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ST. MARY’S HEALTH OFFERS ENROLLMENT ASSISTANCE APPOINTMENTS

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St. Mary’s Health is offering one more chance for open enrollment assistance for insurance through the Affordable Care Act Marketplace.

As the Affordable Care Act’s second open enrollment period begins, MedAssist representatives and St. Mary’s Health Access Advocates will be available to assist the uninsured. They will offer help regarding different health plans available and how to navigate the application process. Two opportunities are available for enrollment advice. Those interested are encouraged to schedule an appointment by calling 812.485.5864. Walk-ins are welcome.

St. Mary’s Center for Advanced Medicine

Fourth Floor, Room 4

901 St. Mary’s Drive, Evansville, IN

Tuesday, January 13, 4:00 – 7:00 p.m.

 

Two men arrested on gun and drug charges during Monday morning traffic stop

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SPONSORED BY DEFENSE ATTORNEY IVAN ARNAEZ.
DON’T GO TO COURT ALONE. CALL IVAN ARNAEZ @ 812-424-6671.
Evansville Police arrested 23 year old KAMION MELTON and 28 year old DARNELL HOLMES during a car stop early Monday morning. Melton and Holmes were passengers in a car that had been stopped for a broken tail light. When officers approached the car, they detected a strong smell of marijuana coming from the passenger compartment. The car also matched the description of a car involved in several recent shots fired runs.
During the stop, Melton gave officers a false name. He was also in possession of 6 individually packaged bags of marijuana. During a search of the car, officers found a handgun under Melton’s seat. Melton was arrested for Dealing Marijuana, False Informing, and Possession of a Handgun without a Permit.
During the stop, officers also found a gun in the trunk. The trunk was accessible to the rear passenger area where Holmes was seated. Holmes was convicted of Armed Robbery in Vanderburgh County in October of 2012. The gun had been reported stolen in Gibson County. Holmes was arrested for Possession of a Firearm by a Felon.
The driver was issued a traffic ticket and released.
Image #1 Kamion Melton user30769-1421069746-media2_9f9e9c_192_240_PrsMe_user30769-1421069744-media1_aaa8ad_192_240_PrsMe_
Image #2 Darnell Holmes

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 January 12, 2015

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

NOMINATION DEADLINE FAST APPROACHING FOR 20TH ANNUAL CELEBRATION OF LEADERSHIP AWARDS

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  • Saturday, January 17, 2015 last day to submit nomination for community award
  • Event is largest celebrating community leadership in Evansville

    Leadership Evansville (LE) Executive Director Lynn Miller-Pease reminds the Evansville Community that Saturday, January 17th is the final day to nominate a worthy individual, business, group or project for a Leadership Evansville 2015 Celebration of Leadership (COL) Award. The recipients will be announced at the popular and diverse awards program’s 20th-annual event in March 2015.

    Nominating deserving people and projects for their inspiring leadership and collaborative accomplishments that significantly improved our community in 2014 is easy. Simply visit Leadership Evansville’s website COL section here: http://leadershipevansville.org/contact/nomination-form

    2015 Celebration of Leadership Awards – 20th Annual

    Mark your calendar! Leadership Evansville’s 20th annual Celebration of Leadership awards ceremony will be held on Thursday, March 12, 2015 at Old National Events Plaza in downtown Evansville.

    Last year’s COL awards program set records for the number of award nominations and attendance, with 900 community members on hand to help celebrate the presentation of 43 group and individual awards from 158 nominations for outstanding community and public service. Even greater participation is expected at the 20th-anniversary event.

    “It has become increasingly harder for our awards committee to select the winning recipients, because all of the nominees deserve praise for their inspiring work to help improve our community,” said Leadership Evansville Executive Director Lynn Miller-Pease.

    -more-

NEWS RELEASE

“The past year has seen so many positive examples of servant leadership and transformative change throughout our community. LE’s 20th annual COL Awards is the ideal forum to acknowledge the people and organizations that are making a positive change in our community, so we expect another record number of nominations this year,” Miller-Pease added.

