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It’s The Law; They Must Stop

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ISP

Indianapolis, IN- You’re following a school bus and suddenly you notice the four way flashers are activated and the bus is slowing. You don’t observe any emergency. What could be happening? Perhaps that school bus driver is following the law as they approach a rail way crossing.

The Indiana State Police would like to remind motorists that Indiana law requires school bus drivers to stop at all rail way crossings, whether they be equipped with crossing arms or not, and visually inspect for oncoming trains.

The Indiana State Police Commercial Motor Vehicle Division has recently received reports from some school districts of their buses being struck in the rear by motorists failing to realize that they are required to stop at rail way crossings.

“It appears that motorists are unaware that the buses are required to stop,” stated Sergeant Chris Kath of the Indiana State Police Commercial Motor Division, “or they are not paying attention to their surroundings and fail to observe the slowing/stopped vehicles.”

Sergeant Kath explained that bus drivers activate their four way flashers when approaching a rail way crossing to alert motorists that they will be stopping. He further explained that bus drivers do not activated the overhead yellow flashing lights, the ones that are activated prior to stopping to allow a child off the bus, because when the driver opens the door to observe for trains, the red stop lights are automatically activated by the opening of the door. Kath stated motorists approaching the bus could be confused and stop on the rail road tracks.

Indiana code 9-21-12-5 states:
A school bus, with passengers, shall stop 50-15 feet prior to the crossing. While stopped, listen through an open door or window, look in both directions for an oncoming train, and can only proceed when it is safe to do so.

Indiana was ranked 4th nationwide in railroad crossing collisions in 2012 with 105 and 4th nationwide in railroad crossing fatalities with 17.

School buses transport Indiana’s most precious commodity and the Indiana State Police are committed to ensuring the safety of those passengers.

Further information and statistics about railroad crossings in Indiana are available on the Operation Lifesavers website at http://oli.org/.

To view your child’s school bus inspection record go to www.in.gov/isp and click on the “Indiana School Bus Inspection Program.”

“Am I Required to Stop for that School Bus?”

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ISP

The Indiana State Police would like to remind motorists of Indiana laws concerning school buses, flashing lights and stop arms.

When approaching a school bus, from any direction, which is stopped with its flashing red lights activated and its stop arm extended, motorists are required to STOP, even on multiple lane highways, with the ONLY exception being-

•Motorists who are on a highway that is divided by a barrier or unimproved median are required to stop only if they are traveling the same direction as the school bus. If there is no unimproved median or barrier, then all lanes in all directions must stop.

Remember, when approaching a school bus be prepared to stop and watch for slowed or stopped traffic.

Disregarding a school bus stop arm is a serious violation and one that school bus drivers are quick to report. Violation of this law is a Class “A” infraction and is punishable by a maximum fine of $10,000.

The Indiana State Police is committed to the safety of our children, motorists and highways, and will continue our enforcement and education efforts to ensure that safety.

Centre Financial Statements: What is the Reality of a Hotel’s Influence?

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The Incentive Package
The Incentive Package

The financial statements for the Centre point to conclusions that are counter to the assertions that were made yesterday by County Commissioner Marsha Abell and those who have joined the chorus of “the hotel will save the Centre”.

The operating losses for the Centre in 2005, the last year that the Executive Inn was really trying to prosper were $904,947 according to the official financial statement. That same statement that is available on the link below only shows a loss of $475,811 for 2011 the first full year that there was no Executive Inn at all? 2011 was also the first year that Ms. Abell served as a county commissioner and was coincidentally the year with the best (although poor) financial performance for the Centre for the years 2005 – 2011 that were included in this financial statement that the CCO secured yesterday.

The 2013 year to date results show a loss of $206,000 on revenues of $1.2 Million through July 31, 2013 which appears to be on track to lose less money that even the 2011 year did.

The macroscopic analysis of these results would actually correlate the presence of a hotel with an increase in losses at the Centre.

