September is National Suicide Prevention Month, and Youth First, Inc. is working to share information and educate teens and others about suicide prevention.

Suicide is the second-leading cause of death among persons 15-24 years old. More Americans die by suicide every year than by homicide, with a suicide occurring every 12.8 minutes.

Youth First is working in our schools to teach students and faculty to spot and report suicide warning signs. In the 2015-2016 school year, Youth First’s Master’s level, highly trained and supervised social workers performed 328 suicide assessments in the 59 schools and 6 counties they served.

Students are taught to look for suicide warning signs as part of Youth First’s Teen Series presented to high school freshmen. The training, Question, Persuade, Refer (QPR), is also sometimes presented as a one-hour workshop to school faculty or community groups.

QPR is a proven program, training participants to provide an emergency response to someone in crisis. It helps students get comfortable with the topic of suicide, ask questions if they think someone might be suicidal, and then tell a responsible adult.

Youth First also trains community members in Mental Health First Aid, an 8-hour course taught nationwide that equips participants to identify, understand and respond to signs of suicide, mental illness and substance use disorders.

The HOPE team, a local group of first responders, provides support to the family and survivors of a person who has committed suicide. The HOPE team is primarily comprised of mental health and law enforcement professionals, including Youth First staff.

The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention lists the following warning signs for suicide:

1. If a person talks about:

• Being a burden to others
• Feeling trapped
• Experiencing unbearable pain
• Having no reason to live
• Killing themselves

2. Specific behavior to look for:

• Increased use of alcohol or drugs
• Looking for a way to kill themselves, such as searching online for materials or means
• Acting recklessly
• Withdrawing from activities
• Isolating from family and friends
• Sleeping too much or too little
• Visiting or calling people to say goodbye
• Giving away prized possessions
• Aggression

3. People who are considering suicide often display one or more of the following moods:

• Depression
• Loss of interest
• Rage
• Irritability
• Humiliation
• Anxiety

4. Suicide risk factors (characteristics or conditions that increase the chance that a person may try to take their life):

• Health factors:

o   Depression

o   Bipolar disorder

o   Schizophrenia

o   Borderline or antisocial personality disorder

o   Conduct disorder

o   Psychotic disorders or psychotic symptoms

o   Anxiety disorders

o   Substance abuse disorders

o   Serious or chronic health conditions and/or pain

• Environmental factors:

o   Stressful life events which may include death, divorce, or job loss

o   Prolonged stress factors which may include harassment, bullying, relationship problems, and unemployment

o   Access to lethal means, including firearms and drugs

o   Exposure to another person’s suicide or graphic or sensationalized accounts of suicide

• Historical factors:

o   Previous suicide attempts

o   Family history of suicide

Where to go for help:

• Youth First Social Workers in your school – see a list at youthfirstinc.org
• 24-hour hotlines:

o   Southwestern Healthcare Suicide Hotline – 812-422-1100

o   Deaconess Crosspointe – 812-476-7200 or 800-947-6789

o   Brentwood Meadows – 812-858-7200

o   National Suicide Prevention Hotline – 800-473-TALK (8255)

o   Crisis Text Line – Text “GO” to 741741 – response by trained volunteers, not professionals

Mayor Asking People To Push Council To Vote On Funding Of “PENGUIN” Exhibit At The Zoo?

For several years the City County Observer and past Council Finance Chairman John Friend CPA have been saying that the City of Evansville is facing major financial challenges because of deficit spending practices and un-necessary political pork barrel projects.

Every time we reported that City Council has a major deficit shortfall concerning the 2016 City Employees Health care budget City Controller Russ Lloyd Jr stated that the city is in sound financial shape. When we question un-necessary spending practices of the City, Finance Chairman Dan McGinn, President Missy Mosby and Jonathan Weaver also declares that the city is in great financial shape.

September 23, 2016 Amended Employee Insurance Health Plan Offer By Mayor Winnecke

On September 23, 2016 Mayor Winnecke gave members of Police and Fire an amended Employee Insurance Health plan offer.  In his new offer he lowered the premiums costs of this plan very little.

The Mayor is now putting a political spin that he has reduced his newly amended City Employee Heath care premium by 35%.  However, is he is failing to mention that his newly admended 2017 Employee Health care package is still about a 300% increase over this years plan.

We predict that Evansville Police and Fire rank and file will be out in force at tonights City Council meeting to publicly object to the Mayor newly amended 2017 Employee Health care plan.

