Emergency crews are on scene of an accident on the westbound Lloyd Expwy at Boeke Rd. Expect delays. Approach the area with caution.
For full details, view this message on the web.
Westbound Lloyd at Boeke traffic slowed due to wreck
Mount Vernon Schools Shine
Â
Through hard work and perseverance Mount Vernon has been able to create a better learning environment through their “put students first†policy.  Meeting challenges head on, the district has been able to keep class sizes small but still maintain a rigorous and challenging curriculum, providing opportunities for all students.
There have been many changes at all levels in the district. In Mt. Vernon elementary schools, full day kindergarten has started and STEM Academy as well. STEM Academy has added a more rigorous science, math, and robotic curriculum to student’s everyday learning. In the Junior High, additional honor courses have been added and they have increased the number of students taking advance classes like Algebra. Also, E-learning at the sixth and seventh grade has been implemented in which the students are able to use iPAD’s instead of regular classroom books.
At the high school level, major steps forward have been taken. Everyday classes such as Algebra II and English 9 have been added with more dual and AP course than ever before. Transportation has been provided for students to attend the Career and Technology Center at no additional cost to parents.
The Fine Arts Academy has been added and has received local, state, and even national recognition.  The academy located at Mt. Vernon Senior High School is a place where students are provided with opportunities in instrumental and vocal music, musical theatre, acting, technical theatre and traditional and digital visual arts. Upon graduation, students will be prepared for post-secondary endeavors and arts related careers. The Fine Arts Academy provides over forty events each year to further student’s skills and artistic talents.
The school district hasn’t just been making changes in the classroom’s but also in the community. Involvement in functions such as River Days, High School Athletic Volunteer Day and taking part in various other functions shows the dedication the schools have to their community.
As you can see there are many great things happening at the Mount Vernon schools. Graduation rates are up with Honors Diplomas increasing as well.
Mount Vernon schools are also gaining financial strength by creating a rainy day fund and increasing student enrollment for the 2013-2014 school years. This district is moving forward like many other Indiana schools all thanks to hard working students, faculty and staff. Hardworking Hoosiers are what drive our state and because of that Indiana is constantly moving forward.
Bucshon has second bill signed into law by President
(Washington, DC) – On Tuesday, President Obama signed H.R. 3095, a bill sponsored by Representatives Larry Bucshon, M.D. (R-IN) and Daniel Lipinski (D-IL) into law. H.R. 3095 is a bipartisan measure to require due process on a Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration guidance and save America’s trucking industry $1 billion dollars. This marks the second bill authored by Bucshon that President Obama has signed into law.
The law passed unanimously in both the House and Senate and was referred to as a show case for “…what just might be the most efficient Congress has been in years.†(POLITICO; 9/24/2013)
“H.R. 3095 is a common sense, responsible bill with the potential to save the trucking industry $1 billion that received bipartisan support in Congress,â€Â said Bucshon. “FMSCA will now have to go through the proper rule making process if it wants to weigh in on sleep apnea and incorporate the stakeholders, including the trucking community and medical professional. I am very pleased to have worked with my colleagues in Congress on both sides of the aisle to get H.R. 3095 passed into law.â€
Â
“While this issue has been a major one for the truck and bus industry, with the potential to result in expensive and damaging litigation, HR 3095 has always been about improving safety by following the formal rule-making process and including input from the major stakeholders,â€Â said Lipinski. “I am proud to have worked with my colleagues from across the aisle in sponsoring this legislation, moving it through Congress and passing it into law. This is how Washington should work.â€
Â
“We were very pleased with the bipartisan approach to this bill – in a very partisan atmosphere – and are delighted the President quickly signed it into law,â€Â said Bill Graves, President and CEO of ATA. “It puts the Department of Transportation on the proper path, and ATA is optimistic that any rulemaking on this issue will be collaborative and informed.”
