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LETTER TO THE EDITOR: “THE RIGHT TO KNOW WILL ECHO THROUGH THE HALLS OF JUSTICE”

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“THE RIGHT TO KNOW WILL ECHO THROUGH THE HALLS OF JUSTICE”

by: Dan Barton, Publisher of The New-Harmony Gazette. March 24, 2018

What right does a nonprofit, tax-exempt corporation have to keep information about the possible misuse of funds by their former director Stephanie Tenbarge from a formal Evansville Police Department investigation?

One of the primary responsibilities of a non-profit, tax-exempt corporation’s Board of Trustees is to ensure that the organization complies with all federal, state, and local laws.

Along with those responsibilities the trustees also act in a fiduciary capacity and maintain oversight of the nonprofit’s finances. They are accountable to their donors and to the general public. They are responsible for maintaining compliance with all laws. Most especially because they receive taxpayer dollars, as they have from Evansville taxpayers, and are allowed to exempt themselves and their properties from paying taxes, while others are required to pay in full, they should go the extra mile in compliance with the law.

I admit that I’m a little off my beaten path, about 30 miles off, but sometimes issues that affect one community in Southwest Indiana also affect the rest of us. That would seem to be the case regarding ECHO of Evansville. Access to information, the financial records of ECHO Housing requested by the Evansville Police Department stemming from an allegation by an ECHO Board member. It concerns the possible misuse of reportedly $5,000 in ECHO funds by former Director Stephanie Tenbarge. The police request seems to be a reason.

The Evansville Courier & Press broke this story several days ago and the City-County Observer quickly followed suit. Up until this writing ECHO’s Board of Trustees have refused to cooperate with the Evansville Police Department. Now the Evansville Town Council has been forced to take action by threatening to withhold all funding to ECHO until they allow for a full investigation, and for full disclosure of their financial records.

I believe ECHO should open it’s booked to the police and the public. By soliciting and accepting public tax money, from $80,000 to $130,000 every year from Evansville alone, they became an extension of the government entity that they took the money from. They should follow the same rules that we expect our government to follow and come clean. Allow for full transparency. What is there to hide?

Former President John F. Kennedy in a speech made on April 27, 1961, clearly delineated how we Americans view secrecy connected to the government in the United States. In this case, it should also apply to nonprofit organizations who take public money. Kennedy said:

“The very word secrecy is repugnant in a free and open society; and we are as a people inherently and historically opposed to secret societies, to secret oaths and secret proceedings. We decided long ago that the dangers of excessive and unwarranted concealment of pertinent facts far outweighed the dangers which are cited to justify it.”

An observation that would seem apply equally as well to ECHO’s apparent attempt at delaying justice by obstructing a full and public investigation of its books.

FOOTNOTE: The City-County Observer posted this article without opinion, bias or editing. The New-Harmony Gazette is a media partner of the City-County Observer.

 

Indiana Law Schools Post 2-Year Bar Passage Rates

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Marilyn Odendahl for www.theindianalawyer.com

Calling it a “comprehensive report,” the American Bar Association released a series of spreadsheets Thursday which presented the ultimate two-year bar passage rate for 2015 graduates as well as the bar passage rates for first-time takers in 2016 and 2017 from each accredited law school.

Previously, the first-time bar passage outcomes were reported on a school-by-school basis. This is the first time the ABA Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar has released both first-time and ultimate passage rates in this form.

The aggregate information for 2015 provides the total number of graduates from each law school along with the number of those who took and then passed the bar exam within two years. Missing from the 2015 report was the information that had been previously collected on the Standard 509 reports, namely the percentage of the graduates who were successful the first time taking the test and the states were the most graduates from each law school sat for the bar.

Nationwide, 37,484 graduates in the Class of 2015 took a bar exam and by 2017, a total of 32,923 had successful tackled the test for a pass percentage of 87.83 percent.

Among Indiana law schools, the two-year bar passage rates for the 2015 graduates were:
• Indiana University Maurer School of Law — 85.48 percent
• Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law — 83.48 percent
• Notre Dame Law School — 97.19 percent
• Valparaiso Law School — 69.35 percent

In 2017, the ABA Section removed the bar passage totals from the Standard 509 Consumer Information Reports that law schools submit annually. Now the educational institutions are required to complete a separate report, filed in February, on bar exam outcomes. In addition, for the first time, the schools were asked to provide the two-year passage rate for the 2015 graduates.

“This information is being made public, aggregately, as a matter of consumer information under ABA Standard 509,” said Barry Currier, the section’s managing director. He said the reports “provide important consumer information for students considering whether and where to attend law school and for others with an interest in legal education.”

