Evansville Courier & Press (2007-Current)

Wheels Rolling On Plan Sour Conditions Won't Stop Local Law Enforcement

When a December 2004 storm dumped more than 19 inches of snow on the city in a single day, the Evansville Police Department learned the hard way that its fleet of mostly two-wheel-drive patrol vehicles doesn't do well in overwhelmingly wintry conditions. So after dealing with that record snowfall, department officials developed a plan for future weather events: If patrol vehicles start having serious problems getting around, supervisors now can authorize officers to use their personal four-wh...

Tri-State Braces for a Big One Crews Ready for Storm's Fury

Nancy Engelbrecht moved slowly through a local supermarket Monday night, constrained by aisles choked with fellow shoppers but also by the sheer weight of her cart. At 6 p.m. - hours before forecasters predicted one of the biggest winter storms to hit the Tri-State in years - Engelbrecht and her 10- year-old daughter, Annie, were getting ready.

Snow Tips

Here are some winter weather emergency tips from representatives of Vectren, the American Red Cross and the Emergency Management agency: General rules

Sewer, Water Control Takes On Public Bids

Contracts to manage Evansville's water and sewer systems will be bid publicly this year - the first time since 1992. Mayor Jonathan Weinzapfel said Monday the city will issue requests for proposals to manage the water and sewer systems in June. A new utility agreement could be in place by the end of the year, he said. The sewer system currently is managed by Environmental Management Corp. American Water manages the water system. Their contracts historically have been renewed every five years.

Blagojevich Chair Empty As Trial Opens

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. - Gov. Rod Blagojevich's impeachment trial opened Monday with a vacant chair reserved for the governor, who boycotted the proceedings and instead spent the day on the TV talk show circuit in New York, complaining he is being railroaded. "The fix is in," Blagojevich declared on ABC's "Good Morning America."

Digital Tv Switch Delay Ok'd

WASHINGTON - The Senate on Monday voted unanimously to postpone the upcoming transition from analog to digital television broadcasting by four months to June 12. The vote is a big victory for Barack Obama's administration and Democrats in Congress, who have been pushing for a delay amid growing concerns that too many Americans won't be ready for the scheduled Feb. 17 changeover.

Lunch with Baseball Fan Is Hit-and-Miss

My husband invited me to lunch on Friday. At first, I was excited. Wow, I thought. He actually wants to spend time with me. Even though we work in the same office, our schedules seldom let us eat together. Then something started to nag at me. It was just a little tickle in the back of my mind. John had something he was doing Friday. Then it hit me. The Reds Caravan was in town at Jillian's Billiards Club.

Bill Would Ask Food Chains What's in That Burger?

INDIANAPOLIS - In an attempt to help curb obesity, a panel of Indiana lawmakers passed a proposal that calls for nutritional information to be included on the menus of chain restaurants. House Bill 1207, authored by Rep. Charlie Brown, D-Gary, would force eateries to post the nutritional details of their menu items, including calories, fat, sugar and sodium content. It applies to any restaurant that has 10 or more locations within the state.

Knight Annex Approved Residents Have 90 Days to Object

The City Council approved an ordinance Monday to annex a northern section of Knight Township, despite some resistance from county residents and the Vanderburgh County Deputies Organization. The size of the area was reduced from 3,642 acres to 2,058 acres. City Engineer Pat Keepes said the area cut from the original proposal was mostly farmland in a floodplain that would need a "tremendous amount of fill to develop."

Final Chapter in 'Nightmare?'

Rebekah Acorn, 17, would have been a senior in the Army Junior ROTC at Harrison High School. Keela Lynch, 18, was an artist and athlete at Princeton Community High School. Daniel "Spencer" White of Francisco, Ind., was 21. His younger brother, then 18-year-old Cameron, was shot in the chest and shoulder and stabbed at least five times.

Just the Ticket New E-Citation System Speeds Up Police Work

When Vanderburgh County sheriff's deputies stop a vehicle for a traffic violation, they often read the driver's information into the radio to check for alerts and warrants and to verify whether it's a valid license. It can take several minutes for the deputy to repeat the license number and the full name of the operator.

Ban Eyed On Politics for Public Workers

INDIANAPOLIS - The first of the Kernan-Shepard proposals to be heard by state lawmakers met with vocal resistance from public employee groups Monday, a hint of the opposition the rest of the government streamlining proposals potentially could generate. At the Legislature, "Kernan-Shepard" is the shorthand term to describe a package of numerous bills that would restructure local governments at the municipal, county and township levels. The bills are based on ideas of the Kernan-Shepard Commiss...

Briefs

evansville Open house slated

Briefs

VINCENNES, Ind. 17-year-old mom faces

Man Gets 3 Years in Prison in Arson Case

The owner of a Fairfield heating and air conditioning business has been sentenced to prison for burning down his home and business. Roy D. Finley, 33, was sentenced Monday to three years in prison for setting a fire on July 28, 2004, that destroyed his home and four years probation for a second fire on Nov. 28, 2005, that destroyed his business - Finley's Refrigeration, Heating and Air Conditioning. The sentences will run consecutively.

Pickup Truck Hits Vehicle, Then Crashes Into Porch

A 31-year-old Evansville man is accused of driving into a porch and fleeing the scene early Sunday morning. Police say Derek Blankenship was driving with a blood-alcohol level more than twice the legal limit when it happened.

Obituaries

local Mary Agnes (Potter) Hartman

Supporters of Children's Home Rally Against Plans to Close It

INDIANAPOLIS - Chanting "Save our kids," hundreds of supporters of the Indiana Soldiers' and Sailors' Children's Home rallied at the Statehouse on Monday, urging officials not to close the facility. The Indiana State Department of Health said this month that costs and other factors led it to decide to close the home in Knightstown and move its 114 students into traditional schools in May.

Advocates for Seniors Protest Cuts

INDIANAPOLIS - Advocates for Indiana's seniors warned Monday that Gov. Mitch Daniels' proposed spending cuts for a state program that provides in-home health care for the elderly and disabled would hurt people on the program's long waiting list. State officials contend that wouldn't be the case if the General Assembly approves the cuts, because a Medicaid waiver offers many of the same home health services as the state-funded CHOICE program.

Driver Pleads Guilty in Hit-and-Run

A 57-year-old Evansville man pleaded guilty on Monday to charges from an accident in August 2007 that injured three people. When asked why he was pleading guilty, