being on a much shorter list.
As Brian Paul, a partner at Faegre Baker Daniels in Indianapolis explained, Barrett has the qualities the president wants in a nominee – smart, young and tough. “Barrett has every one of those qualities,†said Paul, who practices in the appellate courts and is a member of the 7th Circuit Bar Association.
Barrett, born in 1972 in Louisiana, is a graduate of Notre Dame Law School and clerked for the late Justice Antonin Scalia. She also endured a bruising confirmation process, with Democrats hammering her legal views before she was confirmed by a 55-43 vote. Sen. Joe Donnelly D-Indiana, along with his Democratic colleagues, Sens. Tim Kaine of Virginia and Joe Manchin of West Virginia, voted for her.
Also, because the Senate majority is pushing to get Kennedy’s vacancy filled before the mid-term elections, Barrett is a strong choice since because has just been through the confirmation process for the 7th Circuit. The paperwork and background checks have been done and, as Paul noted, if there is anything in her background that could derail her nomination, it would have come out by now.
Moreover, she is a woman, and Trump might believe nominating a female will help him shore up the women’s vote in the upcoming elections.
“The stars are aligning for her,†Paul said of Barrett. Another female 7th Circuit judge, Diane S. Sykes of Wisconsin, is also on Trump’s list of potential nominees.
If Barrett is nominated, her experience surviving a difficult confirmation battle will have prepared her for what will likely be an ugly brawl over the Supreme Court vacancy.
“Barrett’s really in play because Democrats beat up on her (during her 7th Circuit confirmation), and I thought she did as good a job as anyone in that situation,†said Carl Tobias, a professor at the University of Richmond School of Law.
All sides quickly mobilized Wednesday after Kennedy — a singular voice on the court and a swing vote whose positions have decided issues on abortion, affirmative action, gay rights, guns, campaign finance and voting rights — sent shockwaves through Washington by announcing his retirement plans.
Trump said he would start the effort to replace Kennedy “immediately†and would pick from a list of 25 names that he updated last year. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell declared that the Senate “will vote to confirm Justice Kennedy’s successor this fall.â€
With Kennedy’s departure, Republicans have a longed-for opportunity to tip the balance of the court. It already has four justices picked by Democratic presidents and four picked by Republicans, so Trump’s pick could shift the ideological balance toward conservatives for years to come.
Republicans also have a chance to make judicial nominees a top campaign issue, which could help motivate conservatives and evangelicals to vote in November. The playbook worked in 2016 when Republicans rallied around McConnell’s successful block of then-President Barack Obama’s nominee to the court, Merrick Garland.
If Republicans unite behind Trump’s selection, there’s little that Democrats can do to stop it. Republicans changed the Senate rules last year so that Supreme Court nominees cannot be filibustered, meaning only 51 votes will be required to confirm.
But while Republicans are aiming for speedy action, Democrats quickly argued that any decision should be put on hold until after midterm elections, citing McConnell’s 2016 moves. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said it would be the “height of hypocrisy†to vote sooner.
Immediately after Kennedy announced he was stepping down, outside groups on the left and the right began lining up and preparing to fight.
Paul sees the sharp reaction as a result of the legislative branch ceding much of its power to the judicial branch. Statehouses and Congress have passed statutes in the past 40 years that have many gray areas that require the courts to interpret. So the judiciary has been deciding issues that were previously the domain of the elected representatives and, as a consequence, the Supreme Court, in particular, has become very politicized.
Since the 1960s, the Supreme Court has recognized itself as having purview over issues which, Paul said, the Constitution has not explicitly granted to the judiciary. Social issues such as abortion and same-sex marriage, he continued, are being decided by the justices rather than being debated and decided by elected officials who are accountable to voters.
Certainly, a flashpoint in the nomination process will be abortion rights. This puts a spotlight on key female Republican senators, Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska. Both have supported abortion access.
The abortion issue could also prove difficult for Sen. Dean Heller of Nevada, the most endangered Senate Republican running for re-election this fall, whose views have shifted against abortion rights.
Schumer said the Senate should reject “on a bipartisan basis any justice who would overturn Roe v. Wade or undermine key health care protections.â€
With Republicans only holding 51 seats in the upper chamber, the nominee will have to be someone who can unite the majority, Tobias said. The rush to get a quick confirmation could be derailed if the nominee fails to get support from all the Republican Senators.
In addition to Barrett, other possible nominees being eyed include Thomas Hardiman, who serves alongside Trump’s sister on the Philadelphia-based 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, and Raymond Kethledge, a federal appeals court judge who clerked for Kennedy.
Also of interest are Amul Thapar, a federal appeals court judge from Kentucky who is close to McConnell; and Brett Kavanaugh, a former clerk for Kennedy who serves on the federal appeals court in Washington, D.C.
Among Trump’s counselors is Leonard Leo, who is taking a leave of absence as executive vice president of the Federalist Society to serve as an outside adviser to the process. Leo said Wednesday that it was important to first focus on Kennedy’s legacy and demonstrate appreciation. From there, he said, the “White House will begin to winnow the president’s list to a manageable short list.â€
“The president has been very clear over and over what his standards are,†Leo said.
Senators were bracing for the tough days ahead.
Republican Sen. Ben Sasse of Nebraska, a member of the Judiciary Committee, bluntly talked of the “blood sport†likely to be triggered by the nomination fight.
“Americans ought to aim higher,†he said.