These fireworks were confiscated from juveniles that were unattended by an adult at the city fireworks display on Riverside Drive. Most of these fireworks are explosive type fireworks. Some are bottle rockets that are uncontrollable. Our Officers confiscated several mortar rounds from one juvenile that did not even have the launching tube with them. If they were tossed they could have potentially severely injured one of our citizens or their small children. Possibly, as a result of these seizures, there was little to no trouble after the city firework show was over. These fireworks were turned over to the Hazardous Device Unit for disposal.
Women’s Golf’s Jacobsen honored as All-American Scholar
University of Southern Indiana Women’s Golf senior Kori Jacobsen (Bedford, Indiana) was honored as a Women’s Collegiate Golf All-American Scholar for 2016-17 by the Women’s Golf Coaches Association Wednesday.
This is the second time that Jacobsen has earned this award, also doing so in 2015. It marks the 14th time that a Screaming Eagle women’s golfer has earned this prestigious award.
The minimum cumulative GPA needed to receive this award is 3.50. Jacobsen was one of 952 women’s collegiate golfers to receive the award and achieved a 3.66 GPA this academic year, majoring in management. She also earned her fourth Academic All-GLVC Award in June.
Jacobsen averaged 83.21 strokes per round for the Eagles in 24 rounds, with a low round of 75 (+3) at the NCAA II East Super Regional. She had a season-best finish of sixth at the Maryville Spring Invitational.
The Jacksonville IceMen Welcomed Their First Ever NHL/AHL Partners
The Jacksonville IceMen welcomed their first ever NHL/AHL partners, the Winnipeg Jets and Manitoba Moose, to the River City at a press conference today at the JAX Chamber offices. When the IceMen take the ice on October 14, their roster will contain some of the top prospects from the Winnipeg organization.
The Winnipeg Jets finished the 2016-17 season with 87 points (40-35-7), fifth in the tough Central Division, just behind eventual Stanley Cup finalist, the Nashville Predators. In recent days, the Jets have boosted their roster adding defenseman Dmitry Kulikov (from Buffalo) and goaltender Steve Mason (from Philadelphia) – two highly rated free agents.
The Winnipeg Jets began their history in the former World Hockey Association featuring one of hockey’s greatest superstars – Bobby Hull, the Golden Jet. The team entered the National Hockey League in 1976. In 1996, the team, without an NHL quality arena was sold and moved to Phoenix, Arizona. In 2011, with a new building, the Atlanta Thrashers were sold to True North Sports and Entertainment and moved to Winnipeg-the Jets were reborn.
The Manitoba Moose began as the Minnesota Moose and moved to Winnipeg for the 1996-97 International Hockey League season, before being accepted in the American Hockey League in 2001. In 2011, when the Moose ownership purchased the NHL Atlanta Thrashers, the Moose were relocated to St. John’s, Newfoundland, before returning to share the Bell MTS Place with their parent, the Winnipeg Jets in 2015.
“We are excited to launch our team with the Winnipeg organization,†said Bob Ohrablo, President of the Jacksonville IceMen. “In addition to a strong commitment to development, the Winnipeg organization has successful ties to our Vice President of Hockey Operations/Head Coach Jason Christie, who has been integral in player development for both the Jets and Moose in the past while accumulating the winningest coaching record in ECHL history.â€
“Our professional sports teams play a major role in our quality of life and there’s been a buzz about the IceMen since the new franchise was announced,†JAX Chamber President and CEO, Daniel Davis said. “We appreciate Winnipeg’s investment in the Jacksonville franchise and we look forward to having a team to call our own right here in Downtown Jacksonville.â€
“We are pleased to embark on our partnership with the Jacksonville IceMen,†said Craig Heisinger, Senior Vice President & Director of Hockey Operations/Assistant General Manager of the Winnipeg Jets. “The commitment the IceMen ownership has to winning on and off the ice has been unquestioned. We have enjoyed a long and successful relationship with their Head Coach Jason Christie and look forward to him continuing to coach our prospects, as well as add to his ECHL record as the winningest coach in ECHL history.â€
Christie accumulated a 547-349-111 record in 14 seasons as an ECHL coach. He has worked with Winnipeg in both Ontario and Tulsa. Among graduates to the NHL for Christie/Jets are: Darcy Kuemper (LA Kings and Minnesota ), Mike Condon (Pittsburgh and Ottawa), JF Berube (Chicago and NYI), Michael Hutchinson (Winnipeg) and Mark Stuart (Winnipeg).
