Greetings from Mallie, a 1-year-old spayed DSH. Mallie is probably one of the sweetest cats you’ll ever meet. She will do wonderfully in a home with children and other pets. Mallie craves attention and her new owner can bank on finding her right next to them almost all the time. Mallie has come a long way from the day she arrived at the VHS. Despite Mallie being a pretty awesome cat, she needs a little TLC as she is a bit on the skinny side due to a rough life before arriving here at the VHS. This wonderful cat will be the perfect addition to any family looking to add a ray of sunshine to their lives. For more information on Mallie, visit us on the web at www.vhslifesaver.org or call (812) 426-2563.
VHS Pet of the Week: “Mallie”
Mayor Winnecke Included in “U.S. Mayor” Magazine
Below is a link to download a PDF of the entire publication.
The August 6, 2012 edition of U.S.Mayor is now available at:
http://usmayors.org/usmayornewspaper/documents/08_06_12
Inside you will find:
– Philadelphia Leadership Meeting: July 18-20 – Nutter, Conference of Mayors Leaders Develop “Building a Better America†2012 Agenda
– Mayors React to Tragic Shootings in Aurora
– Nutter Stresses Jobs, Voting Rights at National Urban League
– Stanton, Sanders: Sequestration = 2.14 Million Job Cuts
– Berger, Becker Testify on EPA’s Integrated Water Plan
– Emanuel to Chair New USCM Infrastructure Task Force
Evansville Redevelopment Commission AGENDA: Hotel and Klenk’s Claim on Agenda
Evansville Redevelopment Commission
AGENDA
Tuesday, August 7, 2012 – 8:30 am
Civic Center Complex – Room 307
1. Call to Order
2. Approval of Minutes of July 17, 2012
3. Approval of Executive Session Memo of July 24, 2012
4. Approval of Accounts Payable Vouchers
5. Design Review
329 Main St – Kunkel Group, exterior stair panels – solid color option preferred
Vendor Cart Approval – Gofer Vening
6. Downtown Redevelopment Area
Resolution 12-ERC-28 – Awarding a Contract for Remediation at Old Greyhound Bus Station
Resolution 12-ERC-29 – Authorizing Funding for Modifications at the Old Post Office for GSA
7. Other Business
Update on Downtown Convention Hotel RFQ process
Presentation of Facts about Klenck Company’s demolition claim
8. 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.
Study of 34 Countries Shows that Stimulus Efforts Failed Everywhere
In a study by Arthur Laffer on the effects of the stimulus plans concocted and implemented in 34 industrialized nations, the clear conclusion is that increasing the government spending as a percentage of GDP (stimulus) has not had the intended consequences anywhere. Furthermore the raw data shows that the more a country stimulated the more damage was done and that the lower the stimulus package the less damage was done. The four nations—Estonia, Ireland, the Slovak Republic and Finland—with the biggest stimulus programs had the steepest declines in growth.
It is largely proven that when government spending is at or near 18% that growth is maximized. When government spending deviates from 18% either direction economic growth is blunted. American government spending as a share of GDP rose to a high of 27.3% in 2009 from 21.4% in late 2007. This increase is virtually all stimulus spending, including add-ons to the agricultural and housing bills in 2007, the $600 per capita tax rebate in 2008, the TARP and Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac bailouts, “cash for clunkers,” additional mortgage relief subsidies and, of course, President Obama’s $860 billion stimulus plan that promised to deliver unemployment rates below 6% by now. Our GDP growth as a result of this increase in government spending was -8.4%.
Link to article and data.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10000872396390444873204577537244225685010.html
IS IT TRUE August 6, 2012 Part 2
IS IT TRUE that the General Sales Manager at D Patrick’s, Tony Ricketts has decided to throw his hat in the political ring by announcing sometime this week that he shall be a candidate for the office of District 3 School Board?… that Mr. Ricketts has amassed an impressive list of names on his candidate petition? —that candidate Ricketts shall have a major visual recognition advantage because he is the one in the D-Patrick T V commercial asking you the question “What’s in your Driveway”?… he is also the guy who welcomes you on stage when you attend the D-Patrick Broadway Series at the Center …we hear the School Board candidate Ricketts has also already received support of many Westside political mover and shakers?
IS IT TRUE that word just went out that the president and CEO of the Chamber of Commerce of SW Indiana, Matt Meadors is going to be heading out to the central Texas town of Waco to assume the leadership of the Chamber of Commerce there?…that Big Red or Teen Wolf as he is affectionately known will be just another member of the educated professional class to take the opportunity to pack his bags for someplace that is not Evansville?…this announcement comes on the same day that it was made public that the last vestige of the Whirlpool Corporation is shutting down the last of their operations in the City of Evansville?
