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LINCOLN LOGS by Jim Redwine

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Gavel Gamut By Jim Redwine

LINCOLN LOGS

Last week we were contemplating why tourists should visit Posey County, Indiana. I postulated that our unique history is our main attraction. By coincidence, my friend and Posey County historian, Jerry King, published an excellent article last week on some of Abraham Lincoln’s connections to Posey County.

Jerry and his wife, Marsha, give generously of their knowledge, time, labor and money to preserving Posey County history. They have built a Pioneer Village in Solitude on the banks of Big Creek, five miles north of Mt. Vernon.

Jerry studied log cabin building techniques and has recreated an entire settlement that includes a church, a general store, several other structures and even Abraham Lincoln’s law office. Jerry and Marsha open their village for free to children and adults for history lessons, church services, weddings and an occasional dinner. It has even served as a movie set.

If you are a tourist searching for a Lincoln or Civil War era experience, you can find either or both in Posey County. As Jerry pointed out in his article, Lincoln visited our county several times and had numerous interpersonal connections to Posey County residents. A few things Jerry knew about Lincoln, the Civil War and Posey County, but did not have space to include are set forth below.

For example, if you are looking for the site of a Civil War incursion into Indiana by Confederates, you can visit West Franklin on the banks of the Ohio River near the Vanderburgh County line. On November 08, 1862 Posey County was invaded by members of the Fourth Regiment of the Kentucky cavalry under the command of Col. E.G. Hall. The rebels kidnapped local physician William K. Harris and held him for one week in Kentucky. No blood was shed, but when the Southerners were captured by Union forces and turned over to Posey County authorities, the Circuit Court Judge, William F. Parrett, Jr., refused to afford them prisoner of war status.

Posey County furnished three generals to the Union during the Civil war. One of them, Alvin P. Hovey, went on to become governor of Indiana after the war. All three generals had direct connections to President Lincoln. Hovey and Lincoln read from the same law books furnished by Posey County Judge John Pitcher. General Thomas Pitcher, John’s son, lived close to Lincoln as a boy. General William Harrow rode the law circuit with Lincoln in Illinois before Harrow moved to Posey County. Harrow and Hovey married the James sisters from Mt. Vernon. General Hovey served at Shiloh next to General Lew Wallace of Ben Hur fame. General Pitcher served as the Commandant of West Point after the war.

Hovey was one of the heroes of the siege of Vicksburg. When Hovey was in the thick of the battle at Shiloh and had a moment to reflect he wrote:

“The groans of the wounded and dying fell sadly on the stillness of that gloomy night. Friends and foes seem to be intermingled on one broad field of carnage ….”

Posey County had another close, but tragic connection to Abraham Lincoln through Union private John Ramsey, who was born and died in Posey County. During the War he was assigned to guard duty at Ford’s Theater during a play called Our American Cousin attended by President and Mrs. Lincoln. Ramsey helped carry the President from the theater across the street to the Peterson Boarding House. Lincoln’s blood soaked Ramsey’s uniform. This precious artifact was lost in a fire at the Ramsey home in Posey County.

Perhaps it was Jerry’s article or perhaps because I am writing this on February 12, but Lincoln, the Civil War and Posey County seem right for tourists interested in history. If you visit us, you might experience the same feeling.

SPEED LIMITS by Jim Redwine

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Gavel Gamut

By Jim Redwine

(Week of 22 February 2016)

SPEED LIMITS

The Constitution is viewed by many of us much as we view speed limits, advisory only. You may be thinking I mean that as a criticism. You would be incorrect. We apply the term genius liberally. However, it was true genius that the Constitution would remain relevant regardless of changing times.

James Madison, et. al., devised a tool that would apply to events unimaginable in 1789. Our obligation, just as it has been the duty of those generations before us, is to properly use the tool. When a job changes mid-term and our existing implements are not suitable, we should not give up on the job but modify our approach or, perhaps, adjust or replace our tools. Since 1789 we have done this many times.

Changing our Constitution is rightly a cumbersome process. Bringing an existing situation within the general parameters of the document is done every day. Our current issue involves the replacement of Justice Antonin Scalia on the Supreme Court. People on all sides cite the four walls of the Constitution as requiring the outcome they desire.

Article II, section 1 (1), provides the President shall serve four years.

