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USI starts 2018 home slate Sunday

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#13 Eagles hosts five teams in the Dunn Hospitality Classic

After waiting out the rain, the preseason 13th-ranked (Collegiate Baseball Newspaper) University of Southern Indiana baseball team opens the 2018 home schedule Sunday when it hosts the Dunn Hospitality Classic. The classic, which will run Sunday through Tuesday, will feature USI, Missouri University of Science & Technology; Grand Valley State University; Hillsdale College, and Rockhurst University.

The Eagles are scheduled to play Rockhurst at 1 p.m. and Hillsdale at 4 p.m.; Missouri S&T at 5 p.m. Monday; and Grand Valley State at noon Tuesday for a doubleheader. Games times for all of the Dunn Hospitality Classic are subject to change due to weather.

EPD Officers make arrest on subject wanted for aggravated battery with a firearm.

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At approximately 4:30 on 2/20/2018 Evansville Police arrested Curtis Momon in connection with the May 21, 2017, shooting of both a juvenile and an adult female at the Chuckles gas station at 501 Fares Ave. Momon had been on the run for eight months but was observed yesterday driving a vehicle by an EPD V.I.P.E.R. Unit Detective. The V.I.P.E.R. unit, which is composed of both uniform and non-uniform Officers, attempted to stop Momon in the area of Fourth Ave/ Fountain Ave. Momon stopped briefly but then fled from Officers until he crashed out in the area of Third Ave/Columbia St. After crashing, Momon fled on foot while discarding a small plastic bag that contained marijuana. Momon was then tracked by K-9 Officers and eventually surrendered to responding Officers. Momon was arrested for his outstanding felony warrant for aggravated battery with a firearm and the additional charges of both misdemeanor and felony resisting law enforcement, possession of marijuana, reckles s driving, and operating without ever receiving a license.

EPD REPORT

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EPD REPORT

Student Arrested after Threatening North Junior High School

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The Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a 13-year-old North Junior High School student after determining she posted threatening messages on Snapchat.

The Sheriff’s Office began an investigation on Monday, February 19, 2018 after staff at North Junior High School were alerted to a threatening Snapchat post circulating among the student body. The post stated, “North Junior high kids your next be ready I’m coming wit my crew and I`m killing at least 25 people tomorrow watch”. The student who alerted a teacher to the post was later revealed to be the source of the threat.

Detectives with the Sheriff’s Office tracked the post back to a residence in the Jacobsville area of Evansville’s north side. The daughter of the homeowner was found to be a North Junior High School student and identified as the same person who alerted school staff to the existence of the post to begin with. During an interview, the juvenile admitted to creating the Snapchat post. She had no reason or justification for her actions.

The juvenile was later interviewed by an Evansville Police Department detective regarding threats directed towards Cedar Hall Community School. The juvenile admitted to sending threatening Snapchat posts to students at Cedar Hall using the same Snapchat account used to threaten North Middle School.

In a prepared statement, Sheriff Dave Wedding explained “Posting threats on social media and directing intimidating language towards fellow students is not a joke. It’s not funny and it’s not clever. The Sheriff’s Office will vigorously pursue charges against anyone who threatens the safety of a school.” Sheriff Wedding added, “Parents need to talk to their children right now about this issue. If you don’t have confidence that your child understands what is at stake, then it is time to take away your child’s smartphone.”

The juvenile was transported to the Youth Care Center and will make an appearance in juvenile court tomorrow. She has been preliminarily charged with Intimidation as a Level 6 Felony and Disorderly Conduct as a Class B Misdemeanor. The Evansville Police Department will file additional charges later tomorrow morning.

 

Vanderburgh County Recent Booking Records

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

IS IT TRUE FEBRUARY 21, 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 the that Congressman Dr. Larry Buschon and his primary opponent Dr. Richard Moss have philosophical differences? …both gentlemen are accomplished surgeons, good family men, good citizens, have a deep love for their county? …the 8th District voters  want to know how they feel about: the design and construction costs of the “Wall”, their position on the “Dreamers” issue, their stance on taxes, civil and equal rights legislation, North Korea dilemma, military spending, balance budgets, inflation challenges, public health issues, fair trade, global warming, creative and affordable ways to improve education in America, and pending legislation that affects our quality of life?  …we look forward to Congressman Buschon and his opponent Jasper surgeon, Dr. Richard Moss having civil and respectful debates in the very near future about where they want to take America during the next 2 years?

