State Sen. Vaneta Becker (R-Evansville) encourages female high school students to enter the National Foundation for Women Legislators’ (NFWL) 16th-annual Bill of Rights Essay Contest. Winners receive a college scholarship and a trip to the NFWL conference in Washington, D.C.
“This year’s contest encourages young women to think about critical contemporary issues, such as the impact of extensive government surveillance and sexual assaults in the military,†Becker said. “Analyzing these issues not only shows maturity on a personal level, but also demonstrates a crucial desire to engage in and improve our government.â€
Interested students must be female, college-bound juniors or seniors in high school, and must submit an application form and essay on current issues related to the Bill of Rights. Applicants must also be sponsored by a female state legislator.
The six contest winners will receive a $3,000 college scholarship and an all-expense-paid trip to Washington, D.C. in November for the NFWL’s annual conference.
“I would be honored to sponsor any young woman from our state who is passionate about these important issues facing Indiana and our nation,†Becker said. “This conference provides a one-of-a-kind opportunity for students interested in politics and government, and I strongly encourage Hoosier women to apply.â€
Students can find the contest application on the NFWL website. Entries must be submitted by September 15, 2013. Students seeking sponsorship can contact Becker atSenator.Becker@iga.in.gov or 800-382-9467.
The NFWL is a nonpartisan organization dedicated to supporting women in leadership positions and government. The scholarship contest is co-sponsored by the National Rifle Association. For more information, contact Alex Rich at alex@womenlegislators.org or 202-293-3040.
 Below is a list of felony cases that were filed by the Vanderburgh County Prosecutor’s Office on Tuesday, July 23, 2013.
Sarah Adams Possession of Marijuana-Class D Felony
Stan Wilson Jr Possession of Methamphetamine-Class D Felony
Operating a Vehicle with an Ace of .15 or More-Class A Misdemeanor
Operating a Vehicle While Intoxicated-Class C Misdemeanor
Marcellus Washington Possession of Cocaine-Class C Felony
Resisting Law Enforcement-Class A Misdemeanor
(Habitual Substance Offender Enhancement)
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.
Evansville’s newest engineering firm, Envolve Engineering, LLC recently opened its doors at Innovation Pointe in Downtown Evansville with the support of the Growth Alliance for Greater Evansville, the Economic Development Coalition of SW Indiana, and the City of Evansville. Envolve Engineering is led by a group of local professionals with more than 68 years of combined experience in the automotive and consumer goods industries.
Envolve’s Technical Leader, Pat Boarman stated, “Our Design Engineering Company became a reality with the help of Evansville’s various business support groups. The tri-state area has a wealth of professional talent. Our business model simply links local talent with customers from a global market.â€
Employment at Envolve Engineering is expected to reach 8-10 professionals in the first six months of business. Growth is expected through 2014 as Envolve’s capabilities compliment other regional employers well. Services provided by Envolve include:
• Metal part design (sheet metal, die casting, powdered metal & other)
• Electromechanical and electronic assemblies (solenoids, motors, controllers & wiring) • Software and control algorithm development
“I commend the ingenuity and commitment of the talented group of engineers who made the decision to stay in Evansville and start their own company when Whirlpool ceased production and closed its product design center,†said Mayor Lloyd Winnecke. “With assistance of our local economic development team, Envolve Engineering, LLC is well positioned for growth as it seeks to do design work for a variety of national and international clients.â€
Envolve Engineering is located on the 5th floor of Innovation Point; Evansville’s premier business incubator in Downtown Evansville. “Evansville is fortunate to have an asset like Innovation Pointe that can be used to help launch new, technology-based companies like Envolve Engineering,†said Growth Alliance president, Debbie Dewey.
“As talent is a critical driver to grow an economy, we were looking at how to leverage the tremendous wealth of talent from the former Whirlpool Product Development Center,” said Greg Wathen, president & CEO for the Economic Development Coalition of Southwest Indiana. “The team at Envolve Engineering represents the very best in global refrigeration and appliance design and we’re ecstatic to keep such individuals in Southwest Indiana.”
