SPONSORED BY DEFENSE ATTORNEY IVAN ARNAEZ.
 DON’T GO TO COURT ALONE. CALL IVAN ARNAEZ @ 812-424-6671.
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Vanderburgh County Recent Booking Records
AC At The Downtown Farmer’s Market
| FARMER’S MARKET |
| The Arts Council is currently looking for interested artists to sign-up a week at a time for booth rental at the Farmer’s Market, located on the corner of 2nd and Sycamore Streets in downtown Evansville. Artists will have access to the Arts Council’s 10 x 10 tent, folding chairs, and two tables and table cloths. Arts Council staff will set-up before the beginning of the Farmer’s Market day (7:45am). At the end of the day, the artist would pick up their displays and the Arts Council staff would finish the take-down process, which would include taking down the tent and packing up the equipment. The Arts Council will NOT be taking any commission from artist sales. Any questions and to register, please contact the Arts Council at (812) 422-2111 or info@artswin.org.
Arts Council Fee for Booth Rental Participation: $20/wk (Extra $10 fee for use of up to three Arts Council display racks) If scheduling four or more weeks of the season, the weekly rate will be discounted to $15/wk. Â Calendar Dates for the 2014 Farmer’s Market: May 16Â -Â September 26Â (Every Friday from 8am – 1pm) |
So-called “tax relief” of Senate Bill 1 typical of 2014 session’s missed opportunitiesâ€
INDIANAPOLIS - State Rep. Gregory W. Porter (D-Indianapolis), ranking Democrat on the Indiana House Ways & Means Committee, issued the following statement last week regarding Senate Bill 1, the primary “tax relief†measure of the 2014 session of the Indiana General Assembly. I wanted to make certain you had an opportunity to read it:
“We entered this session back in January hopeful that we could do something to help our state’s middle class and reduce the 10-year decline in household incomes for Hoosiers. In short, we needed to do something for the people who need it the most.
“What did we get from our governor and his super-majorities?
“More cuts in taxes for the super-rich. Another …another… reduction in state corporate taxes and the financial institutions tax. The potential for reductions in the business personal property tax at the local level.
“Others have pointed out that these changes will not create jobs in Indiana. Throughout this session, no one was able to provide any credible proof of a link between these tax cuts and any kind of job creation.
“But I am compelled to focus on what a fiscal disaster this legislation is for our state.
“We already have given up over $1 billion in state tax revenue in the last few years due to previous cuts in the corporate and financial institutions taxes, as well as the elimination of the inheritance tax.
“With our revenue numbers nearly $90 million below forecast, and the distinct lack of clarity regarding how much revenue we might be losing through the IBM lawsuit and the arbitration loss from the Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement, can we afford any further tax cuts, especially ones with such limited benefits?
“And do not forget that we are steadily accumulating a long list of needs that demand our attention.
“While we are going to provide some funding for a pre-K program, we still have not fully funded full-day kindergarten. Many school corporations in urban and rural Indiana are getting less state support. Our higher education system recently saw its support cut by the governor. We still have 900,000 residents who do not have health insurance, and at least 400,000 will not have access to health insurance because of our state’s decision not to expand Medicaid.
“This legislation also continues the trend toward making our schools and local units of government the lab rats in our state’s continued fiscal experimentation. In the case of the business personal property tax, we still have not yet heard more details of how the governor intends to make up any revenue that is lost to those local units.
“Indiana House Democrats made several attempts to bring some sensible behavior to this misguided tax cutting frenzy. We asked for a pilot program to see if the business personal property cut actually creates jobs. We wanted to give schools and libraries a bigger say in elimination of the tax, since they stand to lose millions of dollars in funding. We even asked for a public referendum on whether the people want this cut. None received support from the super-majorities.
“So we complete yet another session without doing anything to help the middle class…or improve skills of our workforce…or address our shameful rates of child fatalities.
“We have not simply missed opportunities to help Indiana this session. We have avoided them entirely.â€
Catch the Latest Edition of “The Indiana State Police Road Showâ€
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Indiana – Catch the latest edition of the “Indiana State Police Road Show†radio program every Monday morning at your convenience.
Download the program from the Network Indiana public website at www.networkindiana.com. Look for the state police logo on the main page and follow the download instructions. This 15 minute talk show concentrates on public safety and informational topics with state wide interest.
The radio program was titled “Signal-10†in the early sixties when it was first started by two troopers in northern Indiana. The name was later changed to the “Indiana State Police Road Show†and is the longest continuously aired state police public service program in Indiana.
