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West Nile Virus Update to Kick-off Traveling City Hall Meeting

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EVANSVILLE, IN – Vanderburgh County Health Department officials will give an update on efforts to combat the West Nile virus at the Traveling City Hall meeting Wednesday, August 29, at Helfrich Park STEM Academy, 2603 W. Maryland St. The meeting will begin at 5:30 p.m. with a presentation by
Vanderburgh County Health Officer Dr. Ray Nicholson, who will be available after the presentation to respond to specific questions. The meeting will end at 7 p.m.

Traveling City Hall is an opportunity for residents to meet with Mayor Lloyd Winnecke and various city department heads to ask questions or simply discuss the status of our community. Among those attending the meeting will be Evansville Water & Sewer Utility General Manager Allen Mounts; Phil
Hooper, director of the Department of Metropolitan Development; Building Commissioner Ben Miller, and Evansville Police Chief Billy Bolin.

Traveling City Hall meetings are usually held on the last Wednesday of each month at different locations in neighborhoods throughout the city from 5:30 to 7 p.m. A special Traveling City Hall meeting has been set for Saturday, September 15, at Eastland Mall from 10 to 11:30 a.m. More details will be released closer to the event date.

Blackard Hits the Airwaves with 1st TV AD

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Barry Blackard, candidate for Vanderburgh Superior Court Judge in the Juvenile Division, hits the airwaves today with his first television ad entitled “Integrity.” The ad will run on cable and during local broadcast television newscasts over the next two weeks.

The campaign commercial provides information about Blackard’s local roots and qualifications, including his years working as a public defender in Vanderburgh County where he has handled hundreds of cases in both Circuit and Superior Courts, including the Juvenile Division. The ad’s message includes a pledge that Blackard will not accept contributions from lawyers or others appearing before his court, a current practice that could create possible conflicts of interest. The commercial refers to Blackard as “a new kind of people’s judge.”

“As the campaign unfolds, I look forward to meeting personally with as many voters as possible to discuss problems with our current courts,” Blackard said. “I will be a full time judge and will make sure the courts are more accountable to the taxpayers.”

Blackard, 32, is an Evansville native and graduate of Evansville Central High School. He attended undergraduate school at Indiana University in Bloomington and earned his law degree from Atlanta’s John Marshall School of Law. He and his wife Kristyn reside on Evansville’s North side with their two sons.

If you would like more information, please contact Barry at blackardforjudge@gmail.com.

Grandview Towers Apartment Fire

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Fire Investigator Richard Howard has classified the 1st floor apartment fire as accidental. Howard stated that the 3rd alarm fire that caused one fatality and the building’s inhabitants to be evacuated was caused from smoking materials on the bed. Howard also concluded that the intensity and rate of spread were highly increased due to the occupant’s use of medical oxygen.

Firefighters quickly extinguished the early evening blaze, but were on scene for nearly 5 hours, evacuating occupants, retrieving medicine and checking on animals left in the apartments. The fire severely damaged only one apartment, but caused several others to have moderate smoke damage and dozens more to have smoke exposure.

Nearly 60 Firefighters responded to the scene and AMR transported a dozen occupants to area hospitals for “non-life threatening” conditions, mostly due to smoke inhalation and anxiety.

Gallup-Rasmussen Poll: August 27, 2012, Obama Widens Lead in Rasmussen Poll, Slips in others

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The Rasmussen Tracking poll today shows President Obama with a 47% – 44% lead over Mitt Romney while Gallup’s Tracking poll shows Romney leading at 47% -46% each.

The average of these two polls is now showing the Romney/Ryan campaign with 45.5% and the Obama/Biden at 46.5% for the second lead of the ticket in a week.

The average approval rate for President Obama despite leading is at negative 0.5% meaning that the 1% more of those polled disapprove than approve of the Presidents job performance. The average approval rating for the President was 47.5% and the average disapproval was 48.0%.

