Evansville Cornhole & Craft Beer Festival March 22-24
- Thursday 7 pm Launch Party @ Carson’s Brewery
- Friday 2:00 pm-10:00 pm Tournament @ Old National Events Plaza
- Saturday 8:30 am-2:00 pm and 2:00pm-10:00pm Tournaments @ Old National Events Plaza
JUST IN: ECHO Board of Directors Refused To File Report With The Evansville Police Department
ECHO Board of Directors Refused To File A Police Report With The Evansville Police Department
Since the allegations of misuse of ECHO funds first came to the attention of the Evansville Police Department, we have spoken with members of the ECHO Board of Directors on several occasions. During those conversations, we requested the ECHO Board of Directors have a representative file a police report. That action would be needed if a criminal investigation into the allegations is being sought. Despite the repeated request, the ECHO Board of Directors has refused to file a report with the Evansville Police Department.
Earlier today, the ECHO Interim Executive Director contacted a member of the Board of Directors and petitioned them to file a report and allow the Evansville Police Department to be a part of the investigation into the misuse of ECHO funds. That request was denied.
As a non-profit 501 3 (c) entity, the ECHO Board has complete control over the decision to exclude the Evansville Police Department from this situation. As of this afternoon, the Board’s decision to exclude the Evansville Police Department has not changed.
Due to the serious nature of the allegations and the fact that ECHO receives federal funds provided by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Evansville Police Department contacted the HUD Inspector General’s Office in Indianapolis. At this time, it is unknown if any HUD money was misused.
FOOTNOTE: This news release was submitted to the CCO by Jason Cullum, Lieutenant and Communications Director of the EPD.
We recommend that you also go to the Evansville Courier and Press online site to get additional information on this developing story.
Gray leads Aces at Bobby Nichols Intercollegiate
The University of Evansville men’s golf team finished 12th at the Bobby Nichols Intercollegiate at Sevierville Golf Club in Sevierville, Tenn.
Evansville recorded a 307 on the final day of competition of the intercollegiate as the Purple Aces finished the tournament with a total of 892 (293 – 292 – 307). Eastern Kentucky won the team championship in the intercollegiate with a team score of 850 (287 – 277 – 286) securing the win by just a single stroke over Carson-Newman.
Tyler Gray led the Aces with a three-round total of 215 (71 – 69 – 75) as Gray finished in a tie for 10th. The senior carded a final-round 75, finishing just 12 strokes off the pace set by the individual medalist. Matthew Ladd followed Gray with a total of 224 (75 – 70 – 79) as Ladd finished the intercollegiate in a tie for 42nd.
Finishing just a stroke behind Ladd was Noah Reese who remained consistent with a final-round 75 to give Reese a total of 225 (74 – 76 – 75) as the junior concluded the tournament in a tie for 45th.
Competing as an individual, Jessie Brumley was the fourth-lowest Aces in the intercollegiate. Brumley tallied a three-round total of 228 (77 – 74 – 77), wrapping-up competition in 53rd.
In a tie for 61st, Spencer Wagner recorded an 81 in the third round for a total of 231 (73 – 77 – 81) while Cameron Weyer was much like Reese in the intercollegiate, staying consistent throughout all three rounds, finishing in a tie for 68th with a three-day total of 234 (77 – 79 – 78).
The Aces take a week off from competition before getting back on the course on March 31 and April 1 at the D.A. Weibring Invitational in Normal, Ill.
IS IT TRUE MARCH 21, 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?
IS IT TRUE just like the City-County Observer predicted in February, the building that the Courier Press has owned and occupied since 1990 has been sold to a New York-based real estate investor?…Twenty Lake Holdings purchased the newspaper building at 300 E. Walnut St. for $1.58 million on March 8, and The Courier Press will remain a tenant in the building they owned for nearly three decades?…Three Lake Holdings has been buying up properties owned by struggling newspapers for less than true value and the CP building is no exception? …to see an extremely nice office building that served as the center of operations for a major newspaper sell this cheap is shocking?…the CP building is a comp for downtown Evansville and the valuation of other properties based on this sale will be pathetic compared to what it costs to build?  …we encourage you to continue to support the Evansville Courier and Press printed publication? …we also recommend that you read the Courier and Press online publication because it to is a good read?â€
IS IT TRUE that yet another Evansville based non-profit is being faced with an alleged misappropriation of funds by its Executive Director?…this time it is ECHO Housing that has discovered that some personal expenses were paid with a non-profit check?…this is a tragic thing that has happened over and over for at least the last 15 years?…in this case the Executive Director enjoyed a stellar reputation and had been a finalists for the highly respected Athena Award?…we hope this all works out and that fiduciary responsibility prevails?…the often overlooked reality in cases where employee theft is alleged is that the boards of directors are responsible for oversight of non-profit spending?…it is that fiduciary responsibility that fails time and time again in River City at the board level that keeps these kinds of things happening?
