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Rep. Ledbetter fights to protect reliability

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of Indiana’s electrical grid in new bill

STATEHOUSE (Jan. 29, 2024) – State Rep. Cindy Ledbetter (R-Newburgh) authored legislation to protect the reliability and resiliency of the state’s electrical grid as service providers transition to alternative energy sources.

According to the Indiana Utilities and Regulatory Commission 2023 Report, coal still powers 47% of the state’s electricity needs. Ledbetter said with more energy providers moving away from coal-fired electric generators and replacing them with less reliable energy sources, many fear the risks that severe storms and increased use of electricity may have on the electrical grid.

“I support Indiana’s efforts to increase its energy mix as long as we’re also looking out for Hoosiers when it comes to affordability and reliability,” Ledbetter said. “This bill would simply ensure that we have a slower and more reliable transition from coal to alternate energy sources without compromising our current grid.”

Ledbetter’s bill would require all utility companies retiring coal-fired units to get approval first from the IURC and prove the decision would save customers money. Ledbetter said her bill would prevent utility companies from retiring generating units too fast and without reliable and sustainable replacements.

In the last 10 years, nearly 30 coal-fired generation units were retired due to old age or environmental regulations, and almost 20 more are scheduled for decommission by 2035.

 

IIT NARCH 25

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IS IT TRUE that we are told that several members of the Evansville City Council, many taxpayers, and a former member of the Evansville Parks Board are extremely upset that the City Parks have not been maintained properly over the last several years

IS IT TRUE we wonder if you would build a new home and had no clear-cut idea of what the final costs would be. …we also wonder if you wanted to purchase a new car and didn’t have any concrete idea of the total costs of the car would you buy it? …we also wonder how members of the Evansville Parks and Recreation Department Board can decide to build “24 Pickleball Courts” at Wesselman Park without having detailed financial costs for phases 1 and 2 of the project

IS IT TRUE we wonder if you would build a new home and had no clear-cut idea of what the final costs would be. …we also wonder if you wanted to purchase a new car and didn’t have any concrete idea of the total costs of the car would you buy it? …we also wonder how members of the Evansville Parks and Recreation Department Board can decide to build “24 Pickleball Courts” at Wesselman Park without having detailed financial costs for phases 1 and 2 of the project

IS IT TRUE that we are told by reliable sources that Fendrich Golf Course officials had the health department recently check on a black mold issue inside their building

IS IT TRUE that the word gentrification is being bantered about like a weapon?…what gentrification refers to is the mass change in the rental units in a certain area being converted from government-subsidized housing to housing that the new residents pay for themselves?…gentrification is something that cities and counties hope for but sometimes it strikes fear into the hearts and minds of the people who are being displaced?

IS IT TRUE the only problem with gentrification is that it displaces people who have been getting subsidies and who may not have the ability to get by without a housing subsidy?…gentrification has been known to grow homelessness?…in some cases like East Palo Alto, CA gentrification has been an overwhelming success in uplifting the area?…in the liberal bastion of Santa Monica it leads to the city using its laws to round up the homeless and put them on Greyhound busses and give them a one-way ticket to Phoenix, therefore exporting their problem to another state?

IS IT TRUE that we would like to give five (5) cheers to Vanderburgh County Coroner Steven W. Lockyear for doing an incredible job for the taxpayers of this community?

IS IT TRUE that the City-County Observer newspaper is a proud supporter of our law enforcement?

IS IT TRUE that everyone has a right to their opinions even if they are wrong?

IS IT TRUE when the people fear the Government we have Tyranny?  …when the Government fears the people we have liberty?

IS IT TRUE our “READERS POLLS” are non-scientific but trendy?

Positive and Significant Articles that have been Published Throughout the Years

 

 

JUST IN: Mayor Terry Announces Her Appointments For Chiefs Of The Police Department And Fire Department

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January 29, 2024

Evansville Mayor Stephanie Terry today announced her appointments for chiefs of the Evansville Police Department and Evansville Fire Department, as well as plans for hiring an in-house City Attorney.

“I know these are high-profile appointments and appointments that the public has been asking about since I took office on January 1,” Mayor Terry said. “These are incredibly important appointments; public safety is a top priority, providing a safe and secure environment, so ensuring that we have the right people to lead those areas has been my focus and the focus of my dedicated transition team who worked alongside me in this process.”

