The Evansville Fire Department is seeking information about a recent arson at the 407 Richardt Ave.

The Indiana Chapter of the International Association of Arson Investigators is offering a reward of up to $5,000.00 for information leading to the arrest of the person(s) responsible for this fire.

Anyone with information is urged to call (800) 382-4628.

Evansville, IN – Tuesday, October 16, 2012 Terry W. Rexing, age 40, was convicted in Vanderburgh County Superior Court of Dealing in Methamphetamine – Class A Felony, Possession of a Precursor with Intent to Manufacture Methamphetamine – Class D Felony, Maintaining a Common Nuisance – Class D Felony, False Informing – Class B Misdemeanor and Criminal Recklessness – Class B Misdemeanor. After the jury found Rexing guilty on all counts, the defendant admitted to being a Habitual Offender.

Rexing faces 20-50 years for the Class A Felony, ½-3 years for each of the Class D Felonies and 0-180 days for each of the Class B Misdemeanors; all to be served in the Indiana Department of Corrections. The Habitual Offender Enhancement will add 30 years on top of what he is sentenced to by Judge Robert Pigman on November 16, 2012 at 1:00 p.m.

Rexing was arrested on August 2, 2012 after a second floor apartment that he rented caught fire. The apartment was less than 100 feet from Vogel Elementary School, where children were present at the time of the fire. Once the fire was out and a search warrant was obtained, many methamphetamine making materials were located inside the apartment. The materials used to manufacture methamphetamine were found to be the cause of the fire. For more arrest information, please see the attached probable cause affidavit.

Forensic anthropology topic at Friends annual meeting
October 16, 2012 – Evansville, IN – On Sunday, October 21st, the Public Library Friends will host Dr. David Glassman at Central Library. Dr. Glassman – an anthropologist, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at Bradley University, and former dean of the College of Liberal Arts at USI – will speak about forensic anthropology and talk about some of the most unusual cases he has been involved with.

Dr. Glassman’s presentation will begin at 2:00 pm in the Browning Events Room and is free and open to all.

This program is co-sponsored by One Book One Community. This year’s reading selection, Flash and Bones by Dr. Kathy Reichs, greatly focuses on forensic anthropology and crime scene investigation.

The annual meeting of the Public Library Friends will follow Dr. Glassman’s presentation. The meeting is open to the public, and anyone interested in becoming involved with the Friends is encouraged to stay and learn more about how this group supports the EVPL.

VANDERBURGH COUNTY FELONY CHARGES

This feature is sponsored by Chris Walsh For Vanderburgh County Clerk. Chris Walsh is a veteran county administrator that strongly supports our local law enforcement professionals . Chris Walsh is a candidate that possess a non-partisan attitude with a consumer friendly demeanor. Chris also stands against unification of city and county governments.
This ad paid for by the committiee to elect Walsh Clerk.

VANDERBURGH COUNTY FELONY CHARGES
Evansville, IN – Below is a list of felony cases that were filed by the Vanderburgh County Prosecutor’s Office on Monday, October 15, 2012.

Emily Caine Theft – Class D Felony
Conversion – Class A Misdemeanor

John Haynes Theft – Class D Felony

Jonathan Hoehn Operating a Motor Vehicle as an Habitual Traffic Violator – Class D Felony

Kristen Holley Theft –Class D Felony

Zachary Marshall Theft – Class D Felony

Kimberly Toliver Theft – Class D Felony
Conversion – Class A Misdemeanor

For further information on the cases listed above, or any pending case, please contact Carly Settles at 812.435.5688 or via e-mail at csettles@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

Electric car battery manufacturer A123 Systems Inc., the recipient of nearly
$250 million in government grants, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection
Tuesday.

The Massachusetts-based company and two affiliates filed for bankruptcy a day
after it said it would be unable to make a $2.8 million interest payment to
bondholders due Monday.

Auto-parts manufacturer Johnson Controls Inc. is providing the company with
$72.5 million in so-called debtor-in-possession financing to fund the bankruptcy
case.

Read the Wall Street Journal article: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10000872396390443854204578060433271656440.html?mod=djemalertNEWS

Quips and Comments from City Council Meeting: October 15, 2012

“This is government at its worst,” said Councilman Al Lindsey, D-6th

“JH Rudolph and Co., an Evansville contractor, agreed to take up the parking lot asphalt surrounding the Roberts building at no cost.” Denise Johnson

“the City Council was backed into a corner” Councilwoman Stephanie Riley

“they are still not committed to using the Roberts land as a park because of concerns about the cost to develop and maintain the site.” Councilman Dan Adams

“they held the auction knowing they were making Roberts less valuable” Councilman Al Lindsey

“these guys are marketing a doomsday scenario” Councilman Al Lindsey

“Alan Brill had a proposal to use Roberts that was only $1.2 Million” Councilman Dan Adams

“we had no plan to remove the asphalt parking lot because it costs too much” Denise Johnson

“the 3-I Engineering study cost us $60,000” Denise Johnson

“we need to take the time to vet the next use of this site” Councilman Conor O’Daniel

“Evansville’s softball fields are so badly maintained that they are dangerous to play on. They are a pathetic embarrassment.” Councilman Al Lindsey

“the City hired the same architects that ruined Roberts Stadium to head the committee to decide what should be done with it” former Indiana Senator Paul Bitz

