Ava is a female gray tabby cat. She was adopted from VHS and then recently returned. Ava is around 4 ½ years old. She is now adoptable at River Kitty Cat Café. Visit her Wednesday-Sunday with your paid reservation. Her adoption fee is $40 and she’s spayed, vaccinated, and ready to go home today! Contact Vanderburgh Humane at (812) 426-2563 or River Kitty at (812) 550-1553 for adoption details!
This Week at USI
11 a.m. Monday, January 15
Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Luncheon to feature keynote from Dr. Johnnetta Cole
Dr. Johnnetta Cole, president emerita of Spelman College and Bennett College for Women and past director of the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art, will be the keynote presenter at the University of Southern Indiana’s annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Luncheon at 11 a.m. Monday, January 15, 2018, in Carter Hall. Tickets are sold out, but a free overflow room will be available in University Center 2217-2218. Cole will also attend an “Up Close and Personal” question and answer session directly following the event in University Center 2217-2218 that is free and open to the public.
Cole will be available for media interviews at 10:40 in University Center 227, located directly next to Carter Hall. Please contact Ben Luttrull, media relations specialist, at 812-461-5259 or bluttrull@usi.edu if you wish to attend and speak with Cole. Read More
7 p.m. Friday, January 19
USI to hold first screening in French film festival
The University of Southern Indiana’s College of Liberal Arts, World Languages and Cultures Department, and USI Society for Arts and Humanities will host the Tournées Film Festival, a French film festival beginning January 19 and continuing on Fridays through February 23. The first film, My Life as a Zucchini, will be screened at 7 p.m. in Forum One. The film festival is free and open to the public. A discussion will follow each screening. More Information
9 a.m. Saturday, February 10
Hearts on Fire 5K
The ninth annual Hearts on Fire 5K, part of the Romain Screaming Eagles Running Series, will be held on Saturday, February 10 on the USI campus. This event a features an athlete division Run/Walk starting at 9 a.m. followed by a Cupid Fun Run (kids run) at 10:15 a.m. A portion of the proceeds from the Hearts on Fire 5K will be used to offer programming and provide professional development opportunities for student clubs within USI’s Pott College of Science, Engineering, and Education. More Information
10:30 a.m. Friday, February 16
International Food Expo
The University of Southern Indiana Center for International Programs will host its annual International Food Expo at 10:30 a.m. Friday, February 16 in Carter Hall. Tickets can be purchased in advance for $10 from the Center for International Programs Office in the University Center East, Room 1235, or at the door on the day of the Expo for $15. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to a local charity. For additional information, contact Nicole Vernon at nmvernon@usi.edu or 812-228-5092. More Information
EPD investigation underway following police action shooting in 100 block of S Grand Ave.
Evansville Police are investigating a police action shooting in the 100 block of S Grand Ave.
The incident began when a citizen called 911 to report an assault in progress.
The individual who was shot by police has been taken to a local hospital with non- life threatening injuries.
The investigation is ongoing.
All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court if law.
Police arrest 1 adult and 3 juveniles- age 13-16- following armed Sunday morning convenient store robbery
Evansville Police arrested one adult and three juveniles on armed robbery and theft charges early Sunday morning. The adult, SARA KIBIN ,26, is in the Vanderburgh County Jail. The juveniles, age 13- 16- and 16, are being housed in the Youth Care Center.
Police were called to the Circle K gas station at Weinbach and Washington just before 6:00am for a report of a person with a gun inside the store. During the robbery, a juvenile male pointed a gun at the clerk while the others in the group stole beer.
Responding officers spotted the suspects in the 1400 block of S Lincoln Park Dr. The suspects dropped the beer and took off running. They were caught in an apartment a short time later.
Police recovered the stolen beer and a replica handgun.
All four suspects face robbery charges.
Noe scores 22 as hot-shooting Drake defeats Aces in road trip finale
 Graduate guard hits six three-pointers as Aces end three-game road swing
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DES MOINES, Iowa -Â In its final game of a three-game road trip, the University of Evansville women’s basketball team shot 41% from the field and hit nine three-pointers, but fell to hot-shooting Drake, 107-66, on Sunday afternoon in Des Moines, Iowa.
