IS IT TRUE APRIL 26,2017
IS IT TRUE at Monday night City Council meeting the  General Manager of the Ford Center, Scott Schoenike stated “that his purpose was not to lose or make money, but to break even, and to bring economic development to downtown Evansville”?  …Schoenike also stated, “If we can break even as a hockey team, the Ford Center is still doing well. But to break even is not what you are in business for, and that is not what most people understand. We are set up to break even in order to bring economic development.† …the Mayor was so impressed with VenuWorks mission statement  on how to make the Ford Center profitable he just renew their contract to manage the Ford Center for an additional 5 years?
IS IT TRUE that Mr. Schoenike’s less-than-convincing presentation caused Council Vice President,  Justin Elpers to interrupt him”  … Mr. Elpers stated “he just want to have a meaningful discussion about the future of hockey at the Ford Centerâ€?  …at the end of the day Mr. Elpers didn’t get a meaningful discussion from Mr. Schoenjke?
IS IT TRUE that a person watching Mr. Schoenike’s presentation  to Council commented, “How are we supposed to believe that one man who owns 10%  of a business is responsible for 100% of the financial losses”?  …the legal agreement between the City and VenuWorks for Professional Management Services states “that all operating expenses of the Franchise shall be deemed an expense of the Facilityâ€? … What does this mean? …it mean that the “Facility†is the City of Evansville?  …according to the agreement It looks like the Evansville taxpayers are responsible for all the operating expenses and losses incurred during the 2016/2017 hockey season?
IS IT TRUEÂ the attorney for former Evansville IceMen owner Ron Geary will be submitting a written request to Council President Missy Mosby asking her to allow Mr. Geary to make a formal presentation to City Council concerning Ice Hockey at the Ford Center? Â …we bet Councilmen Jonathan Weaver wont make any snidely remarks towards Mr. Geary during the presentation? Â … Scott Danks is the attorney for both Mr. Geary and Mr. Weaver alike?
IS IT TRUE that Covance Clinical Development Services has announced plans to close its Evansville laboratory?…the closing is slated to begin with layoffs on approximately July 24th?…There will be more than 100 local people who will be losing their jobs as a result of this shut down?…that is just the beginning because there were many more than 100 people who supplemented their income by participating in the paid studies conducted by Covance?…several people derived their entire income by volunteering for the paid human trials at Covance with some individuals claiming to earn over $40,000 per year?…it is unknown to the CCO whether or not the stipends paid for volunteering were taxable or not?…at any rate it was possible to be a human test specimen and earn more by doing so than the average Evansville employee earns from working a job?…Covance did not state a reason for the closure and made it clear that the affected employees do not have any bumping rights and there is no collective bargaining agreement in place?…the Covance website says the Evansville lab is a clinical research facility and conducts medical research studies on healthy people and those with chronic conditions, including cholesterol, diabetes, and obesity?…one would think that such a place would prosper in Evansville as there are a multitude of people in town who would qualify under these requirements?
IS IT TRUE the multi-use area known as The Promenade has recently brought a couple of businesses into its park?…after many news releases about medical facilities, upscale residential properties, and even a Nordstrom’s, the couple of businesses to actually locate there is a Burger King and Zaxby’s?  … the Promenade is located on prime real estate  development property located on the progressive Eastside of Evansville?
IS IT TRUE one upscale store that will not be coming to The Promenade or anywhere else in Evansville will be the latest casualty of the retail meltdown?…that is the upscale “Bebe’ which just announced that all of their stores will be closed?…the dead retail list just keeps expanding and the last place that anyone should be putting their 401k today is into a mall development?
IS IT TRUE another local leader of things which seek success at the Ford Center has tendered his resignation and is heading out of town.?…Evansville Sports Corporation Executive Director Jason Sands has left his job in Evansville and headed deep in the heart of Fort Worth, Texas for a similar position?…Bob Warren and the staff at the Evansville Convention and Visitors Bureau will manage the position until a new director is hired?…according to Warren they are about to get busy to hire a replacement?…in all fairness Mr. Sands must have been pretty darn good to get the NCAA Division 2 Basketball Elite Eight to sign a four year deal with a location that can’t get 1,000 people to a conference tournament with a home town team in the tourney?
FOOTNOTE: Todays “Readers Poll” question is: Â Are you pleased that City Councilman Justin Elpers requested that the Manager of the Ford Center update Council on the current status of the Thunderbolt hockey team?
CHANNEL 44 NEWS: The Moratorium on The University Parkway Under Advisement
The Moratorium on The University Parkway Under Advisement
The Vanderburgh County Commissioner vote to take the moratorium on The University Parkway under advisement for 30 days, despite passing the moratorium in February. Due to the installation of a sewer along the parkway during the next year,.