For inquiries, please contact:
Envolve Engineering Growth Alliance for Greater Evansville
318 Main Street, Suite 502 318 Main Street, Suite 500
Evansville, IN 47708 – Suite 502 Evansville, IN 47708
Princess Checka is a pretty little lady who lives in the cageless cat lounge at the VHS. This means she’s used to sharing her space, food, and litterbox with other cats! She came to the shelter as unwanted offspring from a family pet. She’s sweet and social, and her adoption fee is $30. She will go home with you spayed, vaccinated, and microchipped!
Join Peg Fierke and Robert Eagerton, Artist in Residence (July 21 – September 15) at the Evansville Museum for a three day workshop, with the element of space being the focus.Â
July 29, 30, and 31
Morning Session: 9:00 – 12:00 a.m.
Evening Session: 5:30 – 8:30 p.m.
$125 Members/$150 Non-Members
Ages: Adult
Supplies: See below.
Register by: Wednesday, July 24
Presented in partnership with the Martha and Merritt deJong Foundation and the Daus Family Foundation in memory of John J. Daus, Jr.
The Artist’s Residency is presented in partnership with the ROBERT G. GRAVES FAMILY in honor of VIRGINIA G. SCHROEDER
A collaborative exhibition featuring the work of Indianapolis artists Peg Fierke and Robert Eagerton will be presented in the Old Gallery. Both experienced artists who began their careers using traditional printmaking methods, Fierke and Eagerton have continued their artistic development using technology as a tool in their art making. Each artist taught at Herron School of Art and Design at Indiana University- Purdue University Indianapolis for roughly 40 years and have a common approach to making art: a lifelong process of exploration that lets the process, rather than a preconceived end product, shape their imagery.
Eagerton co-founded Transfiguration Press in Sarasota, Florida, one of the first printmaking workshops specializing in hand-drawn lithographs, etchings and fine art photography. Fierke has also worked outside the confines of academia, having developed interdisciplinary classes in philosophy and physiology and teaching in New York City, Europe, British Columbia, and Ireland. Both artists have extensive national and international exhibition records and their work is included in museum collections around the country.
2013 Martha And Merritt Dejong Artist-In-Residence
Join Peg for a three day workshop in July, where the element of space will be the focus. The other elements of design are the means by which the space is articulated. We will discuss and investigate many of the strategies and devices the painter can use to control and manipulate space in a painting.
Students can work in the painting medium of their choice on canvas, panel, paper, etc. Subject matter will be up to each student. It is advisable to bring any objects or other references to work from if needed. Drawings or paint-sketches might be useful for some.
Boating down the Wabash River near Lafayette on July 16, I witnessed firsthand the broad, winding river’s scenic beauty, but also got a lesson in the environmental challenges the river faces when two Asian carp hurled themselves out of the water and landed in our boat.
The Wabash is Indiana’s iconic river and inspiration for our state song, yet in recent years two species of invasive Asian carp have infested portions of it. These voracious non-native fish consume nutrients in the water, disrupting the food chain and threatening the native fish enjoyed by Hoosier anglers and sportsmen. At the sound of outboard motors, groups of Asian carp will jump out of the water and can injure boaters. The invasion of Asian carp into U.S. waterways and the risk they pose to the Great Lakes sportfishing industry has provoked consternation and litigation among our neighboring states; and as Indiana’s attorney general, I want to make sure the Wabash will be protected from further spread of this aquatic nuisance.
Fortunately we have allies in this effort. First is John Goss, director of the federal government’s Asian carp control efforts. John is a native Hoosier and former director of the Department of Natural Resources, and he accompanied me in a friend’s Zodiac inflatable boat during part of our river tour and inspection down the Wabash. John Goss educated me and people we met in river communities along the way about new approaches being explored to curb the carp population.
In communities along the Wabash, local residents have banded together to preserve the river. In the city of Wabash, Ind., where we launched our boat, we met with Mayor Robert Vanlandingham and some of the Wabash River Defenders, a group of volunteers who sponsor clean-up programs on the banks of the river and advocate for increased use and appreciation of the waterway.
Downriver in Peru, Ind., we met with Mayor Jim Walker and members of the Wabash River Heritage Corridor Commission, who support programs that celebrate the natural resource of the river. In Lafayette, we met with Purdue University Professor Reuben Goforth, a renowned expert on invasive species, and we learned about innovative ideas for addressing Asian carp overpopulation. In Terre Haute, largest city on the Wabash, Mayor Duke Bennett and citizens are celebrating 2013 as “The Year of the River†to showcase the waterway with activities to encourage its full use and enjoyment.