“The Jets name is special here in Jacksonville as our youth hockey teams have chosen to honor the Naval Air Station with the Jets nickname,†added Ohrablo. “Today we bring a part of the NHL Jets organization to Jacksonville, as well as a strong effort to grow the sport of hockey here on the First Coast.â€
The IceMen begin their 72 game season at the Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena on Saturday, October 14 against the Orlando Solar Bears. Season tickets, partial plans, and group tickets are on sale now.
IS IT TRUE JULY 6, 2017
IS IT TRUE that for many decades Henderson Methodist Hospital has been a stable healthcare provider that planned for long term service and success in the Henderson community? …that the CCO Mole #16 alleges during the past several months that several physicians from various specializations are no longer serving the people of Henderson with their services at the Henderson Methodist Hospital?
IS IT TRUE that its common business practice if a medical provider were about to be acquired by another provider and was going through a due diligence period, eliminating the long term liability associated with unneeded full time and part time high wage employees or independent contractors could be part of a plan to enhance the value of the transaction for an impending buyout? …when all is said and done, if a buyout is executed the Board of Directors of the Henderson Methodist Hospital will have to approve the transaction and will be obligated to justify the action to the people of Henderson? …what the future offers for the many hundreds of jobs at one of the largest employers in that community is currently unknown?
IS IT TRUE according to the hospital web site that members of the Henderson Regional Hospital Board of Directors for 2016-2017 are Officers: Mr. Garland W. Certain, Chair,  Mrs. Sally Ann Sugg, Vice Chair, Mr. Phillip Dane Shields, Treasurer, Mr. Hervey Linwood Shannon III, Secretary. Members: Mayor Charles Stephen Austin, Mr. James M. Crafton, Jr., Mr. William Raymond Dibert, Dr. James M. Fellows, Rev. Mark A. Gibbons, Mrs. Susie Givens, Mr. Mike D. Hazelwood, Mr. Paul M. Hendrickson, Dr. Vernon H. Humbert, Jr., Mr. Wayne L. Jenkins,
Mr. James A. Kemp III, Rev. David E. Latham,Mr. Timothy H. Lutz, Mr. James E. Phillips,   Mr. William R. Roberts, Jr., Mr. John R. Sides, Rev. Corey Michael Sweeney II, Mr. Frank Tulipana, Mrs. Cynthia J. Williams, Mr. Laffoon C. Williams, Pastor James C. Wofford
and Mr. Bruce Woodring.
IS IT TRUE that the financial travails of the State of Illinois have been building up over a number of years with no budget and out of control spending?…the stratospheric taxes are also taking a toll on the population and many of the more successful people from Illinois have been voting with their feet?
IS IT TRUE according to the US Census Bureau, 450,000 people on a net basis have left the State of Illinois for greener and less taxing places since 2012?…it is the sort of people that Illinois will miss as taxpayers too because net receivers of social benefits seldom flee the taxman?
IS IT TRUE those who are dependent on taxation for survival tend to stay where the taxes that they don’t pay are high so they can get more free things?…high earning taxpayers on the other hand often take their money and leave for more favorable laws?…Florida on the other hand has welcomed 750,000 new residents to their no income tax refuge from places like Illinois?
IS IT TRUE that on a nationwide basis the economics are looking much better with the official unemployment rate at historical lows and the stock,market,at all time highs?…it should not be forgotten that we do still have 95 Million people of working age who for some reason are choosing not to participate in the workforce?
IS IT TRUE that the percentage of the working age population who are living a life of leisure is at a higher level than during the Great Depression?…with over 10 Million published job openings and 95 Million people not participating we should be doing something to get these people off of the couch and into the workforce?…according to the Kaiser Foundation, 41% of adults who are not disabled are on Medicaid and not working?…13 Million Americans between 18 and 54 are on SSDI or SSI?
IS IT TRUE there are 13 Million people who are eating at the table of the public but who are taking no initiative to provide for themselves?…these 13 Million need to be targeted with an incentive to get into the workforce?…the incentive that has been proven to work is the incentive that in a couple of months the free ride is over?…that will get these able bodied adults to work even if it doesn’t provide a life of leisure?
EDITORS FOOTNOTE: Todays Readers Poll question Is: Do you feel that a legal  agreement was signed that will allow Deaconess Hospital to take over Methodist Hospital  the near future?
