IS IT TRUE APRIL 14, 2017

04/14/2017

IS IT TRUE that today we shall examine the claim of “explosive growth” made by Mayor Winnecke in the State of the City address with references from the United States census?…we will start by visiting just what “explosive growth” is?

IS IT TRUE that Mayor Winnecke brought out a term that hasn’t been associated with Evansville for at least half a century?…the term chosen by our Mayor in the State of the City address to describe what is happening in Evansville was “explosive growth”?…we wonder just what the heck Mayor Winnecke thinks that “explosive growth” means because to any layman in the streets growth of any kind is just not that apparent?…the best definition we could find was to describe explosive growth as “an abrupt positive change of significant magnitude”?…in order to examine the growth that may have occurred we consulted the federal governments repository for such information?…that is the website for the United States Census that has official 2010 counts and approximations from 2015?…the following data is for a FIVE YEAR PERIOD?

IS IT TRUE that the population of the City of Evansville actually shrunk from 2010 to 2015 by 0.1% from 120,081 to 119,943?…when it comes to population the growth is negative which is more associated with the term implosive than it is with explosive?…in spite of the pollyanaish claim of explosive growth the reality is that Evansville has less people than it did 70 years ago by roughly 25,000 people and if it were not for annexation the number of the loss would approach 40,000?…that over and over the numbers associated with the economics in Evansville display nothing that could be considered to be anything other than tepid growth or negative growth?…income is stagnant, housing values have not increased significantly for 20 years, the labor participation rate languishes in the low 62% range! and while the “misery index” has improved, we are still in the bottom quartile?

IS IT TRUE that it is a well known fact that the highly touted crown jewel of downtown Evansville, Ford Center is losing money to the tune of $9 Million per year below what former Evansville Mayor Weinzapfel’s masters of the universe said it would?…furthermore the plethora of big musical acts that never played Roberts Stadium but would beg to play downtown haven’t?…the number of businesses downtown is still about the same as it was before the Ford Center opened?…that has now been nearly 6 years so the bugs should be worked out of the magic medicine that the traveling medicine show said they planted?…to believe that Evansville is experiencing explosive growth is about as silly as thinking a chicken fat video would shape us all up?…it is delusional to think such things and disingenuous to say such things?

IS IT TRUE that the Hillco Real Estate group is offering all 88 of the HH Gregg Stores inventory and leasehold properties in a public auction?…the entire chain if HH Gregg stores have filed for bankruptcy and are being liquidated rapidly?…the management and owners did try to find a buyer but not one interested party came forth?…HH Gregg came to Evansville into the space formerly occupied by Circuit City which filed for bankruptcy as well?…this is just another of the death march of big box retailers from the marketplace?…the prognosticators on CNBC are projecting that over 8,600 retail stores will close this year in the United States which is more than double the largest number that we have ever seen close in a single year?…we can thank the conveniences brought to us by big online retailers like Amazon?…this will truly be seen as the year that big box retail became obsolete and the malls started to search for other ways to maintain relevance?

FOOTNOTE: Â Todays “READERS POLL” question is: Do you feel that the taxpayers of Evansville should spend another dollar to subside Ice Hockey at the Ford Center?

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Channel 44 News: Another Award Given for Finding Aleah Beckerle

04/14/2017

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Another Award Given for Finding Aleah Beckerle

Cathy Murray, the woman who discovered the body of Aleah Beckerle, receives another financial award this week. United Fidelity Bank and the Bring Aleah Home Fund gave Murray $2,000. Spokesperson for the Beckerle family, Laura Jackson, says…

Dr. Bucshon Applauds Overturning of Abortion Funding Regulation

04/14/2017

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(WASHINGTON, D.C.) â€“Â On Thursday,Â President Donald Trump signed into law H.J. Res. 43, a measure supported by Eighth District Congressman Larry Bucshon, M.D. that overturns a last-minute Obama Administration regulation forcing states to use taxpayer dollars to fund abortion providers.

“This resolution restores statesâ€™ rights and reaffirms our commitment that Americans not be forced to send their hard-earned tax dollars to abortion providers,â€Â said Bucshon.Â â€œI thank President Trump for joining with Congress to move this pro-life victory forward.â€

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Now law, H.J. Res. 43 empowers states like Indiana to determine how best to allocate Title X funds and ensure the resources go to health care providers that offer essential services to patients, but do not perform abortions.