Centre Financial Statement

IS IT TRUE September 20, 2013

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Mole #3 Nostradamus of Local Politics
Mole #3 Nostradamus of Local Politics

IS IT TRUE September 20, 2013

IS IT TRUE that Vanderburgh County Commissioner Marsha Abell really took many people by surprise yesterday with her “in your face” reality slap regarding the financial woes of the Centre, the Old Courthouse, and the Coliseum?…most people were aware that these three facilities were all losers when it comes to the bottom line but it was the first many seem to have heard about a serious discussion to mothball them?…whether one likes Marsha’s message or not it does have merit?…Marsha even expressed her opinion about the state of things in downtown Evansville that piggybacked on Chamber President Christy Gillenwater’s “ghost town” sentiments when she proclaimed that downtown Evansville is “tired and worn out looking”?…it seems as though when the façade of political correctness is replaced for a moment with a bit of emotion the shoddy look and feel of a deserted downtown is something that everyone seems to agree about?…this is the case despite spending $30 Million on the Victory Theatre, $40 Million on the Centre, $30 Million on the Library, $127 Million on the Ford Center, $4 Million on reversing Main Street, $5 Million on Innovation Pointe, and several more million on the downtown loft programs?…if these $250 Million in public projects did not change things a $40 Million convention hotel with bells and whistles will not either?…where Marsha’s irrational exuberance crossed over into the Mayoral land of lollypops, unicorns, and delusions is in her unfounded logic that a hotel will lead the Centre to the promised land?…as Marsha should know a 600 room hotel did not keep the Centre from losing money and neither will a 253, or 225, or whatever the number is today room hotel?

IS IT TRUE it is puzzling to many people how a storage place for travelling band equipment and tiger beds for the Ford Center ended up getting bundled into what was a perfectly simple hotel wish?…this is a glaring oversight in the design of the Ford Center and there was no need to bundle it into another project?…it may well be needed but it should be paid for from other sources?…the sources to pay for the storage building should be a) any and all recaptured funds from overbilling and accounting mistakes during the Ford Center Construction, b) any “under budget” money left over as we have all heard about in the crowing of construction management success, and most importantly c) the repatriation of every dollar of political contributions made by any construction company, professional services provider, or union that was made during a period of time from a year before the Ford Center construction began until a year after it was completed?…we are quite sure that if those three sources are tapped there will be more than enough cash on hand to build a storage center for Ford?

IS IT TRUE since HCW is in the mood to reduce the scope of the project to cut the value of the bonding required we should all take this opportunity to do exactly that?…HCW quickly yesterday without being asked offered to downsize the project by $7.5 Million which reduced the bonds needed to $30 Million?…the overall project thus went from $75 Million to $67.5 Million?…the thing that most people will miss is that the elimination of items that were not being incentivized only reduces the public portion of the spending and does not reduce the incentive to HCW a bit?…Mr. Hunden is a very clever fellow when it comes to changing a deal to make it look better without putting so much as a fingernail of his own companies interest on the table?…we were quite surprised that HCW came back so fast with a recommendation to change the deal before the vote is even taken?

IS IT TRUE just to change the subject we must question once again the cost per baseball field in Evansville, IN?…the new proposal by the CVB works out to $1.75 Million per little league field and is better than the over $2 Million per field that was proposed with a straight face in 2010?…we still find it disturbing that in a world where top shelf baseball fields are built everywhere for $600,000 that Evansville is all giddy about dropping $1.75 Million for the same thing?…this seems like a teenager going to a car lot and coming home all happy for making the deal of the century for a $50,000 car that has a $20,000 manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP)?…goofiness still prevails in River City?

Rob Hunden: Independent Expert or Crutch for the Administration? by: Brad Linzy

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Rob Hunden: Independent Expert or Crutch for the Administration?
by: Brad Linzy

Posted by CCO without opinion, bias or editing.

According to documents recently obtained from the Mayor’s Office, Rob Hunden of Hunden Strategic Partners (HSP) has billed the Evansville Redevelopment Commission (ERC) over $200,000 in total for this latest hotel deal with developer HCW.

Initially, according to a pro-forma agreement, HSP agreed to provide a draft report, a final report, and a Powerpoint presentation summarizing its findings. This work was to cost not more than $81,000 in total, including $75,000 to be paid in three installments of $25,000 each, and up to $6,000 in expenses related to travel and research. A Purchase Order was issued and approved on March 12, 2012 for the full $81,000 to cover this entire fee.

On June 6, 2012, the final $25,000 installment was paid upon completion of the Hunden Report and by this time $5881.39 had also been paid for agreed upon expenses, bringing the total for the HSP work to $80,881.39.

After June 6, 2012 several more invoices were issued to the ERC by HSP. Services rendered were billed at a rate of $200/hr. and included everything from consulting with the Mayor, ERC, and the Department of Metropolitan Development (DMD) to consulting and advising City Council members.

HSP’s activities also included sending out requests for quotations (RFQ) to developers. While most have assumed these tasks were performed by someone inside the Administration, according to these invoices it appears they were done by HSP. Furthermore, HSP appears to have handled the request for proposal (RFP) phase of the project as well as negotiating the terms of the deal.

