 Bronx is a male American Staffordshire Terrier. That’s one of those “pit bull†type breeds, but Bronx is here to break the stigma! He’s energetic but walks well on a leash, and he’s gotten along well with several other dogs while here at VHS. He was transferred in from Another Chance for Animals and is estimated to be approximately 1 year old. His $100 includes his neuter, microchip, vaccines, and heartworm test. Call (812) 426-2563 or visit www.vhslifesaver.org for adoption details!
COA: Father should have custody of children
Jennifer Nelson for www.theindianaalwyer.com
Children who were afraid of their stepfather and whose behavior changed after their mother remarried should now be in the custody of their father, the Indiana Court of Appeals affirmed Thursday.
Jessica and Brian Robertson have two children, K.R., born in 2006, and C.R., born in 2007. The couple divorced in 2010 and Jessica Robertson was granted custody. She married Damien Terry in October 2014, and friends and family noticed significant changes in the children’s behavior. Terry also monitored their conversations with their father and often told them what to say. Even Jessica Robertson’s family believed it would be in the kids’ best interests to live with their father.
Brian Robertson, who was in the military at the time, asked for custody in February 2015, and a guardian ad litem was appointed. He planned on being discharged by October of that year and would relocate to be near the children. The GAL recommended the children be placed with the father because mother put her husband before the children, Terry was not a proper role model (he had a criminal record and tried to isolate his wife and stepchildren), and it was not in the best interest for the children to remain in mother’s custody.
The trial court ordered father temporary emergency custody until further order of the court, but mother appealed before a final custody modification order had been entered. Upon order of the COA, the trial court issued its final order in January 2016, granting father custody.
Mother appealed, but father claimed she failed to file a timely notice of appeal, since she didn’t appeal after the January order. The appellate judges, relying on In re Adoption of O.R., 16 N.E.3d 971 (Ind. 2014), decided to address the merits of the case. In doing so, they affirmed the trial court’s decision.
The judges agreed mother’s marriage was a substantial change in circumstances relating to the children and that modification of custody in favor of father is in their best interests. The children were afraid of their stepfather; K.R. had previously asked his grandmother to call the police so he wouldn’t have to return to his mother’s house. Terry had also slapped C.H. for laughing at the dinner table and was arrested for driving while suspended when K.R. was in the car.
The case is Jessica Robertson v. Brian Robertson, 54A01-1509-DR-1374.
Indiana Auto Services Firm Growing Headquarters in Downtown Evansville
Indianapolis – Shield Global Partners announced plans today to grow its headquarters in Evansville, where the company will expand to fulfill recently-awarded contracts with General Motors and Mercedes-Benz. As part of its growth, the company plans to create up to 135 new jobs over the next few years.
“With today’s news from Shield Global Partners, it’s clear that Indiana’s pro-growth, low-regulation environment is helping businesses build and expand here in the Hoosier state,†said Governor Mike Pence. “Across the state, Hoosier entrepreneurs and their teams are developing new technologies to help advance economic growth in Indiana. As we look ahead, Indiana is committed to supporting the growth of start-up and scale-up companies like Shield Global Partners by investing $1 billion over the next 10 years to help entrepreneurs find success and create more quality jobs across Indiana.â€
The company will invest $4.15 million to lease and equip a 16,000-square-foot office on the third floor of Innovation Pointe, a high-tech business incubator in Evansville. Shield Global Partners, which provides analytics, appraisals and claim services for leased vehicles involved in automotive accidents, streamlines the process for auto manufacturers’ captives to pursue claims for vehicle damage after accident reports are filed with the police.
Since relocating from its former 2,000-square-foot offices on Burkhardt Road earlier this month, the company has grown to service nearly 2 million vehicles through its Vehicle Monitoring Service, adding new vehicles to its system as they are leased. As part of its growth, the company projects that it will be serving 5 million vehicles traveling on roads across the United States by 2018.
“I chose Evansville to launch Shield due to the success of bringing a previous company’s expansion to the tristate area in 2006,†said Wayne Collins, president and chief executive officer of Shield Global Partners. “From downtown Evansville’s central location to the great talent working in the area, Indiana is the perfect place for us to grow this business.â€
Shield Global Partners, which currently employs 43 associates between its offices in Evansville and Atlanta, Georgia, is currently hiring for claim, collection and adjusting positions. Interested applicants may apply by sending a resume to HR Solutions or calling 812.476.3180.
Founded in 2012, Shield Global Partners is led by Collins, who has 23 years of experience in executive claims management and appraisal development and methodologies. The company’s board of directors includes Paul Halata, the former chief executive officer of Mercedes-Benz, as well as Don Dees, a former general manager of Toyota Motor Manufacturing of Indiana.