“St. Vincent Evansville Foundation” New Name, Same Mission
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Suit Takes Aim At Indiana Religious Charter Schools
Suit Takes Aim At Indiana Religious Charter Schools
Dave Stafford for www.theindianalawyer.com
A Monroe County nonprofit organization has sued the state and a charter school, seeking to block its funding because the group argues that taking tax dollars from public schools for the benefit of private religious institutions violates the Establishment Clause of the U.S. Constitution.
The Indiana Coalition for Public Education of Monroe County and South Central Indiana Inc. on Tuesday sued state education officials and the Seven Oaks Classical School. The K-8 school in Ellettsville opened in 2016 under a charter issued to Grace College in Winona Lake. But while the suit targets Seven Oaks, it also argues more broadly that religious institutions should be restricted from chartering schools that receive public money.
ICPE includes Monroe County public schoolteachers and employees who will be harmed by the diversion of tax dollars to public schools, according to the complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana. The complaint “challenges the constitutionality of portions of the Indiana Charter Schools Act on their face and as applied to the authorization of a charter for Seven Oaks Classical School by Grace College and Seminary.â€
The suit asserts funding for the charter school, part of which is received by Grace College, violates not just the Establishment Clause but also the Indiana Constitution’s prohibition in Article 1, Section 6 against drawing money from the treasury for the benefit of a religious institution. The suit seeks declaratory judgments that sections of the Charter School Act are unconstitutional; that the charter issued to Seven Oaks is invalid; and an injunction blocking state money from being distributed to the school.
Terry English, an attorney member of the board of directors of Seven Oaks, said Tuesday the school had not yet been served with a copy of the suit and would not immediately comment. But English said the school believes it’s on sound legal footing.
“Seven Oaks has followed Indiana law,†he said. “Grace College is an authorizer under Indiana law, and we believe we followed the law in its entirety.â€
“Our chief concern is that Indiana law permits religious institutions like Grace College to decide whether to authorize charter schools,†Cathy Fuentes-Rohwer, chair of ICPE–Monroe County, said in a statement announcing the suit. “Charter schools are taxpayer-supported and take money away from our school corporations, so only state and local officials answerable to the public should be able to authorize them.â€
ICPE said Grace College and Seminary describes itself as an evangelical Christian institution that applies biblical values to its educational mission, emphasizes a biblical worldview, and teaches students to recognize scripture as the inerrant and inspired word of God.
The complaint also challenges a provision in state law that gives up to 3 percent of a charter school’s public funds to the authorizer — in this case, Grace College and Seminary. “That would seem to violate the Indiana Constitution, which says flatly that no money may be drawn from the treasury for the benefit of any religious institution,†lead attorney Alex Tanford, professor emeritus at Indiana University Maurer School of Law, said in the statement.
The suit alleges three counts: that delegating the decision to authorize a charter school to a religious institution violates the Establishment Clause; that providing tax dollars to religious institutions for authorizing charter schools violates the Establishment Clause; and that giving public money to religious institutions violates the Indiana Constitution.
Along with Seven Oaks, the suit names Indiana Superintendent of Public Instruction Jennifer McCormick, who chairs the State Board of Education, as well as James Bentley, executive director of the Indiana Charter School Board. The case is before Chief Judge Jane Magnus-Stinson.
City of Evansville, Vectren Partner For First Universal Solar Project Bringing Renewable Energy To Residents
City of Evansville, Vectren Partner For First Universal Solar Project Bringing Renewable Energy To Residents
City of Evansville, Vectren partner for first universal solar project bringing renewable energy to residents
Evansville, Ind. – Today the City of Evansville (City) announced a joint partnership with Vectren Energy Delivery (Vectren), to construct a two megawatt (MW) solar array on property owned by the City. The $5.5 million dollar project will be located near Oak Hill Cemetery on East Morgan Ave., just east of U.S. 41.
“This is a very exciting time for the City of Evansville and its residents who will benefit from universal solar energy for the first time in the city’s history,†said Evansville Mayor Lloyd Winnecke. “Partnering with Vectren is allowing both entities to respond positively to the public’s interest in local solar energy production, and we are thrilled to host the solar array within our city limits.â€
Vectren will own and operate the solar project to be constructed on approximately 15 acres of land the energy company will lease from the City. Assuming the project receives necessary approval from the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission (IURC), the project should be operational in 2018.
“Embarking on this partnership is among Vectren’s first steps toward diversifying our electric generation portfolio,†said Carl Chapman, Vectren’s chairman, president and CEO. “We are grateful for the opportunity to join the City of Evansville in bringing universal solar energy to our customers.â€
This solar farm will consist of approximately 8,000 ground-mounted fixed-tilt solar panels. The facility will be interconnected to Vectren’s electric distribution system, which powers about 144,000 residential electric customers in Southwest Indiana. This is one of two universal solar projects the utility currently has before the IURC for approval. Vectren South estimates that each 2 MW solar project will generate enough power to supply approximately 300 homes each year.
