The Evansville Police Merit Commission scheduled meeting for
Monday, July 27, 2015 has been cancelled.
The next scheduled meeting of the Police Merit Commission will be on
Monday, August 10, 2015, in Room 129 of the Civic Center Complex.
Notice submitted by Sgt. Doug Schneider,
Liaison to the Evansville Police Merit Commission
| WASHINGTON, July 13, 2015 – Today, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture is proposing to improve access to groceries for homebound seniors and people with disabilities who participate in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. USDA is proposing for the first time to permit grocery purchasing and delivery services run by government and non-profit organizations to accept SNAP benefits as payment, allowing for home delivery to those unable to shop for food. Vilsack will announce the proposal today during the 2015 White House Conference on Aging. Nationally, only 42 percent of eligible elderly individuals participate in SNAP, compared to 83 percent for all people who are eligible.
“Home delivery of groceries is an important step forward in serving the needs of these vulnerable populations. Allowing homebound seniors and people with disabilities to use their SNAP benefits through government and non-profit home delivery services will help ensure they have access to healthy foods,” Secretary Vilsack said, noting that one in five SNAP participants is either elderly or disabled. “This issue has a particular importance for seniors living in rural areas, as America’s rural population is older than the nation overall and rural seniors experience higher poverty than seniors nationwide.” Authorized by the 2014 Farm Bill, the proposed rule outlines eligibility and participation criteria for purchasing and delivery services serving the homebound elderly and disabled, and seeks comment from stakeholders. In addition, USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service will soon begin seeking up to 20 food purchasing and delivery services to participate in a one year pilot program. Lessons learned during the pilot will used to help shape the final rule. As the nation’s first line of defense against hunger, SNAP helps put food on the table for millions of low income families and individuals every month and has never been more critical to the fight against hunger. SNAP is a vital supplement to the monthly food budget of more than 46 million low-income individuals. Nearly half of SNAP participants are children, nine percent are over 60 and more than 40 percent of recipients live in households with earnings. |
IS IT TRUEÂ in todays issue we have repeated some questions that “Pastor Steve” and others ask members of the Winnecke Administration to address at last nights City Council meeting? Â ..the Administration feel that the CCO had something to do with the styling of these questions? Â …the answer is no but we wish we did?
IS IT TRUE we predicted that the Mayors Chief of Staff would not publicly answer “Pastor Steve’s” 16 questions about governmental issues? Â …members of Mayor Winnecke’s administration gave “Pastor Steve’s” written answers to his 16 questions? Â …all we can say is we told you so?
IS IT TRUE we wonder why we are paying  $217 K per room when the median cost of  to construct a Double Tree Hotel per room cost is 189K?
IS IT TRUE we wonder why the new turnkey costs for the new Downtown Convention Hotel is now $28.5 million instead of the original $20 million cost?
IS IT TRUE that the DMD Director purchased nearly $1 million dollars (to date) Â for property on North Main with full approval from his puppet Economic Redevelopment Board? Â …we hear that the money to purchase this property came from the North Main TIF fund? Â …we wonder how much money is remaining in this fund? Â …we wonder if City Council will approve the $15 million dollar loan request to finish this “Pork Barrel” project?
IS IT TRUEÂ did they city pay for a couple of Evansville Fire Fighters to go on two city sponsored business trips in the New Orleans area during MARDI GRAS? Â …could these alleged business trips be classified as “junkets”?
IS IT TRUE when will the public hear the status of the EPA Consent Decree in regards to the CSO issue?  . . the last we heard from the EPA was when they told us it would cost around $540,000,000 to correct our Water and Sewer issues?  …rumors has it that the Water and Sewer project has increased to nearly $700,00,000?
IS IT TRUE that a couple of Utility Board members were replaced at the beginning of the year? … the Business Manager for Local 561 Laborers was one of those members replaced?  …Barry Russell replacement was the Business Agent for Local 561 Laborers Union? . . has anything changed concerning a possible conflict of interest?
IS IT TRUEÂ we wonder why the Evansville Courier and Press has never looked into any connections between DMD and Economics Redevelopment Commission purchases of building/land and political donations?
IS IT TRUE we wonder if any individuals that received Facade Grants, Â Economic Redevelopment Loans and Grants, Â Brownfields Corp. surplus property, Â apartment buildings owned by the City and sold to developers for a small sum of money ever donated to Mayor Winnecke re-election campaign?
IS IT TRUE the US Attorney for the Southern District now has a “Political Corruption Division.�
Please take time and vote in today’s “Readers Poll”. Don’t miss reading today’s Feature article because it’s always an interesting read. New addition to the CCO is the Cause of Death reports generated by the Vanderburgh County Health Department.
