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EPD ACTIVITY REPORT

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EPD REPORT

Vanderburgh county Recent Booking Records

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http://www.vanderburghsheriff.com/jail-recent-booking-records.aspx

“READERS FORUM”

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WHATS ON YOUR MIND TODAY?

Todays READERS POLL question is: Are you disappointed in the way that President Trump has conducted himself since he has been in office?

Please take time and read our newest feature articles entitled “LAW ENFORCEMENT, READERS POLL, BIRTHDAYS, HOT JOBS” and “LOCAL SPORTS” posted in our sections.  You now are able to subscribe to get the CCO daily.

If you would like to advertise in the CCO please contact us City-County Observer@live.com.

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

CHANNEL 44 NEWS: Student Loan Forgiveness Halted Under Trump Administration

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Student Loan Forgiveness Halted Under Trump Administration

Student loan forgiveness has been put on hold since President Trump took office. The education department say it has not approved any applications for loan forgiveness. The administration says it has gotten 15,000 new applications and there are…

Governor Holcomb Appoints La Porte Mayor Blair Milo State’s First Secretary Of Career Connections And Talent

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INDIANAPOLIS – Governor Eric J. Holcomb today signed an executive order creating a new cabinet-level position in state government to serve as Indiana’s chief talent and recruiting official. The secretary of career connections and talent will be the chief executive officer of the State Personnel Department and will assume oversight of that agency and its director. This new secretary will be responsible for connecting Hoosiers with employers and filling the estimated one million job openings expected over the next 10 years in Indiana.

The governor announced that he has appointed La Porte Mayor Blair Milo as the first secretary of career connections and talent.

“Our state’s unemployment rate has reached historically low levels. That means more Hoosiers are working, but it also presents talent challenges for our state’s employers, who need skilled and ready workers to keep their businesses thriving,” Gov. Holcomb said. “This new position will provide the urgent and focused attention required to position Indiana well long-term and ensure our state’s workforce is keeping pace with our economy as it grows and becomes more diverse. I can think of no one better suited than Blair Milo to lead this charge.”

Blair Milo was elected mayor of La Porte, Indiana in 2011. Under her leadership as mayor, La Porte entered a period of economic growth, with increased job opportunities for residents, improved infrastructure, streamlined government services, and higher reported levels of happiness and quality of life. Prior to serving as La Porte Mayor, Milo served five years in active duty with the U.S. Navy and was an intern for U.S. Senator Richard Lugar in Washington D.C.

“I’m honored to join Governor Holcomb’s team to take on this important role. Connecting business leaders and employees has been at the forefront of both challenges and opportunities for all Hoosier communities as we continue to grow new numbers and types of jobs across the state,” Blair Milo said. “We want to connect Hoosiers with a job they’re passionate about, and we want our employers to know they can draw from a deep pool of talented, dedicated workers in every corner of the state. Collaborating with businesses, public officials, colleges and universities to assess, fill and preempt our workforce needs will be a critical step in taking Indiana to the next level.”

As secretary of career connections and talent, Milo will collaborate with business, industry, trade groups and public officials to identify employment needs, identify workers and help them take advantage of training opportunities for high-demand, high-wage positions. The secretary will work in partnership with Indiana colleges, universities, and certificate and training providers to connect Hoosiers to high-demand jobs.

Beyond overseeing the state’s personnel department, she will also work closely with other state agencies to connect employers and Hoosiers with the many training programs, grants and other opportunities available through the state of Indiana.

Indiana’s first secretary of career connections and talent, Blair Milo, begins in this new role August 14.

 

Ivy Tech, PCBIDC, Community Foundation Announce Trained and Ready Campaign

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Ivy Tech, PCBIDC, Community Foundation Announce Trained and Ready Campaign

            A way to provide reliability and consistency in creating a pipeline of individuals who are ready, willing, and able to work in business and industry in the Perry County area, was announced today at Ivy Tech Community College Tell City. The Trained & Ready Capital Campaign is focusing on local employers who would benefit from having an educated workforce in these high-demand fields.