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USI’s Historic New Harmony Searching For Cultural Vendors For Annual Global Crossroads Festival
WHAT: 4th annual Global Crossroads Multicultural Festival.
WHY: The University of Southern Indiana and Historic New Harmony are hosting a day-long festival that celebrates the diversity of the Tri-state area, in hopes to build a better region. We are currently accepting applications for vendors to participate in the event. It is completely free to be a vendor. Vendors can expect over about 1,000 customers/visitors to this family-friendly event.
WHO: Vendors who can bring cultural elements to a festival setting: Food trucks, restaurants, musicians, dance performances, fair-trade markets, artists, etc.
WHEN: 11 a.m.- 5 p.m., Saturday, October 14, 2017
WHERE: Ribeyre Center, New Harmony, Indiana
CONTACT: Erin McCracken Merris, Community Engagement Manager, USI Historic New Harmony: emccracken@usi.edu or 812-682-4488
WEB: For more information on the festival or for a link to the vendor app
State challenges COA ruling that suspended death penalty
Dave Stafford for www.theindianalawyer.com
An Indiana Court of Appeals decision that suspended executions in the state violated the separation of powers and resulted in new, unintended burdens that could lead to “dysfunction†in carrying out executions, the state argues in seeking an appeal to the Indiana Supreme Court.
The state on Monday petitioned justices to review a Court of Appeals ruling that held Indiana’s lethal injection formulation that included an untried drug was “void and without effect.†The court ruled that the Department of Correction was bound to enact new lethal-injection protocols under the state’s Administrative Rules and Procedures Act through rulemaking subject to public review and comment, which it did not do.
“While the Court of Appeals opinion purports to effectuate the policy choices of the legislature … it eschewed that legislative judgment and substituted its own,†the state argues in its petition to transfer the case to the Indiana Supreme Court. “This violation of the separation of powers has resulted in confusion in how capital punishment should be administered, potentially enlarged the role of the judiciary in supervising the administration of prisons, and moved Indiana down the wrong path for ensuring a fair and reasonable system of capital punishment.â€
“It appears the state is presenting the same arguments that were previously rejected by the Court of Appeals. We intend to bring that to the attention of the Supreme Court,†said David Frank, a Fort Wayne attorney who represents Roy Lee Ward. The case is Roy Lee Ward v. Robert E. Carter, Jr., Commissioner of the Indiana Department of Correction, and Ron Neal, Superintendent of the Indiana State Prison, in their official capacities, 46A03-1607-PL-1685.
“We think the Court of Appeals made a very persuasive, very sound decision on the black-letter law, and we will ask the Supreme Court to deny transfer so we can move forward on our case on the merits,†Frank said.
A death row inmate, Ward successfully challenged the DOC’s method of execution that had been developed internally without public review. The formulation of a three-drug lethal injection “cocktail†included a drug never tried in a state or federal execution — methohexital (known by the brand name Brevital) — along with pancuronium bromide and potassium chloride.
Ward was sentenced to death in 2007 for the 2001 rape and murder of 15-year-old Stacy Payne in Spencer County. He is one of 12 people on Indiana’s death row at the Indiana State Prison in Michigan City. Indiana currently has no scheduled executions, and the Ward ruling leaves it without a legal means of carrying out the death penalty.
The state argues the DOC has never been held to a public-review standard, even though it has carried out 20 executions under the current death penalty statutes. The state argues I.C. 35-38-6-1(d) says lawmakers wrote that the DOC “may†adopt rules necessary to implement lethal injection. “The legislature’s choice of the permissive language was no accident, and is supported by historical experience and sound public policy,†the petition says.
The COA ruled that the General Assembly specifically exempted certain state agencies from the requirements of rulemaking under ARPA, but it did not specifically exempt the Department of Correction.
A rulemaking requirement would place Indiana closer to California, which the state argues has gone for a decade without enacting a method of execution.
“During that time, the proposed rules have been [held] up in rulemaking or judicial challenges by reluctant government officials, opponents of capital punishment, and death row offenders,†the state argues in its transfer petition. “… Indiana’s General Assembly has never indicated its preference for such dysfunction in our state, and this Court should avoid unnecessarily requiring such an active judicial role for management of the internal affairs of the (DOC) and the Indiana State Prison.â€
The state notes in petitioning for transfer that along with California, Kentucky is the only death penalty state whose courts have found a rulemaking requirement for their methods of execution. Other states that have ruled on the question — Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Missouri, North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and Washington — have found execution protocols are exempt from administrative rulemaking.