Article II, section 2 (2), makes it the President’s duty to nominate members of the Supreme Court with the Senate’s duty to advise and consent.

Article III, section 1, gives Supreme Court judges a lifetime appointment “during good behavior”. That this can result in the third branch of our government being in the hands of the same nine people a very long time is proven by Justice Scalia, who was nominated by President Ronald Reagan in 1986. Reagan left office in January 1989, was succeeded by George H.W. Bush, William Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama.

These presidents were all popularly elected, but the American people only had input as to Ronald Reagan when it came to voting for the president who chose Antonin Scalia. In other words, to those who postulate the Supreme Court is populated by persons chosen by the electorate via the presidential election, Scalia’s case contradicts this. The same is true for almost all of those who serve or have served on the court. As Shakespeare might have put it, “The evil that men do lives after them, the good is ‘oft interred with their bones” (Julius Caesar, Act III, scene ii).

This is not to say the judges were or are evil, it only means the way we have applied the Constitution results in a denial of democracy. Perhaps we should revisit our current procedure.

For now, precedent and custom support the view that President Obama quickly nominate a replacement for Scalia and that the Senate set and hold hearings with dispatch. Either the Supreme Court has important work that calls for the participation of nine justices and we should get on with it, or, if not, why have a Supreme Court?

The silliness of delaying a replacement until next year is no less silly than setting it off for five years in the event the presidential election does not go as obstructionists may hope.

However, our current dilemma is not my focus. What I hope to suggest in future columns are modifications in the selection of judges that stay true to the Holy Grail of our Constitution, i.e., the separation of powers and the three equal branches of government, while enhancing democracy.

Job Market Success for UE Class of 2015

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Job Market Success for UE Class of 2015

The University of Evansville’s 2015 graduating class is doing well after graduation, with 94 percent currently employed or enrolled in graduate school. The median salary of 2015 of those employed full-time was $47,500.

The survey was a collaborative effort between UE’s Center for Career Development, Office of Alumni and Parent Relations, Office of Institutional Effectiveness, and academic departments. It produced career information on 97 percent of the class of 2015.

“The results of this survey are indicative of the active role that the University plays in the success of our students’ success and in their career development,” said UE President Thomas A. Kazee. “The University offers its students a unique career planning process that begins even before they enroll here, and it continues after they graduate.”

Other results reported in the survey:

• Fifty-nine percent of employed graduates were working in Indiana.

• Fifty-seven percent of graduates in graduate school were studying in Indiana.

• An additional 20 percent of graduates not currently in graduate school indicated the intention to pursue graduate school within the next three years.

UE’s Center for Career Development provides comprehensive services to students throughout their collegiate journey. Through the Career Advantage Program, prospective students have the opportunity to evaluate and test career options by taking a career assessment, meeting with a career advising professional and developing a career action plan. Prospective students can begin this Career Advantage Program during their first visit to UE.

Current UE students can pursue the Advanced Career Education (ACE) Certificate to hone their professional skills. Graduating seniors and new alumni can sign up for the UE Connect alumni mentoring program. All Center for Career Development services, ranging from résumé and cover letter assistance to mock interviews to the UE JobLink database, are free to students and alumni.

Adopt A Pet

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Meet Cecilia the snow bunny. She’s about a year old, female, and solid white from head to toe. She is gorgeous & sweet! $30 to adopt! Call (812) 426-2563 or visit www.vhslifesaver.org for adoption information!

7th Circuit reverses, remands motion to suppress evidence

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SCOTT ROBERTS for www.theindianalawyer.com

The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals reversed the denial of a motion to suppress evidence after police found heroin in a man’s car and remanded the case to district court because the police had no probable cause to pull over the car in the first place.

Gregorio Paniagua-Garcia was driving on an interstate highway when an officer saw him holding a cell phone in his right hand with his head bent toward the phone. The officer said he appeared to be texting, and while texting while driving is illegal in Indiana, all other phone uses are not.

Paniagua denied he was texting while driving, and after he granted permission for the officer to search the car, the officer found five pounds of heroin in the trunk. Paniagua was sentenced to 36 months in prison, but appealed the denial of his motion to suppress evidence of the heroin because he said it was discovered during an illegal stop.
Judge Richard Posner agreed, saying the government failed to establish the officer had probable cause or a reasonable suspicion that Paniagua was violating the no-texting law. Later examination of Paniagua’s phone found he was looking for music on his phone at the time the officer pulled him over, and the officer did not see any action that was specific to texting.

