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Animal Underground program brings unique animals to the library

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EVPL There will be some unique visitors at Evansville Vanderburgh Public Library locations on the next two Mondays, June 17th and 24th. At Animal Underground, a program by Animal Tales, customers will get an up-close look at animals that either hide underground or hunt from above.

The program will feature five live animals from across the globe: Paraguayan screaming hairy armadillo, Harris hawk, African spurred tortoise, Egyptian fruit bat, and woma python. Animal Underground is an educational, interactive, and safe program that allows hands-on volunteering for a rare experience with unusual animals.

Program dates, times and locations:

June 17th – 10:00 am, Central Library

2:00 pm, West Branch

6:00 pm, Red Bank Branch

June 24th – 10:00 am, McCollough Branch

2:00 pm, North Park Branch

6:00 pm, Oaklyn Branch

Everyone is welcome to this free program sponsored by the Public Library Friends.

Mayor Lloyd Winnecke’s Weekend Schedule

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Evansville Mayor Lloyd Winnecke
Evansville Mayor Lloyd Winnecke

Saturday, June 15, 2013

Mayor Winnecke will stop by the Donut Bank at 5 N. Green River Rd. at 8:30 a.m. for “Coffee with a Cop.” The program was launched earlier this year by the Evansville Police Department to give residents an opportunity to talk one-on-one with police officers to share a concern or simply discuss community issues.

From 9 to 11 a.m., Mayor Winnecke will be at Hartke Pool, 201 N. Boeke Rd., for “Summer of Swimming,” the first in a series of three free pool exercise sessions as part of Energize Evansville’s monthly “Fitness in the Park” program. The next sessions will be at Lorraine Pool on July 20 and Rochelle-Lander Pool on August 17 from 9 to 11 a.m. both days.

Mayor Winnecke will stop by the Christ the King Summer Social around 6 p.m. to mix and mingle with the crowd. The event will take place on the school’s campus at 3101 Bayard Park Dr.

Around 8 p.m., Mayor Winnecke will present the $20,000 grand prize at Sculpt EVV, an outdoor public sculpture show and music festival at Haynie’s Corner Art District. The free art show opens at noon featuring live music, hand-crafted furniture and jewelry, and beer tasting.

VANDERBURGH COUNTY FELONY CHARGES

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Evansville, IN – Below is a list of felony cases that were filed by the Vanderburgh County Prosecutor’s Office on Thursday, June 13, 2013.

Jason Russell Possession of Marijuana-Class A Misdemeanor

(Enhanced to D Felony Due to Prior Convictions)

Dewone Broomfield Possession of Cocaine-Class D Felony

Operating a Motor Vehicle Without Ever Receiving a License-

Class A Misdemeanor

Amanda Marx Operating a Vehicle as an Habitual Traffic Violator-

Class D Felony

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

Crash With Injury At Hwy 41 North And Mt Pleasant Rd

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DSheriff Logoeputies were dispatched to US Hwy 41 North and Mount Pleasant Road regarding a crash. When deputies arrived, they observed a blue Jeep Cherokee and a red Toyota Corolla crashed in the roadway. The Jeep Cherokee was laying on it side in the southbound lane facing north. The red Corolla was facing west in the intersection. Deputies closed the southbound lane of US Hwy 41 North for approximately 45 minutes to complete the investigation and the cleanup.

The driver of the blue Cherokee, Patricia Southerland, and a juvenile occupant were unable to exit the vehicle due to the position of the vehicle. Deputy Bryan Bishop was able to crawl through the back window, release their seatbelts, and pull them from the vehicle.

Sutherland told deputies she was turning west onto Mount Pleasant from US Hwy 41 North. Sutherland stated she was not paying attention to the traffic signal and went through the red light crashing into the red Corolla which was traveling south.

All parties involved were transported to Deaconess Hospital for non-life threatening injuries. The investigation is ongoing, but neither drugs nor alcohol appear to be a factor.

DRIVER #1
Patricia Sutherland
W/F, 64 YOA
Evansville, Indiana

DRIVER #2:
Patsy J. Phillips
W/F, 61 YOA
Evansville, Indiana

Battery By Strangulation Arrest

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Sheriff Logo

On Thursday, June 13, 2013, at approximately 5:40 AM, the Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Office was dispatched to 4600 Rolling Ridge Court regarding a domestic violence in progress. Deputies were advised that a white female and white male were arguing in front of the apartment.

