Home Blog Page 5641

Are People Turning Against The “Two Party System At Last?”‏

1

HORNING v. STATE OF INDIANA challenges discriminatory laws that grant special powers, immunities, access, money and rights to the Democratic and Republican parties, at the expense of all other parties and individuals.

This is the core issue behind most others today. Whether it’s the injustice of “Super Delegates,” the campaign donation/ legislative payback system that promotes corporate corruption, endless war and infinite debt, or the whole notion that corporations have human rights; it all starts with laws that elevate the partisan cronies above the rest of us.

By their nature, ballot access laws limit voters’ choices on Election Day. Ballot access laws proliferated in the 1930’s to suppress the surge in Socialist Party votes, and again in the 1970’s through 80’s to combat what came to be called, “third parties.” Partisan judges encouraged this preferential treatment by calling it “stare decisis” such that, today, most people think that our “Two Party System” is legal, moral, and what the founders intended all along.

In fact our founders warned us against the entrenchment of parties, and wrote parts of our constitutions to protect us against their inherent corruption. American citizens have become so disenfranchised by the corruption in our government that they are turning toward those they think are “outsiders,” or abstaining from voting entirely. Happily, this is having an effect on the courts.

On January 27, the Constitution Party won its case against Missouri’s county ballot access laws. Just last week, the Libertarian Party of Illinois won its case against the “full slate law.” But no recent reversals addressed the core issue that human beings have been separated into classes; and that individual humans are in the lowest class, below even the smallest corporate entities/political parties.

The timing is right to stop hacking at the fast-growing branches of our problems, and strike at the root. All citizens must be equal under the law at long last. The constitutions demand it, citizens are coming to demand it, and that is the substance of HORNING v. STATE OF INDIANA.

Contact:
Andrew Horning
cell: (812) 585-0545
andrewhorning@hotmail.com

Faced With Staggering Backlogs of Rape Kits, States Change Testing, Investigations

0

Faced With Staggering Backlogs of Rape Kits, States Change Testing, Investigations

Seeking to secure justice for thousands of rape victims, about 20 states are moving to test a backlog of unexamined rape kits found in storage rooms in police departments across the country — and change the rules for how rape cases are handled in the future.

Some states, including Colorado, Illinois, Ohio and Texas, already have passed laws that require that old kits be tested, and have seen charges brought against suspects as a result. In several states, including Michigan and Tennessee, law enforcement agencies face new time limits for submitting rape kits for testing. In others, law enforcement agencies were ordered to make a full count of their backlogged kits before state officials decide how to go about testing them.

This year, Arizona, Hawaii, New Hampshire and New York are considering bills that would require an inventory of backlogged rape kits. Oregon is considering legislation that would require testing the old kits, and Massachusetts, New Jersey and Rhode Island are considering bills that would require both, according to the Joyful Heart Foundation, a nonprofit founded by actress Mariska Hargitay of the Law and Order: Special Victims Unit television program and which advocates for the testing of all rape kits.

The goal of all the legislation is to ensure that forensic evidence in the kits, such as DNA that is collected from victims in an invasive process that can last four to six hours, is promptly and properly tested to help identify and prosecute suspected rapists. The DNA evidence is placed in an FBI database so that it can be compared to that of criminals and suspects who’ve had theirs taken.

“For someone to have survived a rape, reported it to police, and endured the invasive evidence collection, only to have it sit in an evidence room untested — I find that appalling,” said state Rep. Janet Adkins, a Florida Republican who is sponsoring a bill that would require faster testing of new rape kits.

The exact number of untested rape kits across the country is not known, but indications are it’s staggering. The Joyful Heart Foundation initially documented about 140,000 kits in the 27 states for which it has data. But Ilse Knecht, the group’s policy director, said old kits are continuously being discovered. Last week, for instance, Honolulu police officials said they had a backlog of 1,500 rape kits dating back more than a decade. Florida officials said in January that nearly 13,500 untested kits had been found across the state.

“We don’t really have a figure for how many kits there are, and that’s a symptom of the problem,” Knecht said.

Backlogs often grew over the years because testing is expensive and labs with limited capacity can be forced to address some cases over others. Older kits piled up because evidence collected in the 1980s was used to run blood tests — something that happened only when there was a suspect to compare it with.

Advocates for rape survivors say the kits also piled up because rape cases weren’t investigated seriously. “The bigger problem is not that they chose not to test the kit but that they chose not to investigate the case,” said Rebecca Campbell, a professor at Michigan State University who helped Detroit assess its backlog.