Also announced was the site’s name change to Ivy Tech Tell City Career and Technology Center, to better reflect Ivy Tech’s commitment to developing the workforce of the region, said Ivy Tech Associate Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs Kelly Cozart.

“A skilled workforce creates a firm foundation for business and industry, and the Trained & Ready Campaign is designed to assist with this specific educational process in Perry County and surrounding communities,” Cozart said. “By providing opportunities for individuals to gain skills in career fields represented in the region, the economy is strengthened, individuals will have secure, good-paying careers, and there will be less attrition in the workforce.”

The Perry County Business and Industrial Development Corporation, along with the Perry County Community Foundation, have identified workforce development needs and partnered with Ivy Tech Tell City, to raise funds for equipment and scholarships for the in-demand training needed for regional businesses.

“Companies across our region, the State of Indiana, and our entire country are in need of educated and skilled employees to ensure a qualified labor pool that can meet ever-evolving demands,” said Lee Chestnut, President of the Perry County Business & Industrial Development Corporation.  The Trained & Ready Campaign is a partnership with our regional employers to continually identify and review the technical skills needed within that profession.  “This is about truly sharing our resources for the growth of our region as this equipment and space can be shared by our existing companies to train employees as well as area K-12 vocational programs.”

Chestnut said that to date, nearly $305,000 of the $500,000 goal has been pledged, as those funds will be used  in a variety of ways such as purchasing training equipment identified by our regional employers, scholarships for individuals to earn certifications, and to pay for finishing out an existing room to hold Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) classes. “In essence, our overall goal is to fundamentally better utilize our resources in order to grow our region both in labor force as well as in educational attainment.”

Major donors to the campaign include: Waupaca, ATTC and Masterbrand Cabinets.

“Many positions are becoming difficult to fill as we continue to add machines, automate equipment, and require skilled team members to work in our facility,” said Cody Dawson, Assistant Plant Manager at Waupaca Foundry, Perry County’s largest employer. Dawson went on to say, “At this point, workforce training is not optional; it is essential for the future success of our company as well as our entire community.”

The Perry County Community Foundation is offering a 50% match to any cash donations made to it by August 31, and designated for the Trained and Ready Campaign, Chestnut said.

Anyone who would like to learn more about the program or to make a pledge should contact Lee Chestnut at (812) 547-8377 or by email – lee@pickperry.com.

 

The CBO’s Flawed Infatuation with the Individual Mandate

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 Leaked data, previously undisclosed to the public by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), confirmed that at least 73 percent of the CBO’s projected health insurance coverage “losses” related to healthcare legislation is a direct result of efforts to repeal the individual mandate.

As the two articles by prominent healthcare policy expert Avik Roy included below demonstrate, the CBO projects that any legislation which includes a repeal of the individual mandate will result in at least 16 million Americans making the decision to not purchase insurance, regardless of what else is included.

“By definition, you haven’t been ‘kicked off’ your insurance if the only reason you’re no longer buying it is that the government has stopped fining you.” – Avik Roy

This information provides critical context for the healthcare debate as proponents of Obamacare continue to falsely argue that efforts to repeal and replace the law will “kick” millions of Americans off their insurance. From Roy: “If you’ve read a newspaper or watched cable news in the last month, you’ve probably seen someone say that the Senate GOP health care bill would ‘kick 22 million Americans off of their health insurance.’ But it’s not true.”

COA to determine jurisdiction of fire departments’ annexation, taxation dispute

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Olivia Covington for www.theindianalawyer.com

The jurisdictional fate of an annexation and taxation dispute involving the Allen County auditor and two Fort Wayne-area fire departments now rests with the Indiana Court of Appeals, which must decide whether the facts of the dispute lend the case to review by the trial court or Tax Court.

Judges Edward Najam, Patricia Riley and Cale Bradford hear arguments Wednesday in City of Fort Wayne v. Southwest Allen County Fire Protection District, et al., 02A05-1612-PL-02883. The case can trace as far back as 1987, when the city of Fort Wayne began annexing properties formerly within the jurisdiction of the Southwest Allen County Fire Protection District.

