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Todays “READERS POLL” question is:  Do you feel its time for Mayor Winnecke to make a public statement concerning the Zoning Appeals Board rejection of an upscale Restaurant-Bar on West Franklin Street?

Please take time and read our newest feature articles entitled “IU WOMEN’S-MENS SWIM AND DIVING TEAMS”.

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Regional administrator Antonio Riley met with business and community leaders to go over details on the city’s designation, which is guaranteed for 10 years. They went over the next steps for moving the project forward, which riley says involves everyone working together toward the same goal.

Riley says, “It says a lot when you see that collaboration in action right? And then you go and say, now we believe that through this effort, we can bring even more focused, targeted vision to that collaboration, and that stood out for Evansville.”

Riley also spoke at the Rotary Club of Evansville’s lunch meeting at Tropicana Evansville.

VA Worker’s Protective Order Against Marine Reversed

Jennifer Nelson for www.theindianalawyer.com

A woman who worked at the Department of Veterans Affairs who obtained a protective order against a patient after he left four notes on her car didn’t prove that the Marine had stalked her and threatened her safety, the Indiana Court of Appeals ruled Tuesday.

C.R. worked at the VA in South Bend and over the course of seven months, found four notes on her car. The court record doesn’t specify what the notes said, but C.R. testified during the protective order hearing that they talked about her physical attributes and creeped her out. She was able to determine that C.V. left the notes after matching up patient appointment dates and knowing that the author was a Marine.

VA Police spoke to C.V. and told him to stop leaving the notes, which he did. C.R. did not press criminal charges, but filed for a protective order. She represented herself and was unable to lay a proper foundation for the admission of the notes or surveillance video. The trial court did, however, grant the protective order, finding she had shown by a preponderance of the evidence that C.V. had stalked her and that he represented a “credible threat” to her safety.

C.V. appealed the May 2016 order, arguing that C.R. failed to present sufficient evidence to support the issuance of the protective order. The Court of Appeals agreed and reversed. Judge Rudolph Pyle cited Maurer v. Cobb-Maurer, 994 N.E.2d 753, 757 (Ind. Ct. App. 2013) in his opinion, in which the appeals court held a man did not stalk his ex-wife because his wife did not produce specific information about the number of emails he sent or any evidence she asked him to stop contacting her.

Pyle noted that C.V.’s contact with C.R. was relatively vague and not constant, and that C.R. did not produce any evidence that she asked C.V. to stop sending her the notes or that he persisted after she asked him to stop.

Pyle also wrote that the nature of C.V.’s contact appeared to be relatively non-threatening – he left her notes in a public place and the dates happened to coincide with his treatment at the VA.

“These factors might not be dispositive under different circumstances. However, because there was no evidence that the contents of the notes were threatening, we cannot conclude that there was sufficient evidence that a reasonable person would have felt terrorized, frightened, intimidated, or threatened by C.V.’s acts under these circumstances.”

Indiana’s King Wins USA Swimming Golden Goggle Award

Indiana University swimmer Lilly King was a big winner at the the 2016 USA Swimming Golden Goggle Awards at the New York Marriott Marquis on Monday night, taking home the award for Breakout Performer of the Year.

In her Olympic debut, the Evansville, Ind. native won Team USA’s first Olympic gold medal in the women’s 100m breaststroke since 2000 in an Olympic record 1:04.93 and added a second gold medal in the 4x100m medley relay.

King wasn’t the only Hoosier nominated on the night, as IU alum Cody Miller was also up for Breakout Performer of the Year after winning a bronze medal in the 100 breaststroke and a gold medal in the 4×100 medley relay in Rio.

IU head swimming coach Ray Looze was one of six nominated for Coach of the Year after serving as an assistant coach for Team USA at the 2016 Summer Olympics.

The Indiana University men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams will be back in action later this month. Some IU swimmers will be participating in the USA Swimming Winter Nationals from Nov. 30 to Dec. 3, while the majority of the swimmers and the IU divers will be participating in the Miami (OH) Invitational on Dec. 1-3.

Be sure to keep up with all the latest news on the Indiana men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams on social media – Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

Sen. Becker Begins New Term, Kicks Off 2017 Budget Session

State Sen. Vaneta Becker (R-Evansville) gathered with fellow legislators today at the Statehouse for Organization Day — the ceremonial start of the 120^th Indiana General Assembly. Becker took the oath of office, officially beginning a new term as the State Senator representing District 50.

Indiana Supreme Court Chief Justice Loretta Rush led the swearing-in ceremony.

Organization Day is marked by the swearing in of new and re-elected General Assembly members as well as the annual first roll call of all state lawmakers. This day also provides each Senate and House of Representatives caucus with the opportunity to organize before session officially reconvenes on Jan. 3.

The 2017 session is a budget year, meaning lawmakers will craft a comprehensive plan to fund state government services for the next two years. By law, the 2017 legislative session must be completed no later than April 29.

“In the upcoming months, I will continue to advocate for economic growth policies that make Indiana a great place to live, work and raise a family,” Becker said. “As the General Assembly crafts the state’s two-year budget, Hoosiers can be assured that I will keep Indiana’s schools and infrastructure a top priority.”

As the 2017 session gets under way, Becker encourages residents of Senate District 50 to contact her with any questions or comments they may have. Becker can be reached via email at Senator.Becker@iga.in.gov or by phone at 1-800-382-9467.