Director of City Emergency Management Resigns: Mayor Issues Statement
Statement from Mayor Lloyd Winnecke re: Sherman Greer Resignation
“Today, Sherman Greer submitted his resignation after 23 years with the City of Evansville – Vanderburgh County Emergency Management Agency (EMA) as Director. The resignation is effective immediately. We appreciate his service and wish him well on his next endeavor. During this time of transition, Deputy Director Adam Groupe will serve as the interim Director. The City of Evansville and Vanderburgh County will begin an immediate search to identify the next Director of the EMA who will continue to ensure our community is prepared for any type of emergency situation.
Sherman was asked to resign after a review of purchasing and personnel records that uncovered disturbing practices.
Through his own admission of ‘neglect,’ and with his knowledge, an EMA employee was allowed to accrue a large amount of compensable time without justification that resulted in a large financial liability for the City in direct violation of city policy and procedures. Also, the EMA purchased and took possession of a new truck by using monies designated for a different expenditure.â€
Lloyd Winnecke, Mayor
City of Evansville
VANDERBURGH COUNTY FELONY CHARGES
Below is a list of felony cases that were filed by the Vanderburgh County Prosecutor’s Office on Friday, July 12, 2013.
Cameron McIntosh Strangulation-Class D Felony
Domestic Battery-Class A Misdemeanor
James Shull Attempted Robbery Resulting in Bodily Injury-Class B Felony
Charles Staton Operating a Vehicle While Intoxicated-Class C Misdemeanor
(Enhanced to D Felony Due to Prior Convictions)
Operating a Vehicle While Intoxicated Endangering a Person-
Class A Misdemeanor
Inhaling Toxic Vapors-Class B Misdemeanor
Elijah Brooks Operating a Vehicle as an Habitual Traffic Violator-Class D
Felony
Sarah Brown Receiving Stolen Property-Class D Felony
Thomas Hibbs Battery Resulting in Bodily Injury-Class D Felony
Resisting Law Enforcement-Class A Misdemeanor
Public Intoxication-Class B Misdemeanor
For further information on the cases listed above, or any pending case, please contact Kyle Phernetton at 812.435.5688 or via e-mail at KPhernetton@vanderburghgov.org
Under Indiana law, all criminal defendants are considered to be innocent until proven guilty by a court of law.
IS IT TRUE July 15, 2013
IS IT TRUE July 15, 2013
IS IT TRUE a walk through downtown Evansville on Friday morning at 11 am during a period of wonderful weather that is not characteristic of July in Southwest Indiana looks little different commercially than it did back in the late 1990’s and early 2000’s when downtown Evansville was placed on the endangered list?…a count of “available†or abandoned storefronts yielded 33 which is essentially the same number as the 32 that were available or empty 15 years ago?…from a commercial perspective downtown Evansville has not changed materially in that time with about 10 similar restaurants, some antique shops, a law office or 3, and absolutely zero interesting or unique boutiques?…the look of Main Street has changed some with the addition of the Ford Center and Innovation Pointe but for the most part private dollars have done little or nothing on Main Street at street level?…at 11 am on Friday one could stand at the Ford Center and fire a rifle down both sidewalks and the street and endanger no one?…foot traffic picked up a little during the lunch break but from an activity perspective the place was dead?
IS IT TRUE entering some establishments and speaking with the proprietors regarding what the Ford Center has done for them only two stated that their business has grown and those were the two bars that displaced perfectly good antique shops to accommodate the thirst of Ford Center patrons after events?…it is interesting that the total seating capacity of the Ford Center support bars is less than 5% of the capacity of the Ford Center, yet seats are still available after events in both bars?…New Wave Bars rages on as always to the disdain of the people who spent hundreds of thousands of dollars for condos within sound distance of it?…in reality when examining the amount of rules, investment and red tape that is required to establish an exemplary business in downtown local government spending has done nearly nothing that has spurred development and has actually taken actions that make opening a business downtown financially dangerous?