The ABA expects to continue this reporting and next year will present the two-year bar exam results for the 2016 graduates.

Currently, the ABA spreadsheets do contain the first-time bar passage rate for the law school graduates who took the bar exam in 2016 and for those who sat in 2017. However, the tabulation mixes in first-time takers from prior years, so it is unclear how the classes of 2016 and of 2017 fared the first time they took the test.

The passage rate for 2016 first-time takers from Indiana law schools were:
• IU Maurer — 85.56 percent
• IU McKinney — 68.47 percent
• Notre Dame —  80.59 percent
• Valparaiso — 49.31 percent

The passage rate for 2017 first-time takers from Indiana law schools were:
• IU Maurer — 81.44 percent
• IU McKinney — 69.58 percent
• Notre Dame — 89.29 percent
• Valparaiso — 46.60 percent

The data for the 2016 and 2017 outcomes did include the jurisdictional information as was collected in the past Standard 509 reports. The passage rates were broken down by the most common states that graduates from each law school took the bar exam.

Among the Indiana law schools, the 2016 bar passage outcomes by jurisdiction were:
IU Maurer
• Indiana — 88.41 percent
• Illinois — 86.67
• New York — 72.22

IU McKinney
• Indiana — 68.39

Notre Dame
• Illinois — 89.74 percent
• California — 73.08 percent
• New York — 76 percent
• Indiana — 81.82 percent

Valparaiso
• Indiana — 63.89 percent
• Illinois — 40 percent

Among the Indiana law schools, the 2017 bar passage outcomes by jurisdiction were:
IU Maurer
• Indiana — 86.49 percent
• Illinois — 100 percent
• New York— 80 percent

IU McKinney
• Indiana — 69.35 percent

Notre Dame
• Illinois — 84.09 percent
• California — 92 percent
• New York — 86.96 percent
• Indiana — 88.24 percent
• Florida — 100 percent

Valparaiso
• Indiana — 46.81 percent
• Illinois — 39.13 percent

 

February Indiana Employment Report

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Unemployment Rate Drops To 3.2 percent; .5 percent Lower Than
February 2017

 Indiana’s unemployment rate stands at 3.2percent for February and remains lower than the national rate of 4.1 percent. With the exception of one month when it was equal (October 2014), Indiana’s unemployment rate now has been below the U.S. rate for more than four years.

The monthly unemployment rate is a U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) indicator that reflects the number of unemployed people seeking employment within the prior four weeks as a percentage of the labor force.

Indiana’s labor force had a net increase of 2,495 over the previous month. This was a result of 2,243 unemployed residents no longer seeking employment within the past four weeks, and a 4,738 increase in residents employed. Indiana’s total labor force, which includes both Hoosiers employed and those seeking employment, stands at 3.31 million, and the state’s 63.7 percent labor force participation rate remains above the national rate of 63.0 percent.

In addition, Indiana’s initial unemployment insurance claims continue to be at historical lows.

Newburgh Elementary Substitute Teacher Faces Strangulation Charges

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Newburgh Elementary Substitute Teacher Faces Strangulation Charges

MARCH 25TH, 2018  JOHN WERNE NEWBURGH

A substitute teacher has been arrested for allegedly strangling a student at Sharon Elementary School in Newburgh.

61 year old Margaret Shively was arrested yesterday and is facing charges of strangulation and battery of a person less than 14 years old with bodily injury. She is being held on a $10,000 bond at the Warrick County Jail.

The Warrick County Sheriff’s office is investigating the incident.

John Werne

Producer

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Gov. Holcomb Signs Bill To Create Sexual Harassment Training For Indiana Lawmakers

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Holcomb And Rush Unveil Improvements For Executive And Judicial Branches

At a bill signing for legislation that creates sexual harassment prevention policies for the Indiana General Assembly, Gov. Eric J. Holcomb and Chief Justice Loretta Rush shared changes to sexual harassment training policies for the state’s executive and judicial branches.

“In light of the many recent, high-profile sexual and workplace harassment cases, it makes sense for all branches of government to take a look at their own policies. There’s zero room for harassment of any kind in Indiana’s state government workplaces, and I’m proud of the work we’ve accomplished to ensure that message is loud and clear in the legislative, executive and judicial branches,” Gov. Holcomb said.

The governor signed House Enrolled Act 1309 in his office today with the bill’s author state Rep. Karen Engleman, Senate sponsors Sen. Jim Buck and Sen. Tim Lanane,  and co-author Rep. Cherrish Pryor. The bill requires annual sexual harassment training for all members of the General Assembly.