Upon their arrival, deputies found the victim, Donna Kay Boyer, standing by the office. Boyer appeared to be distraught and had visible marks on her neck and arm from a struggle. Boyer stated that she and her boyfriend, Bradley Ray Barney, had returned from the hospital and had been arguing over his cell phone. Boyer stated she went into the bedroom to start packing her clothes because she was leaving.

Boyer stated when she attempted to walk out of the bedroom; Barney blocked the doorway and refused to let her leave. As Boyer was trying to get out of the room, Barney spat in her face. He then grabbed Boyer around the neck and started squeezing to where she could not breathe and started to lose consciousness.

Boyer stated Barney then threw her down to the ground and started twisting her arm behind her back causing extreme discomfort. Finally, Boyer was able to distract Barney by telling him his phone was outside. Once Barney left to look for it, Boyer was able to escape the apartment.

When deputies went to Barney’s apartment, they were unable to get Barney to answer the door. Approximately an hour, Barney exited the apartment thinking deputies had left. Barney was then taken into custody without further incident.

As the deputies were speaking with Barney, they observed blood coming from several small cuts on his forehead with blood over his face, hands, arms, and the front of his shirt. Barney also had bruising over one eye. Barney stated to deputies that Boyer had cut him with a knife.

Based on evidence at the scene and witness statements, deputies believe the cuts were self-inflicted by Barney. The witness stated Barney was wearing a red t-shirt and had no blood on him when he chased Boyer out of the apartment. Additionally, a small knife was located in the sink with blood on it.

Barney was transported to Deaconess Hospital for treatment of the minor injuries and then to the Vanderburgh Sheriff’s Confinement Center where he was booked on several charges.

OFFENDER
Bradley Ray Barney
50 YOA, W/M
Evansville, Indiana

CHARGES
Battery by Strangulation – D felony
Criminal Confinement – C felony
Battery by Bodily Waste – A misdemeanor
Battery by Hand, Fist, Feet Causing Injury – A misdemeanor

VICTIM
Donna Kay Boyer
51 YOA, W/F
Newburgh, Indiana

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, June 12, 2013.

Terrence Gibson Operating a Vehicle as an Habitual Traffic Violator-Class D Felony

Kenaz Jones Operating a Motor Vehicle after Forfeiture of License for Life-

Class C Felony

False Informing-Class B Misdemeanor

Operating a Vehicle with an ACE of .08 or More-Class C Misdemeanor

Adam Pfau Operating a Motor Vehicle While Intoxicated-Class C Misdemeanor

(Enhanced to D Felony Due to Prior Convictions)

Brandi Phillips Robbery Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury-Class A Felony

Armed Robbery-Class B Felony

Conspiracy to Commit Robbery-Class C Felony

Wendy Stone Possession of Methamphetamine-Class D Felony

Possession of Marijuana-Class A Misdemeanor

Possession of Paraphernalia-Class A Misdemeanor

Cole Tennyson Domestic Battery-Class D Felony

Resisting Law Enforcement-Class D Felonies (Four Counts)

Battery Resulting in Bodily Injury-Class D Felonies (Two Counts)

Criminal Recklessness-A Misdemeanor

Criminal Mischief-Class A Misdemeanor

Stacy True Possession of Methamphetamine-Class D Felony

Unlawful Possession or Use of a Legend Drug-Class D Felony

Possession of Marijuana-Class A Misdemeanor

(Enhanced to D Felony Due to Prior Convictions)

Possession of Paraphernalia-Class A Misdemeanor

(Enhanced to D Felony Due to Prior Convictions)

(Habitual Substance Offender Enhancement)

Cory Tyus Dealing in Marijuana-Class D Felony

Possession of Marijuana-Class D Felony

Zackary Wall Burglary-Class B Felony

Attempted Theft-Class D Felony

Edward Wells Battery Resulting in Bodily Injury-Class D Felony

Resisting Law Enforcement-Class D Felony

Possession of Marijuana-Class A Misdemeanor

(Enhanced to D Felony Due to Prior Convictions)

False Informing-Class B Misdemeanor

Operating a Motor Vehicle While Intoxicated-Class C Misdemeanor

Taylor Cox Theft-Class D Felony

Blake Fisher Robbery Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury-Class A Felony

Armed Robbery-Class B Felony

Conspiracy to Commit Robbery-Class C Felony

Heather Hoffman Domestic Battery-Class D Felony

Robin Marshall Operating a Vehicle as an Habitual Traffic Violator-Class D Felony

Buck Pace Operating a Vehicle as an Habitual Traffic Violator-Class D Felony

Ryan Schmitt Pointing a Firearm-Class D Felony

Criminal Recklessness-Class D Felony

Stanley Snyder Resisting Law Enforcement-Class D Felony

Battery Resulting in Bodily Injury-Class D Felony

Intimidation-Class D Felony

Disorderly Conduct-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.