In a surprise poll ABC now has the Romney Ryan ticket leading by 1%.

AG Zoeller files suit against ex-school superintendent for $615K

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TELL CITY, Ind. – Taking action in one of the largest government misappropriation cases in recent years, Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller’s office today filed a lawsuit against a former school superintendent in Cannelton who misspent more than $615,000 in public school funds, according to an audit. Zoeller said he hopes the civil lawsuit the State has filed against the terminated ex-superintendent will send a message to other government employees who handle public money that they can’t embezzle or misspend public funds without legal consequences.
“The amount that the audit found misappropriated is simply shocking even without the misuse of a trust fund gift worth one-third of a million dollars; but what’s truly disheartening is that a top school official – a person to whom teachers, students and parents ought to look to for leadership – has drained public school funds intended for children’s education in order to overpay himself. This is a betrayal of the public trust, and my office will use all our legal tools to make this individual reimburse the school system,” Zoeller said.
Named as a defendant in the Attorney General’s civil lawsuit is Marion A. “Al” Chapman who was school superintendent in Cannelton City School Corporation from July 2005 to December 22, 2011, when the school board terminated him. A State Board of Accounts certified audit report issued August 14 found that Chapman owes Cannelton schools a total $615,586.55 for public funds that he overpaid himself, a trust fund gift he misused, ineligible travel advances he took, fees and penalties incurred due to his actions, and costs of the audit.
In the certified audit report of the Cannelton City School system’s finances spanning July 2005 to December 2011, State Board of Accounts examiners found multiple types of misappropriation by Chapman:

· Over six and a half years, until his termination, Chapman authorized additional payments to himself beyond his contract. Through payroll or annuities he was overpaid a total $206,688.27 that he must repay, the audit found.

· The school corporation received $333,333.33 – one third of $1 million – as a gift from the Dorothy von Solbrig Income Trust in 2011. By law, the base amount or principal of such a gift from a trust is to remain untouched; but any interest income derived from it can be used by the school corporation. Interest from this gift was intended for high school improvements or scholarships. Instead, the audit said, Chapman instructed the school treasurer to use the gift to pay invoices and catch up on withholding taxes the school system owed. The audit found the entire gift amount – the principal, not the interest – had been disbursed, and the school’s general fund was overdrawn by $430,091. The State Board of Accounts found that Chapman must repay the school system the entire trust gift amount.

· Because of Chapman’s discontinuing payment of federal taxes, Cannelton schools owed delinquent taxes to the Internal Revenue Service. The school system then incurred $50,185.64 in attorneys’ fees for legal representation in the IRS tax case. The audit found Chapman must reimburse the attorneys’ fees.

· Chapman was pre-paid a total $9,000 in “travel allowances” even though the State Board of Accounts does not allow such advance payments. Travel expenses must be reimbursed only after the fact and when supported by receipts; so the advances must be repaid, the audit said.

· Another $1,221.42 in various penalties, interest, late fees and other charges were incurred by the school system while Chapman was superintendent and responsible for its funds. The audit said they must be repaid.
The direct loss to the Cannelton City School Corporation was $600,428.66. In investigating the misappropriation, the State Board of Accounts incurred another $15,157.89 in audit costs, an expense also sought from Chapman.
When the State Board of Accounts issues a certified audit report, it authorizes the Attorney General’s Office to attempt to recover the money to reimburse the public treasury for the amount misappropriated. Zoeller’s lawsuit, called a complaint to recover public funds, was filed today in Perry County Circuit Court against Chapman. It seeks $615,586.55, plus treble damages, attorneys fees, costs and prejudgment interest.

Through his role as lawyer for the State Board of Accounts seeking to reimburse the public treasury, the Attorney General has legal jurisdiction to file civil lawsuits. This is the 46th lawsuit since January 2009 where Attorney General Zoeller’s office has sought a temporary restraining order following an audit where the State Board of Accounts found misappropriation by a public official or government employee.