While many states have intensified their efforts to deal with their backlogs since discovering them, investigators and prosecutors stress that testing the kits can be meaningless without police following up on them.

“Some people are just testing the kits, and I don’t get that approach at all,” said Kym Worthy, Wayne County, Michigan, prosecutor, which had a backlog of 11,000 in 2009, much of which was from Detroit. “It’s great to test the kits and it puts information in the [FBI] database, but it does nothing for justice.”

Testing Pays Off
So far, just Colorado and Illinois have cleared their backlogs.

But some cities have taken action. Detroit and Houston began testing kits as part of a federal National Institute of Justice program that required them to study how the backlogs were created and how to avoid them in the future.

The cities sent the kits to private labs for testing because state or local police labs were overburdened. Houston spent $4.4 million to send its backlog of 6,600 kits — some of which dated to the 1980s — to two private labs in 2013. When the testing was completed, comparisons with the FBI database that contains DNA profiles of more than 12 million offenders and suspects led to 66 new charges. The results also helped police confirm 132 previous arrests that were made without DNA evidence.

Detroit, which received $7 million from the state to test its backlog, has seen the number of untested kits drop from roughly 11,000 to 1,000, according to the Wayne County prosecutor’s office. The kits helped identify 729 suspects and ultimately led to 36 convictions.

By testing the kits and entering the results into the FBI’s database, police aren’t just coming up with new suspects in old cases — they’re connecting them to cases in other states and jurisdictions and mapping out the paths of serial rapists. “Rape kits in just one city and one county have tentacles in 39 other states,” Worthy said.

When Detroit first decided to test its backlog, Campbell of Michigan State University said some people involved with the project were uncertain whether they should test kits that were beyond the statute of limitations. The state eliminated the statute of limitations for rape in 2001. But for most cases older than that, prosecutors had six years in which to bring charges. There also were questions about whether it made sense to test kits in cases in which a victim knew her attacker or focus instead on “stranger rape” kits.

Testing of the first 2,000 kits in Detroit showed why it’s important to test all the kits, Campbell said. There were just as many hits on the FBI database in older cases as in newer ones, and the kits from acquaintance rapes got just as many matches as stranger rape cases. Just because a rapist is known to the victim, doesn’t mean it’s not worth checking to see if he was responsible for other crimes, Campbell said.

Looking Back vs. Looking Forward
Many states that want to reduce their backlog start with an inventory of police vaults and evidence rooms, which the New York Legislature is considering requiring.

Assemblywoman Linda Rosenthal, a Democrat who sponsored the New York bill, said it’s important to understand the scope of the problem to decide how to fix it. Texas required a count in 2011, and, after about 20,000 kits were found, the Legislature in 2013 set aside nearly $11 million for testing.

Audits can help states decide whether they can handle the tests within state labs or need to contract with a private lab, where it can cost $500 to $1,500 to test a kit. Colorado spent $2.7 million to test its 3,500 backlogged kits in private labs.

States also are acting to ensure new backlogs don’t occur.

Michigan passed legislation that gives police 14 days to get kits to the lab and requires labs to test the kits within three months, as long as they have sufficient staff to do so.

Colorado mandates that all new kits be tested, with law enforcement required to submit them to the state lab within 21 days. It’s something Janet Girten with the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, which tests the kits, said is essential for making sure the state never has “a backlog of kits unanalyzed in law enforcement vaults.”

But the mandate also creates three to four times the workload the lab had when police departments sent kits on a case-by-case basis, Girten said. To help deal with that, the state set aside $5 million annually for the lab to hire 16 more scientists.

Last year, Tennessee passed a bill that gives law enforcement 60 days to submit a kit for testing and requires a state task force to come up with a new policy on investigating rape cases.

Other states are considering similar legislation this year. A Florida bill, for instance, would give law enforcement 30 days to submit a kit to a lab, and labs would have 120 days to test it. A Kentucky bill would give law enforcement 30 days to submit the kit, but it puts more pressure on labs to speed up testing over time. Labs would need a 90-day average testing time by 2018 and a 60-day average turnaround by 2020.

Beyond the Lab
Investigators, prosecutors and victims’ advocates say that while testing rape kits is important, more needs to happen to bring justice in cases of rape.

Both Cleveland and Detroit have set aside people to work solely on backlogged cases, using a mix of local, state and federal funds to hire more investigators and prosecutors.