Crash With Injury On SR 65

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Sheriff Logo

The Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Office was dispatched to a crash with injury at 5919 State Road 65. When deputies arrived, they found three vehicles, a 1995 White Toyota Avalon; a 2009 Tan Toyota Camry; and a White 2003 Honda Civic, in the middle of the roadway. The investigation and cleanup caused deputies closed the roadway for approximately one hour.

Upon investigation of the crash, the driver of the Toyota Avalon, Megan Marie Blankenberger, stated she was driving southbound on State Road 65 behind the Tan Toyota Camry. Blankenberger stated she had looked down to read a text message on her cell phone. Blankenberger stated when she looked up, the driver of the Camry had stopped to turn into the driveway of 5919 State Road 65. Blankenberger stated she was unable to stop in time and crashed into the back of the Camry. The Camry then went across the center of the roadway and side-swiped a White 2003 Honda Civic which was traveling northbound on State Road 65.

There were four occupants in the Toyota Camry, 2 adults and 2 juveniles, who were transported to Deaconess Hospital for complaint of pain. Blankenberger was written a citation for a traffic infraction, using a telecommunication device while driving.

DRIVER #1:
Megan Marie Blankenberger
W/F, 22 YOA
Evansville, Indiana

DRIVER #2:
Lisa Ann Mayhugh
W/F,48 YOA
Evansville, Indiana

DRIVER #3
Jenna Rose Adler
W/F, 24 YOA
Haubstadt, Indiana

Former Democrat Operative Pat Cadell “One Way or Another a Revolution is Coming”

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The sordid revelations from the Obama administration are coming at a pace that can only be described as, well, fast and furious. So let’s lay down some markers here, as a sort of road map for the months and years ahead:

First, if the PRISM program and all the rest of the government’s surveillance programs were so good and necessary, then why didn’t the feds catch the Tsarnaev brothers, who earlier this year blew up the Boston Marathon? Or Major Hassan, the 2009 Fort Hood mass-murderer? Or the “underwear bomber,” also from 2009, who nearly succeeded in blowing up the passenger jet flying into Detroit?
Second, if and when everything is revealed about PRISM and all the rest, it’s likely that we will learn of important and inculpating connections between the National Security Agency (NSA), on the one hand, and many civilian agencies, on the other.

I am not just referring to Eric Holder’s Justice Department; I am also referring to the gleefully gushing leakers and win-at-any-cost politicos in the White House. And oh yes, let’s not forget the Obama administration’s partisan allies at the IRS, as well as the Obamacare overseers at the Department of Health and Human Services.

Moreover, since we know that the IRS was eagerly willing to share secret tax information with favored private groups, we shouldn’t be surprised, in the end, to learn that NSA/PRISM material ended up in the hands of Obama friends and allies outside of the government.

Third, we now know that Silicon Valley, and the telecommunications industry, are the key to the Obama strategy for total information awareness. In fact, the internet companies, and the phone companies, were the spearpoint for PRISM. No, wait, that’s not the right image. Let’s try this: These communications companies put peepholes into all of our private lives, through which Uncle Sam could sneak a peek. Every e-mail, every phone call, every text-message–the government knows about them all.

It’s now evident that all these wonderful digital services–many of them, such as Google’s Gmail, given away for free–were, in fact, a kind of Trojan Horse. That is, on the outside, it all seemed like a good deal–but then the real truth comes tumbling out, and it’s too late. Some might recall the rueful lesson of the Trojan War: “Beware of Greeks bearing gifts.” The rueful lesson of our own time: “Beware of geeks bearing gifts.”

Yes, Big Brother walks among us now, peeking and snooping into everything. And we, innocently and unwittingly, invited Big Brother into our midst.

Fourth, it’s not an accident that these Silicon Valley companies are supporters of Barack Obama. The greatest among these Obama supporters is Eric Schmidt, executive chairman of the largest of these companies, Google. Google gained a lot of traction–the company is now worth nearly $300 billion, and Schmidt owns a good chunk of that–on the slogan, “Don’t be evil.” But now we know better. Indeed, we are reminded of another old piece of wisdom: Be extra careful around the man who protests his virtue too much. And beware the company, too.

