Thousands of excited children and their families streamed into the Ford Center between Wednesday, March 27 through Saturday, March 30 for seven performances of Disney On Ice presents Worlds of Fantasy. The fantastical production featured characters from beloved contemporary and classic Disney stories, including Disney/Pixar’s Cars, The Little Mermaid, Tinker Bell and the fairies of Pixie Hollow, and Disney/Pixar’s Toy Story 3.
While the impressive theatrical skating talent of the large ensemble cast was the centerpiece of the show, the magical performances were enhanced the by the appearance of life-sized animatronic Cars characters, impressive moving set pieces, and extra surprises like characters who suddenly appeared to be floating in mid-air. Children of all ages were enchanted by the familiar storylines and characters come to life, and even the adults could be seen singing along to the iconic soundtrack.
“We are happy that Disney On Ice made the Ford Center a Spring Break and Easter holiday weekend destination for so many area families,†said Executive Director Scott Schoenike. “The turn-out was even better than we had expected, with a record attendance for this event.â€
The Ford Center continues to stay active with a variety of upcoming events, including Kid Rock April 1, the Heritage Federal Home Show presented by the Evansville Courier and Press April 6-7, Neon Trees April 12, Brit Floyd April 19, 911 Gives Hope: Guns & Hoses April 20, Jason Aldean April 25, REO Speedwagon/Styx/Ted Nugent May 15, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers May 16, and the WWE World Tour Supershow May 18.
Ford Center is managed by VenuWorks of Evansville, LLC. For more information on Ford Center visit: www.thefordcenter.com www.facebook.com/fordcenterevansville www.twitter.com/thefordcenter.
Country star Rodney Atkins delighted all of his fans at the Victory Theatre on Friday night, March 29, with a “Most Hits for the Money Tour†performance that certainly lived up to its name. Atkins was joined by newcomers Tyler Farr and Josh Thompson who warmed up the crowd with impressive sets of their own. Farr and Thompson may currently be a little short on name recognition, but were clearly long on talent and were very well received.
When the affable Atkins hit the stage, he spent 90 minutes puting on a high energy show that focused on relatable themes of family and patriotism with some of his best-known “story songs.†His fans were happy to sing along, and at one point, Atkins invited two of the younger audience members up on stage to join him during “Watching You.â€
“The Victory is an ideal venue for shows like this one,†said General Manager Ben Bolander. “The intimate setting of the theatre showcased the strong vocals and musicianship of these artists, which only added to the energy of a great country show.â€
Upcoming shows at the Victory Theatre include Chanticleer April 13, Little Big Town April 18, Here Come the Mummies April 19, SPANK! The Fifty Shades Parody May 22, and B.B. King June 5. The Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra will also present performances on April 6 & 7, April 27, and May 18 & 19.
The Victory Theatre is managed by VenuWorks of Evansville, LLC.
For event information or to purchase tickets, please call (812) 422-1515, or visit
www.facebook.com/VictoryTheatre www.twitter.com/Victory_Theatre
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The Board of Commissioners of Vanderburgh County will hold their annual road hearing on Thursday, April 4th at 5:00pm in room 301 of the Civic Center, 1 NW MLK Blvd.
This public forum will provide citizens with information on road projects scheduled for 2013 and allow citizens to identify county roads to be included in the 2013 paving list.
Residents who wish to address the board with specific road concerns are asked to contact the County Commissioners office prior to April 4th so the issue can be investigated prior to the meeting. The Commissioners Office can be reached at 435-5241 between the hours of 7:30 am and 4:30 pm or you can email your concerns to commissioners@vanderburghgis.com.
The County Highway Superintendent and the County Engineer will also be on hand to field questions relating to county road projects.
The final list of paving projects will be on the Commissioners April 23rd meeting agenda for approval.
IS IT TRUE after long two years of fumbling and bumbling around with the $1 million dollar MUNIS accounting software, the Winnecke Administration will finally be dispatching several city employees to the Tyler Technologies location in Texas to train on how to activate this computer systems program?… that we should also expect City Controller, Russ Lloyd, Jr. and Evansville Water and Sewer Fiscal Officer Jenny Collins to attend this most important educational experience?
IS IT TRUE that during the last City Council meeting, Finance Chairman John Friend, CPA and 5th Ward Councilman asked City Controller, Russ Lloyd, Jr. about the $5.2 million decline in the hospitalization fund from the first day Mayor Winnecke took the oath of office on January 1, 2012 and he did not have any explanation?…we wonder how the City of Evansville is going to restore this $5.2 million dollar shortfall to this account in the near future?
