IS IT TRUE, July 31, 2013
IS IT TRUE, July 31, 2013
IS IT TRUE the City County Observer has confirmed that a check payable to McGradrey for invoice dated March 24, 2013 labeled “Delivery of Final Assessment and Executive Summary” was paid and cashed well before the July study was released?…the Winnecke Administration failed to give the City Council the April 8th McGladrey study which was obviously paid for, and, as such, demonstrates Mayoral Attorney Ted Ziemer’s position that these documents were deliberative and not available to the general public or press which was incorrect because taxpayer funds were used to produce the April 8th report?…in addition, according to Indiana Law, governmental units cannot prepay for contractual services?…given these facts we wonder why the City of Evansville would conduct business contrary to the law and pay for a so-called final report delivered in July?
IS IT TRUE that there was another Purchase Order #2880-00 issued by the City of Evansville to McGladrey on April 8, 2013 in the amount of $54,823.75 for “Computer Technology Assessmentâ€?…we find this date for the issuance of a new Purchase Order for something that was just billed for on March 24, 2013 and issued on April 8, 2013 to be a curious coincidence?…we do not yet have access to an invoice for any work that references PO #2880-00 but will certainly have the civic center moles on the case to alert us when it is available?…this curiously could be interpreted as the City of Evansville paying in full for the first study, wanting to see some changes, and then immediately ordering another study of the same topic?…we welcome a full documented chain of events from the Winnecke Administration as this does not look to be a transparent set of transactions given Mr. Ziemer’s assertions that the April 8, 2013 “Final Report†is nothing but a draft and is not subject to sunshine laws?
IS IT TRUE we were pleased to see that the Courier and Press published a follow up story on the April 8th McGladrey report?…we hope the lights stay on over there and that they direct some of their considerable reporting resources to inform the people of Evansville about this unfolding story?…we do not know what the budget is over at the CP but expect that their water bill exceeds the CCO’s total budget so we encourage them to continue with their newfound desire to report local news and forget about leading cheer for any local politicians?
IS IT TRUE the CCO published a letter from City Council Attorney Scott Danks to Mayoral Attorney Ted Ziemer yesterday where Danks virtually took Ziemer to school on Indiana’s sunshine laws?…Danks backed up his claims that a) the mayor has no right to withhold any information regarding the people’s business from the City Council and b) the City Council then determines whether or not the information is public with a corroborating opinion from the State of Indiana?…Danks then showed the confidence in his letter by releasing the April 8th McGladrey study to the media?…it is disturbing to see the Attorney for the City of Evansville be in such contrast to other legal opinions with respect to sunshine laws?…that the differences in opinion between Danks and Ziemer is so stark that only one of them can possibly be correct which would make the other one clearly wrong?…if there is anything that should not be subject to political manipulation and misinterpretation it is the interpretation and application of sunshine laws when it comes to spending taxpayer dollars?…sunshine laws are not something that should be manipulated with legal language to pursue an agenda for a specific client?…when this is all worked out there may need to be some shuffling of the legal deck over at the Civic Center?
IS IT TRUE we are reminded that it has been 17 months since a contract was crafted between the City of Evansville and Earthcare Energy that separated the taxpayers of Evansville from $200,000?…this contract oddly enough is still being serviced by Earthcare but expires in a short 7 months at which time the City is faced with some choices if Earthcare does not pay in full?…the City can legally try to enforce the contract or just let it slide?…time will tell if that contract works out for the people of Evansville?
RASCAL FLATTS WILL APPEAR LIVE AT THE FORD CENTER
ON SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12th ALONG WITH SPECIAL GUEST THE BAND PERRY
Tickets on sale Friday, August 9th at LiveNation.com
 Country music’s best-selling trio of all time Rascal Flatts will perform live on Saturday, October 12th at the Ford Center along with very special guest The Band Perry.
Rascal Flatts has sold over 21 million albums; 25 million digital downloads and delivered 14 No. 1 singles to the top of the charts. Since their musical debut in 2000, Rascal Flatts is the most awarded Country music group of the past decade, earning over 40 trophies from the ACAs, ACMs, AMAs, CMAs, People’s Choice Awards and more. Rascal Flatts’ latest album release “Changed†has struck fans in an emotional way. “It’s so amazing,” lead singer Gary LeVox told Billboard. “Every night, I look so forward to that part of the show. You see grown men and young kids crying at the power of music and what it does to people is absolutely phenomenal. I am so blessed to have a platform to stand there, and not just see it, but to see what music does to people and their hearts.”
For more information about Rascal Flatts, visit www.rascalflatts.com or follow @rascalflatts on twitter.
Troopers conduct Safe Schools/Active Shooter Training for School Administrators
Indiana State Police at Evansville held its very first Safe Schools/Active Shooter Training session today for school administrators. The training session was conducted at the Old Princeton High School and was attended by 50 school administrators from Warrick, Vanderburgh, Gibson, Knox and Pike Counties.