Rick Bell, assistant prosecutor in Cleveland’s Cuyahoga County, said his team spends an average of 40 hours following up on a case once an old kit gets tested. Even with about 25 people looking into old cases in Cleveland, Bell said, it will take years to go through them all. But the investigations have led to 136 convictions, and those people are serving an average of about 10 years, he said.

Support for Victims
The push to get kits tested has also put a spotlight on victims, how they are treated by police and how to give them justice.

Collecting the evidence is very involved and invasive, with victims naked in front of a stranger while their bodies are combed and swabbed for evidence.

“It’s a lengthy exam and hours of questioning when all they really wanted to do was go home and shower,” said Knecht of the Joyful Heart Foundation.

Several police departments have adopted new policies for investigating rapes. In Houston, advocates are available to help guide victims through the justice system and efforts are made to accommodate a victim’s gender preference for an investigator.

Some entities are also looking at ways to track the kits. Detroit now has bar codes on all its kits that police can use to monitor them.

Washington is considering a bill that would impose a $4 state tax on people who enter a strip club, with the money used, in part, to pay for a tracking system that the bill’s sponsor, state Rep. Tina Orwall, a Democrat, would like to make accessible to victims. Orwall said the proposal would help the state monitor law enforcement’s progress and is “a great way to be accountable to victims.”

NEWER
Top State Stories 2/17

ESTATE, TAX AND PERSONAL AND BUSINESS PLANNING by Randall Craig

0
ESTATE, TAX AND PERSONAL AND BUSINESS PLANNING by Randall Craig

The information that follows summarizes some of the current issues in the areas of estate, tax and personal and business planning which may be of interest to you. Although this information is accurate and authoritative, it is general in nature and not intended to constitute specific professional advice. For professional advice or more specific information, please contact my office.

SWIRCA & More 2016 Online Auction & Tailgate Party. This wonderful annual auction event will be held on Saturday, February 27, 2016. For those readers who are unable to attend, please consider making a donation to this outstanding organization which provides essential help to people of all ages. Southwestern Indiana Regional Council on Aging (“SWIRCA & More”) provides assistance to children as well as disabled adults and the elderly. Its principal goal is to enhance opportunities for independent living. SWIRCA & More provides a myriad of services which include serving more than 200,000 meals each year in its six-county service area covering Gibson, Perry, Posey, Spencer, Vanderburgh and Warrick counties, screening persons who may require admission to a nursing home to be sure that the need for long-term care exists and that people are not simply being “warehoused” when other arrangements or facilities would be more appropriate, and helping the disabled to circumnavigate the complex processes of the Medicare and Medicaid programs. SWIRCA & More also helps retirees and disabled individuals make choices pertaining to their insurance, including Medicare supplemental coverages and Part D prescription coverage. This is a very short list of only a few of the many services provided by SWIRCA & More. There is virtually no one who will not be impacted by SWIRCA & More at some point in his or her life, and when one considers the aging nature of our population, it is likely that our families will benefit from the efforts of SWIRCA & More staff at several different times during our lives. Please consider this wonderful organization when making decisions about the charities that you intend to support. A donation request letter, including additional information, is enclosed with this newsletter. Tax deductible donations may be made payable to SWIRCA & More and sent to Post Office Box 3938, Evansville, Indiana 47737-3938. Please consult the website of SWIRCA & More www.swirca.org and review the enclosed information accompanying this newsletter.

Importance Of Marital Agreements. The use of prenuptial and postnuptial agreements can be extremely important in the context of asset protection and estate and lifetime planning. Many people erroneously believe that the sole or principal purpose of a prenuptial agreement is to predetermine what will happen in the event of a dissolution of marriage. In fact, important aspects of prenuptial and postnuptial agreements include protecting a spouse’s children in the case of a second marriage and setting the stage for protecting the assets of one spouse in the event that the other spouse requires long term care. During the process of prenuptial agreement planning, the couple will often come to realize that their assets are exposed if one spouse-to-be later requires long term care. While the Medicaid rules disregard the existence of a marital agreement, nevertheless a marital agreement can bring about the process of planning for the