Celebration of Leadership is your opportunity to recognize examples of outstanding community and public service in the following categories: Arts, Education, Environment, Government & Public Service, Health & Social Service and Neighborhood & Community.

ABOUT CELEBRATION OF LEADERSHIP

The Celebration of Leadership awards is Leadership Evansville’s conscious effort to recognize servant leaders in our community. The remarkably diverse and inclusive program gives awards to recognize individuals, businesses, organizations and projects for going above and beyond the call of duty to improve and transform our community.

ABOUT LEADERSHIP EVANSVILLE

Leadership Evansville was founded in 1976 by a group of future-thinking local leaders, whose original commitment to community-wide betterment remains unique and strong. Leadership Evansville brings together people with different talents, gifts and perspectives and transforms these individuals into leaders who embrace the concept of community trusteeship and the collaborative process. They help develop in them an understanding of how today’s leaders function and teaches them the skills to apply this knowledge in provided real life opportunities through practice and performance. These attitudes, skills and processes are taught to adults, youth, organizations, not-for-profits, businesses, educational institutions, neighborhood associations, churches and other leadership programs.

SOCIAL MEDIA: CONNECT WITH LEADERSHIP EVANSVILLE

Twitter: #COL2015, @LeadershipEVV, @evansvillevoice Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/leadershipevansville

Dr. Bucshon Votes to Approve Keystone XL Pipeline

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(WASHINGTON, DC) – On Friday, Congressman Larry Bucshon, M.D. voted for and the House passed H.R. 3, the Keystone XL Pipeline Act, which will approve construction of the Keystone XL pipeline.

 

Dr. Bucshon released the following statement after H.R. 3 passed the House:

 

“The Keystone XL pipeline is the most studied pipeline in American history,” said Bucshon. “After 6 years and 22,000 pages of review, the President’s own State Department tells us that construction of this pipeline will support over 42,000 good-paying jobs and do nothing to harm the environment. And, pipelines have been shown to be the safest way to transport oil! This pro-jobs, pro-energy, pro-national security project has bipartisan, wide-spread support from Democrats, Republicans, industry leaders, and labor alike. Just today, a Nebraska Supreme Court ruling upheld the route of the Keystone pipeline, clearing a roadblock the President has repeatedly used to stonewall the project. I look forward to this bill passing the Senate and making its way to President Obama’s desk.”

 

Sponsored by Rep. Kevin Cramer (R-ND), H.R. 3 passed with a bipartisan vote of 266 to 153.  More information on the bill can be found here and letters of support can be found here.

 

Congressman Larry Bucshon, a physician from Southern Indiana, is serving his third term in the U.S. House of Representatives representing Indiana’s 8th Congressional District. Bucshon sits on the influential House Committee on Energy and Commerce.  The 8th District includes all or parts of Clay, Crawford, Daviess, Dubois, Gibson, Greene, Knox, Martin, Owen, Parke, Perry, Pike, Posey, Spencer, Sullivan, Vanderburgh, Vermillion, Vigo, and Warrick counties.

Letter to Editor by Laura Blackburn

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For many weeks The City-County Observer has read a lot of comments that very popular  State Representative Gail Riecken will be making an announcement that she will seek the office of Mayor of Evansville this year.
I went to her announcement event last Saturday.  I was extremely impressed by the size and enthusiasm of the crowd that showed up on a very cold morning to support Gail and her message of “Common Sense and Inclusiveness” for leadership in Evansville.

I believe that there were close to 500 people present for Rep. Riecken’s formal announcement speech, and that the local Democrats left the CK Newsome Center with a renewed sense of unity within their party. That new reunified sprit is due in no small part to Gail’s reputation for honesty and conscientious service to constituents, and her unwavering support for the late Rick Davis in the last City election.