Following the signing, Holcomb outlined changes to the state’s executive branch harassment prevention policies—all of which will be focused on modernization, increasing the culture of professionalism and civility, and empowering bystanders to speak up if they see something inappropriate. Changes include

  • Recognizing that organizational culture is set at the top, state agency heads will complete annual training workshops focused on workplace harassment, conduct, and civility.
  • Managers and supervisors at all levels will receive additional sexual harassment training as part of a new program under development by the Indiana State Personnel Department to launch this summer.
  • All state employees are currently required to complete computer-based training on an annual basis and during new employee onboarding. This training module has been updated and will be launched in May.

Indiana Supreme Court Chief Justice Loretta Rush outlined a strengthened Judicial Branch policy focused on civility. Chief Justice Rush explained, “Past sexual harassment training often focused on what behavior was illegal. By emphasizing whether the offensive behavior was illegal, employers appeared to condone harassing behavior if it did not expose them to liability. Training for Judicial Branch employees will make clear our expectation is for an environment free of sexual harassment, intimidation, disrespect, and uncivil behavior.”

Changes include:

  • A revamped policy distributed by the Chief Justice to all Supreme Court employees.
  • An online complaint form for employees to more easily report problems immediately.
  • An increased emphasis on civility in all curricula dealing with harassment.

 

 

Hoosiers Place Third at NCAA Championships, Capping Historic Week

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MINNEAPOLIS, Minn.  – The No. 3-ranked Indiana University men’s swimming and diving team closed a historic 2018 NCAA Championships on Saturday night at the Jean K. Freeman Aquatic Center in Minneapolis, Minn.

The Hoosiers finished third overall in the team standings with a total of 422 points. Texas won a fourth-straight NCAA team title with a score of 449 points, while California took second with a total of 437.5 points. The 422 points scored are the most for the team in 49 years, when Indiana scored 427 in 1969.

The finish for the Hoosiers is the best for the program in 43 years, when IU took second in 1975. Indiana won a total of four NCAA titles over the week, the most for the team since winning six crowns in 1973. The top-10 finish for the Hoosiers at the NCAA Championships is the sixth in the last seven years.

For the third-straight season, Indiana finished as the top Big Ten team at the NCAA Championships – the best stretch for IU since accomplishing the feat for 15-straight seasons from 1964-78.

Over the course of NCAA Championships, the Hoosiers had 12 individuals earn a total of 42 All-America honors – the most in program history in 44 years since the team tallied 50 in 1974. Blake Pieroni led the way, earning All-America accolades in all seven of his events. Pieroni ends his stellar career with a staggering 19 All-America certificates.

Indiana swept the CSCAA Division I Coach of the Year awards, as Ray Looze was named Swimming Coach of the Year and Drew Johansen was named Diving Coach of the Year.

Junior Ian Finnerty was dominant in the Championship Final of the 200 breaststroke, winning the NCAA championship with a Big Ten, school and pool record time of 1:50.17.

Finnerty won his second NCAA title in as many days, becoming the first man in IU history to win both the 100 and 200 breast crowns in one season. The championship is the second in program history, as Finnerty joined Tom Tretheway in 1965 as NCAA champions in the 200 breast.

In the Consolation Final of the 200 breaststroke, senior Levi Brock placed eighth to finish 16th overall with a time of 1:56.32.

Vini Lanza had a historic finish for Indiana in the Championship Final of the 200 butterfly, taking third overall with a Big Ten and school record time of 1:39.75. With his mark, Lanza becomes the seventh-fastest performer in history in the event. Lanza’s finish is the best for a Hoosier in the event in 45 years, when Jim Montgomery won the title in 1973.

Andrew Capobianco capped his outstanding freshman season by placing third in the Championship Final of the platform dive with a total of 435.30 points. Capobianco was one of only two freshmen in the nation to score points in all three diving events.

Diving was a huge component of the Hoosiers’ historic week, as the diving squad scored an amazing 98 points, the most of any team in the nation. The 98 points scored by the diving team alone would have placed them 13th in the team standings.

In the Championship Final of the 100 freestyle, Pieroni has the best finish for a Hoosier since Jim Montgomery in 1977, placing fourth overall with a time of 41.51. The time is the fourth-fastest in school history.

In the Consolation Final, Blaskovic took eighth to finish 16th overall with a time of 42.43.

Samy placed seventh in the Consolation Final of the 200 backstroke to finish 15th overall with a time of 1:41.66.

