Evansville Courier & Press (2007-Current)

Gas Cost to Rise: Vectren Warns Price Could Increase 50 Percent by Winter

The cost of natural gas this winter may increase by 50 percent over last year, Vectren officials warned Thursday. A dekatherm of natural gas cost about $8, on average, last winter. By this winter, it will rise to around $12 a dekatherm, according to the New York Mercantile Exchange.

Local Food Pantries Bracing Summer Surge in Demand Expected

When mounting gas and food prices take their toll on family breadwinners, their last hope is often a food pantry, and local pantry coordinators are bracing for a difficult summer. Some agency and community leaders interested in eliminating hunger in the Tri-State will gather today at the Eykamp Scout Center for a "Making Ends Meet" workshop.

New Group Defends Evsc Plan Taxpayers Unite to Counter Criticism

A new local taxpayers group, one that supports the Evansville- Vanderburgh School Corp.'s school improvement plans, is being formed. EVSC's plan, which was written by Superintendent Vincent Bertram and endorsed by the seven-member School Board, involves a $149 million, 20-year bond issue and more than $20 million in other costs.

Veteran Left Behind Rare Heirloom: D-Day Invasion Map

DARMSTADT - On D-Day, Karl Sensmeier crossed the English Channel with the Allied invasion force and landed on Omaha Beach in Normandy. For years, memories of the carnage made him wake up screaming in the middle of the night.

Outing Aimed at Catching Fish, Easing Minds

Jesus said to two potential disciples, "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men." The Knights of Columbus in Boonville, Ind., take that offer seriously - with a twist.

Briefs

Evansville Hirsch Rummage Sale wraps up Saturday

Delay Sought On Epa Ruling

Indiana is asking for a one-year delay before the Environmental Protection Agency declares Vanderburgh and other counties out of compliance with an air quality standard for short-term exposure to fine particle pollution. According to a letter by Thomas Easterly, commissioner of the Indiana Department of Environmental Management, it has been forecast that the entire state is likely to meet the standard by the end of 2009.

East Side to Host Dragons Race Moves East As River Rises

Evansville's third annual dragon boat races - dubbed Dragons on the Ohio - will take place Saturday at Eagle Crest Lake on the city's East Side rather than Dress Plaza because of a rapidly rising Ohio River. It's free and open to the public, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

End Nears for Bridge Painting Marathon

The painting and rehabilitation of the U.S. 41 southbound twin bridge could be completed by early August if the weather cooperates, a Kentucky Transportation Cabinet spokesman said Thursday. "In a couple of weeks, they should finish the main part of the painting," spokesman Keith Todd said. "There will be six or seven weeks of touch-up work after that.

Pricey Fuel Trims Lawn Care Profits, Strains City Budgets

BEYIND THE PUMP An occasional series

Rescuers Dig Deep On Test Mine Teams Show Off Skill at Vincennes Competition

VINCENNES, Ind. - Jeff Roberts was one of the rescuers who responded to a 2006 explosion that killed five people at the Darby No. 1 mine in Holmes Mill, Ky. And, he knows no amount of work fully can prepare responders for an underground disaster.

Crowd Voices Worry at Annexation Hearing

Nearly 100 people turned out to voice their concerns regarding the potential annexation of the city of Boonville on Thursday evening. Speaking on behalf of the residents, local attorney Les Shively said annexation is like a hostile takeover.

Briefs

Evansville Concert to benefit Relay for Life

Three Enter Guilty Pleas in Theft of Router Cards

Three men have filed plea agreements in a federal case where they are accused of stealing router cards from an Evansville business and transporting them across state lines. Plea agreements were filed on Thursday in U.S. District Southern Court by Bryan M. Black, 30, of Nineveh, Ind.; Andrew R. Stoddard, 30, of Whitehouse, Tenn.; and Ronald K. Morris II, 37, of Merom, Ind.

Warrick Oks Plan to Replace Assessors

The Warrick County Council approved a request by the county assessor to fund three full-time positions replacing nine part-time and two full-time township assessors. All seven councilmen approved the request.

Obituaries

Local Dorothy Brown

Pence Kicks Off State Race for Attorney General Post [Corrected 06/ 11/08]

Indianapolis attorney Linda Pence stopped in Evansville on Thursday to announce her bid for Indiana attorney general. "Fighting for Hoosiers is something I know how to do," Pence said.

Heat Holds Taste of Summer

The first heat wave of the summer is here. "We're not talking heat advisories or heat indexes, but it does qualify as a heat wave," said Alex Dodd, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Paducah, Ky.