The original balance sought in the Cannelton lawsuit is one of the largest the Attorney General’s Office has sought since January 2009 when Zoeller, shortly after taking office, began aggressive civil prosecution of misappropriation based on certified audit reports. In November 2009, Zoeller’s office filed suit in Madison County against five former employees of the Town of Chesterfield accused of embezzling $259,626 in town funds. A civil judgment including triple damages against one of the defendants who was held jointly and severally liable now totals $747,347, which the Attorney General’s Office still is seeking to collect.
Also today, the Attorney General’s Office asked the Perry County Circuit Court to issue a temporary restraining order to freeze ex-superintendent Chapman’s assets, including bank accounts, pension and retirement accounts and Chapman’s four vehicles – a 2008 Chevrolet Silverado, a 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan, a 1995 Pontiac Grand Prix and 1993 Ford Econoline. Perry County Circuit Court Judge Lucy Goffinet today signed the temporary restraining order and scheduled a hearing for 1 p.m. August 30 on the State’s motion for a preliminary injunction. If granted, the preliminary injunction would prevent Chapman from selling, transferring or concealing property until the underlying lawsuit is resolved to preserve assets that could be recovered later to reimburse Cannelton City Schools for the amounts misappropriated.
In the State’s underlying complaint to recover public funds, Zoeller asked the court to enter a civil judgment against Chapman. If it is granted, the Attorney General then could pursue the 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 defendant in the lawsuit filed today is Indiana Insurance Company of Indianapolis. Each year Chapman was employed as superintendent, the school had a $1 million insurance policy through the company, covering errors, omissions or crime by school leaders. By naming the insurance company, the State’s lawsuit seeks payment on the policy to reimburse the school treasury for the loss. Any portion not covered by insurance would be Chapman’s personal responsibility, Zoeller said. Whether a public official is civilly responsible for repaying misappropriated funds is a separate issue from whether they are criminally responsible for a loss. Decisions about any criminal charges would be up to the county prosecutor’s office.

In 2009, the Legislature at Zoeller’s urging passed House Enrolled Act 1514-2009 that allowed the Attorney General’s Office to intervene earlier if misappropriation is suspected in government offices. The new law also increased the amount of surety bond that officials are required to carry, to a minimum $30,000. So that one individual is not left with the sole ability to charge expenses to taxpayers without some oversight or accountability, Zoeller also has recommended that government offices require approvals from at least two employees to authorize expenditures of public funds.

Centenary United Methodist Church Autumn Festival

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Centenary United Methodist Church is pleased to present their annual Centenary Autumn Feastival on Saturday, September 22 from 11 AM-8 PM. This fun, family oriented, community event features live entertainment, a country store, a field of inflatable adventures, and carnival games and prizes. A large variety of home cooked favorites and carnival foods will be available for indoor dining or outside under the tents.

Other family friendly activities include Old MacDonald’s Petting Zoo, tractor rides, and more. For $2, kids can enter the Kids Pedal Tractor Pull at noon. For a $5 entry fee, attendees can enter a corn-hole tournament, with registration beginning at 2:30. Trophies and gift cards will be awarded to tournament winners.

The entertainment lineup for the event includes: North High School Barber Shop Quartet at 11 AM, the Scott Thomas Magic Show at 2 PM, Landon Sholar as Elvis Presley at 3:30 PM, Keith Schmett, Pianist, and the Dulcimer music group at 2 PM. The Duke Boys will be the main act on the stage with 4:30 & 6:30 p.m. performance.

The Festival’s silent auction and live auction, beginning at 5:30 PM, will feature a large selection of merchandise and services. During the live auction, bid on items such as Droste’s designer jewelry, Brighton handbag from Graceful Lady and Grace’s Toys, handmade quilts, lawn equipment, antiques, 46” LCD HDTV, furniture, and more!