“No fact perceptible to a police officer glancing into a moving car and observing the driver using a cellphone would enable the officer to determine whether it was a permitted or a forbidden use,” Posner write, citing State v. Rabanales-Ramos, 359 P.3d 250, 256 (Ore. App. 2015).

Posner rejected the government’s argument that the possibility of unlawful use is enough to create reasonable suspicion. “It says the officer’s suspicion must be reasonable but offers no example of unreasonable suspicion and cites no evidence to support a finding of reasonable suspicion in this case. What it calls reasonable suspicion we call suspicion.”

The case is United States of America v Gregorio Paniagua Garcia,15-2540.

College Goal Sunday at Ivy Tech

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What:  Annual College Goal Sunday – FAFSA completion event

When:  Sunday, Feb. 21, 2 p.m.

Where:  Ivy Tech Community College Southwest (Evansville Campus)

 

Background:  This Sunday, individuals from Ivy Tech and the University of Southern Indiana will be on hand to assist students and their families with completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) which will help students to be considered for federal and state grants, scholarships and student loans. Deadline for submission of the FAFSA’s is March 10.  Now in its 27th year, College Goal Sunday has helped more than 90,000 Indiana students and families complete the FAFSA properly and on time. College Goal Sunday is a charitable program of the Indiana Student Financial Aid Association (ISFAA).

Contacts at the event:  Casey Trela, Ivy Tech Community College Southwest Director of Financial Aid; and Mary Harper, University of Southern Indiana Director of Financial Aid.

If you would like to help us promote this free event  prior to – here are some other important facts you can share:

What students should bring

Students should attend College Goal Sunday with their parent(s) or guardian(s), and parents’ should bring completed 2015 IRS 1040 tax returns, W-2 Forms and other 2015 income and benefits information. Students who worked last year should bring their income information as well. Students 24 years of age or older may attend alone and bring their own completed 2015 IRS 1040 tax return, W-2 Form or other 2015 income and benefits information. Students and parents are encouraged to apply for their U.S. Department of Education FSA IDs atfsaid.ed.gov before coming to the event.

Volunteers will walk through the online form line-by-line and answer families’ individual questions as needed. All sites offer FAFSA online capabilities and many have Spanish interpreters. A complete list of sites is available at CollegeGoalSunday.org.

Attendees may win educational prizes

Students may also win one of ten $1000 scholarships. Students who attend any of the College Goal Sunday sites and submit a completed evaluation form will automatically be entered in a drawing for a $1000 scholarship. The winners will be notified in March, and prizes will be sent directly to the higher education institution selected by the winning students.

21st Century Scholars benefit

21st Century Scholars may also use the services provided at College Goal Sunday, as they must submit a completed FAFSA form on time in order to fulfill their commitment to the state and receive their scholarship. These students  are income-eligible individuals who signed a contract in the seventh or eighth grade promising they will graduate from high school, meet grade point requirements, fulfill a pledge of good citizenship, and apply for college financial aid. Upon high school graduation, Scholars who have fulfilled the commitment receive state funds to help cover their college tuition and fees for eight semesters at eligible Indiana colleges.

Program is a national model

College Goal Sunday originated in Indiana, and is now a national model. Following Indiana’s example, College Goal Sunday events organized by more than 34 states have opened doors to higher education for tens of thousands of students all over the country. VisitCollegeGoalSundayUSA.org to learn more.

For more information about College Goal Sunday visit CollegeGoalSunday.org.  

 

American Sewing Guild meeting and program

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The area chapter  of the American Sewing Guild will meet Tuesday February 23 at McCollough Branch Library’s Community Room  on Washington Avenue east of Washington Square Mall.
The program will be presented by Henry Hinton owner of Henry”s Sewing Machine Repair.  We will learn how to clean and care for our sewing machines.  Henry  has 40 years of repair experience.
Doors open at 5:30 pm. with the meeting  and program  from 6:00 to 7:45pm.
Visitors  are  welcome.  For more information,   call 812-568-2515 or email

Otters team up with Easter Seals to boost Home Run Sweeps fundraiser.