IS IT TRUE that Finance Chairman John Friend, CPA also asked City Controller Russ Lloyd, Jr. why the Park & Recreation fund for 2012 declined by a whopping $2.2 million dollars? …that Controller Lloyd responded he had no explanation?…now Mayor Winnecke wants to build another city park [Roberts Park] despite this $2.2 shortfall in the parks fund?
IS IT TRUE that City Councilman, Dr. Dan Adams, asked City Controller Russ Lloyd, Jr. at the same meeting why was City Council lead to believe that the Novia clinic would save the City of Evansville over $2.4 million dollars in 2012 and once again, Mr. Lloyd had no answer?…that is somewhat understandable since Lloyd was not the Controller when the sales pitch was crafted but he should do a bit of research as to what the assumptions were that lead to that conclusion and why the cost savings are not achieved?
IS IT TRUE this poor performance on cost savings from shifting the burden of healthcare to the government is playing itself out on a national level as well?…the Affordable Care Act (aka ObamaCare) that was advertised to save each family $2,500 per year on healthcare is now projected to cost each family $3,500 more than they were paying in 2009?…that $6,000 failure to perform represents more than 10% of the gross income of the average American family?…the ineptness of government is also about to be exposed because insiders say that the insurance exchanges necessary to sign people up for ObamaCare will not be ready in October just three months before the January 2014 start date?…we wonder how to enforce an insurance mandate when the government can’t even set up a registration system in 3 years?…the cold answer is that everyone has known from day one that without the mandate to purchase insurance that ObamaCare’s numbers do not come close to working?…government ineptness when it comes to execution of a registry may be the undoing of ObamaCare if they can’t get their act together and get this in place by October as planned?
IS IT TRUE that another unpublicized failure of the federal government to execute is in the area of crowdfunding that was one of the provisions of the much touted “JOBS ACT†of 2012?…crowdfunding is a mechanism for everyday people to be able invest in startup companies like Apple and Google once were in limited amounts so they can have access to the kind of rewards that “accredited†investors have always had?…we wonder how many of you knew that one has to make $200,000 per year or have a net worth of over $1 Million excluding their home to legally invest in start-up companies?…that is the law in these United States?…crowdfunding is supposed to be managed by the SEC and was supposed to launch on January 1, 2013?…the crafting of the details is not even started yet and the latest projections are that our government will be 2 years late on an 8 month project?…there is not a private company in existence that could survive with such abysmal performance?…it seems as though the US government is all flash and no substance these days when it comes to actually making things happen according to plan?…it makes you wonder if they even try?
IS IT TRUE we regret to share with you that we have been informed that a knife fight broke out over the Easter weekend down near the Art’s District (formerly known as Goosetown) and was followed up by a robbery of someone walking to and from a church service?…all of the public housing projects like Front Door Pride on earth will not clean up an area when the sort of people who fight in the street with knives and rob people walking to church contaminate that area?
Below is a list of felony cases that were filed by the Vanderburgh County Prosecutor’s Office on Thursday, March 28, 2013.
Tosha Hallman: Possession of a Controlled Substance – Class D Felony
Possession of a Controlled Substance – Class D Felony
Keith Reiter: Burglary Resulting in Bodily Injury – Class A Felony (Two Counts)
Armed Robbery – Class B Felony (Two Counts)
Robbery Resulting in Bodily Injury – Class B Felony (Two Counts)
Criminal Confinement – Class B Felony (Two Counts)
Intimidation – Class C Felony (Two Counts)
Attempted Robbery – Class C Felony (Two Counts)
Intimidation – Class D Felony (Two Counts)
Theft – Class D Felony (Two Counts)
Resisting Law Enforcement – Class D Felony
Reckless Driving – Class B Misdemeanor
Failure to Stop After Accident Resulting in Damage to an Attended Vehicle – Class C Misdemeanor
William Rogers: Theft – Class D Felony
(Habitual Offender Enhancement)
Jeffrey Chumley: Possession of a Controlled Substance – Class D Felony (Two Counts)
Lloyd Pam: Possession of Marijuana – Class D Felony
Possession of Marijuana – Class A Misdemeanor
(Enhanced to a Class D Felony due to Prior Convictions)
Drew Smith: Battery Resulting in Bodily Injury – Class A Misdemeanor
For further information on the cases listed above, or any pending case, please contact Regene Newman at 812.435.5156 or via e-mail at rinewman@vanderburghgov.org
Under Indiana law, all criminal defendants are considered to be innocent until proven guilty by a court of law.