Be sure to keep up with all the latest news on the Indiana men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams on social media – Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

 200 Backstroke

  1. Mohamed Samy – 1:41.66 (Honorable-Mention All-America)

100 Freestyle

  1. Blake Pieroni – 41.51 (All-America)
  2. Bruno Blaskovic – 42.43 (Honorable-Mention All-America)

200 Breaststroke

  1. Ian Finnerty – 1:50.17 (Big Ten Record, School Record, Pool Record; All-America)
  2. Levi Brock – 1:56.32 (Honorable-Mention All-America)

200 Butterfly

  1. Vini Lanza – 1:39.75 (Big Ten Record, School Record; All-America)

Platform Dive

  1. Andrew Capobianco – 435.30 (All-America)

 400 Freestyle Relay

  1. Mohamed Samy, Blake Pieroni, Bruno Blaskovic, Ali Khalafalla – 2:47.29 (All-America)

2018 Indiana All-America Honors

Bruno Blaskovic (4) – 200 Medley Relay, 400 Freestyle Relay, 100 Freestyle (HM), 200 Freestyle Relay (HM)

Levi Brock (2) – 100 Breaststroke, 200 Breaststroke (HM)

Andrew Capobianco (3) – 3-Meter Dive, Platform Dive, 1-Meter Dive (HM)

James Connor (2) – 1-Meter Dive, 3-Meter Dive

Gabriel Fantoni (2) – 200 Medley Relay, 400 Medley Relay

Ian Finnerty (6) – 100 Breaststroke, 200 Breaststroke, 200 IM, 200 Medley Relay, 400 Medley Relay, 800 Freestyle Relay

Michael Hixon (2) – 1-Meter Dive, 3-Meter Dive

Ali Khalafalla (2) – 400 Freestyle Relay, 200 Freestyle Relay (HM)

Vini Lanza (6) – 100 Butterfly, 200 Butterfly, 200 IM, 200 Medley Relay, 400 Medley Relay, 800 Freestyle Relay

Blake Pieroni (7) – 50 Freestyle, 100 Freestyle, 200 Freestyle, 400 Medley Relay, 400 Freestyle Relay, 800 Freestyle Relay, 200 Freestyle Relay (HM)

Josh Romany (1) – 200 Freestyle Relay (HM)

Mohamed Samy (5) – 200 Freestyle, 400 Freestyle Relay, 800 Freestyle Relay, 100 Backstroke (HM), 200 Backstroke (HM)

 

UE Alumni Spotlight Artist Event to Feature Janice Greene

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The University of Evansville is planning an Alumni Spotlight Artist event for Janice Greene on March 29 in the Melvin Peterson Gallery. A reception for Greene is set for 6:30 p.m., followed by a presentation at 7:00 p.m. Some of her work will also be on display. This event, which is free and open to the public, is being sponsored by UE Friends of Art.

Greene attended the Louisville School of Art and received her BFA and MAA from UE. She retired from the Evansville Vanderburgh Public Library in 2013 after 41 years as a graphic designer and exhibits coordinator. She taught figure drawing and printmaking at UE and is past-president of the Artist Collaborative, Henderson Society of Art, and the American Association of University Women, Evansville Branch.

Her art includes prints, drawings, mixed media, and artist-made books. The images she creates are related to landscape and nature: representational or abstract. Her surroundings are a constant influence: nature, and the urban and natural landscape. She is interested in textures, layers, reflective surfaces and their relationship with each other. Often she combines printmaking with other materials. Her recent works consist of watercolor, ceramic and handmade paper. Greene’s work has been exhibited in competitive, invitational and group shows in New York City, Seattle, New Hampshire, Indiana, Kentucky, Illinois, Australia and New Zealand.

She has received many awards including the Evansville Artist Guild Brian Daves Award, Best of Show in the 94 Artist Collaborative Exhibition, the 2007 Arts Council of Southwestern Indiana “Artist of the Year” Award and the Phenomenal Women of USI & the Community Award: Women Inspiring Hope & Possibility in 2004. In 1983, along with four other artists, she received an Indiana Arts Commission Grant for the “Handmade Book Project.”

Greene’s work is represented in private and corporate collections, including UE, Old National Bank, Solarbron Pointe, Deaconess Hospital, and the Swope Museum. She is represented by the Begley Art Source, New Harmony Gallery of Contemporary Art, and The Rumjahn Gallery and Framery.

For more information, please call 812-488-2043.

Young Democrats Meet And Greet

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The SW Indiana Young Democrats will have a Meet & Greet April 10th @ 6:00 pm at the Posey Co. HQ.
All candidates are urged to attend so you can meet them. This is opened to the public so bring a friend.
Also they are going to canvass Mt. Vernon on the 14th, to identify voters and help out with absentee apps. If you would like to help doing that please show up on the 10th to get more info.

