Winter Driving Preparedness
Governor Pence has proclaimed November 17-23, 2013 as Winter Weather Preparedness Week in Indiana.
To help Hoosiers prepare for this the Indiana State Police offers the following tips.
Be prepared:
 Before traveling, check the forecast and let someone know your travel route
 Keep your gas tank at least half-full
 Carry a winter driving kit that should include blankets, flashlight, extra batteries, a brightly colored cloth, sand (or kitty litter), shovel, candle, matches, non-perishable high calorie food, first aid kit, and jumper cables
 Have a cell phone and charger cord
 Slow down on snow/ice covered roads
 Allow extra time to arrive at your destination
 Clear all vehicle windows of ice and snow. Remove snow from hood, roof and lights.
 Use extra caution when driving across bridges, underpasses, shaded areas and intersections where ice is slow to melt
 Avoid abrupt stops and starts. Slow down gradually.
Should you become stranded:
 Don’t leave your car. It’s the best protection you have.
 Tie a brightly colored cloth to your antenna
 Roll down your window a small amount to allow fresh air in your vehicle
 Keep exhaust pipe free of blockage to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning
 Don’t panic. An idling car uses approximately one gallon of gas per hour
For Indiana road conditions call 1-800-261-7623, or visit the Indiana Department of Transportation website atwww.trafficwise.in.gov. In partnership with the Governor’s office, Indiana Department of Transportation, Indiana Department of Homeland Security, Indiana Department of Education and the Red Cross more information can be found at the following website
http://www.crh.noaa.gov/news/display_cmsstory.php?wfo=ind&storyid=59664&source=0
SID THE SCIENCE KID – LIVE!
Saturday, February 8, 2014
– Tickets on-sale Friday, November 15 at 10am –
WHAT: The popular PBS KIDS® television show, Sid the Science Kid, is coming live to the Victory Theatre stage!
WHO: The star of the show (Sid of course!), is joined by his cohorts May, Gabriela, & Gerald, as they discover
the excitement and curiosities of the world. The whole family will be cheering and dancing along, as Sid & friends set off on a day of excitement and adventure, asking curious questions and finding cool answers.
WHERE: Victory Theatre
600 Main St.
Evansville, IN 47708
WHEN: Saturday, February 8th, 2014
First show starting at 1PM, followed by a second show at 4PM.
INFO: Tickets go on sale Friday, November 15 at 10:00 AM (Central). Tickets may be purchased at
ticketmaster.com, by calling 800.745.3000 or by visiting the Ford Center Ticket Office at 1 S.E. Martin
Luther King Jr. Blvd., Evansville, IN 47708 between the hours of 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM (Central),
Monday– Friday.
Victory Theatre is managed by VenuWorks of Evansville, LLC.
Pinnacle Computer Services Adapting to the Changing Technology Landscape Since 1988
Pinnacle Computer Services was opened by Brian Ricci in 1988 to help companies get an edge in the ever changing world of information technology. Since then, Pinnacle has maintained a firm focus on developments and advancements in networking, collaborative learning, server technology, disaster recovery, business continuity, and workforce education. Some of the recent trends in information technology that Pinnacle is currently advancing are advanced storage architectures, virtualization, and cloud technologies. Business owners and corporations now have a vast and sometimes overwhelming number of options when it comes to how they choose to run their business. Pinnacle is committed to helping corporations and business owners architect their information technology systems to allow their resources to be securely accessed anytime, anywhere.
Pinnacle also offers a range of business continuity and data protection services. In the face of an office disaster or emergency Pinnacle also offers companies temporary office spaces in their building. They have several rooms and many computers for temporary use by their clients’ employees until their offices are ready for use again.
Brian has assembled a highly dedicated and qualified team of technicians to serve as a strong knowledge base and the systems and applications they use and offer are best-in-breed options. This gives Pinnacle the ability to exceed their clients’ expectations by bringing projects in on time, under budget, and right the first time. These are all key points, but that last one is particularly crucial as Pinnacle spends a good deal of time cleaning up the messes of over promised and under delivered solutions from other providers. Brian is fond of saying,“Good technology is expensive, but bad technology is even more expensive.â€
Pinnacle only deals in products that they know and use themselves. This ensures a high level of subject matter expertise that Pinnacle can bring to bear for their clients. Brian’s goal is to help people and organizations solve their problems and save money while adapting to rapid advancements in technology. Pinnacle offers many different solutions for their clients and provides phased implementation plans that allow clients to evolve their systems and stay competitive in a budget conscious fashion while also providing a longer term technology roadmap.
Greening the Statehouse forum set for Saturday
November 11, 2013  |   Filed under: Across Indiana,Quick reads  |   Posted by: Chris Bavender
By Jesse Wilson
TheStatehouseFile.com
INDIANAPOLIS – The Hoosier Environmental Council’s sixth annual Greening the Statehouse Forum is set for 9 a.m. Saturday at IUPUI.