The resolution is a part of an effort by Congress to exercise its authority under the Congressional Review Act (CRA) to roll back onerous regulations set forth at the end of the Obama Administration.

Under the Congressional Review Act â€“ a law passed in 1996 that established special congressional procedures for disapproving regulatory actions issued by federal agencies â€“ Congress can roll back regulations by a simple majority in both chambers of Congress and a signature by the President.

H.J. Res 43 is the thirteenth measure signed into law by President Trump under the Congressional Review Act. A full list can be accessedÂ here.

Evansville Bar Association Statement on Funding Cuts By Trump Administration

04/14/2017

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Evansville Bar Association Statement on Funding Cuts By Trump Administration

The Trump Administration plans to eliminate federal funding for the Legal Services Corporation (LSC).Â This threatens the legal services in the Evansville, Indiana community, and is inconsistent with the Hoosier way of life.

The Evansville Bar Association believes in the elevation of the standing and dignity of the profession of law.Â Stripping the LSC, and in turn groups that provide legal services because of the LSC, lowers the standing and dignity of the profession.

The LSC assists and represents victims of domestic abuse, those with mental health issues, the physically disabled, the elderly, veterans and others who simply cannot afford legal services.Â Such a concept is very much an Evansville, Southern Indiana and Hoosier value.Â In fact, it is an American value.Â Â In the past five years, the Evansville office of Indiana Legal Services, which provides legal help in the eleven counties in southwest Indiana, closed 50,633 matters.Â In other words, it handled that many cases.Â Tens of thousands of the regionâ€™s most vulnerable residents received help with domestic violence matters, housing disputes, debt and consumer fraud cases, and health care access.

Our bar association lawyers donate time, talent and financial assistance year after year to our local legal services organizations.Â However, this is not enough to meet the vast and critical needs of our community members who need legal assistance.Â As a result, funding from Congress makes up the gap and ensures at least some of our needy and often poverty stricken residents can obtain the legal services they require.

The Evansville Bar Association has a longstanding history, dating back to its 1911 roots, of support for civil legal aid, which helps ensure access to justice.Â Â Access to justice is for all.Â The Evansville Bar Association opposes stripping the LSC funding.

Link to Local Death List

04/14/2017

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Death List WK 4-13-17

Air Quality Forecast

04/14/2017

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Air quality forecasts for Evansville and Vanderburgh County are providedÂ as a public service.Â They are best estimates ofÂ predicted pollution levels that can be used as a guide so people can modify their activities and reduce their exposure to air quality conditionsÂ thatÂ may affect their health.Â 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).Â When atmospheric conditions are uncertain or favorÂ pollution levels above theÂ National Ambient Air Quality Standards, forecasts are made on a daily basis.

Ozone forecasts are available from mid-April through September 30^th.Â Fine particulate (PM2.5) forecasts are available year round.

	Thursday April 13	Friday April 14	Saturday April 15	Sunday April 16	Monday April 17
Fine Particulate (0-23Â CST avg) Air Quality Index	good	good	good	good	moderate
Ozone Air Quality Index	moderate	moderate	moderate	good	good
Ozone (peak 8-hr avg) (expected)	NA*	NA*	NA*	NA*	NA*

Air Quality Action Days

Ozone AlertsÂ are issued by the Evansville EPA when maximum ozone readings averaged over a period ofÂ eight hours are forecasted to reachÂ 71 parts per billion (ppb), or unhealthy for sensitive groups on the USEPAÂ Air Quality IndexÂ scale.

Particulate AlertsÂ are issued by the Evansville EPA when PM2.5 readings averagedÂ over the period of midnight to midnight are forecasted to reach 35Â micrograms per meter cubed (Âµg/m³).

Current conditionsÂ ofÂ OZONEÂ andÂ FINE PARTICULATE MATTERÂ are available in near real-time on the Indiana Department of Environment Management’s website.

National and regional maps of current conditionsÂ are available throughÂ USEPA AIRNow.

