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Church Brothers Car Show to Raise Scholarship Money for Children of Police Killed in the Line of Duty

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Do you have a classic car?  Do you like looking at classic cars? Whether you have a car to show or just enjoy looking at unique cars spanning five decades, then the 2nd Annual Church Brothers Car Show is the place to be!

The show is scheduled for Saturday, August 29th at the Church Brothers Collision Repair Center located at 751 N. Shadeland Avenue.  This is on the east side of Indianapolis just 14 blocks south of the I-70 and Shadeland Avenue Interstate exit.

Entering a car to show is only $20 and looking is FREE.  You can also visit the Indiana State Police website and click the first banner for more information.

Register online today by clicking this Eventbrite link.  Day of show registration is from 8:00 to 10:00 a.m.

For complete details see the flyer included with this release.

All funds raised from the Church Brothers Car Show will benefit the Gary Dudley Memorial Scholarship Foundation.  Over the past nine years more than $180,000 in scholarship funds has been awarded to surviving children of Indiana law enforcement personnel killed in the line of duty.

Indiana State Police Lt. Gary Dudley was killed while riding his bicycle as part of a charity bicycle ride event to raise money for children of fallen police officers.  Chief Deputy Gary Martin of the Lake County Sheriff Department was also killed in the same crash on August 22, 2006.

BREAKING NEWS: WAYNE PARKE CCO POST HAS CAUSED MAYOR WINNECKE CAMPAIGN PROBLEMS

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EDITOR NOTES:  Attached below are comments made by local GOP Chairman Wayne Parke that he posted in the CCO this morning.

Looks like Mr. Parke has awaken a “Sleeping Giant” by putting the above post in todays CCO.

So far the Mayor has done a masterful job in keeping his budgetary challenges from being a major campaign issue.  It looks like Mr. Parke has forced the Mayor alleged over spending habits to become a front and center public debate. It  also looks like the Gail Riecken For Mayor Campaign Committee has just received a major political boost from GOP Chairman Wayne Parke!  Get ready for members of City Council to start exposing the alleged Financial Mismanagement of the Winnecke Administration.

ATTACHED ARE THE COMMENTS POSTED BY MR. PARKE IN THE CCO TODAY. 

  • Wayne Parke_Aug 24, 2015 at 7:01 am_ (https://city-countyobserver.com/unpaid-medical-bills-due-key-benefits/#li-comment-2248564)

The Indiana Code says the City Council serves as the Fiscal Agent of
the City  of  Evansville. The City Council approves all expenditures. There
are currently eight (8) Democrats and (1) Republican on the Council. John
Friend and his fellow councilmen have no one to blame except themselves if
there is a problem–by the way there is not a major financial problem.

Their will be at least four (4) new City Council members next year. The current Democrat controlled City Council has been an embarrassment for our great City with John Friend leading the pack.  Fortunately in a few months he will not be in that position any more.

Fact: The City financial condition is in good shape.
Wayne Parke

ATTACHED BELOW IS A COPY OF THE POINTED E-MAIL SENT TO CITY COUNCIL PRESIDENT DR DAN ADAMS BY COUNCILMAN JOHN FRIEND CPA.

Dear Dan

There should be a demand that a FOIA request to  be  submitted to this
Administration asking for the number of checks written that bare the
name of any council member.  In addition, a list of council member names
that approved transfers of money between the checking accounts, the
selection of investments, the payment of claims, execution of over
priced DMD real estate deals, list of those council members that sit on
the Public Works and Utility Board that bare their signature on one
sided contracts and the mid-night raid on the Utility Treasury in the
tune of $2.5 million dollars. The non-payment of 5.8 million to medical
providers.  If this council has blame, it  is gullibility. Last year we
needed to cut the budget by 12 million dollars, mostly in operational
funds. This is very evident in the June 30, 2015 fiscal year ending
results of operation analysis I passed out to all council members.  The
lost in operational funds were 9 million compared to 5.9 million in the
prior fiscal year. Of course, once the email started rolling in during
last year’s budget cycle, we lost resolve and thought compromising would
bare fruit and now it is perfectly clear that compromising was not the
thing to do. Over the past three years, it should have become evident
that this administration lacks in it’s ability to control costs.  Why is
it that Ft. Wayne operates stem to stern at a $1,210 per person and
Evansville operates at $1,877 per person based on the published data per
the SBOA website. By the way, for those who may not know the absolutes
on this, the number is 9 million dollars.

