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DON’T GO TO COURT ALONE. CALL IVAN ARNAEZ @ 812-424-6671.
IS IT TRUE APRIL 15, 2015
IS IT TRUE  former Evansville Mayor Jonathan Weinzapfel took issue with Evansville City Councilman Dan McGinn’s statements on his personal Facebook Page the yesterday? …we urge you to read what former Weinzapfel said about Councilman Dan McGinn mis-statement about Ford Center funding in todays CCO FEATURE page? …we look forward to Councilman McGinn response to former Mayor Weinzapel for his mis-statement about the method used to build the Ford Center?
IS IT TRUE we commend Evansville City Controller Russ Lloyd, Jr for finally admitting that Councilman Friend was correct about the city having only $300,000 in the General Fund at the end of 2014? Â …we hear that the Mayors Chief of Staff is extremely unhappy about Russ Lloyds public confession that the city having $300,000 in the General Fund at the end of 2014?
IS IT TRUE we would like to acknowledge the accurate article that Courier and Press Staff writer John Martin wrote about Monday night City Council meeting? Â …his reporting was spot on? Â …we hope the new owners of the Courier and Press take notice what can be achieved if top management allow reporters to do their job?
IS IT TRUE the CCO predicts that you’ll better get ready for a big property tax increase in the couple of weeks but also ready yourself for another increase in the water and sewer rates in the near future?
IS IT TRUE that the $200,000 Earthcare loan made by the Winnecke Administration is now  non-collectable because of a recent bankruptcy filing?  …we wish that Mayor Winnecke would had listened to Councilman Friend and Brinkerhoff-Riley about the proper vetting of Earthcare and its owners?
IS IT TRUE that City Controller Russ Lloyd, Jr intentionally withheld payments to the City’s health care providers (Dentists, Doctors, Hospitals, etc.) in the amount of $3 million dollars? …if Lloyd would had paid those bills in a timely manner the General Fund would have been NEGATIVE by an additional $3 million dollars?
PLEASE TAKE TIME TO READ OUR READERS POLL QUESTION AND CAST YOUR VOTE ACCORDINGLY. Â ALSO READ TODAYS Feature Page ARTICLE LOCATED ON THE UPPER SIDE CORNER OF THE CCO.
Ivy Tech Community College and the University of Evansville Strengthen Transfer Partnership
Ivy Tech Community College and the University of Evansville have collaborated to streamline transfer opportunities for Ivy Tech graduates.
Ivy Tech students interested in transferring to the University of Evansville upon completion of their associate’s degree now have an added resource on campus. University of Evansville Admission Counselor Ashley Ross will now be housed at Ivy Tech’s main campus in Evansville one day a week. She will provide students with information and support regarding the transfer process to UE.
“We’re excited about strengthening our very good relationship with Ivy Tech,†says Dr. Tom Kazee, President of the University of Evansville. “We look forward to discussing credit transfer options and scholarship opportunities for those who complete an associate’s degree at Ivy Tech. We want to ensure a smooth transfer transition to UE.â€
Traditionally, the majority of community college students transferring to the University of Evansville are Ivy Tech students. Ivy Tech has similar partnerships in place with the University of Southern Indiana and Western Kentucky University.
“We greatly value our relationship with the University of Evansville, as well as our other local higher education partners. Having a representative from UE on campus each week will now be another great benefit for Ivy Tech students,†said Ivy Tech Chancellor, Jonathan Weinzapfel. “Our partnership will make pursuing a bachelor’s or graduate degree at UE an attainable option for students seeking to continue their education after Ivy Tech.â€
First Annual 5K Run for Babies set for April 25!
March of Dimes Fights for Stronger, Healthier Babies in Evansville
Hundreds of families and business leaders will join together on Saturday, April 25, to take part in the March of Dimes first annual Run for Babies.
The March of Dimes and Mead Johnson Nutrition are proud to present this inaugural event, a timed 5K run. Lace up your running shoes and join us in support of research, prevention and treatment of prematurity – all of which can lead to stronger, healthier babies.
The run begins promptly at 10AM at Sunrise Park, home of the Kids Kingdom playground, with the course taking you along Riverside Drive and through parts of downtown Evansville, onto the beautiful River walk, and back to the Finish Line at Sunrise Park. Registration begins at 9AM and the registration fee is $20. Runners can also register online at https://register.chronotrack.com/reg/form?eventID=13307. All runners will receive an official race t-shirt, race number and chip timing.
The Run for Babies will be followed by the March of Dimes annual walking event, the 3 mile March for Babies, also in Sunrise Park.
