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IS IT TRUE January 24, 2014

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Mole
Mole

IS IT TRUE January 24, 2014

IS IT TRUE the Evansville-Vanderburgh County Temporary Sign Advisory Committee seems to be on track to recommend changes to existing City and County ordinances regulating signs that would make the bureaucratic nonsense recently profiled in the CCO and other publications more business friendly?…the committee is made up of small business owners, sign companies and representatives from Keep Evansville Beautiful and the Chamber of Commerce of Southwestern Indiana?…the members of this committee were appointed by Mayor Lloyd Winnecke and Vanderburgh County Commissioner Marsha Abell?…these recommendations that are aimed at the permitting process are intended to simplify some regulations and eliminate others?…this is a good first step to make Evansville a more retail friendly city and all involved deserve congratulations including Mayor Winnecke and Commissioner Abell?…let’s hope that this positive move forward that started with an angry business owner making a Facebook post is contagious and spills over into other areas where “sign police” and “permit police” have stifled business in the past?

IS IT TRUE that it is now only 5 weeks until the $200,000 loan that was underhandedly made to Earthcare Energy LLC is payable in full?…Earthcare has faithfully made the tiny interest payments as they were required to but has not set up shop in Evansville to do anything at all?…it will be interesting to see what happens when the note is due?…the correct course of action is of course for the City of Evansville to initiate the collection process but that may prompt Earthcare to allege that their contract was terminated illegally which would start one big finger pointing contest?…we do hope this turns out well for the City of Evansville as the citizens are already burdened with the debt of failure but having read the contract that the City crafted and signed Earthcare may well have some good points to be made?…if the City does not go after the $200,000 that will tell us all something?

IS IT TRUE if there had been proper and competent VETTING in place this debacle would not have happened?…the same goes for Global Blade Technology that former Mayor Weinzapfel funneled loans to, the McCurdy, and even the continuing saga of the downtown convention hotel?…the December 21st golden shovel date has come and gone and no new golden shovel date has been set down at hotel site?…between the problems with the lot and the fact that no approvals have been announced with respect to the financing some folks must be as nervous as a long tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs with the March loan approval deadline approaching as fast as the Earthcare note’s maturity date?

IS IT TRUE across the Ohio River in Kentucky the ratepayers of Big Rivers are about to feel the sting of a rate increase of roughly $17 per month each?…200 employees and their families will feel an even nastier sting as Big Rivers has announced a power plant shut down that will result in that many jobs being eliminated?…the driving forces behind these undesirable actions are the closing of aluminum smelters in Hawesville and Sebree, Kentucky over electric rates that were too high to justify continuing these operations and to make a profit?…even with the 17% increase to the ratepayers, the electric rates across the river are substantially lower than what Vectren’s Southern Indiana customers have been paying for years?…Henderson residents still pay 4.34 cents per kilowatt hour in the winter and 5.49 cents in the summer compared to a rate of nearly 16 cents over here in Evansville?…if Kentucky lost major employers with the rates over there we must wonder just how on earth Evansville will ever attract an electron hungry major manufacturer to this side of the river?

IS IT TRUE that the Governor of New York and the Mayor of New York City agree that people who do not support same-sex marriage, a woman’s right to choose, and gun control can just leave?…if these two wannabe dictators over who can live where get their way there may just be a herd of New Yorkers headed our way?…these two elected officials look like buffoons with their statement?…those on the other side who would encourage those on the other sides of those issues to pack their bags and move to New York are just a guilty of buffoonery as these to hosers?…New York, Indiana, and every other state needs to put on a Tom Terrific thinking cap and adopt policies that are friendly to all Americans and American businesses?…trying to legislate morality is a fool’s errand and plenty of that is in the air in New York and Indiana these days?…we wonder where is Rodney King when we need to be asked once again, “can’t we all just get along?”

Sentencing Complete in 2 of 4 Defendants in Beumer Case

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nick hermanSPONSORED BY DEFENSE ATTORNEY IVAN ARNAEZ.

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

 

After reviewing all facts of State of Indiana vs. Eric Weston Dunn, Judge Les Shively ordered Dunn to a sentence of 6 years, the first three to be served at the Indiana Department of Corrections and the balance to be served on probation. Dunn has already spent time in jail before he was bonded out (276) days, and has spent time on Electronic Home Monitoring. Under Indiana’s “good time” statute, Dunn will now serve around six months in jail before being placed on probation for the remainder of his sentence (three additional years), assuming no other issues arise.

