FOOTNOTE: EPD DAILY ACTIVITY REPORT information was provided by the EPD and posted by the City-County-County Observer without opinion, bias, or editing.
BREAKING NEWS: Letter Asks City Council to Take Action on Maintenance of Animal Control Facility
Following is the text of an email sent by Mark Albini to the Evansville City Council regarding the conditions at the city Animal Control facility.
Hello everyone,
I am sending this email to inform you about the condition of the Evansville Animal Control building and its impact on the community, including myself.
First, thank you for taking the time to read my email. I understand you are all very busy with many projects happening simultaneously.
Second, this is not a reflection of the Animal Control staff. Every single staff member truly cares about the animals and is doing the best they can with the budget set forward and the number of hours they can work.
Third, many of you know me. I am an advocate for Evansville. I have donated to your campaigns publicly and privately. I have lived coast to coast, have been stationed all over the country, and served 5 years Honorably in the United States Marine Corps, causing permanent disabilities to my body and making me a Disabled Veteran. I also own many businesses. Some of you I have worked alongside as a Licensed Realtor who owns a real estate team that employs other realtors, a managing partner at a Mortgage Company that has provided loans and funding to the top Evansville entrepreneurs with highly taxable enterprises, employable businesses, and bringing visitors to Evansville. Some of these locations you enjoy and are staples of Evansville’s downtown growth. I also invest millions of my own funds annually as well as directly bring in millions of dollars of out of state funds annually to provide Evansville with affordable, quality rental and resale homes for the community.
I have contacted the Mayor’s office multiple times on this matter over the past couple of months. I have received a very dismissive email stating that the mayor’s office doesn’t oversee Animal Control and that it is solely under the Department of Transportation and Services, specifically Todd Robertson. This was not from the Mayor herself, but staff.
I contacted Todd approximately a month ago, as well as the mayor’s office and a few city council members. Todd reached out to me and informed me that many of the items
mentioned are underthe city’s union maintenance team and cannot be handled by third-party contractors, even if they are free.
The current conditions at the Animal Control facility are in great disrepair. They fail to keep the animals healthy, promote the spreading of animal illness, discourage the public from adopting, and probably cause negative long-term health complications for the employees.
I have asked multiple times for the following items to be corrected:
Handwashing stations—Credit where credit is due. After I contacted Todd, I saw that multiple sanitization stations were installed throughout the building. I offered to pay for this out of pocket with a construction company I own that carries all the necessary qualifications, insurance, and licenses to take care of this task, for free. I was denied.Broken/backed-up drains—Multiple kennels have drains backing up, allowing animals to drink feces, urine, and other bodily fluids. In addition, a few drains have holes in them, which can allow an animal to get its paw caught and broken or hurt. I offered to pay for 
this out of pocket with a construction company I own that carries all the necessary qualifications, insurance, and licenses to take care of this task, for free. I was denied.
this out of pocket with a construction company I own that carries all the necessary qualifications, insurance, and licenses to take care of this task, for free. I was denied.Safety items for staff and the public—Many safety items are defective, neglected, or missing. The eye wash station is completely empty and covered in dust. The fire extinguishers haven’t been inspected since 2020, which is a huge liability for the city. I offered to pay for this out of pocket with a construction company I own that carries all the necessary qualifications, insurance, and licenses to take care of this task, for free. I was denied.
Chipped paint in the kennels – Each kennel is painted on the walls. Naturally, they will get chipped or scratched as animals jump on them. This is an ongoing maintenance item that should be budgeted and prepared for. Todd has spoken to me and told me there was a budget approved for it, and it would be repainted in the fall. We are in the Fall now, and I would like an update. The importance of this item is that we want to encourage the public to spend time in animal control and adopt animals rather than euthanize them. The presentation of the kennels gives an overall dirty appearance, undermining the idea of publicly accessible animal control. I offered to pay for this out of pocket with a construction company I own that carries all the necessary qualifications, insurance, and licenses to take care of this task, for free. I was denied.
Ventilation, air quality, and airborne disease – I did bump into one of our city council members down at animal control. I must be used to the smell by now, but they brought up a great point. The smell in the area is unbearable, causing them to put their shirt over their face to breathe better. How can we expect the public to spend time walking through if they have a hard time breathing? I have reviewed the air filtration system vents on multiple occasions, and they are always covered in dust, dirt, and mold. This also allows for airborne disease to spread throughout the building to other animals.