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Easter Seals reports that approximately 2,400 of the 3,000 tickets are still unsold for the 25th annual Home Run Sweeps ALL CA$H Raffle, which raises funds for therapy services at the Easter Seals Rehabilitation Center. Raffle grand prize is $100,000, 2nd prize is $10,000 and 3rdprize is $5,000.  Ticket sales began on January 5 and will continue until the raffle drawing, scheduled for March 14.

The Evansville Otters are teaming up with Easter Seals in an effort to boost sales of the $100 Home Run raffle chances.  The Otters have donated a Family Fun Pack as an “incentive” for people to enter the Home Run Sweeps this week.  Anyone who says “Otters” when purchasing an Easter Seals Home Run Sweeps ticket by 5 p.m. this Friday, Feb. 19, will be entered in a drawing for the Otters Family Fun Pack, which includes 12 general admission tickets for an Otters home game during the 2016 season; those tickets can be used all at once or split up and used for different games.

To buy Home Run Sweeps chances before Friday’s 5 p.m. “Otters” deadline, visit the Easter Seals Rehabilitation Center, 3701 Bellemeade Avenue, Evansville, IN 47714, 8am-5pm AND SAY “OTTERS” when purchasing. The $100 tickets may be purchased individually or by groups (family members, co-workers, friends, clubs, etc.).

On March 14 at noon, ALL sold tickets will be entered in the Home Run Sweeps ALL CA$H Raffle drawing at the Easter Seals Rehabilitation Center to determine the winners of all prizes. Ticket holders do not have to be present to win.

Official rules can be found online at www.EasterSealsSWIndiana.com. Indiana Raffle License Number for this event is #139590.

 

USI runners recognized by USTFCCCA for academic excellence

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Ten University of Southern Indiana men’s and women’s cross country runners were recognized Friday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches’ Association for their academic and athletic accomplishments in 2015.

Seniors Johnnie Guy (Palmyra, Indiana) and Tyler Schickel (Poseyville, Indiana) along with juniors Chase Broughton (Marengo, Indiana), Noah Lutz (Evansville, Indiana), and Josh Guy (Palmyra, Indiana) were among 266 Division II men’s competitors to earn USTFCCCA All-Academic honors.

The Screaming Eagles, who compiled a 3.0247 team GPA in the fall, were among 104 Division II men’s programs to be recognized as an All-Academic Team; while USI’s women, who amassed a 3.527 team GPA in the fall, were among 137 Division II women’s programs to earn the same honor.

Seniors Jamie Adkins (Owensboro, Kentucky) and Jessica Reeves (Midland, Michigan); sophomores Emily Roberts (Fredericktown, Ohio) and Jessica Lincoln (Palatine, Illinois); and freshman Hope Jones (Cumberland, Indiana) were among 384 Division II women’s competitors to earn USTFCCCA All-Academic accolades.

The individual All-Academic honor was awarded to student athletes who have compiled a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.25 and finished among the top 30 percent of eligible runners at his or her regional championships and/or the top half of the field at the NCAA Championships.

Both Johnnie Guy and Roberts earned All-America honors with their finishes at the NCAA II National Championships. Guy was 23rd in the men’s race at the NCAA II Championships, while Roberts was fifth in the women’s race at the national meet.

USI’s men and women’s squads both posted 10th-place showings at the national meet in 2015. Teams must have compiled a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.0 and must have scored at an NCAA Division II regional meet to qualify for All-Academic awards.

 

Come visit the Indiana State Police Museum – Open this Saturday, February 20th from 12pm to 4pm. Located at 8660 E 21st St., Indianapolis

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Looking for something different to do this weekend? Stop by the Indiana State Police Museum this Saturday, February 20th. The museum will be open to the public from 12pm to 4pm and has free admission.

Come and see police cars dating back to the 1930s, an original 1937 Indian Motorcycle used by Indiana State Police troopers, and learn about the history of the Indiana State Police dating back to the Dillinger days.

The Indiana State Police Museum is located at 8660 East 21st Street, Indianapolis, IN 46219 – near the Post Road and 21st Street intersection.user41972-1455902099-media2_a29e9b_240_160_PrsMe_

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