The Evansville Police Department is proud to announce Officer Jared Lafollette has been selected as the 2012 Field Training Officer of the Year.
Officer Lafollette joined the EPD in 2003. While assigned to the Motor Patrol Division, he served as an FTO, instructor in traffic stop techniques, field sobriety testing, and as a firearms instructor. He is also a Crisis Intervention Team member. Officer Lafollette is a part-time instructor at the South West Indiana Law Enforcement Academy.
Officer Lafollette transferred to the Crime Prevention Unit in January 2013. He is responsible for the Tepe Park and Glenwood neighborhoods.
During his time in Motor Patrol, Officer Lafollette was named South Sector officer of the Month twice and FTO of the Month twice. He received a Certificate of Merit Commendation in 2008.

The next Energize Evansville Fitness in the Park event will be this Saturday, Feb. 16, from 9 to 11 a.m. at Swonder Ice Arena Fitness Center. Join Mayor Lloyd Winnecke for the launch of “4 Weeks of Fitness Fundamentals” and learn how to start an exercise routine using gym equipment.
Tony Maslan, a former U.S. Marine and personal fitness trainer, will lead the group through exercises. At the end of each session, participants will receive a free one-week pass to Swonder Fitness Center!
Dates and times for “4 Weeks of Fitness Fundamentals” are:
ï‚· Week 1: Sat., Feb. 16, 9 to 11 a.m.
ï‚· Week 2: Sat., Feb. 23, 9 to 10 a.m.
ï‚· Week 3: Sat., Mar. 2, 9 to 10 a.m.
ï‚· Week 4: Sat., Mar. 9, 9 to 10 a.m.
For more information on “4 Weeks of Fitness Fundamentals” or Energize Evansville Fitness in the Park fitness programs, call 812-436-4969.

Thirty students who attend the EVSC’s Southern Indiana Career and Technical Center (SICTC) qualified for the SkillsUSA State Competition after qualifying at the regional competition at Vincennes University earlier this month. The state competition will take place April 12 and 13 in Indianapolis.

SICTC is comprised of more than 700 students from the southern half of Spencer County and all of Gibson, Posey, Vanderburgh, and Warrick counties. Students receive half-day classroom and hands-on training in 18 diverse areas of study using the latest emerging technologies and equipment, while still attending their home school.

Eleven students from SICTC placed first in their respective categories and earned a one-semester tuition scholarship from Vincennes University. In all, SICTC students earned $30,250 in scholarships.

Those SICTC students who will receive a scholarship based on their first place award and their home school include:
•Austin Elpers, North Posey, 1st in Residential Wiring
•Bobby Kramer, Gibson Southern, 1st in Electronics Technology
•Seth Young, South Spencer, and Davy Hall, Central, 1st in Mechatronics
•Alex Barniak, Castle, and Ryan Cavins, Bosse, 1st in Automation and Robotics
•Cort Lamey, Central, 1st in Diesel
•Zach Schucker, Castle, 1st in Automotive Technology
•Tyler Suter, Boonville, 1st in Internetworking
•Zach Eagleson, Castle, 1st in Technical Design
•Kurt Kramer, Gibson Southern, 1st in Masonry

Others who advanced to state competition include:
•Ben Morris, Central, and Evan Baehl, Gibson Southern, 2nd in Automation and Robotics
•Ed Schenk, Mt. Vernon, 2nd in Diesel
•Anthony Morrow, North Posey, 2nd in Automotive Technology
•Griffin Eldridge, Boonville, 2nd in Internetworking
•Will Hoffman, Central, 2nd in Architectural Drafting
•Samuel Mankin, Castle, 2nd in Technical Design
•Cole Lyle, Harrison, 2nd in Precision Machine
•Kameron Higginson, Gibson Southern, 2nd in CNC Lathe
•Zach Doleh, Castle, 2nd in CNC Mill
•Ethan Vibbert, Mater Dei, and Sam Hornbeck, Castle, 3rd in Automation and Robotics
•Aaron Bush, Reitz, 3rd in Technical Design
•Taylor Ivy, Gibson Southern, 3rd in Carpentry
•Logan Miller, Tecumseh, 4th in Diesel
•Dylan Rust, Castle, 4th in Carpentry
•Shawn Miracle, Castle, 4th in Precision Machine
•Kaleb Elpers, Gibson Southern, 5th in Diesel
•Hunter Bakel, North, 5th in CNC Mill

SkillsUSA is a student organization that promotes student leadership, community service, and skill development for students in career and technical education programs.