The Indiana Economic Development Corporation offered Shield Global Partners LLC up to $800,000 in conditional tax credits and up to $100,000 in training grants based on the company’s job creation plans. These incentives are performance-based, meaning until Hoosiers are hired, the company is not eligible to claim incentives. The city of Evansville approved additional incentives at the request of the Growth Alliance of Greater Evansville.
“I am excited that Shield Global Partners is committed to staying in our community and expanding its operations in downtown Evansville at this new, high-tech headquarters at Innovation Pointe,†said Evansville Mayor Lloyd Winnecke. “The company has grown quickly in a short period of time, and with assistance from the Growth Alliance for Greater Evansville, Shield Global Partners is poised for even greater success in the near future.â€
Shield Global Partners’ news follows Governor Pence’s announcement earlier this month that Indiana plans to invest $1 billion into innovation and entrepreneurship in the state over the next 10 years. Through the initiative, Indiana will work to strengthen and accelerate Hoosier innovation by supporting entrepreneurial cultures and investment in co-working spaces and business incubators like Innovation Pointe in Evansville, leveraging strategic partnerships, and increasing support and capital for start-up and scale-up companies like Shield Global Partners. With the growth of these entrepreneurial companies, Indiana has added 147,800 private sector jobs in just the last three and a half years.
UE Men’s Golf earns GCAA Team Academic Award
Aces notched 3.209 GPA in 2015-16
NORMAN, Okla. – With a cumulative team GPA of 3.209, the University of Evansville men’s golf team earned the Team Academic Award from the Golf Coaches Association of America.
“This is a tremendous honor. I am very proud of what the team was able to do in the classroom,†Purple Aces head coach Jim Hamilton said. “They work very hard on and off the course and their efforts have paid off. Our program always looks to bring in good students and good golfers and these guys epitomize that.â€
The award is given out to teams who have a combined team GPA of 3.0 or better. The men had seven student-athletes finish the 2015-16 school year with at least a 3.0 GPA.
Jon Pick and Will Knights had the top GPA’s for the team. Pick, who is majoring in Management, finished the year with a 3.744 GPA. Graduated senior Will Knights, a Marketing major, also excelled in his studies. He finished his final campaign at UE with a GPA of 3.681.
Cause 2-Year-Olds: It’s More About Development Than Wins;
Twizz Looks At Home On Grass;
Alvarado, Hernandez Tied At Top
Â
 HENDERSON, Ky. (July 29, 2016) — Trainer Mark Casse’s increasingly explosive stable has one win in eight starts overall at Ellis Park this meet. But it is accomplishing the mission of getting experience for its 2-year-olds.Â
The overwhelming majority of Casse’s horses stabled at Churchill Downs this summer during the offseason are 2-year-olds. That includes Debby Oxley’s Minister’s Strike, who in his first start captured Sunday’s third race to give Casse his first win of the meet. But with Casse, it’s all about developing horses. In that regard, the stable is about as happy with the second and pair of thirds it has with the five babies to race so far at Ellis.
“We’re very happy with the Ellis meet. Horses have been running very well,†said David Carroll, the veteran trainer who this spring went to work as an assistant for Casse, a long-time friend. “First-timers have been getting good runs. Mark isn’t too concerned about winning first time out. He’s more concerned with the horse’s education and development. They’re never cranked up 100 percent, but they’re going out there and doing their best, not rushing them off their feet but having them finish up well and move on. It’s a great program, and I love it. Even though we have safety in numbers, each horse is an individual and each horse has its own program.â€
With his son and assistant Norman Casse up at Saratoga, Mark Casse’s Louisville division this summer is overseen by Carroll, who ran the stable’s Keeneland operation in the spring. Carroll has been a fixture in Kentucky racing since opening his own stable in 1992 after working as an exercise rider and assistant to Hall of Famer Shug McGaughey in New York, including being the training rider of champion Easy Goer.
Carroll won Keeneland’s Grade 1 Spinster in 2010 with seven-time stakes-winner Acoma and was third in the 2008 Kentucky Derby and second in the Belmont with Denis of Cork. But training horses is a mercurial game, and Carroll found himself down on horses.
Casse’s stakes horses running in New Orleans would ship into Carroll’s barn at the Fair Grounds. “One thing led to another,†Carroll said. “It just seemed like a great opportunity to be part of something that’s really good. Mark is just going to get bigger and better. He puts so much confidence into you; how could you not want to be part of something big?â€
Carroll said there has been a transition to becoming part of such a big organization — including a lot of time spent on a computer — but he has great admiration for how Casse has set up the operation.