John Tuma, known for his fight for more sustainable agriculture in the Midwest, will be guest speaker at the event. Tuma, an attorney, also served as a legislator in his home state of Minnesota where he made a large impact on the environmental state of Minnesota.
“Agriculture is an integral part of Indiana – instrumental to our economy, employment, and quality of life. It’s critical, however, that Indiana’s local and state elected officials continue to have the ability to balance the need to sustain agriculture with the need to safeguard Indiana’s environment and quality of life,†said Jesse Kharbanda, executive director of the Hoosier Environmental Council.  “Our forum will focus on ensuring this balance is preserved — and the health and well-being of Hoosiers remains protected.â€
During the 2013 legislative session, the Hoosier Environmental Council and its partners successfully protected Indiana’s natural resource and rural quality by helping defeat several proposed policy measures that – had they been implemented – would have given special privileges to the corporate livestock industry.
This year’s Greening the Statehouse forum will address topics such as how proposed public policies would significantly weaken protections from polluting industrial livestock operations, as well as clean energy and mass transit. A partnership with IndyTalks will offer participants an opportunity to learn how to safeguard a cleaner and healthier environment for future generations, and a partnership with the Student Sustainability Coalition will allow college students to convene and decide the priorities and goals that are important for the upcoming legislation session.
Registration for Greening the Statehouse is $20 for general admission and $10 for students. To register, visit www.hecweb.org/annualforum.
Jesse Wilson is a reporter for TheStatehouseFile.com, a news website powered by Franklin College journalism students.
Southern Indiana may get new phone numbers
September 20, 2012  |   Filed under: Technology  |   Posted by: jlkrull59
Staff Report
TheStatehouseFile.com
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INDIANAPOLIS – Hoosiers in the 812 area code will have a chance to comment on a request to add a new area code to southern and south-central Indiana.
The telecommunications industry has asked the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission – IURC – for a new area code for the southern portion of the state. The 812 area likely will run out of numbers in 2015 – and it is the last of Indiana’s three original area codes to need a supplementary area code.
Under the proposal from the telecommunications industry, all current customers in the 812 area code would keep their numbers. New customers would get numbers with a new area code. Before long, local calls between the two area codes would require 10-digit dialing. Toll calls still would require a 1 before the area code and number. And existing cell phones and fax machines wouldn’t need to be reprogrammed.
One other option is to do a geographic split.
Under that option, some customers would keep their current numbers. Others wouldn’t. But 7-digit would remain in place. And individuals and organizations with new numbers would have to reprogram cell phones and faxes and buy new signs, business cards and stationery.
The Office of Utility Consumer Counselor is the state agency representing consumer interests before the IURC. The consumer counselor’s office will file its response to the industry proposal on May 15, 2013, and has asked for consumer comments in two ways.
The first is through a series of public hearings in early 2013. To find more information, visitwww.in.gov/oucc/2718.htm.
The second is to send written comments at www.in.gov/oucc/2361.htm or by email, mail or fax. The email address is uccinfo@oucc.in.gov. The fax number is 317-232-5923.
And the mailing address is:
Consumer Services Staff
Indiana Office of Utility Consumer Counselor
115 W. Washington St.
Suite 1500 South
Indianapolis, IN 46204
To be filed with the commission, all comments must arrive by May 7, 2012.
The 812 area code may not be the last one in Indiana to see a change. The 317 area code is projected to run out of numbers in 2016.
TheStatehouseFile.com is a news website powered by Franklin College journalism students.
“Civil War Pension Files: Finding the Womenâ€
TSGS (Tri-State Genealogical Society) Meeting Notice
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When: Tuesday November 12, 2013 6:30 PM
Where: Willard Library – Bayard Room on the Second Floor
What: Monthly Meeting
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The Tri-State Genealogical Society will have a brief business meeting followed by our program:
TSGS Program Chair Person Barbara Manzi has announced that the program will feature Rena Goss speaking about “Civil War Pension Files and how to find the Women.  Rena Glover Goss is a native of Eastern Ohio, has degrees in Music Education from Muskingum University (Ohio) and Indiana University.  She taught music for 27 years, 17 of those in Evansville, and researched ancestors for over 50 years.  Rena has written for musical and genealogical journals and has lived in Evansville since 1975.  She is a member of the Tri-State Genealogical Society, the Association of Professional Genealogist, and several genealogical societies in Ohio.
This is a program you will not want to miss. This is a chance for you to hear an expert in the Genealogical field who will give you an insight into how to find women in the Civil War Pension Files.Â
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For more information contact: tsgs.membership@yahoo.com or phone 812-499-5542.
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You do not have to be a member to come and participate at the society’s monthly meetings (except, no meetings in July and August).