Google and all the rest of the Silicon Valleyites say they didn’t know about what was happening, and if you don’t believe that, well, they will then tell you that they didn’t provide “direct access.” Oh, okay, not “direct access”–just full access. And what did the companies get in return for this cooperation with the government? A pat on the head? Or something more? Did any of these companies make any serious attempt to put any sort of limits on what was being snooped, and how it was being utilized?
Let’s remember: All these companies had a lot of leverage, because any one of them had the power to make the PRISM operation, at least some of it, public. But they all chose not to; they all chose to be part of the effort. How come? Patriotism? Or something else?

Fifth, Eric Schmidt, in particular, seems on his way to becoming a major Democratic powerbroker, bringing Silicon Valley smarts–and who knows what else–into the realm of partisan campaigning. Schmidt is so into this president that he snapped up the 2012 Obama campaign’s data analytics team–hired the whole Chicago group–and has now launched them in a new company. The company, Civis Analytics, will work on various for-profit and non-profit projects, including helping the Obama administration dragoon young people into Obamacare. And oh yes, Civis will also work on political campaigns–but only for Democrats.

So we might ask: Is Schmidt really doing the right thing for the employees and shareholders of Google? To say nothing of all those Google users? Is it really in keeping with Schmidt’s fiduciary duty to his company to get so extended into the policy and politics of the Obama administration? Are Schmidt’s actions truly helping the long-term growth and well-being of Google? Not only are its American customers justifiably freaked out, but how ‘bout customers worldwide? If you were a citizen of another country, would you really want to keep using Google if you know that American intelligence types–and maybe American political operatives–were perusing your private life?

Sixth, young Edward Snowden, the 29-year-old who leaked the PRISM information, is sort of a Zelig figure–if you remember your Woody Allen movies–for our own time. That is, the naive figure who ends up in the middle of great events, without fully understanding what is happening all around him. As a teenager in 2003, at the height of the patriotic feeling of the War on Terror in 2003, Snowden joined the US Army. He was discharged after breaking both of his legs in a training accident, and then, as he made his way up the ladder in the national security apparatus, he seems to have veered between sort of liking Obama and actually supporting libertarian candidates.

In other words, Snowden seems to have been pro-war when just about everyone was pro-war, and he became part of the national security sector when it was a boom industry. More recently, he believed that Obama would bring about positive hope and change, even as he himself became more and more skeptical of government. Then, of course, came his profound disillusion, and the PRISM leak.
More biographical information on Snowden will come pouring out, but it surely seems, as of now, that Snowden was riding on the same political rollercoaster as many millions of American. First, trust in George W. Bush, then trust in the system, then trust in Obama–and now, trust in nobody and nothing in Washington.

Seventh, as far as the American people are concerned, this domestic spying is a big deal. Yet revealingly, to the political class–that is, our leaders in Washington DC–it’s not such a big deal. And there we see the central cleft in our politics today: the widening gap between the government and the governed. According to pollster Scott Rasmussen, the American people oppose the US government’s secret collection of phone records by a whopping 59:26 margin.

People know, in their bones, that unaccountable government is bad government; as Patrick Henry said more than two centuries ago, “The liberties of a people never were, nor ever will be, secure, when the transactions of their rulers may be concealed from them.” So when Obama said, on Friday, “I welcome this debate and I think it’s healthy for our democracy,” we might ask right back: Mr. President, if you welcome this debate so much, why didn’t you begin the debate yourself? Why did you wait until PRISM was leaked?

The reason, of course, is that Obama did not see anything objectionable about PRISM. Moreover, neither did anyone around him–in either party. On Sunday, the talkshow airwaves were thick with DC Establishment tools rallying around PRISM–that is, rallying around their own entrenched and centralized power.

Only a few outsiders, such as Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY)–who has retained his outsiderness, even inside the club of the US Senate–are reading public sentiment correctly. Paul plans a class-action suit against the communications companies, inviting all Americans to join him. That’s the sort of citizen-engagement effort that the insurgent and outsider-ish Obama campaign of 2008 would have loved, even if the arrogant and insider-ish Obama administration of 2013 hates it.

