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Letter To CCO Readers From Congressman Bucshon,

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May 20, 2013

Dear CCO Readers220px-Larry_Bucshon,_official_portrait,_112th_Congress

As you may know, the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) released a report earlier this week that concluded the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) used inappropriate criteria to review applications of organizations seeking tax-exempt status. While there is still much to learn regarding the exact details of this clear abuse of power, the timeline and facts that have been confirmed are extremely alarming.

This audit sought to answer three questions: whether certain organizations applying for tax-exempt status were inappropriately flagged for further review, whether these flagged organizations’ applications were delayed purposefully, and whether these organizations were asked to provide unnecessary and intrusive information once they were targeted.

Unfortunately, the answers the audit provided to these three questions were unsettling. The TIGTA report concluded:
•the IRS was flagging tax-exemption applications based on organizations policy positions, targeted organizations applications were delayed much longer, and
•these flagged organizations experienced a significantly longer application process nearly twice as long as the average application process, and
•the IRS asked for unnecessary data from these organizations including the names of all donors, a list of issues important to the organization and the organizations position on these issues and details on member’s employment outside of the organization

The findings that organizations containing “Tea Party” or “Patriots” in their name were specifically targeted are truly alarming. This blatant misuse of power characterizes a much larger problem of how far the administration will go to push their agenda and political ideology on the American people. Additionally, the recent reports that high-ranking officials in the IRS knew these practices were taking place and failed to provide this information when asked specifically by Members of Congress on numerous occasions shows a disregard of the fundamental principle of checks and balances.

Both House Committees with jurisdiction over this issue, the Oversight and Government Reform Committee and Ways and Means Committee have vowed to investigate the details and timeline of this occurrence further. Those involved in breaking the public’s trust and possibly breaking laws should be fired and if appropriate, prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Although I am not a member of either of these committees, please be assured I will continue to monitor this issue closely

Please do not hesitate to contact me any time you have an issue of concern before Congress. I encourage you to visit my website at bucshon.house.gov to sign up for my e-newsletter to receive updates from Washington. Also, please take time to fill out my survey at bucshon.house.gov/survey regarding important issues before Congress. It is an honor to serve you and the people of the 8th District of Indiana.

Sincerely,

Larry Bucshon
Member of Congress

EVSC Names Head Girls Basketball Coach at Central

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The EVSC
EVSC Board of School Trustees approved the hiring of Brittany Maners as the varsity coach for girls basketball at Central High School.

Most recently, Maners was the freshman girls’ basketball coach at Bedford North Lawrence High School where she also taught physical education and health classes. In addition, Maners also was the assistant girls’ tennis coach and served as counselor for Oakland City University and University of Southern Indiana basketball camps.

Maners has acquired quite a list of accomplishments. This past season, the girls’ basketball teams at Bedford North Lawrence was undefeated (28-0) and was conference and state champions. The team also was conference and sectional title winners last season.

“We are very excited to name Brittany Maners our Head Basketball Coach at Central High School. Coach Maners was a high school valedictorian at Reitz and later went on to become a three-time Academic All American in College Basketball,” said Central Athletic Director Andy Owens. “Coach Maners will have the ability to communicate with our players and their families. I look forward to the positive relationships that she will build while working to increase the number of girls within our High School Basketball Program. I believe that Coach Maner and her staff will bring an immediate positive impact to our school and our team. It is a very exciting time to be a Lady Bear basketball player.”

Maners graduated from Oakland City University with a B.S. degree in Physical Education and Health.

New Leadership for EVSC Approved by School Board

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EVSC

The Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation Board of School Trustees tonight approved new individuals in school leadership positions, as well as positions that have been restructured for the 2013-14 school year.

These positions include new leadership roles:

· Principal at New Tech Institute: Christopher Gibson, formerly a counselor at Central High School. Gibson replaces Mike Allen who resigned effective the end of this school year. He has a B.S. degree from the University of Southern Indiana and a Master of Arts from Western Kentucky University. He holds certifications in school services as a school counselor and in grades 5-12 biology and chemistry.

· Principal at Daniel Wertz Elementary School: Douglas Mills, formerly assistant principal at Lodge Community School. Mills holds a B.S. degree from Indiana State University and a Master of Education from Indiana Wesleyan University. He is certified as a building level administrator for all schools and as a teacher of choral music, grades K-12. Prior to Lodge he was principal at New Harmony School. He replaces Michael Taylor who is moving to Tekoppel Elementary.

· Assistant Principal at Lodge Community School: Amy Godbout, formerly assistant principal at Hamilton Heights High School in Arcadia, IN, since 2010. She replaces Douglas Mills who moved to Daniel Wertz. Godbout holds a B.S. degree from Butler University and a Master of Education from Indiana Wesleyan University. She is certified as a building level administrator and instructionally in general education grades 1-6 (7/8 ND) and learning disabled and seriously emotionally handicapped, K-12.

