FOOTNOTE: EPD DAILY ACTIVITY REPORT information was provided by the EPD and posted by the City-County-County Observer without opinion, bias, or editing.
FOOTNOTE: EPD DAILY ACTIVITY REPORT information was provided by the EPD and posted by the City-County-County Observer without opinion, bias, or editing.
UPDATE 8/14/2024: After video review, it was determined that the last person to enter the Mickey’s Kingdom restroom was a plumber who was scheduled to remove the toilet after a clogging issue. The toilet was subsequently shattered during removal. The door was locked, after the attempted removal, so occupants wouldn’t use the facility but was then left unlocked after being cleaned by maintenance. We are happy to report this was a case of miscommunication and not criminal mischief.
This morning, August 13thToilet Removed Safely after Clogging Issue, as Evansville Police Department Parks Officers completed a walking patrol through Mickey’s Kingdom, officers discovered that someone destroyed the toilet in the bathroom. The toilet was detached and broken into pieces. It appears some items, including a plastic water bottle, were shoved down into the toilet. The vandalism is believed to have occurred overnight and could cost as much as $1,500 to replace and repair the toilet and plumbing.
The Evansville Police Department is asking that anyone with information about this crime to please call reach out to EPD at (812) or call the EPD Tip Line at (812) 435-6194.
Woman Fabricates Sexual Assault Incident in City Park:
Warrant Issued for Her Arrest During the early morning of July 11th dispatched received a call that a female, identified as Megan N. Cooper (34), was sexually assaulted, and was bound inside her vehicle located in Wesselman Park. Once officers responded to the scene, they requested an Adult Investigations Detective and a Sexual Violence Detective. The crime scene was processed, and Cooper was transported to St. Vincent Hospital to have a sexual assault kit completed. At the time, the investigation appeared to be factual. The SV Detective spoke with a friend of Coopers’ that morning who stated a few days prior, he located Cooper tied up in Wesselman Park to a tree. At both times, the same friend was contacted to help locate/rescue Cooper; she did not want the police to be called for the first incident.
On July 12th, Cooper was interviewed at Holly’s House. During that interview she gave a statement about what occurred leading up to being located by EPD officers. Cooper also stated that similar incidents, like the July 11th incident, have occurred to her recently. Cooper described the encounters in detail, the materials that were used to bind her during these assaults and the pills and inhalants she was instructed to take during these encounters.
The SV Detective applied for a search warrant for Cooper’s vehicle and cell phone. There were several pieces of information to show that Cooper was being dishonest about her statement. Cooper was also told that there was a possibility that DNA from the suspect could be extracted from her vehicle; Cooper indicated that she didn’t want that DNA testing to be done. Business cameras recorded Cooper purchasing, or stealing, the items and materials that she was found to be bound in. Once this information was obtained, detectives also learned that Cooper has been listed as a victim in numerous kidnapping and sexual assault reports across the state of Kentucky; a suspect has never been identified in those cases and Cooper’s statements are vastly similar to the one she gave regarding the incident on July 11th. On July 18th, the SV Detective spoke to Cooper about discrepancies in her statement. On July 24th, Cooper called the Detective back to issue a new statement: she lied about the events that occurred on July 11th For a large portion of July, Officers, Crime Scene Detectives, Adult Investigative Detectives, Sexual Violence Detectives, outside agencies, and organizations have exerted unremitting time into this investigation that Cooper fabricated. When we investigate crimes, we lean on victim statements, witness statements and evidence to build a case that provides answers and closure for the victim. We never want to discredit a victim’s statement of any crime. Unfortunately, in this case the victim of Sexual Assault and Kidnapping became the offender of Obstruction of Justice (Level 6 Felony) and False Informing (B Misdemeanor). Our SV Detectives are to be commended for the work they put into this case to apprehend what they initially believed to be a suspect that harmed someone in the early morning hours in a city park. Their tireless work and investigation has led to a warrant being issued for Megan N. Cooper (34). Cooper is known to reside in Henderson, KY. If you know of her location, please contact 9-1-1.
