Vectren Employees to Volunteer at Stockwell
Monday, May 13
9 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Stockwell Elementary School, 2501 N. Stockwell Rd.
As part of Vectren’s community outreach, the company has adopted Stockwell Elementary School and on Monday, employees will volunteer their time to plant flowers, paint and perform other maintenance in the school’s courtyard to help beautify the school grounds.
VANDERBURGH COUNTY FELONY CHARGES
Below is a list of felony cases that were filed by the Vanderburgh County Prosecutor’s Office on Thursday, May 09, 2013.
Isaiah Green Attempted Murder-Class A Felony
Attempted Armed Robbery-Class A Felony
Criminal Recklessness-Class C Felony
(Habitual Offender Enhancement)
Martez Vaughn Possession of a Synthetic Drug-Class D Felony
Possession of Marijuana-Class A Misdemeanor
(Enhanced to D Felony due to prior convictions)
Operating a Motor Vehicle without ever Receiving a License-Class A Misdemeanor
Jonathon Harris Battery Resulting in Bodily Injury-Class D Felonies (Two Counts)
Demetrius Pollard Conspiracy to Commit Unlawful Possession of a Firearm by a Serious Violent Felon-Class B Felony
Conspiracy to Commit Unlawful Purchase of a Handgun-Class C Felony
Matthew Ricketts Operating a Vehicle with an ACE of .08 or More-Class C Misdemeanor Enhanced to D Felony
Operating a Vehicle While Intoxicated-Class C Misdemeanor (Enhanced to D Felony due to prior convictions)
ST. MARY’S ANNOUNCES EXCELLENCE IN NURSING AWARD WINNERS
St. Mary’s is proud to announce the 2013 Excellence in Nursing Award winners:
Bonnie Miller is this year’s “Clinical Practice Award†winner, which recognizes the expert clinician who promotes the professional role of the nurse. Since joining St. Mary’s in 2002, she has dedicated herself to Labor and Delivery, and now serves as a charge nurse and lead RN on the Maternal Transport Team. She obtained her associate degree in nursing from Ivy Tech and is currently working to advance her degree.
Jeremy Coomes is the “Nurses as Leaders Award†winner. This award is given to a nurse who is a leader at the bedside and within the unit. As a charge nurse on St. Mary’s Post-Surgical Unit, Coomes is responsible for managing the flow of the department, maintaining customer service, and serving as a resource for patients and staff. Coomes joined St. Mary’s in 2008. He earned a bachelor’s degree in nursing from the University of Southern Indiana.
Elizabeth Logan, a trauma and critical care nurse, is the winner of the “Nurses as Teachers Award.†This award recognizes a nurse involved in educational activities at the bedside, in the classroom, or in the community. Logan is chair of the Quality and Patient Safety Council and has served key roles on a number of committees, research projects, and training courses. She earned her bachelor’s degree in nursing from USI and joined St. Mary’s in 2007.
Melanie Lutz is the “Nurses and the Community Award†winner, recognized for her success in improving patient outcomes by developing strong partnerships with community organizations. Lutz is a member of the Emergency Department Practice Council and Safe Kids, among others. She has worked in the St. Mary’s Emergency Department since 2006. Lutz received her bachelor’s degree in engineering from the University of Evansville and her associate degree in nursing from Ivy Tech Community College.
Lisa Downen is the winner of the “Administrator of Nursing†award, which recognizes nurses in leadership positions. Downen has served many roles since joining St. Mary’s in 1988, most recently as her unit’s Director of Oncology. She serves a number of committees within St. Mary’s and in the community, including the Medical/Surgical Nurses Society. Lisa earned her bachelor’s degree in nursing from the University of Southern Indiana. She maintains her Oncology certification as well as a Health Facility Administrator license.
RIECKEN: PROPERTY OWNERS NEED TO MAKE SURE THEY ARE GETTING HOMESTEAD DEDUCTION
RIECKEN: PROPERTY OWNERS NEED TO MAKE SURE THEY ARE GETTING HOMESTEAD DEDUCTION
INDIANAPOLIS – As we begin to see the full impact of a 2009 state law designed to safeguard against fraudulent homestead deduction claims, State Rep. Gail Riecken (D-Evansville) is encouraging local property owners to make sure they are continuing to get all the tax relief they are entitled to receive.
“We are starting to get reports that property owners are seeing their tax bills go up substantially, and it may be because of the loss of their homestead deduction,†Riecken said. “It also may be because they failed to file the proper paperwork that ensures they continue to get the deduction. If you are in this category, it is important that you take the time to check your status.â€
In 2009, the Indiana General Assembly passed a law that was designed to eliminate illegitimate duplicate homestead deduction claims. Only one deduction can be claimed per person or couple, yet some were attempting to get multiple deductions for multiple properties.