Sanitization, virus outbreak, costing the public money/heartbreak, and the death of a rescue. – Sanitization of the kennels is not up to par. If an animal, specifically a dog, is placed into Animal Control, it will get a disease commonly known as kennel cough. This is not typically fatal but makes animals sneeze, choke, gag, and other symptoms. This can also be brought home with the public on their hands or clothes, or if they adopt an animal, causing their animals to get sick at home. This prompts the public to take their pets to the vet, get treatment, and not want to go back to animal control again. There is a room that is typically for puppies in the rear for the public. It has approximately 5 or 6 kennels. There is 1 center drain in the entire room, meaning the kennels get sprayed out and all the disease gets washed right in the path where they walk in and out of the room. Without actual sanitization, this spreads disease. Puppies are very susceptible to a disease called Parvo or Parvovirus. It is highly contagious, highly fatal, and can last in the area for years without using the proper disinfectant.
Unfortunately, this is where the story gets sad. I tried to save a dog out of Animal Control. I saw a dog on Sept 26th at Animal Control, and the same day, I bumped into another city council member there. We actually had a discussion about animal control and about the specific dog (who was still alive in the kennel). This dog was set to be euthanized due to space (approx. 40 dog kennels for the entire city FYI). I stepped in the last 30 minutes to save this dog. Unfortunately, I had to bury her in my backyard on Oct 5th, less than 7 days later. She was an approximately 1-year-old healthy female dog that contracted Parvo from Animal Control due to the lack of sanitation, budget for staff, and supplies. She ended up costing me over $1,000.00 to try to save, for a virus that would be preventable if proper budgeting and support was there. I tried to save her; I rushed her to VCA Emergency Hospital and signed a no-budget treatment option that would typically cost anywhere from $4,000.00-$6,000.00. In addition, my own personal dogs are now at risk for this disease to include my service dog. Not an “emotional support dog”, my actual service dog. My dogs also all came down with kennel cough that was spread from bringing a dog home from animal control. I am spending and will have to continue spending thousands of dollars on testing them for Parvo, as this virus can remain active in my yard and household for years now. This also took a personal toll on my wife and I. We tried to save an animal that was going to be euthanized, only to have her killed by that very system we pulled her from, just on a delayed timeframe.
What the city is failing to realize is that Foster and Rescue organizations are truly the backbone of your Animal Control. There are very few publicly reported statistics on euthanizations as of recently, but there are reports, articles, and other references averaging 1.5-2 euthanizations per day. Foster and rescue organizations are pulling animals at an extreme rate to prevent those numbers from quadrupling or quintupling. Some organizations are no longer accepting new animals as they are out of space. There has been little effort or recognition of this problem by the city, other than a select few individuals. We are currently kicking the can down the road until animals can’t be pulled by organizations, and Animal Control will be overflowing much more than it is.
Again, I want to reiterate that Animal Control staff and workers are doing the best they can, with the budget allowed, the amount of staff hired, and the supplies afforded. The blame should not be and is not on them, it is on the lack of budget for a city this large and an Animal Control budget not up to par.
This situation needs to be corrected with firm timelines and transparency to the public. There are many other stories like mine, as well as worse situations, however, I am going to be the loudest voice. Since this ended up killing a dog I tried to save from the system; I will ensure that I do everything I possibly can to bring this to your attention and the city’s attention. I am not pointing fingers in the sense of it being a Mayor’s issue, DOT issue, city council issue, or animal control issue. It is a community and moral issue that needs to be brought to light to be addressed. Without having a “squeaky wheel”, it won’t get any “grease”.
I have placed aside a substantial amount of funding that I would like to use to provide more rentals and resale houses to citizens of Evansville, but will use instead to get very loud with these photos and issues publicly if there are no results or action taken. Billboards, bandit signs, TV commercials, posters, social media campaigns, and more.
SINCERELY
–
Mark Albini
FOOTNOTE: City-County Observer publishes this letter in its entirety without editing or bias
Following is the text of an email sent by Mark Albini to the Evansville City Council regarding the conditions at the city Animal Control facility.
Eagles win 14 of 16 events in a dominant home opener
EVANSVILLE, Ind.– University of Southern Indiana Women’s Swimming and Diving dominated on Thursday afternoon taking home the victory against Valparaiso University, 209-85. USI secured an impressive 14 of 16 first-place events.
Sophomore duo Caiya Cooper (1:57.90) and Reagan Holmes (2:00.13) took home first and second place in the 200 freestyle. The duo also finished atop the leaderboard in the 100 freestyle with Cooper taking first (54.92) and Holmes following behind (55.94).
Sophomore Hayden Shurtz carried her momentum from Indianapolis, winning the 100 and 200 breaststroke with times of 1:06.33 and 2:27.38.