· Director of Fine Arts: Dwight Emmert, formerly vocal music teacher at Reitz High School, High School Honors Band director and coordinator of instrumental music for the EVSC since 2008. He holds a B.S. degree from Indiana State University and a Master of Arts degree from Nova Southeastern University.

· Principal at Delaware K-6: James Nathan Steele, formerly Title 1, Grade 5 and 6 teacher at Delaware School. Steele has a B.S. degree from the University of Evansville and a Master of Education degree from Indiana Wesleyan University. He is certified as a building level administrator for all schools and in general education and social studies grades 1-6 (7/8 ND).

Restructured Positions:

· Chief Academic Officer: Velinda Stubbs, formerly director of language arts literacy support. Stubbs has been with EVSC for nearly 34 years and replaces Daniel Ulrich who is moving to the Southern Indiana Career & Technical Center.

· Director of Career, Technical, and Adult Education: Daniel Ulrich, who was formerly the chief academic officer has been with the EVSC for 39 years. Ulrich is replacing Barbara Bennett, who is retiring this spring.

· Director of Language Arts Literacy Support: Jacqueline Kuhn, formerly principal at Cedar Hall Community School, who has been with the EVSC for 28 years, is replacing Velinda Stubbs in her role as director of language arts literacy support.

· Principal of Cedar Hall Community School: Todd Slagle, formerly principal at Delaware K-6, who has been with the EVSC for 17 years. Slagle replaces Jaqueline Kuhn who is moving to administration.

· Principal at Cynthia Heights Elementary: Sally Bagby, formerly principal at Tekoppel Elementary. Bagby has been with the EVSC for 32 years and will fill the position vacated by Lee Ann Shields, who is retiring.

· Principal at Tekoppel Elementary: Michael Taylor, formerly principal of Daniel Wertz Elementary. Taylor has been with the EVSC for 25 years, and is replacing Sally Bagby who is moving to Cynthia Heights.

· Assistant Principals at Glenwood Leadership Academy: Angela Oliver and Carrie Terry will be at Glenwood Leadership Academy.

VANDERBURGH COUNTY FELONY CHARGES

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nick herman

Below is a list of felony cases that were filed by the Vanderburgh County Prosecutor’s Office on Thursday, May 16, 2013.

Richelle Keefover Dealing in Methamphetamine-Class A Felony

Travis Spencer Dealing in Methamphetamine-Class A Felony

Shauntel Jordan Dealing in Marijuana-Class D Felony

Possession of Marijuana-Class D Felony

Zachary McCloud Battery by Means of a Deadly Weapon-Class C Felony

Resisting Law Enforcement-Class D Felony

Battery Resulting in Bodily Injury-Class D Felony

Criminal Mischief-Class A Misdemeanors (Five Counts)

Resisting Law Enforcement-Class A Misdemeanor

(Habitual Offender Enhancement)

Kambrell Smith Possession of a Schedule IV Controlled Substance-Class D Felony

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

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

EPD case- No charges filed, Internal Investigation being conducted

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EPD PATCH 2012
Members of the Evansville Police Department have been working closely with the family of a local school student who filed a complaint against an EPD Officer last week. The family has decided that they do not wish to file criminal charges against the officer. The EPD made it clear to the family that they would pursue the charges the same as they would with any other citizen. The mother advised that the student didn’t want to see the officer charged criminally and the parents concurred with his wishes.

Although the criminal investigation has ended, an Internal Investigation has now begun. The officer will remain on administrative leave pending the outcome of the Internal Affairs investigation.

Are Speed Humps (Bumps) Worth the Effort?

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In a study submitted to the City of Boulder, Colorado, it was determined that speed bumps would allow the death of 85 victims for every 1 they saved. They then assumed “a wildly optimistic posture” that still indicated speed bumps would cause 10 lives to be lost for every 1 saved.

More on this topic

http://www.digitalthreads.com/rada/flyer3.pdf

Evansville Redevelopment Commission AGENDA Tuesday, May 21, 2013 – 8:30 am

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Evansville Redevelopment Commission

AGENDA

Tuesday, May 21, 2013 – 8:30 am
Civic Center Complex – Room 307

1. Call to Order

2. Approval of Minutes of May 7, 2013

3. Approval of accounts payable voucher

4. Design Review
Jacobsville – 100 N Main St – ONB Branch – bike rack install

5. Downtown Redevelopment Area
13-ERC-21 – Authorizing an Agreement with VPS Architecture for Urban Design and Planning for the Downtown Redevelopment Area

6. Other Business

7. Adjournment

* This preliminary Agenda is subject to change. The final Agenda will be posted at the entrance to the location of the meeting prior to the meeting.

