Home Blog Page 6341

ST. MARY’S HOSTS FAMILY FOUNDATIONS COURSE

0

St. Mary’s is hosting a free Family Foundations course presented by Youth First in March. Family Foundations is designed to help couples establish positive parenting skills and adjust to the physical, social and emotional challenges of parenthood.

This course will meet each Monday starting March 9 from 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. in the Gift Conference room, located just off the lobby of the Hospital for Women and Children.   This class is for couples expecting a baby and currently in the 3rd trimester. A follow-up four week course will be offered for class participants later in the Postpartum period. Couples are encouraged to join in this class full of fun activities.

Registration is free, but limited, and can be made here. Door prizes are given weekly.

For more information call Laura or Marge at 812.421.8336 or Terry at 812.485.6016.

Brought to you by Women’s Fund of Vanderburgh County, St. Mary’s, Deaconess and The Women’s Hospital.

Holly’s House announces 2015 Board of Directors.

0

 

Holly’s House, a local child and adult victim advocacy center, has announced their 2015 Board of Directors. Elected Officers are: President, Kathy Boyd, Boyd Electric; 1st Vice President, Tim Huelsing, South Central Media; 2nd Vice President, Jonathan Boyd, Fifth Third Bank; Treasurer, Micah Prellwitz, Harding, Shymanski & Company; Secretary, Sacha Armstrong, Kiplinger & Gray; Past President, Jackie Russell, Old National Wealth Management. Board members are: Liz Adams, Combinatorics Consulting; Sarah Dauer, Shoe Carnival; Sarah Flamion, Exact Target; Amanda Gonterman, Vectren Corporation; Elissa Hewins, Federal Social Security Office; Mary MacCauley, Berkshire Hathaway Realty; William J. Millikan, M.D., St. Mary’s Medical Group; Elizabeth (Missy) O’Daniel, Community Advocate; Katie Perkins, Edward Jones; Chris Pugh, Evansville Police Department; Greg Schulten, Express Employment Professionals; Sam Tanoos, Allstate Insurance Company; Mike Wingo, Toyota Motor Manufacturing of Indiana. Holly’s House President Emeritus and Co-Founders are Detective Brian Turpin, Sexual Violence Unit, Evansville Police Department, and Holly Dunn Pendleton, Motivational Speaker/Advocate and spokesperson for the organization.

Governor Pence Takes Steps to Ensure Shortened ISTEP Test

1

 

Indianapolis – Today, Governor Mike Pence signed Executive Order 15-04 to shorten the length of the 2015 ISTEP test, which will be administered in March.

“Doubling the length of the 2015 ISTEP test is unacceptable and requires an immediate solution,” said Governor Pence. “As soon as I learned of this issue, I vowed to support efforts to shorten the test while preserving the accountability that Hoosier students and families deserve.”

The Executive Order, crafted in full consultation with legislative leaders, calls for a nationally recognized assessment expert to review the ISTEP test. It also directs the consultant to present the recommendations before the State Board of Education.

Without the action of Executive Order 15-04, Indiana schools are expected to experience a significant increase in testing time this March, largely because a pilot test, as recommended, was not administered by the Indiana Department of Education in either May or September of 2014. When asked in September if combining the required pilot test with the ISTEP test would add time and questions, the Department stated it would “add a few questions.” Below is a table depicting the length of time expected for the 2015 ISTEP test.

Grade 2014 Online/Paper Operational Total Time 2015 Online/Paper Operational Total Time Change in Total Time from 2014 to 2015
3 5 hours, 9 minutes 12 hours, 30 minutes 7 hours, 21 minutes
4 5 hours, 9 minutes 11 hours, 55 minutes 6 hours, 46 minutes
5 5 hours, 9 minutes 11 hours, 32 minutes 6 hours, 23 minutes
6 5 hours, 9 minutes 11 hours, 40 minutes 6 hours, 31 minutes
7 5 hours, 9 minutes 11 hours, 47 minutes 6 hours, 38 minutes
8 5 hours, 9 minutes 11 hours, 15 minutes 6 hours, 6 minutes

 

The Governor also reiterated his support for school accountability today.

 

“We grade students every day in Indiana. We should be willing to grade schools once every year,” said the Governor. “Our administration is committed to maintaining accountability within our schools and ensuring the best possible education for each and every Hoosier child.”