In one invoice dated February 14, 2013 HSP billed the ERC almost $20,000 for phone calls related to consulting on “Hotel Negotiation Process”.

In another invoice dated May 17, 2013 HSP billed $28,651.25 for “hotel advisory” including continued negotiations with developer HCW and a presentation before the City Council. In the addendum pages accompanying this invoice HSP list all correspondence, much of which refers to “strategy” and “press strategy” with “Steve and Phillip”, presumably Steve Schaffer and Phillip Hooper. In three separate correspondences, the issue of 180 rooms vs. 250 room hotels was discussed.
The most recent invoice we’ve obtained is dated July 26, 2013 and includes another $13,500 in billings for phone calls to HCW labeled “negotiations” and correspondences to Administration officials labeled “strategy”.

More recently, we’ve seen Rob Hunden send press releases and give statements to the press. He has also crafted a lengthy memo defending this hotel deal and saying if the City Council doesn’t approve it, the next deal will be 100% public. One can only assume these activities will be invoiced at a future date at the same $200/hr. rate as past activities.

Over the course of this deal, Rob Hunden has personally racked up $2,425.52 in hotel lodgings, most of which was spend at Le Merigot, $10,662.69 in transportation costs, $717.56 in meals on taxpayer dime, $1,256.52 in mileage expenses driving to and from Indianapolis, and $801.92 in miscellaneous “office expenses”. Is this what one might refer to as an “independent” expert?

So who is Rob Hunden? Is he a hotel expert hired to produce a feasibility study? Or is he a deeply vested participant of this project from inception to execution? The invoice trail points to the latter.

EPD Activity REPORT: 9-19-13

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EPD PATCH 2012

EPD Activity REPORT FOR_91913

VANDERBURGH COUNTY FELONY CHARGES

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nick herman

Below is a list of felony cases that were filed by the Vanderburgh County Prosecutor’s Office on Wednesday, September 18, 2013.

 

Alonzo Hogan Jr               Resisting Law Enforcement-Class D Felony

Resisting Law Enforcement-Class A Misdemeanor

 

Zachary Rice                       Burglary-Class C Felony

Theft-Class D Felony

 

Nathaniel Ruffert            Strangulation-Class D Felony

Domestic Battery-Class A Misdemeanor

(Enhanced to D Felony Due to Prior Convictions)

Criminal Mischief-Class A Misdemeanor

 

Darius Staten                     Theft-Class D Felony

Resisting Law Enforcement-Class A Misdemeanor

 

Michael Wisdom             Receiving Stolen Property-Class D Felony

 

Robert Case                       Domestic Battery-Class A Misdemeanor

(Enhanced to D Felony Due to Prior Convictions)

Resisting Law Enforcement-Class A Misdemeanor

Disorderly Conduct-Class B Misdemeanor

 

James Claspell                  Operating a Vehicle While Intoxicated-Class C Misdemeanor

(Enhanced to D  Felony Due to Prior Convictions)

 

Aisha Cook                         Maintaining a Common Nuisance-Class D Felony

Dealing in Marijuana-Class A Misdemeanor

 

Joshua Coomer                 Domestic Battery-Class D Felony

Strangulation-Class D Felony

Intimidation-Class D Felony

 

Latonya Davis                    Dealing in a Schedule II Controlled Substance-Class B Felony

Maintaining a Common Nuisance-Class D Felony

Possession of Cocaine-Class D Felony

Dealing in Marijuana-Class A Misdemeanor

 

Misty Jackson                    Possession of a Schedule II Controlled Substance-Class D Felony

Possession of a Schedule III Controlled Substance-Class D Felonies

(Two Counts)

 

Thomas Shelton               Burglary-Class C Felony

Theft-Class D Felony

 

Michael Summers           Causing Serious Bodily Injury when Operating a Motor Vehicle with an

ACE of .08 or More-Class D Felony

Causing Serious Bodily Injury when Operating a Motor Vehicle While Intoxicated-Class D Felony

Operating a Vehicle when an ACE of .15 or More-Class A 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.

 

Dr. Bucshon on House Passed Nutrition Reform

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220px-Larry_Bucshon,_official_portrait,_112th_Congress

(Washington, DC) – On Thursday, the House passed the Nutrition and Work Opportunity Act, H.R. 3102, a bill that reforms and strengthens our nation’s nutrition programs while saving taxpayers $40 billion.