IS IT TRUE we tried to find a list of the current ECHO Housing Board of Directors to no avail? Â …does anyone know who is the current ECHO Housing Board Of Directors? …does anyone know who is the current Treasurer of the ECHO Housing agency?
IS IT TRUE it was recently reported by the Courier and Press that the former Executive Director of ECHO Housing Stephanie TenBarge used funds from the agency to pay her personal property taxes? ..ECHO Housing attorney Scott Wylie told the Courier and Press that the former Executive Director Stephanie TenBarge used ECHO funds to pay her personal property taxes?  …it was reported that TenBarge used ECHO money to pay the taxes for three (3) of her personal properties in November 2017, May 2017 and November 2016?
IS IT TRUE that ECHO attorney Scott Wylie told the Courier and Press that “all donor funds that have come to ECHO Housing have been accounted forâ€?  …we wonder if ECHO Housing attorney Wylie had an official Forensic Audit done by an independent CPA firm to back up his statement? …we wonder if attorney Scott Wylie alleged financial review statement included income and expenses of the 66 rental houses owned by ECHO Housing? …we also wonder if his alleged financial review also included the Homeless Veterans housing unit and the Corporate office building repairs costs, insurance costs, property taxes, utility costs and bank payments? …we would hope that Mr. Wylie financial review also addressed business entertainment expenses, petty cash accounts, employees payroll and travel vouchers of the former Executive Director and ECHO Housing staff during the last several years?
IS IT TRUE that the Director of Evansville DMD, Kelly Courses told the Evansville Courier and Press that “ECHO Housing is an important partner for the Department of Metropolitan Development?†…Courses also stated that  “We’re going to continue without missing a beat. We’re going to support ECHO just the same as we always have?†…that Mr. Courses  also told the Courier and Press that “We combed through all of our grant programs and all the money that we run through ECHO, “We are 100 percent confident that ECHO used all our fund’s property?â€
IS IT TRUE we find it interesting that Mr. Coures also told the Courier and Press “that he did not know what funding source TenBarge used to pay her personal property taxes?” Â …we got the gut feeling that the Director of Evansville DMD, Kelly Courses knows more about this situation than he’s willing to talk about?
IS IT TRUE the City-County Observer respectfully request that either the ECHO Housing attorney or members of the ECHO Board of Directors immediately file a police report concerning the alleged misappropriation of agency funds? …when they do this it will allow the Indiana State Police to conduct a full investigation? …we feel if someone misappropriates money once they have the capacity to do again?…if the ECHO Housing authorities don’t, we respectfully suggest that members of the Evansville City Council do so?
IS IT TRUE we are told that many people want the Indiana State Police to conduct the investigation because they are independent of local control? …if any alleged misappropriations of the ECHO agency funds for personal use turn out to be true the Indiana State Police should give this information to the Vanderburgh County Prosecutor and the US Attorney’s office so they can determine if criminal charges are warranted?
IS IT TRUE in a stunningly mind-numbing move, the Evansville City Council has discussed passing a limit to the number of terms that one can serve on the City Council and VOTE IT DOWN?…term limits are extremely popular with the taxpayers but the majority members (5) of this group of self-serving elected officials have essentially attempted to vote themselves the possibility of being “Council Members for Life’?…given the contempt these five (5) City Council members have shown to the taxpayers they may feel that it  might be time to replace the Council members that voted against term limits at the next election in 2019?
Todays “Readers Poll” question is: Do you feel that a police report should have been filed concerning the misappropriation of ECHO Housing funds in order to allow the Indiana State Police to conduct a full investigation?
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.
EWSU Takes First Steps For Potential Water Rate Increases
EWSU Takes First Steps For Potential Water Rate Increases
MARCH 20TH, 2018Â 
BLAINE FENTRESSÂ EVANSVILLE
The petition is the first step for a water rate case with the IURC, which starts a potential 10-month process for the rate increases. The three-year rate increases, starting in 2019, could see water rates increased by around 13 dollars from the current water rates. The water rate increases, proposed by the EWSU, would see around a 5-dollar increase in 2019, another 5-dollar increase in 2020, and a 3-dollar increase in 2021.