EVANSVILLE POLICE MERIT COMMISSION MEETING AGENDA

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EVANSVILLE POLICE MERIT COMMISSION

MEETING AGENDA

Monday, March 26, 2018

2:00 p.m.  Room 307, Civic Center Complex

EXECUTIVE SESSION:

  1. An executive session and a closed hearing will be held prior to the open session.
  1. The executive session and hearing are closed as provided by:
  1. I.C. 5-14-1.5-6.1(b)(5): To receive information about and interview prospective employees.
  2. I.C. 5-14-1.5-6.1(b)(6)(A): With respect to any individual over whom the governing body has jurisdiction to receive information concerning the individual’s alleged misconduct.
  3. I.C. 5-14-1.5-6.1(b)(9): To discuss a job performance evaluation of individual employees.  This subdivision does not apply to a discussion of the salary, compensation, or benefits of employees during a budget process.
  1. OPEN SESSION:
  1. CALL TO ORDER
  1. ACKNOWLEDGE GUESTS
  1. APPROVAL OF MINUTES
    1. February 26, 2018  (Cook, Scott, and Hamilton)
  1. APPROVAL OF CLAIMS
  1. PROBATIONARY OFFICER UPDATE
    1. Sergeant Steve Kleeman – 12 officers in field training.
    2. Sergeant Brian Talsma – 4 officers in SWILEA
  1. APPLICANTS
    1. 17-212
    2. 17-032
    3. 17-082
    4. 17-115
    5. 17-045
    6. 17-001
    7. 17-141
  1. MERIT AWARD RECOMMENDATION
    1. Recommendation for merit awards for Officer Anna Gray and Bill Shirley for actions taken on February 28, 2018 in reference to medical treatment and transport of a gunshot victim.
  1. DISCIPLINARY MATTERS
    1. 18-PO-03 – Officer Marc McDowell, Badge Number 1242 – 1 day suspension.  Appealed on 1/25/18.  Matter is set for hearing on March 26, 2018.
    2. 18-PO-04 – Officer Rob Pylant, Badge Number 1257 – 1 day suspension. No appeal filed.   Tabled from February 26, 2018 meeting.
  1. RETIREMENTS
    1. Officer Eric Eberhard, Badge Number 1145, retired effective March 10, 2018 after serving 24 years, 6 months, and 21 days.
    2. Sergeant William Nutt, Badge Number 5111, retiring effective April 8, 2018 after serving 37 years, 6 months, and 1 day.
    3. Corporal Jerry Tooley, Badge Number 0771, retiring effective April 15, 2018 after serving 30 years, 6 months, and 22 days.
  1. RESIGNATION
    1. Officer Alex Nally, Badge Number 1380, resigned effective March 2, 2018 after serving 6 years, 1 month, and 6 days.
  1. REMINDERS:  The April meeting(s) will need to be scheduled for commissioner and room availability.

 

  1. ADJOURNMENT

Schubert’s big day not enough as Eagles swept by Rangers

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University of Southern Indiana Softball was unable to take advantage of two early leads, dropping a pair of Great Lakes Valley Conference games to the University of Wisconsin-Parkside at the Case Softball Complex Saturday afternoon.

The Screaming Eagles (14-11, 3-3 GLVC) held leads in both games before the Rangers (14-12, 5-3 GLVC) rallied for a pair of 6-5 wins.

USI returns home tomorrow when it hosts No. 12 University of Indianapolis in a doubleheader that was moved to the USI Softball Field after inclement weather in Indianapolis. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m.

Game 1: UW-Parkside 6, USI 5

UW-Parkside scored four times in the bottom of the seventh inning to erase a three run Eagles’ lead to rally for a 6-5 win in game one.

USI took a 2-0 lead in the first inning off RBI singles by junior outfielder Caitlyn Bradley (Forest, Indiana) and senior third baseman Mena Fulton (Bloomington, Indiana). The Eagles would add to that lead with a solo home run by sophomore outfielder Allison Schubert (Nicholasville, Kentucky) in the fourth.

After UWP answered with a pair of runs in the fifth, Schubert hit her second home run of the game in the sixth. The Eagles added another run in the top of the seventh on a home run by junior second baseman Claire Johnson (Pittsboro, Indiana).

Sophomore pitcher Jennifer Leonhardt (Louisville, Kentucky) recorded 11 strikeouts, but was charged with the loss. Schubert finished with three hits, while Johnson and junior catcher Lindsey Barr (Whitesville, Kentucky) each finished with two.

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