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IMPORTANT NOTICE: This time of the year, weather conditions may cause the society to cancel meetings… the decision to cancel usually is determined the day of the meeting, providing short notice. Since a bad weather system may develop later in the day (or that night), check our blog (http://tsgsblog.blogspot.com/) for cancellation notice or call Willard Library (812-425-4309).
Today is Armistice Day by: Brad Linzy
Today is Armistice Day
by: Brad Linzy
Today is Armistice Day. It marks the end of World War I, The Great War, the War that would End All Wars. IT began as a result of rapid chain reactions of alliances after the assassination of one man. By the end of the fighting, more than 9 MILLION combatants lay dead and Europe was plagued by a legacy of economic depression, ethnic cleansing, mustard gas, and human tragedy, not to mention the seeds of the next Great War.
“Armistice Day” is a day that marks the end of this terrible war – a war people vowed never to fight again. In America, we were so disgusted by the tragic loss of human life and senseless destruction our US Mint issued the “Peace Dollar”. (I can’t imagine that happening today.)
We are a culture of hero worship. Outwardly, we decry the necessity of war, but effectively we glorify war through the subliminal proliferation of heroic symbolism. In America we call this day “Veterans Day” instead of “Armistice Day”. It holds no particular connection with World War I. We choose, instead, to remember all our veterans while perhaps forgetting the senselessness of the wars in which they fight and the actions of the politicians, industrialists, and bankers who drive us into conflict. In Europe, they hold two minutes of silence at 11:00 a.m. to mark the end of the Great War and to remember all the men who died senselessly in it. That is perhaps the last thing our leaders in this country want – 300 million people standing in silence reflecting on the senselessness of war.
I’m not a pacifist. Some wars are justified because an enemy is attacking and all diplomatic avenues have been exhausted. There are also avoidable wars that didn’t need to be fought, save for the greed of a select few who treat the common man as so much cannon fodder. I submit to you most of the wars fought by Americans have been of the latter variety.
Today, let us observe Armistice Day. Let us remember the dead and long for peace, if possible.
Introduction Of Republican Candidate For Vanderburgh County Sheriff
Keeping you and your family safe! This will be my first priority as your new Sheriff with new ideas. I’m Lieutenant Kirk Byram, a 20 year veteran with the Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Office and senior active lieutenant. I’m 43 years old, a father, a husband, and a Sunday school teacher.
I believe every law abiding citizen has a right to own a gun. You should be able to protect your family just as I can mine. I’m anti-consolidation, unlike my opponent, who worked hard for a bad plan that failed to save money or improve county government.
Currently, I’m serving the citizens of Vanderburgh County as a motor patrol commander and I am the agency’s lead firearms instructor and former lead emergency vehicle operations instructor. I also instruct new law enforcement cadets at the Indiana Law Enforcement Academy.
One of my new ideas to save the taxpayers money and improve the Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s office is to revitalize the volunteer reserve deputy program. One example, active reserve deputies could work in our jail. This can help improve the booking process thus freeing up city and county officers from a long wait and putting them back on the streets protecting you and your family.
Reserve deputies can also help in serving subpoenas, warrants, and with community policing. This puts more active deputies on the street preventing and solving crimes, so taxpayers get more for their money.
I started my career as a reserve deputy while working part-time and attending the University of Southern Indiana. Next, I graduated from the Indiana Law Enforcement Academy. Then while serving as a deputy, I earned a Masters Degree in Criminology. I continue using my education as a department instructor and to teach Criminal Justice courses at Ivy Tech. I know and understand the value and importance of education, communication, and involvement in the community.
When I was sworn in as a merit deputy sheriff, I was the youngest deputy within the Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Office. I later went on to become the youngest Field Training Deputy, Instructor, Sergeant, and Lieutenant at the time of each appointment. Throughout my career, I have served in various leadership positions including motor patrol, detention, and criminal investigations.
As Sheriff, I will stress community policing. Our deputies should be spending more time patrolling neighborhoods and businesses. We need to spend more time speaking and working with the residents to make our community safer for our families. This will also include more use of social media so there is an ongoing dialogue with the residents of Vanderburgh County. I will focus on saving money and better allocating our existing resources to protect and serve you and your family.
While off-duty, I spend time with my family and stay actively involved in the community. My family and I teach Sunday school at our church. We stay actively involved with our sons at their school where I also coach various sports. I am also involved in Leadership Evansville and other community organizations.
My wife, Trina and our two sons have and will continue to meet as many of you as possible. We want the citizens of Vanderburgh County to know they have a choice at the next election and that choice is clear. Do you want a Sheriff’s Office with new ideas for our community or one that continues with the same policies of the past 30 years? Elect me, Kirk Byram, as your next Sheriff. My family and I would appreciate your support and vote.
Find us on Facebook or byram4sheriff.com
This article posted  t City County Observer without bias, opinion or editing.