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Serial Storage Unit Burglars Arrested
A pair of serial storage unit burglars has been arrested following a string of storage unit burglaries in Vanderburgh and Warrick Counties. On June 25th, Chadwick Lawrence Barker and Brittney Lee Jackson were arrested in Warrick County as they were attempting to burglarize units in a storage facility. Both suspects have been implicated in a series of similar burglaries that have occurred in both Warrick and Vanderburgh County over the last several months.
Detectives with the Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Office began an investigation into what became multiple burglaries at storage facilities on the southeast side of Vanderburgh County. The investigation led to a cooperative effort with the Warrick County Sheriff’s Office who was experiencing a similar cluster of storage unit break-ins. Several investigative tools available to the Sheriff’s Office led to the identification of Barker and Jackson as suspects in these burglaries. Detectives were in the final stages of the investigation and preparing to make arrests when the duo was caught. The owner of the storage unit in Warrick County had deployed some preventative security measures that alerted him to a possible break-in. He notified the Warrick County Sheriff’s Office who responded and caught Barker and Jackson in the act.
Both suspects were interviewed by detectives from Vanderburgh County and Warrick County Sheriff’s Office and confessed to a large number of burglaries at several storage facilities. Detectives were able to recover large amount of property although many items had already been pawned or otherwise disposed of by the pair and others. The apartment both suspects lived in was furnished with mostly suspected stolen items. Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Office detectives had to rent a moving truck to transport all the items to Sheriff’s Office facilities. Victims are being contacted to identify property and much has been returned. People who have experienced similar burglaries are encouraged to call either the Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Office at (812) 421-6339 or the Warrick County Sheriff’s Office at (812) 897-6180 depending on which county their storage unit is located.
In excess of several dozen units were burglarized and the suspects had some difficulty remembering where many of the items recovered were taken from or when exactly the burglaries occurred. Other suspects have been identified and it is believed that additional burglaries have occurred within the corporate limits of Evansville. The Evansville Police Department has been notified. The Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Office will be seeking arrest warrants for both Barker and Jackson. Both are currently housed in the Warrick County Jail. The investigation is continuing and more arrests are likely.
ARRESTEDÂ (Warrick County Charges):
Chadwick Lawrence Barker (pictured above), 38, of Evansville. Burglary as a Level 5 Felony, Theft as a Level 6 Felony, Possession of Methamphetamine as a Level 6 Felony, Trespass as a Class A Misdemeanor
Brittney Lee Jackson (pictured above), 29, of Evansville. Burglary as a Level 5 Felony, Theft as a Level 6 Felony, Possession of Methamphetamine as a Level 6 Felony, Trespass as a Class A Misdemeanor
Pictured above: Some of the items recovered from the suspects apartment.
Presumption of Innocence Notice: The fact that a person has been arrested or charged with a crime is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in a court of law.
IS IT TRUE JUNE 30, 2017
IS IT TRUE people are getting sick and tired of the political promises and games of our elected and appointed City officials?  …back in the Sixties the “Masses Assembled” to voice their grievances against the government?  …these protests changed the direction of this Nation for years to come?
IS IT TRUE some people feel that the local political environment is becoming ripe for the “Masses to Assemble” to protest in a positive and non-violent way against the wasteful spending habits of our local elected and appointed City officials on fun and games projects?  …the wasteful spending habits of the Winnecke Administration has caused economic harm to our hard working and dedicated “First Responders”?
IS IT TRUE Illinois is on the verge of becoming America’s first state with a junk credit rating?… The financial mess is the inevitable result of spending more on pensions and services than the state could afford?…to add insult to injury the fools that govern Illinois also covered it up with reckless budget tricks?…we never thought we would see the day that a state would be run so abysmally that they had to cancel the lottery because they are insolvent to the point that they can’t be counted on to pay the winners?…it is hard to believe but the State of Illinois that is famous for putting governors in prison and running a patronage scheme so ripe with corruption that you have to grease someone to get a pothole filled has shut down their lottery?…we wonder if they will be outsourcing the lottery to the mafia to run for the State of Illinois because those guys actually know how to run a numbers racket and the winners actually get paid?
