Home Blog Page 6802

IS IT TRUE December 29, 2012

16

The Mole #??

IS IT TRUE that there were numerous schemes developed and implemented by the Obama Administration in its early days that were supposed to jumpstart the economy?…that the program known as cash for clunkers had no positive effect on hiring or corporate profits, destroyed some perfectly good vehicles, and redistributed printed tax money from Prius drivers and other taxpayers into the hands of people who had chosen to keep driving old cars that polluted and got poor mileage?…Cash for Clunkers was one of the most uninformed government programs ever launched?…there was also a program where people could be granted a tax credit for buying a home that was supposed to prop up the housing market?…that program also failed to achieve its goals and only served to redistribute borrowed taxpayer dollars to opportunists who were in the housing market at the right time?

IS IT TRUE that the Obama Administration has finally said something that has inspired vast spending without a government program being put into place and has actually increased profits, hiring, and activity for a single industry?…all of the chest pounding about gun control has set off a Christmas shopping binge for guns and ammunition that this country has never seen?…gun shops all over the country have stopped answering their phones, are low on inventory, and have hired people to assist customers at a level that has not been seen since beanie babies and cabbage patch kids were flying off of the shelves?…the way to a prosperous economy if the rest of the business world responds the way the gun industry has is to get the President of the United States to threaten to ban more products?…if the President threatened to ban basketballs and tennis shoes we expect there would be massive panic buying of those items?…if the President threatened to ban condoms or skittles there would be a rush to hoard every one in sight?…the key to prosperity and recovery seems not to be in STIMULUS PLANS but in THREATENED BANS OF TARGETED PRODUCTS?…the ultimate stimulus for the inspiration of hiring may be a threat to freeze staff levels for the next three years?

IS IT TRUE that some of our readers have added to the list of faux pas that were committed by the City of Evansville in 2012?…these suggestions include the closing of the FREE DENTAL CLINIC, the fiasco thrust upon the EVANSVILLE RESCUE MISSION by overzealous proponents of equal opportunity employment laws where that remedy was not appropriate, the Mesker Amphitheatre unwelcome $100,000 in neglect that turned into over $20 Million in needed repairs, and the flip flop (we made $300,000 oh no we didn’t we lost $500,000) financial results of the Ford Center?…on Monday we will be publishing more details about the fiascos of 2012?

EPD Activity Report: December 28, 2012

0


EPD Activity Report: December 28, 2012

Attorney General files suit to recover $143K in public funds owed to Chandler, Ind.

2

Zoeller seeks repayment by former clerk-treasurer to reimburse public treasury

INDIANAPOLIS – Today Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller’s Office filed a lawsuit against a former clerk-treasurer of the Town of Chandler, Ind., who misappropriated public funds by purchasing home electronics, computer equipment and vehicle batteries using the town’s credit card. The Attorney General’s lawsuit seeks recovery of more than $143,000 in public funds, fees and penalties owed to the town government due to former clerk-treasurer Timothy D. Osha’s misappropriation.

The State’s lawsuit, filed today in Warrick County Circuit Court in Boonville, Ind., seeks $143,010.36 as well as treble damages, costs and attorneys fees from Osha, a Chandler resident. Osha resigned from office as town clerk-treasurer in October, and earlier this month Osha also was criminally charged by prosecutors with theft and fraud.

“It is an affront to public trust when an elected official whose duties included managing public funds is accused of misusing those funds. Misappropriation in public offices for personal gain will not be tolerated and we will use the legal means at our disposal to obtain repayment from this defendant so the town treasury can be reimbursed,” Zoeller said.

In an audit report issued December 10, the State Board of Accounts (SBoA) found that between January 2008 until his resignation in October, Osha used the town government’s credit card to purchase various personal electronics, including Gamer Extreme videogame equipment, six remote controls, three TV tuners, various software packages, a motorcycle battery, golf cart battery and ATV batteries, an Apple MacBook and three Apple iPads, headphones, three notebook computers and three laptops. Since Osha’s purchases using town funds were personal and not for town government, the audit found he must reimburse $23,633.51. Additionally, Osha owes the town $310.34 for a carpet cleaner purchased with town funds but not located among the town’s equipment.