During the training session, troopers instructed school personnel on proper tactics for survival during an active shooter event. Troopers also conducted an active shooter scenario using blank ammunition. The scenario was designed to give the administrators a feel of what it might be like during an actual active shooter situation.
The training session was the result of several months of preparation by Indiana State Police in cooperation with the Indiana Department of Education to provide training for school administrators on the proper response to an active shooter.
The Indiana State Police has been tasked to serve as the lead agency in coordinating active shooter training with local school corporations throughout the entire state. Indiana State Police Superintendent Douglas Carter and Governor Mike Pence want to ensure that every effort is being made to provide the safest possible environment for all children in the State of Indiana.
This coordinated effort was launched early on with the Department of Education to create and implement a statewide training program that would involve all parties responsible for the care and safety of our children. This program, which was already in the developmental stages before tragedy in Newtown, CT, has come to be known as the “Safe Schools/Active Shooter†program. Dr. Rich Hogue of the Department of Education has been assigned as a liaison with the Indiana State Police to assist in this endeavor.
The purpose of this program is to educate school administrative personnel on proper response to an active shooter situation, how law enforcement responds to active shooter situations and what school personnel can do to mitigate injury and the loss of life in an active shooter situation.
Citizen’s call to 911 helps police locate missing Evansville man
Evansville Police were able to find Jason Smith yesterday afternoon thanks to a 911 call from a concerned citizen.
Information about Smith was released to the media and shared on social media sites. A motorist saw Smith near Broadway and Barker yesterday afternoon and officers were able to locate Smith in the Howell Wetlands.
After speaking with Smith, officers determeined he was not in any danger.
Crash With Injury
On Tuesday, July 30, 2013 at approximately 8:35 pm, the Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Office responded to a crash in the 7100 block of St. Joe Avenue. When deputies arrived on scene, they discovered a 2001 Mitsubishi Galant, crashed against a telephone pole off the east side of the roadway. The vehicle had heavy damage to the driver’s side area. The investigation and cleanup caused St. Joe Avenue to be shut down for approximately 45 minutes.
Deputies were unable to interview the driver of the Mitsubishi, Rebecca Jean Decarli, due to her being in and out of consciousness at the scene of the crash. Ms. Decarli was transported to Deaconess Hospital with a broken collar bone and head injury.
The investigation is ongoing; however, drugs and alcohol do not appear to be a factor in the crash.
Red Panda Welcome Addition to Mesker Park Zoo and Botanic Garden
Mesker Park Zoo & Botanic Garden welcomes a red panda for the first time in the zoo’s history. The female red panda new home is in the recently renovated Discovery Trail located outside of the Discovery Center.
Erik Beck, Operations Director at the zoo, says, “It’s great to have a new species for our visitors to encounter; it’s like opening a window to another part of the world.†Red Pandas are native to the Far East being most prevalent in China and Mongolia.
The red panda is the original “panda†having been discovered 48 years before the giant black and white panda. Red pandas are officially classified as carnivores. They occasionally eat an egg, insect or small animal but mostly stick to a diet of bamboo leaves, grass and fruit. (A red panda eats approximately 200 leaves of bamboo daily!) Red Pandas have lived up to 14 years in zoos with a typical lifespan of 7 to 8 years in the wild.
Mesker Park Zoo & Botanic Garden is open 365 days a year from 9 AM – 5 PM; with last admission at 4 PM. Admission for adults is $8.50 and children ages 3-12 are $5.50. Children under 2 and under are free. In recognition of their support, Vanderburgh County residents receive $1 discount.
Evansville to Participate in the Million Father March 2013
On August 14, 2013, Evansville will be one of more than 800 cities across the country to participate in the Million Father March 2013, a project to encourage fathers to take their children to school on the first day of classes. The event is sponsored by the Black Star Project and Evansville Commission on the Social Status of African-American males.
The project will involve an estimated 1.1 million men. Organizers of the Million Father March believe that by fathers taking their children to school, they will provide an escort of safety, support, and encouragement to their child that will translate into better grades, higher scores, and a greater appreciation for education.
“I see this as a first step for many fathers and father figures to be brought into the fold as it relates to advancing a community-based approached to improving educational outcomes for our children,†said David Wagner, chairman of the Evansville Commission on the Social Status of African-American Males.
Phillip Jackson, executive director of The Black Star Project, U.S.A., said, “Fathers’ involvement in education is one of the best ways to improve the academic performances of children. Gang recruitment, bullying and random violence goes way down on any day that a group of men are at a school.â€
Local businesses are being asked to give fathers two hours off on August 14, with pay, to take their children to school. If you have any questions or would like more information on the Million Father March 2013, please email hrc@evansvillegov.org or call (812) 436-4927.
CCO, APRIL 8, 2013 McGLADREY I T ASSESSMENT REPORT