IS IT TRUE that in late 2010 the owners of the old Farmer’s Daughter at the corner of Main Street and 3rd Streets arranged for an auction of the building to divest of a non-performing asset?…the auction resulted in NO BIDS and the building has not changed one iota since then?…we were told it is for sale for a paltry sum of $165,000 (about $10 per square foot) but that the City of Evansville will require the buyer to spend $300,000 to bring the building up to current codes?…the code requirements basically render this building to be valueless?…most investors (all if you consider the time it has been empty) would not take this building if it were offered to them for free?…the utility bills in these endangered old buildings can be 5 times or more higher than new efficient buildings on either the east or west sides?…given the local government regulations coupled with obsolescence due to inefficiency one would have to conclude that Ford Center or not downtown Evansville will be in a permanent state of 30 to 35 empty store fronts unless something is done to mitigate this sorry situation?
IS IT TRUE if say 40 storefronts were all in need of energy efficiency and code upgrades of say $300,000 each the total investment needed to make these supposed treasures attractive to a business is a paltry $12 Million?…for the cost of a mere dog park or two, six little league fields, or a facelift for Mesker the biggest objections to downtown commercial development could be removed?…we really wonder why such a thing has not been thought of at the other end of Main Street where such advocacy and action is supposed to come from?…we are not endorsing such a thing but we certainly think if Evansville has an extra $12 Million laying around (which it doesn’t but acts like it does) and something with real potential is of interest to elected officials, this would do much more for Evansville than dog parks, skateboard ramps, or little league fields?…it may not save Main Street from the inevitable wrecking ball but this modest upgrade of existing buildings may just do something that the $127 Million Ford Center didn’t, dog parks won’t, and ball fields have no prayer of doing?…that would be giving merchants a reason to consider downtown as a viable alternative?
Cops Cycling for Survivors Entering the Evansville District Today via US 41
Cops Cycling for Survivors Foundation, Inc., is made up of active and retired police officers, law enforcement survivors, law enforcement family members and friends of law enforcement riding their bicycles around the perimeter of Indiana to raise money and awareness about the sacrifices made by Hoosier law enforcement families across Indiana. Funds raised from this event are used to aid surviving family members and co-workers of officers killed in the line-of-duty. Previously raised funds have been directly donated to the Indiana Chapter of Concerns of Police Survivors (COPS), National COPS, Illinois COPS, The Unity Tour and Project Blue Light.
The cyclists began their ride this year on July 8 in Indianapolis. Today the ride will enter the Evansville District as the riders travel south on US 41 from Terre Haute to Fire Station #3 located at 3803 Old US 41 South in Princeton. For those traveling in the area PLEASE use extra caution as there are several riders and emergency vehicles with the group. To see the route the cyclists will follow, please visit their website: http://www.copscycling4survivors.org/route.html Additional information on specific locations of meals and overnights can be found by clicking on the Calendar tab of the website.
This year the cyclists are recognizing the sacrifices made by Lake County Corrections Officer Britney Meux and Indiana Department of Corrections Officer Timothy Betts. Corrections Officer Meux was killed instantly when struck while on a training run around the perimeter of the Lake County Jail. Three co-workers were also injured in the hit and run crash. She was a U.S. Marine Corps veteran and had served with the Lake County Sheriff’s Department for three years. Officer Meux is survived by her daughter, mother, father, and four sisters. Correctional Officer Betts suffered a heart attack while escorting an unruly prisoner to the segregation unit at Wabash Valley Correctional Facility. Officer Betts had served with the Indiana Department of Correction for 15 years. He is survived by his wife, children, and grandchildren.
Cops Cycling for Survivors Foundation, Incorporated was granted 501(c) 3 status as a not-for-profit in late 2011, and the inaugural 13 day tour around Indiana took place in July of 2012. However, the spirit of this ride began many years before. In 2001 a group of police officers decided to support survivors by riding their bicycles from Indianapolis, Indiana to Washington, D.C. to honor officers who had been killed in the line of duty and to support their survivors.
The ride has gone through many changes over the years, but one thing has remained constant…the cyclists’ dedication to honoring fallen law enforcement heroes and supporting their survivors left behind.