IS IT TRUE at one time in the early 1980’s that Whirlpool had 10,000 people working for them in Evansville?…after that peak there has seemed to be a continual drop in employment until in the summer of 2009 there were only about 1,300 remaining employees in the big turquoise building?…that the 1,000 of those who were in the business of actually making things were advised on August 28, 2009 that they would all be let go during the summer of 2010?…that just like a clock over the objections of Union leader Rich Trumka and former Mayor Jonathan Weinzapfel in the summer of 2010 the deed was done?
IS IT TRUE that an idea was hatched on the date of the announcement that Whirlpool manufacturing would be leaving to pull out all of he stops to keep the engineering design and professional services group that employed about 300 people to stay as a working design center for Whirlpool?…there were even dreams hatched to develop a product development park near Whirlpool that would attract talented design teams including and expanded Whirlpool from all over the Midwest?…at the end of the day all of the king’s horses and all of the king’s men could not pull it off?
IS IT TRUE that today’s news of Whirlpool pulling the plug on the Evansville design center did not happen because local political leaders and their surrogates like GAGE did not know what should have been done?…this bad news came because the best laid plans of mice and men just couldn’t be made to happen?…there will be many fingers pointed and that the fingers will be pointing at well intentioned people who knew what to do but couldn’t get the band of local government, state government, and Whirlpool officials to make it happen?…in all reality the die was cast for the departure of Whirlpool back in the 80’s when the first reductions in force were met by local officials with arrogance and a dismissive nature?…that by the fall of 2009 it was nearly too late?…that today it is clearly too late?
IS IT TRUE we wonder just how much the distractions of things like Earthcare Energy, exercise videos, staff raises, denial, and other trivial pursuits took the time of local officials away from real problems?…we even wonder if the powers that be learned about this today like the rest of us?…that today it is sealed that 302 educated professionals (Whirlpool + Meadors family) will either be leaving Evansville for employment elsewhere or heading for the underemployment line?
Hasta la Vista Evansville: Whirlpool ending Design Center Experiment
Whirlpool has announced that it will close the last working division that is in Evansville by the end of 2014. This comes on the heels of the 2009 announcement that all manufacturing jobs would be gone in 2010 that was followed through on. At it’s peak Whirlpool had about 10,000 Evansville based employees and was the biggest reason for Evansville’s title as the “Refrigerator Capital of the United States”.
This is a developing story.
VANDERBURGH COUNTY FELONY CHARGES
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 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, Kelly Walsh, Treasurer
Evansville, IN – Below is a list of felony cases that were filed by the Vanderburgh County Prosecutor’s Office on Friday, August 3, 2012.
Tiffani Colschen Possession of Methamphetamine – Class D Felony
Shelly Garrison Conspiracy to Commit Dealing in a Schedule III Controlled Substance – Class B
Felony
Joyce Hanes Possession of a Chemical Reagents or Precursors With the Intent to
Manufacture a Controlled Substance – Class D Felony
Possession of Marijuana – Class A Misdemeanor
Elvis King, Jr. Conspiracy to Commit Dealing in a Schedule III Controlled Substance – Class B
Felony
Heather Kuenzli Theft – Class D Felony
Terri Lindenschmidt Possession of a Chemical Reagents or Precursors With the Intent to
Manufacture a Controlled Substance – Class D Felony
Driving While Suspended – Class A Misdemeanor
Lance Luke Operating a Vehicle as an Habitual Traffic Violator – Class D Felony
Christopher Roman Conspiracy to Commit Dealing in Methamphetamine – Class B Felony
Kent Stevens Possession of a Controlled Substance – Class D Felony
James Whitledge Attempted Forgery – Class C Felony; Attempted Fraud – Class D Felony
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
Class C Misdemeanor 0-60 Days
IS IT TRUE August 6, 2012
IS IT TRUE August 6, 2012
IS IT TRUE it is once again deadline day at the City of Evansville?…there are two key deadlines and that both of them are today and that both have to do with the things that the Department of Metropolitan Development initiated?…that the first deadline is another $370 or so payment that is due to the City of Evansville by Earthcare Energy as the interest only portion on the balance of $184,000 owed on the $200,000 loan that was backdoored to them by the Economic Development Authority Loan Fund without even telling the Evansville City Council what was going on?
IS IT TRUE the second deadline is the little issue of interested developers submitting their qualifications for consideration to be included in receiving a real RFP (request for proposal) from the City of Evansville to build and operate a downtown Convention Hotel?…that at least the Hunden study that cost the taxpayers of Evansville $75,000 got the final valuation right?…the recommended City contribution to the project is between $6M and $7.3M but does not include much of the infrastructure needed like hooking up the bridge to nowhere or putting up a parking tower?…that the City County Observer predicts that there will indeed be at least one qualified and interested developer and that the City of Evansville will end up absorbing between $15 Million and $20 Million of the expenses required to get this hotel to the ribbon cutting?
