Home Blog Page 4830

Coffee With A Cop To Be Held on Donut Bank 50th Anniversary

0

The Evansville Police Department will hold it’s monthly Coffee with a Cop at the Donut Bank, located at 1031 E Diamond Ave, tomorrow from 7am to 9am. This Coffee with a Cop is a unique one because it’s being held on Donut Bank’s 50th anniversary. Please come out and visit with several members of our department. We’d love to have a tasty treat and get to know everyone.

Channel 44 Breaking News: Prosecutor’s Office Adds Furry Friend to Help Comfort Victims

0

Prosecutor’s Office Adds Furry Friend to Help Comfort Victims

The Vanderburgh Prosecutor’s Office adds a furry friend to help comfort victims. It’s a therapy service dog to help victims of intimate crimes during, the sometimes, grueling court process. Prosecutor Nick Hermann and Deputy Prosecutor Kelly…

IS IT TRUE JULY 17, 2017

30

IS IT TRUE that U.S. Rep. Larry Bucshon just announced that he will only take written questions at his July 21 Friday night “Town Hall” meeting? …that 8th District congressman’s Bucshon has decided to only answers questions that are submitted to him on cards that are submitted to a moderator? …we find it extremely laughable that the congressmen will require questioners to stand up when their questions are read by the moderator, but he will not give them a microphone to make comments to him?  …holding a “Town Hall” meeting on Friday evening is an obvious way for congressmen Bucshon to discourage his constituents from attending this meeting? …if 8th District Congressmen Bucshon can’t take the political heat he should get out of the political kitchen?

IS IT TRUE that a group of private citizens has formed a group to “Support Those Who Protect Us”?  …that people from all walks of life shall be holding a “Public Safety Appreciation Ceremony” on August 23, 2017 on the steps of the Veteran’s Memorial Coliseum?  …stay turned for additional information concerning this long overdue public event thanking the “Public Service Employees” of Vanderburgh County for doing an outstanding job in protecting us?

IS IT TRUE that the Henderson sized town of Desert Hot Springs, CA that has faced some serious financial challenges recently, has opened a new dog park?…one can debate whether or not this was a wise decision but an interesting thing about this dog park is that it only costed $60,000 to design and install a very state of the art dog park?…if we contrast that with the million dollar plus pooch park that was proposed by the Winnecke Administration for the Roberts Stadium lot, one must ask just how golden the golden retrievers of Evansville think they are?

IS IT TRUE that Mayor Winnecke’s Chief of Staff, Steve Schafer has challenged the study that proclaimed the long violent place called Gary, Indiana to be safer than Evansville on the grounds that assaults in Gary are not being reported?…Mr. Schaefer has done an analysis of the ratio of murders to assault in Gary being unexplainably low?…there is a problem with getting people to testify in places where the police are not well respected so we expect that Mr. Schaefer’s assertion has some merit?…the words “I didn’t see nothing” are the enemy of safe streets and while Evansville does have a problem with finding willing witnesses, we agree with Mr. Schaefer that Gary is benefitting from under-reporting of assaults by its citizens?…that for the time being the official FBI numbers support the assertion that Gary is safer than Evansville?…we don’t believe these “official” numbers any more than we believe the “official” unemployment numbers, or that the Affordable Healthcare Act has made healthcare affordable?…the only certainly with government data these days is that it is certainly gamed to the point of disbelief?

Todays READERS POLL question is: Do you feel that Congressmen Larry Bucshon is insulting his constituents by holding his Town Hall meeting late Friday evening?

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 our advertisers.

 

CHANNEL 44 NEWS: NUMBER OF HOMELESS IN EVANSVILLE DECREASING

0

Number of Homeless in Evansville Decreasing

The results from a court in January show that Evansville has reduced its homeless population from 495 down to 428. City officials credit the steep decline to two main factors: The first factor, is that Evansville was chosen to test the…

Vanderburgh County Seeking State Grants to Fund Key Road Repairs

0

Grants could provide more than $2 million to invest in needed upgrades to local roads

Vanderburgh County Engineer John Stoll and his staff have been working diligently over the past few weeks to submit grant applications for more than $2 million to the Indiana Department of Transportation to help fund 10 key roadway projects throughout the county.

INDOT’S Community Crossings Matching Grant program provides funding to cities, towns, and counties across Indiana so that they may invest in improvements to local roads and bridges. These infrastructure enhancements assist Hoosier communities in driving economic development, creating jobs, and strengthening local transportation networks.

“We’ve directed John and his team to leave no stone unturned in ensuring eligible state dollars come back to Vanderburgh County for road projects,” said Bruce Ungethiem, president of the Vanderburgh County Commission Board. “That’s exactly what his team is doing with these Community Crossing grant applications, and that’s the kind of commitment we want to see on behalf of our local taxpayers’ hard-earned money.”