Her reputation for hard work, common sense, and respect for the people she serves is made even stronger by the tone of her announcement speech, when she repeatedly stressed that while Evansville faces some big challenges, “We can do better.”  That brief statement offers a keen insight into the character of Gail Riecken. She has a long record of working for the security and safety of our children and families. That fact that is undeniable when her history of civic service and legislative involvement are taken into account.  She clearly signaled that she is ready to roll up her sleeves and do the hard work that the people of this city identify with, instead of depending on “rainbows and fairy dust” political promises to make the city grow and prosper again.

One of the loudest responses from the crowd came when Rep. Riecken said, “Frankly, too many families in Evansville struggle to afford the basic necessities of housing, child care, food, and health care. “We can do better.”  That venture into the reality for many Evansvillians seemed to be particularly resonant with the “regular people”, who composed most of the audience. She also acknowledged the “brain drain” that plagues the city, when she added  “We must develop an environment where young people feel hope for a bright future here in Evansville, and where there are jobs and good paying jobs” which drew enthusiastic applause, too. When it comes to the concerns of Evansville families, Gail Riecken has proven that she “gets it.”  After 3 years I have my doubts about the current administration’s ability to identify with everyday family worries.

I frequently overheard conversation in the room took place between groups of women of all ages. It seems the ladies think the time has come for a woman to step in and “clean up the mess all of those men have made.”   However, I think some older entrenched political types have underestimated the appeal for Evansville to elect their first woman mayor in its 202 years history would be a grave mistake by any political party.  Evansville women are well known for being independent, strong willed, hard workers, and an extremely intelligent and a qualified candidate of their gender will appeal to women of all political persuasions turn out to vote to elect Gail as Mayor of Evansville.

I noticed that there was a strong showing of rank and file union members in the crowd, although few if any, “union bosses” attended,  Many of the long time party leaders were at the gathering, and they were joined by an impressive number of young, new faces.  Diversity was the order of the day, as young and old, male and female,  African American and white, and both professionals, blue collar groups, and many in between were strongly represented in the upbeat crowd. I saw groups of Democrats who have been at odds with each other since the last City election embracing and laughing together.

I congratulated Riecken Campaign Chairman Attorney Mike Woods on the turnout and unbridled joy for the event. Mr. Woods, who was beaming happily, told me how proud he is to be associated with the return of unity to the Democratic Party and the promise of Gail’s campaign. Excitement and anticipation among the crowd was palpable in the room. The only thing that was missing was “Happy Days Are Here Again” playing in the background. Thanks to Gail Riecken and Mike Woods, the Democratic “sleeping giant” is awake again and on the march.

Sincerely,

Laura Blackburn

Evansville

Please take time and vote in todays “Readers Poll”.

Copyright 2015 City County Observer. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Best Cities for Young Families in Indiana

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by  on January 5, 2015 | posted in Cities, Economics

Quality of life matters to all future homeowners, but young families in Indiana may have tighter finances that limit their options. And some couples may be trying to find the best place to buy their first house at the same time they are preparing for their first child.

NerdWallet crunched the data for the second year in a row to help people find the “Best Cities for Young Families.” Our analysis considers several factors:

    • Home affordability. We looked at median home value and selected monthly homeowner costs to prioritize affordable communities.
    • Prosperity and growth. Looking at current and past family incomes, we calculated the income of residents, as well as the projected long-term growth of each city.
    • Quality of education. We looked at ratings from GreatSchools to find the best schools for young families.
    • Family friendliness. This year, we added a new component to our methodology — the percentage of families with school-age children and the poverty rate for young children. This measure helps determine if an area is not only affordable for families, but if it is also a healthy one for children.

Want to know about future NerdWallet studies first? Click here to have updates sent to your inbox.

NerdWallet crunched the data for 109 places in Indiana —cities, towns and census-designated places. Only places with over 5,000 residents were analyzed. To see the full data set, click here.

Our analysis of Indiana revealed some trends:

Capital communities. Sprawling out in every direction, seven of 10 of our top cities were around Indianapolis.

Home values are high. Our methodology favors affordable communities, and in Indiana, we found that the high quality of life offset higher housing prices.

