“IS IT TRUE” MARCH 27, 2024
IS IT TRUE that it’s time for Mayor Terry to acknowledge that the Ford Center is a prime candidate for a forensic audit so she can find out how to make it at least cover expenses or maybe eke out a small profit?
IS IT TRUE that the City of Evansville Employee Health insurance program has been hundreds of thousands of dollars in the red each year for many years? …that it’s time for Mayor Terry to put the City Employees Healthcare package out for a competitive bid in hopes that it will be more affordable for the City?
IS IT TRUE that it’s obvious that the newly appointed Evansville City Controller should spend more time analyzing the massive debt that the former Mayor of Evansville left Mayor Terry to address?
IS IT TRUE when a responsible Business Executive in the private sector finds out that he is spending more money than he is bringing in he quickly reduces his operating budget?
IS IT TRUE that we are told that many taxpayers are extremely upset that the Evansville City Parks Board has not properly maintained our City Parks over the last several years?
IS IT TRUE that we have been told by reliable sources that the Helfrich Park swimming pool will soon be permanently closed?
IS IT TRUE that we wonder if you would build a new home and had no clear-cut idea of what the final costs would be? …we also wonder if you wanted to purchase a new car and didn’t have any concrete idea of the total costs of the car would you buy it? …we also wonder how members of the Evansville Parks and Recreation Department Board can decide to build “24 Pickleball Courts” at Wesselman Park without having detailed financial costs of phases 1 and 2?
IS IT TRUE that the word gentrification is being bantered about like a weapon?…what gentrification refers to is the mass change in the rental units in a certain area being converted from government-subsidized housing to housing that the new residents pay for themselves?…gentrification is something that cities hope for but sometimes it strikes fear into the hearts and minds of the people who are being displaced?
IS IT TRUE the only problem with gentrification is that it displaces people who have been getting subsidies and who may not have the ability to get by without a housing subsidy?…gentrification has been known to grow homelessness?…in some cases like East Palo Alto, CA gentrification has been an overwhelming success in uplifting the area?…in the liberal bastion of Santa Monica it leads to the city using its laws to round up the homeless and put them on Greyhound busses and give them a one-way ticket to Phoenix, therefore exporting their problem to another state?
IS IT TRUE that we would like to give five (5) cheers to Vanderburgh County Coroner Steven W. Lockyear for doing an incredible job for the taxpayers of this community?
IS IT TRUE It is common knowledge that City Councilwoman Missy Mosby is known for being excellent at serving the needs of her constituents?
IS IT TRUE that the City-County Observer newspaper is a proud supporter of our law enforcement?
IS IT TRUE that everyone has a right to their opinions even if they are wrong?
IS IT TRUE when the people fear the Government we have Tyranny? …when the Government fears the people we have liberty?
IS IT TRUE our “READERS POLLS” are non-scientific but trendy?
BRAUN AMONG MOST CONSERVATIVE SENATORS IN CPAC RATING
INDIANAPOLIS — Senator Mike Braun has again been recognized as one of the most conservative Republicans in the U.S. Senate, this time by CPAC with a 98% rating, ranking him the second most conservative Senator in the entire body.
“Hoosiers sent me to Washington to be a voice for common sense. I’ve been proud to vote against every bit of the Biden spending spree that’s burdened every Hoosier family with high prices from inflation.” – Senator Mike Braun
“To produce this year’s scorecard, the CPAC foundation’s Center for Legislative Accountability analyzed every vote taken during the last session of Congress, looking particularly at those related to such issues as fiscal matters, taxation, regulation, education, Second Amendment rights and election security, among others,” CPAC noted about their methodology.
Attorney General Todd Rokita takes on Big Pharma on behalf of Hoosiers
Attorney General Todd Rokita continues his fight against Big Pharma in a new lawsuit against drug manufacturers and Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) for inflating insulin prices for hardworking Hoosiers.
Approximately 640,435 Indiana residents have been diagnosed with diabetes and over 1.7 million people are pre-diabetic. It is the leading cause of blindness, kidney failure, and lower limb amputations. It is the seventh leading cause of death in Indiana despite the availability of effective treatment.
