SPONSORED BY DEFENSE ATTORNEY IVAN ARNAEZ.
DON’T GO TO COURT ALONE. CALL IVAN ARNAEZ @ 812-424-6671.
EPD Activity Report: May 7, 2014
IS IT TRUE May 8, 2014
IS IT TRUE that the City County Observer has taken it on as a task to do some investigation as to what the status of the 2012 audits are at the other cities in Indiana that have a population of over 100,000 people?…that would only be Indianapolis, Fort Wayne, and South Bend?…all three of these audits were completed and published between September 9, 2013 (Fort Wayne) and November 4, 2013 (Indianapolis)…all three of these cities audits have a Certificate of Excellence for following nationally accepted accounting principles included in their 2012 audit?…the words “DISCLAIMER” and “ADVERSE” are not found anywhere in any of these three audits?…the opinions of all three audits were identically worded by the Indiana State Board of Accounts as follows:
“In our opinion, based on our audit and the report of other auditors, the financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the respective financial position of the governmental activities, the discretely presented component unit, each major fund, and the aggregate remaining fund information of the City of Indianapolis as of December 31, 2012, and the respective changes in financial position and cash flows,where applicable, thereof for the year then ended in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.”
IS IT TRUE the Civic Center Moles are telling us that there is a mad rush to find some other city in Indiana that has gotten an ADVERSE OPINION so they can spin the upcoming opinions as typical and better than last years DISCLAIMER OPINION?…we are actually told that some of the City of Evansville officials in the exit interview were frantically asking the audit team if ADVERSE OPINIONS were common or negative?…the reality of the situation is that an ADVERSE OPINION is the academic equivalent of an F (Failure) and a Disclaimer opinion is the equivalent of an I (incomplete or unintelligible)?…we will save our frantic officials the effort and clue them in that Muncie, Indiana did indeed receive and ADVERSE OPINION in 2012?…we hear that misery loves company so there you have it, Evansville and Muncie are the twin financial reporting dunce cap cities in Indiana?…for all of these other audits to have been completed on time it really makes one wonder just how big of a mess the City of Evansville’s books are in?
IS IT TRUE reflecting on the Republican primary race for County Commissioner it is sort of staggering to rationalize just how Bruce Ungethiem could have defeated incumbent Commissioner Marsha Abell with all of the high powered endorsements and financial advantages that Abell had?…this race may be the political equivalent of the 1967 Texas Western victory over Adolph Rupp’s Kentucky Wildcats in the NCAA Basketball Championship?…Commissioner Abell had the expressed endorsements of Republican Party Chairman Wayne Parke, Commissioner Joe Kiefer, Indiana Lieutenant Governor Sue Ellspermann, State Auditor Suzanne Crouch, State Senator Vanetta Becker, and of course Evansville Mayor Lloyd Winnecke?…Abell not only had the endorsements of these political superstars but enjoyed more than a 3 to 1 advantage in campaign contributions from the big law firms like Barnes and Thornburg, local power broker and banker Bob Jones of Old National Bank, and a herd of organized labor groups?…on top of that the local GOP kicked in a substantial sum of money ($10,000) to help a preferred candidate in a primary against a challenger who is a lifetime Republican in good standing?…this really was David slaying Goliath, Texas Western beating UK, Milan winning the Hoosier Hysteria, or the USA beating the Russians in Olympic hockey?
IS IT TRUE the Vanderburgh County Democrats had better keep this epic victory in mind as they ponder whether or not to run some sacrificial lamb against a candidate with this kind of momentum in a county race?…the damages the Democrats did to themselves in the 2011 Mayoral race with their pinky shake shenanigans may just get magnified if they go all in against an underdog with momentum?…we hear that many big Democrats are already trying to win the favor of Mr. Ungethiem as are the cast of Republicans who “worked like the dickens” to defeat him?
IS IT TRUE the question has been brought up about whether or not Wayne Parke can survive as the Chairman of the Vanderburgh County Republican Party after betting the ranch in a primary on his preferred candidate and losing?…there is also the question of how much liability the Republican Party may have for any alleged restraint of trade issues that may be formally address against either Chairman Parke or Commissioner Abell?…these are questions that the people that make up what remains of the local Republicans will have to answer when they decide how to move forward and who should lead them?…we predict much jockeying for position over the next several months regarding local party leadership on both sides?