About Vectren
Vectren Corporation (NYSE: VVC) is an energy holding company headquartered in Evansville, Ind.  Vectren’s energy delivery subsidiaries provide gas and/or electricity to more than 1 million customers in adjoining service territories that cover nearly two-thirds of Indiana and about 20 percent of Ohio, primarily in the west-central area. Vectren’s nonutility subsidiaries and affiliates currently offer energy-related products and services to customers throughout the U.S. These include infrastructure services and energy services. To learn more about Vectren, visit www.vectren.com<http://www.vectren.com>.
Air Quality Forecast Vanderburgh County
Air quality forecasts for Evansville and Vanderburgh County are provided as a public service. They are best estimates of predicted pollution levels that can be used as a guide so people can modify their activities and reduce their exposure to air quality conditions that may affect their health. The forecasts are routinely made available at least a day in advance, and are posted by 10:30 AM Evansville time on Monday (for Tuesday through Thursday) and Thursday (for Friday through Monday). When atmospheric conditions are uncertain or favor pollution levels above the National Ambient Air Quality Standards, forecasts are made on a daily basis.
Ozone forecasts are available from mid-April through September 30th. Fine particulate (PM2.5) forecasts are available year round.
| Monday April 24 |
Tuesday April 25 |
Wednesday April 26 |
Thursday April 27 |
Friday April 28 |
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| Fine Particulate (0-23Â CST avg) Air Quality Index |
good | good | good | good | good |
| Ozone Air Quality Index |
moderate | moderate | good | good | good |
| Ozone (peak 8-hr avg) (expected) |
NA* | NA* | NA* | NA* | NA* |
* Not Available and/or Conditions Uncertain.
Air Quality Action Days
Ozone Alerts are issued by the Evansville EPA when maximum ozone readings averaged over a period of eight hours are forecasted to reach 71 parts per billion (ppb), or unhealthy for sensitive groups on the USEPA Air Quality Index scale.
Particulate Alerts are issued by the Evansville EPA when PM2.5 readings averaged over the period of midnight to midnight are forecasted to reach 35 micrograms per meter cubed (µg/m3).
Current conditions of OZONE and FINE PARTICULATE MATTER are available in near real-time on the Indiana Department of Environment Management’s website.
National and regional maps of current conditions are available through USEPA AIRNow.
Vanderburgh County Republican Party
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Road Funding Bill Heads to Governor’s Desk
Attorney General Curtis Hill Warns Hoosiers of ‘Grandparent Scams’
Attorney General Curtis Hill today is urging Indiana senior citizens to be vigilant as complaints of “grandparent scams†are becoming more common at the Office of the Indiana Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division (CPD).
Seniors, specifically those who have grandchildren, have become primary targets for scammers – and “grandparent scams†are just the latest evidence of this trend. “Grandparent scams†occur when a senior receives a call, email or Facebook message from a scammer claiming to be their high-school- or college-age grandchild, stating that they are in danger or have an emergency. The common thread is a plea for money – often upwards of thousands of dollars. In 2016, the CPD received 90 “grandparent scam†complaints through the first four months of the year. In 2017, however, the CPD has already received 130 complaints regarding “grandparent scams.â€
Scammers will contact a senior posing as the senior’s grandchild, claiming to be on vacation and needing money because they have been arrested, are in the hospital or have been robbed. When the scammer attempts to take advantage of the senior by phone, the scam is especially hard to spot because of the details used by the scammer — often leaving elders confused, scared and worried. The scammer will have done necessary research to present themselves as the senior’s real grandchild. The scammer will know the names of other family members in order to sound more convincing. These details are often pulled from Facebook or online obituaries. The call often occurs in the middle of the night to take advantage of the elder being tired and confused. The caller will sound distressed and panicked.
The scammer then asks the senior to send money – usually many thousands of dollars – to help them get out of jail or pay a hospital bill. The scammer often will ask the senior, or grandparent of the child they are posing as, to wire the money via Western Union or MoneyGram to a friend or attorney. Believing that they are helping their grandchild, the senior will send money — which is often routed to an overseas location. Another method is to ask the elder to purchase gift cards and send the scammer the codes. If the senior falls for the scam and sends something, the scammer, or fake grandchild, will call a second time claiming a new emergency that requires more money.
Because scammers often find their victims using data from online sources such as Facebook, consumers – especially seniors — are urged to review their Facebook privacy settings to ensure information is only shared with their friends and family. If someone calls you claiming to be a family member and asks for money, always verify the request is legitimate before you send money. Hang up the phone and call the family member believed to be requesting this assistance. If you receive a message or email, follow the same steps and call the family member believed to have reached out to you.
Another method is to ask the scammer questions that would be easy for the real grandchild to answer but difficult for a scammer to guess. Even if the scammer claims the situation is an emergency, there is always time to verify the situation before sending any money. Ask specific questions such as “Where did you go to elementary school?†or “Where were we the last time we saw each other?â€
Indiana senior citizens who believe they were targeted by a grandparent scam can call the Attorney General Consumer Protection Division at (800)-382-5516 or (317)-232-6330 or file a complaint at IndianaConsumer.com.