In May, Daniel Craig, associate professor of music and director of USI’s Chamber Choir and Women’s Choir, took students on the 11th international tour he’s led since joining USI 22 years ago.

Craig has taken the University choirs on trips to Poland, Canada, Germany, and Ireland. The spring 2012 tour was the fifth trip to Ireland for the Chamber Choir in the last decade. Craig has been to Ireland six times, taking a sabbatical there in 2007.

Rowan Tree, his Irish traditional band, accompanies the Chamber Choir on its Ireland tours. “I’ve been writing and arranging Irish traditional music for eight years,” Craig said. “It’s one of my areas of interest and research; my passion and my creative work.”

The choir’s performances in Ireland raise money for local charities, including the Clare Crusaders, AIDS West, and the Society of St. Vincent de Paul.

View images of the 2012 Chamber Choir tour of Ireland.

Although USI currently has no music major, Craig is preparing a music minor for which courses are already in place and anticipates it will be approved in fall 2012 and offered in fall 2013.

Craig will be awarded the Arts Council of Southwestern Indiana’s Vanderburgh County Arts Award at a banquet and awards ceremony in September

Source: USI.edu

I want the people of Evansville to know that I did indeed tell City Council President Connie Robinson that I wanted to withdraw my resolution to rescind the loan approval for Earthcare Energy that I sponsored. My decision was based on the realization that it was not going to pass. It was in my judgment a better choice to withdraw the resolution at this time than it was to see it defeated by the same 5 – 4 vote that the loan was approved by.

Mayor Lloyd Winnecke has personally assured me that the Earthcare Energy deal will not be resurrected. I trust the Mayor to honor his word and to do what is in the best interest of the citizens of Evansville.

Knowing that the resolution would not have passed and having faith in Mayor Winnecke’s word was the driving force behind my decision to withdraw the resolution. Should Earthcare ever pursue litigation to attempt to force the City of Evansville to make this loan it is important that the possibility is preserved to bring a similar resolution back under different circumstances so the support of the full City Council can be sought.

Personally I am on a leave of absence and could not attend Monday’s meeting of the Evansville City Council. I do have every intention to fulfill the duties that the people of the 3rd Ward elected me to carry out. I take my responsibilities very seriously.

With respect to the conclusions reached from the over 100 hours that I spent researching the people behind Earthcare Energy, I stand behind my work. Every discovery that was made during this vetting phase was as a result of uncovering publicly available information that speaks for itself.

Every member of the Evansville City Council, Mayor Winnecke’s Office, and all of the Evansville media were supplied with the research. Any of my fellow City Council members who are inclined can simply take the time to read the public documents in the package that I put together. As I said, the public record speaks for itself.

As for the allegation that I am a racist, I openly repudiate any and all assertions and accusations of such matters. My entire career and even my entire life has been based on fairness and equality. I take pride in my support of working people of all races.

Finally, I would like to thank everyone who has taken the time to familiarize themselves with the details of my research. I would also like to thank the people who had the courage to support my conclusions and to especially acknowledge the leadership of Mayor Winnecke in making the right decision when all of the facts were gathered.

I am committed to doing everything within my power to make judgments that will lead to a prosperous future for the City of Evansville that I love. I look forward to the day when my leave of absence is over so I can once again carry out my duties in person.

Sincerely,
Stephanie Brinkerhoff-Riley
Evansville City Councilwoman, 3rd Ward

On the morning of Tuesday, June 26th, 2012, an unexpected incident will occur aboard
Casino Aztar’s City of Evansville Riverboat Casino that will put both patrons and
employees in great danger. This frightful situation will only be part of an annual drill but
one for which Casino Aztar must be prepared.

Each year, Casino Aztar, located in Downtown Evansville, Indiana, tests and updates its
emergency response plans with a state-required Disaster Drill. On June 26th, Casino
Aztar employees will be instructed to perform various roles in the complex scenario.

This is a full scale exercise that will include a number of local agencies including the
Evansville Police Department, SWAT (Special Weapons and Tactics) Team, Evansville
Fire Department, Indiana Gaming Commission and American Medical Response Team.