Copyright 2015 City County Observer. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Will Also Present Governor’s Awards for Achievement at 2015 Indiana Black Expo Governor’s Reception
Indianapolis – Governor Mike Pence and Lieutenant Governor Sue Ellspermann will join Evansville Mayor Lloyd Winnecke and executives from Haier America, a division of the multinational home appliance and consumer electronics manufacturer Haier Group, for a ribbon cutting ceremony of the company’s new Technology and Design Center of Excellence. Both Governor Pence and Lt. Governor Ellspermann met with executives from Haier Group in China recently during their respective economic development and agricultural trade missions.
Later in the afternoon, Governor Pence will offer remarks at the 2015 Indiana Black Expo Governor’s Reception and present the Governor’s Awards for Achievement to Hoosiers who have devoted their time to community service. Details below.
Tuesday, July 14:
10:30 a.m. CDT – Governor Pence, Lt. Governor Ellspermann to join executives from Haier America for ribbon cutting ceremony
2:30 p.m. EDT – Governor Pence to present Governor’s Awards for Achievement at 2015 Indiana Black Expo Governor’s Reception
Marilyn Odendahl for www.theindianalawyer.com
A Fort Wayne man’s argument that his defense strategy was upended when the government waited until mid-trial to produce a complete chain of custody document convinced the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals to overturn his conviction.
Joshua Mackin was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm after Fort Wayne police found a loaded silver handgun in his pants pocket while arresting him for an outstanding warrant. One of the arresting officers secured the firearm in the evidence locker and filled out a continuity slip, which tracks the movement of a piece of evidence.
Prior to trial, the government gave a copy of the continuity slip, which was incomplete, to Mackin. It was missing signatures of the officers who had been in possession of the gun and it had the wrong serial number for the firearm.
At trial, the defense argued the half-done continuity slip showed the government would not establish the gun’s chain of custody. The government countered by producing a complete continuity slip and conceded it had not given the form to Mackin’s counsel.
Moving for a mistrial, the defense argued the government violated Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 16 by failing to disclose the correct continuity slip. Mackin’s team said the issue of chain of custody was the primary trial strategy and if the correct slip had been provided, Mackin may had pled.
The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana, Fort Wayne Division, denied the motion and Mackin was found guilty.
On appeal, Mackin contended that he would have known his chain-of-custody defense strategy was implausible had the government disclosed the correct continuity form. But because the prosecution’s own error raised the potential for that defense, he was deprived of the opportunity to prepare a plausible defense.
The government asserted it did not violate Rule 16 because it had no reason to suspect that Mackin would contest the gun’s chain of custody or that the continuity slip would be material to his defense.
A unanimous 7th Circuit panel disagreed with the government and ordered Mackin’s conviction be vacated in United States of American v. Joshua R. Mackin, 14-3602.
“Mackin does not argue that he had an absolute right to disclosure of the continuity slip, or that continuity slips are mandatory discovery material in the mine-run of cases,†Judge Michael Kanne wrote for the court. “Instead, he argues that in this particular case, once the government chose to disclose the incomplete continuity slip, he was entitled to the complete and correct one. We agree, and we hold as much today.â€
Will Also Offer Remarks, Participate in Cops Cycling for Survivors Event
Indianapolis – Tomorrow, Governor Mike Pence will offer remarks at the opening ceremony for the Cops Cycling for Survivors event. He will then participate in the first leg of the bike ride. Later in the afternoon, Governor Pence will ceremonially sign HEA 1161, which grants immunity for damage caused rescuing a child, and HEA 1216, which aims to reduce human trafficking in Indiana. In the evening, the Governor will visit with Hoosiers at the Bartholomew County Fair. Details below.
Monday, July 13:
8:30 a.m. EDT – Governor Pence to offer remarks at the opening ceremony for the Cops Cycling for Survivors event
*Media are welcome to attend.
Law Enforcement and Firefighters Memorial, Robert Orr & Senate Avenue, Northwest Corner, Indianapolis, IN
**In the event of rain, the ceremony will be moved inside to a Statehouse Atrium. Location confirmation will be sent tomorrow morning.
1:30 p.m. EDT – Governor Pence to ceremonially sign bills aimed at protecting children – HEA 1161 and HEA 1216
*Media are welcome to attend. Governor Pence will be available for on-topic questions immediately following the remarks and signing.
Statehouse – Room 206, 200 W. Washington Street, Indianapolis, IN
5:00 p.m. EDT – Governor Pence to visit with Hoosiers at the Bartholomew County Fair