Under the guidelines set out by the state Department of Local Government Finance (DLGF), the process of implementation of the 2009 law was for county auditors to send out pink- or rose-colored forms over a period of three years – 2010, 2011, and 2012 – to those claiming the deduction. The property owner was required to return the form in one of those three years in order to get the homestead deduction validated.
“Last December, county auditors were expected to send notices to those people who had not sent back a form advising them that their deduction was going to be revoked,†Riecken said. “At the start of this year, auditors then began the process of removing the deductions.â€
In Vanderburgh County, it is estimated that as many as 2,800 deductions were removed. However, Riecken emphasized that some of those deductions might have been removed because the property owner failed to file the proper paperwork and not because the person was falsely claiming multiple deductions.
The homestead deduction amounts to 60 percent of the assessed value of your home, or $45,000, whichever is less. The deduction also entitles the homeowner to receive a supplemental deduction.
“It is important to remember that the loss of the homestead deduction can affect how you are impacted by our state’s property tax caps,†Riecken said. “In addition, some people may not become fully aware of the impact of this change until they get their mortgage statements in the next few months, since those statements will reflect escrows adjusted to reflect the loss of the deduction.
“What is important to remember is that you can get the deduction reinstated if it was removed in error,†Riecken said. “You need to call the Vanderburgh County Auditor’s Office at 435-5293 or visit the office in person. You will need to provide some documentation that the deduction was removed by mistake. It will be left to the auditor to make a final decision on the case.â€
CCO Editor Joe Wallace Pleased to Announce California’s First Innovation Hub Accelerator Campus Grand Opening
The Coachella Valley Welcomes the Grand Opening of California’s First Innovation iHub Accelerator Campus and Celebrates the Coachella Valley iHub Graduation on May 16th from 4pm-7pm in Palm Springs
The Public is Invited to Attend This Landmark Event
Palm Springs, CA (May 9, 2013) The Coachella Valley Innovation Hub (CViHub), will hold an iHub Accelerator Campus Grand Opening and iHub Graduation Celebration on May 16, at the Accelerator Campus, located next to Palm Springs International Airport. The festivities begin at 4pm. This is a free community event and the public is invited to see the latest innovation in “growing a business.†The address is 2901 E. Alejo. Please RSVP to rsvp@cvep.com or call 760-340-1575.
This ribbon-cutting and grand opening marks the launch of the first Innovation Hub Accelerator Campus in California and the first graduation of CViHub businesses now ready to move to the next level of success. “The Coachella Valley iHub is proud to be the first Incubator Network in the State of California to develop and open an Acclerator Campus for CViHub graduates to move on to,†says Wes Ahlgren, Chief Operating Officer of the Coachella Valley Economic Partnership (CVEP) which manages the CViHub. “Four companies from the CVIhub incubator offices are graduating and moving to the Acclerator Campus where they can do light manufacturing then taking their business into the community,†Ahlgren explains. They are EV Enterprises, NRG Power Systems, Attune RTD and PSTalent.com.
Mayor Steve Pougnet, City of Palm Springs, states “The City of Palm Springs is pleased to have been in a position to leverage our status as a founding member of the Coachella Valley iHub into the newly formed Accelerator Campus at the Palm Springs International Airport. We are looking forward to the economic advantages that continue the mentoring provided by the CViHub through the manufacturing phase. We are also thrilled to have been a part of attracting a high technology manufacturer from Arizona to become the first client company in the Accelerator Campus.â€
Tom Flavin, President and CEO, CVEP, adds “To help overcome some of the challenges that face California businesses, CVEP in partnership with the cities of Palm Springs, Desert Hot Springs and Cathedral City are expanding the capability of the CViHub to a one of a kind accelerator campus. This campus will be a real game changer here in the Coachella Valley as we attract renewable, healthcare and creative companies from here in California as well as other states and countries and offer them an environment to create, manufacture and succeed.â€
There are 12 iHubs in California, and the Coachella Valley is pioneering the only Accelerator Campus of its kind in the state that supports sustainable innovation businesses, helps grow the local economy and creates jobs in the Coachella Valley.
The first graduate of the CViHub Program, EV Enterprises (EVE), has already begun manufacturing operations at the new Accelerator Campus. EVE manufactures an assortment of products, including the Canary 100 Radiation Detector and aftermarket automotive battery charging stations. Additionally, EVE converts internal combustion vehicles to electric cars and offers contract manufacturing services to companies in and out of the Coachella Valley. “We acquired a manufacturing operation from Arizona and are able to do ten times the revenue that it was doing there, largely because of the superior facilities here. We have received mentoring, assistance with our business plan and help with fundraising from the iHub and couldn’t have done it without them,†says Bill Schlanger of EVE.