IS IT TRUE that Evansville’s Vectren Corporation has let it be known that they are taking actions that are intended for selling the company?…Vectren is a highly profitable legislated monopoly, it should make some new owner a healthy cash cow?…Vectren has surely been good to its shareholders and employees?…thee could be a silver lining in this possible acquisition if Vectren is absorbed into a much larger company that has lower prices for electricity?…the perfect way for a new owner to create a bunch of goodwill would be to reduce Vectren’s rates to the national average?

IS IT TRUE if our elected officials don’t make additional increases to the Evansville Police Departments budgets we may have to depend on the “Penguin” to help protect us?

IS IT TRUE a CCO poster named DarkLight posted the following comment we feel worth reposting?  …Darklight said:  “The city needs to get serious about reducing expenses with creative solutions. Eliminating the Homestead Tax credit and increasing the County Option Income Tax is a simplistic solution to rising costs. How about reducing the expenses”?  …he also said: “The city’s health insurance plan should align with comparable plans in the public and private sector where Cadillac plans were phased out long ago. Deductibles and co-pays need to balance the excessive health care subsidy that has grown without check”?  …can you believe that he also stated that  “Pass an incremental cost increase on to city employees rather than incremental tax increases to the average taxpayer who has no say on decreasing the exponential costs in city government. Finally, eliminate health insurance coverage for part-time employees, i.e., city council, et. al”  …we think this post makes a heck of a lot of sense?

IS IT TRUE that the City of Evansville and all around the Tri-State have been basking in a most welcome days of warmth and sunshine in what has otherwise been a cold and dismal winter?…with the temperature north of 70 and the sun out we can only hope the worst is behind us and that the damage done by freezing and thawing to our already abysmal roads and water pipes?…aside from a wonderful spring day in February the realities are that our obsolete water pipes have broken as they do in winter creating pot holes and subterranean voids that will eventually result in sinkholes?…in spite of this being known for decades the borrowing to spend on silliness is stil rampant?…we expect there will be another round of freezing and it’s accompanying round of road and water pipe damage?

IS IT TRUE on Presidents Day the George Washington birthday question always comes up? …the question is “Who was the greatest President?”  …CCO reader Bill Hazelip states that question itself is incorrect?  …Mr. Hazelip claims that the correct question should be, “who was the greatest President after George Washington?” …because, without Washington, you would have no question?  …we thank loyal CCO reader Bill Hazelip for sending us this comment?

IS IT TRUE that one of our conservative readers claim that that corporate tax abatements are issued at the expense of the City of Evansville General Fund?

IS IT TRUE we been told that Vanderburgh County Commissioner Bruce Ungethiem political opponents are claiming that he is a tax and spend liberal? …  if the tax and spend label sticks it may prove to be a career ender for the once darling of local conservative politics?

IS IT TRUE that the former City Council Finance Chairmen John Friend, CPA publicly stated that the Winnecke Administration was over spending about $1 million dollars per month?  … we wonder if this situation still exists today?

IS IT TRUE that the former City Council Finance Chairman Dan McGinn once declared that “the city financial deficit is much bigger, and expenses are much higher than we thought”?  …we wonder if this situation still exists today?

IS IT TRUE that the past weekend was aghast at the indictments brought by a federal grand jury against 13 Russian citizens who came to the United States to disrupt the election of 2016?…these Russian buffoons took to social media to spread confusion and chaos in our nation and there are some who think they were successful in “stealing” the White House for Donald Trump leaving Hillary Clinton to pout and walk in the woods?…these sophisticated and high rolling Russians must have really targeted the purple states because the indictments sates that they spent a whopping $300 on chaos driving Facebook ads in Pennsylvania, $820 in Michigan, and an earth shaking $1,800 in Wisconsin?…these three states put Trump over the top and there are literally some delusional Americans who think that $2,920 tipped the scales for Trump?… For perspective, the total these clever Ruskies spent on Facebook ads was less than $100,000 while the Clinton and Trump campaigns spent a total of $81 million on Facebook ads?…you can’t make this kind of nonsense up?