The Southern Indiana Career and Technical Center is now enrolling for 2013-14. Go to: http://www.evscschools.com/schools/high-schools/southern-indiana-career-and-technical-center to learn more and get an application.

Vanderburgh County Sheriff Eric Williams announced today that the Indiana Sheriffs’ Association will again be awarding college scholarships to qualified high school seniors or college students who are pursuing a degree in criminal justice studies. There will be approximately 40-$500 scholarships awarded to qualifying students throughout the state.

The Indiana Sheriffs’ Association Scholarship Fund was established for the purpose of receiving, investing and dispensing of funds to provide college scholarships to qualified students who are committed to pursuing an education and career in the law enforcement field.

To qualify for one of these scholarships, the applicant must be an Indiana resident, be a current member of the association or a dependent child or grandchild of a current member of the association, attend an Indiana college or university, major in a law enforcement field and enroll as a full-time student (12 hours).

Applications needed to apply for the scholarships are available from your high school counselor, the sheriff’s office or by writing to the Indiana Sheriffs’ Association, 147 East Maryland Street, Indianapolis, IN 46204-3608, and requesting an application form. The scholarship application can also be downloaded from the Indiana Sheriffs’ Association website: www.indianasheriffs.org. The applications must be completed and received by the Indiana Sheriffs’ Association on or before April1.

Here’s an updated list of what’s happening in Evansville and Vanderburgh County in the upcoming weeks.

Feb 16: Vanderburgh County Tea Party Patriots membership meeting at the Evansville Public Library, Central Branch, in the Browning Room at 1:00 PM. Our guest speaker will be Indiana State Senator Jim Tomes.

Feb 16: Second Amendment Patriots monthly meeting at the Westside Sportsmen’s Club, 1000 Peerless Road, 6:00 PM; bring covered dish for the potluck meal.

Feb 25: Evansville City Council meeting, Civic Center, Room 301, at 5:30 PM. Committees meet at 5:15 PM, same room.

Feb 27: Mayor’s Traveling City Hall; location TBD; time: 5:30 PM.

Mar 9: Meet Your Legislators at Evansville Public Library, Central Branch, in the Browning Room, 9:15 AM – 11:00 PM. Meet with your state legislators to discuss current issues and bills before both chambers in the Statehouse.

Mar 16: Vanderburgh County Tea Party Patriots membership meeting at the Evansville Public Library, Oaklyn Branch, at 1:00 PM. Guest speaker and/or event topic at this time is TBD.

Mar 30: Second Amendment Patriots monthly meeting at the Westside Sportsmen’s Club, 1000 Peerless Road, 6:00 PM; bring covered dish for the potluck meal.

Apr 13: Meet Your Legislators at Evansville Public Library, Central Branch, in the Browning Room, 9:15 AM – 11:00 PM. Meet with your state legislators to discuss current issues and bills before both chambers in the Statehouse.

Apr 18: Right-to-Life of Southwest Indiana annual banquet at The Centre in Evansville; doors open at 5:00 PM, dinner at 6:00 PM. Former Senator Rick Santorum is the keynote speaker. Reserve your place at a table for $36.90, until 2/15/13, $39.00 after, from VC-TPP member Brenda Bergwitz, at 812-457-3627; she has four tables reserved. For additional information, contact Mary Ellen Van Dyke at mevandyke@rtlswin.org.

Apr 20: Vanderburgh County Tea Party Patriots membership meeting at the Evansville Public Library, Central Branch, in the Browning Room, at 1:00 PM. Guest speaker and/or event topic at this time is TBD.

This local events list is subject to change, but accurate as of 2/11/13.
If you have additions/corrections please send to info@vc-tpp.org, attention: Jim at VC-TPP.