A huge indoor rummage sale and bake sale will begin at 8 AM in the Centenary’s Family Life Center. This rummage sale will feature household items, collectibles, and more!

Call the Centenary United Methodist Church’s office for more information at (812) 867-3920 or visit www.centenaryevansville.com.

VHS Pet of the Week: “Fiona”

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Greetings from Fiona, a 4-year-old spayed Chow Mix. Fiona is a shy girl who is looking for a more quiet and mature household. She will do best with a family that quickly establishes a routine with her. School age children would be better for this beautiful girl as smaller children might be too much. Having a K9 buddy might help pull Fiona out of her shell a little bit more but she asks that she get to meet them before going home. For more information on Fiona, please call (812) 426-2563 or visit www.vhslifesaver.org.

UE Department of Music Announces 2012-13 First Tuesday Concert Series

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The Department of Music at the University of Evansville is proud to announce its 2012-13 performances in the First Tuesday Concert Series.

The First Tuesday Concert Series, in its fifth season, showcases the talent of the University’s music faculty as they perform works from seldom-heard masterpieces to beloved standards. All concerts take place the first Tuesday of each month at 7:30 p.m., and are free and open to the public. All events are held on the University of Evansville campus except for December 4’s Holiday Pops concert at the Victory Theatre.

The 2012-13 series kicks off September 4 with the annual Fall Faculty Gala in Wheeler Concert Hall. This concert, celebrating the 50th anniversary of Wheeler Concert Hall, features a variety of works performed by the department’s faculty.

The First Tuesday Concert Series continues with the following performances:

October 2: Bicentennial Concert, Neu Chapel. Celebrate the City of Evansville’s 200th birthday through music. This concert features music composed and arranged for the River City, including Gazebo Dances, a student work for Jazz Ensemble, and a new piece written just for this occasion.

November 6: Frankenstein!!, Wheeler Concert Hall. Inspired by H.C. Artmann’s poems Frankenstein!! (Noises, noises, all around – lovely new children’s rhymes), Heinz Karl Gruber’s composition for voice and chamber ensemble is full of surprises, fun, and covert political statements. Experience the classic monster in a revealing musical portrait.

December 4: Holiday Pops, Victory Theatre (600 Main St., Downtown Evansville). Share a celebration of the holidays with the University of Evansville’s annual concert at the Victory Theatre. Hear performances of your favorite seasonal favorites by the department’s ensembles and faculty.

February 5: Start Spreading the News, Wheeler Concert Hall. Faculty perform selections of solo and chamber music inspired by New York City. From Lincoln Center to Times Square, hear pieces written in, around, or about the Big Apple.

April 2: Wind Ensemble, Neu Chapel. Following their performance at the Indiana Music Educators Association conference, the Wind Ensemble presents an evening of dance inspired works for wind band. The concert includes pieces by Ron Nelson, John Barnes Chance, Alfred Reed, and Donald Grantham.

For a complete listing of concerts offered by the Department of Music, please visit their website or call 812-488-2754.

Source: Evansville.edu

IS IT TRUE August 27, 2012

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The Mole #??

IS IT TRUE August 27, 2012

IS IT TRUE that there is a small space on the campus at the University of Southern Indiana (USI) that is a designated FREE SPEECH ZONE?…that if USI students are inclined to protest some policy of USI or even make a political speech that the USI administration has relegated one small patch of ground that it is okay for them to speak in?…that if the education that is being sold to local students comes with a lesson that FREE SPEECH ZONES are the only place that one can express a controversial opinion that our students are not only being robbed of their constitutional rights but are being mentally conditioned to roll over and accept communism or worse as a way of being?…that the City County Observer strongly asserts that the United States of America is a FREE SPEECH ZONE and that our constitution guarantees that right?…that USI is a public university and has no business whatsoever to designate FREE SPEECH ZONES?…we can go along with quiet spaces and rules of conduct in classrooms but a single FREE SPEECH ZONE that is granted like prisoners are granted visitation is no the way to grow functional adults who have the vigilance to maintain a free country?…that for such an absurd policy USI gets the Lenin-Stalin Award for putting oppressive communistic rules into practice and for doing so in a SNEGAL manner?…we understand this practice has been in place for some time now and is only now being exposed as offensive and unconstitutional?