Mead Johnson’s sponsorship of the first 1st Annual Run for Babies is part of the company’s celebration of its 100 years of operation in Evansville. “We’re so excited to have Mead Johnson Nutrition help us with this Run ” said Mike Ball, division director for the March of Dimes Southwest Division. “Their employees’ passion for the cause and commitment to helping our babies will be a huge driving factor in the success of our event this year.â€
“Mead Johnson’s mission – to help give infants and children the best start in life – has much in common with the March of Dimes’ commitment to help prevent premature births and birth defects. We are honored to work with an organization whose mission is so closely aligned with our own as we celebrate our 100 year anniversary in Evansville,†said Rick Baumgart, vice president, North America supply chain at Mead Johnson Nutrition.
When you run or walk on Saturday, April 25th, you give hope to the nearly half a million babies in the United States who are born too soon each year. The money you raise supports programs in our community that help moms have healthy, full-term pregnancies. And it funds research to find answers to the problems that threaten our babies. Participation in March for Babies and Run for Babies will provide a memorable and rewarding day for all attendees. Participants can enjoy WFIE’s morning anchor Dan Katz as the emcee; music; several local mascots, such as Evan the Otter and the Chick-fil-A Cow; face painting; River City Clowns; an obstacle course; and more.
Call Mike Ball, March of Dimes Division Director for more information at 812-266-6004 or email at mball@marchofdimes.org.
The March of Dimes mission and is dedicated to raising awareness and the important funding to prevent premature births, birth defects and infant mortality. One in nine babies in the United States will be born prematurely. Funds raised by the Run for Babies in Indiana help support prenatal wellness programs, research grants, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) Family Support Programs and advocacy efforts for stronger, healthier babies.
The most urgent infant health problem in the U.S. today is premature birth. It affects more than 450,000 babies each year and is the leading cause of death for children under the age of five. This past November, the March of Dimes issued a Report Card on Premature Birth, giving the nation a “C†and Indiana the grade of “B.†The March of Dimes is committed to reducing this toll by funding research to find the answers to problems that continue to threaten the health of babies.
About Mead Johnson
Mead Johnson, a global leader in pediatric nutrition, develops, manufactures, markets and distributes more than 70 products in over 50 countries worldwide. The company’s mission is to nourish the world’s children for the best start in life. The Mead Johnson name has been associated with science-based pediatric nutrition products for over 100 years. The company’s “Enfa” family of brands, including Enfamil® infant formula, is the world’s leading brand franchise in pediatric nutrition. For more information, go to www.meadjohnson.com.
About March of Dimes
The March of Dimes is the leading nonprofit organization for pregnancy and baby health. Â The March of Dimes works to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality. For the latest resources and information, visit marchofdimes.com or nacersano.org.
Standard and Poor’s: “A balanced budget requirement would strengthen Indiana’s government frameworkâ€
Reaffirms Indiana’s AAA Credit Rating
Indianapolis –In a report released today, Standard and Poor’s commented on the balanced budget constitutional amendment, one of the Governor’s agenda items, and reaffirmed Indiana’s AAA credit rating. Indiana has held AAA ratings with all three agencies, Standard and Poor’s, Moody’s, and Fitch Ratings, since April of 2010.
“Indiana continues to stand out because of our strong economic climate,†said Governor Pence. “We’ve lowered taxes, held the line on spending, and maintained our reserves, all of which help Indiana keep its competitive edge. As we look to the future, I urge the General Assembly to pass a balanced budget amendment in the coming days to ensure Indiana’s credit rating and overall fiscal reputation remain strong.â€
The report states: “Neither Indiana’s constitution nor statutes require the state to initially approve or maintain a balanced budget throughout the year. The Governor has requested that the legislature consider a balanced budget constitutional amendment which is currently being evaluated by the House of Representatives. In our view, although the state has managed its finances well in the absence of this requirement, a balanced budget requirement would strengthen Indiana’s government framework.â€
COA: Company sought to prevent competition, not protect trade secrets
Jennifer Nelson for www.theindianalawyer.com
The Indiana Court of Appeals affirmed the grant of a directed verdict in favor of the defendants in a lawsuit alleging they divulged confidential information and trade secrets after departing a computer systems company and began working for a competitor.
This is the third time litigation brought by Think Tank Software Development against former employees and their new employer, Chester Inc., has made its way before the appeals court. The employees named in the lawsuit left Think Tank within a year of each other and joined Chester. Think Tank sued, alleging violations of noncompete contracts, breach of contract, and misappropriation of trade secrets.