â€œLeading by Exampleâ€ Topic of Ivy Tech/Banterra Annual Speaker Series at Ivy Tech Community College

04/14/2017

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The 2017 Schools of Business and Computing and Informatics Speaker Series at Ivy Tech Community College Southwest culminates April 19 with Guest Speaker Bo Drake, workforce alignment executive at Ivy Tech Southwest presenting the keynote address, â€œLeading by Example.â€ It is free and open to the public and will take place at 6 p.m. in Room 344 at Ivy Tech, 3501 N. First Avenue. The event, which features three different events, is sponsored by Banterra Bank.

Drake came to Southwest Indiana in 2013 to serve as executive director of Corporate College, (now Workforce Alignment) for Ivy Tech. Charged with serving employers throughout the region, he and his team have brought about significant growth. He has helped the college secure more than $2 million in grants and donations and has begun several programs to serve the workforce development needs in the community.

Previously, Drake was employed by Nationwide Insurance in Columbus, Ohio, where he served as a consultant in Mergers and Acquisitions. At Nationwide, he was responsible for training, coaching, and consulting with agency owners and sales managers in multiple states. He consulted on projects totaling more than $50 million and performed extensive financial analysis and forecasting.Â Drake also worked with the Ohio State Bar Association Insurance Agency in Columbus, Ohio, as the director of Insurance, serving the insurance needs of lawyers throughout the state.

He is a board member for the Southwest Indiana Chamber of Commerce, and serves as chair of the Education Committee. He has served as a volunteer for Junior Achievement and as a committee member for cMOEâ€™s fundraiser, Ignite It!

Drake is an Ivy Tech alumnus with an Associate of Arts degree in business administration. He has a Bachelor of Arts degree in speech communication from Northern Kentucky University and a Masterâ€™s in human services from Liberty University.

A public reception is planned prior to this presentation at 5 p.m. in the foyer area of Vectren Auditorium, on the first floor of Ivy Tech.

GREAT NEW SEATS RELEASED FOR â€œAMERICAN MADEâ€ TOUR FEATURING LEE BRICE & JUSTIN MOORE IN EVANSVILLE

04/14/2017

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With the finalization of production for the upcoming Lee Brice & Justin Moore â€œAmerican Madeâ€ Tour in Evansville, organizers have just announced the release of a limited number of high demand Great New Seats. If you have been waiting for great seats to become available, now is the time to act as these seats are expected to sell quickly.

Lee Brice with his hit singles, â€œI Drive Your Truckâ€ and â€œI Donâ€™t Danceâ€ joins Justin Moore and his hit singles including â€œSomebody Else Willâ€ and â€œSmall Town USAâ€ and many more. Moore and Brice will be joined by Special Guest Brett Young at Ford Center on Friday, April 21.

Southwest Indiana STEM at USI hosts Regional SeaPerch competition

04/14/2017

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The Southwest Indiana STEM (SwISTEM) Resource Center in the Pott College of Science, Engineering, and Education at the University of Southern Indiana will host this yearâ€™s USI Regional SeaPerch Challenge â€“ a district-wide one-day design competition from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday, April 22 at the Mount Vernon Junior High School Natatorium.

SeaPerch is an innovative underwater robotics program that trains teachers to teach their students how to build an underwater Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) in an in-school or out-of-school setting. Students build the ROV from a kit comprised of low-cost, easily accessible parts, following a curriculum that teaches basic engineering and science concepts with a marine engineering theme.

The challenge fosters an end goal, rewards sportsmanship, spirit and presentation skills, as well as mastery of the concepts. The goal is to engage and inspire young people by exposing them to exciting, hands-on, and mentor-based programs that build science, engineering and technology skills, while at the same time fostering self-confidence and life skills.

The program is designed to take students out of the traditional classroom environment and give them an opportunity to learn about science and engineering in a way that is fun and exciting. It teaches teamwork and the scientific process while building teamwork and inspiring young minds. The main goal is to instill a love of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) in students.

Up to 36 teams of third-through 12th-graders from 18 different organizations will compete in theÂ USI Regional SeaPerch ChallengeÂ this year. Teams will check in from 8:30 a.m. to noon. An award ceremony will follow at 1 p.m. in the Natatorium. The teams that competed in the 2017 USI Regional SeaPerch Challenge will advance to the National SeaPerch Challenge May 19-20 at the Georgia Tech Aquatics Center, home of the water events held during the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta.

For more information about SeaPerch, visitÂ www.seaperch.org.