Radio stations across Indiana and the nation are invited to download and air for FREE this public service program sponsored by the Indiana State Police Alliance and Cops for Kids, a subsidiary of the Indiana State Police Alliance.
This week’s show features Indiana State Police Sergeant Anthony Emery and Trooper Brian Harshman. Emery, Harshman and the show’s host, Sergeant Richard Myers, discuss Operation Pull Over and safe driving practices that should be adhered to while attending St. Patrick’s, Big Ten and other events taking place in the Indianapolis area over the weekend and throughout the week.
City Launches New Commercial Façade Grant Program
Grants target businesses in core urban neighborhoods
The City of Evansville is currently accepting applications for the new Commercial Façade Grant Program. The program, funded through HUD Community Development Block Grants, is aimed at rehabilitating existing commercial buildings as part of the city’s continued efforts to revitalize core areas of our community. The program provides reimbursement grants up to $50,000 to eligible property owners for exterior-only renovations to commercial or mixed use buildings located within the city’s community development census tracts.
“We look forward to assisting business owners who seek to transform their spaces or revive vacant places in our urban core,†said Philip Hooper, Executive Director of the Department of Metropolitan Development. “The eligible grant area is central to our city, and through this tool we will leverage our grant resources at a one to one match, while increasing the vibrancy and vitality of our historic corridors.â€
Residential properties are excluded under the grant program, with the exception of buildings that have a commercial use on the first floor. Eligible expenses include exterior work, landscaping (within project guidelines) and permanent signage that is attached to the building and meets all design review requirements. Inside renovations such as floor coverings and interior painting are excluded.
The grants cannot be used on private residences, apartments, condominiums or duplexes. Property owners may apply for more than one grant; however, a project will only be eligible for one grant during the grant-cycle year. Grants may not exceed $50,000 per project over a five-year-period.
Property owners must obtain bids and award contracts to the lowest bidder or pay for the difference, and follow other HUD guidelines.
The Department of Metropolitan Development is accepting applications for the first round of funding through April 15. For more information, contact Kelley Coures at 812-436-7823 or follow this link:
http://www.evansville.in.gov/DMDÂ
Commentary: Jim Irsay, the man at the center of the spectacle
By John Krull
TheStatehouseFile.com
INDIANAPOLIS – He’s just a guy.
Over the years, I’ve run into Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay a few times.
John Krull, publisher, TheStatehouseFile.com
I don’t know him well, but I’ve been impressed the times I’ve been around him. He seemed like a sharp guy, a man with charm, smarts and drive.
Perhaps the best of those occasions was when I got to attend a sneak peak at the Indianapolis Museum of Art of the exhibition of Jack Kerouac’s original manuscript of “On the Road,†which Irsay had bought for $2.43 million. Years ago, I taught a course on Kerouac and the Beat Generation, so I have an understanding and appreciation for the novel. A few minutes conversation with Irsay about the writer revealed that, while the Colts owner may be a billionaire and an NFL powerhouse, he also was just a guy who loved a book and knew it well.
Just a guy.
When Jim Irsay was stopped for erratic driving near his home late Sunday night and police found four different controlled substances in his car, the chatter went into overdrive. There was speculation about what this would mean for the Colts, for the National Football League and for Indianapolis’s bid to host another Super Bowl.
There was not much thought given to what it might mean for the man.
From left, former Colts center Jeff Saturday, Colts owner Jim Irsay and Mark Miles, who headed up the city’s previous Super Bowl bid, talk during an announcement that the city will compete to host the game again in 2018. Photo by Jesse Wilson, TheStatehouseFile.com
We tend to think of wealth, power and prominence as forces that insulate human beings from trouble and misfortune. We tend to think that people with money, influence and fame can’t have doubts, can’t have weaknesses, can’t stumble, and can’t fall.
We tend to forget that a guy like Jim Irsay is, in fact, just a guy.
Right now, he seems to be a guy who’s dealing with some difficulties.
He’s going through a divorce. He and his estranged wife, Meg, married when he was 21. They have been separated for a decade, but it’s no easy thing to put an end to a marriage that has lasted for more than 30 years, produced children and, for all of his adult life, helped define who Jim Irsay is.
He also has some health troubles, a back and hip that don’t work quite the way they used to – typical stuff for middle-aged guys. Particularly middle-aged guys who used to be jocks and subjected their bodies to repeated poundings.