The Eagles thrived in the 500 freestyle with Cooper finishing first (5:18.15), freshman Ailyn Zurliene in second (5:20.93), and freshman Elizabeth Ketcham rounding out the top three (5:23.68).
The Eagles diving squad earned a new all-time top score for the three-meter dive, as freshman Anna Bunnell earned the USI record with a score of 223.65. Bunnell nearly shattered the one-meter record, leading the Eagles with a score of 223.65. Fellow freshman Gabbie Meier becomes third on the USI all-time leaderboard in her second-place effort (222.08 pts).
Other Top Women’s Results:
400 Individual Medley: Freshman Emma Gabhart (4:44.93)
1000 Freestyle: Junior Mattilynn Smith (10:50.80)
1000 Freestyle: Zurliene (10:57.86)
200 Freestyle Relay: Freshman Simone Green, Ketcham, Holmes, Cooper (1:40.24)
200 Medley Relay: Freshman Alivia Scott, Shurtz, Ketcham, Green (1:50.43)
WHAT’S NEXT FOR THE EAGLES:
USI is back in action on October 12 at the Dan Ross Indiana Intercollegiate, hosted by Purdue University in West Lafayette.
Men’s Swimming and Diving break three records in home victory
EVANSVILLE, Ind.– University of Southern Indiana Men’s Swimming and Diving team defeated Valparaiso University on Thursday afternoon in their home opener, 171-123. USI won ten of the 16 events, breaking three school records.
Freshman Cy Young and Jude Winnington fired up the Screaming Eagles finishing first and second in the 1,000 freestyle. Young made history shattering the 1,000 freestyle record (9:52.48), beating the previous leader by more than 12 seconds. Winnington’s 1,000 freestyle time (10:02.01) cements himself in second in the record books behind Young.
USI took home first and second place in the 100 breaststroke from freshman Luke Rich (1:00.15) and junior Caleb Davis (1:00.25). Rich also came out on top in the 200 breaststroke with an impressive time of 2:11.45.
Three different Eagles topped the scoreboard in the 200 butterfly. Freshman Justin Knauf (1:56.22) took home first place, while Winnington (1:57.87) trailed behind. Sophomore Sam Smith (1:57.89) rounded out the top three for USI.
Winnington smashed his own school record in the 400 individual medley (4:12.46). The freshman surpassed the previous record by over seven seconds.
Junior Lane Pollock shattered his previous USI all-time three-meter dive record earning a score of 273.38. The Preseason All-Summit League selection shattered his previous record of 264.75 at the 2023 Summit League Championships. The junior followed up his performance leading the three-meter with a score of 256.65. Sophomore Nathan Deputy came in second scoring 246.45.
Other Top Men’s Results:
USI stumbles to open homestand, 1-0 Screaming Eagles host UIW for Senior Day Sunday
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Men’s Soccer opened its homestand with a 2-0 setback to Houston Christian University Thursday evening at Strassweg Field. The Screaming Eagles fall to 2-10-0 overall and 1-3-0 in the OVC, while the Huskies go to 5-5-2, 3-1-0 OVC.
USI fell behind midway through the first half when HCU scored at the 27:25 mark. The Huskies outshot the Eagles, 8-4, and had the advantage in corner kicks, 3-0, during the opening half.
HCU would strike again in the second half and increased the lead at 77:52 to the eventual final score of 2-0. The Eagles controlled most of the final 45 minutes, leading in shots, 8-4, and corners, 4-1.
Overall in the match, the Eagles and the Huskies were tied in shots, 12-12, and corners, 4-4.
NEXT UP FOR USI:
The Eagles conclude the homestand Sunday with Senior Day versus the University of Incarnate Word. Kickoff is a special 11 a.m. with Senior Day recognition at 10:25 a.m.
The six seniors USI will honor Sunday are midfielder/defender Garland Hall; defender Brock Martindale; midfielder Wesley Rhodes; midfielder Elmer Garcia; defender Devin Reiminger; and midfielder Fabrice Remy.
UIW is 4-5-1 overall and 2-2-0 in the conference after posting a 4-1 victory at Eastern Illinois University Thursday. The Cardinals have won two straight after snapping a three-match losing streak.
UIW leads the all-time series with USI, 1-0, after posting a 4-0 win in San Antonio, Texas, last fall. Sunday is UIW’s first visit to Strassweg Field in the history of the programs.
Aces women’s soccer falls to UIC
The Purple Aces put 83.3% of their shots on goal Thursday night
CHICAGO – The University of Evansville women’s soccer team didn’t find the back of the net in a 1-0 loss to the UIC Flames.