Vanderburgh County Recent Booking Reports
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Talk Of The Town Pizza Bar Place To Be For Pizza And The Blues
By: Zach Stuard
           In 2000 RJ Rakestraw purchased a dilapidated, two unit -apartment building that was famously known as the bar on The Rosanne Show. RJ purchased the building, located on Evansville’s north side, with plans to use his contractor’s license to renovate the property into a laundromat for the locals. It was not until RJ hung a picture of Elvis Pressley on the wall that his mind changed and he knew the building had to be a restaurant he says he was influence by Elvis. With the change of plans came the blueprint for talk of the town pizza RJ began renovations by completely gutting the interior & exterior of the building and adding steel support beams throughout, ensuring that it would be around for a very long time. He finished by adding appropriate décor, brick ovens for his pizza, and adequate seating for 30 patrons at any time.
RJ credits his cooking skills to his mother whom he helped to prepare meals during his childhood. RJ also built a reputation within the community for the hard work and effort he put into The Deerhead during his time there. During his time as the general manager at The Deerhead RJ tended to the food, customer, and music. The blues that he is known for starting there is a feature that he brought with him when he finally opened the doors of talk of the town Pizza Bar in February of 2003.
RJ has seen an incredible amount of support for his restaurant and plans to expand in the near future. He has secured financing for and plans to add a family dining room and outside patio for customers to enjoy during the warmer seasons. Now seating thirty, he hopes to add another 40 seats in the expansion, bringing his total seating capacity to 70. He also has plans for an organic garden on the north side of the property that would allow him to grow most of his ingredients fresh and on site.
RJs previously worked heavily in the contracting sector. He rarely does any contracting work anymore since the opening of his restaurant but he seeks out work from those in the Pizza Bar’s neighborhood when he has a job to offer. He sees this as a way for him to give back to the community and say thank you. The neighborhood surrounding RJs Pizza Bar has noticed a significant turn in the right direction since his arrival and this may be largely in part to RJs outstanding relationships with his customers.
Talk of the Town Pizza Bar is most known for their strombonis and gourmet salads with oil, garlic, mInt, lemon, the house dressing and red beans & rice. His best selling pizza, by far, is the loaded pizza and you can always count on hearing the blues while you enjoy your meal. RJ serves ice cold fishbowls of draft beer from a old antique brass beer tap and has no plans to either serve hard liquor or switch to smoking, ever. RJ wants to create a fun and healthy family environment where that everyone, young and old, can come to relax and enjoy great pizza.
Greater Transparency And Accountability Needed At The Statehouseâ€
The past couple of weeks have been an interesting time. As a member of the Indiana House Ethics Committee, I played a role in an investigation of the conduct of State Rep. Eric Turner from Cicero during the final weeks of the 2014 legislative session.
      The basics are these. Unnamed House Republicans claimed Rep. Turner went too far in advocating against passage of legislation that would have placed a moratorium on new nursing home construction in Indiana. He made these statements during closed door meetings conducted by House Republicans that are called caucuses.
      These complaints became known after the legislation was defeated. They led to several stories that appeared in the media, and a request from the House speaker that the Ethics Committee look into possible violations of our code of conduct.
      As you now know, we found no violations of the Code of Ethics. If you would like to read the committee’s decision, it can be found here. It will be left to the House speaker to decide if there need to be any additional investigations of Rep. Turner.
      It is important to note that committee members – led by Republican Chairman Greg Steuerwald from Danville and ranking Democrat Clyde Kersey from Terre Haute – did agree that there was a need to look at both the House Code of Ethics and our state laws covering disclosure of financial interests by lawmakers. Some of these provisions have not been updated in a good number of years and they deserve to be examined again.
      If I am to be a part of those discussions in the months to come, my priority will be to do what I can to promote more transparency and accountability in our codes of conduct.
     Â
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Justices Disbar Attorney, Threaten Imprisonment For Future Violations
By: Jennifer Nelson, www.theindianalawyer.com
An attorney who continued to practice law despite being suspended in Indiana has been disbarred by the Indiana Supreme Court for his “on-going, pervasive and deliberate†violations of the suspension order.