The Accelerator Campus is a cluster of facilities designed to provide CViHub graduate companies continued access to the business support network of the CViHub after they have started production and begun to earn revenues. The Acceleration Campus consists of approximately 50,000 square feet of space in seven buildings on a 3.5 acre lot in a Foreign Trade Zone at the Palm Springs International Airport.
Phase one of the development consists of a 6,000 square foot Advanced Manufacturing Center, a Commercialization Center with two 1,000 square foot working areas, and a Sustainable Product Center with five offices, two reception areas, and a conference room. At this time 80% of the available space in Phase one is either already being utilized or has been spoken for by other CViHub client businesses.
Phase one of the Accelerator Campus is being funded by the City of Palm Springs.
Phase two of the development will be approximately 40,000 square feet of space dedicated to Advanced Manufacturing, Emerging Technology businesses, and sustainable functions to support the core mission. Phase two is dependent on the attraction of funding sufficient to complete leasehold improvements and cover operating expenses during the ramp-up period.
“The Accelerator Campus will enable the CViHub to continue to mentor client companies with proven concepts through the initial stages of production, further mitigating the risks associated with entrepreneurship and laying the foundation for our client businesses to establish a permanent headquarters in the Coachella Valley,†states Joe Wallace, Managing Director, CViHub.
The Coachella Valley Innovation Hub (CViHub) is a California designated business support entity hosted by the cities of Palm Springs, Desert Hot Springs and Cathedral City, managed by the Coachella Valley Economic Partnership (CVEP).
IS IT TRUE May 10, 2013
IS IT TRUE May 10, 2013
IS IT TRUE that when it comes to growing the economy it seems as though the adage “what one big company gives the other takes away†rings true across the country but was accented particularly in Evansville this week?…this week on big company with an emphasis on government contracts announced a layoff of just under 50 people and that news was followed up that another big national company that provides cable services announced they will be hiring 25 people?…other big companies in town have published openings for the other 25 that they are having trouble filling due to specialized experience and education requirements but by the end of the summer the 50 jobs lost will be replaced?…the net gains from big company hiring according to the Kaufmann Foundation has been a net gain of ZERO nationwide since the 1980s?…Kaufmann has concluded that all net job creation in the American workforce comes from small and new businesses and has for roughly 30 years?…most people just do not get it that the key to economic growth and prosperity lies in inspiring entrepreneurs and creating an ecosystem that enables them to execute their plans?…that includes for the most part access to capital, talent, and markets?…if you don’t have all three your ecosystem just does not work very well?
IS IT TRUE it has been a week now since the Evansville Police Department published the gunshot map that prompted an unexpected response from the Reverend Adrian Brooks?…Brooks to the surprise of many took a position stating such data should not be released to the public and that the release of this data would retard economic growth in downtown Evansville?…knowing the Reverend Brooks and the good work he endeavors to do in downtown Evansville and parts south, the CCO expressed that his opinions were probably a gut reaction and that given time he would realize that “the truth will set you free†and would come out on the side of transparency and full disclosure?…he has not yet done so but we would welcome a guest editorial from Reverend Brooks on the topic of the good side and the bad side of transparency and full disclosure to support whatever position he has reflected upon after the last week?
IS IT TRUE we are also waiting on Evansville City Controller Russ Lloyd Jr., the Vanderburgh County Assessor’s Office, the Vanderburgh County Treasurer, and the Office of the Mayor to respond to the “financial disaster†that was discovered in Muncie this week?…what we would like to have answered is whether or not Evansville is looking at a similar situation or not?…of course that begs the question WHY?…given the complexity of what caused Muncie to come up $6 Million short it is entirely probable given the recent lack of any appetite for planning and oversight that Evansville will have the exact same problem?…if the folks in charge in Evansville accurately foresaw the double edge sword of property tax circuit breakers blunting the revenue collected from increasing the levy they truly deserve some award for doing so?…this unintended but well defined and easy to calculate problem should have been easily caught?…if Evansville authorities were able to accurately forecast this phenomena at a time they could not even balance the books it may be deserving of economic sainthood?
IS IT TRUE it has been a full five years now since a smiling Governor’s mansion dreaming Mayor Weinzapfel was going through the steps to build an arena without a vote?…during the summer of 2008 the people of Evansville were also offered up pitchers of Kool-Aid with flavors called a 4-Star hotel without subsidy, a refurbished McCurdy, and Centennial Park?…the performance of these projects just proves the depth of delusion that the political world of Evansville was wallowing in after buying a $603,000 parking lot and holding a secret meeting to take away your Homestead Tax Credit?…the old adage “don’t drink the Kool-Aid†would have served Evansville well in the summer of 2008?