Dunn was found guilty of a class C Felony – Assisting a Criminal, for his involvement in the home invasion robbery of Ira Beumer in February of 2012.

Dunn is one of four defendants involved in the case against Ira Beumer. Dezmont Hogan, Jeton Hall and Nalakeio Bennett have pleaded guilty to Burglary Resulting in Bodily Injury – A Felony, Criminal Confinement –B Felony and Theft – D Felony. Nalakeio Bennett has also pleaded guilty to a criminal gang enhancement.

 

Dezmont Hogan was sentenced in October of 2013 and received 40 years to be served in the Indiana Department of Corrections.

 

Nalakeio Bennett will be sentenced on 2/3/14 at 1:30 PM and will be sentenced to 40 years Indiana Department of Corrections.

 

Jeton Hall will be sentenced 1/29/14 at 2:00 and faces up to 50 years Indiana Department of Corrections.

 

 

For further information on the case listed above, or any pending case, please contact Kyle Phernetton, Director of Public Relations at 812.435.5688 or via e-mail at kphernetton@vanderburghgov.org.

 

RIECKEN INTRODUCES INCENTIVES TO ENCOURAGE HOOSIERS TO SAVE

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INDIANAPOLIS- Amidst economic instability and hardship for Indiana’s working families, State Representative Gail Riecken (D-Evansville) has authored a bill offering powerful and safe incentives to get more Hoosier families saving.

The Financial Institutions Committee unanimously passed House Bill 1235 this week in an effort to encourage saving among Hoosier families. The bill allows state charter credit unions to offer savings promotional raffles.

“The point of these raffles is to encourage people to build a savings account so that, in an emergency, people can use their own money instead of high interest commercial products like pay-day loans,” said Riecken.

In these raffles, individuals would be rewarded for making minimum deposits into a savings account or participating in financial literacy programs. With that deposit comes an entry into a raffle, in which participants can earn cash prizes.

“It’s a win-win situation,” Riecken explained. “People will never lose their balance or the interest they’ve accrued, they only have the opportunity to win more money while learning how to save.”

Prompted by numerous committee meetings concerning Hoosiers who have lost their homes due to default mortgages, Riecken said the goal of this bill is to encourage people to save for unpredictable emergencies including job loss or illnesses.

“We have seen a marked decrease in savings over the last four years and this leaves Indiana families with nothing to fall back on when they experience a drop in income or an unexpected expense,” said Riecken. “The intent of this bill is to build saving habits in people who are not used to saving.”

Riecken said the end goal of the bill is to provide an incentive for people to save more in order to help financially vulnerable families become more financially secure.

The bill now moves to the House floor for further consideration.

 

Southern Indiana legislators participate in Suits and Sneakers at the Statehouse

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STATEHOUSE — Today, State Representatives Ron Bacon (R-Chandler), Holli Sullivan (R-Evansville) and Wendy McNamara (R-Mount Vernon) wore sneakers at the Statehouse, along with other House legislators and staff, in support of the Suits and Sneakers challenge to help raise awareness about cancer and showcase the importance that nutrition and physical activity play in reducing one’s risk of the disease.

 

“While in the midst of the hustle and bustle of a short session, we cannot forget about our fellow Hoosiers who are currently battling this ruthless disease,” said Rep. Bacon. “Cancer has impacted us all; it knows no race, gender, age or religion. I am proud to take part in this effort and provide people with the knowledge they need to best protect themselves against cancer.”

 

The American Cancer Society’s Coaches vs. Cancer Suits and Sneakers challenge is an annual event sponsored by the American Cancer Society and the National Association of Basketball Coaches to help raise cancer awareness and support those affected by it.

 

“By raising awareness and supporting research, it is my hope that we will one day find a cure for cancer,” said Rep. Sullivan. “Almost everyone has been affected in one way or another by this disease, and we need to continue to take a stand. I was honored to join my fellow legislators in supporting the American Cancer Society as a part of the Suits and Sneakers challenge.”

 

Wearing sneakers is much more than a fashion statement. It is a simple way to spotlight the fact that cancer is the second most common cause of death in the U.S. – exceeded only by heart disease, which accounts for nearly 1 of every 4 deaths. It is also an opportunity to remind people about all the ways they can reduce their risk of cancer; like eating right, exercising, making healthy lifestyle choices and following the American Cancer Society’s recommended cancer screening guidelines.

 

“Nearly every day I am reminded of the many Hoosiers that are being affected by this disease in one way or another,” said Rep. McNamara. “Cancer does not discriminate and many of us know someone who is currently battling this disease. I was proud to take part in raising awareness with my fellow legislators in a hope to one day finding a cure.”