IS IT TRUE that having to shut down the lottery is the least of the financial malaise that is happening in Illinois?… Illinois got to this financially treacherous place by ignoring the long-term consequences of short-term decision-making and there doesn’t appear to be any end in sight?…if a budget is not formed and voted on tomorrow it will be three years in a row that these nitwits have not passed a budget?… the budget crisis has crippled social services that survive on state money, hurting everything from mental health services and Meals on Wheels for homebound seniors to domestic violence support centers?…these grandstanding elected officials have literally screwed the State of Illinois up so bad that the leading export of the state is human beings seeking refuge in a more responsible place where their taxes are raised to the point of insanity?…the City of Chicago is the center of all of this usury nonsense and actually charges $7,500 in fees for someone to transfer title on a house purchased?
IS IT TRUE that when it comes to public pensions, Illinois is at the forefront of promising the moon and delivering a river rock?… rather than dealing with the problem, Illinois continued to reward the state’s powerful unions with more generous benefits than the taxpayers could ever afford?…the problem festered for so long that Moody’s estimates Illinois has unfunded pension liabilities totaling $251 billion?… put that into context, that’s more than the combined market value of four major Illinois companies: Boeing , Caterpillar, United Continental and Allstate?…it won’t be long before the bond rating of the State of Illinois is downgraded to junk level or worse?…on top of all of this economic malaise, the State of Illinois has $16 Billion of unpaid routine bills and nearly a billion dollars in interest and fees to show for their failure to pay their bills?…one thing we can all be thankful for is that Evanois is not in Illinois?
IS IT TRUE that SHOW-ME’S EASTSIDE Is a “FUN PLACE TO ENJOY GREAT FOOD AND DRINK”?  …they make the regions best pizza?  …they also create 8 different wings that are next to none?
IS IT TRUE that today at !0:00 Eastern time the voting for the next IU Alumni Board of Trustee will close? Â ..if you haven’t voted in this election we urge you to go on line and cast your vote for Evansville own Patrick Shoulders? Â …Mr. Shoulders has served us well on this most important Board and deserved to be re-elected to another term?
IS IT TRUE that our last “Readers Poll” asked the  following question: If the election were held today for Democratic party nomination for Mayor of Evansville who would you vote for?  ….Councilmen Jonathon Weaver received a disappointing 19 votes?  …County Councilmen Mike Goebel received a surprising 211 votes?  …newly elected County Commissioner Ben Shoulders lead the pack with an impressive 219 votes?  …that 131 of our readers voted for “none of the above”?  …that 580 of our readers voted in this non scientific but trendy poll?
EDITORS FOOTNOTES: Todays “READERS POLL†question is: Would you join a positive and non-violent protest in support of the City of Evansville Police and Firemen receiving an increase in salaries and healthcare benefits?
BREAKING NEWS: PATRICK SHOULDERS RE-ELECTED TO 3 YEAR TERM On I U BOARD OF TRUSTEES
PATRICK SHOULDERS RE-ELECTED TO 3 YEAR TERM ON THE I U BOARD OF TRUSTEES
JUST IN: Â HIGHLY REGARDED LOCAL ATTORNEY PATRICK SHOULDERS JUST RE-ELECTED TO THE I U BOARD OF TRUSTEES.
PATRICK SHOULDERS RECEIVED A WHOOPING 5,734 VOTES.
CRAIG WELLS RECEIVED 3,013 VOTES AND DENNIS ELLIOTT RECEIVED 1,521 VOTES.
10,268 VOTED IN THIS ELECTION. Â THIS IS A DEVELOPING STORY.
Sullivan’s Financial Aid Eligibility Bill Signed By Governor
  Gov. Eric Holcomb today ceremonially signed into law State Rep. Holli Sullivan’s (R-Evansville) policy reforming the state’s financial aid programs to assist students effected by the closings of post-secondary institutions like ITT Tech and Medtech College.
According to Sullivan, the new law will help former students of colleges that closed to restore their financial aid eligibility by allowing the state to address each student’s financial hardship on a case-by-case basis.