In fact, those Americans whom Rasmussen categorizes as the “political class”–that is, those connected to DC and governance–support PRISM by a 71 percent to 18 percent ratio. Meanwhile, the rest of the country opposes PRISM by a more than three-to-one ratio, 69 percent to 21 percent. Now let’s think about the enormous chasm here: The political class supports the program by a 53-point margin, while everyone else opposes it by a 48-point margin. If you add up those two margins, 53 and 48, you get 101. That’s a vivid indicator of the gap between the government and the governed.
So here we see it: The elites think one thing, and the people think another thing. Nothing new there, of course, except that rarely, if ever, has the dichotomy between overdog and underdog been this stark.
Something is going to have to give. We are on the cusp of some huge shift in power relations between the core and periphery, between the DC Beltway and flyover country. Right now, Washington has the upper hand, but an aggrieved population can always win–if it is willing to stand up and fight.

In the minds of ordinary Americans, the fuse of outrage has been lit. Now this is the question: Can honest but responsible leaders, truly reflecting populist anger, find a way to force change in DC? Moreover, can this needed reform happen without tearing apart the country? Let’s hope so.

But we must know this for sure: One way or another, a revolution is coming.

IS IT TRUE June 13, 2013

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

IS IT TRUE June 13, 2013

IS IT TRUE our readers interests have been high about the reconciliation of the City of Evansville’s accounts?…it will be interesting to see which assertion of reconciliation the SBOA will endorse in the upcoming audit?…David Garrett is correct that knowing about a $7 Million discrepancy and not knowing how it happened does not constitute full reconciliation?…Controller Russ Lloyd is also right that there are accepted accounting practices to “wash away” the discrepancy with a one-time correction entry to raise the white flag of surrender and hit the reset button to magically declare the books to be reconciled so we can go forward without a scar on our accounts?…assuming that there is a $7 Million discrepancy and that the books were reconciled for the year 2010 it is safe to conclude that this discrepancy has happened since January 1, 2011?…if we further assume that this $7 Million discrepancy is a legacy of poor accounting handed to the Winnecke Administration and Russ Lloyd the only place to find this discrepancy is during calendar year 2011?…one would think that 18 months is enough time to comb through every check, nook, and cranny to find this discrepancy but it seems this has not been done to the satisfaction of either David Garrett or the Evansville City Council?…there are several possibilities for this the first of which is it has not legitimately been found?…it is also possible that it has been found and the source of the discrepancy is politically unpalatable to disclose?…it would be productive and would restore some faith in the competency of local government accounting to find and disclose the source of the discrepancy and let the chips fall where they will on the past administration?…if the City has indeed been diligently trying to find this discrepancy for 18 months and can’t there should be some time declared as drop dead date and just admit we can’t find it and plug some number in so this circus of idiocy can move forward with clean books even if they were cleaned by painting over the problem?…we really hope the discrepancy is found and that Russ and David agree on the final solution?

IS IT TRUE that another long time eastside business has announced that they are running up the white flag and closing up shop?…Lorenzo’s Bakery and Restaurant that has long served the community from the outlot at the Schnuck’s at the corner of Green River Road and Washington Avenue will soon be serving its last bowl of heavenly soup, its last magnificent salad, and sending its last basket of homemade bread to the houses of its customer base?…we encourage our readers to send Lorenzo’s out with a great ending and to develop a habit of going to your favorite places more often so we don’t lose more of our little treasures that if replaced will probably be another chain store?

IS IT TRUE the sequester cuts that were touted by President Barack Obama to be so painful that the people will be in breadlines has finally come home to roost here in Evansville and the State of Indiana?…the President did sort of overplay and over hype his pair of twos in this poker hand but there may be some pain after all?…the pain in this case is amazingly small and should be easy to backfill with local heartfelt charity?…the entire State of Indiana will be getting $700,000 less than expected which works out to a bank breaking 12 cents per Hoosier?…locally the YWCA will be losing $8,500 that they were counting on which works out to less than 5 cents per Vanderburgh County resident?…a few other local humanitarian groups are about to experience similar shortfalls?…if every person in Vanderburgh County would donate $1 to a sequester relief fund that any of our big rich churches could easily promote our charities will be better off than they were before the sequester by a wide margin?…this is a great opportunity to prove that local charity beats federal largesse and it does it more efficiently?…we encourage our readers to do their part and commit $10 each to one of the humanitarian groups that lost some funding from the sequester cuts?…the CCO is still free so consider this $10 a subscription alternative?

IS IT TRUE there is a very interesting article by Brad Linzy in today’s CCO that promotes unmetered water at flat rates?…much of the western world already does this?…he also raises the question of the reliability and useful life of smart meters like the ones in the Johnson Controls contract?…the average life of the batteries and the cost to service them should raise a few eyebrows?…maybe the eyebrows of the City of Evansville engineering department and the City Council should be raised?