“READERS FORUM” MARCH 19, 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?
HERE IS WHATS ON OURÂ MIND TODAY?
We wonder why the ECHO Housing attorney, members of the ECHO Board of Directors or the Director of the DMD didn’t immediately file a police report concerning the misappropriation of agency funds that will allow the Indiana State Police to conduct a full investigation?
WHATS ON YOUR MIND TODAY?
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.
TODAYS CCO “COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARDS” LUNCHEON IS A SELL OUT
The City-County Observer is excited to announce that today’s “COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD†luncheon for 2018. at Tropicana-Evansville is sold out.
This year’s winners of the “Community Services Awards†are:
Ted and Clare Ziemer. Ted Ziemer 1V, will present their awards.
The Honorable Posey County Circuit Court Judge Redwine. Judge Redwine son-in-law Tony Ricketts, General Sales Manager of D Patrick will present his award.
EPD Chief of Police Billy Bolin and Lieutenant Paul Kirby. Awards will be presented to them by EPD Lieutenant Jason Cullum.
Pat Shoulders, Attorney and I U Board of Trustee member. His award will be presented by his nephew Vanderburgh County Commissioner Ben Shoulders.
The Honorable Vanderburgh County Superior Court Judge Les Shively. Judge Shively award shall be presented to him by his stepdaughter Heather Shively Osbourne.
The events “Master Of Ceremony” is former Congressmen, Vanderburgh County Sheriff and President of Vectren South, Brad Ellsworth.
The event is held at the Tropicana-Evansville in the Walnut room A and B. Â The event begins at 12 noon.
CITY COUNCIL MARCH 19, 2018 AGENDA
MARCH 19, 2018
Meeting Starts At 5:30 P.M.
AGENDA
| I. | INTRODUCTION |
AGENDA Attachment:
| II. | APPROVAL OF MEETING MEMORANDA |
MEMO Attachment:
| III. | REPORTS AND COMMUNICATIONS |
| IV. | SPECIAL ORDERS OF THE DAY |
| V. | CONSENT AGENDA:Â FIRST READING OF ORDINANCES AND RESOLUTIONS |
A. ORDINANCE G-2018-12 An Ordinance Vacating that 12’ Alley Running Parallel to S.E. 10th Street Between Cherry Street and Lincoln Avenue in the City of Evansville, Indiana Sponsor(s): Robinson Discussion Led By: Public Works Chair Mosby 4/9/2018 5:30 p.m. Notify: Krista Lockyear, Lockyear Law, LLC G-2018-12 Attachment:
B. ORDINANCE R-2018-09 An Ordinance to Rezone Certain Real Estate in the City of Evansville, State of Indiana, More Commonly Known as 1610 and 1612 Dresden Street Petitioner: Aaron Burke Owner: DCA Food Industries, Inc./ Kerry, Inc. Requested Change: R2 to M2 Ward: 6 Brinkmeyer Representative: Aaron Burke, Burke Engineering R-2018-09 Attachment:
C. ORDINANCE R-2018-10 An Ordinance to Rezone Certain Real Estate in the City of Evansville, State of Indiana, More Commonly Known as 813 and 819 W. Iowa Street Petitioner: Delaware LLC Owner: Delaware LLC Requested Change: R4 to C4 w/ UDC Ward: 6 Brinkmeyer Representative: Ted C. Ziemer IV, Bingham, Greenebaum, Doll LLP R-2018-10 Attachment:
D. ORDINANCE R-2018-11 An Ordinance to Rezone Certain Real Estate in the City of Evansville, State of Indiana, More Commonly Known as 1000, 1024 and 1030 W. Illinois Street Petitioner: Mike Stevens Owner: Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church Requested Change: R4 to M1 & C2 w/UDC Ward: 6 Brinkmeyer Representative: James Morley, Morley Corp. R-2018-11 Attachment:
| VI. | COMMITTEE REPORTS |
| VII. | REGULAR AGENDA:Â SECOND READING OF ORDINANCES AND RESOLUTIONS |
