Deputies 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

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

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

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.

AGENDA
Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Building Commission – Ron Beane Police Department – Chief Billy Bolin
Emergency Management-Sherman Greer Fire Department – Chief Mike Connelly

~ Pledge of Allegiance ~
.
Business with representatives:

1. Jason Ragle with Ragle, Inc. would like to address the board in reference to street closings related to Oak Hill Road Reconstruction project.
New Business:

1. Appoint committee to undertake review of current taxi cab ordinance and make proposals concerning enforcement issues potential amendments to said ordinance; committee to consist of David Gulledge, an individual from the Controller’s Office and Evansville Police Department, and a member of City Council, with assistance from the Secretary and Attorney for the Board of Public Safety, Tina Owen and Clay Havill, respectively.

Departmental Reports:

A. Police Department – Chief Billy Bolin

1. Request approval to surplus the following items:
a. HP Officejet 7130 All in One Serial #SG37JD1244
b. Compaq Armada 1700 laptop Serial#3J96BNJ5P27L
c. HP Compaq NX9030 laptop Wer#CNF4370YJP
d. Scanner for the fingerprint comparison
2. Would like to notify the board of Officer Christopher Ramirez resignation after serving 11 months and 1 day.

B. Fire Department ~ Chief Mike Connelly

1. Request approval May 2013 monthly report.

C. Special Events

1. The Potter’s Wheel requests approval to close Jefferson Ave between Judson and Governor on July 4, 2013 from 10:00 am until 4:00 pm for “Potter’s Wheel 4th of July”. ***Barricades requested***
2. New Hope Memorial Baptist Church requests approval to close Elliott between Mulberry and Bellemeade on June 22, 2013 from 8:00 am until 5:00 pm for “Silence Won’t Stop Violence”. ***Barricades requested***
3. Raben Tire Company requests approval to close Ingle between 3rd & 4th, Market between Ingle & Court, 4th St between Court & Bond on June 22, 2013 from 3:00 pm to 10:00 pm for
“Wheel City 15th Cruise-In”. ***Barricades requested***
4. Helfrich Park STEM Academy requests approval for “Helfrich Park Cross Country Invitational” September 4, 2013 from 3:30 pm until 5:00 pm. Starts at Golfmoor Park, run west to Harmony Way, turn around and return to the park.
C. Transportation and Services ~ Todd Robertson

1. Request approval to install 4, “30 MPH Speed Limit” signs on 7th Ave between Maryland St & Cody Ave due to continual speeding problems.
2. Request approval to remove city parking signs on Benninghof Ave within the section that was vacated to Memorial High School.
3. Removal of “Full Year” school signs for Lincoln Elementary School.
4. Removal of the southbound left turn signal on Vann Ave @ Lincoln Ave. Engineering study revealed the overall light operation at this intersection operates at decreased overall time delay without the left turn signal being in operation.

D. Building Commission ~ Ron Beane

1. Request approval to open and award bids for the below listed properties:
a. 500-502 Adams Ave – House/Duplex and remove fences. The wooden privacy fence on the east side of the property must be removed by hand. The abutting chain link fence on the east side belongs to the adjacent property owner and is not to be removed or damaged. All fences on the north, west, and south side of the property are to be removed by the contractor. ***This property is owned by the City of Evansville. City of Evansville reserves the right of first salvage “project bid”.
b. 1730 E. Division St – House and garage
c. 1611 St – House
d. 501 Jackson Ave – House
e. 713 Jackson Ave – House, shed, remove front chain link fence, a section of chain link fence on the w/s and front entry gate. Remove, section of wood fence across back of lot, back fence, the gate on the e/s of the lot and the playhouse between two trees.
f. 1300 Fountain Ave – House and remove collapsed portion of the retaining wall, leave the retaining wall that is standing intact, remove fence.
g. 1319 W. Maryland St – House and shed
h. 1013 W. Virginia St – House/duplex

Consent Section:

A. Taxi Cab Driver’s Permits
1. Request approval for the following to receive taxi cab drivers permits:
a. Nathan Ludwig
b. Sean Dennis
c. Ashley Macken
d. Angela Adams
e. John Eakins
2. Request approval to deny the following taxi cab driver based on criminal history:
a. Shannon Shepard
B. Dumpster
1. 616 N. 4th Ave – Safe Guard Properties – May 13, 2013 for 3 days
OTHER BUSINESS:

1. Approve claims.
2. Approve the minutes of Wednesday, May 22 & 29, 2013

Announcements:

Next meeting, June 24, 2013 at 1:00 pm