Visit www.cancer.org for more information on how you can help spread the message and fight back against cancer.

Vanderburgh County Democratic Party 2014 Event Schedule Revised: 1/23/2014

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Vanderburgh County Democratic PartyDemocratic Symbol

2014 Event Schedule

Revised: 1/23/2014

DAY/DATE

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TIME

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EVENT / INFORMATION

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Jan 23

6:00pm

Stephen Melcher 16th Annual Reception & Dinner

ï‚· Location: Western Rib-Eye & Ribs 1401 Boeke Rd Evansville, IN ï‚· Cost: $350
ï‚· Bronze, Silver, and Gold Sponsorships are available
ï‚· RSVP to smelcher@stephen-melcher.com

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Feb 3

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11:30am

Stephanie Terry Filing For Re-Election to Vanderburgh County Council

  • ï‚·  Location: Civic Center – 2nd Floor – Election Office
  • ï‚·  Please stop by to show Stephanie your support! Let’s pack the room!

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Feb 5

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10:45am

Carl Culley Filing For Vanderburgh County Auditor

  • ï‚·  Location: Civic Center – 2nd Floor – Election Office
  • ï‚·  Please stop by to show Carl your support! Let’s pack the room!

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Feb 5

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11:30am

Dave Wedding Filing For Vanderburgh County Sheriff

  • ï‚·  Location: Civic Center – 2nd Floor – Election Office
  • ï‚·  Please stop by to support Dave and kick off his campaign with a huge crowd!

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Feb 7

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12:00 Noon

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Last Day to File in the Primary Election

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Mar 4

5pm-7pm

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Jonthan Weaver’s Annual Mardi Gras Fundraiser

  • ï‚·  Location: Lamasco Bar 1331 W Franklin St Evansville, IN
  • ï‚·  Cost: $25 per person
  • ï‚·  Mark your calendars to celebrate Fat Tuesday!

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Mar 12 May 31

5:30pm – 7:30pm TBA

Kathryn Martin for Knight Township Trustee Second Annual Chili Dinner

  • ï‚·  Location: Marigold Bar – 2112 S Weinbach Ave
  • ï‚·  Cost: Suggested donation of $10 per person, $15 per couple. Sponsorships available.
  • ï‚·  Contact: Kathryn Martin – 812-477-2599Indiana State Democratic Party Convention

     Location: JW Marriott Hotel & Covention Center – Indianapolis, IN  More details coming soon!

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To add further events, please email complete event information to vanderburghdemocrats1@gmail.com

Catch the Latest Edition of “The Indiana State Police Road Show”

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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 Lt. Colonel Larry Turner, primary staff officer for intelligence and investigations. In this second of a two week series, Lt. Colonel Turner discusses his role and responsibilities for all matters regarding intelligence and investigative needs of the Department.

City Snow Removal Program Topic of January Traveling City Hall Meeting

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City of Evansville SealHow does the City of Evansville decide which streets to clear first following a snow storm, and who is responsible for clearing ice and snow from sidewalks? Evansville Transportation and Services Director Todd Robertson will discuss the city’s snow removal program at the first Traveling City Hall meeting of 2014.

The Traveling City Hall meeting will be held on Wednesday, January 29, at the C.K. Newsome Community Center, 100 E. Walnut St., in Room 118 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Mayor Lloyd Winnecke and representatives from various city departments will be present, along with officials from the Vanderburgh County Health Department and the Vanderburgh County Auditor’s office.

Following introductions by Mayor Winnecke, Robertson will talk briefly about the city’s snow removal program, from determining when to pre-treat roads to snow removal on residential streets and sidewalks. After the presentation, the public is welcome to talk one-on-one with city and county officials about specific neighborhood issues or about the general status of our community.

Traveling City Hall meetings are held once a month at different location throughout the city. All Evansville residents are welcome to attend any session.