(Continued on Reverse Side)

possibility of requiring long term care and considering various planning arrangements, whether through the utilization of a particular kind of a trust arrangement, or possibly even the purchase of long term care insurance for one or both of the spouses. In my practice, marital agreements are more important for their planning uses and implications than in the context of divorce, particularly since I do not practice in the area of marital dissolutions. In the absence of a prenuptial or postnuptial agreement, when the first spouse dies, the surviving spouse is entitled to a share of the deceased spouse’s estate, sometimes called the “forced share” or an “elective share.” If that marital right is waived, as it will be in most cases, other arrangements can still be put in place to protect the surviving spouse, if desired. Then, should the surviving spouse who may be in a long term care facility not elect the forced share, because he or she has no right to do so, the Medicaid eligibility of the surviving spouse can be protected, or established if not eligible, while avoiding a period of Medicaid ineligibility or the possible dissipation of the predeceasing spouse’s estate. Marital agreements can also be very effective tools for asset protection by defining the specific assets that belong to one or the other spouse, and determining what will happen in the event of transfers between spouses. In a second marriage situation, especially when there are children, and whether or not both spouses are older or one of the spouses is infirm, marital agreement planning is an extremely important aspect of the estate and lifetime planning process.

Another Reminder About Beneficiary Designations. In my practice, I am incessantly confronted with estate plans involving either an inter vivos trust (whether in the form of a revocable living trust or an irrevocable trust) or a trust under a last will and testament in regard to which beneficiary designations have been made inappropriately. Numerous previous articles in my newsletters have addressed such issues in various contexts. Although I have never kept a close count, I would wager that in the vast majority of cases, perhaps as many as 75 percent or more, a person’s or a couple’s beneficiary arrangements pertaining to their life insurance, IRAs and other retirement plans do not comport with the estate planning arrangements that they have set up. In many cases, a trust has been established, and the life insurance should have been designated to pass to the trust or to a specific sub-trust, but in fact the life insurance designation does not even contemplate that it would be paid to a trust, resulting in the life insurance proceeds passing to the wrong beneficiaries or outright directly to beneficiaries when a trust for the beneficiaries was intended. Often the payment will be paid through the estate, necessitating probate steps, when the beneficiary designation could have been named directly to the trust. A beneficiary designation can even be made directly to a trust which will come into existence under a last will and testament, without the life insurance proceeds going through the estate, thereby avoiding probate, even though the trust is a testamentary trust. In the case of IRAs and other retirement plans, the qualified dollars often will be designated to be paid directly to the trust, which in most instances is incorrect unless the beneficiary designation form is designed very carefully. Unfortunately, the vast majority of beneficiary designations are not properly implemented. This article will serve as another reminder, which probably cannot be repeated too often, that in conjunction with your estate planning, please be sure that you are getting proper guidance from your financial and legal advisors regarding the proper implementation of beneficiary designations. Many investment advisors, unfortunately, are more focused on the products that they are working with rather than the plan that the benefits will be funded with, and it is incumbent upon you to check with all of your advisors to be sure that all of the tax, legal and financial implications have been considered. There can be significant tax differences when retirement benefits are paid in the wrong way or to the wrong beneficiary.

Additional Information. Future issues of this Newsletter will address other issues of current interest. Please contact my office with any questions that you might have.

IMAGINE A WORLD WITHOUT VIOLENCE ART EVENT

0
IMAGINE A WORLD WITHOUT VIOLENCE ART EVENT

February is National Teen Dating Violence Prevention and Awareness Month. Join Albion Fellows Bacon Center and Penny Lane for “Imagine a World Without Violence”, an art contest and event to showcase local teen art.

Albion is currently holding an art contest for local youth ages 13-19 with the theme, “Imagine a World Without Violence”. Submission deadline for art is on February 18th. For more information on art contest, check out Albion Fellows Bacon Center’s Facebook page.

On February 21st, Albion Fellows Bacon Center and Penny Lane are partnering together as we celebrate the contest artwork, guest speakers, and have live music from the Band “Selling the War”.

Teen dating violence is a problem of epidemic proportions in our country, our state and our community. Roughly 1.5 million high school boys and girls in the U.S. admit to being intentionally hit or physically harmed in the last year by someone they are romantically involved with. 11.3% of high school students in Indiana reported experiencing dating violence. Teens who suffer dating abuse are at high risk of having long-term consequences like alcoholism, eating disorders, promiscuity, thoughts of suicide, and violent behavior. Only 1/3 of the teens who were involved in an abusive relationship confided in someone about the violence.

Teen dating violence is a problem we can solve and community members can play an essential role. Please join Albion Fellows Bacon Center and Penny Lane on Sunday, February 21st at Penny Lane for IMAGINE A WORLD WITHOUT VIOLENCE.