Larger cities dominate. In Midwest communities, we often find that smaller cities are the best cities for young families. But in Indiana, the average population for our top 10 cities is 32,000.

Best Cities for Young Families in Indiana

1. Fishers

Residents in Fishers will find highly rated schools balanced with recreational activities. Families can watch free movies in the fall, go to a “Glow in the Park” party in the Nickel Plate District and check out the annual pumpkin festival. With a median home value of $209,700, housing costs are slightly above Indiana’s average, but our data found Fishers is worth the investment for families focused on quality of life.

2. Westfield

This family friendly community, which has the highest percentage of families with children in the state, is within commuting distance of Indianapolis. In Westfield, family income has grown to just over $100,000 in the past 15 years.

3. Granger

Granger, a census-designated place outside South Bend — home of Notre Dame University — is a middle-income community of just under 30,000. Granger has a number of families with children, and a zero percent poverty rate for young children. The 51.9% of residents with at least a bachelor’s degree is twice as high as the state average, which suggests that Notre Dame’s faculty make Granger their home. The median family income here is $102,000, and the public schools have earned an 8 out of 10 ranking at GreatSchools.

4. Brownsburg

With its location 17 miles outside Indianapolis, Brownsburg is a draw for residents seeking an affordable mid-size community near a large metro area. The median home value of $144,100 makes Brownsburg the second-most affordable place in our top 10, yet the poverty rate for young families is low. The town features several parks, including Arbuckle Acres, Williams Park and Stephens Park, and along with the town’s low cost of living, comes highly ranked schools, which received an 8 at GreatSchools.

5. Avon

Avon, a Brownsburg neighbor, is another community outside Indianapolis, with convenient access to Highway 36 and the Indianapolis airport. Avon is smaller and slightly more expensive than Brownsburg — the median home value in Avon is $164,900. In addition to academics, the town’s schools also excel in the arts: the marching band has won two national championships. Music also makes it mark elsewhere in the town that is home to the Hendricks Symphony and Choir.

6. Carmel

There’s no shortage of positive developments in Carmel — one of the fastest-growing cities in the state. Young families here will find company: 35% of residents have children. The Meridian Corridor provides job opportunities for working parents, who have seen the median family income grow by a third in the past 15 years. Home values — at a median of $297,300 — are the second highest in the state, so buying a house here can present a challenge for families who want to move to Carmel.

7. Zionsville

Zionsville’s strong schools, which were rated 9 at GreatSchools, come with a bonus: the community is near Indianapolis, just an 18-mile commute for working parents. The town, and its village style downtown area, is known as a family friendly community. Zionsville’s Fourth of July fireworks show brings visitors from all over the state.

8. Batesville

A bit more rural than many of the communities featured on our list, Batesville makes the top 10 due to its affordable housing and schools. Batesville’s schools earned an 8 in a place where the median home value is $181,000. Although, it’s farther from metro areas, Batesville is located about the same distance from Indianapolis or Cincinnati. Residents find jobs at the Batesville Casket Co. and Hill-Rom, a health-care equipment manufacturer.

9. Boonville

As the place where President Abraham Lincoln studied law, Boonville is a city that has a rich history. In addition to being home of the Warrick County Museum, the city also has a downtown historical district. The city is smaller, with a population of 6,238, but with home values at $90,600, it is the most affordable place for homebuyers on our list.

10. Plainfield

Rounding out our list is Plainfield, a city of 28,000 about 20 miles from Indianapolis. The median home value of $147,000 puts Plainfield in an affordable range, and its school system ranked 8 out of 10 by GreatSchools. Residents can choose from a variety of parks and other activities — from the Vandalia Trail to the Recreation and Aquatic Center and more.