“Diabetes is a public health crisis for Hoosiers,” Attorney General Rokita said. “This is a serious condition that requires insulin, putting patients in the impossible position of choosing between health and financial security.”
The lawsuit filed by Attorney General Rokita includes drug manufacturers Sanofi-Aventis and Novo Nordisk and PBMs CaremarkPCS Health, Express Scripts, CVS Health Corp., and Optum RX for conspiring to raise prices on insulin medications by more than 1000% in the last decade alone despite manufacturing costs decreasing.
“Too many Hoosiers have been forced to ration because drug manufacturers and PBMs have prioritized profits over patients,” said Attorney General Rokita. “Hundreds of thousands of Indiana residents rely on these medications to stay alive and these prices discourage people to take care of their health.”
According to the Complaint, every year, the direct medical expenses associated with diabetes care in Indiana are an estimated five billion dollars. If everyone with diabetes could adhere to their medication protocol, over $8.3 billion in direct medical costs would be saved annually.
“Our office hopes this case will also set a strong precedent for other pharmaceutical companies who want to take advantage of everyday Hoosiers,” Attorney General Rokita said. “Families are suffering enough already with the economic decline. Targeting and scheming against those who have a medical condition like diabetes is absolutely unethical.”
This is just one of the many times Attorney General Rokita’s Office has taken on dishonest companies who harm Hoosier patients regularly. Since Rokita took office, he has obtained a $66.5 million settlement against Centene for their failure to disclose true costs, won a $573 million multi-state settlement against McKinsey & Company for its role in “turbocharging” the opioid epidemic with Purdue Pharma, and secured nearly $7 million in an Indiana Medicaid fraud settlement against Mallinckrodt.
Last week saw the 70th anniversary of the ‘Milan Miracle’
Last week saw the 70th anniversary of the ‘Milan Miracle’
Last week saw the 70th anniversary of the “Milan Miracle.”
On March 20, 1954, Milan High School—enrollment 161—defeated Muncie Central in the Indiana High School Boys State Championship, making the Indians the smallest school to ever win the single class tournament in Indiana, according to a press release. The team and town are the inspiration for the movie “Hoosiers,” released in 1986.
On Saturday, Gov. Eric Holcomb spoke at the Milan 70th Anniversary Celebration at Milan High School Gymnasium, and on Thursday, U.S. Senator Todd Young, R-Indiana, commemorated the event on the Senate floor.
“The memory of Milan lasts because their team and town symbolizes what keeps our communities together … And it’s an inspiration still, across small towns, and struggling places, waiting on their own miracle, where the basketball team brings people together and makes them feel proud of the place they call home,” said Young. “That is why we still celebrate little Milan beating mighty Muncie Central 70 years on.”
Here is Young’s full floor speech:
“You might be surprised by the guest book of a museum in a small southern Indiana town.
“Inside it are names of visitors from all 50 states and farther away—other countries, other continents, places like Italy, France, Japan, and New Zealand.
“They have made their way to Milan, Indiana because … here is where the heart of Hoosier Hysteria lives … and the greatest basketball story ever took place 70 years ago this week.
“March, 20, 1954, the Fieldhouse on the campus of Butler University in Indianapolis …
“The finals of the Indiana High School Basketball Tournament …
“The Indians of Milan High, enrollment 161, vs. The Bearcats of Muncie Central, enrollment 1,660 …
“Fifteen thousand fans are in the bleachers … with thousands more Hoosiers listening over the radio…
“It’s the fourth quarter…
“The game is tied at 30…
“Eighteen seconds on the clock…
“Milan inbounds…
“Senior Bobby Plump gets the ball … He fakes left, dribbles right, pulls up, knocks down a 14-foot jump shot just as the clock expires.
“The nets come down and the celebration starts.
“The next morning, the new state champions headed home in a fleet of Cadillacs along Indiana’s county roads—there was no interstate or highway connecting Indianapolis to Cincinnati, the closest city to Milan.
“Hoosiers were waiting along the way, in Greensburg, in Shelbyville, holding signs, waving.
“State Road 101, which led back home, was lined with cars and cheering fans for 13 miles.