Slicing through the river along the Indiana-Illinois border on my friend John Hughes’ Zodiac boat, I spotted five bald eagles and 40 or more blue herons, a testament to the wooded natural ecosystem on the banks of the Wabash. A spectacular view of the river awaited us atop the bluff at Merom, Ind., in Sullivan County, where we had lunch at the Downtown Diner with local folks who exuded Hoosier hospitality. Longtime residents told me that in some areas, the river has never looked cleaner, but in others, they worry about agricultural runoff into the waterway.
The Wabash’s connection to the early development of our state is seen in the city of Vincennes, Indiana’s first territorial capital prior to statehood. There we toured the riverfront and George Rogers Clark Memorial with Mayor Joe Yochum. The final leg of our four-day river journey took us to New Harmony, Ind., in Posey County, site of 19th-century utopian communities and still a peaceful hometown for residents who met us at the Red Geranium restaurant to share their love of the river and discuss Asian carp.
After observing by boat most of a 334-mile stretch of the Wabash before its confluence with the Ohio River, I came away with a new appreciation for maintaining the river’s ecosystem, water quality and heritage, a deeper admiration for those volunteers whose stewardship helps keep the river free of litter and pollution, and a determination to do what I can to help our state control Asian carp. We in Indiana truly are blessed that such a scenic natural waterway flows through our state, and I encourage all
Hoosiers to visit the Wabash by boat, canoe or from the riverbank so they can appreciate why we must protect and preserve it.
Greg Zoeller is attorney general of Indiana and toured the Wabash River by boat from July 15 to 18.
WHAT: “GARY’S RIDE†is a recreational bicycle ride to honor Indiana State Police Lt. Gary Dudley. All proceeds from the ride benefit The Gary Dudley Memorial Scholarship Foundation, which provides college Scholarships to the children of city, county, state and federal law enforcement officers killed in the Line of Duty in Indiana.
WHEN: Saturday, August 17, 2013 Registration: 7:00 – 11:00 a.m.
It is an OPEN start to the Ride
WHERE: Indiana Law Enforcement Academy in Plainfield, IN
WHO: Bicyclists of all ages and experience levels are welcome. Routes range from a “Family Fun Ride†(0-10 miles) up to a Century (100 miles). Six distance levels are available. You can ride as little or as much as you want. Helmets are required.
For more information about this event, please go to www.garysride.com .
Please direct any questions to Carolyn Dudley at: bikecentury@comcast.net
EVENTS: In addition to the ride, there will be activities for kids of all ages to enjoy at ILEA, including a large display of Police, Fire, and Department of Natural Resource vehicles and equipment. The displays are FREE and open to the public from 9 a.m. to 12 noon
Below is a list of felony cases that were filed by the Vanderburgh County Prosecutor’s Office on Monday, July 22, 2013.
Joan Colon Colon Resisting Law Enforcement-Class D Felony
Operating a Motor Vehicle Without Ever Receiving a License-
Class A Misdemeanor
Amanda Miller Possession of a Schedule IV Controlled Substance-Class D Felony
Conversion-Class A Misdemeanor
Angela Smitha Theft-Class D Felony
Possession of Marijuana-Class A Misdemeanor
Dana Smith Felon Carrying a Handgun-Class D Felony
(Enhanced to C Felony Due to Prior Convictions)
Carrying a Handgun without a License-Class D Felony
(Enhanced to C Felony Due to Prior Convictions)
Resisting Law Enforcement-Class A Misdemeanor
Criminal Recklessness-Class B Misdemeanor
Billy Syers Domestic Battery-Class D Felony
Interference with the Reporting of a Crime-Class A Misdemeanor
Criminal Mischief-Class B Misdemeanor
Sean Shelby Resisting Law Enforcement-Class D Felony
Operating a Motor Vehicle Without Ever Receiving a License-
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.
Mayor Lloyd Winnecke will join representatives from the Growth Alliance for Greater Evansville and the Economic Development Coalition of Southwest Indiana at a news conference tomorrow at 10:00 a.m. at Innovation Pointe (318 Main Street). The purpose of the news conference is to announce the startup of a new company, which will result in new jobs.
