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LETTER TO THE EDITOR: ADAMS AND O’DANIEL NEED TO BE RE-ELECTED

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Dear City County Observer Editor, Dr. Dan Adams
Dr. Dan Adams and Attorney Conor O’Daniel have proven their value to our city government as the most educated, respected and experienced law makers on City Council and in the field for the At-Large positions in the Democratic Primary on May 5, 2015
conorDr. Adams has served for almost eight years and demonstrated time and again his pragmatic, compassionate and honest leadership. He currently holds the positon of City Council President and brings both a medical degree from Harvard University and Master of Business Administration from Washington University to the table. His consistent leadership and ability to work across the aisle with the current administration has been essential to the City winning the IU Medical Center for its downtown. His work with others to develop a team training concept brought the University of Evansville, the University of Southern Indiana and Ivy Tech Community College into the project and will ultimately lead to 2,000 students learning and potentially living in Evansville’s downtown.
Dr. Adams’ career as a heart surgeon taught him the value of a learned approach to his decisions. His quiet and encouraging leadership took a City Council reeling from internal conflict and brought back its integrity as a body. He has demonstrated his ability to work with each member of City Council with a hands-off approach to their projects and has supported bringing each and every initiative to a vote whether he ultimately agreed with the measure. His leadership, education and experience are essential to the body functioning to its fullest potential going forward. He embodies the role of the At-Large Representative and is widely respected within all sects and demographics of the Evansville community. He must be re-elected on May 5, 2015.
Conor O’Daniel has served for nearly four years, and is in his second year as the City Council Finance Chairman. His thoughtful and policy driven approach to issues has proven essential to the effectiveness of the legislative body. He brings with him the experience of being a small business owner and is the managing partner of the law firm that bears his name. He has been licensed to practice law in Indiana for more than 15 years, and holds a Doctorate of Law degree from the top tier law school, Indiana University. 
Attorney O’Daniel has also demonstrated his ability to work with Republicans and Democrats alike both on City Council and with the current City Administration. His bravery and honesty was most notably shown when he was the first City Councilmember to question the size of the downtown hotel subsidy. He was the first one to say that he could not support a $38.5 million bond and played a critical role during the weekend negotiations when the Administration and City Council agreed to reduce the City’s debt to $20 million. He has been the first Finance Chairman in the recent past to truly stand up for budget cuts and outline where the City was overspending. When threatened with an opponent or reduced support from special interest groups, he held his ground and persisted in the need to do the right thing for the taxpayers. 
There is no other member of City Council now or in the running that could adequately replace Mr. O’Daniel as the Finance Chairman. It is essential that he be re-elected to continue the work of bringing the City’s spending more in line with its revenue. 
These men range in age from early 40s to early 70s, but age is not necessarily an indicator of drive or energy. They have what it takes to lead this City. It has been demonstrated by these two truly professional gentlemen, time and time again. 
Voters on May 5, 2015 may vote for three At-Large Candidates but only two truly matter to the ability of this community to move forward. Please join me in sending these two leaders back to City Council. Your vote is critical to our progress as a community.

Stephanie Brinkerhoff-Riley

3rd Ward City Councilwoman

VCSO and Memorial High School students conduct Seat Belt Surveys

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On Friday, April 24, 2015 students from Reitz Memorial High School assisted the Sheriff’s Office in conducting seat belt use surveys.

The surveys were part of the statewide Operation Pull Over program administered by theIndiana Criminal Justice Institute (ICJI). This week participating law enforcement agencies across Indiana will conduct visual surveys of vehicle traffic to determine the current level of seat belt compliance.

Today, the Sheriff’s Office and Reitz Memorial High School driver education students staffed pre-selected survey locations. Students (who were supervised by either a sheriff’s deputy or teacher) tallied the number of drivers and passengers who either did or did not buckle up. Students were also asked to take note of any distracted driving behavior they observed. Some of the comments from students included observations of: “texting while driving”, “near rear end collision”, “driver yelling at other driver”, “dog in driver’s lap”, and “talking on phone while drinking coffee”.

Sheriff Dave Wedding stated, “Partnering with Memorial High School is a great way for our office to accomplish multiple objectives. Not only is valuable seat belt usage data collected, but students get to see first hand just how prevalent the problem of unrestrained and distracted driving is.”