 

 

 

COA: Ex-husband entitled to legal fees for former wife’s contempt

0

Dave Stafford for www.theindianalawyer.com

The ex-husband in an acrimonious domestic relations case is entitled to $9,000 in legal fees a trial court awarded to him as well as judgments in his favor on parenting time and child support, the Indiana Court of Appeals ruled Monday.

Both the former spouses had been sanctioned for contempt in In Re: The Marriage of: Meleeka Clary-Ghosh v. Michael Ghosh, 29A04-1406-DR-275, but the largest was against former wife Meleeka Clary-Ghosh for failing to pay school fees for their daughter and her ex-husband’s resulting legal fees.

“The fact that the multiple contempt petitions were addressed at a single hearing and in a single order does not preclude the trial court from awarding Michael attorney fees. The trial court clearly took into account Michael’s conduct when it crafted its attorney fee award and in fact, ordered him to pay a portion of Meleeka’s attorney fees. We cannot conclude the trial court abused its discretion when it ordered Meleeka to pay a portion of Michael’s attorney fees,” Judge Michael Barnes wrote for the panel.

The appeals panel also affirmed the trial court’s modification of parenting time and child support and the denial of Clary-Ghosh’s request for appointment of a parenting time coordinator.

Barnes wrote that although Clary-Ghosh pointed out evidence showing that she and Ghosh did not get along, this fact alone is insufficient to establish that the trial court abused its discretion in denying her request for the appointment of a parenting time coordinator. “It was well within the trial court’s discretion to directly address the issues raised by the parties in an effort to reduce future litigation instead of appointing a parenting time coordinator. Meleeka has not established reversible error on this ground.”

IS IT TRUE February 10, 2015

145

IS IT TRUE the City of Evansville is seeking input from the public on how best to devise a plan to make the roads more friendly for pedestrians and bicycles?…it is encouraging to see the City at least showing some semblance of respect for planning but we have been down this town hall meeting path before without decent results so forgive us if we look upon this with jaded perspective?…from a pedestrian perspective, it all starts with sidewalks and much of the City of Evansville is plagued by sidewalks that are so bad that one can’t walk a single block without encountering missing pieces or discontinuities that are massive enough to cause even the most attentive pedestrian to trip?…the sidewalks have been the subject of a federal consent decree for over 10 years now and not a darn thing has been done about them?…the reality is that Evansville’s sidewalks are in terrible condition and have been for years so any plan that does not address sidewalks is not a plan at all, and any elected official that needs a neighborhood association to tell theme the sidewalks are in bad shape is out of touch with reality?

IS IT TRUE being bicycle friendly is a little bit more difficult to understand in a place that is designed for the automobile with some roads dating back to the horse and buggy days?…one thing that the powers that be need to understand about being bicycle friendly is that a thin stripe of paint added to the side of a road that is too narrow to begin with does not make a safe bike lane?…in the world of bicycle friendliness, size matters?…any designated bike lane that is not at least 4 feet wide excluding the storm drain is not a safe bike lane?…the other and more difficult issue is teaching the driving public how to be aware of bicycles that share the blacktop with them?…the safest bike lanes are ones that do not share blacktop with motorized vehicles and that is much more like a second sidewalk than the paint built bike lanes?…the path that may someday circle the City of Evansville is a good idea for biking and pedestrians and does indeed constitute a good start?…it must be pointed out that this good start has taken more than 15 years to become half reality which doesn’t really reflect a commitment to being bicycle or pedestrian friendly?

IS IT TRUE there is one more thing about being pedestrian friendly that is manifested annually in downtown Evansville and that is the fact that snow and ice removal is part of being pedestrian friendly?…in the year 2015 Yukon Cornelius is still seen occasionally searching for the Bumble in downtown Evansville among the pedestrians who have been planted flat on their butts by snow and ice accumulation?…as we said earlier, being bicycle and pedestrian friendly is a great goal but it is a goal that Evansville is woefully behind on?…being pedestrian friendly also depends on reliable and safe public transportation which the METS is not delivering?

IS IT TRUE the University of Evansville basketball Aces have hit a mid-season slump that may jeopardize their quest to get to 20 wins during the regular season?…the meltdown against Bradley where the Aces squandered a 17 point lead over a less talented opponent AT HOME looked more like last year’s Aces and not the team that was victorious over the #12 Northern Iowa team?…the talent is here for 20 or even 25 wins and a post season appearance this year?…it remains to be seen if that talent will manifest itself into a successful season even though it did start out with a bang?…we encourage our readers to get out to the Ford Center and join the 3,000 die hard fans that seem to attend every game to cheer the Aces to some more wins?