 Best Cities for Young Families in Indiana

Location GreatSchools rank Median home value 1999-2013 family income growth 2013 median family income Percent of families with at least 1 child under 18 Young Families Score
1 Fishers 9 $209,700 28.26% $105,136 38.80% 75.58
2 Westfield 8 $217,400 54.78% $100,931 39.10% 75.53
3 Granger CDP 8 $193,200 22.74% $102,086 34.40% 71.59
4 Brownsburg 8 $144,100 24.99% $79,049 29.00% 70.20
5 Avon 8 $164,900 23.50% $84,235 32.20% 69.51
6 Carmel 9 $297,300 33.30% $125,580 35.10% 67.44
7 Zionsville 9 $336,700 35.67% $129,375 38.40% 66.59
8 Batesville 8 $181,000 36.25% $79,829 26.30% 66.13
9 Boonville 7 $90,600 34.22% $56,500 19.70% 64.71
10 Plainfield 8 $147,900 19.53% $69,079 25.80% 64.67
11 Noblesville 8 $168,500 13.92% $80,785 28.00% 64.37
12 Tell City 7 $90,200 39.23% $57,500 14.90% 64.31
13 York 6 $125,000 19.71% $70,372 27.70% 63.88
14 Huntingburg 7 $107,900 29.76% $54,400 23.30% 63.87
15 Dyer 7 $191,100 26.09% $86,643 25.90% 62.02
16 Jasper 7 $128,600 25.21% $65,903 21.80% 62.00
17 St. John 7 $250,300 38.96% $104,542 33.50% 61.94
18 Lakes of the Four Seasons CDP 6 $179,700 36.10% $93,778 24.20% 61.52
19 Decatur 6 $93,800 17.50% $52,550 19.50% 60.48
20 Crown Point 8 $172,500 16.86% $75,112 20.30% 60.23
21 Munster 8 $196,400 23.99% $92,072 22.20% 59.92
22 Dunlap CDP 4 $125,000 11.87% $62,112 30.90% 59.50
23 Lowell 5 $145,600 28.29% $70,299 27.70% 58.97
24 Hartford City 6 $60,700 10.52% $43,826 17.50% 58.96
25 Danville 6 $150,200 12.09% $70,409 26.90% 58.89
26 Washington 5 $76,700 32.85% $50,100 17.30% 58.65
27 Greenwood 7 $131,900 15.29% $66,060 21.60% 58.50
28 Greencastle 6 $115,400 42.42% $58,750 20.30% 58.39
29 Nappanee 7 $129,900 -8.28% $48,913 27.70% 58.33
30 Sellersburg 4 $109,300 37.45% $63,929 20.20% 58.19
31 Chesterton 7 $168,900 15.64% $76,601 24.60% 58.06
32 Hobart 6 $132,800 25.21% $68,961 19.20% 57.88
33 Princeton 4 $82,400 28.29% $47,862 21.20% 57.73
34 Cedar Lake 6 $153,900 26.26% $63,672 22.50% 57.32
35 Mount Vernon 6 $94,800 19.48% $59,063 18.10% 57.02
36 Greensburg 7 $103,300 12.05% $50,915 15.80% 56.99
37 Valparaiso 8 $162,800 5.67% $64,077 20.40% 56.81
38 Bluffton 7 $94,000 6.34% $48,167 13.90% 56.39
39 Auburn 6 $104,800 3.56% $54,563 20.30% 56.32
40 Ellettsville 5 $119,400 31.81% $56,614 20.30% 55.81
41 Schererville 7 $207,800 22.55% $86,364 19.70% 55.72
42 Huntington 5 $75,000 9.91% $47,759 16.60% 55.24
43 Portland 6 $68,400 8.24% $44,736 14.20% 55.00
44 Lawrence 6 $125,500 9.87% $62,199 19.30% 54.79
45 Highland 6 $153,900 21.34% $71,718 19.10% 54.77
46 Franklin 5 $115,700 13.48% $59,353 22.50% 54.67
47 New Haven 5 $92,200 14.25% $56,664 21.00% 54.52
48 Greenfield 6 $118,100 8.45% $56,836 20.70% 54.36
49 Lebanon 6 $112,700 14.01% $54,460 17.80% 54.11
50 Columbus 5 $140,900 26.73% $66,273 20.60% 53.96
51 Jeffersonville 5 $126,300 33.22% $60,299 17.40% 53.93
52 Charles 5 $110,600 31.16% $46,681 14.80% 53.76