After the series of annexations, James Fenton, counsel for the city, told the judges the city’s fire department began providing fire protection services to the annexed areas, though cooperation between the two departments has led SWFD to continue providing aid in those areas. Despite the annexation, the Allen County auditor’s office continued to allocate tax revenues from the annexed areas to SWFD, the fact that prompted the instant suit.

The judges are not being asked to determine how the tax revenues should be allocated, but instead posed the question of whether the Allen Superior Court had jurisdiction to hear the city’s complaint. According to Allen Superior Judge Craig J. Bobay, the central issues in the city’s case are grounded in tax law, divesting him of jurisdiction to hear the case.

Bobay held the city must first take its complaint to the Department of Local Government Finance, then appeal its case before the Indiana Tax Court if it is not satisfied with the DLGF’s decision. Thomas Bedsole, counsel for SWFD who argued on behalf of his client and the auditor, urged the Indiana Court of Appeals to adopt a similar holding, telling the judges the city must follow the prescribed administrative procedure to resolve the dispute over the allocation of the tax revenues.

Fenton, however, said the instant case is not a dispute over the allocation of tax revenues, but rather is grounded in annexation law. The question in the case, he said, is which properties are in the jurisdiction of which fire department.

Fenton pointed specifically to Indiana Code 36-8-11-22, which holds that, “Any area that is part of a fire protection district and is annexed by a municipality that is not a part of the district ceases to be a part of the fire protection district when the municipality begins to provide fire protection services to the area.” That statute does not deal with any substantial tax law, the attorney said, but rather presents a question of the boundaries of annexation, which is within the jurisdiction of the trial court.

But pointing to the case of State ex. rel. Zoeller v. Aisin USA Manufacturing, Inc., 946 N.E.2d 1148 (Ind. 2011), Bedsole said the city’s complaint does invoke tax law because it involves a predicate issue to the determination of taxes.  The Aisin USA decision held that challenges to “earlier steps in taxation or assessment process arise under the tax laws,” which means that the city’s challenge as to the determination of who receives the tax revenue in question arises under tax law, Bedsole said.

Fenton, however, said the city’s complaint is not a challenge to any preliminary step in the taxation process, but rather is a question of who has fire protection jurisdiction over the annexed areas.

Najam, who said the case seemed to present a question of the proper sequencing of actions, asked Bedsole why the Allen Superior Court couldn’t answer the city’s annexation question, then refer the case to the DLGF to determine the tax consequences of the trial court’s annexation decision.

Bedsole again pointed to existing administrative remedies available through a DLGF appeal, saying the proper course of action would be for the city to directly appeal the allocation of the tax revenues in the annexed areas to the DLGF. Fenton, however, said in his rebuttal that the decision in Austin Lakes Joint Venture v. Avon Utilities, Inc., 648 N.E.2d 641 (Ind. 1995) – which held that if one issue in a case falls within a trial court’s jurisdiction, the court can hear the entire case – allows for the sequencing Najam proposed.

Full oral arguments in the case can be watched here.