SCHAUMBURG, Ill. – Continuing their series on Wednesday night at Wintrust Field, the Evansville Otters were taken down by the Schaumburg Boomers, suffering a 13-1 setback.
The Boomers (40-40) came out ready with the bats early and after jumping ahead in the opening inning, they never looked back.
For the Otters (35-46), David Mendham plated the only run in the seventh inning with his fourth home run of the year, a solo shot blasted out to right field.
Crooked numbers showed on the scoreboard four times for Schaumburg, as they plated two in the first, four in the fourth, three in the sixth and two in the eighth innings.
Former Otter Anthony Calarco had two homers for the opposition and another Boomer hit for the cycle.
It was an off day for Zach Smith (7-6) as he went just three and one-third innings, walking four and allowing seven runs on nine hits. Boomers starter Cole Cook (4-4) took the win after tossing in six shutout innings.
Schaumburg out-hit Evansville 18-6 tonight, a new season high for the opposition.
On a brighter note, Tyler Ras returned from the injured list and appeared for the Otters tonight. Pitching in the eighth, it was his first action seen since May 24. He gave up one run on two hits and struck out one.
In a preseason poll of league head coaches, Evansville was picked to finish ninth in the Missouri Valley Conference. Missouri State landed the top spot with seven first-place votes and 116 points, closely followed by 2023 regular season champions Drake. The Aces earned 32 points in the preseason poll while UIC (3rd, 87 points), UNI (4th, 85 points), Valparaiso (5th, 83 points), and Murray State (6th, 73 points) fill out the remaining top six spots. Belmont (7th, 54 points), Indiana State (8th, 42 points), Illinois State (10th, 23 points), and Southern Illinois (11th, 22 points) round out the poll.
The Aces will look to build upon a strong defensive season in 2023. UE set a new single-season record for ties with nine draws in 17 games in 2023. Of those nine ties, four were clean sheets from goalkeeper Miya Danek. Danek returns in goal for Evansville in 2024 for her final collegiate season after making national rankings in 2023. Danek was in the Top 100 in saves per game (4.65) and total saves (79) and top five in the Valley. UE also returns All-MVC Second Team member defender Rachel Rosborough for 2024 in her fifth season.
Along with 20 returners, the Aces add 11 new players to their 2024 roster. Evansville welcomes redshirt sophomore transfer Mary McArdle, freshman Allie Lammers, Emmy Brenner, Olivia Colson, Lindley Amick, Taylor Wehrer, Olivia Mills, Anna Duncan, Maria Meade, and Brielle LaBerge.
Lipscomb comes into the start of the 2024 season picked second in the ASUN preseason poll with two players earning preseason awards. Midfielder Bella Carapazza and defender Lucy Ream both made the preseason All-ASUN Team after big seasons in 2023. Carapazza was the 2023 ASUN Freshman of the Year while Ream was named to the 2023 ASUN All-Conference Second Team. The Bison finished 2023 in the semifinals of the ASUN Tournament as the number one seed.
BY Jay Young
AUGUST 15, 2024
Evansville Regional Economic Partnership staff struggled this week to answer questions from a county commissioner and attorney concerning details in an audit provided to the county.
EREP staff provided information about efforts to attract new residents and its riverfront redevelopment plan at the regular Vanderburgh County Commissioners meeting. After the presentation, Commissioner Cheryl Musgrave asked about attracting new jobs.
“One of the key reasons why the commission contracts with EREP is to recruit new business and support existing business, of course, but my question is has any business located in the county in the last 12 months?”
E-Rep Economic Development Director Patrick Hickey responded, “Twelve months, not that I’m aware”
Musgrave also inquired about the public’s access to E=REP meetings. The three staff members present looked behind them to Chief Economic Development Officer Josh Armstrong, who was sitting in the audience.