“it is the neighborhood parks that we need to make nice” Senator Paul Bitz

“Weinzapfel worked with SMG to limit the success of Roberts so he could tear it down” Senator Paul Bitz

“the cost of steel is coming down 20% in the next couple of months because of project cancellations in China. This makes the demolition more expensive.” Corey Mills

“only 40 acres of land sell a year in Evansville, we now have a 19.1 year supply on the market” Corey Mills

“any use of Roberts that is not public use is negative.” Corey Mills

“Developers like to make a profit and that ain’t gonna happen in today’s market” Corey Mills

“there are 1,000 residential lots currently available, that is a 4 or 5 year supply too” Corey Mills

“the park idea is a piecemill solution and is not thought out well” Professor Perry Burnette (USI Economics Professor)

“does the Canapy software work” Councilman Dan McGinn

“there are problems with it, we recommended against it, Harry Lawson did that on his own” Mark Rolley in response to Dan McGinn

“the City IT budget is increasing 9% per year, it is out of control” Councilman John Friend
“we have saved the City millions of dollars on IT hardward costs” Mark Rolley

“the Public Works board authorized spending money on consultants to help fix the MIPS software” former Controller Jenny Collins

“my bosses knew the books were not balanced and the software did not work” former Controller Jenny Collins

Fort Wayne Journal Gazette – Published: October 14, 2012

Editorial

Indiana public schools are struggling under the leadership of Tony Bennett, superintendent of public instruction. His unproven experiment in school choice and privatization has strained local districts at the very time they’ve needed the support and resources of a strong Indiana Department of Education.
Fortunately, his challenger, Glenda Ritz, demonstrates the skill and passion to help all students and recognizes the state’s civic health and economy depend on strong public schools. Her experience in communicating a classroom perspective to legislators is sorely needed as educators grapple with a host of new laws and regulations.
Indiana enjoyed almost 24 years of steady, collaborative effort to improve public education under Republicans H. Dean Evans and Suellen Reed, but Bennett’s election four years ago marked an end to the partnership among policymakers, educators, parents and the business community. The noteworthy improvement Indiana schools have made in recent years, including higher graduation rates, is the result of the foundation Evans and Reed set.
Rather than follow their example, Bennett cleaned house, replacing experienced educators with a DOE staff whose frequent turnover has left school districts struggling to interpret rules and requirements. He took advantage of GOP majorities to push an expansive legislative agenda, including the nation’s most expansive voucher program. Before its effects are even known, he is looking to extend it, eliminating the restriction that vouchers go only to students who first attend public school.
While enthusiastically promoting vouchers and charter schools, Bennett has expanded state control of local schools and exercised authority to hand them over to for-profit operators. Through the rule-making process, he has weakened the licensing requirements for teachers and administrators and now champions the national Common Core academic standards – less rigorous than Indiana’s highly acclaimed standards – and a new test to replace ISTEP+.

Also troubling are his ties with out-of-state donors and corporate interests. He spent much of 2011 traveling the country, often at the expense of groups looking to privatize schools. His campaign donors include wealthy school-choice proponents. Wal-Mart heir Alice Walton gave him $200,000, and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg contributed $40,000. Some of the largest have come from groups backed by hedge-fund managers. Bennett’s campaign chest is nearing $1.5 million. Compare that to the $39,000 Reed had raised at the end of her 2004 re-election contest. Ritz has raised about $100,000 to compete against Bennett.
What she lacks in fundraising prowess, Ritz makes up for in experience. A library media specialist for Washington Township schools in Marion County, she is one of just 155 Indiana educators certified by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, considered the gold standard in teacher certification.

Ritz proposes more local input in policy promulgated by the state. She said she would begin with a comprehensive assessment of school needs, including curriculum and technology.
“DOE is going to be bottom up instead of top down,” Ritz said.
She also pledges to support early learning and to stop increased reliance on standardized testing, now misappropriated to paint public schools, districts, students and teachers as failures. The inaccurate depiction doesn’t serve the state in attracting jobs or retaining young families.
Voters should compare the leadership styles and results of a politically ambitious superintendent versus his two widely respected predecessors. Ritz promises to serve more in the mold of Evans and Reed; she’s the easy choice for Indiana’s top education post.

Open House is planned at the Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation’s Early College High School on Thursday, Oct. 18, from 6:30-8:30 p.m. The event will take place at Ivy Tech Community College – where Early College is housed – in rooms 101 and 102.
Now in its third year, Early College is enrolling this year’s eighth graders to be next year’s freshman class. The open house is designed as a night for families to learn more about the program and see the college atmosphere in which students will have their classes.
Students enrolled in the EVSC Early College High School spend half of their day at their home high school and the other half on the campus of Ivy Tech during their freshman and sophomore years. During their junior year, students will choose degree pathways offered through Vincennes University or Ivy Tech. Students may also enroll at select courses offered at the University of Evansville.
Students at Early College High School can earn a high school diploma and earn college credit toward an associate’s or bachelor’s degree.
Early College allows students to attend college classes and explore career options; reduce family tuition costs; learn in a small, personalized environment, and gain self-confidence with high quality work experience and support.
Go to sites.evscschools.com/earlycollege to learn more. Have questions? Call Director Wendy McNamara at 812-492-0532.