Rick Davis will officially file for Mayor of the City of Evansville at 11:30 a.m., Wednesday, Jan. 19 in the Election Office, Room 214 of the Civic Center.

Davis, 41, is the first Democratic candidate to announce that he will run in the Tuesday, May 3 city primary. He will be filing on the first official day of signups which run through noon Feb. 21.

“I picked the first filing date to officially put my name on the ballot because I want people to know I am running for the Office of Mayor and not against any particular person,” Davis said.

“During the campaign I will do my best to educate people on our platform: Job growth, transparency, public safety, and accountability,” he added.

Following the filing Wednesday, Davis will hold a luncheon at the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Coliseum located at 300 Court St. The public is invited to the filing and luncheon.

Davis, the Vanderburgh County Treasurer, first announced that he would run for Mayor on Nov. 11, 2010. In December, he started his grassroots campaign by going door-to-door, meeting the people of Evansville and listening to their ideas.

He has held two Town Hall meetings in the month of January and two more are planned for Jan. 20 at McCollough Library, 5115 Washington Ave., and Jan. 27 at Oaklyn Library, 3001 Oaklyn Drive. Both will take place from 6 to 7:30 p.m.

Davis, a lifelong resident of Vanderburgh County, graduated from F.J. Reitz High School in 1987. He received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Communications/Emphasis in Journalism from the University of Southern Indiana in 1993 and earned a Master of Science Degree in Public Service Administration from the University of Evansville in 2006.

Rick has administrative experience in both the public and private sectors. Prior to taking office on Jan. 1, 2009 as Vanderburgh County Treasurer, Davis was the Chief Deputy at the Vanderburgh County Recorder’s Office for more than 6 years. He previously was an Assistant Metro Editor and Southern Indiana Reporter at The Evansville Courier & Press; Managing Editor and Associate Editor at The Boonville Standard and Newburgh Register; and a sports reporter at The Henderson (Ky.) Gleaner.

Rick remains active in the Evansville community. He was the President of the Mount Auburn Neighborhood Association from 2006-2008. He has been a member of the West Sector Police Station’s National Night Out Committee since 2004 and is active in the United Neighborhoods of Evansville (UNOE). Rick is also a charter member of the John F. Kennedy Club of Vanderburgh County, a civic organization founded in 2008.

To view a schedule of events visit www.pickrickdavis.com

For more information please contact Bill Denton, Campaign Chairman at (812) 499-6312.

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WIBQ) – It’s been a burning debate for Terre Haute residents, but now the city will have a smoking ban.

The city council unanimously agreed last night to make all Terre Haute workplaces smoke free. All nine City Council members voted to ban smoking in all work places. It’s a decision that was reached after much debate. The ban will go into effect July 1st, 2012, which is the same time a proposed similar county ban would go into place.

This will also be an issue in this year’s state legislature. Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels has said he’ll support a state-wide ban on smoking in all Indiana workplaces.

What about Evansville? Last year for the first time the Evansville City Council deadlocked 4 to 4 with one member absent on a stronger smokefree workplace ordinance that currently exists. There was still an unrestricted exception for Casino Aztar that sparked much debate over the fairness to other entertainment venues. The Vanderburgh County Council has stated clearly that a comprehensive smokefree workplace resolution will be fast tracked this year. Is it true that we are beginning to wonder if Evansville will be the last city on earth to get around to passing a resolution to provide for comprehensive smokefree workplaces for all of its citizens? It is one thing to be behind California and New York. It is quite another to lag Terre Haute.

News Release

INDIANAPOLIS — Governor Mitch Daniels has appointed Kari Evans Bennett to the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission (IURC).

“The nominating committee presented me with a full slate of qualified candidates and I believe that Kari’s vast regulatory experience and legal background make her the best prepared of an excellent group,” said Daniels.

When a vacancy occurs on the IURC, applications are solicited from the public and accepted by a seven member nominating committee. The committee, comprising four legislative and three gubernatorial appointments, screens the applications and conducts interviews that are open to the public. After conducting the public interviews, the nominating committee recommends three candidates to the governor who then names a new member to the commission.

Members of the nominating committee are committee chair William Stephan, Jennifer Messer, Greg Gibson, Mark Pope, Susan Sandberg, Larry Buell and June Lyle.

Although she has never appeared before the IURC, Bennett has practiced environmental law for 12 years, both regulating industry and representing business and municipal interests before environmental regulators. Bennett is an Indianapolis attorney currently serving as chief legal counsel for the Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR). Prior to her service with DNR, she was an attorney in the Indiana Department of Environmental Management and a policy director in the governor’s office. Additionally, she practiced law with Barnes & Thornburg LLP. Bennett earned her bachelor’s degree from Miami University, Ohio and her law degree from the University of Minnesota Law School.

Bennett replaces former chairman David Lott Hardy and will serve the remainder of a four-year term that ends on March 31, 2014. Her appointment is effective immediately.

Source: Office of the Governor

The Most Poignant Readers Comments of the Week

“Is it true that some members of the city council have a conflict of interest on the smoking issue? Is it true that at least two council members have a financial interest in restaurants or bars? Is it true that these conflicts of interest should be reason for some city council members to abstain from voting on this issue?”
Johnny Kincaid

“Is it true that if this body (County Commissioners) so boldly proclaims that it represents everyone in the county equally when it comes to consolidation yet fails to protect the health and welfare of those inside the city when it comes to smoking, that this body obviously suffers from an identity crisis and is, at best, acting in a hypocritical manner?