Timeline of the H.R. 3095:
- September 12, 2013 – H.R. 3095 is introduced with the support of the American Trucking Association, American Bus Association, International Brotherhood of Teamsters, National School Transportation Association, Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, and United Motorcoach Association.
- September 19, 2013 – H.R. 3095 unanimously passed the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
- September 26, 2013 – H.R. 3095 passed the House of Representatives by a bipartisan vote of 405 to 0.
- October 4, 2013 – H.R. 3095 passed the Senate by with unanimous consent.
- October 15, 2013 – H.R. 3095 is signed into law by President Obama.
IS IT TRUE October 17, 2013
IS IT TRUE October 17, 2013
IS IT TRUE that the City County Observer asked 10 of our friends to head over to the site of the old Roberts Stadium that the Office of the Mayor is wanting to turn into a Roberts Park so bad that borrowed money is burning a hole in their pocket to check something out?…the first thing we wanted our friends to check out is the loudness of the Lloyd Expressway when it comes to carrying on a conversation?…that a full 10 out of 10 reported back that in order to have a regular conversation during the afternoon that one has to get nearly into the existing Wesselman Park?…it seems as though this site may be too loud for a family to enjoy a picnic or a walk in a relaxed manner where a conversation can be had?…the other question had to do with the claims that there is a soggy nature to the soil where Roberts Stadium was?…all 10 reported sogginess in the area to varying degrees which makes us wonder if that part of the lot is suitable for anything at all even if one can stand the noise?
IS IT TRUE we wonder just what noise level is acceptable for a neighborhood park?…local developer Frank Peterlin ran into the noise police when he proposed putting some small residential windmills on his downtown property?…at the time some tests were run to determine the noise levels of Peterlin’s location and it was determined that the Lloyd Expressway made more noise than the windmills?…nevertheless Mr. Peterlin was turned down on his request to put those windmills up?…What we propose is that in the case of Roberts Park, it should have nothing proposed or placed in any area that is noisier than one of the windmills that Frank Peterlin proposed to install at his John Street building?…we suspect that will rule out putting anything on the lot period?
IS IT TRUE that Evansville Mayor Lloyd Winnecke may be the architect of the most sensational piece of political spin and audacity in the history of Evansville politics with his latest fundraising solicitation letter?…the job creation claim by the Mayor has grown from 41 in the Hunden Study that he paid over $200,000 for, to 250 in his campaign to pay HCW a $37.5 Million subsidy, and has now grown to 1,000 (yes folks that is ONE THOUSAND JOBS) the Mayor is claiming the project will create now that he is feathering his own political nest for his so called “VICTORYâ€?…it takes an incredible level of audacity to make such claims that are not supported by any real analysis on planet earth and then to claim victory for the 9 – 0 vote on the City Council that would have never happened without a modification of the subsidy from $37.5 Million down to $20 Million?…the truth of the matter is that Mayor Winnecke was dragged kicking and screaming into a situation where his recommendation was soundly rejected by the City Council, the CCO, and others before being rescued by a private investment group that came to the table with an equity investment of $11.5 Million?…the VICTORY DANCE was unmerited and the donations if any come forth are not earned?
IS IT TRUE it has been nearly two years since Mayor Winnecke was elected on a platform that included the formation of an angel investment network, a venture capital presence, and a renewed utilization of the technology transfer agreement between GAGE and NAVSEA?…there has still not been any of these campaign promises fulfilled period?…if our Mayor has the ability to convince private investors to pony up $11.5 Million for a minority stake in a hotel that will have a value of $20 Million upon completion we wonder why he has not convinced any private investors to establish a visible and functioning firm with a similar capitalization to invest in the ideas of young educated professionals with ideas and ambition?…the priorities are once again misplaced in River City?
IS IT TRUE the CCO says LONG LIVE FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION!!
Mayor Winnecke Using Hotel to Raise Political Contributions
In a solicitation sent out to a broad mailing list of hotel supporters, Evansville Mayor Lloyd Winnecke has increased the claim for job creation to 1,000 jobs from the hotel project and is claiming a great victory while asking for political contributions.