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

Bradley Atikinson Possession of Schedule II Controlled Substance-Class D Felony
Possession of Paraphernalia-Class A Misdemeanors (Two Counts)
(Enhanced to a Class D Felony due to Prior Convictions)

Austin Brack Unlawful Possession or Use of a Legend Drug-Class D Felony
Possession of Marijuana-Class A Misdemeanor

Ryan Carithers Dealing in Marijuana-Class D Felony
Possession of Marijuana-Class D Felony
Maintaining a Common Nuisance-Class D Felony
Possession of Paraphernalia-Class A Misdemeanor

Benjamin Crowe Residential Entry-Class D Felony
Battery Resulting in Bodily Injury-Class A Misdemeanor
Criminal Mischief-Class B Misdemeanor

Joshua Dickman Operating a Vehicle with an Ace of .08 or More-Class C Misdemeanor
(Enhanced to a Class D Felony due to Prior Convictions)
Operating a Vehicle While Intoxicated-Class C Misdemeanor
(Enhanced to a Class D Felony due to Prior Convictions)

Natalia Fulkerson Theft-Class D Felony
Unlawful Possession or Use of a Legend Drug-Class D Felony
Battery Resulting in Bodily Injury-Class D Felony
Resisting Law Enforcement-Class A Misdemeanor
Possession of Paraphernalia-Class A Misdemeanor
False Informing-Class B Misdemeanor

Greg Hatch Possession of Methamphetamine-Class D Felony
(Habitual Substance Offender Enhancement)

Zachariah Houghland Possession of Marijuana-Class A Misdemeanor
(Enhanced to a Class D Felony due to Prior Convictions)

Jerry McGill Possession of Methamphetamine-Class D Felony
Possession of Paraphernalia-Class A Misdemeanor

Virginia Meriwether Possession of Schedule V Controlled Substance-Class D Felony
Possession of Marijuana-Class A Misdemeanor
(Enhanced to a Class D Felony due to Prior Convictions)
Possession of Paraphernalia-Class A Misdemeanor

Kevin Milligan Battery by Body Waste-Class D Felony
Resisting Law Enforcement-Class A Misdemeanor
Public Intoxication-Class B Misdemeanor

Willie Moore Battery Resulting in Bodily Injury-Class A Misdemeanor
(Enhanced to a Class D Felony due to Prior Convictions)

Joseph Wenk Possession of Methamphetamine-Class D Felony
Possession of Schedule III Controlled Substance-Class D Felony
Possession of Marijuana-Class A Misdemeanor

John Carter Burglary-Class B Felony
Theft-Class D Felony
Residential Entry-Class D Felony
Resisting Law Enforcement-Class A Misdemeanor

Bryan Cooper Battery by Means of a Deadly Weapon-Class C Felony (Two Counts)
Intimidation-Class C Felony

Ryan Hebner Theft-Class D Felony

Amanda Messex Battery Resulting in Bodily Injury-Class D Felony
Neglect of Dependant-Class D Felony

Willie Steverson Resisting Law Enforcement-Class D Felony
Resisting Law Enforcement-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.

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

Indianapolis – The Indiana Association of Cities and Towns (IACT) announced today that Evansville Mayor Lloyd Winnecke was recently appointed to the IACT Board of Directors.
“I am very excited about Mayor Winnecke joining our Board of Directors. He is a take-charge mayor who has great enthusiasm for making municipal government work at its best,” said IACT Executive Director Matt Greller.
Winnecke’s term begins immediately and expires December 31, 2014. He fills a board vacancy left by Terre Haute Mayor Duke Bennett who was recently appointed to serve as IACT’s Second Vice President.
“Being asked by my peers to serve in this capacity is a real honor,” said Winnecke. IACT is the unified voice advocating for the needs of Indiana’s cities and towns. As a member of the Board I will do my part to advance IACT’s priorities, including something I am equally passionate about, curbing the production of methamphetamine. Making the citizens of Evansville and every Hoosier community safer is a priority for me and local officials all around the state.”
“Whether it’s working with lawmakers to improve the climate for municipal government or bringing different constituencies together for a common goal, Mayor Winnecke will have a meaningful impact on our Association,” said Greller.