Nearly 1500 vehicles were counted in this morning’s survey. Passenger vehicles and trucks were tracked separately. Nearly 89 percent of passenger vehicle operators wore their seatbelts, while only 76 percent of truck operators did so. Last year’s survey had 90.5 percent of passenger vehicle operators and 82.5 percent of truck operators buckling up. Our local seat belt usage data is consistent with previously conducted ICJI research that shows pickup truck operators account for the lowest percentage of restraint use in the state – with a 79.2 percent seat belt usage rate versus a 93 percent usage rate for passenger vehicle operators.

Sheriff Wedding added, “Statewide more than 200 people have lost their lives in traffic crashes this year to date, that’s more than a 24% increase from where we were at the end of April in 2014. As parents, the best thing we can do to combat this trend and keep our young drivers safe is to lead by example. Parents who buckle up have kids who buckle up.”


Pictured above: Sheriff’s Office and Reitz Memorial High School driver’s education students.

Pictured above: Students count cars and indicate seatbelt use for survey.

Pictured above: Sheriff Dave Wedding and his survey team getting energized.

 

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.

EPD Activity Report

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

Governor Pence Names Brandye Hendrickson Commissioner of Indiana Department of Transportation

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Indianapolis—Governor Mike Pence today named Brandye Hendrickson as Commissioner of the Indiana Department of Transportation, effective immediately. Governor Pence earlier today accepted Commissioner Karl Browning’s resignation.

 

“With more than a decade of executive experience in state government, Brandye Hendrickson has demonstrated a commitment to public service and a nearly unmatched depth of understanding of the Indiana Department of Transportation,” said Governor Pence. “I am confident that she will uphold the agency’s mission and serve Hoosiers well as Commissioner.”

 

Since 2007, Hendrickson has served as Deputy Commissioner for the Indiana Department of Transportation, specifically overseeing the agency’s Greenfield District Operations which encompasses East Central Indiana, including Indianapolis. In this role, her responsibilities include managing an annual construction budget of approximately $700 million and an annual operating budget of $50 million. Hendrickson oversees a workforce of 360 employees responsible for the planning, design, construction, maintenance and operation of INDOT’s transportation infrastructure within the district. In 2013, Governor Pence named her as Interim Commissioner at INDOT, a role she held for seven weeks. Previously, Hendrickson served as Deputy Commissioner for Human Resources within INDOT and more than six years as Human Resources Director for the Indiana Department of Environmental Management.

 

“I appreciate the opportunity to continue my service to Hoosiers as head of the Indiana Department of Transportation,” said Hendrickson. “I look forward to contributing further to the accomplishments of the Pence administration.”

MEDICARE SEMINAR  SET FOR TUESDAY, MAY 19TH 

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St. Mary’s Senior Connection will hold a Welcome to Medicare seminar Tuesday, May 19 at 4:00 p.m. at 951 S. Hebron Ave., Suite C (between Bellemeade and Washington Ave.) adjacent to the Senior Connection Office.

When individuals and their families are new to the federal Medicare program, it can be confusing and frustrating at first glance. This program will help you better understand the many different parts of Medicare and what your options are when you enroll.

This is an informational program only. No specific plans or companies will be discussed. The seminar will be presented by Gina Downs, Director of St. Mary’s Senior Connection. It is free but registration is required. Call St. Mary’s Senior Connection at 812-473-7271 or toll free at 800-258-7610 for reservations and directions.

VANDERBURGH COUNTY FELONY CHARGES

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 Below is a list of felony cases that were filed by the Vanderburgh County Prosecutor’s Office on Monday, April 20, 2015

Lindsay Cargill             Possession of Methamphetamine-Level 6 Felony

False Informing-Class B Misdemeanor

Jill Goodman                   Battery on a Person Less than 14 Years Old-Level 5 Felonies (Two Counts)

Quinn McGuffin           Battery on a Person Less than 14 Years Old-Level 5 Felony

Domestic Battery-Level 6 Felony

Strangulation-Level 6 Felony

William Becker            Battery by Means of a Deadly Weapon-Level 5 Felony

Steven Lewis                 Operating a Vehicle with an ACE of .08 or More-Level 6 Felony