IS IT TRUE January 23, 2014

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Mole
Mole

IS IT TRUE January 23, 2014

IS IT TRUE there are times when politicians on the stump or at a breakfast allow things to slip from their mouths that turn out to be politically incorrect and cause them grief from their own kind?…it seems as though Marsha Abell is trying hard to “clarify” her position on using public dollars to attract the IU Medical School to Vanderburgh County?…there have been so many people tell us that Marsha was clearly against using a red cent of TIF money to help attract the IU Medical School to the privately owned site on the Eastside called the Promenade?…it was also clear according to numerous people who attended the breakfast that Marsha did not want to use public funds to invest in sewers and water to attract the medical school and that she thinks that Warrick County can make those investments and east Evansville will still prosper?…Abell was supposedly mute on the USI proposal and only gave passing lip service to the fact that downtown Evansville is a different case?…this seems pretty easy to understand to the City County Observer?…our translation of this is that Marsha is not interested in putting county money that she has some control over into either the Promenade or USI proposals because both are essentially the same in the big picture from a county perspective?…Marsha did indeed leave the door open for the County to funnel money into the City of Evansville’s forthcoming proposal to entice the IU Medical School to downtown Evansville?…we welcome a position paper on the IU Medical School attraction package from Commissioner Abell and will publish it without edit, opinion, or bias?…if Commissioner Abell is really interested in putting her position out there she should take us up on this opportunity to control her own position so her surrogates don’t have to walk things back for her?

IS IT TRUE for a brief amount of time yesterday the Courier and Press was free to read with the little blue logos that indicate you must pay to read this all gone?…the CCO got several emails and calls to tell us that the CP had knuckled under the loss of traffic and changed their policy?…they have not and the little blue logos are back this morning?…it must have been a lapse of the webmaster?

IS IT TRUE the CCO inadvertently published the wrong date for the UE vs. Wichita State game yesterday?…the real date is February 16th as opposed to the 19th and we still hope to see the Shockers come to town ranked #1 in the nation and that the Aces shock their world?

IS IT TRUE this writer was invited to give a speech on the establishment and operation of Innovation Hubs yesterday in Lancaster, CA?…since last Tuesday when President Obama announced a national Innovation Hub initiative the invitations are flowing in because the California Innovation Hub initiative that inspired the national initiative was written in Palm Springs in 2010 with one of the principle authors moving on to the Obama Administration as the Chief Operating Officer of the United States EDA?…that is where President Obama got the idea so the eyes of the nation are now on Palm Springs and the other California iHubs?…that is all a bit thrilling but all of our funding is still local so there are no federal strings on me?

IS IT TRUE there was an employee of the City of Lancaster in the discussion of what the State of California provided that confessed to political correctness gone mad?…my answer to the question was that “all I got was a Christmas card from Governor Brown and it really said Merry Christmas and I appreciated that the Governor was secure enough in who he was to say Merry Christmas instead of some mindless substitute to avoid using the words Merry Christmas?”…this employee then stated that in the name of political correctness that his city council had just changed the name of Easter to “Spring Day”?…there was a gasp of disbelief in the room and several comments that were really unflattering?…even the employee in the building where he was employed stated that this move was seen by most as crossing the line with politically correct craziness?…the CCO agrees that political correctness has gone beyond the point of sanity and needs to just back off?…if this keeps up in the not too distant future Americans may need a communications chip embedded into their brains to avoid the thousands of phrases that will have been banned to pander to every whining individual who registers a complaint of any kind?…PC is BS?

IS IT TRUE that yesterday District 78 State Rep Holli Sullivan voted to send the same sex marriage legislation to the full house for a vote? …we reported for a week that Mrs Sullivan was indeed going to vote to send this issue to the full house for a vote and indeed she did?

Summary of Mayor Winnecke’s Political Contributions Report for 2011

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Evansville Mayor Lloyd Winnecke
Evansville Mayor Lloyd Winnecke

By: Zachary Stuard

Members of the City-County Observer staff spent hours reviewing the donations to Winnecke for Mayor for 2011 last Sunday. We have highlighted donations that we have found especially interesting. We encourage you to take the time to look into a few of the donations that caught our attention during this initial review of Mayor Winnecke’s financial contributions received for the 2011 year.  We also encourage you to post follow up questions or comments shedding light on any of the information provided in this summary. This is the first installment of the City-County Observer’s dissection and review of Mayor Winnecke’s campaign contributions covering the years of 2011-2013.  We urge you to continue reading the City-County Observer daily as we continue to release additional updates and continue to provide you with the ONLY published analysis of the Mayor’s contributions financial records by a local media source.

To begin this series we would like to point out a particular donation that really caught our interest. The 2013 Mayor’s financial report indicates a political donation given to the Mayor by former Democratic Party Chairman and Union Leader Jack McNeely.  We can’t wait to hear your comments regarding this donation.

For today’s segment we’ll turn our focus to a sampling of Mayor Winnecke’s campaign contributions for 2011. We hopes that you will analyze this data and comment accordingly in the section provided below.  Please keep comments respectful.

The campaign stated with $147,000 cash on hand beginning of reporting period.  The campaign raised about $640,000 during 2011.  The Mayors political war chest for 2011 was about $787,000.