February 21st, 2016, 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Penny Lane- 600 SE Second Street

Contact: Amy Wilkerson, Albion Fellows Bacon Center
Amy.wilkerson@albionfellowsbacon.org
812-422-9372

THIS WEEKS BIRTHDAYS

0
THIS WEEKS BIRTHDAYS

NEALSON FOSTER

FRANK COLEMAN 

AARON WILSON 

ANDREW SMITH

GARY BUMB

BOB DAVIS

SHERI PAULEY

KAREN O’BRYAN

RIKKI BOND

ANGEL PUTMAN

MARK CLARK

VICKIE COSBY

LAURA BLACKBURN

SCOTT LEFLER

 

Purple Aces Set to Host Wichita State and Missouri State this weekend

0

 

The University of Evansville women’s basketball team will return to action at the Ford Center this weekend, closing out the current three-game homestand with Wichita State on Friday evening and Missouri State on Sunday afternoon.

The Purple Aces (2-21, 1-11 Missouri Valley) are coming off one of their better performances of the season a week ago, falling 66-63 to Southern Illinois. UE shot a scorching 54% from the field in the contest, thanks in large part to the contributions of Camille Coleman, whose 26 points on 10-for-17 shooting netted her the MVC’s Newcomer of the Week award. Sara Dickey chipped in another 17, missing just three shots from the field, but the Salukis’ eight second-half three-pointers ultimately proved to be the difference in the contest.

Dickey, who currently ranks third in school history with 1,528 points, is also third in the Valley this season with a 16.5 points-per-game average.

Kenyia Johnson, who hasn’t been as crucial in recent weeks for UE, will get another crack at Wichita State on Friday after putting the Aces on her back in the first meeting between the two teams earlier this season. The game, which was a 58-50 win for the Shockers, saw Johnson go 8-of-9 from the field for 18 points, five assists, four rebounds and a pair of steals. Her efforts were ultimately all for naught as WSU mounted an impressive comeback and then went 8-for-8 from the free throw line to hold on for the win.

Three-time defending MVC champion WSU enters the weekend with a 6-18 overall record, including a 3-9 mark in conference play. However the team is coming off a victory last time out, halting a four-game skid with a 65-62 decision over Loyola.

On Sunday, Kerri Gasper will be looking to repeat the heroics of a 9-for-10, 22-point outing against Missouri State last month. The freshman almost single-handedly pulled the Aces back into the contest in Springfield, but it proved to be too little, too late as UE fell 77-70.

The Bears (17-8, 10-3 MVC) will take on Southern Illinois Friday, and the team is looking to build off wins against Loyola and Bradley a week ago.

Tipoff from the Ford Center is slated for 7 p.m. on Friday and 1 p.m. on Sunday.

 

NOTES: UE is 21-24 all-time against Wichita State and 12-35 vs. Missouri State … In home contests, the Aces are 13-8 and 9-13, respectively … Shyla McKibbon-Puelston is the next target on the all-time scoring list for Dickey. McKibbon-Puelston entered the UE Athletics Hall of Fame last month, and she finished her Aces career in 2002 with 1,626 career points … Sasha Robinson is six rebounds away from entering UE’s all-time top 10 in the category.

IceMen Travel to Tulsa and Missouri

0

PREVIOUS MEETINGS
This Season:
· TULSA – First ever ECHL meeting out of four.
· MISSOURI – Fourth and fifth meetings out of six.
o 12/02 – Mavericks won 3-0 (in Evansville)
o 1/02 – Mavericks won 4-3, OT (in Evansville)
o 1/26 – Mavericks won 6-5, OT (in Missouri)
Last Season:
· IceMen vs. Tulsa: None
· IceMen vs. Missouri: 1-0-0-0
CHL (2010-12):
· IceMen vs. Tulsa: 3-2-0-0
· IceMen vs. Missouri: 2-4-1-1

THIS WEEK:
· Fri. 2/19 – Evansville at Tulsa (7:05pm) – BOK Center – Tulsa, OK
· Sat. 2/20 – Evansville at Missouri (7:05pm) – Silverstein Eye Centers Arena – Independence, MO
· Sun. 2/21 – Evansville at Missouri (4:05pm) – Silverstein Eye Centers Arena – Independence, MO

UPCOMING HOME GAMES
Fri. 2/26 – Atlanta at Evansville (7:15pm) – Ford Center
Pink the Rink Weekend – Paint the Ice
Sat. 2/27 – Atlanta at Evansville (7:15pm) – Ford Center
Pink the Rink Weekend – Jersey Auction

ON THE ROAD AGAIN
The Evansville IceMen embark on a four-game road trip, after winning three of their last five games and earning points in four straight home contests. The team first travels to Tulsa for the first-ever ECHL meeting with the Oilers at 7:05pm Friday, before facing the Missouri Mavericks Saturday at 7:05pm and Sunday at 4:05pm in Independence, MO. The IceMen finish off the road trip Tuesday in Cincinnati against the Cyclones at 7:35pm EST.