During this budget cycle, I provided each council member an analysis of
2012, 2013, and 2014 six months and full year actuals.  In that study,
the historical percentages were determined, i.e. what is the average
percentage of collections received in the first six months.  From that,
my analysis indicates that the revenue will miss the administration 2015
budget by nearly 15 million dollars.  However, their projected
expenditure adjustments in the 2015 budget appears to be 5 million. So,
for the third year in a round, the Winnecke Administration  will fail to
adjust for the shortfall in revenue by nearly 10 MILLION DOLLARS.  The
last time we had a budget that proved to be somewhat on target was under
Mayor Weinzapfel.  Why, ask his former Dept Heads.  At every Monday
morning meeting, finances were the topic.  Under the direction of Lisa
Acrobert, Dept Heads had to beg Lisa for a stapler.

My question is this, are we going to rain in this out of control
spending by this Administration in this budget cycle? This is HIS
budget.  Gullibility must stop. We MUST do the heavy lifting because
this Mayor is not.  There has been talk about increasing the County
Income Tax.  I WILL NOT SUPPORT this.  Why, I was looking for the
“Spending Plan” which, according to Mr. Schaefer would be in this year’s
budget.  Instead, I see an increase in the overall budget spending of
around 2%. in absolutes, 12 million.   Apparently, they must have
overlooked the Plan.  Question: Is it now the “Revenue Enhancement
Plan”?  Increase in fees to our financially challenged, lack of basis
services in exchange for more projects after projects, overruns after
overruns. And, please keep in mind any increase in income taxes is
regressive to the poor.  We do not have a progressive income tax system
in Indiana. I CAN afford to pay a few hundred dollars more and still
meet my basis needs, but those much less fortunate, can NOT.  I feel
honored that Mr. Parke has me leading the pack because if I was leading
the pack, we would have cut Mr. Winnecke’s absurd 2015 budget by 12
million instead of the 4.9 million, mostly in capital and not
operational.

WE MUST BE THE ONE’S THAT ARE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE
PEOPLES’ MONEY BECAUSE, APPARENTLY, WE ARE THE ONLY ONES.  

John

John Friend, CPA, CVA, CGMA

5th Ward City Council Member

 

WELCOME IN EUROPE

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Governor Mike Pence Declares August 23-29, 2015 Rail Safety Week

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(Indianapolis, IN)- Governor Mike Pence declared August 23 through August 29, 2015 as Indiana Rail Safety Week.  Indiana Operation Lifesaver, Indiana State Police, Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT), local law enforcement and railroad companies have partnered together to raise public awareness about the dangers of disregarding railroad crossings laws and trespassing on railroad property.

“Train versus car collisions are completely preventable,” states Jessica Feder, Executive Director of Indiana Operation Lifesaver.  “Indiana law enforcement agencies and railroad special agents will be out monitoring railroad crossings and checking for trespassers during Indiana Rail Safety Week. We want the public to know how dangerous it is to try and beat a train and that trespassing on railroad tracks and property is dangerous and illegal.”

Indiana Operation Lifesaver has scheduled numerous enforcement blitzes throughout Indiana involving law enforcement agencies. There will also be public safety announcements throughout the state, safety information distributed at college campuses, posters on SouthShore commuter trains and at stations, and media coverage of events. INDOT will also have rail safety messages on the dynamic message boards along major roads. Indiana Operation Lifesaver is taking a proactive lead in the elimination of trespassing and pedestrian fatalities at railroad crossings.

In 2014, there were 122 railroad crossing collisions resulting in 50 people injured and nine fatalities in the state of Indiana. Indiana is currently ranked 4th nationally for railroad crossing collisions. The Hoosier State had 10 trespasser deaths last year as well as 11 injuries.

“We are constantly striving to improve our statistics with both crossing collisions and trespasser incidents,” said Feder. “We encourage everyone to take these warning devices seriously and pay attention at all railroad crossings. It’s the law and it could save your life!”