Also, the SBoA audit found numerous instances of bookkeeping errors that occurred during the time Osha was clerk-treasurer and in charge of the town’s finances, including failing to file tax withholdings. Late tax payments to the Internal Revenue Service and Indiana Department of Revenue and late unemployment insurance payments to Indiana Department of Workforce Development resulted in late fees, penalties and interest being charged to the town. The State’s lawsuit demands that Osha repay the late fees, penalties and interest, totaling $79,266.69.

When it learned of possible bookkeeping issues with the elected clerk-treasurer, the Chandler Town Council requested a State Board of Accounts audit. The investigation and audit of the incomplete records incurred another $39,799.82 in auditing costs, for which the Attorney General’s Office seeks repayment from Osha.

Today the Attorney General’s Office also filed a motion for a temporary restraining order asking the Warrick County Circuit Court to freeze Osha’s assets – including a house, five vehicles and bank and retirement accounts. Judge David Kelley granted the temporary restraining order and scheduled a hearing January 7, 2013, on the State’s motion for a preliminary injunction. If granted, the injunction would prevent Osha from selling, transferring or concealing the property until the underlying lawsuit is resolved to preserve assets that could be recovered later to reimburse the town for the amounts misappropriated.

In the State’s underlying complaint to recover public funds, Zoeller asks the court to enter a civil judgment against Osha. The Attorney General then could pursue a monetary judgment through collections, and could seek to attach liens on property, garnish wages or take any other actions a creditor could take against a debtor to collect on a debt.

Also named as defendants are two bonding companies, Western Surety Company of Sioux Falls, S.D., and Auto-Owners Insurance Company of Indianapolis, which at different times wrote different surety bonds on Osha for $15,000 or $30,000 of coverage. Such bonds serve as a type of insurance policy against theft by an official. By naming the companies in the lawsuit, the State seeks to redeem the surety bonds to partially reimburse the Town of Chandler for the amount owed. Any portion not covered by bonds would be Osha’s personal responsibility.

Earlier this month, prosecutors criminally charged Osha with theft and fraud, both Class D felonies, and he awaits trial in the criminal charges. Decisions about filing criminal charges in audit cases are solely the jurisdiction of county prosecutors, not the Attorney General. Whether a public official is civilly responsible for repaying misappropriated funds is a separate issue from whether they are criminally responsible for a loss.

Through his role as lawyer for state government, the Attorney General has legal jurisdiction to file civil lawsuits based on State Board of Accounts audits. Through such lawsuits, Attorney General Zoeller’s Office since January 2009 has collected approximately $2.4 million from former officials named in SBoA audits as reimbursement for amounts misappropriated.

NOTE: Attached is the complaint to recover public funds the Attorney General’s Office filed today in Warrick County Circuit Court against Timothy D. Osha.

The State Board of Accounts certified audit report B41501 of the Town of Chandler is at this link: http://www.in.gov/sboa/WebReports/B41501.pdf

Congressman Larry Bucshon: The Senate Must Act

3

(Evansville, IN) – Congressman Larry Bucshon (IN-08) released the following comment in regards to the U.S. Senate’s inaction to prevent the “fiscal cliff” from occurring.
Congressman Bucshon (IN-08) states:

“While the Republican controlled U.S. House of Representatives has acted on two separate occasions to prevent massive tax increases and across the board spending cuts from taking effect on January 1st, the U.S. Senate continues playing politics and holding ransom the financial future of hardworking Americans. The U.S. Senate should take immediate action on the House passed bills.

“As the U.S. Constitution states, all bills raising revenues must originate in the U.S. House. The current bill passed by the U.S. Senate does not meet the constitutional requirement and has not left their chamber. Sen. Harry Reid‘s call for the U.S. House to vote on their bill is political grandstanding and a disingenuous attempt to mislead the American people. The only course of action for the Senate to take is to act on the House passed bills.

“I, like my House colleagues, stand ready to take action once the Senate ends the political theater, adheres to the Constitution, and passes or amends the House legislation to prevent tax increases on middle class Americans and small businesses.”

Greg Hager to Speak on the Willard Library Expansion Project

2

When: Tuesday 8 January 2013 6:30 PM

Where: Willard Library – Bayard Room on the Second Floor

What: Monthly Meeting

A drawing for an attendance prize will be awarded at the close of the meeting… you must be present to win.