“Forty thousand people were waiting in Milan, even though at that time the town had only 1,100 residents.
“As they rolled into town, two members of the team—Ray Craft and Kenny Wendelman—hopped on the roof of their Cadillac with the championship trophy between them.
“The procession ended near Milan High, where that trophy remains today.
“The next morning, the crowd was gone.
“The small town quiet gradually returned.
“In the days that followed members of the team graduated, went off to college, pursued careers and drifted apart.
“Coach Marvin Wood took a job up in New Castle.
“The passage of time brought other changes, not all of them welcome.
“Milan, like so many towns across the country has faced challenges.
“And the single class basketball tournament system that gave small town teams like Milan a shot at the title is no more.
“Some of the schools that played in the 1954 tournament are gone.
“Milan has not won another championship, though they made it to the semi-state back in 1973.
“Despite this—or just possibly because of it—the Milan Miracle is inspiring as ever, seven decades on.
“Yes, it’s the tale of the little guy, the underdog, David vs. Goliath. The smallest school to ever win the single class tournament.
“Literally in fact: Muncie Central’s average height was 6’4. Milan’s was 5’11.
“But this story is so much bigger than that or even basketball, or even Indiana.
“Milan’s players always note that their championship run in 1954 was not a lightning strike or a stroke of good luck.
“The Indians made it to the final four the previous year; most of the players had known and practiced with each other since grade school.
“They played tough, were coached well, and had faith in their teammates.
“Bobby Plump’s last shot is the moment we remember, but it was the culmination of a lot of hard work, dedication, and teamwork.
“And it happened because of the support of families, friends and neighbors.
“Milan was a place where when a student needed a winter coat, locals took up a collection at the drug store and bought him one…
“… A place where the kids who didn’t have a lot of money could eat for free at Rosie’s.
“… And the ones from nearby Pierceville, who often had to walk to school, could count on rides from friends.
“And in a different era, when the world seemed so much smaller, the local basketball team was, at least for the month of March, the world.
“Even a water shortage in the spring of 1954 didn’t dampen Milan’s or Ripley County’s excitement for the Indians.
“As an area newspaper reported, ‘water or no water, Ripleyians want Milan to bring home the crown.’
“Apart from what happened on the hardwood at Hinkle Fieldhouse, the memory of Milan lasts because their team and town symbolizes what keeps our communities together …
“… What lifts their hopes and fuels their dreams, even when it feels like hopes and dreams are all they have.
“That trophy in the newly refurbished lobby of Milan High’s gymnasium is a symbol of more than just a state championship.
“It’s proof how much we can achieve when we work together towards a common goal and resolve to hold our own no matter the odds.
“And it’s an inspiration still, across small towns, and struggling places, waiting on their own miracle, where the basketball team brings people together and makes them feel proud of the place they call home.
“That is why we still celebrate little Milan beating mighty Muncie Central 70 years on.
“It’s why we will for the next 70 years too.
“Of course, this is the story that inspired ‘Hoosiers,’ a beloved movie, written and directed by a pair of Hoosiers.
“Visitors still come to Indiana in search of the movie’s fictional Hickory, hoping to find the small town epicenter of Hoosier Hysteria.
“What they are really searching for is right there in Ripley County.
“They will recognize it by the basketball goals in driveways, the backboards on barns …
“The black water tower with white lettering reading “STATE CHAMPS 1954”
“… The historical marker commemorating the Milan Miracle … and that museum that celebrates it right there in the center of town.
“As a newspaper declared back in March of 1954:
“‘In basketball, Little Milan is the new capital of Indiana.’
“Seventy years later, it is still the capital, and the Indians will always be champions.”
Boating Safety Tips for the Solar Eclipse
Boating Safety Tips for the Solar Eclipse
EVANSVILLE, INDIANA (March 25, 2024) – As the solar eclipse approaches on April 8, 2024, boaters who may enjoy the eclipse from the water are reminded of key safe boating tips.