The Indiana Association of Cities and Towns (IACT) is a coalition of municipal officials who seek to improve the quality of life in Indiana through effective government, and is a member of the National League of Cities. Founded in 1891, IACT is one of the oldest state municipal organizations in the country, with 470 cities and towns as members. IACT advocates for municipalities as the official voice of municipal government in Indiana, and promotes good government through education, training and leadership.

INDIANAPOLIS – Hoosiers who love their telephone privacy have until the next quarterly deadline of Feb. 19 to register their number with the state’s Do-Not-Call list.

Attorney General Greg Zoeller said consumers can register their residential landline, cell, VOIP or prepaid wireless numbers and the updated list will take effect April 1.

“The Do-Not-Call registry provides consumers with one more tool to block annoying telemarketing calls and text messages,” Zoeller said. “It’s important to remember that if your number is on the list and you receive a sales call or text message it’s likely a scam. You can then file a complaint with the Attorney General’s office which will investigate and work to get the violators stopped.”

Indiana’s Do-Not-Call registry is updated quarterly on the first of each January, April, July and October. Out-of-state area codes can also be added as long as the billing address is located in Indiana.

People do not need to re-register unless their addresses have changed. To sign up or to confirm a number is already on the registry, visit www.IndianaConsumer.com or call 1.888.834.9969.

Since Indiana’s Do-Not-Call law went into effect Jan. 1, 2002, the Attorney General’s Office has obtained 302 settlements with or judgments against telemarketers resulting in awards of penalties and costs totaling more than $15.8 million.

For information about the Attorney General’s action plan regarding Do-Not-Call violators and robocalls visit http://www.in.gov/attorneygeneral/2976.htm.

Consumers can also sign-up for the national Do-Not-Call list by visiting www.donotcall.gov or by calling 888.382.1222 from the phone you wish to register. Zoeller said the federal Do-Not-Call law is not as strict as Indiana’s law, but registering can afford consumers further protection from unwanted calls or text messages.

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Attorney General’s Office investigation results in new pharmacy policy

INDIANAPOLIS – Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller’s office has recovered $400,000 for the state’s Medicaid program in a settlement with CVS Stores that resolves allegations CVS pharmacies submitted illegal billings for prescriptions to Medicaid for reimbursement.

Under the out-of-court settlement, Hook-SupeRx, also known as CVS Stores, agreed to pay the state $400,000 and agreed to inform its pharmacists and pharmacy technicians of their obligations required under the Medicaid’s Restricted Card Program or RCP.

“Prescription drug abuse by addicted patients is an epidemic problem in our state so it’s important that pharmacies comply with existing laws for responsible dispensing and billing. Those who submit false billings to the Medicaid program and are paid more than they are due will ultimately be required to repay the State of Indiana,” Zoeller said.

Through the Restricted Card Program, Medicaid patients whose drug usage indicates abuse are given limited access to prescriptions and only certain physicians are permitted to prescribe medications for them. Under the RCP, pharmacies typically will not receive reimbursement from Medicaid if a designated physician has not ordered the prescription for an RCP patient.

The Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit investigated allegations that certain CVS pharmacy stores circumvented the Restricted Card Program by filling prescriptions not written by RCP-designated physicians and submitting claims to Medicaid that falsely identified the prescribing doctors as being designated so that Medicaid would pay for the drugs. Claims submitted by various CVS pharmacies in Indiana were reviewed by MFCU for possible civil violations of the False Claim Act and other state laws. The settlement agreement encompasses claims CVS submitted from January 2001 to the present.

The $400,000 settlement announced this week resolves the allegations without CVS admitting liability and allows the state to recoup its ineligible reimbursement costs and investigation costs. CVS must institute a written policy program for its store pharmacists and pharmacy technicians to become compliant with the Restricted Card Program, now called the Right Choices Program.

Zoeller chairs the state’s Prescription Drug Abuse Task Force that has reviewed various issues regarding drug-seeking patients obtaining addictive prescription drugs to abuse or re-sell. Legislation recommended by the task force to create tighter oversight of pain-management clinics that prescribe drugs, Senate Bill 246, is currently pending before the Indiana General Assembly.

The Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (MFCU) investigates ineligible claims submitted to the Medicaid program for reimbursement and takes legal action to recover funds. The public can report suspected Medicaid fraud or patient abuse or neglect by calling MFCU toll-free at 1-800-382-1039.