IS IT TRUE that what these Russians were actually indicted for was a) being a foreign national and trying to influence American elections, b) they failed to register as required of disruptive foreigners under the Foreign Agents Registration Act, and c) they did not report their funding sources to the Federal Election Commission?…that is all they are charged with?…there is someone else who has admitted to doing all three of those things and he is not under indictment?…that Christopher Steele who compiled the Trump dossier for Fusion GPS is a foreign national who was paid by the DNC, the FBI, and the Clinton campaign through the firm of PerkinesCoie failed to register or disclose his funding too?…his objective just as the 13 Russians was to tamper with the minds of Americans in a way that would impact their decisions on voting?…this is the same thing that the Russians are going to trial for?…there is also the inconvenient truth that many Americans intentional aided and abetted Mr. Steele in addition to paying him to write a partially fabricated dossier on foreign soil to disrupt our election?…we hope to see justice served equally on this foreign collusion matter?

Todays “Readers Poll” question is:  Do you feel that voters of the 8th Congressional District want Congressman Lary Buschon and his opponent Dr. Richard Moss to have civil and respectful debates about the issues that affect us?

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 City-County Observer@live.com.

EDITOR’S FOOTNOTE:  Any comments posted in this column do not represent the views or opinions of the City-County Observer or our advertisers.

Copyright 2015 City-County Observer. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

 

 

 

Sunday Sales Legislation Gets House Approval

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Olivia Covington for www.theindinalawyer.com

A bill that would allow Hoosiers to buy alcohol on Sundays has passed the House of Representatives, moving the legislation one step closer to becoming law in Indiana.

The House voted Tuesday on Senate Bill 1, which would allow grocery, convenience, liquor and drug stores and restaurants to sell alcoholic beverages for carryout from noon to 8 p.m. on Sundays, ending a Prohibition-era ban on Sunday alcohol sales. The House Public Policy Committee gave its approval to the Senate legislation last week after SB 1 passed through the Senate in late January.

Prior to Tuesday’s 82-10 vote, the House committee amended SB 1 to allow the legislation to go into effect as soon as it receives the governor’s signature, rather than waiting until the usual legislative effective date of July 1. Rep. Ben Smaltz, R-Auburn, told his colleagues before the vote that he could think of no reason to delay implementation of SB 1.

“Indiana’s small business package liquor stores are already preparing for this eventual conclusion by updating work schedules and when necessary hiring, training and licensing new employees that attain our strict safety standards per Indiana law,” Jon Sinder, chair of the Indiana Association of Beverage Retailers, said in a Tuesday statement. “We are excited about Sunday sales and will be ready to open our doors.”

 The IABR joined forces with the Indiana Retail Council to put their support behind the legislation.

 

There was no debate on the measure before the House vote, though Rep. Thomas Washburne, R-Evansville, took time to praise Smaltz for his work on Sunday sales legislation. Smaltz is the chair of the House Public Policy Committee and is the author of the House’s version of Sunday sales legislation, House Bill 1051.

The Senate Bill, authored by Sen. Ron Alting, R-Lafayette, will now be sent to a conference committee. Meanwhile, the Senate Public Policy Committee will consider HB 1051 at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday.

Vectren Proposes Next Step in Smart Energy Future Strategy for its Electric Customers

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Solar And Natural Gas Will Diversify Company’s Energy Mix, Reduce Carbon Emissions By 60% And Preserve Reliability For Customers

Evansville, Ind.- Vectren Energy Delivery of Indiana – South (Vectren) today announced its long-term electric generation transition plan; a key element of the energy company’s Smart Energy Future strategy for ensuring a reliable, reasonably priced and well-balanced energy mix for its 145,000 customers in southwestern Indiana.