Is it true that in order to clear up this obviously hypocritical stance, the County Commissioners either needs to enact a smoking ordinance that applies to the entire county, city included, or enact threshold rejection in the consolidation voting process?”
Magic Man

“Yukon Cornelius looking for prosperity downtown: BRILLIANT !!”
Beerguy

“Since it’s (snow removal) the merchants responsibility, one good lawsuit should take care of the problem. Anyone want to own a building downtown?”
CJ54

“If I lived in Southern Illinois, I’d be pushing for secession from Chicago right about now.”
Outside_Observer

“Were you the waitperson who got the $499.00 tip from the ECVB holiday party? How many others like that have you gotten while working there?
Did you move into the county after retiring, and is your current monthly Social Security check higher than your average month’s pay + tips from Biaggi’s?
Weinzapfel has been eroding the quality of life of the people of Evansville for SEVEN years, and has gained speed each year since he started. With his push for Consolidation he is even threatening the lifestyle of the people living in the county. Hopefully, each and every act will come back and bite him when he and his ego run for governor.”
From NoMoDoh in response to Retired Biaggi’s Waiter

IS IT TRUE that just yesterday yet another boil advisory was issued in the North Kentucky Avenue area of the City of Evansville?…that this boil advisory is in effect until further notice?…that this is the third boil advisory since Christmas Day in the City of Evansville?…that during a boil advisory citizens are warned to bring all water that will be consumed by humans whether for drinking or cooking to a boil for 5 minutes?…that the citizens of Evansville while appreciating being warned to boil water that may be contaminated, they would appreciate it much more if the payments that they make to the Evansville Waterworks assured that water was delivered to their homes without needing to boil off the contaminants?…that many other cities and towns have public water systems that can go for years without boil advisories yet here it seems to be a weekly event?…that many of us swallow a little water while bathing?…that boiling before bathing, wearing a muzzle in the shower, or bathing in Evian Water are not practical solutions?…that we deserve to know why there are so many boil advisories and what needs to done to assure that the public water supply is fit for consumption?

IS IT TRUE that the last month has been colder than normal for the time around New Years Day?…that the HVAC systems have been pumping warm air into the homes of the Evansville area to keep the residents warm?…that the fans that push that air are run on electricity?…that the price of electricity on this side of the money saving bridge is still 188% more expensive than it is over in Henderson?…that the cell phone bill used to strike fear into the most burly men when it showed up in the mailbox?…that in Evansville, Indiana and certain surrounding counties that the Vectren bill is the one that strikes fear into people’s minds just at the site of it?…that turning the temperature down to a cool comfortable 66 degrees and installing a programmable thermostat will pay for itself quickly and will slightly ease the fear of the Vectren bill?

IS IT TRUE that Vectren actually has a program that will pay you a rebate of $20 to install a programmable thermostat?…that you can see that and other available rebates at the following website? http://www.vectren.com/selectState.do

IS IT TRUE that the Evansville Regional Airport recently was notified that they were not chosen to receive a $500,000 grant that was applied for?…that the intended use for the funds if granted was to try to attract another airline to supplement the two that we currently have?…that as airports go the Evansville airport delivers a pleasant experience at the counters both coming and going?…that the Evansville airport struggles with the fact that there are no jetways for boarding and unloading and with the fact that limited competition allows some monopolistic pricing by the two carriers that compete on exactly zero direct routes out of Evansville?…that Owensboro somehow attracted Allegiant Air that has non-stop low cost flights to Orlando and may just be adding service to Las Vegas?…that Evansville had discussions with Allegiant but that they chose Owensboro?…that Mead Johnson cited limited air service as one of the reasons for choosing Chicago over Evansville for their headquarters?…that growing cities need to have many flight options at competitive pricing with other airports?…that for a business travel paying a slight premium to fly in and out of EVV is worth it?…that the City County Observer wishes the Evansville Regional Airport success in attracting new carriers and flights?…that the good jobs of the future depend on having access to the transportation of the future?…that means airports and someday high speed rail?

IS IT TRUE that the word of the week is CIVILITY?…that we seem to promote civility every time someone does something that is violent and senseless?…that the word for life should be CIVILITY?…that today is a good day to practice civility and courtesy and to respect others property?…that the City County Observer encourages all of our readers to be kind but vigilant, to give and to earn respect, and to treat the streets as you would treat your own living room?…that if we all cease to litter and pick up three pieces of litter each day that our litter problem will be gone?…that CIVILITY means many things and that we should practice them all each day?

The City County Observer is showing up in the most unexpected places lately. Last week we chose to do a short article with a link to the New York Times about an Indiana University Professor named William Henderson who has been calling out the “law degree” industry for failure to properly disclose the employment prospects of a JD to prospective students of law. Low and behold checking our referral traffic there is a blog called Shilling Me Softly that is run by Kimber Russell who is somewhat of a watchdog in the world of accurate disclosure as it applies to higher education. She specializes in law schools.

On her site she has a place of honor reserved for publications that have shown the courage to publish the plight of Professor Henderson in calling for proper disclosure from the nations law schools. The list is currently limited to the New York Times, the Chicago Tribune, Indiana Public Media, Indiana University, and Evansville’s own City County Observer. When we learn of such movements, we consider it our duty in our drive for good public policy to point things like this out. After all, Evansville is in Indiana, Indiana University is a public institution of higher learning that gets substantial tax money from the people of our state, and good public policy calls for transparency and proper disclosure. What we can’t figure out is why so few media sources have picked up on this.

Here is a link to the story that compares law schools to puppy mills. Of course the same could be said about any other training that is not delivering on the advertised results.

http://shillingmesoftly.blogspot.com/2010/07/i-can-has-law-degree-careerist.html