Mayor Terry announced the following appointments at a news conference this morning:

Philip Smith, Chief, Evansville Police Department: Philip Smith has served on the Evansville Police Department since January of 2013. He’s served as an officer in motor patrol, worked in the administration’s public information office as the department’s Special Projects Coordinator, and has served as the department’s Assistant Chief of Police since 2021. Smith has been recognized locally and nationally for his involvement and efforts in community policing. In 2020 he was recognized by then-United States Attorney General William Barr with the Attorney General’s Award for Distinguished Service in Policing. Before his career in law enforcement, he worked in the EVSC serving the youth of the Evansville community. Smith lives in Evansville with his family and looks forward to continuing his service to the citizens of Evansville under the Terry administration.

Anthony Knight, Chief, Evansville Fire Department: Tony Knight has worked with the Evansville Fire Department for 20 years, most recently as the Chief of Health and Safety. He has been a Licensed Paramedic for the past 21 years, serves as a Curriculum Development Specialist with the Indiana Fire and Public Safety Academy, and was a member of Indiana FEMA Urban Search and Rescue Task Force One (INTF-1) for 7 years as a Hazardous Materials Specialist. Tony enjoys spending his time away from work with his wife Kerri, his children (Chase and Shelby), and his step-children (Kaedin, Gavin, Ava, and Hudson).

In addition, Mayor Terry announced her plans to seek an in-house legal team for the city.

“In the past, the city has hired an outside firm to represent the majority of our legal needs,” Mayor Terry said. “In examining our options with my transition team, we concluded that hiring an individual attorney to work out of the mayor’s office – and to focus exclusively on issues affecting the city – would be the most efficient option both financially and in terms of serving the needs of our city departments.”

Because this option would involve creating a new position in city government, the plan requires approval from the City Council. Mayor Terry said she plans to bring her recommendation to the next Council meeting on February 12, 2024.

 

Mayor to Announce Police, Fire Chiefs

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Mayor Stephanie Terry will hold a news conference this morning, January 29, at 11:15 a.m. to announce the appointment of chiefs for the Evansville Police Department and Evansville Fire Department, as well as her plan for the City Attorney position.

The news conference will be held in the Mayor’s Office, located in Room 302 of the Civic Center.

Aces women’s basketball fall to Valpo in weekend finale

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The Purple Aces dominated on the offensive glass in the loss

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – A quiet second half kept the University of Evansville women’s basketball team from its first conference win in a 70-59 loss to the Valparaiso Beacons.

Three players scored in double-figures for the Purple Aces on Sunday afternoon against the Beacons. Guard Madlena Gerke set a season-high on offense scoring 12 points while center Barbora Tomancova led UE on both sides of the ball. The graduate post player put in 15 points while grabbing 11 rebounds, also adding two assists, two steals, and a block. Forward Neveah Thomas also added 10 points for Evansville.

It took both teams over three minutes to find their offense on Sunday afternoon. But once the offenses got going it was a back-and-forth affair. Guard Madlena Gerke led the Aces with five points as she connected on an and-1 opportunity at the four-and-a-half-minute mark. The and-1 spurred a five-point run for UE to keep the lead. But the Beacons responded to take the lead for a minute and a half. Evansville was able to end the quarter on a six-point run capped by a Tené Smith layup to tie the game at 13 all.

The lead was traded early in the second as Valpo connected on an early three. The Aces took it right back on a five-point run that the Beacons would tie. Guard Kynidi Mason Striverson got UE the lead again with Evansville’s first three of the game with 6:07 on the board. The Aces kept control of the lead for over two minutes. Valparaiso regained the upper hand as the quarter went on, ending on a seven-point run to put UE down by seven going into halftime.

It was a hot start to the third for Evansville as Mason Striverson made a layup in less than 20 seconds. But a seven-point run from the Beacons had the Aces down by 12 points. UE grabbed back-to-back baskets to make it only a single-digit deficit. Valpo responded with a basket, but Evansville broke out on a seven-point run from Gerke and guard Lexie Sinclaire to make it only a three-point game. But following two free throws from Gerke, the Aces went scoreless for three minutes and 35 seconds. Thomas ended UE’s scoring drought on a layup assisted by Tomancova with just over a minute left in the third. Tomancova scored for Evansville at the line in the final second of the quarter to make it 57-43.

The start of the fourth quarter was a back-and-forth affair like the beginning of the game. But with a 15-point deficit and only six and a half minutes left in the contest, the Aces couldn’t find their way back to the lead. With no sustained offensive run, UE fell to the Beacons 70-59.

Evansville will have six days off before its next game to close out its current homestand at Meeks Family Fieldhouse. The Aces welcome the Bradley Braves to town for their National Girls and Women in Sports Day game. UE will celebrate with a clinic for local girls’ 8th grade

VU Track and Field takes center stage against tough competition at PNC Lenny Lyles Invitational

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LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The Vincennes University Track and Field teams once again found themselves as one of the only two-year programs competing in a meet this weekend, heading to Louisville, Ky. to take part in the 2024 PNC Lenny Lyles Invitational hosted by the University of Louisville.

The Blazers were up against several NCAA Division I programs, including athletes from Purdue University, Ohio State University, Michigan State University, Florida State University, Texas Tech University and host University of Louisville.

Tough competition aside, the Trailblazers again more than held their own highlighted by five top-10 event finishes.

The VU men’s track and field team was led by sprinter Desroy Jordan who took second place in the 400 meter seeded event, finishing with a time of 47.44 seconds.

Teammates Olamipo Ladipo and Zion Pruitt competed in the 400 meter unseeded event with Ladipo placing 12th with a time of 50.15 seconds and Pruitt finishing 28th at 52.62 seconds.

Those three then competed with Tumaini Skinner in the 4×400 meter relay to place eighth overall with a time of 3:16.58.

Skinner, on his own, took home 17th in the 60 meter dash at 7.24 seconds, while Cohen Gallant placed seventh in the 60 meters at 7.01 seconds.

Gallant then competed in the unseeded 200 meters and placed 26th at 23.50 seconds, while Clinton Laguerre finished 11th at 22.43 seconds.

The Trailblazers men’s distance runners held their own as well, led by Cody Noel and Caden Hostetler in the 5000 meters with Noel placing 15th at 15:54.30 and Hostetler ending at 16:16.49 good for 17th overall.

Tanner Spence and Nathan Whitehead were in the mile with Spence taking 35th at 4:36.76 and Whitehead ending at 4:52.12 for 40th overall.

Bryaun Manuel and Matthew Gray then finished out the men’s track side in the 800 meters with Manuel placing 38th at 2:04.70 and Gray finishing 44th overall at 2:11.56.

In the field events the VU men’s team was led by Jeremiah Ziebert who placed 22nd in the shot put with a throw of 12.32 meters.

Jacob Wickman placed 28th in the shot put at 10.94 meters and took home 27th in the weight throw with a throw of 12.62 meters.

Jacob Smith rounded out the VU throwers with a toss of 10.52 meters in the weight throw, good for 34th overall.

Another major highlight of the weekend for the Blazers was courtesy of Olegs Kozjakovs who took part in his first heptathlon of the year.

Kozjakovs finished sixth overall after accumulating 5,215 points, highlighted by third place finishes in the shot put and pole vault, a fourth place finish in the long jump and a fifth place finish in the high jump.

“We told our team we were going to put them on a big stage and boy did we,” VU Head Track and Field Coach Marty Rogier said. “This meet had 25 schools, seven from Division I Power Five Conferences, as well as professional athletes that were working on qualifying marks and points for World Rankings.”

“I feel fortunate that we were allowed to compete as the only Junior College in one of the top ranked indoor meets in the country,” Rogier added. “Based on the results and the attention we received from several of the top programs, I think we represented VU very well.”

 

Vanderburgh County Arrest Warrants

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Vanderburgh County Arrest Warrants

Vanderburgh County Recent Booking Records

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Booked Last 24 Hours-Public

INDIANA’S GOP CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION SUPPORTS REP. KENDELL CULP’S BILL TO PROT

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mike braun
mike Braun

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Mike Braun and U.S. Representative Jim Banks have led a letter of support for State Representative Kendell Culp’s bill HB 1183, a bill to protect Indiana’s agricultural land from being purchased by our foreign adversaries, signed by Senator Braun, Representative Banks, Senator Todd Young, Representative Rudy Yakym, Representative Jim Baird, Representative Victoria Spartz, Representative Greg Pence, Representative Larry Bucshon, and Representative Erin Houchin.