IS IT TRUE that the City is at this time proposing or planning $8 Million for a dog park, skateboard heaven, plain old park combination at what may soon be the former Roberts Stadium site?…there is also the Centennial Park announced by former Mayor Weinzapfel for an additional $2 Million right before he left office?…that neither of those two parks which are not needed have identified where the money is coming from?…the $10 Million total is in the ballpark of the entire annual budget for the Parks Department that still is not proving it has the capacity to even do the minimal job required to keep up the parks that Evansville already has?…then there is the resurrected ball fields for another $13 Million bringing the total on the table already to $23 Million?…when you add this $23 Million to the total that the City will spend to get a downtown Convention Hotel that adds up to about $40 Million?
IS IT TRUE if you add that $40 Million to the $127 Million Ford Center plus the ALREADY CONTRACTED deal with Johnson Controls for $53 Million the grand total is $220 Million that will have been spent on what are basically frivolous things at a time when the City of Evansville is under EPA court order to repair the Combined Sewers over polluting the river, the streets, the slough, etc?…THE SPENDING ON FUN AND GAMES THAT WERE AND ARE CONSCIOUS DECISIONS BY THE CITY OF EVANSVILLE IS NEARLY SUFFICIENT TO HAVE PAID TO FIX OUR SEWERS?
IS IT TRUE those who wonder why there is resistance to consolidated government need look no further than the thought process that produced this series of spending decisions?…maxing the credit cards to pay for temples to sport when the basic infrastructure is not functional is simply irresponsible?…on the other hand there are many supporters of consolidation that believe that the City of Evansville is in such shambles because of idiocy and that the only hope for Evansville is to be taken over by Vanderburgh County?…both arguments have merit and that it sort of comes down to the old metaphor about whether the glass is half empty or half full?…that very much depends on whether one is drinking or pouring?
IS IT TRUE that a reader brought up a question about why President Obama is not renting out the old Roger’s Jewelry store during this election cycle for a campaign headquarters?…that answer lies in the poll released yesterday showing him trailing Mitt Romney in Indiana by a margin of 51% to 35%?…that indicates clearly that Hoosiers are not in the mood for another helping of Presidential Kool-Aid this year?…that with $400 Million already spent on a voter registration campaign, $200 Million on attack ads, and a dwindling war chest Air Force One will not likely be landing anywhere that is not contested or handing our campaign contributions?
USI grant provides dental service, teaching opportunities
The Dental Hygiene Program at the University of Southern Indiana recently received a $2,000 service learning grant from the University to help promote opportunities for faculty to engage students in service learning projects related to dental assisting and dental hygiene. Service learning projects at USI foster community engagement and fall somewhere between volunteering and internship/field placement. They provide a clear benefit to the community and are excellent learning opportunities for students.
The grant funded a two-day program, August 1-2, for faculty members who provided free services for local dental patients with a financial need. Retired dentist and full-time faculty member Sam Euler conducted full examinations for patients and gave free advice on oral issues ranging from simple checkups to extensive dental work.
“Our main reason for doing this is to help our faculty understand the importance of service learning projects for both students and the community that is served,†said Emily Holt, clinical assistant professor of dental hygiene and dental assisting, who secured the grant.
Over the two days, the team saw more than 31 patients. In addition to Euler and Holt, team members included Jennifer Bartek, instructor in dental hygiene; Sheri Kipling, instructor in dental hygiene and dental assisting; and Kim Parsons, assistant professor of dental hygiene and dental assisting. Two of the faculty with previous service learning experience served as mentors for the group.
“Any time we can get our faculty on board and help them to understand the impact that service learning can make, it helps them become more creative about incorporating these kinds of opportunities into their classes,†added Holt. “We also knew that we could benefit the community while serving our own needs. Knowing that the Vanderburgh County Community Dental Clinic was closing, we thought that this would be a good service to offer the community.â€
In addition to a full exam, patients received a complete dental hygiene treatment, x-rays, fluoride treatments and a rechargeable power toothbrush to take home. Patients were also offered paid roundtrip transportation through the METS bus system.
Clinic offers ongoing services
The USI Dental Hygiene Clinic, located in Room 1044 in the Health Professions Center, continues to offer low cost, professional services to adults and children of all ages. Services are performed by students in the Dental Hygiene Program and are supervised and evaluated by USI faculty.
The clinic offers dental hygiene treatment, radiographs (x-rays), fluoride, and sealants, all for one low fee. Appointments range from 90 minutes to several hours, depending on the age of the patient and services included.