Attached below Is the link to the amended Employee Health care package offer presented to our Fire and Police Department employees by Mayor Winnecke.

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Other Observations Of Tonights City Council Meetings

It look like the Evansville City Council attempt to pass the 2017 budget at tonight meeting will be met with major opposition from taxpayers, not-for profits organizations, rank and file members of the Evansville Fire and Police Departments, Friends of the Zoo who want the plans for $11 million dollar “PENGUIN” exhibit to go forward and members of city appointed boards.

We have been informed by reliable sources that city budgeted $24 million dollars to pay for Employee Health care costs for 2016.  We hear that the city may have a financial shortfall of around $6 million dollars for this year.  It looks like past City Council Finance Chairman John Friend CPA predictions about the 2016 budget shortfall were track on!

The city is now projecting that the Health Care costs in 2017 will be well over $30 million dollars.  According to media reports that Council Vice President Jonathan Weaver, D-At-Large, said the city money situation is in “dire straits.” Finance Chairman Dan McGinn, R-1st Ward, now declares, that the City “can’t afford to pay their medical bills.” It looks like Council President Missy Mosby is in political hiding. We wonder why they didn’t realize this problem last budget year.

We are hearing that Council leadership (McGinn, Mosby and Weaver) and Mayor Winnecke are now talking about moving city funds around so they can pay current and future bills.   Council leadership (McGinn, Mosby and Weaver) and Mayor Winnecke are now planning to raid millions of dollars from the Riverboat Fund, reduce the 2017 Homestead Tax Credit  by 2% and increase the Local Income Tax.

Oh, just in case the Mayor and his City Council leadership team  (McGinn, Mosby and Weaver) would like to know that Mr. Friend is also  predicting that the 2017 budget challenges shall be even greater!

FOOTNOTES:

We find it interesting that Councilman Jonathan Weaver is telling the main stream media the reason why the City of Evansville Health Care fund are experiencing major deficits are because of “OBAMA CARE.”   Isn’t parts of the City of Evansville Health Care fund self funding?

Mayor Winnecke is facing the biggest political challenge of his career.

We predict that Council members Elpers and Hargis will rule the day when they garner the needed votes to reject the funding of the “PENGUIN” exhibit.

We have just heard that the Mayor is on his Facebook page asking people to show up and push Council to vote on funding his proposed “PENGUIN” exhibit at the Zoo?  What this tells us is he is putting “PENGUIN” over the funding of Employee Health Care program for city employees.  All we can say about this is “WOW”!

City Controller Russ Lloyd Jr. budgetary wisdom will be question and challenged after tonights meeting.  Our elected officials will be questioning why Controller Lloyd Jr didn’t warn them earlier about major budget problems.

To approve the proposed 2017 City budget it would require the majority of council members to vote on it.  We are hearing that Council leadership (McGinn, Mosby and Weaver)  and Mayor Winnecke have painted themselves in a political corner concerning the poorly crafting of the proposed 2017 City budget.  It looks like members of City Council are in for a long and stressful evening defending the Council leadership and Mayor Winnecke’s 2017 budget cuts.

Finally, if our elected City Council members would had listened to former City Council Finance Chairman John Friend CPA they wouldn’t be in the financial mess they are in now!

WHATS ON YOUR MIND TODAY?

Todays READERS POLL question is:  Should Council delay spending money on new Zoo exhibits and put money towards Employee Health Care costs?

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SEPTEMBER 26TH, 2016

GRIFFIN GLASSCOCK EVANSVILLE

The Evansville Police Department is searching for a burglary suspect after a woman claims she was thrown to the ground in her home.

The incident happened in the 700 block of E. Columbia street Saturday night.

A woman says she was in the bedroom and heard the back door open. She walked into the kitchen and claims the suspect pushed her to the floor. She hit him in the head with a flashlight, but the suspect kept saying he needed his tool bag.

The offender took off with a phone and bike.

Police are still investigating.

Fighters, survivors, and battle buddies took their message to the street for the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure in Evansville.

The event raises money and awareness for the breast cancer movement. It also celebrates survivorship and honors those who have lost their battle with the disease.

7,600 people participated this year, raising more than $500,000.

Sheila Seiler said, “Of course we’d like to increase that. The more money we raise, the more money that can stay here for the people that we know and love. But also, the more money we cans end to research because we’ve got to find a cure for this disease.”

100% of the net proceeds go towards the mission. 75% of the net income stays in the community to help fund local programs offering breast health education and breast cancer screening and treatment. The remaining 25% supports the Susan G. Komen Grants program.