A. ORDINANCE G-2018-09 AMENDED An Ordinance Creating Section 2.10.005 (Term Limits) of the Evansville Municipal Code Sponsor(s): Elpers, Adams Discussion Led By: ASD Chair Adams 3/19/2018 G-2018-09 AMENDED Attachment:
B. ORDINANCE G-2018-10 An Ordinance Amending Section 2.175.080 (Police Department Merit System) of the Evansville Municipal Code Sponsor(s): Mosby Discussion Led By: ASD Chair Adams 3/19/2018 G-2018-10 Attachment:
C. ORDINANCE R-2018-01 An Ordinance to Rezone Certain Real Estate in the City of Evansville, State of Indiana, More Commonly Known as 1625 W. Missouri Street Petitioner: Chris Rauch Owner: Chris Rauch Requested Change: M3 to R2 Ward: 6 Brinkmeyer Representative: Chris Rauch R-2018-01 Attachment:
D. ORDINANCE R-2018-03 An Ordinance to Rezone Certain Real Estate in the City of Evansville, State of Indiana, More Commonly Known as 2904 N. First Avenue Petitioner: Melody Mayo Owner: Melody Mayo Requested Change: C1 to C2 Ward: 5 Elpers Representative: Melody Mayo R-2018-03 Attachment:
E. ORDINANCE R-2018-04 An Ordinance to Rezone Certain Real Estate in the City of Evansville, State of Indiana, More Commonly Known as 1505 Lincoln Avenue Petitioner: GG Properties & Maintenance LLC Owner: GG Properties & Maintenance LLC Requested Change: R2 to R3 Ward: 4 Robinson Representative: Aaron Doll, Doll & Sievers Attorneys at Law, LLC R-2018-04 Attachment:
F. ORDINANCE R-2018-05 An Ordinance to Rezone Certain Real Estate in the City of Evansville, State of Indiana, More Commonly Known as 2120 and 2128 Culverson Avenue Petitioner: C Marion Brown and Shirley U. Brown Owner: C Marion Brown and Shirley U. Brown R1 to C4 w/ UDC Ward: 2 Mosby Christopher C. Wischer, Stoll, Keenon, Ogden, PLLC R-2018-05 Attachment:
G. ORDINANCE R-2018-06 An Ordinance to Rezone Certain Real Estate in the City of Evansville, State of Indiana, More Commonly Known as 516 Court Street and 314 NW Sixth Street Petitioner: YMCA of Southern IN Owner: YMCA of Southern IN Requested Change: C4 to C3 Ward: 4 Robinson Representative: Derrick Stewart, YMCA of Southern IN R-2018-06 Attachment:
| VIII. | RESOLUTION DOCKET |
| IX. | MISCELLANEOUS BUSINESS |
A. THE NEXT MEETING of the Common Council will be Monday, April 9, 2018 at 5:30 p.m.
B. BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS
C. ADDITIONAL MISCELLANEOUS BUSINESS
| X. | COMMITTEE REPORTS |
YOUTH GRANTS MEETINGS Subcommittee: Youth Leadership Grant Chair Weaver 3/19/2018 4:30 pm Room 301 Notify: All Applicants Subcommittee: Youth Sports Grant Chair McGinn 4/9/2018 4:00 pm Room 301 Notify: All Applicants
| XI. | ADJOURNMENT |
Commentary: Sloppiness, Stumbles And Indiana Lawmakers
By John Krull
TheStatehouseFile.comÂ
INDIANAPOLIS – Somehow, it’s fitting that the 2018 session of the Indiana General Assembly ended in a tired, confused mess.
The curtain closed on this year’s adventure in lawmaking with legislative leaders sniping at legislators and each other, the governor complaining the legislature left work undone and the governor and GOP leaders trying to defy both time and state law.
Inspiring, it wasn’t.
By the time it was over, at least two of Gov. Eric Holcomb’s priorities – improvements in school security and inducements and regulations for driverless cars – were left in the unfinished pile.
Indiana House Speaker Brian Bosma, R-Indianapolis, blamed the Indiana Senate for working too slowly. Retiring Indiana Senate President Pro Tempore David Long, R-Fort Wayne returned the fire and accused Rep. Ed Soliday, R-Valparaiso, of having a “meltdown†that prevented the legislature from doing its work.
Soliday wasn’t slow to lash back.