The exercise will be conducted between 8:00AM and 10:30AM and will require the use
of Casino Level One. However, Casino Levels Two and Three will be accessible to Aztar
guests and visitors during this time.

Evansville, Ind. – Thousands of WWE fans funneled into the Ford Center on Wednesday night to take part in SmackDown, Evansville’s first televised WWE event since 2000. The atmosphere was electric as WWE Superstars like John Cena, Christian, Sheamus, Aberto Del Rio and many others took to the ring as championships were put on the line. Ford Center was transformed with thousands of lights, high-definition screens and impressive pyro displays, looking its best for a national televised audience. “It’s always a pleasure to welcome WWE back to the Ford Center and to host their televised SmackDown show. This world-class production will showcase the City of Evansville and its Ford Center on a national level when it is aired on the Syfy channel,” stated Executive Director Scott Schoenike. Fans can see the broadcast in its entirety this Friday, June 29 at 7 p.m. (CST) on the Syfy channel. Ford Center continues to bring a diverse lineup of strong upcoming performances such as James Taylor July 11, Trespass America Festival featuring Five Finger Death Punch July 31, World’s Toughest Rodeo September 1, Brad Paisley October 4, Journey November 8 and Disney Live! Mickey’s Music Festival November 11.

Evansville, IN – Tuesday, June 26, 2012, Michael Groves was convicted in Vanderburgh County Superior Court of two counts of Dealing in Methamphetamine, both Class A Felony charges. Groves faces 20-50 years in the Indiana Department of Corrections for each count. Judge Robert Tornatta will sentence Groves on August 1 at 9:30 a.m.

Chris Corey was convicted in Vanderburgh County Superior Court of Class D Felony, Possession of a Marijuana as well as Possession of Paraphernalia, a Class A Misdemeanor. Corey faces ½-3 years in the Indiana Department Corrections for the D Felony and 0-1 year for the misdemeanor. Judge David Kiely will sentence Corey on July 23 at 9:30 a.m.

EVANSVILLE, IN – The Traveling City Hall meeting for June will be held tomorrow, June 27th, from 5:30 to
7 p.m. at Oaklyn Branch Library, 3001 Oaklyn Drive. 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. Also attending the meeting will be Vanderburgh County Auditor Joe Gries
and representatives from the Vanderburgh County Health Department.

The meeting will begin with a presentation by Ed Ziemer, Deputy Director of the Evansville Water and
Sewer Utility, on trash removal and recycling options the city is considering for eligible residential
dwelling units within the City of Evansville. The public will have a chance to ask questions about the
proposed service and talk one-on-one with utility officials following the presentation. In July, the City
will seek competitive bids for residential trash collection, disposal and recycling services.

Traveling City Hall meetings are held on the last Wednesday of each month at different locations in
neighborhoods throughout the city from 5:30 to 7 p.m. All residents are invited to attend any session.

The next Traveling City Hall meetings will be held on July 25th at Methodist Temple, 2109 Lincoln
Avenue. Evansville Department of Sustainability, Energy & Environmental Quality Director Dona
Bergman and Evansville Environmental Protection Agency Director Derrick Ohning will open the July
meeting with a presentation on air quality issues.

The City County Observer has learned that the Chief Information Officer (CIO) for the City of Evansville and Vanderburgh County, Matt Arvay has tendered his resignation effective immediately. Mr. Arvay and the IT Department has recently been the subject of City Councilman John Friend’s call for an audit of the IT Department. Arvay has also been the chief architect and proponent of the Johnson Controls WiFi deal that was originated under then Mayor Jonathan Weinzapfel’s Administration and signed during his last days.

Councilman Friend has also been questioning the accounting methods and savings associated with the Johnson Control’s contract that was signed on the basis of having enough savings to pay for itself. Arvay’s resignation comes the morning after Councilman Friend sought and was given approval to spend $20,000 to hire an independent contractor to vet the Johnson Controls contract which over the full term of 20 years is scheduled to cost the people of Evansville approximately $80 Million.