 

Our first list entails non-union based PACs that donated to the Winnecke campaign in 2011 that we found interesting.  We guarantee that you shall be surprised to read who and how much this group gave his campaign in 2012.

Southern Indiana Home Builders Association – $8,500.00

HG PAC – $995.00

Capital PAC – $1,000.00

OL PAC (Old National Bank) – $13,000.00

CD PAC (Clark Dietz Engineers) – $8,250.00

HNTB PAC (Hunt Construction) – $3,000.00

Integra PAC – $5,500.00 (donated by employees of a now defunct bank)

Realtors PAC (National  Associations of Realtors) – $3,250.00

Our next list contains select Trade Union groups that made campaign contributions to Winnecke in 2011.  Just wait till you read how many Unions and the amount of political contributions they gave to Winnecke For Mayor campaign fund in 2012.  

Millright – $413.31

Laborers International – $500.00

IBEW Educational Committee – $500.00

Teamsters local 215 – $5,000.00

Our final select list of contributors is composed of both corporations and individuals that donated to Winnecke’s Mayoral Campaign in 2011.  You’ll be surprised to read who gave to the Mayor’s campaign fund in 2012.

Ted Ziemer-$17,622.47

Sue and John Helfert-$15,000

James Stevens-$11,600

Robert Kock-$8,500

John Schroeder-$11,000

Brent Beeler-$6,000

Retired Vectren CEO Neil Ellerbrook – $8,200.00

Edmound and Sharon Hafer-$4,025

John Dunn-$5,000

Homemaker -Barbara Keller – $4,100.00

Vanderburgh County Republican Party Chairman Wayne Parke – $12,000.00

Danny Hermann of Ameriqual – $11,000.00

Steven Chancellor-$6,000

Willis Conner with American Structurepoint – $14,000.00

Fred Klipsch, CEO and Chairman of Klipsch Investments & Klipsch Audio – $1,000.00

David Shane, CEO of LDI Engineering Firm – $1,000.00

John Brand-$2,600

Frederick Geissiner-$3,250

William Butterfield-$2,000

Maria Del Rio Hoover-$4,000

Carolyn McClintock-$4,000

Steve Carter foe Attorney General-$5,000

Russell and Susan Woosley–$3,000

Beam, Longest, & Neff Engineering Firm – $3,500.00

Keith Lochmueller of Bernard, Lochmueller, and Associates – $10,600.00

DLZ Engineering Firm (Past architect of the Vanderburgh County jail) – $6,000.00

TKG properties (headquarters address of the Kunkel Group) – $2,000.00.

Todd Ponder with Ice Miller Law Firm – $1,000.00

Lisa Lee with Ice Miller Law Firm – $1,000.00

Brenda Horn with Ice Miller Law Firm – $1,000.00

Philip Genetos with Ice Miller Law Firm – $1,000.00

Thomas Downs with Ice Miller Law Firm – $1,000.00

Barnes & Thornburg Law Firm – $1,000.00

Ersal Ozdemir President and CEO of Keystone Construction Corporation – $1,000.00

David Schroeder-$2.300

The Referral Company LLC (interesting that this office is located at FC Tucker – Emge) – in -kind service for $5,152.25

Micheal Hinton-$11,000

D. Sanjay Patel-$6,000

J P Engelbreckt-$2,200

Burkley and Sharon McCarthy-$10,000

James Wade-$2,500

Steven Jones-$5,100

In addition to the above donations Mayor Winnecke paid out $388,000 to Axiom Advertising firm of Evansville for all of his campaign marketing efforts in 2011.

It is also worth noting that the Indiana Republican State Central Committee donated $100, 540.83 total, 8% of Winnecke’s total campaign contributions for his entire 3 year period as Mayor.  We are puzzled why $65,183 of this donation was returned to the Indiana Republican State Central Committee as in-kind services.

Paid the Kunkel Group Realty $28,000 for rent.

Paid Public Opinion Strategies polls $40,000

Paid Barbender Cox  $31,120 for Media Productions

Paid  $52,000 Limestone Strategies for Political consulting work

This begins our segment looking into some of the campaign contributions and expenditures report for Mayor Lloyd Winnecke’s early stint as Mayor of Evansville.  Next week we shall be providing more information concerning the Mayor’s 2011 political fundraising report.

Finally, the CCO shall be doing similar articles on County Commissioner and County Council  members who are running for re-election.

EPD Activity Report January 22, 2014

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EPD PATCH 2012

EPD Activity Report January 22, 2014

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