Vectren is proposing to install an additional 50 megawatts (MW) of universal solar and build an 800 to 900-MW natural-gas-fired generation facility in addition to other critical investments that will significantly change the way the company generates power for the region and ensure compliance with Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations. The generation transition plan will result in carbon emission reductions of 60% over 2005 levels by replacing the majority of Vectren’s coal-fired generation with solar and natural gas.

To implement the plan, Vectren today filed an application with the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission requesting approval to construct the combined cycle natural gas plant. The estimated $900-million generation facility, the cost for which includes the natural gas pipeline needed to serve it, would be constructed at the current site of the A.B. Brown power plant in Posey County, Ind. Also, Vectren is finalizing details to construct among the largest single-sited solar farms in the Midwest to further diversify its energy mix.  The solar array will be located in Vectren’s electric service area in southwestern Indiana and will consist of more than 150,000 solar panels on nearly 300 acres. Both announcements mark Vectren’s intention to deliver on the outcome of the Integrated Resource Plan completed in December of 2016, which produced a preferred electric generation portfolio consisting of a more balanced energy mix.

“The unfolding of Vectren’s Smart Energy Future plan illustrates how our company is transforming the way it produces and delivers power to become a next generation energy company,” said Carl Chapman, chairman, president and CEO of Vectren. “This decade-long generation portfolio transition will meet growing demand to provide cleaner energy for our region while maintaining the reliability our customers deserve and have come to expect.”

Reducing Carbon Emissions
Today’s plan, if approved, leads to a 60% reduction in carbon emissions by retiring three coal-fired units and exiting ownership of another: two 245-MW units at the A.B. Brown plant, a 90-MW unit at the F.B. Culley plant in Warrick County and exiting co-ownership of 150 MW of Warrick Unit 4, a unit currently co-owned with Alcoa through 2023.

“Through energy efficiency programs, retirement of a smaller inefficient coal-fired unit, expiration of municipal sales contracts, and efforts to improve the efficiency of our generation turbines, we have already reduced carbon emissions by more than 30%,” added Chapman. “Today’s announcements double those reductions by 2024, and ensure we remain focused on our environment while continuing to provide our customers safe, reliable and reasonably priced energy.”

Details of the Generation Projects & Economic Impact

  • Natural gas plant: The plant, which is targeted to be operational in 2023, will create an estimated 600 to 700 jobs during peak construction, the strong majority of which will be union labor; and employ approximately 35 full-time workers once online.
  • Universal solar farm: The solar farm should be operational by 2020 and is estimated to cost $70 to $75 million. At its peak, the project will spur 150 to 250 construction-related jobs, the strong majority of which will be union labor. The new solar array will be in addition to Vectren’s two 2-megawatt projects that will be built this year; one near North High School in northern Vanderburgh County and the second near Oakhill Cemetery off of Morgan Ave., which is being done through a partnership with the City of Evansville. 

Other Generation Transition Items

In addition to the new generation projects for solar and natural gas, Vectren will request approval to retrofit its largest, most-efficient coal-fired generation unit, Culley Unit 3 (270 MW), to ensure it remains in compliance with EPA rules related to coal ash and waste water handling.

“As we operate our coal-fired generation units at our A.B. Brown and F.B. Culley power plants while our new facilities are constructed, we expect to use the same level of southwestern Indiana coal to help meet our customers’ energy demand,” added Chapman. “Likewise, local coal will continue to be used to fuel Culley Unit 3 even after the new natural gas plant is operational in 2023.”

Also, Vectren is exploring options related to closing its ash ponds within the planning period, another item triggered by EPA mandates. Since 2009, Vectren has been recycling nearly all of its dry fly ash rather than placing it in a pond, which has helped avoid the need for a new landfill. The ash is shipped by barge to a facility in Missouri where it is used in cement manufacturing. Vectren has begun discussions with a potential partner to determine if ash within its ponds can be excavated and recycled over several years for beneficial re-use of the material rather than retiring the ponds in place.

