IS IT TRUE we hear that the mass exit from the City of Evansville employment has begun? …that Tony Kirkland is leaving his Administrative position with METS and shall be taking a position with Governor Pence? …we wonder which local Democrat will the Mayor appoint to this vacant political patronage position?
IS IT TRUE there is an interesting rumor going around the Evansville Police Department that Chief Billy Bolin will be appointed as the next Police Chief if Gail Riecken is elected Mayor? … the answer to this rumor is “NO WAY”?
IS IT TRUE we are amazed that the Mayor Chief of Staff Steve Schaefer has sit in almost every meeting pertaining to planning of the proposed Downtown Convention Hotel for the last several years and remembers nothing about what has been decided about this project? … he would have been more respectable and honest to the taxpayers if only he would had just said that he wasn’t at liberty to speak on that subject at this time? …it’s becoming obvious that the Mayor Chief of Staff Steve Schaefer is becoming a major political liability for Mayor Winnecke each passing day?
IS IT TRUE earlier this week Governor Pence came to town to celebrate the start of Fisher Dynamics production plant? …we were surprised that Mayor Winnecke did not try to upstage the Governor by taking credit for bringing Fisher Dynamics to Evansville in the announcement? …we would like to give full credit to Governor Pence for encouraging Fisher Dynamics to Evansville?
IS IT TRUE we are also pleased to hear that Governor Pence will not comply with the impending Federal plan to reduce carbon emissions from power plants unless major improvement are made in the proposed law?
IS IT TRUE that the Shriners were going to cancel the Blue Angels Air show during this Shrinerfest because a $50,000 short fall? … that we would like to thank the Vectren Foundation for it’s $50,000 donation which made the Blue Angel’s event possible? … the funding source from Vectren came from the shareholder’s fund and not the ratepayers?
IS IT TRUE that Vectren President Brad Ellsworth contacted the Vectren Foundation about the funding part of the Shriner’s shortfall? …we would like to thank the Vectren Foundation, shareholders and Senior Management of Vectren for making this outstanding community event possible?
IS IT TRUE JUNE 26, 2015
PROFILE ON MICHELLE MERCER CITY COUNCIL AT LARGE CANDIDATE
Michelle Mercer is a Republican Candidate for City Council at Large. One asset that may distinguish Mercer from other candidates is that she brings the advantage of a varied career background. Her career experience includes business, healthcare and higher education. Mercer spent several years in higher education in Student Affairs with Indiana University. She worked numerous years as a Registered Nurse. Mercer worked for a large international corporate pharmaceutical company. Possibly most important to City Council, Mercer has worked for two locally owned Evansville small businesses, where she experiences daily the challenges faced by our local Evansville small business owners. Currently, Mercer works as a Manager and Recruiter for Medical Staffing Solutions, an Evansville locally woman owned small business. Medical Staffing Solutions is a recruitment firm that does nationwide and local contracts. As a manager and recruiter, Mercer is involved in hiring, employee counseling, project management, marketing and recruitment. Additionally, Mercer owns her own developing small business as a Mary Kay Beauty Consultant.
Mercer grew up making trips to Evansville where her parents and grandparents were born and raised. In 1996, Mercer chose to make Evansville her home, where she immediately fell in love with the community. Since making Evansville her home in 1996, Mercer has a long standing history of community service here. For many years, Mercer has served on the Right to Life Board of Southwest IN where the organization has kept abortion clinics out of Evansville. Mercer served on the Pigeon Creek Greenway advisory Board and saw expansion of our Greenway. As the Vanderburgh County Council’s appointment to the Evansville Museum Board of Trustees, Mercer has been involved in the new expansion of the Museum. As a Trustee, Mercer serves on the Museum’s Strategic Planning Committee where they are working with city leaders to make the museum and Evansville’s downtown a destination for the Tri-State.
Mercer frequently volunteers and often serves as team captain for the mayor’s monthly trash cleanups. She participates in Energize Evansville and has contributed to several of the city’s Leadership Evansville VOICE sessions. Several times per week, you can often find Mercer walking with friends and picking up trash for exercise and to beautify our downtown.