The letter was covered by the Indianapolis Star today in the article State and federal lawmakers want to stop foreign adversaries from owning Hoosier farmland by Sarah Bowman.

The members write

“Over the last decade, foreign investors have expanded their acquisition of American agricultural land. While foreign ownership increased modestly between 2009 and 2015 by approximately 800,000 acres per year, this figure has more than quadrupled since 2015. In fact, since 2017, foreign investors have purchased an average of 2.9 million acres of American agricultural land every year – an amount of land, in total, nearly as large as the State of Indiana.

“In the State of Indiana, foreign investors own or lease 401,747 acres of agricultural land, about two percent of our total. Of Indiana’s foreign-owned or -controlled agricultural land, nearly 80 percent is cropland, 16 percent is pasture, and 3 percent is forestland.

“While most foreign investors do not pose a threat to our national security, the federal government maintains a list of foreign adversaries, including China, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Russia, and the

Maduro Regime in Venezuela, who are considered to ‘have engaged in a long-term pattern or serious instances of conduct significantly adverse to the national security of the United States.’

“While China is listed as a foreign adversary, the current legal regime has enabled Chinese individuals or entities to acquire American agricultural land. In fact, between 2010 and 2021, individuals or entities affiliated with China increased their ownership of American agricultural land from 13,720 to 383,935 acres. The increased interest of foreign adversaries like China in American agricultural land is gravely concerning and threatens our national security.

“During the same time that individuals and entities from China increased their ownership of American agricultural land, China also invested heavily in foreign energy and transportation infrastructure through its Belt and Road Initiative. stole and reversed engineered agricultural intellectual property, and leveraged corrupt influence over the international community. We are seriously concerned with China’s threat to American agriculture and believe that federal and state legislators share a responsibility to respond swiftly and seriously.

“We believe that HB 1183 provides the serious response needed to protect Hoosier agricultural land. Representative Culp’s bill creates a blanket prohibition against individuals or entities affiliated with any foreign adversary (as defined by 15 CFR § 7.4) from owning or leasing agricultural land. The bill also bans these individuals or entities from owning or leasing mineral rights, water rights, and riparian rights on agricultural land. Finally, HB 1183 includes language to prevent foreign adversaries from acquiring agricultural land by falsely and temporarily transitioning it out of agricultural use.”

 

Ledbetter authors bill to protect Hoosier motorists, slow pursuit of driverless trucks

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STATEHOUSE (Jan. 26, 2024) – State Rep. Cindy Ledbetter (R-Newburgh) authored legislation to protect Hoosier motorists by tapping the breaks on Indiana’s transition to automated semi-trucks until federal safety regulations catch up with the technology. 

In 2021, the American Trucking Association reported the trucking industry was short nearly 80,000 drivers. As a result, autonomous tractor trailers and other automated vehicles have become a more attractive alternative to traditional trucking, however Ledbetter says many Hoosiers have safety concerns.

“I understand the desire for self-driving vehicles and the innovations that could result in the transportation industry from autonomous tractor trailers,” Ledbetter said. “However, there are also dangers and risks. Whether that’s Wi-Fi connectivity issues, sensors becoming blocked or cyber-attacks, many constituents have expressed concerns about sharing the road with these heavy vehicles. We have to pursue this technology cautiously and ensure guardrails are in place to protect all drivers.”

To help, Ledbetter said her bill would require a human driver with a valid commercial driver’s license to be on board of an autonomous tractor-trailer and be able to take control at any time.

“I believe the federal government needs to act on uniform safety regulations for these types of vehicles before their use becomes widespread,” Ledbetter said. “Until then, it’s important that we have an added layer of protection by having human backup on board and ready to act.”

According to an MIT study, humans are still more reliable than fully autonomous vehicles alone. Ledbetter said with the ability to make quick decisions and decipher complex environments, a person can better navigate on and off ramps, and left turns into oncoming traffic with less incidents than an autonomous vehicle without a driver.

In the first month of 2024,  the national Autonomous Vehicle Collision Report shows 683 incidents reported by the Department of Motor Vehicles.  

House Bill 1022 is assigned to the House Roads and Transportation Committee for consideration. To learn more and follow legislative proceedings, visit iga.in.gov.

 

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