The Tri-State Genealogical Society will have a brief business meeting followed by our program:

TSGS has announced that the program will feature Greg Hager, he has been employed by Willard Library for 20 years, 19 of those years as the Library Director. 2013 marks Greg’s 30th year of working in libraries. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Rio Grande College and his Master of Library Science from Indiana University. Greg and his wife, Christina, are proud parents of four children ranging in ages 4 – 16. The topic of his program is:

The Willard Library Building Expansion Project

This is a program you don’t want to miss. There are exciting changes and development coming to our library. This promises to be a very informative program.

You do not have to be a member to come and participate at the society’s monthly meetings (except, no meetings in July and August).

IMPORTANT NOTICE: This time of the year, weather conditions may cause the society to cancel meetings… the decision to cancel usually is determined the day of the meeting, providing short notice. Since a bad weather system may develop later in the day (or that night), check our blog (http://tsgsblog.blogspot.com/) for cancellation notice or call Willard Library (812-425-4309).

IS IT TRUE December 28, 2012

4

The Mole #??

IS IT TRUE December 28, 2012

IS IT TRUE the City of Chicago just recorded its 500th murder for 2012 and there are three days to go?…this is a 15% increase over the total for all of 2011?…we are sitting on baited breath for the scholarly reports on how the gun ban has worked during its first year at reducing homicides for the City of the Big Shoulders?

IS IT TRUE that the biggest failure on the part of government during 2012 is not in Evansville, Indiana?…the distinction for colossal and unmitigated failure for 2012 lies squarely within that three ring circus in Washington DC known as the House of Representatives, the Senate, and the White House?…this cast of self serving partisan babies could not even come to an agreement to avoid the fiscal cliff that the congress created in 2010 as a poison pill to follow the election of 2012?…this batch of clowns that does not seem capable of ordering a meal if they have to agree on what to eat did manage to get the fiscal cliff and the maxing of the nation’s debt limit to happen at the stroke of midnight on New Year’s Eve?…this is such an unbelievable coincidence that the only rational conclusion is that the Treasury Secretary manipulated notes offered in the federal debt auction next Monday (they are held every Monday) for the purpose of political sensationalism?…that to hit the debt ceiling on that day was clearly a deliberate act that could have easily been delayed by a week or two or even three?…this insulting knife in the nation’s back should be exposed for what it is, not that it makes much difference in the long run?…the CCO three stooges award for 2012 goes overwhelmingly to the trio in charge and that trio is Senator Harry Reid whose leadership in the Senate produced absolutely nothing, Representative John Boehner who couldn’t even get the dogs on his dog sled to pull in the same direction, and to President Barack Obama for politicizing our economy for the insane purpose of furthering class warfare in a way that does next to nothing?…this cast of idiots makes the government of Evansville look intelligent and noble?

IS IT TRUE that closer to home we do have a list of 8 things that were good for the CCO’s internet traffic but make you just shake your head in disbelief?…among those things that will be profiled fully in a standalone article are in no particular order, the Maingate booze fest, the Earthcare Energy fiasco, Mourdock’s special speech, the City’s accounting nightmare, the EPA planning slip, the Johnson Controls Lazarus moment, the Roberts Stadium debacle, and the illiterate infatuation with building parks?…we also have a list of 6 things that deserve recognition as making positive steps including the Mayor’s focus on litter, a renewed awareness of health problems, shaking off a coma to end the Earthcare deal, the defeat of consolidation, the change of ownership of the McCurdy, and the denial of the $32 Million fee increase that Vectren requested for dense pack technology?…all of these will be profiled in detail along with any other worthy subjects that are sent our way by then?

UE’s Matthew Knoester Publishes New Book on Democratic Education

3

Matthew Knoester, assistant professor of education at the University of Evansville, has published a new book, Democratic Education in Practice: Inside the Mission Hill School.

Published through Teachers College Press, the book evaluates and describes a high-performing public school in Boston. The book describes the school’s successes — such as a high college attendance rate by its graduates and the portfolio process required for graduation — and also the challenges faced by schools like Mission Hill, including pressure to teach to standardized tests.