“There’s a lot of horsemanship involved, and that’s where I feel I come into play. It’s all about the horse,†he said, adding with a laugh, “From an organization point of view, the computer, that’s where I have to do extra work. I do a report for Mark every day and tell him what I’d like to do for tomorrow. He’ll say, ‘OK’ or ‘Let’s do this’ or ‘let’s do that.’ There’s great communication. Mark is unbelievable to work for. I didn’t know quite how smart he was until I went to work for him.
“Lovely, lovely horses, great pedigrees. A lot of work and a lot of fun.â€
Casse ranks No. 4 in North American purse earnings this year at $8.59 million; his 118 victories put him at No. 6. Casse’s 16 wins with 2-year-olds in 2016 trail only Steve Asmussen’s 18.
At Ellis, Casse’s five 2-year-old starters match Kenny McPeek for second behind Asmussen’s eight. To show the difference the enhanced purses have made, consider that Casse ran one horse all last year at Ellis.
Twizz might have found a home on grass
Showing there is life after the Kentucky Derby prep wars, the Mike Maker-trained 3-year-old Twizz beat Big Squeeze by a half-length to take an allowance sprint Sunday. It was the grass debut for both colts.
Following an impressive maiden win sprinting at the Fair Grounds, Twizz’s camp took a shot at Keeneland’s Grade 1 Toyota Blue Grass, where the Twirling Candy colt pressed the pace before tiring badly. Back sprinting, Twizz ran well in three tough dirt starts but seems to have found a home on turf.
“Nice horse,†said winning jockey Robby Albarado. “What I liked is that he got passed by a head at the eighth pole and he fought back. I don’t think I hit him the last eighth of a mile.â€
“The great thing about this horse is that he’s never been beaten by a bad horse,†said majority owner Kevin Warner of Lexington. “He got beat by a really good (Bob) Baffert horse (Toews On Ice) in the William Walker Stakes. Then the next time out he got beat by Rated R Superstar, who followed that up with a Grade 3 win. The next time out he got beat by two horses that last fall ran in Keeneland’s Breeders’ Futurity. So he wasn’t getting beat by trash. We wanted to give him a try on the turf, and it worked out well.â€
Warner offered unsolicited praise for the relationship between Ellis Park and Kentucky Downs, which contributed $1.35 million to the Ellis purse account. The Henderson track in turn handed Saturday, Sept. 3, to Kentucky Downs for the all-grass track’s opener.
“For two smaller tracks, to stick together and help one another out, what a great collaboration,†he said. “Those collaborations are good for racing. We need more of them throughout racing across the country, not just in Kentucky. There’s give and take, and it just shows both parties’ willingness to work together. In this day and age, it’s rare. Kentucky Downs could have been just ‘me, me, me.’ Ellis Park could have been just ‘me, me, me.’â€
Albarado’s 3 wins Sunday tie him for riding lead with Hernandez
Minister’s Strike and Twizz helped Albarado to a three-win afternoon Sunday, propelling him into a tie atop the jockey standings with his pal Brian Hernandez Jr. at 10 victories apiece. It is Albarado’s second summer based at Ellis. He says Ellis provides an excellent chance to get mounts on promising young horses and it also keeps him close to home. The jockey’s wife, Paige, on Memorial Day gave birth to their son, Liam. Albarado also has three children by a previous marriage.
Albarado isn’t about total wins but quality of wins. And he says there’s a lot of quality at Ellis this summer.
“Having a good meet,†he said. “It’s live horses and giving them a chance to win, that’s all. It’s good racing. The maiden races are really tough, like I thought they would be, and you have some nice older horses running.â€
Albarado encourages fans to come out Saturday for Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund Day, which raises money for and awareness about the fund that provides financial assistance to about 60 jockeys who suffered catastrophic injuries (mostly paralysis or head injuries) while riding. Among other things, fans can get a pair of goggles signed by jockeys for a $15 donation, with riders signing autographs between races as their schedule allows.
“We’re not on contracts so nothing is guaranteed in our business,†Albarado said. “For affected riders, it’s for the rest of your life. It’s not like it’s going to heal with time; it’s life-changing. It could be me or anyone any day, so I owe it to them to do what we can to raise money.â€
Factoid: There have been 10 races for 2-year-olds so far this Ellis meet. Only Hernandez, with two, has more than one win. No trainer has won more than one 2-year-old race.