Armstrong stood and said, “E-REP meetings are not open to the public.”
Though it receives hundreds of thousands of taxpayers’ dollars and helps allocate millions in state money, E-REP is a private corporation that is not subject to disclosure laws like a government agency.
Armstrong remained silent as County Commission attorney David Jones inquired about a recent audit provided to the country as a condition of the funding it provides EREP. His line of questioning concerned ownership of the property at 420 Main Street, where E-REP spearheads a mixed-use development using millions of state and City of Evansville dollars.
Jones asked about the nature of the investment.
Program manager Colten Pipenger responded: “I am not 100 percent positive on the official terminology from a financial standpoint, I’ll have our finance team get back to you but EREP through the Downtown Evansville Community Development Corporation played a part in the Fifth and Main redevelopment.
Linke to the full meeting <embed width=”640px” height=”360px” frameborder=”0″ allowfullscreen=”true” src=”//evansville.granicus.com/player/clip/6722?fbclid=IwY2xjawEqSAlleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHWrGfoc3EE14UfBDYkzPWyMSZaQjrfOUKSF2YAEkUSO_jK8FCVvzOtZIJQ_aem_cKRQIv1bHQs1QJy- FJb01w&entrytime=967&stoptime=4491&autostart=0&embed=1″></embed>
BY JOE J WALLACE
AUGUST 15, 2024
Since January 2021, the United States has witnessed a significant shift in purchasing power due to the combined effects of inflation and wage growth. Using 100 as a base year, this article explores the monthly changes in purchasing power by examining the ratio of inflation to wage increases over this period. The resulting analysis reveals a troubling trend where wages have struggled to keep pace with rising prices, leading to a decline in real income and purchasing power for many Americans.
The year 2021 saw a rapid rise in inflation as the economy rebounded from the pandemic-induced slowdown. While wages did increase during this period, they did not keep pace with the surging cost of living. This is reflected in the purchasing power index, which began to decline as early as March 2021. By the end of 2021, the index had dropped to 96, indicating a 4% decline in purchasing power relative to the base year.
In 2022, inflation continued to rise, albeit at a slower pace. Wages also grew, but the increases were uneven across different sectors. The purchasing power index fluctuated throughout the year, reflecting periods where wage growth temporarily outpaced inflation. However, by December 2022, the index stood at 93, signaling a cumulative 7% decline in purchasing power since January 2021.
The year 2023 brought some relief as inflation rates began to moderate. However, wage growth also slowed, leading to a further erosion of purchasing power. By mid-2023, the purchasing power index had fallen to 91, with many Americans feeling the pinch as their paychecks stretched less far than they had in previous years.
As of August 2024, the purchasing power index has reached 89, marking an 11% decline from the base year. Despite efforts to curb inflation and increase wages, the cumulative effect of the past three years has left many workers struggling to maintain their standard of living.
Graph: The Decline in Purchasing Power (January 2021 – August 2024)
The graph above in this article illustrates the steady decline in purchasing power from January 2021 to August 2024. The graph uses 100 as the base value, with each month’s index calculated using the formula outlined above. The stark downward trend highlights the persistent challenge of balancing wage growth with inflation. Today the average American has a purchasing power that is 11% lower than it was when President Biden took the oath of office.
The analysis of purchasing power in the United States from January 2021 to August 2024 reveals a concerning trend. While wages have increased, they have not kept pace with the rising cost of living, leading to a significant decline in purchasing power. Policymakers and businesses must address this issue to ensure that American workers can maintain their standard of living in the face of ongoing economic challenges.
This article underscores the importance of monitoring both inflation and wage growth as critical factors in the economic well-being of households across the country. As the nation looks ahead, addressing the gap between wages and inflation will be key to restoring purchasing power and ensuring economic stability for all Americans.
FOOTNOTE: This article was published by the City-County Observer without, opinion, bias, or editing.