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IS IT TRUE July 22, 2013

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Mole #3 Nostradamus of Local Politics
Mole #3 Nostradamus of Local Politics

IS IT TRUE July 22, 2013

IS IT TRUE that the IS IT TRUE column in the City County Observer will be coming to you from the island of Maui from today until August 5th?…there is a 5 hour time difference between Evansville and Maui is 5 hours so our readers can expect IIT to be published at about noon during that time period?

IS IT TRUE for the second time in less than a week, a high ranking employee of the local Emergency Management Agency has been asked to resign by Mayor Lloyd Winnecke?… Adam Groupe, who was appointed as interim director right after he fired longtime head Sherman Greer last week, was asked to resign this morning?…Winnecke then appointed two men to run the EMA on an interim basis?…Evansville Fire Department District Chief Cliff Weaver and Evansville Police Department Capt. Andy Chandler are the latest recipients to be caretakers for the job that Sherman Greer did for over 20 years?..the reasons given for the two forced resignations are allegations by the mayor’s office that EMA officials approved 1,100 hours of inappropriate overtime for an agency secretary and violated city bidding practices in the 2011 purchase of radio equipment?…Winnecke stated that an internal review of EMA showed preference given to specific vendors in bid processes?…no charges have been filed against either Greer or Groupe and none have been alleged?

IS T TRUE it was quite pleasing on Sunday to see the Evansville Courier and Press awaken from its 10 year coma regarding calling out the office of the Mayor of Evansville for making backroom deals in a non-transparent way?…the firing of Sherman Greer and the quiet approval of some plastic crosses made by some children are the straws that broke the camel’s back for the Courier?…there are of course dozens of other sneaky backroom deals that were orchestrated by former Mayor Weinzapfel and his successor but none of those things rose to the level of taking the CP out our cheerleader mode for the Mayor of Evansville?…the attempt to snatch the Homestead Tax Credit from the resident homeowners of Vanderburgh County in a classic backroom sneaky (SNEGAL) way resulted in nothing more than a couple of infomercial pieces after the CCO exposed it?…the subversion of the funding authority of the City Council by Mayor Winnecke in the Earthcare Energy debacle and the same sort of stunt by former Mayor Weinzapfel just before leaving office that saddled the people of Evansville with the Johnson Controls dilemma didn’t raise the Sunshine flags over at the CP?…the sneaky firing of Marilee Fowler and others, the idiotic purchase of the McCurdy parking lot, the capricious way in which tax abatements are handed out, and the ramrod awarding of three different hotel contracts to companies that never secured financing was never even questioned?…the CCO is pleased to see the entity that should be the biggest watchdog of the citizens interest in Evansville awaken and show its tooth?

IS IT TRUE the only real reason that local media exists is to keep local government honest and to inform the populace in a way that helps with decisions come election time?…the CP has not been doing that for a long time?…every mayor has a person called the press secretary (cheerleader) to dispense sunshine and lollipops in attempts to propagandize to the huddled masses and secure power for their party in perpetuity?…that method has worked well for 50 years in Evansville and much of that been aided and abetted by a local media that has served as a willing propaganda distribution outlet for whomever happened to be mayor?…we encourage the CP to keep its guard dog of sunshine and sanity awake this time?…if every media outlet in Evansville would have scrutinized the offices of the mayor for the last 50 years the way the CCO has for the last 4 years Evansville may not be a candidate for a Detroit inspired future as it is today?

EPD Activity Report: July 21, 2013

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EPD PATCH 2012
EPD Activity Report: July 21, 2013

EPD Activity Report: July 20, 2013

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EPD PATCH 2012

EPD Activity Report: July 20, 2013

New Location for Deaconess Urgent Care

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Deaconess Urgent Care Northbrook in Evansville will move to a new facility beginning Saturday, July 20th. Please visit us in our new location at 4506 North First Avenue (in the North Park Shopping Center), for your urgent care needs.

Beginning Saturday, July 20th, Deaconess Urgent Care Northbrook will relocate to 4506 North First Avenue in the North Park Shopping Center. Available services and hours of operation will remain the same.

Dan Alsip, Manager of Deaconess Urgent Care said “We are excited to relocate the Deaconess Urgent Care Center into the North Park Shopping Center. The change in location will provide our patients with new exam and procedure rooms as well as an expanded lobby area. The physical design of the space will also help our staff be more efficient in the delivery of urgent care.”