The Purple Aces defense kept 13 shots at bay through 90 minutes but a goal from UIC in the 76th minute handed UE its third loss of MVC play. Two veterans for Evansville led the way on offense as graduate defender Rachel Rosborough (Mt. Brydges, Ontario) and senior forward Hailey Autenrieb (Cincinnati / Seton HS) each put two shots on goal. Fifth-year goalkeeper Myia Danek (Laingsburg, Mich. / Laingsburg HS) made six saves in the loss.
The Flames controlled early action of Thursday night’s game with five shots in the first 15 minutes. The Aces had their first chance of the night in the 19th minute as junior defender Kaylee Woosley (Evansville, Ind. / North HS) shot just wide of the far post. It was a defensive battle for the rest of the first half as only two shots were taken in the last 20 minutes of the half.
It was a much quicker start in the second half as Autenrieb forced a diving save from UIC’s goalkeeper in the 47th minute. The Flames responded with five straight shots over the next 15 minutes. Danek made two major saves to keep the game scoreless during the offensive onslaught. But UIC broke through in the 76th minute as a shot from the top of the box made it into the top right corner of the net.
UE had two close chances in the following five minutes as both Rosborough and freshman defender Emmy Brenner (Arlington, Tenn. / St. Benedict at Auburndale HS) forced a jumping save and a diving save from Flames goalkeeper Francesca Faraci. Evansville had one final opportunity in the last four minutes as Autenrieb attacked the net a second time for a shot that was pushed up above the crossbar. The Aces couldn’t find the equalizer and dropped a close 1-0 match to UIC.
UE remains on the road for their next match over the weekend. Evansville will visit the Valparaiso Beacons on Sunday, October 13th. Kick-off from Brown Field on Sunday is set for 1 p.m.
No. 4/6 Hoosiers Split Squad for Opening Weekend
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Eight members of the Indiana men’s swimming and diving program will compete in the SMU Classic in Dallas, Texas, Friday through Saturday (Oct. 11-12). The remaining IU men’s and women’s program will participate in the annual Cream and Crimson intrasquad exhibition Friday inside the Counsilman-Billingsley Aquatic Center.
Seven swimmers and one diver will head west for a meet featuring athletes from No. 10/9 Virginia Tech, No. 12/12 Texas A&M, No. 13/16 Louisville and No. 16/12 Auburn. Friday’s action will begin at 6 p.m. ET Friday, followed by a second day of swimming and diving Saturday at 11 a.m. Fans can watch the meet at smumustangs.com/watch or follow along via live results.
Friday’s Cream and Crimson meet will kick off at 2 p.m. ET. Admission is free for all home meets this season.
The Indiana men’s team is ranked No. 4 in the nation by the CSCAA, while IU also ranks No. 6 in the women’s poll. Both teams are coming off Big Ten Championship seasons and return the bulk of their squads.
Politics at the Fall Festival
Politics at the Fall Festival
by Johnny Kincaid
It’s a pretty safe bet that nobody attends the Westside Nut Club Fall Festival intending to determine who to vote for, but on the west end of Franklin Street, you’ll find some people who want to secure your vote. The festival crowds create the perfect atmosphere for politics.
First, let’s define what we mean by the word politics. It comes from the Greek root poli, meaning many, and tics, meaning blood-sucking creatures.
On the last block of Franklin Street (on the St. Joseph end), the Vanderburgh Young Democrats at booth 82 are selling Gyros and passing out campaign materials. Candidates are spared from cooking and food prep and instead, stand outside to shake hands and kiss babies.
County Commission candidate Hope Fussner is spending a lot of time on the street, and over the next couple of days, you’ll see plenty of other Democrats at the Festival. Those with contested races will be most likely to be there. County Council candidates Bob Deig, Dustin Stephens, and Karese Johnson are looking for votes along with Coroner candidate Keith Mosby and Recorder candidate Gina Robinson Ungar.
A block away, on the other side of the street is booth 49, home to the Vanderburgh Republican Party. The signature item for the GOP is the ‘Merica, a red, white, and blue shaved ice with a little orange cream on top to symbolize Donald Trump’s hair.
The candidates working the street include County Council candidates Jill Hahn, Joe Kiefer II, and Ed Bassemeier. GOP coroner candidate Bryan Underwood, recorder candidate Russ Lloyd, and county commission candidate Amy Canterbury will likely be trying to win friends and influence voters. Almost anytime that you drop by you’ll also get a chance to meet uncontested county clerk candidate Dottie Thomas.
Put on your favorite candidate’s shirt, hat or sticker and parade around Franklin Street to help get your favorite elected. Just keep from dripping mustard on the candidate’s name.