53 Gas City 5 $78,000 17.69% $49,497 14.60% 53.58
54 Plymouth 6 $85,700 -3.29% $40,085 22.30% 53.50
55 Brazil 5 $72,500 5.73% $39,722 19.50% 52.60
56 Beech Grove 6 $93,600 0.24% $47,058 19.20% 52.45
57 North Manchester 6 $94,700 9.39% $51,172 14.80% 52.44
58 La Porte 6 $91,600 2.14% $46,763 15.80% 52.40
59 Warsaw 6 $115,900 10.30% $49,803 16.40% 52.32
60 Scottsburg 4 $99,300 18.40% $43,905 16.30% 52.14
61 Fort Wayne 4 $99,900 22.57% $55,206 17.70% 51.90
62 Mooresville 5 $125,100 18.27% $62,143 19.40% 51.25
63 Seymour 4 $101,200 15.87% $50,238 19.40% 51.24
64 Portage 5 $140,100 19.65% $64,987 17.80% 51.16
65 Peru 5 $57,000 0.16% $39,503 16.70% 50.85
66 Bedford 5 $88,600 10.06% $43,430 16.00% 50.78
67 Terre Haute 5 $76,800 13.32% $42,630 13.40% 50.63
68 Madison 5 $117,800 18.52% $54,807 16.20% 50.45
69 Martinsville 6 $97,400 5.05% $42,338 15.80% 50.38
70 Wabash 4 $77,800 8.16% $47,607 18.70% 50.31
71 Elwood 3 $73,200 19.24% $43,212 18.40% 49.96
72 Rushville 5 $82,000 13.98% $41,769 17.00% 49.50
73 Salem 5 $80,700 12.23% $41,726 15.40% 49.14
74 New Albany 6 $110,100 11.97% $47,021 12.90% 48.95
75 Connersville 6 $68,900 -5.48% $38,595 12.60% 48.67
76 Vincennes 3 $74,000 32.95% $47,095 15.00% 48.63
77 North Vernon 4 $78,400 2.52% $42,054 17.70% 48.55
78 Crawfordsville 5 $91,600 -5.16% $40,981 16.70% 48.45
79 Lake Station 4 $81,200 8.60% $45,017 18.10% 48.23
80 Columbia City 5 $94,700 1.23% $47,939 14.90% 47.99
81 Griffith 4 $140,900 13.77% $64,949 16.90% 47.84
82 Frankfort 3 $82,300 16.74% $49,830 16.00% 47.80
83 Mishawaka 5 $93,900 10.64% $46,411 12.30% 47.72
84 Lafayette 4 $102,200 15.84% $52,686 15.90% 47.69
85 Angola 5 $109,100 4.67% $45,896 14.90% 47.47
86 Speedway 7 $117,500 0.04% $49,025 8.90% 47.43
87 Clarksville 3 $114,200 20.18% $53,704 17.80% 46.63
88 New Castle 4 $67,400 8.27% $40,563 12.80% 46.18
89 Kokomo 3 $84,000 12.21% $50,890 15.70% 45.99
90 Shelbyville 6 $98,500 -6.35% $43,434 13.30% 45.98
91 Merrillville 4 $130,400 11.75% $62,975 15.80% 45.52
92 Logansport 3 $65,100 -0.78% $40,181 18.10% 45.47
93 Goshen 3 $107,800 -0.63% $46,582 18.70% 45.36
94 West Lafayette 4 $174,500 24.25% $88,851 13.00% 44.96
95 Indianapolis (balance) 4 $118,000 6.36% $51,857 14.90% 43.91
96 Kendallville 4 $82,900 5.17% $44,531 10.60% 43.64
97 South Bend 3 $85,100 9.00% $42,562 14.80% 42.91
98 Bloomington 6 $171,900 8.63% $54,375 10.50% 42.85
99 Evansville 3 $90,000 13.32% $46,565 12.50% 42.72
100 Hammond 2 $92,400 7.36% $45,330 18.00% 42.26
101 Rochester 6 $89,500 -9.94% $37,778 13.10% 42.22
102 Richmond 4 $81,300 2.09% $39,146 14.80% 41.68
103 Elkhart 3 $85,900 -8.36% $37,126 16.60% 41.30
104 Muncie 3 $73,200 10.90% $40,364 10.00% 41.11
105 Marion 3 $65,200 4.19% $39,297 9.40% 39.92
106 Michigan City 3 $93,100 14.32% $45,181 10.90% 39.19
107 Anderson 2 $73,600 9.14% $43,166 12.00% 38.65
108 East Chicago 2 $82,900 0.09% $31,806 14.70% 34.69
109 Gary 2 $65,400 -1.54% $31,709 6.70% 29.99