Darla Mitchell                 Domestic Battery-Level 6 Felony

Mason Todd                  Dealing in a Schedule II Controlled Substance-Level 2 Felony

Possession of Paraphernalia-Class A Misdemeanor

Possession of Marijuana-Class B Misdemeanor

Below is a list of felony cases that were filed by the Vanderburgh County Prosecutor’s Office on Tuesday, April 21, 2015

Edward Meriwether       Domestic Battery-Level 6 Felony

Strangulation-Level 6 Felony

Jason Pike               Dealing in Methamphetamine-Level 2 Felony

Dealing in a Schedule II Controlled Substance-Level 3 Felony

Dealing in a Narcotic Drug-Level 4 Felony

Dealing in a Schedule IV Controlled Substance-level  5 Felony

Battery Against a Public Safety Official-Level 5 Felony

Resisting Law Enforcement-Level 6 Felony

Legend Drug Deception-Level 6 Felony

Maintaining a Common Nuisance-Level 6 Felony

Dealing in Marijuana-Level 6 Felony

Travis Cox                  Leaving the Scene of an Accident-Level 3 Felony

Causing Serious Bodily Injury when Operating a Motor Vehicle with an ACE of

.08 or More-Level 5 Felony

Criminal Recklessness-Level 6 Felony

Derek Johnson                  Possession of Cocaine-Level 6 Felony

Possession of Marijuana-Class A Misdemeanor

James Johnson                 Maintaining a Common Nuisance-Level 6 Felony

Possession of Paraphernalia-Class A Misdemeanor

Michelle Johnson            Maintaining a Common Nuisance-Level 6 Felony

Possession of Paraphernalia-Class A Misdemeanor

 Below is a list of felony cases that were filed by the Vanderburgh County Prosecutor’s Office on Wednesday, April 22, 2015

Montrako Bradley         Operating a Motor Vehicle after Forfeiture of License for Life-Level 5 Felony

Derek Johnson             Trafficking with an Inmate-Level 5 Felony

Michael Johnston       Operating a Vehicle with an ACE of .15 or More-Level 6 Felony

Timothy Keller                Operating a Motor Vehicle after Forfeiture of License for Life-Level 5 Felony

Nicole Montgomery  Intimidation-Level 5 Felony

Deariel Simmons           Dealing in Cocaine-Level 4 Felony

Possession of Marijuana-Class B Misdemeanor

Daron Thomas               Possession of Narcotic Drug-Level 6 Felony

Derrick Thompson       Impersonation of a Public Servant-Level 6 Felony

Resisting Law Enforcement-Class A Misdemeanor

Public Intoxication-Class B Misdemeanor

Disorderly Conduct-Class B Misdemeanor

Michael White               Possession of Methamphetamine-Level 6 Felony

Tanisha Wolfe                Dealing in a Narcotic Drug-Level 5 Felony

Dealing in a Schedule IV Controlled Substance-Class A Misdemeanor

Possession of Paraphernalia-Class A Misdemeanor

Shannon Adcox             Domestic Battery-Level 6 Felony

Strangulation-Level 6 Felony

James Ellis                       Operating a Vehicle as an Habitual Traffic Violator-Level 6 Felony

Resisting Law Enforcement-Level 6 Felony

Resisting Law Enforcement-Class A Misdemeanor

Michael Leimkuehler   Intimidation-Level 6 Felonies (Two Counts)

Hillary Rhodes               Battery by Means of a Deadly Weapon-Level 5 Felony

Shirley Thompson II      Neglect of Dependent-Level 6 Felony

Public Intoxication-Class B Misdemeanor

Daniel Wilhite                Dealing in Methamphetamine-Level 4 Felony

Dealing in a Schedule I Controlled Substance-Level 5 Felony

Dealing in a Schedule II Controlled Substance-Level 5 Felony

Dealing in Marijuana-Level 6 Felony

Legend Drug Deception-Level 6 Felony

Possession of Paraphernalia-Class A Misdemeanor

For further information on the cases listed above, or any pending case, please contact Kyle Phernetton at 812.435.5688 or via e-mail at kphernetton@vanderburghgov.org

Under Indiana law, all criminal defendants are presumed to be innocent until proven guilty by a court of law

 

Daily Topic Forum April 25, 2015

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ENJOY YOUR NEW “OFF TOPIC FORUM” AS OF APRIL 25, 2015

For the last couple of month we have been watching our bloggers getting off topic. Sometime the posters got real personal and insulting. With much thought and planning we have decided to add a new section to the CCO so you can go off topic long as you want. The name of this new section is called “OFF TOPIC FORUM.”  We placed this new section in the upper right hand corner.  This site is ready for you to post your off messages on a daily basis.