Asmussen (7 for 26) retains the overall trainer’s lead with seven victories, two more than Maker (5 for 12) and Chris Richard (5 for 13). The leading owner with three wins is Midwest Thoroughbreds.
Coming attractions
Saturday: “Making of a Racehorse: Let’s get started!†fan education program for behind the scenes at the starting gate, barn visit and meet-and-greet with jockey Didiel Osorio and his agent, Jose Santos Jr. All ages welcome. Starts at 7:30 AM CT, with parking in the southern lot by the Ohio River levee. All afternoon: Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund Day and Ladies’ Day in the Gardenia Room (includes hat and high-heel contest).
Sunday:Â The return of the popular Dollar Days, with hotdogs, water, beer and ice cream sold for $1 every Sunday for the rest of the meet. Also, Military Appreciation Day, presented by Old National Bank.
Monday: The deadline to enter wiener dogs for Ellis’ popular races is Aug 1. Qualifiers are Aug. 20-21, with the finals held Aug. 27. Dogs must be Dachshunds and have proof of current vaccinations. A random drawing will be held to determine 32 participating dogs, plus alternates.
Online registration and more information at http://bit.ly/2ae83nc
For more information, contact Jennie Rees, Ellis Park publicity, at tracksidejennie@gmail.com.Â
JULY 28,16 “READERS FORUM”
WHATS ON YOUR MIND TODAY?
“IS IT TRUE†will be posted on this coming Friday.
Todays READERS POLL question is: DO YOU FEEL THAT REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE FOR GOVERNOR ERIC HOLCOMB SHOULD SELECT STATE AUDITOR SUZANNE CROUCH AS HIS RUNNING MATE?
Please take time and read our newest feature articles entitled “HOT JOBS†and “LOCAL SPORTS†posted in our sections.
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Copyright 2015 City County Observer. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistribute
CHANNEL 44 NEWS
Newburgh Police Chief Resigns
by Britney Taylor
This resignation comes after Chief Brett Sprinkle’s five day suspension. The resignation is effective immediately.
Last Wednesday, the Newburgh Police Commission voted to suspend Chief Sprinkle for five days without pay.
Sprinkle was suspended due to complaints about work performance. He has served as the Police Chief since 2005.
Eric Mitchell will be the acting Police Chief.
Icemen Will Not Get New Arena In Owensboro
The city of Owensboro will not be able to provide a new arena for the Icemen hockey team.
That’s according to a letter from the city to the Icemen organization.
The city says after performing a feasibility study it isn’t possible to build a new arena along Highway 54.
Now it’s back to the original plan for the Icemen to consider buying and renovating the Sportscenter.
The team has until September 30th at 5 p.m. to either accept or terminate the deal.
                Fifth Third Bank Provides Funding For ‘Achieve Your Degree’
Ivy Tech Community College delays payment of tuition until the end of the semester when working with a business that has tuition reimbursement funds available. Chancellor of Ivy Tech Community College Southwest Jonathan Weinzapfel says, “Because community organizations, like these two churches, don’t have tuition reimbursement benefits – Fifth Third Bank’s generosity is making going to college possible for these church members. This funding will pay any gap between what financial aid is available for a student and what the cost of tuition is.â€
Fifth Third Bank is working on establishing internship opportunities with local businesses for students in fields such as technology like Industrial Electrical, Industrial Mechanical, Welding, Machine Tooling, Advanced Automation, and Robotics Technology along with other programs.
Pastor Rabon Turner of New Hope Missionary Baptist Church and Pastor Adrian Brooks of Memorial Baptist Church said they have been recruiting at their churches and there is a significant interest for the opportunity. Both churches will provide mentoring to help students along the way.
To learn more about Achieve Your Degreeâ„¢ and taking advantage of this program, contact 812-429-1430.
More than 760 Tickets Still Unsold With Easter Seals “Cool Car, Cold Cash†Deadline Thursday At Noon.
Ticket Sales Are Lagging As The 2016 Easter Seals “Cool Car, Cold Cash†Fundraiser Nears An End.
The entry deadline is Thursday (July 28) at noon, and only 2,731 of the original 3,500 tickets have been sold for the raffle, which will award a grand prize of a new 2016 Nissan Versa or $15,000, 2nd prize of $5,000 and 3rd prize of $1,000.
Ticket proceeds are essential to fund physical, occupational and speech therapy for local individuals with disabilities at the nonprofit Easter Seals Rehabilitation Center. In 2015, “Cool Car, Cold Cash†raised $99,000, and organizers had set a goal to surpass that amount this year, as the need for therapy underwriting continues to grow. However, ticket sales are now running about 560 tickets behind last year’s total.