The trial court ruled in favor of the defendants, but the COA sent it back to the lower court for further proceedings, noting in part that Think Tank had designated evidence to prevent summary judgment in favor of the defendants on its trade secret misappropriation claims. The COA later clarified the issue of damages in another appeal.
At issue in Think Tank Software Development Corp., d/b/a Think Tank Networking Tech. Group and Think Tank Info. Systems v. Chester, Inc., Mike Heinhold, John Mario, Joel Parker, Thomas Guelinas, et al., 64A03-1404-PL-134, is whether the trial court erred in granting a directed verdict on the misappropriation of trade secrets and determining that Think Tank’s non-solicitation claim was barred.
Think Tank believed that the trial court acted contrary to the law of the case, pointing to the earlier ruling that it had presented enough evidence to raise the issue of whether the defendants had misappropriated the trade secrets. But the defendants argued that what constitutes a trade secret is a determination for the court to make as a matter of law, so there was no error in granting a directed verdict instead of submitting the issue to the jury.
“[W]hile we acknowledge the tension between the parties’ positions regarding who is to determine whether information is a trade secret, we need not determine today if the question of whether information constitutes a trade secret is a matter of law or a question of fact. Instead, we determine that, as a matter of law, Think Tank failed to produce enough evidence to allow a reasonable fact finder to determine that the proffered information was trade secrets. More particularly, we find that Think Tank failed to show that any of the information alleged to be trade secrets was not generally known or ascertainable to the public, and, therefore, was not a trade secret,†Judge John Baker wrote.
The judges also found that Think Tank did not appeal the trial court’s grant of summary judgment with regard to the non-solicitation claim in its first appeal and therefore waived the issue.
Public Invited to UE Panel Discussion on RFRA and Religious Beliefs
The public is invited to attend a panel discussion at the University of Evansville about how the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) and religious beliefs shape public actions. This event is Thursday, April 16, in Room 251, Eykamp Hall, Ridgway University Center, at 11:00 a.m. Guest panelists include UE professor of religion James Ware, Rabbi Gary A. Mazo, and UE chaplain Tamara K. Gieselman. For more information, please call 812-488-2240.
Weinzapfel Disputes McGinn Remarks on City Spending ProblemÂ
City Councilman Dan McGinn stated at an April 13, 2015 City Council meeting in response to complaints from other Councilmembers regarding the depletion of the City’s cash reserves, “I’m not at all surprised we have spent down our cash reserves, but look at what we now own that we did not have.†Councilman Dan McGinn, R-1st Ward, agreed that cash reserves have declined, but noted the city has bought large swaths of Downtown land for the Ford Center and future anticipated major developments (Courier & Press, City Council urges development of spending, revenue plan).
Former Mayor Jonathan Weinzapfel took issue with McGinn’s statements on his personal Facebook Page the yesterday: “Once again, we hear the completely inaccurate assertion, this time from Councilman Dan McGinn, that funds used to purchase property and construct the Ford Center and, in this case, other downtown development projects, have caused a decrease in operating cash balances. Nothing could be further from the truth. TIF, Riverboat and the food and beverage tax…all funds used to build the Ford Center and/or finance downtown development…cannot be used for operating purposes. Over the past three years, it appears that expenses have exceeded revenues by about $27 million when you include the advance on PILT from the Utility and health care expenses from 2014 carried forward to 2015. This represents a spending problem in the operation of city government, not a problem with downtown development.â€
The comments from Weinzapfel come after repeated attempts by the Winnecke Administration to deflect observations that it is overspending on an annual basis to the tune of $6 million dollars and that the problem is getting worse. Deficit spending in 2013 was over $5 million, but deficit spending in 2014 was more than $10 million. The original estimate of $6 million in deficit spending for 2014 was determined before City officials acknowledged that at least $3 million in bills had been deferred to 2015 and a last minute infusion of $2.4 million in cash from the Utility, which was an advance on 2015 payments, was used to shore up revenue.
This is a developing story so please stay turned.
Focused on Education
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Focused on Education
Indiana House Republicans are committed to improving the quality of public education as a top priority for the 2015 legislative session. Education is one of the key focuses of the State Budget (HB 1001) and one of the main points of the House Republican 2015 Legislative Agenda. The House passed budget contains $16B total spending on K-12 education and accounts for over 50 percent of the state’s biennial budget. The House budget also increases the foundation for every Hoosier student and invests $10M for STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) teacher recruitment. With a $469M increase, this is the largest education funding increase in the state budget in Hoosier history.
Senate Republicans introduced their state budget proposal this week. HB 1001 passed out of the Senate Committee on Appropriations and is now eligible for consideration by the full Senate.  Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â  |