Deaconess Urgent Care Centers offer patients access to health care when their primary care physician is unable to see them. This may occur after normal office hours, on weekends and holidays, or during regular office hours when the physician has a full schedule. Deaconess Urgent Care Centers offer lab and x-ray services, and treat minor injuries such as sprains, strains, and lacerations. Urgent Care is a lower-cost alternative to the hospital emergency room for treatment of minor injuries and illness.

St. Mary’s Dental Care for Kids – Dental Education and Prevention

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Community Dental CareSt.Mary's Mobile Dental Clinic provides dental education and prevention services for children.

St. Mary’s Dental Care for Kids provides dental education and prevention services for children who might not otherwise receive dental care.  The Mobile Dental Clinic’s unique mobile care capability, combined with its focus on quality treatment, makes our program an innovative leader in care.

Our services include:

  • A fully functioning dental office with ten dentists and six dental hygienists.
  • Taking dental care to the patients by parking on-site at local schools and agencies.
  • Assisting patients without insurance to sign up for Medicaid (Hoosier Healthwise) insurance.
  • Providing a payment plan for those who cannot afford to pay up front.
  • Providing free dental education and Spanish interpretation within the community.
  • Collaboration with many local agencies to avoid duplication of services.

We also provide dental education, which is available upon request.  For curriculum and scheduling information, please call the Community Outreach office at (812) 485-5843.

Rapps honored as “Living Legends”

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rapp_dsc5048_NewsLong time University of Southern Indiana supporters George and Peggy Rapp have been honored as “Living Legends” by the Indiana Historical Society at its annual Living Legends Gala July 19 in Indianapolis. The title is bestowed on individuals in recognition of state and national accomplishments.

Dr. George F. and Margaret M. “Peggy” Rapp are New Harmony, Indiana, enthusiasts who ardently support the town and help preserve its history. Both received honorary degrees from USI in 2011.They currently are retired and reside in Indianapolis where, in addition to operating his private practice, he was a long-time clinical professor of Orthopedic Surgery at Indiana University School of Medicine. He also served as chief of orthopedic surgery at St. Vincent Medical Center for 18 years, and spent 20 years as director of the Scoliosis Clinic at Riley Children’s Hospital.

Since retirement, the Rapps have devoted time to numerous philanthropic interests. Throughout their lives, they have been involved with a number of organizations including the University of Southern Indiana Society for Arts and Humanities.

They fund scholarships for graduating seniors at New Harmony High School and support two donor-advised funds they created through the Posey County Community Foundation. They also have established two charitable lead trusts and provide direct gifts to the USI Foundation to support the USI Annual Fund, Historic New Harmony, New Harmony Theatre, New Harmony Gallery of Contemporary Art, Society for Arts and Humanities, Schnee-Ribeyre-Elliott House renovation, and USI scholarships.

A native of New Harmony, Dr. Rapp earned his undergraduate degree from Indiana University and went on to earn his medical degree in 1957 from IU School of Medicine. He met and married Peggy MacNary from Hammond, Indiana. She received a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from IU and taught in the Indianapolis public school system for several years after they were married.

Dr. Rapp has received numerous awards including the Otis R. Bowen Leadership Award in 2000 from IU School of Medicine; the Maynard K. Hine Medal in 1994 for his service to the Indianapolis campus of IU; and the Spirit of Philanthropy Award from Indiana University Purdue University at Indianapolis. He also received the Distinguished Alumni Service Award from IU in 2002.

Mrs. Rapp has served on the USI/New Harmony Foundation Board and as chairman of the beautification committee of New Harmony. She is a co-founder of the New Harmony Garden Club and co-founder of the Summer Hat Luncheon, a fund raiser for Historic New Harmony programs and services. She created the New Harmony Garden Tour and is a co-sponsor of the New Harmony annual Doll Tea Party.

She was instrumental in developing surgical suites and housing facilities for an IU Medical School project in Kenya. She chaired the first Black Tie Gala event for the Heartland Film Festival and received the Spirit Award for outstanding festival work. A lifetime trustee of the Indianapolis Museum of Art, she also received the Spooner Award for service to the Indianapolis Children’s Museum Guild and was recognized with a service award from the IU Alumni Association.

