Evansville Courier & Press

Angry Over Assessment Public Erupts at Town Hall Meeting

He sympathized. He pleaded for calm. He said it wasn't his fault. But Vanderburgh County Assessor Jonathan Weaver could not quell the anger of more than 100 residents who crowded a town hall forum Tuesday night to protest increases in their property assessments.

Mayor Gives Outlook Weinzapfel Targets Downtown, I-69

As has been the case in previous State of the City addresses, Mayor Jonathan Weinzapfel got the biggest rise out of Evansville Rotarians when he mentioned Interstate 69. In his annual speech during a noon lunch meeting Tuesday at the Coliseum, the first-term Democrat stated again the economic importance of the highway to the city and applauded Republican Gov. Mitch Daniels "for his aggressive pursuit of the project."

Goosetown Development Gets Big Lift

An Evansville city councilman called it a major step for the city's efforts to reverse blight and rejuvenate Central City neighborhoods when the Redevelopment Commission directed Metropolitan Development staff Tuesday to create paperwork for declaring part of Goosetown a redevelopment area. "This is huge," said Keith Jarboe, a Democratic councilman at large and a resident of an adjoining near-Downtown neighborhood. The Redevelopment Commission's two-step move on Goosetown should be completed ...

Liberty Dollar Producer Files Lawsuit

Is it legitimate currency or nothing more than funny money? That's the question at the heart of a dispute between the federal government and the Evansville-based organization behind an alternative currency known as the Liberty Dollar -- a "private voluntary barter currency" that was the subject of a federal warning last year.

Senate Passes`C.J.'S Law' Weather Bill

Inspired by the deadly tornado of Nov. 6, 2005, that killed 25 people in Southwestern Indiana, "C.J.'s Law" was passed by the state Senate on Tuesday. If the House accepts minor changes made in the Senate, the bill would advance to Gov. Mitch Daniels' office.

If You Can Swim, Red Cross May Have Helped

Last weekend, the American Red Cross of Southwestern Indiana celebrated its 90th birthday. In Friday's paper we introduced you to Margaret Pride, who volunteered for the agency for more than 20 years along with her husband, Ron. The Prides also were the first to take out the Red Cross Emergency Response Vehicle, also known as an ERV.

Gripes Aired On Proposed Toll Road

In the town where the future Interstate 69 and the proposed Indiana Commerce Connector would intersect, hundreds of Morgan County residents gave state legislators an earful about the privatized toll road bill. During a field hearing of the House Roads and Transportation Committee, crowd sentiment appeared to be largely against the Commerce Connector -- the proposal to let a private vendor pay the state for the rights to build a 75-mile toll road and collect the tolls. Proceeds could then pay ...

Trespass Suspect Disrupts Court Psychological Evaluation Sought

A Vanderburgh Circuit Court magistrate will try for a third time today to advise a woman of the charges she faces after allegedly trespassing into her child's classroom. Sarah Essett of 2230 Ponderosa Place faces preliminary charges of Class D felony battery and Class D felony trespassing for the incident at Caze Elementary, but so far Vanderburgh Circuit Court Magistrate David Kiely has been unable to formally read through the charges because of Essett's behavior in court.

Meeting Measure Advances

Although an Indiana House committee has approved a bill to close the "serial meetings" loophole to the Open Door Law, it still would be possible -- though more difficult -- for government boards to circumvent the law's intent. Senate Bill 103, already approved in the Senate, was passed Tuesday in the House Government Affairs and Regulatory Reform Committee by a vote of 10-1.

In Her Shoes University of Southern Indiana Student Blaine Furrer Changes Shoes After the Walk. Men Don High Heels to Protest Gender Violence

After he received a pair of pink, high-heeled shoes recently, Brian Gower's embarrassed daughters asked him to take them off. The father of three teenage girls obliged, then put them back on Tuesday when he and more than 100 men participated in "Walk a Mile in Her Shoes, the men's march to stop rape, sexual assault and gender violence."

Man Sentenced to 6 Years in Shooting Incident

A man was sentenced Tuesday after pleading guilty but mentally ill for his part in a 2005 shooting in the parking lot of a North Side bar. Clinton Phelps, 29, of Princeton, Ind., was sentenced to six years in the Indiana Department of Correction. He was originally charged with attempted murder, a Class A felony, but pleaded guilty but mentally ill to a lesser Class C felony charge of attempted battery with a deadly weapon.

State Reports Another Web Breach

An audit of a state government Web site database after someone hacked into the system found that personal information including Social Security numbers for 71,000 health-care workers was accessed, officials said Tuesday The information was accessed Jan. 3 at the same time the hacker accessed credit card information of about 5,600 people and businesses.

Briefs

INDIANAPOLIS Vandals toss rocks, damage 20 vehicles

Info Line

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Question of the Day Tuesday's Online Question

Would you support a law to allow gambling machines in bars, taverns and such? 305 votes cast as of 10 p.m. Tuesday

Evansville

Senate Panel Advances Racetrack Slots Bill

A Senate committee advanced a bill Tuesday that would allow up to 1,500 slot machines at each of Indiana's two horse tracks, a proposal supporters say would boost the racing industry and bring the state millions of dollars in tax money. The Senate Tax Committee made significant changes to the legislation before endorsing the bill on a 9-3 vote. The Senate version would allow each race track to pay a $400 million fee for a license to install up to 1,500 slot machines, while a version that alre...

Authors to Read Ropewalk Works

Authors of the first two chapbooks published by the University of Southern Indiana's RopeWalk Press will share their works in a free public reading at 7 p.m. Thursday in USI's Kleymeyer Hall. Matthew Guenette, a former USI instructor now teaching in Wisconsin, will read from "A Hush of Something Endless," published by RopeWalk Press last year.

Warrick Poised for Economic Growth

Warrick County is one of Indiana's fastest growing counties in terms of population. But what about its economy?

Obituaries

Local Obituaries Lee Bryan