Scouts Honor

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 Court Not Slowing Down

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 HENDERSON, Ky. (Thursday, July 27, 2017) — Jon Court, the six-time Ellis Park riding champion and only jockey to win the track title five straight years, got off to a quick start this meet and hasn’t slowed down.
Through the first 13 days of the 31-date meet, Court has won on 10 of his 57 mounts to trail only defending meet-leader Corey Lanerie’s 16 victories. Didiel Osorio, who won the 2015 Ellis title, also has 10 wins. Court is second to Lanerie in purse earnings, $291,289 to $256,704, which includes Court finishing third in Saturday’s Don Bernhardt aboard 74-1 shot Etruscan.
“Things have just come together pretty good,” said Court, who earned his 600th and 601st Ellis Park victories on opening day. “We felt good about coming into the meet. We didn’t have a predominant amount of horses, but we had enough and we picked some right spots — some not so right. It can change any day. So you’ve just got to keep a positive outlook, keep showing up. That’s half the battle.”
What goes into having a big meet?
“Good horses,” Court said. “And good working ethic.”
So it wasn’t coincidence that Court and agent Steve “Big Steve” Krajcir were hunted down shortly after 7 in the morning at Churchill Downs, the jockey working horses for trainers and the agent making his rounds of the barns. Having had a business relationship for some time, the men even worked together in a backstretch interview.
“Good horses, be out in the mornings,” Krajcir said, following up on Court’s answer.
“Dedication. Committed,” Court added.
Krajcir: “Trying to stay loyal to your people.”
Court: “Staying healthy. Being careful on the boat.”
The last comment was a reference to Court fracturing three ribs in a tubing mishap last summer that delayed his start at the Ellis meet.
“I’m just a little careful,” Court, 56, said cheerfully. “I get a little excited in my playtime when I’m skiing and riding a tube with family and friends. I like to recreate pretty hard, too. So I’m being careful and keeping the focus on my job and being healthy.”
Krajcir at this point saw trainer Mark Danner — for whom Court rides the very nice Indiana-bred mare She Mabee Wild — driving by and hollered, “6 o’clock tomorrow, right?” — in reference to an early-morning workout.
Of course, being loyal is no guarantee for success if a stable doesn’t have the right stock.
“You have to ride the ones who aren’t the good horses, the cheaper horses,” Krajcir said. “But you keep riding for them knowing something is going to come back around. You ride that wave when you get some good horses.
“We’re going to ride for our people. And when you good, all of a sudden other people call you. It kind of snowballs. When you start out good, you get a little more business. The phone rings more, and it’s a good thing to have — to be able pick a spot.”
Agreed Court: “Some of the guys rally around you that you haven’t ridden for in years, even decades. You jump up and win a few races for those guys, it just leaves a good feeling with them and they never forget.”
“It’s 7:31, you better go,” Krajcir told Court, ending the conversation with the reminder that the jockey had yet another horse to work.
Bridgmohan spending first summer in Kentucky
Jockey Shaun Bridgmohan for the first time is riding regularly at Ellis Park. In past years, Bridgmohan would go from Churchill Downs’ spring meet to Saratoga, except for the year he rode at Arlington Park before relocating his tack to Kentucky.
Brigmohan has won 3,019 races — including 16 Grade 1 races — and more than $126.7 million in purses in a career dating to 1997. His presence gives the Ellis Park jockeys’ room two former Eclipse Award-winning riders. Bridgmohan was voted North America’s outstanding apprentice in 1998, six years before Brian Hernandez Jr. won the same award.
The decision between Saratoga and Ellis came down to where he could win the most races, Bridgmohan said. Still, the choice was not the no-brainer it is for some riders, because Bridgmohan has a home in Saratoga Springs as well as in the Louisville area. In fact, while he’s riding in Kentucky, his wife and kids are spending the summer in upstate New York.
“I got off to a good start down there,” Bridgmohan said of Ellis Park. “I was going to go where I had my best opportunity, and it just seems like staying home this summer gives me a better chance.”
One of Bridgmohan’s main outfits is Brad Cox, who is Ellis’ meet-leading trainer with a 10-for-20 record. Bridgmohan has won two races for Cox, a $40,000 maiden race and $41,000 allowance race.
“He’s having a phenomenal meet,” Bridgmohan said. “Everything is working out…. I ride the better races and ride some good stock. I think it’s a good place to be, three days a week and obviously you can ship around and go other places. It’s kind of a relaxing summer, not that grind of six days a week like I’m used to at Saratoga — a different pace.”
Bridgmohan said for a Kentucky-based jockey, the chances of landing the mount on a good young horse are at least as good at Ellis Park as they are Saratoga.