Colts owner Jim Irsay said at an announcement in 2012 that he would support and participate in another Super Bowl bid for Indianapolis. Photo by Kendra Rhonemus, The Statehouse File.
And he’s has a history, a father who had his own struggles with substances, a sister and a brother who died young, a fight with his stepmother over who would control the family business, which just happened to be a world-famous sports franchise.
And then there’s Jim Irsay’s own history, which is well-publicized. He’s admitted that he had a problem with prescription drugs in the past, one that brought him to the edge of serious legal trouble, but he’s said he dealt with it.
While it’s important to note here that Irsay hasn’t been convicted of anything – and if he can produce prescriptions for the four controlled substances, the felony charges go away – the notion that his drug problem was something he could put in the past tense might be part of the issue.
The really nasty thing about addiction is that it never goes away. Every day is another day to fight, another opportunity to slip and fall.
Perhaps Irsay has taken another stumble.
He certainly wouldn’t be the first guy to do so.
The difference between Jim Irsay and a lot of other guys is that hundreds of thousands of people are fans of his football team and the city is banking heavily on again landing the biggest event in the world of sports.
For those reasons, Irsay doesn’t get to make his mistakes in obscurity.
And, for those reasons, we sometimes forget that there’s a human being at the center of the sports franchise and the spectacle.
We forget that Jim Irsay is just a guy – a guy going through a rough patch.
He’ll either deal with his difficulties, make peace with his past and handle his health problems or he won’t – and he’ll continue to stumble.
In that way, Jim Irsay is just like the rest of us.
He’s just a guy.
John Krull is director of Franklin College’s Pulliam School of Journalism, host of “No Limits†WFYI 90.1 Indianapolis and publisher of TheStatehouseFile.com, a news website powered by Franklin College journalism students.
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Link To Alleged Murderer Compton Affidavit
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Click here to open:  Compton Affidavit : March 18, 2014
Evansville man arrested on multiple charges after pointing loaded gun at an EPD Officer during a foot chase
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 DON’T GO TO COURT ALONE. CALL IVAN ARNAEZ @ 812-424-6671.
| Evansville Police arrested 29 year old CORNELIUS RATLIFF on several charges stemming from a car stop and foot chase. The incident began at 1:15 on Monday afternoon at Weinbach and Covert when officers stopped a truck for speeding. Ratliff was a passenger in the truck. During the stop, officers saw narcotics in the vehicle. Both the driver and Ratliff were asked to get out of the truck. When Ratliff got out, he took off running from the officers. Ratliff ran about a block and fell in a yard. As he was getting back up, he pointed a handgun at the pursuing officer. Ratliff did not fire the gun, but continued to run. When Ratliff tried to jump onto a flatbed trailer, he slipped and fell again. Ratliff was still holding the gun as the officer caught up to him again and told him to drop it. Ratliff began to turn towards the officer again, but threw the gun when he realized the officer was pointing his gun at him. Ratliff was taken into custody without further incident. When officers recovered the gun, they found it had a round in the chamber. However, the safety was on, preventing the gun from firing. Ratliff was charged with: Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon Class B Felony Intimidation with a Weapon Class C Felony Criminal Recklessness Class D Felony Pointing a Loaded Firearm Class D Felony Resisting Law Enforcement Class D Felony |
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EVSC Wins National Award for Use of Data
            The Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation was recently notified that it has been selected as the number one school district in the nation for the way it uses data to ensure student needs are met. According to the award notification, the Data Quality Campaign’s (DQC) 2014 District Data Use Award was given to the EVSC for establishing a district-wide vision and creating a collaborative culture where educators use data to improve outcomes for students.
“We are pleased to honor Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation for providing its educators and community with the tools, knowledge, and training to build a culture of data use that has propelled student achievement,†said Aimee Rogstad Guidera, Executive Director of the Data Quality Campaign. DQC’s Recognition Program awards policymakers, district leaders and advocates who have demonstrated a focus on using education data to support families and educators in their efforts to improve student achievement in four categories.
The DQC noted several things that distinguish the EVSC from other school districts across the nation, such as:
- Built and use an extensive data warehouse and also data dashboards which make data readily accessible to educators
- Provide a structured approach to analyzing data through the use of Harvard’s Data Wise process.