Dr. and Mrs. Rapp are members of the Hoosier Salon Art Gallery Board of Directors. She is co-founder of the Hoosier Salon Gallery in New Harmony, and both are members of the IU President’s Club. In 1998, they helped restore the Ravine Garden, now called the Rapp Family Ravine Garden at the Indianapolis Museum of Art.

UE Students to Help Nonprofit Organization Launch Medical Facility in Dominican Republic

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As part of an intensive summer course in applied process development – and an opportunity to make a meaningful impact in a developing country – 15 University of Evansville students will spend the next two weeks in the Dominican Republic.

From July 23-August 6, UE business, communication, engineering, and nursing students will work with the nonprofit organization G.O. Ministries to develop plans for the organization’s new medical facility, currently under construction in Santiago, Dominican Republic.

UE’s interdisciplinary, faculty-led team is tasked with creating process developments (such as determining efficient patient flow, how to secure medications and archive patient medical records, and more), business plans, and equipment and supply recommendations consistent with accepted United States practices.

The two-week course, for which students will receive three hours of academic credit, includes a classroom portion taught by UE professors, as well as fieldwork and observation at the existing G.O. Ministries medical clinic and other relevant sites in the Dominican Republic. The students will receive instruction in health administration, process development, and business plan development.

At the conclusion of the course, students will present their findings to G.O. Ministries for implementation in the new medical facility, scheduled for completion in Summer 2014.

UE faculty members accompanying the group are Amy Hall, White Family Endowed Professor and chair of the Dunigan Family Department of Nursing and Health Sciences; Richard Deer, director of UE’s Center for Intensive Experiential Education; and Jill Griffin, director of the Global Assistance Program in UE’s Institute for Global Enterprise. John Layer, associate professor of mechanical engineering, will deliver online course components.

Layer facilitated the relationship between UE and G.O. Ministries after he traveled to Haiti and the Dominican Republic with the organization. He saw opportunities for UE students to be involved in the design and planning phase of the organization’s projects.

Since then, University of Evansville students have assisted G.O. Ministries on projects in the Dominican Republic (assessing a 40-acre potential building site and designing a three-story building in 2008 and developing a solar water heater in 2010) and Mongolia (designing two new buildings and creating business plans for craft businesses in 2012).

“Over the last five years, the relationship with G.O. Ministries has led to transformational experiences for many of our students,” said Layer. “When students travel to developing countries, they often return home with a new sense of purpose and desire to make an impact. In addition, they benefit from working with an interdisciplinary team to address real-world problems and create solutions.”

UE students traveling to the Dominican Republic are Vaughn Ahlf, Jacquelyn Ballard, Ryan Bassemier, Laura Best, Brandi Blosl, Abby Browder, Mathew Brown, Heather Browning, Renee Croce, Gaby Fifer, Rachel Mendoza-Santiago, Shannon Osiecki, Breianna Simpson, Brenna Siscoe, and Brynne Thompson.

The University of Evansville wishes to thank the Institute for Global Enterprise, the Center for Intensive Experiential Education, and the Lilly Endowment for their generous support of this educational experience.

 

Bargains are back at annual Book Sale

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EVPL

 

July 19, 2013 – Evansville, IN – In just two weeks thousands of books, DVDs, and CDs will occupy table after table at the annual Public Library Friends Book Sale, held at Washington Square Mall on Saturday and Sunday, August 3rd and 4th. Many of these materials will sell for only $1. Customers can browse the diverse selection on Saturday from 10:00 am to 9:00 pm and Sunday from noon to 3:00 pm.

 

Shoppers can bring their own bags or reusable bags can be purchased at the sale. Admission is free, and cash and checks will be accepted.

 

Proceeds from this event help fund special Evansville Vanderburgh Public Library programs and projects. The Book Sale is the largest fundraiser for the Public Library Friends, generating nearly $25,000 each year. For more information about the Public Library Friends, including how to become a member, visit evpl.org/plf.

Our Students Deserve Better

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(Washington, DC) – On Friday, the House passed H.R. 5, the Student Success Act, a bill that reduces federal overreach into K-12 education while empowering local communities to fix our broken education system based on the needs of their students. H.R. 5 would replace the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, currently known as No Child Left Behind, which has been due for reauthorization since 2007.