“Cool Car, Cold Cash†tickets are $50 each or three for $100.  They are available today (Wed., July 27) 8 a.m.-5 p.m. and tomorrow (Thur., July 28) 8 a.m.-12 noon.  To purchase tickets and help fund life-changing therapy services:
- Call 812-474-2348 or 812-437-2607Â to pay from a checking or savings account (NO credit or debit cards)
- Visit the Easter Seals Rehabilitation Center, 3701 Bellemeade Avenue, Evansville, IN, 47714 to pay with cash, check, money order or debit card (NO credit cards)
The raffle drawing at 12:15 p.m. Thursday at the Easter Seals Rehabilitation Center is open to the public, but ticket buyers do not have to be present to win. Entrants must be at least 18 years old.
Groupie Doll Attracts Deep Group Of Nominations
Honor Thy Father Heads Horses Eligible For Ellis Park Juvenile
Ellis Park’s showcase Aug. 6 racing program is shaping up to be a dandy, based on nominations for the $100,000, Grade 3 Groupie Doll Stakes and the reinstated $75,000 Ellis Park Juvenile.
Nominations closed Saturday and were released Wednesday, with the mile Groupie Doll for fillies and mares attracting 24 nominations and the Ellis Park Juvenile getting 25. While making a horse eligible for a stakes comes with no obligation to actually enter the race, the Groupie Doll promises a very competitive cast, based on trainers who have said they are targeting Ellis’ marquee race.
Likely contenders for the Groupie Doll include Ahh Chocolate (winner of Churchill Downs’ Grade 2 Falls City last fall), Brooklynsway (winner of Keeneland’s Grade 3 Doubledogdare this spring and Indiana Grand’s recent Mari Hulman George), Fioretti (second by a half-length in last year’s Groupie Doll at 20-1 before winning Keeneland’s Grade 2 Thoroughbred Club of America at 17-1), Iowa Distaff winner Innovative Idea, Grade 2 Fleur de Lis third-place finisher Engaginglee and Grade 3 Chicago Handicap runner-up Kathballu.
The Groupie Doll, first run in 1982, has had various names over the years but was best known as the Gardenia. The stakes was renamed last year to honor Groupie Doll, the two-time Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint winner and Eclipse champion trained by Kentucky-based co-owner and breeder Buff Bradley. Groupie Doll herself ran twice in the stakes, winning as a 3-year-old and being upset when coming off a long layoff during her second championship year. Bradley plans to run in the Groupie Doll with Mandy Pope’s Churchill Downs allowance winner Crown D’ Oro making her stakes debut.
Spelling Again, who captured Gulfstream Park’s Grade 2 Princess Rooney to earn an automatic bid to the Breeders’ Cup, is nominated but most likely heading to Saratoga for the Grade 1 Ballerina, said trainer Brad Cox.
“As the heart of the breeding industry, Kentucky generally has a strong population of fillies and mares for whom the graded status can be more important than the purse,†said Ellis Park racing secretary Dan Bork. “We expect the Groupie Doll to be a very solid race between horses who are proven in graded-stakes company and up-and-comers. The unique configuration of a mile around 1 1/2 turns makes it a good fit for both sprinters and horses who might use it as a launching pad to races such as Keeneland’s Grade 1 Spinster.â€
The Ellis Park Juvenile was brought back after being dropped several years ago because of a shortage of entries. The seven-furlong stakes’ nominees include the Kenny McPeek-trained Honor Thy Father, the ultra-impressive 9 3/4-length winner of an off-the-turf mile maiden race July 8 at Ellis; a pair of good-looking winners from leading trainer Steve Asmussen’s barn in Lookin At Lee and Prados Way; the Jinks Fires-trained easy winner Sir Douglas and snappy off-the-turf winner Cardinal Sin for trainer Mike Maker.
Seven fillies were nominated to the Juvenile, including the Churchill Downs’ Racing Club’s Dial Me, who won a maiden race last Saturday at Ellis.
“There’s been a request for a 2-year-old stakes over the past few years, and we’re happy to have it back,†Bork said. “With a lack of 2-year-old dirt stakes in the summer in the Midwest, the Ellis Park Juvenile is well-positioned to send horses on to important 2-year-old races at Churchill Downs and Keeneland, and quite possibly the Breeders’ Cup at Santa Anita.â€
Over the years, the Ellis Park Juvenile has produced horses such as multiple graded-stakes winner Judge T C, champion Boston Harbor and millionaire Grade I winner Request for Parole.
The complete list of nominations and the horses’ past performances for both stakes can be found at this Equibase link http://bit.ly/2aKLAyO