We hope that todays “IS IT TRUE” 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 something that the City County Observer advocated for many years ago has finally come to be?…Evansville is going to get a new state of the art dog park and not one dime of public money is going to the dogs?…the new dog park fully paid for by the dog owners living in this area who choose to spend their own money will be adjacent to the soccer fields in the park on Vann Avenue that is between the Lloyd Expressway and Lincoln Avenue will be the site of the new pooch palace?…in the spirit of affection between man’s best friend and the Mayor’s office, the City of Evansville will be roughly $3 Million richer and the dog lovers will have the honor of paying their own way as opposed to having the taxpayer subsidize bowser’s recreational opportunities?

IS IT TRUE that a dog park paid by the users is how things are supposed to happen in a functioning society? …we hope this does not give Mayor Winnecke and the Evansville City Council the delusion that they have $3 Million to waste on some other nonsensical project?…we also hope that our elected officials  realize that good public policy practice by everyday day citizens has once again  saved them from themselves?

IS IT TRUE that the CCO also openly stated that a downtown hotel would happen without a subsidy when and if a medical school was becoming a reality?…as with the dog park, two hotels without the need for a handout have followed the medical school into downtown Evansville?…that is another $20 Million that the taxpayers of Evansville would have saved if we had a Mayor and Council with a shred of patience when it came to greasing an aspiring hotelier?…alas in the case of the Doubletree, the taxpayers saw that $20 Million plus go to waste unnecessarily?…we wonder who let those dogs out?…it must have been former Mayor Weinzapfel who boasted about how a Marriot would come to downtown Evansville without a subsidy if and only if a hockey arena was built?…that is turning out to be the gift that keeps on taking?…it takes about $9 Million per year that could have been used for some other useful purpose like sewers, water pipes, or road repairs?

IS IT TRUE that while we are on the subject of the City of Evansville borrowing money to build a downtown hockey rink, we noticed that buried in the fine print of President Trump’s proposed tax reform plan is a provision that will eliminate the tax free status of interest paid on municipal bonds issued for sports stadiums?…this is one provision of the proposed tax reform plan that the CCO heartily endorses as stadiums never perform up to expectations and allowing tax exempt debt to be utilized to fleece the taxpayers into building temples to sport was just wrong in the first place?…we wonder if this is going to apply to bonds that have already been issued?

IS IT TRUE that Henderson is about to see the K-Mart that has been there forever close as it was on a list of upcoming closures issued by the parent organization aka Sears and Roebucks?…the brick and mortar retail stores continue to get Amazoned on a regular basis?…some but not very many brick and mortar stores are finding new ways like making deals with towing companies to make up for the lost revenue?

IS IT TRUE that last night our first responders worked a scene of two shootings?  …its was reported that a suspect was reported to be fleeing the scene of the shootings? …it was also members of the EPD were holding another possible suspect at gunpoint?  …we are proud of our man and women in blue for help keeping our community safe from bad people?…the next time you see our first responders please give them a “thumbs up” for doing a great job in protecting us?

As of 9:40 p.m. AMR, police and fire units were still on scene.

At about 10:10 p.m., according to scanner traffic, the suspect vehicle was seen near Taylor Avenue turning onto Garvin Street. Police were working to locate the vehicle over the next two hours.

We will update as more details become available.

IS IT TRUE starting next week you will be able to read articles posted in the CCO articles written by Franklin College School of Journalism students about the current happenings at the State Capital? … articles that we will be publishing from the StatehouseFiles are; Courts and Crime, Drug Epidemic, Education, Environment, Health, immigration, Jobs-Economy and Labor, Local Government, Poverty, Roads and Construction, Social Issues, Taxes and Budgets, Technology, Commentary, Videos, Elections and News from Across Indiana? …we would like to thank long time supporter and friend Joe Wallace for stating that “this is a big win for the CCO. Congratulations on making this deal. This is a game changer”?  …it look like Mr. Wallace understands that The StatehouseFile and the City COUNTY OBSERVER partnership agreement really is a big deal?

EDITOR’S FOOTNOTE:  Any comments posted in this column do not represent the views or opinions of the City County Observer or our advertisers