- All EVSC schools have data teams which attend Data Wise quarterly summits tailor-made to the schools’ needs
- Use of data coaches and lead coaches who work alongside teachers in using data
- Implemented interim and common assessments to provide frequent checks on student progress which inform instruction
- Students are involved in goal setting, using their interim assessment data
- Work with local universities to provide pre-service training on using assessment data
- Created a Research Review process to safeguard student data while at the same time sustaining important partnerships with universities, researchers and community agencies.
- Intentional use of data demonstrated through EVSC’s use of Performance Management sessions. These presentations encourage transparency and accountability as schools share and discuss data regarding student achievement.
The use of data allows the EVSC to better serve its families. “As we more clearly understand our present performance in key areas, we can ask better questions about the way we deliver instruction to our students, said Susan McDowell Riley, deputy superintendent for academic affairs and accountability. “When learning communities collaborate to add skillful data analysis to their daily work, student performance is enhanced.â€
Superintendent David Smith said, “I wholeheartedly believe in our approach to data,†noting the state’s accountability measures show that Evansville’s process is working. “Fifty-one percent of our schools are at the highest grade level or showed improvement and 38 percent of our schools improved by one or more grades. So, clearly, this has been very beneficial to our students.â€
IS IT TRUE March 18, 2014
IS IT TRUE March 18, 2014
IS IT TRUE although it is often overlooked, a key statistic for understanding the labor market is the length of the average workweek?…small changes in the average workweek imply large changes in total hours worked?…the average workweek in the U.S. has fallen to 34.2 hours in February from 34.5 hours in September 2013, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics?…that decline, coupled with mediocre job creation, implies that the total hours of employment have decreased over the period?…a fuller explanation shows the job-equivalence number is computed simply by taking the total decline in hours and dividing by the average workweek?…in a company of about 1,000 workers if the average worker was employed for 34.4 hours and total hours worked declined by 344 hours, the 344 hours would be the equivalent of losing 10 workers’ worth of labor?…thus, although the U.S. economy added about 900,000 jobs since September, the shortened workweek is equivalent to losing about one million jobs during this same period?…the difference between the loss of the equivalent of one million jobs and the gain of 900,000 new jobs yields a net effect of the equivalent of 100,000 lost jobs?…it is strongly suspected that this reduction in the average number of hours worked is directly attributable to corporate America gearing up for ObamaCare by cutting peoples hours back to be less than 30 and avoid the mandates of ACA?
IS IT TRUE one of the CCO Moles asked a big time Democrat what the deal was with Evansville City Controller Russ Lloyd Jr. not knowing the tax distribution shortfall since the impact of the tax caps is a simple formula?…our Mole learned the problem is property tax collections and that Vanderburgh County Assessor Bill Fluty has stacks of property tax appeals that he hasn’t moved through the process, thus no payment on them.?… there was a comment on the CCO yesterday from a poster who said he filed an appeal last year and has heard nothing?…Fluty is protected by Republican County Council, County Commissioners and Mayor Winnecke?…unless the City Council presses the issue, it will remain a mystery to the public?
IS IT TRUE another friend of the CCO was kind enough to point out that the assessments were not even made available to the property owners of Vanderburgh County by Assessor Fluty until after the filing period for someone to challenge him in this year’s election?…after pulling that trick which is sneaky but legal (SNEGAL) Fluty is now running unopposed after negatively impacting the budget process of the City of Evansville and countless homeowners through his strategic laziness?…if Fluty had done his job in a timely manner instead of a self serving political manner maybe he would be facing a challenger in this year’s election?…maybe even City Councilman and former County Assessor Jonathan Weaver or former Assessor, County Commissioner, and Indiana State Commissioner of Local Government Finance may have thrown their hat into the ring?…there should be some provision that would allow a challenger to come forth when someone is unopposed through damaging sneakiness?
IS IT TRUE the Evansville Fire Department, the Evansville Police Department, and the Ambulance service did a tremendous job yesterday on the fire that killed three people and injured many others including several members of the EFD on West Franklin Street?…the fire was a tragedy and on site indications according to the investigation team are that the fire was set?…that was a surprise to no one as the first two things on people’s minds that the CCO has spoken to were arson and meth lab explosion?…it is a sad state of affairs when the presumption of much of the population to any house fire is arson or a meth lab explosion?…this fire turned out to be worse in the loss of human lives than the bullets of East Riverside over the weekend?…we ask that all of our readers remember the dead, the injured, and their families with positive thoughts and prayers?…you may want to throw some of that sentiment in for the City of Evansville too as there are several parts of town that just do not seem correctable by the acts of people?