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Always wear a life jacket. The Coast Guard reminds boaters to ensure life jackets are serviceable, properly sized, correctly fastened, and suitable for your activity. Where the cause of death was known, 75 percent of fatal boating incident victims drowned. Of those drowning victims with reported life jacket usage, 85 percent were not wearing a life jacket.
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File a float plan! A float plan is telling someone where you are going and when you plan to return. A float plan should be given to a friend or family member and includes a description of your boat, what is on board and a description of the safety equipment you are carrying. If you change plans mid-voyage, let someone know!
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Always take a marine radio. A VHF-FM radio is the best method of communication while on the water. Although cell phones are a good backup, they can be unreliable due to gaps in coverage area and the inevitable dead battery.
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Wear approved solar eclipse glasses. Looking at the sun without approved eclipse glasses can cause eye damage and impair your ability to safely operate your vessel after the eclipse.
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Use navigation lights in low light conditions. Navigation lights will make you more visible to other boaters and promote a safer boating environment during the eclipse.
For more information, please visit www.safeboatingcampaign.com or www.cgaux.org
The Coast Guard Auxiliary promotes Recreational Boating Safety, provides trained crews and facilities to augment the Coast Guard and enhance the safety and security of our waterways, and supports Coast Guard operational, administrative, and logistical requirements.
No. 4 Trailblazers fall in Sweet 16, season ends at 30-4
HUTCHINSON, Kan. – The No. 4 Vincennes University Trailblazers fell in the opening game of the 2024 NJCAA Division I National Championship tournament in Hutchinson Tuesday afternoon, falling to No. 13 Odessa College 58-56.
Both teams really struggled to get their footing early on and would prove to be a preview of what would ultimately be a very tough defensive battle.
The two teams traded baskets for most of the first half, with the lead changing hands five times and the score being tied an additional six times throughout the first 20 minutes of play.
Vincennes would grab the lead late in the first half on a three-pointer by sophomore Kent King (Washington, D.C.) to put the Blazers ahead 28-27 at the break.
VU looked to grab the momentum early in the second half by building a 33-30 lead before the Wranglers answered back with a 10-0 scoring run to take a 40-33 lead.
The Trailblazers would battle down the stretch, using a 6-0 run to cut the deficit to two and using a four-point possession to even the score at 56-56.
VU sophomore Michael Osei-Bonsu (Bolingbrook, Ill.) grabbed a rebound put back and converted the and-one free throw to seven the score with 47.8 seconds remaining.
Odessa was able to convert on their end of the floor on a put back dunk to put the Wranglers ahead by two with 20 seconds to play.
VU got down the floor with plenty of time and was able to get a pair of good shot attempts but were unable to get a make as the buzzer sounded and ended the game with the Blazers on the wrong end of a 58-56 final score.
The Trailblazers were led offensively by an outstanding game by freshman Damarien Yates (Somerville, Tenn.) who finished with 22 points and seven rebounds.
Sophomore Kris King (Washington, D.C.) had a big impact off the bench, ending the game with seven points and team-highs with 10 rebounds, six assists and a pair of steals.
Sophomore Kent King was the second VU scorer in double figures, finishing the game with 12 points and four rebounds.
Sophomore Michael Osei-Bonsu just missed out on a double-double, finishing with nine points and nine rebounds.
The Trailblazers end the season with a final record of 30-4, with a 17-2 record against Region 24 opponents, capturing VU’s first District Tournament Championship since 2018.
Sunrise Pump Station Closed April 8, Solar Eclipse Day
Outdoor Public Restrooms will Remain Open from 8am until 4 pm
(Evansville, IN) – Sunrise Pump Station’s lobby and indoor restrooms will be closed to the public on Monday, April 8, Solar Eclipse Day. Outdoor public restrooms will remain open from 8 am until 4 pm. EWSU officials decided to close the building after careful consideration. It was determined that the pump station would not be a good place to view the eclipse. The building and upper observation deck are surrounded by security lights that automatically turn on when sunlight dims, which will make it difficult to see the eclipse. Public safety is also a concern because of a large influx of people expected to visit Evansville that day. EWSU does not have staff to manage a large crowd.
The pump station lobby and observation deck will reopen to the public on Tuesday, April 9, at 8:00 am.