IS IT TRUE McDonald’s announced yesterday that their sales for the fourth quarter of 2014 were off by a full 1.8% from the 2013 performance?…on the bright side, it is possible that Americans have decided to eat healthier and that is the source of the fall in sales at McDonald’s?…on the other side this may reflect a drop in disposable income?…we do not know which it is but we do doubt that the American public has started a health food binge?…the reality with McDonald’s is that food has not been a priority for many years now?…the soul of McDonald’s has transitioned into the process of delivering the food and the mass marketing to appeal to kids who in turn badger their parents into shopping there?

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.

Air Quality Forecast

0

Air quality forecasts for Evansville and Vanderburgh County are provided as a public service.  They are best estimates of predicted pollution levels that can be used as a guide so people can modify their activities and reduce their exposure to air quality conditions that may affect their health.  The forecasts are routinely made available at least a day in advance, and are posted by 10:30 AM Evansville time on Monday (for Tuesday through Thursday) and Thursday (for Friday through Monday).  When atmospheric conditions are uncertain or favor pollution levels above the National Ambient Air Quality Standards, forecasts are made on a daily basis.

Ozone forecasts are available from mid-April through September 30th.  Fine particulate (PM2.5) forecasts are available year round.

Monday
February 9		 Tuesday
February 10		 Wednesday
February 11		 Thursday
February 12		 Friday
February 13
Fine Particulate
(0-23 CST avg)
Air Quality Index		 good good moderate good good
Ozone
Air Quality Index		 NA* NA* NA* NA* NA*
Ozone
(peak 8-hr avg)
(expected)		 NA* NA* NA* NA* NA*

* Not Available and/or Conditions Uncertain.

Air Quality Action Days

Ozone Alerts are issued by the Evansville EPA when maximum ozone readings averaged over a period of eight hours are forecasted to reach 76 parts per billion (ppb), or unhealthy for sensitive groups on the USEPA Air Quality Index scale.

Particulate Alerts are issued by the Evansville EPA when PM2.5 readings averaged over the period of midnight to midnight are forecasted to reach 35 micrograms per meter cubed (µg/m3).

Forecast statistics documenting the reliability of these air quality forecasts are compiled on a monthly, seasonal (May through September for ozone), and an annual basis.  Compilations of these statistics are reported in Vanderburgh County Health Department’s Annual Report and available on request.

Current conditions of OZONE and FINE PARTICULATE MATTER are available in near real-time on the Indiana Department of Environment Management’s website.

National and regional maps of current conditions are available through USEPA AIRNow.

 

Vanderburgh County Recent Booking Records

0
SPONSORED BY DEFENSE ATTORNEY IVAN ARNAEZ.
 DON’T GO TO COURT ALONE. CALL IVAN ARNAEZ @ 812-424-6671.

EPD Activity Report

0
SPONSORED BY DEFENSE ATTORNEY IVAN ARNAEZ.
 DON’T GO TO COURT ALONE. CALL IVAN ARNAEZ @ 812-424-6671.

Profile Of 3rd Ward City Council Candidate Anna B. Melcher

21
City County Observer is offering profiles on candidates for office in the 2015 election. Today we are giving an introduction to Democratic Third Ward City Council Candidate, Anna B. Melcher.
Anna Melcher decided to run to represent Third Ward when the current incumbent, Stephanie Brinkerhoff-Riley, opted not to seek re-election.  An entrepreneur, Mrs. Melcher is the owner and operator of People Serving People Tutoring Service and Queen Ana’s International Closet, an on line business offering clothing and natural skin care products. Before settling in Evansville, she lived in Europe, Africa, and Spain. She brings a gamut of professional experience to the table. She earned nursing credentials at Los Angeles Technical College. Anna worked as an instructor for the Department of Defense for nine years.  She was  employed in nursing industry in California prior to coming to Evansville to join CAPE. With her diverse resume.  Supporters of  Mrs. Melcher tell us that she has gained invaluable ” professional and people skills” that will be a great asset while serving on the City Council.
The best key to knowing Anna may be summed up in a favorite quote of hers from Mary Shadd Carey, “Self-reliance is the fine road to independence.” She chose to run because she wishes to bring her vast experience, skills, and dedication to the service of others by representing them on the Common Council of the City of Evansville. She is devoted to bringing “innovative change” to the Third Ward and the entire City of Evansville. She tells us that she is especially looking forward to meeting with the people in her area and listening to their concerns and needs. First and foremost, their issues will be her issues.
She lives on the North Side with her husband, County Commissioner Steve Melcher, their son Matthew R. Guest, and their “infamous pet, Bogey, who does not know that he is a canine.” She is a devout follower of Christ, who worships at the House of Jacob.
Anna B. Melcher has pledged to thoughtfully and respectfully represent the people of the Third Ward and their agenda to improve conditions in their neighborhoods, to be fiscally responsible, and to be a “yes woman” to no one.
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.