The solicitation is on the following link.
11th Annual National Family Violence Apprehension Detail
Beginning early morning on Oct 16th, the Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Office worked simultaneously with agencies from across the county in an effort to arrest persons with outstanding warrants for family violence and domestic related issues. The 11th Annual National Family Violence Apprehension Detail is coordinated by the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office in Oregeon and includes agencies from most states in the United States. The participating agencies work to serve outstanding arrest warrants with charges ranging from harassment to murder that originated from a family violence incident.
This collaborative effort hopes to raise awareness about the problem of family and domestic violence in our communities and demonstrate that this social problem is important to law enforcement and our citizens. It also demonstrates to offenders that they will be held accountable for their violent actions and/or their non-compliance with court orders.
The Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Office, assisted by the U. S. Marshal Service and the Indiana State Police, detailed 13 deputies and attempted to serve warrants on numerous persons. The warrants were for charges including Failure to Pay Child Support, Interference with Reporting a Crime, Possession of Cocaine, Domestic Violence Battery, Failure to Register as a Sex Offender and Resisting Law Enforcement.
In Vanderburgh County, the sweep resulted in the service of 21 arrest warrants on 11 subjects. All persons arrested in this detail reside in Vanderburgh County.
Hunter, Cory       22     Dealing Cocaine, Resisting Law Enforcement
Staten, Darius      41     Contempt of Court-Habitual Offender
Schaefer, Gregory   23     FTA:Domestic Battery
Majors, Elaundrea   42    Federal Warrant-Possession of Cocaine
Meriwether, Torrence  56  Non Support of a Dependent
Hooper, Joseph      33   FTA:Domestic Battery, Criminal Mischief
Hartman, Wayne    23    FTA:Battery, Minor Possession
Monarch, Donald   25    FTA:Domestic Battery
Orth, Jeffrey     38       FTA:Domestic Battery, Public Intox
Swalls, Barbara   42     Forgery/Fraud, Resisting Law Enforcement
Gardner, Shawn   42     Failure to Register as a Sex Offender
Daniel Wertz to Participate in Great American Shakeout
Thursday, October 17
10:15 a.m.
Daniel Wertz Elementary School, 1702 S. Red Bank Rd.
Tomorrow, Daniel Wertz Elementary School, along with many other EVSC schools, will join more than 20 million people across the country for the Great American Shakeout, a day set aside for individuals, businesses and schools to conduct earthquake drills. Officials with the Indiana Department of Homeland Security will be at Daniel Wertz tomorrow to help conduct the earthquake evacuation drill and to talk with students about how to prepare for earthquakes and what to do if one occurs.
The shakeout will officially begin tomorrow at 10:17 a.m. CST. Following the Shakeout drill, students will conduct an earthquake evacuation. When students come back into the school at about 10:25 – officials with the Department of Homeland Security will speak with fifth grade students about preparedness, and award some lucky students preparedness items like weather radios and Earthquake Preparedness Kits.
Morning interviews with officials from Homeland Security are available prior to the Shakeout. To arrange an interview, email John Erickson, senior public information officer, atjerickson@dhs.in.gov as soon as possible to arrange a time.
McDowell Sentenced
 Late this morning in Vanderburgh Superior Court, Racxon Cruze McDowell (03/14/1981) was sentenced to 65 years Indiana Department of Corrections.
Judge Robert J. Pigman heard arguments from both sides before sentencing McDowell to the maximum length allowed on a Murder Conviction.
On June 03, 2012, McDowell murdered Rachel M. Lomax in their Evansville apartment. Lomax was found with 21 separate injuries from a beating she took from McDowell the night of her death. Emergency personnel spent a half hour trying to revive Lomax. McDowell originally told investigators someone else had beaten Lomax up before confessing to the murder court.
For further information on the case listed above, or any pending case, please contact Kyle Phernetton, at 812.435.5688 or via e-mail at KPhernetton@vanderburghgov.org