“When a school closes without warning, many students are stuck in bad situations not of their making, unable to finish a degree program because their financial aid is exhausted,†Sullivan said. “This legislation was written to help more students finish their education and enter the workforce with less loan debt.â€
Sullivan said students that qualify for restoration of their financial aid eligibility will be able to complete or renew their studies at another institution. This new law will also offer more incentives and opportunities for low-income students to participate in state grant and scholarship programs. Additionally, the law will streamline Indiana’s financial aid eligibility process so it is more similar to the federal level.
Arkansas Birth Certificate Ruling Could Impact Indiana
Arkansas Birth Certificate Ruling Could Impact Indiana
Marilyn Odendahl for www.theindianalawyer.com
As lesbian married couples in Indiana wait on the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals to rule whether both mothers can be listed on their children’s birth certificates, the Supreme Court of the United States may have just decided the outcome of the case.
In a per curiam decision issued by the Supreme Court Monday in Pavan v. Smith, 582 U.S. ___(2017), a majority of justices found Arkansas could not prohibit female married couples who conceive children through artificial insemination from putting both women’s names on the birth certificate.
Female married couples in Indiana are challenging a similar law in Indiana in Henderson v. Adams, 17-1141. The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana ruled that the state’s practice of listing husbands as a parent in instances of artificial insemination but not doing the same with non-birth mothers violated the U.S. Constitution.
Indiana appealed and oral arguments were held May 22 before the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals, but the panel, consisting of Judges Joel Flaum, Frank Easterbrook and Diane Sykes, has not issued an opinion.
Attorneys representing the opposing parties in Henderson were divided on how the Supreme Court’s ruling impacts the Indiana case.
The plaintiffs’ counsel see the opinion as clarifying that Obergefell v. Hodges,135 S. Ct. 2071 (2015), prevents Indiana from denying same-sex couples all the benefits of marriage. The lawyers submitted a letter Wednesday to the 7th Circuit alerting the panel to the Supreme Court’s decision.
“Pavan squarely rejects Indiana’s argument that birth certificates are entirely about identifying biological parentage,†the letter stated. “Similar to Arkansas, under Indiana law same- or opposite-sex married couples who conceive artificially are considered to be the legal parents of their child, who is also considered a ‘child of the marriage,’ despite the lack of any biological relationship.â€
Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill’s office disputed that stance. “The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision regarding Pavan v. Smith does not impact Indiana’s case,†the office stated without offering a reason for its view.
In Pavan, the Supreme Court overturned a ruling by the Arkansas Supreme Court which prohibited non-birth mothers from being listed on the certificate of birth. Arkansas law mandates that if the mother is married at the time of either conception or birth, then the name of her husband shall be entered on the certificate as the father of the child.
Two lesbian couples filed a lawsuit against the Arkansas Department of Health, arguing same-sex female married couples were being prohibited from enjoying the same spousal benefits that are available to opposite-sex married couples.
Citing Obergefell, which legalized same-sex marriage, the Supreme Court agreed that same-sex couples were being denied the “constellation of benefits that the Stat[e] ha[s] linked to marriage.â€
The majority noted the interpretation of the state law by the Arkansas Supreme Court allowed state officials to omit a married woman’s female spouse from her child’s birth certificate. “As a result, same-sex parents in Arkansas lack the same right as opposite-sex parents to be listed on a child’s birth certificate, a document often used for important transactions like making medical decisions for a child or enrolling a child in school,†the U.S. Supreme Court wrote.
Justices Neil Gorsuch, Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito dissented. They asserted that state’s arguments that the birth certificate regime does not run afoul of Obergefell. Rather the reasons for being biologically based helped to identify public health trends and enables individuals to trace their biological lineage, citizenship or susceptibility to genetic disorders.
Indiana University Maurer School of Law professor Steve Sanders sees the arguments between the Indiana case and the Arkansas dispute as being very similar and therefore, believes the Supreme Court’s ruling will have a “significant impact†on Henderson.
“I think that this pretty much disposes of the Indiana case,†Sanders said, adding the 7th Circuit will have no choice but to abide by the Supreme Court decision and rule in favor of the plaintiffs.