 

Representative Larry Bucshon, M.D. (IN-8) released the following statement regarding the passage of H.R. 3102:

 

“Today the House voted to reform our nation’s vital nutrition programs to protect the Americans who rely on and qualify for assistance,” said Bucshon. “This bill ensures that anyone who meets the qualifications for nutrition assistance receives their benefits, while eliminating costly waste, fraud, and abuse to protect the integrity of the program.  We protect the modest work requirements for able-bodied adults without children and help to equip them with new job skills and experience. These common sense reforms save the American people $40 billion and passage of this bill is the next necessary step to pass a farm bill to provide certainty for our nation’s families.”

 

Highlights of the bill courtesy of the office of Speaker John Boehner (Speaker’s Blog; 9/19/13):

 

  • Preventing states from waiving work requirements for able-bodied adults without dependents who receive SNAP benefits, and requires these adults to work at least 20 hours per week to be eligible for benefits (saves $19 billion);

 

  • Eliminating auto-enrollment into SNAP under so-called “categorical eligibility,” ensuring that only those who are eligible for benefits receive them (saves $11.5 billion);

 

  • Encouraging state governments to help recipients find work, which helps them gain new skills and experience – and therefore better wages and less of a need for taxpayer-funded benefits;

 

  • Closing loopholes used to artificially inflate welfare rolls, and eliminating waste and fraud by requiring states to delete old, unused balances on benefit cards and permitting them to investigate retailer fraud (saves more than $8.69 billion);

 

  • Denying benefits to anyone convicted of murder, rape, or child molestation, and permitting states to conduct drug tests on applicants as a condition of eligibility;

 

  • Ensuring the safety net for our nation’s poor has a sustainable path forward, without precluding individuals from applying for other benefits or services that they may need.

 

 

Mary Southerland, Kayaker for Veterans, Arrives in Evansville September 22

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Mary Southerland is kayaking the length of the Ohio River, 981 miles from Pittsburgh, PA, to Cairo, IL, to raise awareness of the mental health needs of veterans and contractors. She will arrive in Evansville Sunday, Sept. 22.

Southerland served as a contactor in Iraq. When she returned from her most recent employment in January, she was diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Major Depressive Disorder, caused by her experiences in the war.

“After over seven months of fighting for benefits, I can no longer permit the disorder and the struggle for help to allow me to be ashamed, humiliated and trapped,” Southerland says. “To get well (or a new ‘well’), I am going to stand up for myself and others enduring this process and break the stigma of a psychiatric injury.”

According to a report released by the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, an estimated 22 veterans committed suicide each day in 2010. The psychiatric care of contractors, who reportedly comprise up to 50 percent of war personnel, has not been adequately tracked. According to Southerland, we don’t know how many U.S. contractors and other nationalities supporting our soldiers have lost their personal war. Southerland hopes her river journey will draw attention to the needs of homecoming veterans, their families and perhaps even other contractors like herself.

“For now, I will help with our known problem: the system is failing our veterans, and as a co-worker, I will stand and fight for better care,” Southerland says. She is encouraging people to sign on to a petition by Purple Star Veterans and Families, asking the President to support services and treatment for veterans before they are released from active duty service.

Southerland is traveling in a Hobie Island Adventure with her service dog Henry, accompanied by a two-person support team with camping gear. She and her team will be in Evansville September 22 and 23.

She is scheduled to speak at the following venues:

  • Sunday, September 22, 9:00 a.m. St. Lucas United Church of Christ, 33 West Virginia Street.
  • Sunday, September 22, 2:30 p.m. Central Library, Browning Room A.  Special slide presentation and open discussion.

All events are free and open to the public.

Southern will be kayaking from Evansville west to Mt. Vernon, IN on Tuesday, September 24.

Pet Of The Week

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ChutneyChutney (pictured) is a BEAUTIFUL 4-year-old calico cat. She and her six kittens (the “condiment” litter!) came to the VHS as strays with nowhere to go. But now that her babies are well on their way to finding good homes, she is ready for hers! Chutney’s favorite hobby is playing with toy mousies, drowning them in her water bowl, then dipping her paw in the water to lick it off and drink that way. Come get to know her charismatic personality 12-6, Tuesdays through Saturdays! Her adoption fee is $30, which includes her spay, vaccinations, microchip, a bag of food… and there’s no extra charge for cute antics.

www.vhslifesaver.org

Amanda Bienhaus

Public Relations, Media, and Special Events

Vanderburgh Humane Society

(812) 426-2563 ext. 211

a.bienhaus@vhslifesaver.org

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