Knox County – Sunday night, March 31, at approximately 8:50 p.m., Indiana State Police were assisting Vincennes Police with a meth lab that was discovered in a room at the Econo Lodge located at 600 Old Wheatland Road in Vincennes. While troopers were waiting for a search warrant for the motel room, Elias Brock, 42, of Vincennes, drove his vehicle into the parking lot. Troopers detected a chemical odor commonly associated with the manufacturing of methamphetamine coming from his vehicle. During a search, troopers found ingredients commonly used to manufacture meth and approximately 448 grams of meth. Brock was arrested and taken to the Knox County Jail where he is currently being held on bond.
ARRESTED AND CHARGES:
• Elias A. Brock, 42, 1028 Barnett Street, Vincennes, IN
1. Manufacturing Meth over 3 grams, Class A Felony
2. Possession of Meth over 3 grams, Class A Felony
3. Possession of Precursors, Class D Felony
Arresting Officers: Trooper Doug Francis, Trooper Brandon Deig and Trooper Paul Stolz
Gibson County – Early Sunday morning, March 31, at approximately 3:30 a.m., Trooper Paul Stolz and Deputy John Fischer responded to 692 Concord Drive in Princeton to investigate a battery complaint.
While approaching the residence Trooper Stolz heard a male inside the garage yelling and a female screaming. Stolz ran to a window and observed a male kick a female lying on the floor. After kicking her, the male attempted to drag the female by her hair while striking her with his fist. Stolz immediately banged on the garage door and ordered the male to open the door. Eventually the male, who was identified as Russell Griesemer, 40, opened the door and was taken into custody. The female was identified as Erica Griesemer, 39. The couple is currently divorced, but has been living together. An ambulance was summoned, but she refused any further medical treatment. Russell Griesemer was arrested and is currently being held on bond in the Gibson County Jail.
Arrested and Charges:
• Russell Griesemer, 40, 692 Concord Drive, Princeton, IN
1. Domestic Battery, Class A Misdemeanor
Arresting Officer: Trooper Paul Stolz, Indiana State Police
Assisting Officer: Deputy John Fischer, Gibson County Sheriff’s Department
Deaconess Women’s Hospital and St. Mary’s Hospital for Women and Children are working together to achieve “Baby-Friendly Hospital†designations, with support from the Welborn Baptist Foundation and a CDC grant.
The Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) is a global initiative of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). It recognizes hospitals that encourage and promote breastfeeding and facilitate bonding between mother and baby. The designation requires implementation of the “Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding.â€
This effort is supported by the Welborn Baptist Foundation through a Community Transformation Grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The purpose of the grant is to prevent chronic diseases by promoting healthy, active lifestyles. Overwhelming scientific evidence shows that breastfeeding leads to positive health outcomes for both mother and baby. According to the CDC, a baby’s risk of becoming an overweight child decreases by 4% with each month of breastfeeding. This means children who are breastfed for the first 9 months of life are more than 30% less likely to become overweight, compared to children who were never breastfed.
In addition:
• Breastfed children have lower rates of many serious illnesses, including SIDS, childhood cancers, and diabetes.
• Both mother and baby enjoy the emotional benefits that come with bonding through breastfeeding.
The goal of this community effort is for both hospitals to achieve Baby-Friendly designation by the beginning of 2015.
For more information on the Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative and the “Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding,†please visit: http://www.babyfriendlyusa.org/
St. Mary’s Health is proud to host its 5th annual “Spring in to Feed the Hungry†food drive to benefit the St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry. Donations will be accepted Tuesday, April 9th through Thursday, April 11th.
The public is invited to join St. Mary’s employees in contributing to this food drive. Visitors can drop-off non-perishable food items or monetary donations at the entrance of the Center for Advanced Medicine, located on St. Mary’s main campus in Evansville. Valets with the Courtesy Services department will come to your vehicle to take the donations. Drop off times are from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. each day.
This food drive is part of the Feinstein Challenge, a national competition in which one million dollars will be divided proportionately to agencies across the country, based on the amount of food and cash donations each organization receives during the months of March and April.
Over the last four years:
•St. Mary’s has collected about 4,450 pounds of food and nearly $2,900.
•Combined with the Feinstein Challenge, a total of 5,573 pounds of food and $4,028 has been donated to St. Vincent de Paul.
In 2012, the St. Vincent de Paul food pantry served an average of about 1,100 households – or 2,770 people – per month.