He said the Senate was rushing at the end because the senators spent five hours earlier in the day lauding Long as he prepares to retire. He more than suggested that Long could have waited to take his bow until after the work was done.
Keep in mind that all these guys are supposed to be on the same side.
They’re all Republicans.
Perhaps that is why Democrats reacted to the confusion with such undisguised glee.
House Democratic Leader Terry Goodin, D-Austin, chortled the late-hours debacle was a product of “complete and total mismanagement†by Republican leaders.
Then, to put the cherry on top, Goodin offered up this confectionary assessment of the entire legislative session.
“This session seems like Twinkie. It fills you up, but there’s just nothing of real substance or value to it,†he said.
Goodin is right about that.
Lawmakers this year ducked every tough challenge before them.
They punted again on passing a hate-crimes law, leaving Indiana one of only five states in the union not to say it’s wrong to target citizens for assault or injury because of the color of their skin, their gender, how they pray or whom they love.
They took a pass once more on adopting redistricting reform, which means our general legislative elections will continue to be as competitive as Harlem Globetrotters’ basketball games.
And they shoved any substantive investigation of the issues involving the Indiana Department of Child Services under the rug. That means, if former DCS Director Mary Beth Bonaventura, also a Republican, is to be believed, Indiana children will remain at risk of dying because dealing with this challenge was politically uncomfortable in an election year.
All in all, this was far from an uplifting performance by our leaders.
But it also wasn’t surprising.
Republicans have exercised largely unchecked power for much of this decade, ever since they secured supermajorities in both chambers of the General Assembly.
This hasn’t been good for either the state or the GOP.
When Republicans first gained overwhelming control of the legislature, they acted as if every day were Christmas. They pulled one item after another out of the conservative bag of wishes. They remodeled the state’s education system. They dug all the way back to the 1950s to adopt a divisive right-to-work law.
In the process, they turned Indiana into a kind of American laboratory for conservative governance.
But that kind of power leads to arrogance.
Because there’s no one to force Republicans to think beyond the moment, the party and the state have made some unforced errors. The embarrassing scramble to clean up a licensing mess for hardworking “dreamers†that was created by some self-indulgent immigrant-baiting by Indiana lawmakers a few years ago is but one example of Indiana leaders trying to clean up a mess they themselves made.
Republicans argue that competition is a force for good, that it refines and sharpens both ideas and performance.
They’re right about that.
The fact that they don’t have any real competition has made them sloppy and self-indulgent.
That is why this legislative session ended was a series of stumbles, not a sprint.
FOOTNOTE: John Krull is director of Franklin College’s Pulliam School of Journalism, host of “No Limits†WFYI 90.1 Indianapolis and publisher of TheStatehouseFile.com, a news website powered by Franklin College journalism students.
Another Session Behind Us: Business as Usual, I Hope Not
By CCO StateHouse Editor-Gail Riecken
Another Session Behind Us: Business as Usual, I Hope Not
This might have been one of the most interesting but confusing and confounding ends of a session I can remember.
The Indy Star has Speaker of the House Brian Bosma and Senate President Pro Tem David Long publicly pointing fingers at each other’s caucus; Senator Long singling out Rep Ed Soliday as having “a meltdown†and causing much of the session’s self-destruction; and the Governor trying a last-minute effort to extend the session to save his bills and the legislature’s image.
House Minority Leader Terry Goodin couldn’t have said it better. “Instead of fixing DCS, we passed a bill that said you could buy alcohol at Walmart on Sundayâ€(the Statehouse File).
A better comment could not have been made. The sadness, though, is the issues that matter to many of us failed to get any traction and in some cases no discussion at all— issues like hate crimes legislation, raising the minimum wage, a redistricting compromise and a step forward addressing problems at the Department of Child Services (DCS).
Maybe this is the session legislators on both sides of the aisle will always regret. However, it is only one session, and those issues many of us think are important can and should be addressed at the next one.
Does the legislature lack leadership? Is the outcome solely the challenge of an inevitable arrogance that is guaranteed by supermajorities in both Houses?
Whatever the reason, the signature test will be the elections of 2018 and what a new State legislature will do for you and me in the future.