“The Mission Hill School is a small, personal, but informal K-8 learning environment where teachers hold high standards for children, who rise to those standards while taking a large amount of ownership over their own learning,” Knoester said. “Even if school leaders elsewhere cannot replicate the school due to various constraints, I hope there are parts that educators will find useful.”

“Matthew Knoester has done us an enormous favor by showing us, in detail, what could be — one example of how schools can be the building blocks for democracy, recreating community for all to taste, feel, hear, and see,” said Deborah W. Meier, author of the book’s foreword and a MacArthur Fellow who founded Mission Hill School.

Knoester is a National Board Certified Teacher and former teacher at the Mission Hill School in Boston, as well as schools in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree from St. Olaf College, his Master of Education degree from Harvard University, and his PhD in curriculum and instruction from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Knoester has published articles in journals such as Educational Policy; Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy; Pedagogy, Culture & Society; and Schools: Studies in Education. He is also the editor of the book International Struggles for Critical Democratic Education (Peter Lang Publishing, 2012).

Democratic Education in Practice: Inside the Mission Hill School is available through Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Teachers College Press.

Source: Evansville.edu

USI’s Paul Rynkiewich ’81 is Peabody Energy Leaders in Education Award winner

0

Paul Rynkiewich ’81, a teacher and football coach at North Posey Senior High School, is one of only 26 teachers from five regions across the United States to receive the 2012-13 Peabody Energy Leaders in Education Award. He was surprised with the award and an oversized check for $1,000 at a special assembly held at the school in November.

Known to students and colleagues as “Mr. Rynk,” Rynkiewich was instrumental in establishing North Posey High’s Fellowship of Christian Athletes program and instituted anthropology in the school’s curriculum. He also teaches advanced college credit courses to help prepare students pursuing higher education.

Rynkiewich holds a bachelor’s degree in history from the University of Southern Indiana and a master’s degree from the University of Evansville. Immediately following his graduation from USI, Rynkiewich taught at Castle High School in Newburgh, Indiana. He joined the staff at North Posey High School in fall of 1983. He has taught there ever since, influencing and inspiring generations of students.

Erin Gibson, USI instructor in journalism and a 1992 alumnus of North Posey High School, said, “Mr. Rynk taught one of my history classes and my geography class. He was so engaging and really enjoyed teaching.”

The teachers at North Posey High were known for puns and tried to out-pun each other in class, Gibson said. “I will never forget Mr. Rynk teaching us about the volcanos of Krakatoa,” she said. “He would accidentally kick the desk and say, ‘Oh, I cracked my toe-a,’ and that’s how we remembered that. I loved history and geography but even students who didn’t could appreciate his lectures.”

Erin Koester, the assistant principal at North Posey High School who nominated Rynkiewich for the award, is also a former student. In nominating him, she wrote, “After 31 years of being an educator, many teachers lose that spark and passion for their content area that students long to see as they sit in those desks day after day. ‘Mr. Rynk’ is definitely not an example of this trend. His thunderous voice and commitment to providing his students with the opportunity to relive history in every lesson plan has never diminished.”

Koester said that Rynkiewich inspired her to seek leadership roles in education. “He has not only used his integrity to be a leader in education, but also to form a legacy with hundreds of North Posey graduates that have gone on to be leaders in their careers and strive to have the same genuine integrity in their lives.”

Rynkiewich and his wife Melissa have two grown children. Their daughter Elizabeth graduated magna cum laude from USI in spring 2012 and is an emergency room nurse at Deaconess Health System. Their son Frank will graduate from USI in spring 2013 with a degree in mechanical engineering and has secured a position at Alcoa after interning there.

“USI has been very beneficial for my family,” Rynkiewich said. “I marvel at USI and how it’s grown, changed, expanded, and improved. I’m grateful for what it’s meant to me and to my kids.”

This marks the second consecutive year that a USI alumnus has been selected for the Peabody Energy Leaders in Education Award. USI alumnus, Chad Hartmann ’95, a mathematics teacher at Helfrich Park STEM Academy, received the award in 2011-12.