Indiana Operation Lifesaver is a non-profit organization dedicated to eliminating collisions, deaths and injuries at highway-rail grade intersections and on railroad rights-of-way through public education, engineering and enforcement.  To learn more about Indiana Operation Lifesaver, please visit them online at www.oli.org or call (812) 528-4327.

Vanderburgh County Recent Booking Records

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SPONSORED BY DEFENSE ATTORNEY IVAN ARNAEZ. 
DON’T GO TO COURT ALONE. CALL IVAN ARNAEZ @ 812-424-6671.

http://www.vanderburghsheriff.com/jail-recent-booking-records.aspx

St. Mary’s to Participate in “Aging-in-Place” Fair for Seniors

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St. Mary’s is teaming up with The Home Depot to participate in Aging-in-Place, a health and information fair for senior citizens. Other involved organizations include SWIRCA & more, YMCA, Tropicana, and Electrical Assistance of Evansville. There will also be product demonstrations from Delta Faucets, Glacier Bay and Re-Bath, whose President is coming for the event.

Aging-in-Place is Thursday, September 17th, from 4:00 – 7:00pm at The Home Depot Store at 5230 Pearl Drive in Evansville. The event is designed to equip seniors to safely continue to live in their homes and maintain independence. St. Mary’s will offer a mini-health fair with:

  • Home modification tips such as grab bars
  • Balance screenings
  • Ramp specification tips
  • Blood pressure checks
  • Fall prevention tips
  • Adaptive equipment demonstrations with walkers & bath benches

For more information, Contact Stu at The Home Depot 812-423-6710

 

Catch the Latest Edition of “The Indiana State Police Road Show”

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Catch the latest edition of the “Indiana State Police Road Show” radio program every Monday morning at your convenience.

This week’s show features Indiana State Police Public Information Officer, Captain Dave Bursten. Captain Bursten discusses the upcoming Indiana State Police/Church Brothers car show on August 29th to benefit the Gary Dudley Memorial Scholarship Foundation and Gary’s Ride on August 22nd at the Indiana Law Enforcement Academy in Plainfield, IN.

Download the program from the Network Indiana public websites at www.networkindiana.com.  Look for the state police logo on the main page and follow the download instructions. The ISP Road Show can also be viewed via YouTube.

Go to https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCu5Bg1KjBd7H1GxgkuV3YJA or visit the Indiana State Police website at http://www.in.gov/isp/   and click on the YouTube link. This 15 minute talk show concentrates on public safety and informational topics with state wide interest.

The radio program was titled “Signal-10” in the early sixties when it was first started by two troopers in northern Indiana. The name was later changed to the “Indiana State Police Road Show” and is the longest continuously aired state police public service program in Indiana.

Radio stations across Indiana and the nation are invited to download and air for FREE this public service program sponsored by the Indiana State Police Alliance and Cops for Kids, a subsidiary of the Indiana State Police Alliance.

What’s driving the teacher shortage? It’s complicated

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press release

Indianapolis

It’s called confirmation bias. And it’s defined as our tendency to embrace evidence that supports our preconceptions and to ignore anything that contradicts those beliefs.

 

Exhibit A: The current assertion by opponents of education reform that Indiana’s efforts in recent years to improve student achievement are the primary triggers of an emerging teacher shortage.

 

Has the number of college students enrolled in schools of education declined in recent years? Yes.

 

Have some public schools in some parts of the state struggled to find qualified educators? Yes.

 

Well, that proves it. Conservatives really are trying to destroy public schools. Republicans really do hate teachers. And Mike Pence really is guilty of “borrowing” second-graders’ lunch money.

 

If you believe that, then there’s really not much I can write that will shake your faith. The “ISTA says it, I believe it, and that settles it” crowd is largely unpersuadable about anything that doesn’t fit the script.

 

But for those who still have open minds about education issues the evidence about what’s driving the drop in the number of future educators is far more nuanced than the “blame it all on the reformers” trope.

 

For instance, would you be surprised to hear that the teacher shortage isn’t isolated to Indiana?