Stoll said his team identified eligible projects based on input and concerns previously expressed from county residents and businesses.

“These state matching grants can help with a number of key projects, such as replacing the bridge on St. Joseph Avenue between Mill Road and Wimberg Road, which has seen a lot of wear and tear due to the landfill truck traffic that uses that route,” said Stoll.

The grants, if awarded, would also reimburse the county for a portion of the costs of the recently completed paving work on Old Mt. Vernon Road, and assist with funding upcoming paving projects such as Boonville New Harmony Road, Pollack Avenue, Mt. Pleasant Road, Rusher Creek Road, and County Line Road.

Commissioner Ben Shoulders said constituents have mentioned to him some of the concerns these identified areas present to the community, and he’s eager to see if INDOT will select these crucial projects for the matching grants.

“We have some real need, and these are real dollars that can help resolve these immediate concerns,” Shoulders said.

Commissioner Cheryl Musgrave promised her constituents that she will doggedly encourage county officials to leave nothing on the table that could be available for Vanderburgh County residents.

“Matching grants, new gas-tax allocations back to the counties — all of these are going to be crucial to ensuring Vanderburgh County has the best opportunity to attract economic development, and make Evansville and surrounding county communities a place people want to live and do business,” Musgrave added.

INDOT will announce grant awards later this summer.

Trump Administration To Appeal Travel Ban Ruling To Justices

0

Trump Administration To Appeal Travel Ban Ruling To Justices

IL for www.theindianalawyer.com

In another setback for President Donald Trump, a federal judge in Hawaii further weakened the already-diluted travel ban by vastly expanding the list of U.S. family relationships that visitors from six Muslim-majority countries can use to get into the country.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions said Friday that the administration will appeal the ruling to the U.S. Supreme Court, choosing to bypass the San Francisco-based appeals court that has ruled against it and go back to the high court. The justices allowed a scaled-back version of the travel ban to take effect last month and set arguments for October.

The move is the latest volley in the fierce fight over the ban Trump first tried to put in place in January.

The rules are not so much an outright ban as a tightening of tough visa policies affecting citizens from Syria, Sudan, Somalia, Libya, Iran and Yemen. People from those countries who already have visas will be allowed into the U.S.

Only narrow categories of people, including those with relatives named in the ruling, will be considered for new visas. U.S. District Judge Derrick Watson ordered the government not to enforce the ban on grandparents, grandchildren, brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews and cousins of people in the U.S.

“Common sense, for instance, dictates that close family members be defined to include grandparents,” Watson said in his ruling. “Indeed grandparents are the epitome of close family members.”

Watson also ruled that the government may not exclude refugees who have formal assurance and promise of placement services from a resettlement agency in the U.S.

The ruling could bring relief to more than 24,000 refugees who had already been vetted and approved by the United States, resettlement agencies said.

“Many of them had already sold all of their belongings to start their new lives in safety,” said Becca Heller, director of the International Refugee Assistance Project. “This decision gives back hope to so many who would otherwise be stranded indefinitely.”

White House homeland security adviser Tom Bossert told reporters that Trump administration lawyers will closely review the ruling, but it appears broad enough to “cover every refugee.”

Bossert said he does not believe that was the interpretation the U.S. Supreme Court intended when it reinstated the travel ban against those without a “bona fide relationship” with a person or an entity in the U.S.

The justices didn’t define a bona fide relationship but said it could include a close relative, a job offer or admission to a college or university. A relationship created to avoid the ban would not be acceptable, they said.

The Trump administration defined it as those who had a parent, spouse, fiance, son, daughter, son-in-law, daughter-in-law or sibling already in the U.S.

The case came back to Watson when the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that he had the authority to interpret the Supreme Court’s order and block any violation of it. He broadened the definition of what counts as a close relationship.

Hawaii Attorney General Douglas S. Chin, who filed the case for the broader definition, said the court made clear “that the U.S. government may not ignore the scope of the partial travel ban as it sees fit.”

“Family members have been separated and real people have suffered enough,” Chin said in a statement.

Trump has said the policy is a necessary tool for national security and fighting terrorism. His initial travel ban in January set off massive protests at airports nationwide and sparked a sprawling legal fight.

Courts blocked the first ban and the administration’s revised version until the Supreme Court weighed in.

It’s unclear how significantly the new rules have affected or will affect travel. In most of the countries singled out, few people have the means for leisure travel. Those that do already face intensive screenings before receiving visas.

Parratto, Hixon Final at FINA World Championships

0

BUDAPEST, Hungary – Indiana University divers Jessica Parratto and Michael Hixon each made a championship final at the 2017 FINA World Championships on Sunday in Budapest, Hungary.