Mercer believes job creation and development of our downtown is key for Evansville’s prosperity. Additionally, Mercer believes quality of life issues in Evansville are important such as public safety and maintaining our parks. Mercer wants Evansville to be a city where new businesses will want to relocate and make it easier for existing businesses to expand.
Park Board Agenda
BOARD OF PARK COMMISSIONERS
REGULAR MEETING
KEVIN WINTERNHEIMER CHAMBERS
ROOM 301, CIVIC CENTER COMPLEX
WEDNESDAY, JULY 1, 2015
12:00 NOON
AGENDA
1. CALL TO ORDER
2. MINUTESJune 3, & 17, 2015
3. CONSENT AGENDA
       a.  Request Re: Approve and Execute Park Use Application with the YMCA for Usage of
          Garvin Park & the Greenway for 15 K Road Race September 5, 2015. – Hayes
       b.  Request Re: Approve and Execute Park Use Application with the YMCA for Usage of
          Bayard Park, Garvin Park & the Greenway for Half Marathon Road Race on October 3, 2015.
          – Hayes
4. Â Â Â Â OLD BUSINESS
       a.  Request Re: Approve and Execute Agreement with GenPro Energy Solutions for Greenway
          Solar Lighting. – Johnson
       b.  Request Re: Approve and Execute Agreement with Morley and Associates for Greenway
          Slide Remediation. – Johnson
5. Â Â Â Â NEW BUSINESS
      a.  Request Re: Any Other Business the Board Wishes to Consider and Public Comments.
6.    REPORTS
      a.  Denise Johnson, Executive Director
7.    ACCEPTANCE OF PAYROLL AND VENDOR CLAIMS
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8.    ADJOURN
ST. MARY’S TRAUMA SERVICES TO PARTICIPATE IN STATEWIDE TRAUMA LISTENING TOUR – PUBLIC INVITED
From June through August, the Indiana State Department of Health will hold a statewide Trauma Tour. Division of Trauma and Injury Prevention staff, along with local stakeholders, will hold open house style meetings in all 10 Indiana public health preparedness districts for Hoosiers to learn more about trauma, how state and local agencies currently respond to trauma and how a trauma system could help the state. Most importantly, the goal is to gather person al stories of how trauma has affected those in Indiana.
The ISDH has identified District 10 (Knox, Daviess, Martin, Gibson, Pike, Dubois, Crawford, Posey, Vanderburgh, Warrick, Spencer and Perry counties) as a leader in the development of an organized regional trauma system plan. Evansville is the first stop in this statewide tour. The St. Mary’s Trauma education team will participate with other health providers at the vendor fair. Congressman Larry Bucshon will be attending as well.
This event is Tuesday, June 30, from 2-5 p.m. at the Southern Indiana Career & Technical Center, 1901 Lynch Road, Evansville, IN. It is free and open to the public. Tickets are not required, but anyone can sign up at: http://www.in.gov/isdh/26642.htm.
Traumatic injury is the No. 1 killer of Hoosiers under the age of 45; the same is true across the country and worldwide. Injury is the fifth most common killer of Hoosiers of all ages. Traumatic injuries kill young people in the prime of their lives, impacting society as a whole in health costs, lost productivity and emotional distress.
Judges deny sentence modifications, but for different reasons
Jennifer Nelson for www.theindianalawyer.com
A panel on the Indiana Court of Appeals concluded Thursday that neither of two men who petitioned in late 2013 to have their 1997 sentences modified are entitled to a modification, but the judges’ reasoning for the denials differed.
Dennis and Raymond Johnson were convicted in 1997 of felony murder and carrying a handgun without a license, and each was sentenced to 55 years. In 2013, the men requested re-entry court evaluations, which the trial court treated as sentence modifications. At a hearing in August 2014, the trial court denied their motions because the prosecutor did not consent to the modifications, which is required based on the statute in effect at the time they were sentenced. Beginning July 1, 2014, the prosecutorial consent requirement was removed, and a savings clause was added saying the new statute did not apply to crimes or sentences prior to July 1.