The justices handed down the disbarment in In the Matter of: Christopher E. Haigh, 98S00-0608-DI-317, which is effective Wednesday. Christopher Haigh must also pay a $1,000 fine for repeatedly practicing law, even though he knew he was suspended. He was suspended effective Aug. 15, 2008, after becoming sexually intimate with two minors on a team he coached; providing them alcohol; and falsely assuring their parents, their school and others that he had no inappropriate relationship with the teens.
Haigh never sought reinstatement and instead continued to practice and perform legal functions for clients. He was also admitted as an attorney at the United States Patent and Trademark Office and the federal courts, which also suspended him after learning of the state suspension.
The per curiam opinion outlines Haigh’s actions in contempt of the suspension order, including performing significant legal work but holding himself out to be acting as a paralegal.
Haigh refused until the last day of his disciplinary hearings in this matter to acknowledge the wrongful nature of his conduct, the opinion notes.
“Respondent’s violation of the Suspension Order was on-going, pervasive, and deliberate, and it exposed the public to the danger of misconduct by an attorney who has yet to prove his remorse, rehabilitation, and fitness to practice law through the reinstatement process,†the justices wrote. “Under these circumstances, the Court concludes that a fine of $1,000.00 and disbarment is warranted. The Court cautions that any further contempt by Respondent will likely result in imposition of a period of imprisonment.â€
Mesker Park Zoo & Botanic Garden welcomes baby takin
  
Mesker Park Zoo & Botanic Garden is experiencing a bit of a baby boom this spring. The latest edition is a first for the zoo, a female takin calf. “Ching Lanâ€, which means beautiful orchid in Chinese, made her debut today in the Asia Valley area of the zoo. Born to first-time parents, the calf is thriving and zoo staff is very pleased with the attention her parents are giving her.
Zoo Director Amos Morris said, “The takin are doing exactly what they need to be doing for their offspring and we are all enjoying watching wildlife at its best.†Â
Takin are found throughout Tibet and several provinces of China. Once thought to be related to muskox, the takin is now known to be more related to sheep. Takin are equipped for life at higher altitudes and can withstand very cold temperatures. Takin are considered a vulnerable species due to loss of habitat and habitat destruction. Takin have taken their spot among today’s pop culture as the physical features of “Beast†from Disney’s animated feature film “Beauty and the Beast†was based on the takin.
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Attached are  photos of Ching Lan with her mother, Dawa. Photo is courtesy of Mesker Park Zoo & Botanic Garden.
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For additional information on Mesker Park Zoo and Botanic Garden, Â visit www.meskerparkzoo.com
VANDERBURGH COUNTY FELONY CHARGES
SPONSORED BY DEFENSE ATTORNEY IVAN ARNAEZ.
DON’T GO TO COURT ALONE. CALL IVAN ARNAEZ @ 812-424-6671.
Below is a list of felony cases that were filed by the Vanderburgh County Prosecutor’s Office on Monday, May 05, 2014
Montrako Bradley          Dealing in Methamphetamine-Class A Felony
Possession of a Schedule IV Controlled Substance-Class D Felony
Habitual Substance Offender
Crystal Dunn                     Maintaining a Common Nuisance-Class D Felony
Rita Helderman               Synthetic Identity Deception-Class D Felony
False Informing-Class B Misdemeanor
Damon Stewart               Possession of Cocaine-Class D Felony
Possession of Marijuana-Class D 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 considered to be innocent until proven guilty by a court of law
SENTENCE CHART
Class Range
Murder 45-65 Years
Class A Felony 20-50 Years
Class B Felony 6-20 Years
Class C Felony 2-8 Years
Class D Felony ½ – 3 Years
Class A Misdemeanor 0-1 Year
Class B Misdemeanor 0-180 Days
Class C Misdemeanor 0-60 Days
About Last Night…
After receiving a standing ovation at the FOP-Ungethiem Victory Party last night, the CCO staff member in attendance said, “This is amazing, because I’m used to being cussed at, spit on, stalked, threatened and having my name taken in vain.”
It’s been a long road from the early days of CCO, when it was printed on paper and personally delivered to the Civic Center, police, and fire stations throughout the region, and to a handful of important community-minded activists and citizens. Now, with an online reach of a million and a half readers a year, “I feel CCO has finally come into its own,” the staff member remarked.
When asked what is next for CCO, the answer came. “Stay on target, continue to report factual and thought-provoking news, and continue to force our elected officials to be good stewards of the public trust.”
After a pause, the staff member added, “And most of all, don’t endorse any political candidates in the future!”