He noted the attorney general may see nuances that distinguish Henderson from Pavan and the 7th Circuit could take a very narrow approach to see the issues from Indiana as different. But given the Supreme Court has reiterated the scope of Obergefell in conferring the rights of marriage on same-sex couples, Sanders does not think “the 7th Circuit is going to stretch and squint to distinguish the Indiana case from the Arkansas case.â€
Food Truck Friday At Wesselman Woods Nature Center & Preserve
Food Truck Friday At Wesselman Woods Nature Center & Preserve
Fri., Jun 30, 11:30am – 1:30pm
Wesselman Woods Nature Center & Preserve, 551 N. Boeke Road
Each Friday for the rest of the summer, a local food truck will be parked at the Nature Center. Enjoy their yummy food AND get discounted admission to Wesselman Woods that day with your purchase.
Eagles earn 16 GLVC COP Academic Excellence Awards
The University of Southern Indiana Department of Athletics is pleased to announce its senior student-athletes that garnered the Council of President’s Academic Excellence Award as well as those student-athletes receiving the inaugural Brother James Gaffney, FSC Distinguished Scholar Award.
Recipients of the GLVC Council of Presidents’ Academic Excellence Award exemplify the outstanding student-athletes in the GLVC. Each honoree has exhausted his or her eligibility in the intercollegiate sport in which they participated and maintained at least a 3.5 grade point average throughout their academic career.
In addition, to be eligible for the award, the student-athlete must have competed in the GLVC for a minimum of two years and completed 96 credit hours. A student-athlete can only earn the distinguished honor one time per sport in his or her career.
The 16 Screaming Eagle student-athletes to receive the COP are listed below:
Blaine Alvey (Waverly, Kentucky), Baseball
Crystal Blair (Bloomington, Indiana), Women’s Track & Field
Chase Broughton (Marengo, Indiana), Men’s Cross Country/Track & Field
Kendyl Dearing (Huntingburg, Indiana), Women’s Basketball
Kori Jacobsen (Bedford, Indiana), Women’s Golf
Allison Koester (Wadesville, Indiana), Women’s Golf
Gabriella Korte (St. Louis, Missouri), Women’s Soccer
Jenna Martin (Evansville, Indiana), Women’s Track & Field
Kaelin Martlock (Bay City, Michigan), Women’s Soccer
Alyssa Moore (New Albany, Indiana), Women’s Cross Country/Track & Field
Lexi Reese (Lebanon, Indiana), Softball
Mike Ringer (Springfield, Illinois), Baseball
Marius Ulrich (Wesseling, Germany), Men’s Cross Country/Track & Field
Conner Waldkoetter (Nineven, Indiana), Men’s Track & Field
Brenna Wu (Evansville, Indiana), Women’s Tennis
Abbey Zehner (Henderson, Kentucky), Women’s Golf
The inaugural Brother James Gaffney, FSC Distinguished Scholar Award recognizes student-athletes that achieved a 4.0 GPA over the course of the academic year.
The 19 USI student-athletes receiving the inaugural award are as follows:
Wyatt Daly (Newburgh, Indiana), Baseball
Nick Gobert (Jasper, Indiana), Baseball
Chase Broughton (Marengo, Indiana), Men’s Cross Country/Track & Field
Bastian Grau (Höchstadt, Germany), Men’s Cross Country/Track & Field
Austin Nolan (Evansville, Indiana), Men’s Cross Country/Track & Field
Jonathan Faas (Carmel, Indiana), Men’s Soccer
Kyle Richardville (Vincennes, Indiana), Men’s Soccer
Shannon Farrell (Munster, Indiana), Volleyball
Haley Limper (Springfield, Illinois), Volleyball
Kacy Eschweiler (St. Charles, Missouri), Women’s Basketball
Sarah Koester (Fort Wayne, Indiana), Women’s Cross Country
Alyssa Moore (New Albany, Indiana), Women’s Cross Country
Marie Auton (Ballwin, Missouri), Women’s Soccer
Caroline Canoy (St. Peters, Missouri), Women’s Soccer
Alexa Kelpe (Cape Girardeau, Missouri), Women’s Soccer
Emma Luczkowski (Westfield, Indiana), Women’s Soccer
Kelsey Shipman (Olney, Illinois), Women’s Tennis
Courtney Parsell (Powell, Ohio), Women’s Track & Field
Cathryn Peter (Tell City, Indiana), Women’s Cross Country/Track & Field