In a 35-page opinion that included a lengthy concurrence from Judge L. Mark Bailey, the court affirmed the denial of the Johnsons’ request for sentence modification. Both the majority and Bailey looked at the legislative history of the statute and past cases dealing with sentence modification, including several recently decided by the COA.
“Because the 2014 amendment to Indiana Code section 35-38-1-17 was neither remedial nor procedural, and because the savings clause evinces the intent of the legislature to apply the new criminal code only prospectively, the 2014 version of the sentence modification statute does not apply to the Johnsons. Therefore, the trial court properly determined that, in the absence of prosecutorial consent, it had no authority to modify the Johnsons’ sentences,†Judge Margret Robb wrote in the majority opinion.
She wrote in a footnote that although the statute has again been amended to include people sentenced before July 1, 2014, it is not applicable in the Johnsons’ case since the amended statute did not become effective until May 5, 2015.
“I would hold that the revised statute applies to all petitions filed on or after July 1, 2014, regardless of the petitioner’s conviction or sentencing date. Here, the Johnsons filed their petitions before the effective date of the statute, and thus the trial court did not err in applying the prior version of the statute and denying their petitions for lack of prosecutorial consent,†Bailey wrote.
He also dismissed the argument that allowing anyone to now be able to modify their sentence would flood the courts because the statute limits the number of times a person may file a sentence-modification petition.
The combined cases are Dennis Johnson, Raymond Johnson v. State of Indiana, 48A05-1408-CR-390.
Operation Dry Water taking place nationwide June 26-28
 Indiana Conservation Officers will be joining thousands of law enforcement officers across the United States who will be on heightened alert for those violating boating under the influence laws during the annual Operation Dry Water weekend, June 26-28. Operation Dry Water is a nationally coordinated heightened awareness and enforcement campaign, focused on deterring boaters from boating under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
Alcohol use is the leading contributing factor in recreational boater deaths, and a leading factor in recreational boating accidents. Law enforcement agencies from every U.S. state and territory are expected to participate in Operation Dry Water weekend, focusing their efforts on detecting impaired boaters and educating the public about the dangers of boating under the influence. In 2014, alcohol use was the primary factor in nearly one-fourth (21%) of boater deaths.
“The decision about whether to drink and boat under the influence is a choice every boater makes, †says Lt. Kenton Turner, Indiana Boating Law Administrator. “Boating under the influence is a 100% preventable crime. Operation Dry Water, participating law enforcement agencies and our boating safety partners encourage boaters to stay safe by staying sober while boating.â€
Since the inception of the Operation Dry Water Campaign in 2009, law enforcement officers have removed 1,875 BUI operators from the nation’s waterways and made contact with over 604,250 boaters during the annual three-day weekend. In 2014, 585 local, state and federal law enforcement agencies and USCG units from 56 state and territories participated in Operation Dry Water.
Environmental “stressors†such as wind, noise, and the movement of the boat while on the water intensify the effects of alcohol or drug use on an individual while boating. Boaters can become impaired more quickly on the water than on land.
Operation Dry Water is a year-round boating under the influence awareness and enforcement campaign with the mission of reducing the number of alcohol and drug related accidents and fatalities through increased recreational boater awareness and by fostering a stronger and more visible deterrent to alcohol and drug use on the water.
PET OF THE WEEK
Cookie – This sweet calico has a little “more to love,†which has earned her the affectionate nickname of Cookie Monster around the shelter. She’s waited on a home since March 24th, likely because of her age (she’s 8.) Kittens are really cute & all, but just think… adopting an older cat means you know exactly what size, color, and personality your cat will have for the rest of its life! Cookie’s $30 adoption fee includes her spay, microchip, vaccines, & more. She’s ready to go home TODAY! www.vhslifesaver.org