- In the coming days Vanderburgh County students will be returning to school for the 2015-2016 school year. This will result in a large number of buses on the roads, children getting on and off the buses, new bus stop locations, new bus routes, congestion in and around the schools, new student drivers and many other factors to be aware of as our kids return to the classroom.
The Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Office will be stepping up our presence and enforcement around the schools and on bus routes to help make sure this school year gets off to a safe start. The Sheriff’s Office will be increasing patrols near all of the schools in Vanderburgh County located outside of the city limits of Evansville. Deputy Sheriffs will be watching for unsafe driving behavior, monitoring bus routes for safety issues and enforcing school bus stop arm violations.
Sheriff Dave Wedding explained, “The added presence of our deputies will function as both a deterrent and a reminder to slow down and pay attention. Having deputies stationed near our schools puts us in a position to respond immediately to any situations that may arise.â€
At many locations, Sheriff’s Deputies will be assisting school personnel with traffic direction in and out of the school parking lots and drop off zones. The Vanderburgh County Highway Department has placed large school zone warning signs near all of these schools to help warn drivers.
Evansville-Vanderburgh School Corporation schools will begin their first day on Monday, August 10, 2015. Corpus Christi School begins on Thursday, August 06, 2015. Resurrection Catholic School and St. Joseph School both begin their first day on Wednesday, August 12, 2015.
Tips for back to school safety:
- If bus service is available, please utilize it.
- Please take pictures of your new student before you get to the school. Do not park in the drop-off zones of any of the schools to take your child into class.
- Utilize the proper restraint systems in your vehicle.
- Keep your speed to a minimum and pay extra attention in an around school zones and near school bus loading areas.
- Know when a school bus stops and its red stop sign or flashing lights appear children are boarding or exiting the bus. Be on the lookout for children crossing the street even after the bus has moved on.
- Please, no cell phone use in the school zones while operating a vehicle and no texting at any time while operating a vehicle.
- Encourage children getting on and off school buses to be very mindful of surrounding traffic, because the traffic may not be watching for them.
- Give yourself plenty of time. Do not let the frustration of running late compromise the good driving decisions you make.
- Please call 911 to report dangerous driving situations.
The men and women of the Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Office wish everyone a safe and successful school year.
Back to School Safely in Vanderburgh County
VANDERBURGH COUNTY FELONY CHARGES
Below is a list of felony cases that were filed by the Vanderburgh County Prosecutor’s Office on Thursday, Aug. 6.
Sharon Denise Sarchenko Possession of methamphetamine, Level 6 felony
Possession of paraphernalia, Class A misdemeanor
Todd Jefferys Strangulation, Level 6 felony
Battery against a public safety official, Level 6 felony
Resisting law enforcement, Class A misdemeanor
Battery, Class B misdemeanor
For further information on the cases listed above, or any pending case, please contact Whitney Riggs at 812.435.5688 or via email at wriggs@vanderburghgov.org.
Under Indiana law, all criminal defendants are presumed to be innocent until proven guilty by a court of law.
Vanderburgh County Recent Booking Records
EPD Activity Report
Pets of the Week
 Can we interest you in a kitten or two? Bassoon is a 4-month-old male brown tabby kitten. He and his sister Clarinet are the final two left from the “woodwinds†litter. Brown tabbies wait on homes longer than other colors, and these babies are no exception. Bassoon’s $50 adoption fee includes his neuter, microchip, vaccines, & more! www.vhslifesaver.org or (812) 426-2563.
BLIGHT INITIATIVE STATEMENT BY BRINKERHOFF-RILEY
As I told Dan and Conor, I support the blight initiative. However, the report is misleading at best. I collected the information from Central Dispatch, EPD and EFD. The data from EFD and EPD is sketchy. They just don’t track the time and manpower involved with runs. The EFD took their total budget and divided it by the number of runs to give us a per run number. Obviously those runs can really vary in time and manpower. EPD is the same way. Their per run number was low, but they have no idea of manpower and time involved.