 

As National Public Radio (not exactly the home of Rush Limbaugh) reported this week, the problem extends from coast to coast, and several points in between. “In California, enrollment in teaching programs is down more than 50 percent over the past five years. Enrollment is down sharply in Texas, North Carolina, New York and elsewhere,” NPR told its listeners.

 

California and New York? How was Mike Pence able to infiltrate those bastions of blue state bliss?

All right, smart aleck, so what is going on?

 

To answer that, let’s first acknowledge that some education reform efforts may be one driver of the teacher shortage. Repeat: one driver.

 

I’ve talked to too many discouraged teachers over the years to pretend that all is well. It’s not. Their discouragement may well turn off some prospective teachers who’ve heard a lot of complaints about rising expectations, stagnant pay, mounting frustrations and shifting blame.

 

Those of us who believe strongly, for the sake of our state and of our people, that student achievement must continue to improve significantly need to be willing to assess and adjust our methods and our message. We need to communicate, over and over, that teachers are really important and truly valued.

 

And we need to push hard for generously rewarding those educators who are excelling in the classroom, often without adequate recognition and compensation.

 

But the story doesn’t stop there.

 

A decade or so ago, a lot of trees were killed to publish a lot of stories (yes, kids, people once used paper as a communication app) about the teacher shortage to come one day when large numbers of baby boomers began to retire. Well, that day is here.

 

Also, the shortage of prospective employees isn’t isolated to the education sector. As we continue in Indiana and the nation to draw closer to full employment, workers suddenly have a lot of options. Recent news reports have documented employers’ struggle to find enough carpenters, plumbers, electricians, chefs and truck drivers. No one is blaming the trucker reform movement on why fewer people want to climb into a big rig for the long haul.

 

The aftershocks of the great recession need to be considered as well. For example, in California, between 2008 and 2012, schools wiped out 80,000 teaching jobs. Now, they’re hiring again, but the pipeline hasn’t been primed. That may be because all those not-so-old stories about teacher layoffs linger in the minds of bright young people when they’re choosing a career.

 

A final point: If I were a teacher, I’d view the developing shortage of workers in my chosen profession as a good thing, at least personally. When demand holds steady or grows, and supply shrinks, good things tend to happen for the people prepared to meet that demand. At least that’s the case in an open market.

 

Now, if our public schools aren’t operating like an open market, then we’ve got another problem.

 

Contact Swarens at tim.swarens@indystar.com. Follow him on Twitter @tswarens.

 

 

RIECKEN PROPOSING A NEW CITY ORGINANCE CONCERNING “RESPONSIBLE BIDDERS”

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Mayoral candidate Gail Riecken is proposing to the Evansville City Council that they pass an ordinance being referred to as a “Responsible Bidders” ordinance.  This ordinance would be based on the idea that a responsible bid for a city construction project should get the residents of Evansville more value for their dollar, keep the public safe with quality work, and that using Journeyman workers will produce higher quality work and achieve these goals.

“When the city collects bids for construction contracts, there is a need to ensure that they are getting the highest quality work and the best value for their dollar.” said Riecken.  “It is in the best interest of the residents of Evansville, for both public safety reasons and long term financial savings, to hire Journeyman workers who are highly trained in their field.  A Journeyman can be union or non-union. He/she must certify Journeyman status training, education and experience.”

Riecken came out in support of this ordinance, which is supported by the State Building Trades Council, because it would provide for a safer and higher quality end product, with work preformed by Journeyman workers who are highly trained.  She also urged Mayor Winnecke to get behind it as well.

“This ordinance is just what we need here in Evansville,” said Riecken.  “From the information I have been given on this proposed ordinance, I think this is just what we need to get the quality construction we are entitled.  I urge the City Council to pass and enact this ordinance immediately.  It is too important to play politics with this issue.   I ask Mayor Winnecke to join in with this ordinance and help encourage the City Council to pass this now.”

Gail Riecken is running for Mayor of Evansville and is a former Evansville City Council-woman, Evansville Parks Director, and a current member of the Indiana State House of Representatives.  She is a lifelong Evansville resident, has been married for 46 years, and has 2 children and 3 grandchildren.