“You have to be on top of your game and ready to go against a team like Drake. You can’t afford to have “bad” anything,” said Aces head coach Matt Ruffing. “You have to give Drake credit. They’re high-powered and they’re so good. We settled too much for outside shots and I wish we could have attacked more. I thought we struggled on both ends today and that number 66 should be a lot higher.”
Graduate guard Hannah Noe paced Evansville with 22 points on six made threes while sophomore guard Macie Lively added 12 points on 5-8 shooting from the field. The Bulldogs were led by Becca Hittner, who scored a game-high 23 points and gathered nine rebounds and four assists.
Drake sprinted out of the gate, out-scoring the Aces 13-3 to open the game and force an Evansville timeout. A three-pointer by Noe just past the halfway point of the quarter cut Drake’s lead to 10 at 19-9, but the Bulldogs then went on a 19-4 run to end the period. In the opening quarter, the Bulldogs shot 76.5% (13-17) from the field while hitting five of their six three-point attempts to take a 38-13 lead after 10 minutes of play.
The Aces battled in the second quarter as Drake continued to shoot 50% from the field. With 1:48 left in the second quarter, Evansville trailed 65-28, but the Aces manufactured an 8-0 run to close the period and narrow the Bulldogs’ lead to 65-36 at the halftime break.
To open the third quarter, Drake put together a 17-5 run to take an 82-41 lead midway through the quarter. Following the run, the Aces responded by closing the frame on a 12-7 spree, trimming the Bulldogs’ advantage to 89-53 heading into the fourth quarter. During the run, Noe tallied five of Evansville’s 12 points including a layup that ignited the run for the Aces.
Evansville saw some success defensively in the fourth quarter as the Aces held Drake to 44.4% (8-18) shooting and just 1-7 shooting from beyond the arc. Junior center Kelsi Scott helped convert for the Aces as she went to the charity stripe six times during the fourth quarter and made five of six attempts. Of Scott’s nine point in the contest, seven came in the final 7:07 of the fourth quarter. After Scott’s last two free throws cut Drake’s lead to 102-64, Drake answered with a pair of layups and an and-one free throw before Aces’ freshman guard Kayla Casteel hit a layup to wrap-up the scoring as the Bulldogs grabbed the 107-66 win.
The Aces committed their second-least amount of turnovers on the season with 12 against Drake, who turned the ball over 11 times themselves. The lowest turnover total for UE this season was on December 14 when Evansville recorded just 11 turnovers in a 96-59 win over Oakland City.
For the first time in 2018, Evansville returns home to Meeks Family Fieldhouse to take on Illinois State on Friday at 7 p.m. before closing the weekend against Bradley at 1 p.m. on Sunday.
IS IT TRUE JANUARY 15, 2017
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 today the City-County Observer is posting a link to the Indiana State Boards Of Accounts audit of 2016 for the City Of Evansville? …we are aware that many of our readers are college educated; bankers; are wealth managers; hold business and CPA degrees; small business owners and are CEO of many local corporations? …we encourage our readers to analyze the attached link to the Indiana State Board of Accounts audit and tell us what they found out?
IS IT TRUE here is the link to the Indiana State Boards Of Accounts audit for the City Of Evansville for 2016?  …here’s a copy of the audit reports?
IS IT TRUE we wonder why City Controller Russ Lloyd, Jr didn’t make the results of the Indiana State Board of Accounts 2016 audit of the City of Evansville public?