IS IT TRUE February 9, 2015

128

IS IT TRUE the increased bill from the Evansville Water and Sewer Department to the people of Evansville and Vanderburgh County showed up in the most recent bill and boy does it have some people hopping mad?…one county dweller advised the City County Observer that his bill for 8,000 gallons of water was $129.92 for the month?…this writer who lives in the California drought zone used 3,500 gallons last month and had a bill of exactly $11.00 so one has to ask Evansville, “what the heck is going on?”…the EPA mandated repairs for the Combined Sewer Overflow problem haven’t even been defined yet so it can’t be blamed on that?…the tab for that legacy of neglect is expected to be at least $650 Million and may run over a Billion Dollars if the powers that be continue to procrastinate?…as we have pointed out before, every year that the City of Evansville waits to tackle this monster is going to add at least $20 Million to the eventual cost assuming a modest increase in construction costs of 3% per annum?…there will be a point in Evansville’s future where people like the poor soul with the $129 water bill will be paying nearly $500 per month?…it is entirely feasible for a future in Evansville to include a minimum of $1,000 per month for power, water, and sewer effectively erasing every low cost advantage that low housing cost may offer?

IS IT TRUE there will be a seminar put on by the Evansville Sewer and Water Utility on February 18th to tell us all how to save money on the water bill?…this has got to be one of the most common sense solution sets known to man that will have an end result of “don’t use so much water”?…the usual recommendations like flushing less, taking shorter showers, don’t water the plants, don’t wash the car, maybe even shower with a friend, and repair the leaks are things that an educated populace will have already figured out, but we do encourage any of our readers who are lacking in common sense or resolve to go get yourselves educated by the utility?

IS IT TRUE it seems as though the refrigeration business that gained Evansville the title “the refrigerator capital of the world” back in the day of big manufacturing is having it’s business model copied by the meth makers?…the recent news that even though meth lab busts are down that Evansville has transitioned from being a maker of meth to a customer of Mexican based meth manufacturers?…this revelation that has been verified by law enforcement that meth is at an all time high in Vanderburgh County even though less is being made locally makes every politician that hang his hat on the lower level of meth lab busts look hopelessly lost?…the reality is that the volume of meth confiscated by law enforcement has doubled since 2012 even with the lower number of local labs being busted?…it is the refrigerator story all over again?

IS IT TRUE another big retail outlet has filed for bankruptcy and this time it is the legacy supplier of electronics known as Radio Shack?…this is going to mean perhaps as many as 5 store closures in Evansville?…with all of the retail stores tossing in the towel after the Christmas shopping season one has to wonder just how can this happen in a country that touts an “official” unemployment rate of 5.6% which is about half of what it was 5 years ago?…the reality is that the algorithm that is used by our government to calculate unemployment has become obsolete with the drop in labor participation rate?…if the labor participation rate were to return to historical levels of 67% the “official” unemployment rate would be more like 11%, and that is why the activities in the consumer marketplace are counter to what would be expected with such a low real unemployment rate?

IS IT TRUE the good news on the jobs front is that there are 5 Million jobs openly advertised in the United States right now and for the first time in a long time, wages saw an uptick in January?…the bad news for many of the 8 Million “official” job seekers, is that most of these 5 Million jobs require advanced skills that the job seekers do not have?…the types of skills being sought are also not the kind of skills that are taught quickly to people without a prerequisite knowledge base to build upon?…it is nice that there are nearly a million openings for advanced programmers but that is of little solace to middle aged factory workers who have seen the demand for their skills exported to other countries where the jobs are done effectively for as little as $3 a day?

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.

1...6,3406,3416,342...7,366Page 6,341 of 7,366