NO STRANGER TO OVERTIME
Three of Evansville’s last five games have been decided in overtime or a shootout. The IceMen defeated Rapid City 2-1 in a shootout February 6 at the Ford Center, and followed it up with a 3-2 overtime win at home against Fort Wayne February 9. Sunday in Evansville, the IceMen dropped a heartbreaker on Heart Night 4-3 late in overtime against Cincinnati. Nine of Evansville’s 47 games have been decided after regulation, including two overtime contests against Missouri, whom the IceMen meet twice this weekend.

HEIR JORDAN
IceMen center Jordan Sims led the team with five points (three goals, two assists) in four games last week, and was nominated for the Sher-Wood Hockey ECHL Player of the Week for the first time in his career. The rookie forward from Fort Wayne, IN had his first career two-goal game Friday in Evansville’s 4-3 win over Kalamazoo and added a goal Sunday in a 4-3 overtime loss to Cincinnati. In 39 games, Sims has 11 goals, 14 assists, and leads the team with a plus-14 rating.

OIL COUNTRY
The IceMen and Oilers last met in the CHL way back on February 17, 2012, with Evansville winning that matchup 4-2. The two teams will play for the first time in the ECHL Friday at 7:05pm at the BOK Center in Tulsa, and will meet three more times this season in Evansville: March 4-5 and April 2. The Oilers are led by goaltender Kevin Carr and rookie forward Dan DeSalvo. Carr is 20-15-2 in 37 appearances and is sixth in the league in goals-against average (2.11), and third in minutes (2,188) and saves (901). DeSalvo has 12 goals in 46 games, and is third among league rookies in assists (30) and points (42).

INDEPENDENCE DAY
The Missouri Mavericks have been the gold standard of the ECHL this season and lead the league in wins (39), points (81), goals for (167) and goals against (101). Their 22-2-0 record at Silverstein Eye Centers Arena is also the best home record in the league. The IceMen will get two chances at redemption Saturday and Sunday, after dropping the first three meetings of the season, the last two in overtime. Evansville’s last win over the Mavericks was a 4-1 tilt January 9, 2015 in Missouri, and was Al Sims’ first win as Head Coach of the IceMen.

PINK THE RINK
The IceMen invite you to Pink the Rink Weekend February 26-27 at the Ford Center! For just $5, purchase the opportunity to paint the name of a loved one on the ice following Friday night’s game. An exclusive ticket special for the weekend includes a goal zone ticket to both Friday and Saturday night’s games and name on the ice for just $35. The IceMen will be wearing specialty jerseys both nights which will be auctioned off Saturday night after the game. All proceeds from the painting of the names and the jersey auction will go to Susan G. Komen Foundation for breast cancer research. Both games start at 7:15 pm against the Atlanta Gladiators. Call 812-421-GOAL (4625) for more information.

MARCH BOOK DRIVE
The IceMen will be hosting a book drive for three games in March. The team will be collecting new or gently used beginner to teen books Friday March 4th and Saturday March 5th when Evansville hosts the Tulsa Oilers and again Sunday March 6th when the IceMen take on the Wichita Thunder. Bookmarks will be handed out for every book donated, and anyone with a bookmark can present it at the Ford Center Ticket Office for a discounted ticket to the IceMen game Wednesday March 9th. All of the books will be donated to Evansville Hangers.

DOMINO’S 4-GAME HAT PACK
Choose any four IceMen home games and get a FREE limited edition IceMen hat and a large 1-topping Domino’s pizza, starting at only $17 per ticket. Call the IceMen front office at 812-421-GOAL (4625) for details.
Visit us at www.evansvilleicemen.com, like us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter @EvvIceMen for more information about your hometown professional hockey team.

