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Letter To The Editor: Smokefree Community

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Dear CCO Readers

A lot of information has been going around regarding the recently overturned smoke-free air ordinance by the Indiana Supreme Court. There is one simple solution to all of this; pass a new smoke-free ordinance that includes the casino. Those who work in the smoky environment cannot afford another day of having their health put on the line for a paycheck. In an interview with Tropicana’s general manager Jason Gregorec said, “People have a choice to game or not and with this gamers like adult beverages and like to smoke.” This is an interesting statement considering that Americans for Nonsmokers’ Rights says that studies show that 80% of casino patrons do not smoke. He goes on to say that allowing smoking is a “competitive advantage” over the Illinois casino. This is also hard to believe when 73% of Illinois voters support Illinois’s smokefree law that includes casinos, racetracks, and other gaming facilities according to “Commercial tobacco-free Illinois Frequency Questionnaire,” Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research, June 1, 2008. Ohio Voters also approved smoke-free casinos in their state survey and Nate Forbes co-owner of Horseshoe Casino Cleveland said that one of the top two comments he has received about the casino is how people are so thankful for it being a completely smoke-free environment.

Gregorec also went on to say how he saw firsthand how the casino industry in Illinois was negatively affected after going smoke free in 2008. This is true but the state of the economy was more to blame and not the smoke free law. The Center for Policy Analysis (CFPA) conducted a survey in 2011 of reasons why Illinois patrons stopped going to the casinos as much and 40% said the cost of gasoline and 35% said it was because of the increased cost of living. Following the recession Illinois unemployment rate went from 6% to 12.4% and the cost of gasoline went up over a dollar a gallon. In this survey not a single person indicated that the smoking ban was the reason for gambling less frequently in Illinois.

Evansville has already proven that we accept the smoke free ordinance and want all workers to have the same chances when it comes to their health. There are more than 500 state-regulated gambling facilities across the United States that are required to be 100% smoke-free indoors. Tropicana needs to get with the times and show that they stand up for their workers and patrons by accepting that the future is smoke-free.

Sincerely,

Vanderburgh County Smoke Free Committee

THIS  LETTER  WAS  POSTED  WITHOUT OPINION, EDITING OR BIAS.

Police Trying To Identify Burglary Suspect

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

 

breakinEvansville Police are trying to identify a man suspected of breaking into an eastside home on May 2nd.
Home security camera footage shows the white male enter the home just before 4:00am. A few minutes later, the homeowners woke up and the man ran out of the house.
The man appeared to be wearing camo shorts and a jacket or sweatshirt that has camo sleeves and a dark colored center.
Anyone with info on the suspect is asked to call EPD at 436-7979 or the WeTip hotline at 1-800-78-CRIME.

For full details, view this message on the web.

Spring Taxes

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VanderburghMonday, May 12th is the deadline for paying the spring installment taxes. 

 

Susan K. Kirk, Treasurer

Vanderburgh County, Indiana

EPD Activity Report: May 7, 2014

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EPD PATCH 2012

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

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Mole #??
Mole #??