Peabody Energy selects winners of the awards among nominees from the Greater St. Louis Metro Area; Southeastern Illinois and Southwestern Indiana; Western-Central Indiana; the Powder River Basin area of Wyoming; and Steamboat Springs, Colorado. The purpose of the awards is to “recognize the heroes in education who help our children achieve their true potential.”

Source: USI.edu

VANDERBURGH COUNTY FELONY CHARGES

0

Evansville, IN – Below is a list of felony cases that were filed by the Vanderburgh County Prosecutor’s Office on Friday, December 21, 2012.

Tavon Burns Possession of Cocaine –Class D Felony
Driving While Suspended – Class A Misdemeanor

Nicholas Kelley Burglary – Class B Felony
Theft – Class D Felony

Angel Pitsonberger Theft – Class D Felony

Jeremiah Rector Battery Resulting in Bodily Injury – Class D Felony
Strangulation – Class D Felony

Leslie Rogge Battery Resulting in Bodily Injury – Class D Felony

Tyler Stokes Theft – Class D Felony

Johnny Williams Burglary –Class B Felony
Theft – Class D Felony

Evansville, IN – Below is a list of felony cases that were filed by the Vanderburgh County Prosecutor’s Office on Wednesday, December 26, 2012.

Adrien Horne Intimidation – Class D Felony

Lindsey Mayes Theft – Class D Felony

John Moore Battery Resulting in Bodily Injury – Class D Felony
Invasion of Privacy – Class A Misdemeanor

Jim Taylor-Smith Operating a Motor Vehicle as an Habitual Traffic Violator – Class D Felony

Tarassa Tinsley Theft – Class D Felony
Resisting Law Enforcement – Class A Misdemeanor (Two Counts)

Chauncey Suggs-Hicks Operating a Motor Vehicle While Intoxicated – Class C Misdemeanor
(Enhanced to a Class D Felony due to Prior Convictions – Two Counts)
Driving While Suspended – Class A Misdemeanor

Evans Winiger Possession of a Controlled Substance – Class D Felony
Theft – Class D Felony

For further information on the cases listed above, or any pending case, please contact Carly Settles at 812.435.5688 or via e-mail at csettles@vanderburghgov.org.

Under Indiana law, all criminal defendants are considered to be innocent until proven guilty by a court of law.
SENTENCE CHART

Class Range
Murder 45-65 Years
Class A Felony 20-50 Years
Class B Felony 6-20 Years
Class C Felony 2-8 Years
Class D Felony ½ – 3 Years
Class A Misdemeanor 0-1 Year
Class B Misdemeanor 0-180 Days
Class C Misdemeanor 0-60 Days

BOARD OF PARK COMMISSIONERS REGULAR MEETING

0

BOARD OF PARK COMMISSIONERS

REGULAR MEETING
KEVIN WINTERNHEIMER CHAMBERS
ROOM 301, CIVIC CENTER COMPLEX
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 3, 2013
12:00 NOON

AGENDA

1. CALL TO ORDER

2. MINUTES December 5 & 12, 2012

3. CONSENT AGENDA
a. Request Re: Approve Rockin’ River City Ride with Vendors at Sunset Park April 20, 2013. –
Hayes

4. OLD BUSINESS N/A

5. NEW BUSINESS
a. Request Re: Consideration of Waiving Out of County Fee for Sports Programs. – Rehn
b. Request Re: Consideration of Fee Increases for Sports Officials/Scorekeepers. – Rehn
c. Request Re: Review and Award Pest Control Services at Various Park Facilities. – Boberg
d. Request Re: Review and Award Fire Extinguisher and Fire Suppression Systems at Various
Park Facilities. – Boberg
e. Request Re: Review and Award Exhaust Hood Cleaning Services at Various Park Facilities. –
Boberg
f. Request Re: Approve and Execute Agreement with Spear Corporation for Pool Chlorinators at
Lloyd, Mosby and Rochelle-Landers Pools. – Schall
g. Request Re: Approve Car Show at Garvin Park October 4 – 6, 2013. – Bix Branson
h. Request Re: Any Other Business the Board Wishes to Consider and Public Comments.

6. REPORTS
a. Denise Johnson, Executive Director

7. ACCEPTANCE OF PAYROLL AND VENDOR CLAIMS

8. ADJOURN

1...6,8016,8026,803...7,221Page 6,802 of 7,221