Evansville Courier & Press

Kentucky Casinos Not a Sure Bet

I think it would be a safe bet to make that casino gambling isn't going to happen in Kentucky -- at least during the current legislative session, which ends just a few days from now. It looked like it could for a while. A bill to authorize casinos at five of the state's horse tracks and at four locations that don't have tracks looked good, shall we say, coming out of the gate, but things fell apart on the backstretch.

Big Blue Nation Is Blue Loyal Uk Fans Vow to Be Back After Wildcats Suffer Shocking Defeat

Ticket brokers in St. Louis took a serious hit on Sunday. The University of Alabama at Birmingham's 76-75 upset victory not only knocked top-seeded Kentucky out of the NCAA Tournament, and out of its expected spot in next weekend's St. Louis Regional, but it sent legions of Wildcat fans into exile.

Victoria National Founder Dies at 66

Terry Friedman, the founder of Victoria National Golf Course in Warrick County, was remembered Sunday as a visionary, a generous giver and a good friend. Friedman, 66, died Saturday, hours after arriving at his home in Maui, Hawaii, from Evansville. He died of an apparent heart attack, and arrangements are pending at Alexander Funeral Home, Newburgh Chapel.

Many Tax Appeals Pending

About 68 percent of Vanderburgh County property owners who filed appeals after receiving their spring 2003 tax bills have still not settled with the county. The state in 2002 made dramatic changes in how properties are assessed. Because the new formula assesses properties according to market value, some residents' bills increased.

Paper's Daily Comic Gems Bring a Smile or Two

A lot of humor can be found in the morning newspaper. This doesn't refer to the chuckles (or groans) a reader gets from poor grammar, misspellings and malapropisms that creep (or flood) into articles at times.

`No Sanctions for Gambler, Attorney Noffsinger Showed `Good Faith' in Aztar Suit

A federal appeals court has backed off its threat to sanction an Evansville attorney who sued Casino Aztar for failing to bar his gambling-addicted client from betting on the gambling boat. The U.S. 7th Circuit Court of Appeals issued an order March 15 indicating that neither attorney Terry Noffsinger nor his client, David N. Williams, will be sanctioned for filing the lawsuit, which received national media attention.

$100,000 Approved for Onestar Investigation

A federal bankruptcy judge has approved a motion to "carve out" at least $100,000 to investigate allegations of insider fraud at Evansville-based OneStar Long Distance Inc. The amount is 10 times what OneStar executives had originally proposed, after the company was forced into involuntary bankruptcy by creditors owed $54 million.

Highways and Byways a Weekly Photographic Report

"John Francis Dudash, Shelly Egly, Michael John Estocin, Emmanuel Salvatore Fenech, Jerry Bernard Formey..." The names flow from the speakers in a continuous stream at the Dubois County (Ind.) Fairgrounds, each name read by high school students who volunteered from each of Dubois County's four high schools.

For Couple, Happiness Is Bluebirds

Evansville schools are closed for spring break this week, and that means Bob Peak, a math and science teacher at Plaza Park Elementary, and his wife Judy, a retired fourth-grade instructor at Culver Elementary, are in the Land Between the Lakes. They go at this time every year, towing their camper from their Henderson, Ky., home to Lake Barkley State Resort Park.

Bookkeeper Rejects Plea Bargain On Forgery, Fraud, Theft Charges

An Evansville woman charged with using her employer's money to go on a two-year spending spree has refused a plea bargain offer, said Warrick County Chief Deputy Prosecutor Joann Krantz. Tammy K. Herron, 36, of 1715 Ravenswood Drive, faces 10 felony charges in Warrick County stemming from her alleged actions while working as a bookkeeper for Facility Management & Engineering Inc. of Newburgh.

Bankruptcy Filings Still at Record Pace Indiana's Rate Below National Level

The bankruptcy boom that began to hit Indiana as the state fell into recession in 2001 continued last year, with filings again reaching record levels. But growth in Indiana bankruptcies last year was not as severe as for the nation as a whole. The state no longer holds a dubious distinction it had in 2001, when Indiana residents were more likely than residents of any other state to seek bankruptcy relief.

Overheated

Drivers -- Drunk, Drugged, Dizzy -- Detained

Sometimes you gotta wonder: Is the moon ALWAYS full? Let's go to press.... Guy brought to Deaconess by police sneaks out, steals Grayville (Ill.) town ambulance, abandons it at Mary and Tennessee streets. Thief arrested near Harriet and Tennessee. Says he stole ambulance because he wanted police to take him back to jail. What a manipulator! Gets exactly what he wants: vehicle theft, public intoxication.

Briefs

FRANKLIN, Ky. Three Kentuckians killed in accident

Info Line

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`Character' in Curriculum at Oakdale School

The staff at Oakdale Elementary School is working to reintroduce character into the educational curriculum. The results have been outstanding, teachers from the K-6 school in Boonville have reported to the Warrick County School Board.

Wagon Train