PREVIOUS MEETINGS

This Season:

  • TULSA – First ever ECHL meeting out of four.
  • MISSOURI – Fourth and fifth meetings out of six.

o   12/02 –  Mavericks won 3-0 (in Evansville)

o   1/02 –  Mavericks won 4-3, OT (in Evansville)

o   1/26 –  Mavericks won 6-5, OT (in Missouri)

Last Season:

  • IceMen vs. Tulsa:  None
  • IceMen vs. Missouri:   1-0-0-0

CHL (2010-12):

  • IceMen vs. Tulsa:  3-2-0-0
  • IceMen vs. Missouri:   2-4-1-1

 

THIS WEEK:

  • Fri. 2/19 – Evansville at Tulsa (7:05pm) – BOK Center – Tulsa, OK
  • Sat. 2/20 – Evansville at Missouri (7:05pm) – Silverstein Eye Centers Arena – Independence, MO
  • Sun. 2/21 – Evansville at Missouri (4:05pm) – Silverstein Eye Centers Arena – Independence, MO

 

UPCOMING HOME GAMES

Fri. 2/26 – Atlanta at Evansville (7:15pm) – Ford Center

                        Pink the Rink Weekend – Paint the Ice

Sat. 2/27 – Atlanta at Evansville (7:15pm) – Ford Center

                        Pink the Rink Weekend – Jersey Auction

 

 

ON THE ROAD AGAIN

The Evansville IceMen embark on a four-game road trip, after winning three of their last five games and earning points in four straight home contests. The team first travels to Tulsa for the first-ever ECHL meeting with the Oilers at 7:05pm Friday, before facing the Missouri Mavericks Saturday at 7:05pm and Sunday at 4:05pm in Independence, MO. The IceMen finish off the road trip Tuesday in Cincinnati against the Cyclones at 7:35pm EST.

 

NO STRANGER TO OVERTIME

Three of Evansville’s last five games have been decided in overtime or a shootout. The IceMen defeated Rapid City 2-1 in a shootout February 6 at the Ford Center, and followed it up with a 3-2 overtime win at home against Fort Wayne February 9. Sunday in Evansville, the IceMen dropped a heartbreaker on Heart Night 4-3 late in overtime against Cincinnati. Nine of Evansville’s 47 games have been decided after regulation, including two overtime contests against Missouri, whom the IceMen meet twice this weekend.

 

HEIR JORDAN

IceMen center Jordan Sims led the team with five points (three goals, two assists)  in four games last week, and was nominated for theSher-Wood Hockey ECHL Player of the Week for the first time in his career. The rookie forward from Fort Wayne, IN had his first career two-goal game Friday in Evansville’s 4-3 win over Kalamazoo and added a goal Sunday in a 4-3 overtime loss to Cincinnati. In 39 games, Sims has 11 goals, 14 assists, and leads the team with a plus-14 rating.

 

OIL COUNTRY

The IceMen and Oilers last met in the CHL way back on February 17, 2012, with Evansville winning that matchup 4-2. The two teams will play for the first time in the ECHL Friday at 7:05pm at the BOK Center in Tulsa, and will meet three more times this season in Evansville: March 4-5 and April 2. The Oilers are led by goaltender Kevin Carr and rookie forward Dan DeSalvo. Carr is 20-15-2 in 37 appearances and is sixth in the league in goals-against average (2.11), and third in minutes (2,188) and saves (901). DeSalvo has 12 goals in 46 games, and is third among league rookies in assists (30) and points (42).

 

INDEPENDENCE DAY

The Missouri Mavericks have been the gold standard of the ECHL this season and lead the league in wins (39), points (81), goals for (167) and goals against (101). Their 22-2-0 record at Silverstein Eye Centers Arena is also the best home record in the league. The IceMen will get two chances at redemption Saturday and Sunday, after dropping the first three meetings of the season, the last two in overtime. Evansville’s last win over the Mavericks was a 4-1 tilt January 9, 2015 in Missouri, and was Al Sims’ first win as Head Coach of the IceMen.

 

PINK THE RINK

The IceMen invite you to Pink the Rink Weekend February 26-27 at the Ford Center! For just $5, purchase the opportunity to paint the name of a loved one on the ice following Friday night’s game. An exclusive ticket special for the weekend includes a goal zone ticket to both Friday and Saturday night’s games and name on the ice for just $35. The IceMen will be wearing specialty jerseys both nights which will be auctioned off Saturday night after the game. All proceeds from the painting of the names and the jersey auction will go to Susan G. Komen Foundation for breast cancer research.  Both games start at 7:15 pm against the Atlanta Gladiators. Call 812-421-GOAL (4625) for more information.

 

MARCH BOOK DRIVE

The IceMen will be hosting a book drive for three games in March. The team will be collecting new or gently used beginner to teen books Friday March 4th and Saturday March 5th when Evansville hosts the Tulsa Oilers and again Sunday March 6th when the IceMen take on the Wichita Thunder. Bookmarks will be handed out for every book donated, and anyone with a bookmark can present it at the Ford Center Ticket Office for a discounted ticket to the IceMen game Wednesday March 9th.  All of the books will be donated to Evansville Hangers.

 

DOMINO’S 4-GAME HAT PACK

Choose any four IceMen home games and get a FREE limited edition IceMen hat and a large 1-topping Domino’s pizza, starting at only $17 per ticket. Call the IceMen front office at 812-421-GOAL (4625) for details.

Visit us at www.evansvilleicemen.com, like us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter @EvvIceMen for more information about your hometown professional hockey team.

 

VCSO Regional Jail Officers Course Graduates 14 New Officers

0
The Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Office graduated fourteen (14) new confinement officers from the Indiana Law Enforcement Basic Jail Officers Course this past Friday, February 12th, 2016. Officers from Warrick, Spencer, Dubois, Gibson and Vanderburgh counties completed the Basic Jail Officer’s Course.

In 2006, the Indiana Law Enforcement Training Board approved the Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Office as a regional training site for this forty (40) hour course, which is required of all newly hired jail officers during their first year. The new officers were instructed in subjects such as: ethics, tactical communication, report writing, jail operations, physical security, searches, evidence gathering, booking and admissions, blood borne pathogens, cultural awareness, suicide prevention, mental illness and legal issues.

The regional officers returned to their respective agencies this week in order to continue additional facility specific training. Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Office confinement officers will spend the next two weeks attending additional classroom and practical training, which will include topics such as: housing unit supervision, gang identification, defensive and physical tactics, record keeping and practical scenarios.

Upon completion of the classroom training, each new Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Office confinement officer will continue with site specific, classroom instruction and then be assigned to a Field Training Officer (FTO) for an additional ten (10) weeks before being permitted to work alone.

At any given time the Sheriff’s Office houses over 500 inmates and nearly 100 work release participants within the confines of a 156,722 square foot facility. As an Indiana Law Enforcement Academy accredited provider, the Sheriff’s Office accepts applications from outside agencies to attend the Confinement Officer Training School at our facility.

 

 

Governor Pence and DWD Commissioner Steve Braun to Announce Recipients of $11 Million Skill Up Indiana Grant Funds

0

 Governor Mike Pence and Indiana Department of Workforce Development (DWD) Commissioner Steve Braun will announce recipients of the roughly $11 million in Skill UP Indiana grant funds on February 17 at 1:30 p.m. in the History Reference Room of the Indiana State Library. The Skill Up Indiana grant program provides funding to community partnerships to develop training and education programs that align with employer needs. Awardees will use grant funds to equip Hoosiers with the skills necessary to fill the one million jobs projected to be available over the next decade.

WHO:
Governor Mike Pence, DWD Commissioner Steve Braun, and representatives from the recipient groups. 

WHAT:
Awarding of the roughly $11 million in Skill UP Indiana grant funding. 

WHERE:
Indiana State Library, History Reference Room 211
315 West Ohio Street, Indianapolis, IN 46202 

WHEN:
Wednesday, February 17, 2016, 1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.

ABOUT THE SKILL UP INDIANA GRANT:
The Skill Up Indiana grant program provides roughly $11 million to community partnerships to develop training and education programs that align with employer needs. Awarded programs will equip Hoosiers with the skills necessary to fill the one million jobs projected to be available over the next 10 years. Program goals include the development of sector-focused training and education programs for in-demand occupations, curriculum based on necessary skills and competencies as identified by local employers, employability skills (soft skills) instruction that can be utilized across all careers, and work-and-learn opportunities for youth and adult learners. For more information about Skill Up Indiana, please visit: www.in.gov/dwd/skillup.htm.

Adopt A Pet

0

Buddy is a male Alaskan Husky mix! He was found in Boonville and estimated to be about 1 year old. He’s energetic and plays well with other dogs. He’s seeking an active, indoor-only home. His $100 adoption fee includes his neuter, vaccines, and registered microchip! Call (812) 426-2563 or visit www.vhslifesaver.org for adoption information!

1...5,6405,6415,642...7,195Page 5,641 of 7,195