Attached is the new CCO posting rules for your review and compliance.

CITY COUNTY OBSERVER New Posting Rules And Guidelines As Of April, 25, 2015

We reserve the right to remove any post that we feel is obscene, profane, vulgar, racist, sexually explicit, threatening, abusive, or hateful.  Comments should further the discussion on a given subject or article and not veer off topic unless your posting on the “OFF TOPIC FORUM.”   We reserve the right to remove comments posted for sock puppeting purposes, where a user creates another persona to comment on their own previous comment.

You are legally responsible for what you post. Your anonymity is not guaranteed on this site. City County Observer will not share your private information with anyone unless you expressly instruct us to do so or we are required by law to do so.  We do not sell, rent, or give your information to any other company.

No solicitations are allowed. Links to other informational websites may be deleted if they are off topic or violate the substantive provisions of this policy.

City County Observer has created this privacy statement in order to better allow for the exchange and dialogue of ideas in promoting better public policy.  At the same time, we have a strong commitment to privacy.

PLEASE TAKE TIME TO READ OUR READERS POLL QUESTION AND CAST YOUR VOTE ACCORDINGLY. ALSO PLEASE TAKE TIME TO READ TODAYS FEATURE ARTICLE POSTED ON THE UPPER LEFT HAND PAGE.

A COUNTRY FOUNDED ON LAW by Jim Redwine

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Gavel Gamut

By Jim Redwine

(Week of 27 April 2015)

A COUNTRY FOUNDED ON LAW

President Eisenhower had some good ideas. While I sometimes have my doubts about the interstate highway system as Peg and I play Dodge’Em Cars while traveling this great country, Eisenhower’s desire to recreate the German Autobahn system for America was one good idea.

And Ike’s elevation of democracy over tyranny, the ballot over bullets, may ring somewhat ironic when, according to him, the first vote he ever cast was for himself for president, he saw first hand what bullets could do. Who more than a soldier knows the value of peace? Therefore, President Eisenhower’s proclamation of Law Day came from both experience and wisdom.

A special day for Americans to remember why law, not dogma, was the Founding Fathers’ Holy Grail was another good idea. If one has any doubts about this approach, she or he need only look to those countries where dogma is ascendant. Law Day is not just a celebration, it is a way of life for our nation.

Of course, a “Nation of Laws, not people” is our ideal. As with most ideals, we humans frequently fall short. So did the Founding Fathers. Women, African Americans, Native Americans, young people and those of the LGBT community, among others, were ignored, or worse, by the law when we started this grand experiment. But the struggle continues to be slowly advanced due to our tendency to rely on the adaptable law instead of any immutable ideology or theology.

As our nation celebrates the Rule of Law over anarchy or despotism this Law Day, we can also remember to thank those leaders such as General Eisenhower who helped preserve our ability to do so.

 

Drawing close to the 2015 legislative session

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With the end of session drawing near, there are still many bills going through the legislative process and making their way to the governor’s desk. Many important pieces of legislation like the Indiana budget requires extensive discussion and debate and will not be finalized until the very end of our time here.

There are many factors to consider when crafting the state’s spending and savings plan for the next two years. Overall, our goal is to pass an honestly balanced budget with no tax increases that funds our state’s priorities, mainly education and public safety. While the budget includes additional funding for several public safety initiatives, I was also proud to work on several bills this session towards this goal.

Currently, Senate Bill (SB) 532, which works to combat human trafficking, is making its way through this process. As House sponsor, SB 532 would establish the Human Trafficking Prevention and Victim Assistance Fund by utilizing funds acquired from crimes involving human trafficking. Creating this fund will not only help provide victims of human trafficking with specialized services, but also works to reduce the amount of victims trafficked in Indiana.
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