“You’ve seen it over the years, not bad stock coming out of Ellis,” he said. “And the stock is definitely getting better and better.”
Bridgmohan’s new agent is Liz Morris, who also handles lining up mounts for Jack Gilligan.
“I’ve always admired her work ethic,” said Bridgmohan, who rode with Morris when both were at Arlington Park in 2005. “I think she does a really good job. She has a good mind for it, too, and obviously works hard at it.”
Morris rode from 2003 into 2008, her last mount and last win coming at Ellis Park. Before riding races, she worked her way up from hot walker to groom to foreman and assistant trainer. But before that, she majored in biology in college with designs on veterinary school.
“I was going to become a horse vet, and decided to be a jockey instead,” she said. “I was introduced to the racetrack from working for a vet. I said, ‘Oh, wow, that’s something I want to do.’ Since I’ve been an athlete since I was 5 and played soccer, I wanted to combine my athleticism with animal cognition, which I thought I’d get from being a vet and I got that more from being a jockey.”
After getting tired of making riding weight with her 5-foot-5 1/2 height, Morris became an agent. “I always wanted to be an agent,” she said. “But it was at my time and pace. I’ve been ‘hustling book’ for about nine years now with various riders all over North America.”
Morris has been in Kentucky since last fall, when she was at the Keeneland sale and a couple of trainers suggested she take Gilligan’s book (racetrack parlance for working as a jockey’s agent). “I watched him ride, liked what I saw,” she said. “He’s 20 years old, and I think he has a big future.”
Gilligan finished third in the Turfway Park winter meet standings with 40 victories and narrowly missed having the earnings title.
“I have a nice balance,” Morris said. “I have a young up-and-coming rider who is eager to please, and I’ve got a nice established rider, a graded-stakes race rider. So I’m very excited about that.”
Upcoming promotions
Friday: Meet the Announcer – Sign up for a chance to meet announcer Jimmy McNerney and hang out in his booth while he calls a race. Contact Brianna Vitt at bvitt@ellisparkracing.com for more information or to sign up. Food Truck Day — July 28 only. Food trucks featuring an array of original food items will be positioned in the parking lot just outside the track.
Saturday: “Making of a Racehorse: Let’s Get Started” – The weekly fan-education program returns every Saturday through August with the goal of showing the public what goes on in the mornings to get horses ready for the afternoon. The free, family-friendly event begins at 7:30 a.m. Central by the starting gate positioned for schooling in the mile chute, with plenty of parking in the south end of the lot. Learn how horses are taught to break from the gate, with kids getting the chance to stand in the gate when its unoccupied. From there we go to the backside for a visit with a changing menu of horsemen and racing officials. This Saturday’s guests: trainer Jason Barkley, apprentice jockey Rayan Gazader and horse identifier Melinda Vest, and of course Ellis starter Scott Jordan. Sponsored by Ellis Park and the Kentucky HBPA. Contact Jennie Rees at tracksidejennie@gmail.com for more information.
“Inside Track with Joey K. and Jimmy Mac” — Join analyst Joe Kristufek and announcer Jimmy McNerney every Saturday at 10:30 a.m. Central in the clubhouse’s second-floor Gardenia Room as they handicap the afternoon’s races. Free with programs, coffee and donuts available to participants. Watching it live on Ellis Park’s Facebook page.
Junior Jockey Club — Kids between 5 and 12 can sign up to be the week’s designated Junior Jockey, serving one race as the honorary paddock judge and telling the jockeys “Riders up!” then watching the race from the winner’s circle. Contact Brianna Vitt at bvitt@ellisparkracing.com for more information or to sign up.
Sunday: Furniture Day, July 30 only. Register for a chance to win a cool piece of furniture after every race. Sponsored by Utley Distributors, Aaron’s Henderson, Business Equipment and Pat Morgan Insurance.
Value Day: Every Sunday enjoy substantial savings on draft beer ($2 for 16 ounces), hotdogs and 12-ounce Coke products ($1.25) and chips and peanuts ($1).
Kids on the Track: Kids 12 and under square off in heats by age group for foot races on the racetrack, the winners getting a pair of jockey goggles and all the fame they can stand. Simply meet in the winner’s circle after the last race every Sunday during the live meet.
Aug. 20 live-money Bluegrass Tournament: Ellis Park is back with a handicapping tournament, this a live-money event presented by AmWager. Entry fee is $500 ($200 to prize money and $300 bankroll), betting minimum of $20 on each of 10 races from Ellis Park’s card and optional races to be announced. Top four finishers get trip to 2018 National Horseplayers Championship in Las Vegas, plus hotel and airfare up to $500. Top 10 finishers earn prize money. Register at www.amwager.com/bluegrasstournament.
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