Eagles Drop Series Finale To Hawks, 6-2
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The University of Southern Indiana baseball team committed two errors in a four-run seventh inning and lost to the 23rd-ranked Quincy University, 6-2, Sunday afternoon at the USI Baseball Field. USI watches its record go to 7-9 overall, while Quincy goes to 11-6 in 2018.
For the third-straight game, the Screaming Eagles took the lead in the first inning. Senior designated hitter Drake McNamara (Mt. Vernon, Indiana) continued to have the hot bat, hitting his second home run in as many day, a two-run blast to give the Eagles a 2-0 lead.
USI maintained the 2-0 advantage until the fourth when Quincy cut the lead in half with a single run. The Hawks would overtake the Eagles in the seventh when they scored four times with the aid of two USI errors with two outs and flew into the lead, 5-2.
Quincy would add another tally in the ninth to seal the 6-2 win.
On the mound, junior right-hander Austin Krizan (Mt. Vernon, Indiana) started and took the loss for the Eagles. Krizan (1-2) allowed five runs, two earned, on nine hits, while striking out three in seven tough innings.
The next action for the Eagles is on the road when they travel to St. Louis, Missouri, to visit the University of Missouri-St. Louis Wednesday for a 3 p.m. match-up. USI leads the all-time series with UMSL, 52-42, after taking both games last season (win at home 6-5; win on the road 5-3).
Following the road trip to UMSL, the Eagles return to the USI Baseball Field for a 13-game homestand between Mach 24 and April 11. The start of the homestand also is the beginning of the 2018 GLVC slate when the University of Illinois Springfield comes to Evansville for a four-game slate on March 24-25.
COA Upholds Denial Of Race-Based Batson Challenge
Olivia Covington for www.theindianalawyer.com
A Madison County man who alleged the state challenged a potential juror for race-based reasons has lost his appeal, with the Indiana Court of Appeals finding the record of the robbery trial does not support the argument that the juror was released because he was black.
In Steven Wade Childress v. the State of Indiana, 48A02-1707-CR-1658, Steven Childress, and two companions tricked Darren Sloss into coming to visit them, then attacked him at gunpoint when he arrived. Sloss was beaten and pistol-whipped, saw Childress rummaging through his car, and was eventually robbed of $200 that was in his wallet.
Sloss reported the robbery, and Childress was charged with Level 3 felony armed robbery. After voir dire, the state made a peremptory challenge to Potential Juror 8, which Childress challenged with a Batson claim on the basis that Potential Juror 8 was the only remaining black juror.
The prosecutor, however, noted that when Potential Juror 8 was asked what reasonable doubt meant, the juror responded with “no doubt.†Though Potential Juror 2 gave a similar answer and was not dismissed, that juror eventually changed her response, while Potential Juror 8 did not, the prosecutor said. The Madison Circuit Court agreed and denied the Batson challenge, and Childress was found guilty as charged.
The Indiana Court of Appeals upheld the denial of Childress’ Batson challenge in a Friday opinion, with Judge Terry Crone initially noting the trial transcript was incomplete. Many portions of the transcript were labeled “indiscernible,†Crone said, while each juror was identified as “prospective juror,†making it impossible to determine which potential juror made which statements.
Though it was incomplete, Crone went on to write that the transcript did show that neither defense counsel nor the trial court disputed the prosecutor’s claim that Potential Juror 8 thought “reasonable doubt†meant “no doubt.†Thus, the appellate court determined Childress failed to prove the prosecutor’s alleged misrepresentation of the potential juror’s answer undermined his race-neutral reasoning for the peremptory challenge.
The court then found the prosecutor was not required to re-examine Potential Juror 8 after he gave his questionable answer. Finally, the panel determined that because Potential Juror 2 eventually changed her answer to the proper meaning of “reasonable doubt†– which Potential Juror 8 did not do – it could not be said that the challenge to Potential Juror 8 was racially motivated.
Adopt A Pet
Chico is a male Boxer. He’s about 5 years old. Like most boxers, he is very silly & sweet! His $110 adoption fee includes his neuter, microchip, vaccines, and more. Contact Vanderburgh Humane at (812) 426-2563 or adoptions@vhslifesaver.org for details!