During the fall (September through December), appointments are available at 8 a.m. and 1 p.m. Monday and Wednesday and 5:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday. During the spring semester (January through April), appointment times are 8 a.m., 1 p.m., and 5:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday.
Call 812/464-1706 to make an appointment or receive more information.
Keep Evansville Beautiful Rallies Volunteers for Exceptional 2012 Great American Cleanup Results
Evansville, Indiana – From January through June, more than 2,000 volunteers from every corner
of Evansville joined together as a part of Keep Evansville Beautiful’s 2012 Great American
Cleanup. More than 1,000 of the volunteers were recruited through Clean Evansville Initiative,
a new partnership between the City of Evansville, Keep Evansville Beautiful and corporate
sponsors.
The 2012 Great American Cleanup theme, “Green Starts Here: Renew, Restore, Regrowâ€
encouraged volunteer groups, community leaders and people of all ages and walks of life to
create a more sustainable community through their efforts as volunteers and through their
daily choices and actions.
“We live in a great community of people coming together to make sustainable changes in their
environment,†said Tim Hollander, General Manager Administration Division for Toyota Motor
Manufacturing, Indiana, and board member for Keep Evansville Beautiful. The theme, Green
Starts Here: Renew, Restore, Regrow captured the passion of the local citizens working to
take care of our community. “I believe this year’s program was well executed, and overall the
project was very successful,†said Hollander.
Keep Evansville Beautiful coordinated 56 events including Ivy Tech’s Dream Day Project; Master
Gardener’s beautification of Sunrise Park; North High School student’s DECA Clothing Drive
project; and Mayor Lloyd Winnecke’s Clean Evansville monthly cleanups.
This year, Keep Evansville Beautiful logged the participation of 2,060 volunteers with a total
of 177 volunteer hours of work valued at $141,504. Nearly 50,000 pounds of litter, debris
and bulky waste were collected in Evansville. Volunteers collected 184 pounds of recyclables
and 400 pounds of clothing to reuse. Among cleanups and beautification projects, 14 covered
487 acres of city parks; and 166.5 miles of roadways were cleaned. An estimated 255 people
attended educational sessions, and 500 residents participated in a variety of events.
Jennifer Mason, Public Affairs for Keep Evansville Beautiful said the 2012 Great American
Cleanup was well received by the community. “I believe this is one of the best projects to get
involved with as a volunteer. It takes very little time, skill and effort to make a huge impact for
everyone in our community, and being a part of it has been a great experience.â€
About Keep Evansville Beautiful
Keep Evansville Beautiful is a catalyst for citizen action creating a beautiful, inviting, healthy
outdoor environment to assure an improved quality of life and enhanced economic growth for
the greater Evansville area.
KEB is a private not-for-profit organization founded in 1972 as a special committee of the
Metropolitan Evansville Chamber of Commerce. At the time, the President of Mead Johnson
and Company, Dr. James Tulholski presented a $10,000 challenge grant to the Chamber of
Commerce for creation of an entity to promote civic pride and image.
KEB has grown independently to become a regional partner for economic development via a
progressive plan of green-infrastructure, sustainable conservation education and citizenship
training.
Great American Cleanup Local Sponsors
The local sponsors of the 2012 Great American Cleanup are: Allied Waste Republic Services;
West Side Nut Club; Toyota Indiana; Evansville Courier & Press; Heritage Petroleum; Plato’s
Closet; Peabody Energy; Coca-Cola; Deaconess Hospital; Veolia Environmental Services; 93.5
WOLF; Rally’s; Wendy’s; Hardee’s; Denny’s; Grandy’s; Long John Silver’s; Lewis Bakeries;
Department of Metropolitan Development; Vanderburgh County Solid Waste Department;
Lowe’s; and Home Depot.
Great American Cleanup National Sponsors
The national sponsors of the 2012 Great American Cleanup are: The Dow Chemical Company;
The Glad Products Company; LG Electronics U.S.A., Inc.; Lowe’s Companies, Inc. through the
Lowe’s Charitable and Educational Foundation; Nestlé® Pure Life® Purified Water; PepsiCo’s
Pepsi-Cola and Gatorade companies; The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company; Solo Cup Company;
Troy-Bilt® Lawn and Garden Equipment; Waste Management, Inc.; and Wm. Wrigley Jr. Co.
Promotional Partners are: Crescent Art and Framing Products, Miss America Organization and
Valvoline, a division of Ashland, Inc. Educational Partners are: Owens-Illinois, Inc., Rubber
Manufacturers Association and WM Recycle America. Retail Promotional Partner is: Colgate-
Palmolive Company.