In the final of the men’s 1-meter dive, Hixon placed fifth in the world with a score of 439.15. Hixon had an incredibly consistent performance in the final, scoring at least 70 points on five of his six dives. The Amherst, Mass. native ended the list with a great dive, scoring an 83.30.

The final was the second of the FINA World Championships for Hixon, who also placed sixth in the 3-meter synchro with partner Sam Dorman on Saturday. Hixon will also compete in the 3-meter dive starting on Wednesday, July 19.

In the women’s 10-meter synchro, Parratto placed sixth overall in the world with a score of 306.96. In the final, Parratto and her partner totaled three dives with scores better than 67 points.

Parratto will be the next Hoosier diver in action at the 2017 FINA World Championships, as she will compete in the 10-meter platform dive on Tuesday, July 18. Preliminaries will be at 4:00 a.m. ET, with quarterfinals scheduled for 9:30 a.m. ET.

 

State Sen. Glick Gets Probationary Deal In Attorney Discipline Case

0

State Sen. Glick Gets Probationary Deal In Attorney Discipline Case

Dave Stafford for www.theindianalawyer.com

A northern Indiana state senator who was accused of mishandling 22 estate cases — including several open cases that are decades old — will not be suspended from the practice of law if she abides by conditions imposed by the Indiana Supreme Court, according to an order issued late Thursday.

The disciplinary complaint against Sen. Susan Glick was mitigated by “her making of restitution, her cooperation with the disciplinary process, her remorse, and her recent progress in closing the majority of old estates,” the court said in a unanimous order signed by Chief Justice Loretta Rush. The disciplinary complaint against Glick did not mention any allegations of owed restitution.

Glick, R-LaGrange, is one of seven majority members of the Indiana Senate Judiciary Committee. She also serves on the Senate Corrections and Criminal Law Committee.

The agreement in Glick’s disciplinary case came just one month and one week after the Indiana Supreme Court Disciplinary Commission filed a formal attorney discipline complaint against her. Glick issued a statement Friday through her attorney, James Bell of Paganelli Law Group in Indianapolis.

“Attorneys strive to adhere to a strict code in the practice of law. I am disappointed that I failed to live up to the high professional standards which I have always tried to maintain in over thirty-nine years of practicing law,” Glick said in the statement. “I have cooperated fully with the Disciplinary Commission to resolve this matter, and I deeply regret the inconvenience to my clients and any embarrassment to my fellow practitioners and the members of the legal profession.”

Bell did not immediately respond to questions regarding the amount and nature of the restitution Glick made, or whether Glick is facing any civil actions arising from the cases she is accused of mishandling.

The court suspended Glick for 30 days, all of which is stayed as long as she completes two years of probation and meets performance benchmarks the court outlined in its order. She must apprise the commission within 90 days of the status of seven old estate cases that remained open at the time the disciplinary complaint was filed against her, and she must close those open estates within the two-year probationary term. Failure to do so will result a 30-day suspension without automatic reinstatement.

Glick is accused of multiple violations of the Rules of Professional Conduct in a two-count complaint. In the first count, a co-executor of an estate claims that from September 2013 through February 2014, he made at least 27 attempts to contact Glick by phone or office visits for an update on the estate. The co-executor was typically met by Glick’s response that she “was working on it,” the complaint says, and Glick failed to provide any updates.

It took more than seven years to close that estate after the testator’s death in January 2009. The estate closed in November 2016 — after the commission initially contacted Glick about problems with several of her estate cases. It’s unclear from the complaint when the grievances against Glick were filed with the commission.

The complaint says the estate co-executor had provided Glick checking account information, farm rental information and other documentation on behalf of the estate, but Glick failed to timely file income tax returns or an Indiana inheritance tax return. The complaint says she paid from her own pocket the associated penalties and interest due in those cases.

The commission charges Glick with violating Rule of Professional Conduct 1.3 by failing to act with reasonable diligence on the estate matter; 1.4(3) for failing to keep co-executors reasonably informed about the status of the case; and 1.4(4) for failing to comply with reasonable requests for information from a co-executor.

Under a separate count, the commission accuses Glick “of failing to make reasonable efforts to expedite litigation” in 21 delinquent estate cases, a violation of Rule 3.2.

The commission says it asked Glick on Oct. 24, 2016, about 21 open estate cases dating from 1991 to 2014 in which she was the attorney of record. “As of the date of this complaint, the Respondent has closed 14 of the 21 estates,” the complaint says. All of the cases are in LaGrange Circuit Court.

The seven remaining open cases listed by the commission — those the court has now ordered her to close within two years — date from 1991 to 2012.