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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SPONSORED BY DEFENSE ATTORNEY IVAN ARNAEZ.
DON’T GO TO COURT ALONE. CALL IVAN ARNAEZ @ 812-424-6671.
THOMAS WAYNE FORD
Race: White / Sex: Male / Age: 23
Residence: 505 RICHARDT AVE EVANSVILLE, IN
Booked: 5/8/2014 5:12:00 AM
Charge Bond Amt
OMVWI [CM] 0
OMVWI-B A C .08 <1.5 [CM] 0
Total Bond Amount: NO BOND
JAMES MICHAEL RICE
Race: White / Sex: Male / Age: 48
Residence: 11701 DARMSTADT RD EVANSVILLE, IN
Booked: 5/8/2014 4:21:00 AM
Charge Bond Amt
OMVWI-B A C .08 <1.5 [CM] 0
Total Bond Amount: NO BOND
BRIAN SCOTT GARRETT
Race: White / Sex: Male / Age: 25
Residence: 11617 WALNUT ROAD EVANSVILLE, IN
Booked: 5/7/2014 8:55:00 PM
Charge Bond Amt
PETITION TO REVOKE PROBATION 0
FAILURE TO APPEAR-ORIGINAL CHARGE MISD 250
Total Bond Amount: NO BOND
SHERRY ANN ELLIS
Race: White / Sex: Female / Age: 47
Residence: 1917 S FARES AVE EVANSVILLE , IN
Booked: 5/7/2014 6:18:00 PM
Charge Bond Amt
THEFT-SHOPLIFTING THEFT OTHER <200 [DF] 0
Total Bond Amount: NO BOND
ADAM CHRISTOPHER HARTLEY
Race: White / Sex: Male / Age: 38
Residence: 100 OSSI ST EVANSVILLE , IN
Booked: 5/7/2014 6:06:00 PM
Charge Bond Amt
WRIT OF ATTACHMENT 1000
FAILURE TO APPEAR-ORIGINAL CHARGE MISD 250
Total Bond Amount: $1250
RESHAWN ANN BOWDEN
Race: White / Sex: Female / Age: 39
Residence: 712 REIS AVE EVANSVILLE, IN
Booked: 5/7/2014 5:40:00 PM
Charge Bond Amt
COURT ORDERED CONFINEMENT 0
COURT ORDERED CONFINEMENT 0
Total Bond Amount: $0
SHARON KAY BRADLEY
Race: White / Sex: Female / Age: 59
Residence: 408 ACKERMAN PLACE TROY, IL
Booked: 5/7/2014 5:28:00 PM
Charge Bond Amt
OMVWI [AM] 0
OMVWI-B A C .15% OR MORE [AM] 0
Total Bond Amount: NO BOND
DAVID LEE MCGUIRE
Race: Black / Sex: Male / Age: 33
Residence: 919 S ELLIOTT ST EVANSVILLE , IN
Booked: 5/7/2014 4:29:00 PM
Charge Bond Amt
THEFT-SHOPLIFTING THEFT OTHER <200 [DF] 500
HABITUAL OFFENDER 0
Total Bond Amount: $500
GEORGE ROBERT BURSE
Race: Black / Sex: Male / Age: 46
Residence: 2956 OXFORD LN INDIANAPOLIS, IN
Booked: 5/7/2014 4:25:00 PM
Charge Bond Amt
FAILURE TO APPEAR-ORIGINAL CHARGE MISD 250
FAILURE TO APPEAR-ORIGINAL CHARGE MISD 500
Total Bond Amount: $750
CHRISTOPHER WAYNE FEHN
Race: White / Sex: Male / Age: 26
Residence: 816 S WEINBACH AVE EVANSVILLE , IN
Booked: 5/7/2014 3:55:00 PM
Charge Bond Amt
NARC-COMMON NUISANCE MAINTAINING [DF] 0
NARC-DEALING (OTHER) SCH I, II, III [AF] 0
NARC-DEALING MARIJUANA >30 GRAM [DF] 0
Total Bond Amount: NO BOND
MELVIN TERRELL BARBER
Race: Black / Sex: Male / Age: 28
Residence: 1775 BRIARWOOD CT EVANSVILLE , IN
Booked: 5/7/2014 2:57:00 PM
Charge Bond Amt
VCCC FILED PTR 0
VCCC FILED PTR 0
Total Bond Amount: NO BOND
BRADLEY KENT MCMANAWAY
Race: White / Sex: Male / Age: 31
Residence: 1011 E BOONVILLE NEW HARMONY RD EVANSVILLE, IN
Booked: 5/7/2014 1:51:00 PM
Released
Charge Bond Amt
TRAFFIC-ACCIDENT HIT & RUN /ATT/PROP [CM] 0
Total Bond Amount: $0
NELSON ELMER DETALENTE
Race: White / Sex: Male / Age: 24
Residence: 219 W MARYLAND EVANSVILLE , IN
Booked: 5/7/2014 1:33:00 PM
Charge Bond Amt
VCWR FILED PTR 0
Total Bond Amount: NO BOND
LESHAUIN NEAL COOK
Race: Black / Sex: Male / Age: 36
Residence: 2824 CULVERSON AVE EVANSVILLE, IN
Booked: 5/7/2014 1:27:00 PM
Charge Bond Amt
NARC-POSS MARIJUANA, HASH OIL, HASHISH, < 30 G [AM] 100
NARC-POSS MARIJUANA, HASH OIL, HASHISH [DF] 100
TRAFFIC-DRIVING W/LIC PRIOR SUSP PRIOR OF [AM] 100
WRIT OF ATTACHMENT 1000
WRIT OF ATTACHMENT 1000
Total Bond Amount: $2300
ARON ANTHONY EUGENE ROWANS
Race: White / Sex: Male / Age: 32
Residence: 6100 OAK HILL RD EVANSVILLE , IN
Booked: 5/7/2014 11:24:00 AM
Charge Bond Amt
COURT ORDERED CONFINEMENT 0
Total Bond Amount: $0
DESTINY SHEREE JOHNSON
Race: Black / Sex: Female / Age: 23
Residence: 1101 E POWELL AVE EVANSVILLE, IN
Booked: 5/7/2014 11:11:00 AM
Released
Charge Bond Amt
THEFT OTHER >200 <100,000 [DF] 0
FAILURE TO APPEAR-ORIGINAL CHARGE FELONY 0
Total Bond Amount: $0
JESSE ALLEN COLE SHELTON
Race: White / Sex: Male / Age: 25
Residence: 10096 BOURBON ST NEWBURGH, IN
Booked: 5/7/2014 9:17:00 AM
Charge Bond Amt
PETITION TO REVOKE PROBATION 0
Total Bond Amount: $0
DALLES MICHAEL GILCHRIST
Race: White / Sex: Male / Age: 21
Residence: 208 FLORIDA EVANSVILLE , IN
Booked: 5/7/2014 9:02:00 AM
Charge Bond Amt
BURGLARY-RES [BF] 3000
FC-FORGERY/COUNTERFEITING 0
THEFT OTHER >200 <100,000 [DF] 0
Total Bond Amount: $3000
MIRANDA KAY FRITCHLEY
Race: White / Sex: Female / Age: 18
Residence: 506 W CHURCH ST WEST SALEM, IL
Booked: 5/7/2014 6:41:00 AM
Charge Bond Amt
BATTERY-LAW ENF/HFF [AM] 200
RESIST LAW ENFORCEMENT [AM] 200
ALC-PUBLIC INTOX [BM] 100
DISORDERLY CONDUCT [BM] 100
Total Bond Amount: $600

Talk Of The Town Pizza Bar Place To Be For Pizza And The Blues

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By: Zach Stuard

talk            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 Statehouse‏

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gailThe 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.

      

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Justices Disbar Attorney, Threaten Imprisonment For Future Violations

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indianalawyerBy: 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.”