IS IT TRUE that a recent Gallup poll showed that in 15 of the United States that over 20% of the population struggles to put together enough money to buy food?…that in the same article it is stated that 56% of those polled in the so called swing states believe that they are worse off now than they were before President Obama took office?… Gallup also indicates that Americans have significant doubts that high school dropouts as well as high school graduates are adequately prepared for the working world, but close to half also believe college graduates lack this preparation?…it is numbers like these that should be driving the decision process for voters as opposed to stupid distractions like a semi truck full of tax returns, trumped up stories on candidates being felons or murderers, or even the numb skulled assertions about the place of the president’s birth?

IS IT TRUE that the Ford Center has just endured a cancellation of an event due to lack of ticket sales?…the first distinction for a failed event at the Ford Center goes to a rodeo?…this kind of event is precisely the reason that Roberts Stadium should have continued to be available for events that people will pay a lower amount of dollars to attend?…that tier 2 musical acts, rodeo, boat shows, etc. are more suited to a venue like Roberts Stadium than for the Ford Center anyway?…that the financial long suffering Old Post Office is picking the pocket of the City of Evansville again and this time it is to the tune of $1.5 Million?…that the tenant that these improvements are being made to accommodate is the FEDERAL GOVERNMENT?…that what we have here is a case where local government is spending taxpayer dollars to accommodate the demands of the big tax collector in Washington DC?…that the irony of what it took to inspire the Evansville Redevelopment Commission to invest in the Old Post Office is somewhere between comical and disgusting?…by the criteria used in the Roberts Stadium demolition decision the Old Post Office would have been leveled years ago because the private sector has not seen success there in many years?…it will soon be the home of the federal government and we the local taxpayers are paying for it?

IS IT TRUE some of our Civic Center MOLES are telling us that the downtown TIF District established to capture incremental dollars to pay the note on the Ford Center is underperforming on a Louisville YUM Center level or worse?…looking at the borders of the TIF District it is hard to imagine where any collections at all will come from of any significance?…a big part of the expectations for added revenue downtown was for the large number of new businesses including that big INVISIBLE HOTEL advertised to be coming downtown because of the Ford Center have just not materialized?…Louisville and a host of other towns have learned that lesson the hard way and Evansville will be no exception?…the real items of interest are the items that will have to be cut from the City of Evansville budget so that other funds can be liberated to pay the note on the Ford Center?…that line item in the straw man budget of $7.5 Million for Roberts Park should be the first thing eliminated as that will just about cover one year of Ford Center bond payments?

IS IT TRUE Mole #3 has called in from Florida to warn the CCO that there will be some ugly surprises that will have 7 figure negative impacts on the City of Evansville budget process during the next few months?…such things will also negatively impact the credit worthiness of the City?…we should all cross our fingers that Mole #3 was in the bag this time because at a time with revenues off and spending increases planned ghosts of stupid past decisions can really spoil an already rotten budget process?

Gallup-Rasmussen Poll: August 25, 2012, Obama pulls into slight lead on strength of Rasmussen Poll

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The Rasmussen Tracking poll today shows President Obama with a 47% – 45% lead over Mitt Romney while Gallup’s Tracking poll shows Romney and Obama tied at 46% each.

The average of these two polls is now showing the Romney/Ryan campaign with 45.5% and the Obama/Biden at 46.0 for the first lead of the ticket in a week.

The average approval rate for President Obama despite leading is still at negative 1 meaning that the 1% more of those polled disapprove than approve of the Presidents job performance. The average approval rating for the President was 47.5% and the average disapproval was 48.5%.