Conor and John are right that there is not going to be 2 million that can be cut from the budget in funding this 2 million, and that won’t be the case for the foreseeable future. However, I think it’s important that these properties being auctioned by the County be caught and razed. They do tremendous damage to neighborhoods and quality of life. Over time, the Building Commission will stop chasing its tail and be able to engage in strategic code enforcement and razing. They will be able to use those tools to grow stable neighborhoods and stabilize declining neighborhoods. That will translate into investment and higher property values, which is critical to tax revenue down the road. There is also an intangible value to quality of life and safety. That too will help with population decline and suburban flight. The EPD and EFD will save resources and be able to focus on other initiatives. Over time, I think we would all like to see the need for these agencies diminished, but there are contractual issues that will have to be addressed down the line.
I will support Conor in the budget process. If it can’t come out of Riverboat funds, I understand. However, I would ask that the question be answered as to what the alternative is to this initiative. Kelley is wrong when he says this blight is finite. Over the next five years of tearing down existing blight, potentially hundreds more properties will fall into that state. If we are lucky, we can slow the trend by strategic use of code enforcement and razing and with the development of lots of affordable and market rate housing. Our blight is driven by vacancy, which is two-fold in economic issues and population decline. There are more answers that have to be found. But without this start, we cannot move to next layer of peeling the onion.
I am satisfied that the issue is part of budget discussions and will defer to the big picture of prioritizing our spending.
Sincerely
Stephine Brinkerhoff -Riley
3rd Ward City Council
IS IT TRUE AUGUST 7, 2015
IS IT TRUE that of our less political readers of color are expressing  disappointment in their Center City Clergy, 4th Ward City Councilwoman and candidates for City Council for not engaging with the Winnecke Administration in a constructive, open and candor dialogue concerning the EPD Swat Team mistaken raid on the home of a 68 year woman of color? …open and candied dialogue between Mayor Winnecke, Mayoral Candidate Gail Riecken, Chief of Police, 4th Ward City Councilwoman, Center City Clergy and candidates for City Council that will help insure  this type of incident won’t be repeated?  …this meeting would be extremely beneficial to help improve future race relations in our city?  …this is a teaching moment for all to attend and learn?  …its time we put this incident behind us and move forward and become the great city we are destined  to be, let the healing begin?
IS IT TRUE we have posted the entire video of the Evansville Police Swat Team raid on Ms. Milan home for all to view? …please go to the right side of the CCO and scroll down to our video section and click on this video?  …once you view the entire video we know  you will agree that this incident wasn’t minor and isn’t one of the finest moments for our professionally  trained Swat Team law enforcement officers?  …we want to stress that we feel this incident doesn’t represent the outstanding work that our law enforcement officers do on a daily basis?  …we are offended to any references made that members of the EPD act like a bunch of “KEYSTONE COPS’ because thats far from the truth?
IS IT TRUE the Parks Board  has just completed another Master Plan for Evansville’s parks system?  …this  plan calls for the evaluation of public golf courses and a new approach to the Marketing effort of City Parks?
IS IT TRUE we are not surprised to hear this plan suggests  our playgrounds should start meeting the needs of our neighborhoods?  …we are not surprised this report recommended that we  should do something with Robert’s Park and  continue to develop  Pigeon Creek Greenway?  …this Master Plan  states the implementation of the proposals won’t be expensive?  …the Parks Master Plan  was written by Alta Engineering?  …we wonder if the owners of ALTA Engineering contributed to the “Winnecke for Mayor” campaign?
IS IT TRUE we are looking forward to State Representative and Mayoral Candidate Gail Riecken’s response to the new City Parks Masterplan since she was a past  Director of the Evansville Parks and Recreation Department?
IS IT TRUE Mayor Winnecke announced after 3 1/2 years in office  he finally has figured out ways to fight “Community Blight”?  …we can’t wait to hear what other major City Departmental changes that he will announce next week?  … we want to remind you that it’s re-election time for Mayor Winnecke?
IS IT TRUE At-Large City Councilman Dr. Dan Adams is leaning towards announcing his support for the $15 million dollar “Pork Barrel”  North Main project because he feels he will pick up needed votes to get himself re-elected to City Council?  …we say “bull’ to this idea?  …the working poor of that area couldn’t care less about additional parking or a bike trail on North Main?  …Dr. Adams should spent his time and focus on seeing that IU Medical School project goes on without a hitch because that will get him votes?