Today’s announcements will have no impacts in 2018 on residential electric bills; although, cost recovery will be requested beginning in 2019 for some of the initiatives outlined above, including the 50-MW solar farm, Culley Unit 3 projects, and the coal ash recycling initiative should it prove feasible. The natural gas generation plant, however, must be operational before cost recovery can be requested through an electric rate review process, and that request is not expected to come until 2024. When you combine the soon-to-come electric bill reduction spurred by the Federal tax change Vectren announced last week with the expected cost recovery of the smaller components of the generation transition plan that will begin in 2019, average monthly electric bill amounts will essentially not change through 2024 as a result of these generation transition-related projects .

 

Sullivan: Key House Committee Supports Computer Science Education Bill

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The House Committee on Education today passed legislation sponsored by State Rep. Holli Sullivan (R-Evansville) that would expand access to computer science classes in Indiana schools.

Senate Bill 172 would require all public and charter schools to offer a computer science course as a one-semester elective at least once each school year by 2021.

“Advanced manufacturing and information technology are two high-demand industries ready to hire Hoosier workers, and experience in computer science is a skill becoming more valuable to employers statewide,” Sullivan said. “Expanding student access to computer science classes will help align the skills they gain at school with the needs of our Indiana employers.”

Sullivan said the proposal would also establish the Next Level Computer Science Grant Program to help local schools train teachers to instruct computer science courses.

The proposal can now be considered by the full House of Representatives. Visit iga.in.gov to learn more about this legislation.

USI Finishes Road Trip And Regular Season This Week

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The University of Southern Indiana men’s basketball team concludes the 2017-18 regular season and its four-game road swing with visits to the University of Wisconsin-Parkside Thursday at 7:30 p.m. and Lewis University Saturday at 3 p.m. Thursday’s USI-UW-Parkside game will be the Screaming Eagles’ final visit to Somers, Wisconsin, for a GLVC contest.

Game coverage for all of USI’s game action, including live stats, video stream, and audio broadcasts, is available at GoUSIEagles.com. The games also can be heard on ESPN 97.7 WREF and 95.7FM The Spin.

USI Men’s Basketball Week 15 Notes: 

USI fighting for seeding in upcoming GLVC Tournament. USI is fifth in the current GLVC Point Rating System, which is being used this season to seed the upcoming conference tournament. The Screaming Eagles are 0.28 behind fourth-place Truman State University and 0.15 ahead of sixth-place Maryville University. A pair of USI wins this week and losses by Truman State or third-place Drury University could propel the Eagles back into the top four. The GLVC Tournament is scheduled for March 2-4 in Edwardsville, Illinois.

Eagles are fifth in first MW Region Poll. USI was fifth in the first NCAA Division II Midwest Region Poll of 2017-18. The top eight teams receive invitations to the NCAA Division II Tournament, scheduled for March 10-13.

Eagles’ slide goes to four with losses. USI has lost four-straight games after falling to William Jewell College, 94-81, and Rockhurst University, 75-70, during the first half of its regular season-ending road trip. Junior guard/forward Nate Hansen led four Eagles to average in double-digits last week with 18.5 points per game. Junior guard Alex Stein followed with 13.5 points per outing, while senior forward DayJar Dickson and freshman forward Emmanuel Little rounded out the double-figure scorers with 12.5 and 10.5 points per contest, respectively.

USI struggling from long range during streak. The Eagles’ long-range shooting has struggled during the last four games, hitting only 22.6 percent (14-62) from beyond the arc. In the five game winning streak prior to the first loss to the University of Illinois Springfield, USI was shooting 38.2 percent (42-110) from downtown.

Stein in the top five. USI junior guard Alex Stein, who was recognized on NCAA.com as one of the NCAA Division II’s top six scorers, is in the Eagles’ top-five all-time for scoring with 1,450 points. Stein is 112 points behind fourth-place Cris Brunson (1,562 points, 2001-05).

Washington and Stein among GLVC, NCAA leaders. Junior guard Alex Stein is first in the league and the NCAA II in free throw percentage (.962; 125-130) and 37th nationally in free throws made (125). Senior guard Marcellous Washington leads the GLVC and ranks 15th nationally for assist-turnover ratio (3.03).  USI, as a team, is first in the GLVC and 15th nationally in rebounds (1,092), and second in the league and 21st nationally in rebound margin (7.0 per game).

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