EPD Activity Report: May 19, 2013

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EPD PATCH 2012

EPD Activity Report: May 19, 2013

IS IT TRUE May 20, 2013

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

IS IT TRUE May 20, 2013

IS IT TRUE Mole #5 tells the City County Observer that one of the things being considered by the City of Evansville to raise more money to cover the shortfalls in the budget is to install “techno cops” at intersections?…what we have chosen to call “techno cops” are those camera plus radar set-ups that are mounted in some cities to measure drivers speed, check the cars position when the light turns from yellow to red, and snap pictures of the license plate and the driver for the purpose of collecting fines?…Evansville of course is a town that has stop lights so old that the bulbs are not even manufactured anymore and in general is quite barren when it comes to technology?…these “techno cops” were pioneered in Europe where the people are much more willing to tolerate “Big Brother” tactics like “techno cops”?…there have been many studies done on the effectiveness of “techno cops” in making traffic safer?…the conclusions are that traffic does not get safer and in some cases the number of wrecks increase because people are concentrating more on the “techno cop” than they are on traditional driving?…drivers in cities patrolled by “techno cops” are more prone to slam on the breaks when the light is yellow causing themselves to be rear ended and sometimes hospitalized for whiplash?

IS IT TRUE the one thing that “techno cops” do with brutal efficiency is write tickets thus collecting more money for the cities that own them to spend?…the other winners in this “Big Brother” initiative are insurance companies that raise premiums for getting tickets and of course trial lawyers who rush to the aid of anyone who gets rear ended or chooses to pursue a Quixotic fight to beat the ticket?…the first “techno cop” was installed in Los Angeles in the mid 1990s?…the first night of its operation a car drove by very slowly so as not to have its picture taken and blasted the “techno cop” to pieces with a shotgun?…there have been other such instances but for the most part people in “techno cop” cities have accepted the yoke of having their driving invaded by Big Brother?…”techno cops” like it or not do take away just a little bit more of our freedom and move us one step closer to being government controlled robots?…the flip side of that argument is of course that running that stop sign or speeding is breaking the law and that this is simply a better and more efficient way to enforce existing laws?…we suppose that is true but there is something about “techno cops” that just rub us the wrong way?…the next advance of course is likely to be having your home life monitored visually and audibly through those cameras on the new Smart TVs over the internet to make sure you break no laws inside your own home?…the arguments and the intrusion will be the same?

IS IT TRUE that Mole #33 tells the CCO that massive changes may be on the table for the downtown Convention Hotel deal that has grown under Mayor Winnecke from a $31 Million project to a $70 Million project with every bell and whistle imaginable including apartments and retail shops?…the massive changes we are hearing about are to strip this thing down to what it was in the first place and reduce the number of rooms to 180 as the study indicated that downtown Evansville can actually absorb?…local government subsidizing one business at the expense of another is a market killing action that undermines the American way of life?…for this reason we applaud the members of the City Council who are reluctant to become rubber stamps for Mayor Winnecke?…it is a good thing if this project loses the apartments and the retail space?…reducing the size of the hotel to what the market study suggested is a good idea too?…a very excellent idea would be for the City of Evansville to stick to traditional incentives like providing excellent sidewalks, sharing in the cost of walk bridges that access public venues, waiving permit fees, and letting the private developer complete the task with the workforce of their choosing as opposed to being forced to sign a Project Labor Agreement (PLA)?…when it comes to private commerce like inn keeping, running a restaurant, or retail real estate development local government should stick to its job of supplying good infrastructure around the private developments and stay out of the banking business?

Deaconess Named in the Top 100 Greatest Places to Work

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Deaconess1

Deaconess Hospital was once again named one of the top 100 greatest places to work in healthcare according to the May issue of Becker’s Hospital Review*. Each year, Becker’s Hospital Review and Becker’s ASC Review develop their top 100 list through nominations and editorial research. Criteria for recognition included:
• Robust benefits
• Wellness Initiatives
• Professional Development Opportunities
• Work Environments that Promote Employee Collaboration and Satisfaction

Deaconess is highly committed to the health and well-being of its employees and has thoughtfully designed programs and benefits to address the physical, mental, and emotional needs of its staff members.

Employees with elevated health risks work with a wellness coach to enact appropriate lifestyle changes. All employees have access to lunchtime fitness classes, a fitness center, and evening exercises classes. They also benefit from robust mental and emotional health services provided by Deaconess Cross Pointe. Professional development opportunities are also offered throughout the health system so all employees maintain the highest level of training and knowledge.

Evansville Surgery Center, located on the Deaconess Hospital and Deaconess Gateway Hospital campuses also received recognition as a top 100 hospital in Becker’s Hospital Review.

*Deaconess Hospital was listed in the top 100 in the 2011 greatest places to work in healthcare list. Deaconess Health System and The Women’s Hospital were both listed in the top 100 in the 2012 list.

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