 

Methodology

All data are from the 2013 U.S. Census Bureau’s American Communities Survey. Our methodology took into account four factors:

Home affordability. Home affordability, 30% of the final score, was calculated by averaging index scores for median home value and median selected monthly owner costs. The lower the costs, the higher the score.

Growth and prosperity. Growth and prosperity make up 20% of the final score. The two metrics involved were growth in family income from 1999 to 2013, and the median family income in 2013. Both were weighted equally and positively.

Family friendliness. To measure if an area is a good one for families, which is 30% of our final score, we looked at the percentage of married couples with at least one child under 18, and the percentage of families in poverty with at least one child under age 5. The percentage of families with at least one child was 70% of the score, while the percentage of families in poverty was 30% of the score.

Educational quality. Using data from GreatSchools, every place was assigned a ranking from 1 to 10 for the quality of schools. The education score is 20% of the final score.

Appeals court affirms cocaine-dealing conviction

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Dave Stafford for www.theindianalawyer.com

A man convicted of Class A felony dealing cocaine and adjudicated a habitual substance offender couldn’t persuade the Indiana Court of Appeals that he was deprived of a speedy trial or that the evidence against him was improperly admitted or insufficient.

Jerome Sheckles contested his conviction on a host of grounds, alleging that the trial court violated Criminal Rule 4(C) by denying a speedy trial, improperly denied his motions to identify and confront a confidential informant, and that he was prejudiced by the admission of police video of a controlled drug purchase, among other arguments.

Court of Appeals Judge L. Mark Bailey wrote for the panel that Sheckles had not met his burden of proving error or abuse of discretion by former Clark Circuit Judge Jerome F. Jacobi. Sheckles wasn’t denied a speedy trial because he caused or acquiesced to delays that prevented a trial within a year of being charged, the court held.

“Sheckles was not deprived of his right to a speedy trial under Criminal Rule 4(C). The trial court did not err when it denied Sheckles’ request for disclosure of the confidential informant’s identity,” Bailey wrote in affirming Sheckles’ conviction and 40-year aggregate sentence.

“Sheckles’ confrontation rights were not violated. The trial court did not abuse its discretion when it admitted into evidence the video recording of the controlled buy,” the court concluded in Jerome Sheckles v. State of Indiana, 10A04-1405-CR-204.

IS IT TRUE January 12, 2015

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IS IT TRUE it now really looks as if there will be a strongly contested race for the Mayor of Evansville in 2015, with Gail Riecken carrying the banner for the Democrats and Mayor Winnecke running as the incumbent Republican candidate?…the two topics of recent news, those being the IU Medical Center and the downtown Convention Hotel, neither of which has had a proper groundbreaking or established a funding stream seem to be macroscopic goals that both candidates agree on?…both candidates appear to be poised to “fight like the dickens” over the votes of the people of Evansville, thinking that “fighting like the dickens” to put both of these projects downtown are what the people of this fair city want and are willing to pay for?…while that may or may not be true as many of the CCO’s comment writers have clearly pointed out, what will be of interest in the coming year are the details that the candidates are willing to share on HOW to achieve the objectives?…the hotel in particular is a difficult project to fund as the CCO has opined with the numbers to back it up for 5 years now?