EWSU attribute the water rate increases towards the funding needed for the Refresh Evansville project, which started in 2017. The project is set to replace older water mains and pipes throughout the city of Evansville that has aged over the years, with some up over 90 years old. The EWSU is looking to replace up to 1000 miles of waterworks throughout the city.
Once the petition is filed, the EWSU will be establishing public hearings within the next two months. The IURC could host their own public hearing in Evansville later in the year. EWSU anticipate that the IURC could decide the water rate increase by the fall of this year.
Governor Calls A Special Session To Focus On Taxes, School Safety
Governor Calls A Special Session To Focus On Taxes, School Safety
By Abrahm Hurt
TheStatehouseFile.com
INDIANAPOLIS — Gov. Eric Holcomb announced Monday that he will call a special session of the Indiana General Assembly to address the school safety and tax issues left unfinished in the disorganized end of the 2018 session last week.
It would be the first special session in a non-budget year since 2002, Holcomb said, but necessary to complete the work.
“In essence, what we’ll be doing is putting some time back on the clock,†Holcomb said. “As you know, many of these items, obviously these items, were on their way to passage, and would have signed them all but we ran out of time.â€
One of the more chaotic moves came when, as the clock clicked closer to midnight March 14, the official end of the session, Holcomb was asked by House and Senate leaders to extend it by one hour, to 1 a.m. Thursday.
After Senate Minority Leader Tim Lanane, D-Anderson objected, President Pro Tem David Long, R-Fort Wayne, relented and at 12:10 a.m. the Senate adjourned. Bills that included additional money for school safety, autonomous vehicles and the state takeover of the Gary and Muncie school corporations died.
Holcomb said he was told by House and Senate leaders that he had the authority to take that action.
When asked why Republicans, who hold supermajorities in both the House and the Senate, could not complete their business before the deadline, Holcomb said, “Your guess is as good as mine.â€
Holcomb said he wants the special session to be limited in scope, such as adding $5 million to the Indiana Secured School Fund, allowing school corporations to get extra money for school safety and providing the Muncie School Corporation a $12 million loan.
House Bill 1230 included $5 million for school safety Holcomb had requested from legislators. As the clock ticked down to midnight on the final day of the session, lawmakers rushed to finish committee reports in time for a vote on the floor but failed to do so.
“It is what it is. We ran out of time,†Holcomb said. “But the beauty of our system is we can fix this, and we can do it in short order.â€
Holcomb also said he wants the General Assembly to update the state’s tax code to conform with changes in the federal tax law.
The Chamber of Commerce said if the legislature fails to address the changes, Hoosier companies would have to file their taxes twice—once for the state and once for the federal level.
“For smaller-sized businesses, that could mean another $1,000-$1,500 and for the larger ones, considerably more for internal staff time and/or outside accounting expertise,†the organization said in a news release. “In total, the compliance cost could easily be north of $100 million.â€
When asked about the cost of bringing back legislators for the special session, Holcomb could not give an exact number but his office has estimated it could reach $30,000 a day.
“Whatever the cost is, is dwarfed by the cost of inaction,†he said.
Lanane released a statement saying the public should not have to spend $30,000 a day for a special session.
“There is absolutely no reason the Republican supermajority couldn’t get all of these bills, some of which enjoyed bipartisan support, passed on time,â€Â he said in a press release. “It was internal bickering within the Republican caucuses that held everything up until the last minute causing them to run out of time.â€
Long said the Senate will support his decision.
“We will be efficient and focused, and are committed to collaborating with our colleagues in the House and with the governor to act in the best interest of Hoosiers,†he said in a statement.
House Minority leader Terry Goodin, D-Austin, said the only reason there should be a special session is to address the problems with the Department of Child Services.
“It should be everyone’s priority to protect the lives of at-risk children,†he said in a press release. “During the session, the Republicans chose to do nothing, hiding under the guise of waiting for a private consultant to tell us what we already know: there’s a lot that’s wrong with DCS.â€
Holcomb called for a review of DCS in January after the agency’s former director, Mary Beth Bonaventura, resigned and said children are at risk because of a lack of funding. A review by the Child Welfare Policy and Practice Group will publish its full findings by June 21.
Holcomb said he thought that problems with DCS can wait until next year’s session.
Holcomb said he would meet with leaders from the House and the Senate later this week to talk about the agenda, which might include additional items lawmakers might add.
FOOTNOTE: Â Abrahm Hurt is a reporter for TheStatehouseFile.com, a news website powered by Franklin College journalism students.