IS IT TRUE that last week a group of  people met to discuss the formation of a political exploratory committee to formalize plans to launch a campaign to unseat the 2nd Ward City Councilwoman?….the CCO was told that this group plans to promote a candidate to run against the 2nd Ward Councilwoman in the Democratic primary?…we also heard that over $21,700 has been pledged so far towards the political war chest to unseat the 2nd Ward City Councilwoman?
IS IT TRUE reliable sources have indicated that the Winnecke Administration received the final IT Assessment report from McGladrey on July 18, 2013?…that members of the council have been demanding the preliminary draft and final report for over a month?…that the Winnecke Administration insisted that McGladrey was still engaged in the assessment process, and we wonder why would they not present the report to the media and members of council, but made available to the public and council on Monday this week? … that the Council will have a special called meeting for the sole purpose to have McGladrey present the findings?…that by not delivering the report to the media and or city council until late Monday of this week the Winnecke Administration has committed yet another insult to the word transparency?…we wonder what the new Editor of the Evansville Courier & Press has to say about this stonewalling and delay in allowing the media, the council, and the public to digest the contents of the formal report by McGladrey before the Council has had an opportunity to formulate plans to answer questions from their constituents?…that Mayor Winnecke, when President of the County Commissioners, at the urging of Mayor Weinzapfel ‘s appointee to the Evansville Public Works Board and President Jack McNeely to  executed a five year multi-million dollar contract extension with MRC IT Consultants, without any public input and or discussion including the IT-Tech Committee or either the City or County Councils?  …we wonder what Sherman Greer and Adam Groupe have to say about this transaction?
IS IT TRUE we wonder why Mayor Winnecke give  the President of the Vanderburgh County Commission Marsha Abell a draft copy of the McGladrey report to review and not to members of  Evansville City Council , Vanderburgh County Council and the Vanderburgh County I-Tack Committee?  …that as of late of yesterday afternoon that the Mayors Chief of Staff informed City Council members that they shall not be giving a copy of the McGladrey draft report that the Mayor gave to his big political buddy Marsha Abell?  …we wonder what is wrong with this picture?
IS IT TRUE that all of these transgressions against transparency violate the ideals and spirit on which candidate Lloyd Winnecke ran for Mayor of Evansville?…the key planks of his campaign were collaboration and transparency?…the reality is that he has taken the strongman baton from former Mayor Weinzapfel and has kept the SNEGAL actions as a day to day way of operating?
IS IT TRUE that most of the reason given for the firings of Sherman Greer and Adam Groupe revolved around their management of the EMA having instances of favoritism being granted to both internal employees and external contractors?…if that is indeed the case the firing of these guys is fully justified and Mayor Winnecke did the right thing?…there is however something in the United States that is called EQUAL PROTECTION UNDER THE LAW?…in a town that just finished a new Arena that had a Project Labor Agreement (PLA) in place to give exclusivity to labor contracts to unions and a separate contract that mandated preferential treatment for minority and woman owned businesses it is a bit hypocritical for any mayor to be pounding the table over someone else buying a small item without an open bidding process?…this of course does not justify the alleged squandering of taxpayer dollars by Greer and Groupe?…this is however a teaching moment for the media of Evansville to take the bull by the horns and show the people of this town and region how time honored governmental practice that never gets questioned leads to overspending and cronyism?
IS IT TRUE that it is mind boggling to live in a place where one arm of the Federal government can spend $700 for hammers in a SNEGAL (sneaky but legal) manner while another person like a Sherman Greer or an Adam Group can be fired for buying a routine item at retail pricing and not getting bids?…if you want to understand why the federal government and the City of Detroit are in such debt they cannot sustain themselves you will have to look no further than 50 years of insane yet legal practices when it comes to purchases and labor contracts?…this is just another redistribution scheme that is coming unraveled?…we hope this latest first episode of accountability in Evansville leads to the practice of accountability in local government?…while we have that hope, the reality is probably that they don’t really understand the meaning of the concepts of accountability, collaboration, and transparency?…there is much more to truth that putting on a good show that placates the masses for the short term?
 