IS IT TRUE any plan to secure a hotel that involves 250 rooms and conventional financing is doomed from the start as the last two city administrations have proven four times?…while the idea to sell the naming rights to the Centre was creative and out of the box, the reality of the value of such rights came up well short of the dreams of $14 Million and has derailed the fourth try at getting a hotel?…the fourth try even blurred the picture by trying to aggregate the hotel into an investment package that included apartments and a parking garage?…as we absolutely know that a parking garage is not even close to a decent investment in a town that a covered space can be had for $50 per month when a break even price for a developer would be $250 per month, it is time for both candidates to own up to the gap in pricing vs. cost to build and kabosh the parking garage?…similarly for apartments, while there is a demand for apartments in downtown Evansville, the price point is not really high enough to make a private investor’s interest pique?…it is time to get back to discussing just what kind of a deal will make a hotel of some sort attractive and forget about apartments, parking garages, parks, storage areas overlooked in the Ford Center design, and additional retail?…has anyone mentioned lately that there are still about 30 empty storefronts on Main Street?…building more retail in such a market is insane so lets just forget about it?

IS IT TRUE that getting back to basics, if we are to pursue a hotel it should be a safe, secure and adequate facility?…it does not have to be 250 rooms to support the kind of conventions that Evansville is likely to attract, but it should be expandable to 250 rooms or even more should some successes be achieved?…the expansion would not likely require a government hand out?…as government handouts go, a medical school SHOULD be sufficiently in need of apartments and a hotel, so if the medical school comes first, all the rest of these playthings will come from private investment, so maybe the whole $71.3 Million debacle getting turned down was a blessing in disguise?…in spite of that it is the opinion of this writer that a 150 room hotel like several on the east side would be possible with private investment, a small direct incentive, and the infrastructure provided by the City of Evansville?

IS IT TRUE it is quite possible that the infrastructure required to support a hotel will be necessary to support a medical school?…that goes double for anyone foolish enough to think hooking a school and a hotel into a condemned sewer is a good idea?…the downtown sewer system needs to be updated before building anything at all and tying into the old system?…how Evansville will be able to satisfy the EPA mandate on our combined sewer overflow problem should well be the most important issue of the upcoming campaign?…if neither candidate can speak with competence on that subject we may need another candidate?…the same goes for honest and open communication about the city’s finances?…Evansville has suspended maintenance on police cars, abolished paying employees for comp time, and pursued handing an unvetted out of town company $20 Million to build things we do not really need?…each candidate should express a clear opinion about these things?

IS IT TRUE that the editor of the Courier & Press was doing his best Rodney King imitation with his “can’t we all just get along” editorial admonishing the City and City Council to work together in a better manner?…the reality is that the City of Evansville has degraded into a place that has all of the negative things associated with big urban areas and few of the advantages?…the other reality is that the Office of the Mayor withheld material information from the City Council with respect to the difficulties in financing the hotel?…this actually caused some council members to believe in the myth and look like fools for supporting this in public?…there are good reasons for the rift between the Mayor and the City Council?…they should work this out, but the first step in that process is for the Mayor to apologize for keeping them in the dark, and for holding theatrical groundbreaking ceremonies for political purposes?…this whole rat’s nest of disingenuous nonsense needs to stop?

IS IT TRUE it has now been 32 months since the US Congress passed the jobs act that President Obama signed that authorized crowdfunding to finance start up companies?…this week was the second anniversary of when crowdfunding was supposed to have launched?…the clowns in Washington are now 24 months late in implementing what was to be an 8 month project?…that is a collosal failure that the mainstream media is giving them all a pass on?…if you know an entrepreneur that cannot find funding for a good idea, point the finger square at the people in the Obama Administration who have failed to do what congress and the president hired them to do?

Please take time and vote in todays “Readers Poll”.

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