 

Representative Larry Bucshon (R-Ind.) released the following statement regarding the passage of H.R. 5.

 

“The one-size fits all approach and expanded federal role of our current system is not effectively serving our students and they deserve better. The Student Success Act corrects this problem by allowing states the freedom and flexibility to provide a better education tailored to the needs of all their students. This bill reduces the federal footprint in our schools and restores control to state and local communities where education decisions should be made. We also ensure that parents and school leaders are able to make decisions on what is best for their students, not the federal government. As a father of four, it is very important to me that we provide the best educational opportunities for our children regardless of where they live or their socioeconomic status. The Student Success Act is a step in the right direction.”  

 

Bucshon is a member of the House Education and the Workforce Committee.

 

Mexican Gray Wolf Pups Make Their Public Debut at Mesker Park Zoo & Botanic Garden

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Evansville, IN – Mesker Park Zoo & Botanic Garden is pleased to introduce to the public two Mexican Gray Wolf pups.  The pups arrived at the zoo as part of a significant conservation effort for the most endangered of the wolf species. The pups made their debut with their foster parents in the public exhibit today.

 

The arrival of the first Mexican gray wolf pups in Evansville was not by conventional means. The wolf pups arrived on a LightHawk* flight at Tri-State Aero, Inc. and were immediately given into the care of Mesker Park Zoo & Botanic Garden staff.

 

Mesker Park Zoo & Botanic Garden received its first Mexican Gray Wolves – a male and a female wolf pair – November 2012. Experienced parents, they were sent to Mesker Park Zoo & Botanic Garden to stand ready to help rear foster pups if the need should arise. A genetically important aged female wolf in the Mexican Gray Wolf Species Survival Program had repeatedly lost her litters. The decision to pull any pups she produced this year and foster them to an experienced pair was reached in July by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service  (USFWS) and the Mexican Gray Wolf Species Survival Plan in consultation with Dr. Susan Lyndaker Lindsey, Animal Curator at Mesker Park Zoo & Botanic Garden and Behavioral and Husbandry Advisor to the USFWS Mexican Gray Wolf Recovery Program and the Species Survival Plan. Dr. Lindsey has previous experience rearing wolf pup litters that are not socialized to humans and fostering them to adult wolves to form packs. Selection of the initial wolf pair for Mesker Park Zoo & Botanic Garden was based upon the need for an experienced pair of wolves and the unique conservation contribution that Mesker Park Zoo & Botanic Garden could offer to the future of this critically endangered wolf.

 

The litter of pups was born at the Wolf Conservation Center in Westchester County, New York on May 8, 2013 and pulled within hours of their birth with the goal of being in the care of the Mesker Park Zoo & Botanic Garden staff within 24 hours. The pups will be partially hand reared and then fostered to the resident pair at Mesker Park Zoo & Botanic Garden within a few months. Although their birth mother was successful with one litter in her lifetime, her other litters have been totally lost or large portions of her litters lost within the first few weeks of life. The reasons behind these deaths are not known so the arriving litter is considered fragile by the USFWS and Mesker staff. But being cared for by Mesker Park Zoo & Botanic Garden staff, and the foster pair of wolves, is considered their best chance for surviving and contributing to the genetics of this endangered species.

 

The male wolf, Nagual, was born on May 4, 2005 at Wild Canid Survival and Research Center near Eureka, MO.  On May 22, 2009, he was transferred to a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) Sevilleta Wolf Management Center, Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge, Socorro, NM.  Dr. Lindsey fostered two orphan wild born pups to this male later that year. The female was born on April 22, 2007 at the California Wolf Center near Julian, CA.  She was transferred to the USFWS Sevilleta Wolf Management Center, Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge, Socorro, NM on Nov. 23, 2009 and later placed with Nagual.  This pair had pups in 2010 and 2011 and raised them all successfully in a large pack.  They have proven to be excellent parents.

Mexican Gray Wolves are a very significant addition to Mesker Park Zoo & Botanic Garden’s animal collection.  There are only approximately 300 Mexican Gray Wolves in captivity and 60-70 in the wild in Arizona and New Mexico.  These wolves have also been recently released in Mexico.

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