IS IT TRUE that a couple of years ago we took on the management of the city-owned and operated Oak Hill and Locust Hill cemeteries because of the poor conditions of these cemeteries?  …recently we re-checked the overall conditions of these two cemeteries?  …we are extremely pleased to report that major improvements have been made to both of these cemeteries? …we observed that new road lines had received a fresh coat of paint, improved directional signs were installed, trees are trimmed, grounds are very well kept, graves markers and stones have been put back in an upright position, and the flower vases were put back on top of grave markers?  …we are happy to report that the current management of the city-owned and operated Oak Hill and Locust Hill cemeteries has done a good job in correcting the problems of neglect and vandalism of years past at these cemeteries?  … it’s important to point out that some of the problems of neglect and vandalism at Oak Hill and Locust Hill cemeteries were going on long before the current Superintendent of City Cemeteries took over? …we would like to give Christopher Cooke, Superintendent of City Cemeteries and his staff five (5) cheers for a job well done?
IS IT TRUE that the former Indiana State Representative Mike Braum is making political waves throughout in Indiana? Â … we are hearing that this conservative United States Senate candidate is attracting many anti-establishment voters to join his campaign? Â …that this self-made millionaire and Harvard honors graduate has invested over $4 million dollars of his own money to fund his primary campaign? …Is it refreshing to see an extremely successful business person running for public office?
IS IT TRUE that the area Chamber Of Commerce search for a new Executive Director is down to eight (8) finalists? Â …that six (6) candidates are from out of town and other two (2) candidates are from Vanderburgh County? Â …we must point out that the Chamber of Commerce encourages people to buy local? Â …we hope that the Chamber search committee will decide to hire locally?
IS IT TRUE that the Executive Director of the “Right To Life of Southwest Indiana”, Mary Ellen Van Dyke is doing an excellent job of protecting the unborn?
IS IT TRUEÂ the former Mayor of Evansville, Jonathan Weinzapfel recently told Channel 25, Brad Byrd, that he’s considering running for United States Congress? Â …Mr. Weinzapfel told Mr. Bryd that he will announce his decision in the very near future? Â …if he runs for the congressional seat he better be ready to defend the bad business decisions he made while he was Mayor?
IS IT TRUE we are told that many local Democrats are very pleased that the make-up of the 2018 City Council leadership is all Democrats? Â …that some people wonder why City Council didn’t select a Democrat to be the new City Council attorney?
Todays “Readers Poll” question is: Do you feel that the City Controller should have made the results of the Indiana State Board of Accounts 2016 audit of the City of Evansville public?
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 City-County Observer@live.com.
EDITOR’S FOOTNOTE:  Any readers comments posted in this column do not represent the views or opinions of the City-County Observer or our advertisers
Don’t Just Govern, Do Something
 DON’T JUST GOVERN, DO SOMETHING
by CCO StateHouse Editor Gail Riecken
Former District 77 State Representative
Abdul Hakim-Shabazz in the Statehouse File writes that the Governor has been criticized for not laying out a“bold agenda†or big initiative. He considers it an unfair criticism.
But I think Governor Holcomb has missed a real opportunity to lead. He could have led the charge to fix the broken system of gerrymandering in Indiana.
He doesn’t see there is a renewed energy by those opposed to gerrymandering. “Gerrymander-haters†(and I am one) are more organized, determined, and focused than ever before.
Hoosiers remember the embarrassment and anger, when our state became the butt of national jokes over the fiasco Statehouse Republicans caused with RFRA (Restoration of Freedom Act) and the accompanying “fixâ€.
Or political favoritism that was shown when a big GOP donor shut down committee discussion of basic health and safety laws for children’s day cares.
Hoosiers want a voice in their elected representatives, and gerrymandering has deliberately diluted the impact their vote has.
Julia Vaughn, Common Cause, said it best in a quote in an editorial: “Drawing districts to advantage individuals and partisan interests significantly undermines the democratic process and takes power away from voters. No Hoosier serving in elected office should endorse a system that allows politicians to choose their voters…â€
Redistricting reform advocates want a more balanced membership in their legislature; competition in elections; and, less big money and special interest control.
We deserve a different system of redistricting. The Governor and the legislature should act now. Hoosiers are watching; a groundswell is growing. The 2018 elections are near.
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LINK of Article For Review:Â http://thestatehousefile.com/commentary-dont-just-govern-something/34199/