Two people who were integral to the success of Cops Cycling were Lt. Gary Dudley of the Indiana State Police and Retired Chief Gary Martin of the Lake County Police Department. Lt. Dudley took the organizational and emotional lead and kept the wheels rolling after the first two years riding to Washington, D.C. Wanting to do more to support survivors on a local level, Gary brought the ride home to Indiana.
On August 22, 2006, Lt. Dudley and Chief Martin were both killed during the ride when a large box truck struck the rear of the support truck, pushing the support truck into the cyclists. Several of the cyclists who had participated in the ride for many years and were cycling the day of the crash determined to keep Lt. Dudley and Chief Martin’s memories and motivation alive. Those memories and motivation have developed into what the ride is today, Lt. Dudley’s vision and legacy in supporting law enforcement survivors. To date, the cycling event has raised over $300,000 for IN Concerns of Police Survivors.
Indiana State Police June Totals for “Operation Blue Light”
Starting on June 4th Indiana Troopers from the Pendleton, Indianapolis and Putnamville Posts joined with the Ohio Highway Patrol in a joint saturation patrol along interstate 70. The project, known as Operation Blue Light, is aimed to reduce traffic fatalities and curtail criminal activity.
Indiana and Ohio Troopers are concentrating their efforts on I-70 from the Illinois border east to the West Virginia border looking for criminal activity and crash causing violations like following too closely, unsafe lane movement, excessive speed, and impaired drivers. Troopers and Motor Carrier Inspectors from the ISP Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division will continue to work on I-70 doing safety inspections and checking for overweight trucks. Below is a compilation of Indiana enforcement efforts during the month of June.
•TrafficCitations-5772
• Warnings Issued – 1916
• Suspended Drivers – 145
• Impaired Drivers – 32
• Crashes Investigated – 94
• Motorist Assists – 329
• Criminal Arrests – 28 Felonies, including 12 Felony Drug Charges; 38 misdemeanors
• Contraband Seized – Marijuana – 324 lbs. –Cocaine 2 gms – Meth 3 gms – Ecstasy 3 gms – Synthetic K-2-20 lbs – Bathsalts 7.5 lbs – Hash 1 gm
• Currency Seized – $167,853
• Commercial Motor Vehicle Tickets – 96
• Commercial Motor Vehicle’s Inspected – 381 with 740 D.O.T. Violations Found
The “Operation Blue Light†enforcement project continues through August 31st. The Indiana State Police remains committed to reducing the number of impaired driving crashes as well as all crashes. Motorists are encouraged to report suspected impaired drivers by calling 911. Give a vehicle description, location, and direction of travel. Never follow an impaired driver.
A Summer Country Night with Tyler Farr and Weston Burt
It was the “up-and-comers†night to shine Friday at the Victory Theatre when Tyler Farr and Weston Burt kicked off the Victory’s inaugural Summer Country Nights concert series. While both artists are fairly new to the touring scene and still building their catalogs, they have already accumulated a number of enthusiastic and devoted fans, as evidenced by the warm reception both received when they took the stage for their respective sets. The audience was treated to several solid hours of great country music and personal interaction from performers who already know how to work their crowd.
“Tyler Farr and Weston Burt gave us a great kick-off to this summer conert series,†said Victory Theatre General Manager Ben
Bolander. “Our goal is to provide really affordable entertainment from country artists who are on their way to becoming the Next
Big Thing, and we’re looking forward to the remaining two shows in August and September.â€
The Summer Country Nights at the Victory series, presented by VenuWorks and 93.5 The Wolf, continues with Charlie Worsham and Chris Stapleton on August 15 and concludes with No Justice on September 13. Tickets for both concerts can be purchased individually or as part of a two-show package from the Ford Center ticket office or Ticketmaster.com.
The Victory Theatre continues an active summer and fall schedule with upcoming shows that include “Weird Al†Yankovic – The Alpocalypse Tour July 27, Tommy Emmanuel September 20, and Don Williams October 17.