Evansville Courier & Press

A Visitor to the Apple Tree Cloaked in Aura of Mystery

Maybe it's an apparition -- the deer that has been appearing most evenings here of late beneath one the apple trees down in the front yard. I say it could be a specter because I've never seen where it comes from. Maybe it's from the cornfield across the highway or the soybean field across the drive or one of the sections of woods beyond the fields.

Parishes May Find Laymen in Pulpit

Parishioners might find someone other than a Catholic priest leading services at St. Theresa and St. Joseph parishes while their priest continues counseling, Evansville Bishop Gerald Gettelfinger told them Sunday. "If you come and there isn't a priest here, don't be surprised," said Gettelfinger, who celebrated Mass at St. Theresa on Sunday. "Don't let this throw you off kilter."

Echoes of an Early Voyage Ursuline Sisters to Re-Create River Journey of Their School's Founders

The Ursuline Sisters of Mount St. Joseph in Daviess County, Ky., will blend the past and the future later this week as they use digital and satellite technology to give the world real-time updates on a flatboat trip they're making down the Ohio River. The five-day trip, Wednesday to Sunday from Louisville, Ky., to Owensboro, Ky., will re-create the journey made 130 years ago by the original five nuns who left Louisville to establish a school for the growing Catholic community of St. Alphonsus...

Jail Staffing Requirements at Top of Budget Concerns

As Vanderburgh County Council members begin preparing their 2005 budget this week, the demands of operating and staffing the new county jail will be foremost in their minds. Sheriff Brad Ellsworth has told the council he will need a minimum of 34 new employees to run the jail, which will have two 256- bed pods for a total of 512 beds.

`Hollyweird' Happenings Go Beyond the Bizarre

Strange things happen everywhere.I get reminded of that once every week, when Courier & Press page designer Sara Reeves sends out a mass e-mail entitled "The Best of the Weird." In that e-mail, Sara pulls all of the best bits from that week's "News of the Weird."

Missing Teen Found Safe and Sound Fisherman Hears Chelsea Manning's Cry for Help

The Pike County, Ind., teenager who disappeared Thursday afternoon was found safe -- although dehydrated and scratched up -- in a woody thicket about a mile from her home Sunday. Pike County Sheriff Todd Meadors said 16-year-old Chelsea Manning had left home voluntarily and had left a note behind.

Indiana Readies Terror Alert Network

Much like a high-tech phone tree, a network designed to quickly alert authorities of potential terror threats and other emergencies should be up and running within a month. In just one minute, Indiana Alert Network will be able to make as many as 10,000 telephone calls, send up to 3,000 faxes and transmit 5,000 e-mail messages over secure lines. Text messaging to pagers and cell phones also will be possible.

Highways and Byways a Weekly Photographic Report

The dream took seed in high school when Ramon Clayton was a three- sport athlete at Bosse High School. He found out he had a talent for cutting his buddies' hair in the locker room and decided one day he'd start his own shop. It took about 15 years, but his dream has finally come to fruition. About a month ago, sporting Clayton's nickname in high school, Shark's Den Barber Shop and Beauty Salon opened for business in Evansville.

Evansville's Riverfront Would Be an Ideal Location for City's Own Labryinth, Group Says

After walking the coiled concentric circles of the stone labyrinth in New Harmony, Ind., Danny Garvin wants to bring a similar structure to Evansville. The group of 14 people he leads, the Evansville Labyrinth Project, hopes to establish one or more of the circular, mazelike pathways in which people could walk to relax, pray or meditate. They suggest Evansville's Sunrise Park near the riverfront as one possible site.

Indiana State Fair Expected to Draw Record Numbers

The Indiana State Fair opens Wednesday, with promoters eyeing a new attendance record at a time when many state fairs across the nation are in decline. A cooler-than-normal summer, combined with the 100th anniversary celebration of the 4-H program, could push attendance beyond last year's record of 878,000 over 12 days.

Alleged Wallet Thief Picks Wrong House

Investigators believe two door-to-door saleswomen knocked at a house in northern Vanderburgh County on Saturday afternoon and, getting no answer, decided to check out the open garage. The homeowner said when he returned to his garage moments later, a wallet he had left there was missing.

Babyland Graves Stir Controversy

Margaret Mudd visited her son's grave in an area called baby row at Elmwood Cemetery recently and was stunned by what was nearby. In a new, nearby section called Babyland, families had marked graves with tiny fences made from metal lawn borders, placed rolled- up white baby blankets and toy cars near the graves, and in one case, had a little Christmas stocking with a fuzzy brown stuffed puppy tucked inside hanging from the fence.

Orange Triangles Required On Slow-Moving Vehicles

The orange, triangular signs on the back of farm equipment and other slow-moving vehicles in Illinois are getting a facelift that should make them much brighter and easier to see from farther away, farm safety experts say. "It's a challenge to move farm equipment on rural roads and we're trying to do as much as we can to improve our visibility," said Dave Patton, special activities manager for the Illinois Farm Bureau.

`Phishing' Is Latest Identity Theft Scam

Vande Slonecker thought something looked odd. Slonecker received an e-mail from her bank at 11:42 p.m. asking for account information to keep her bank account from being suspended.

Briefs

WESTERN KENTUCKY Filing deadline Tuesday for nonpartisan offices

Info Line

If you have a brief question about the news, use a Touch-Tone phone to call: (812) 464-7466

Going Whole Hog Motorcycle Ride Benefits Couple Injured in Father's Day Accident

Less than two months ago, Ricky Hinton and Pamela Frields were riding his motorcycle on a sunny June day, enjoying the feel of wind and sun in their hair. Saturday, they were out again on another sunny summer day, leading the pack of about 150 bikes from the parking lot of Bud's Harley-Davidson East out onto Morgan Avenue for an 82-mile ride.

Brickhouse Request On Alcohol Panel Agenda

Here's a look at the upcoming week in Vanderburgh County government: * The Vanderburgh County Alcoholic Beverage Commission will meet at 2 p.m. today in Room 303 of the Civic Center. The board will vote on a location transfer of Brickhouse Bar and Grill's beer and wine license to 1200 N. Main St.

Zoo Directors to Meet Tuesday

Here's a look at what's coming up for Evansville's city government this week: * City Council will not meet this week. Its next meeting will be Monday, Aug. 16 at 5:30 p.m. That day's budget hearing is scheduled to adjourn early for the council meeting.

Car Theft, Confinement Charges Land 18-Year-Old Behind Bars

Police believe an Evansville man made a very bad choice on how to spend his 18th birthday. Jerrme Damar Cartwright and an accomplice allegedly held two brothers at gunpoint, bound them and left them in a West Side garage while making off with a car they were trying to sell.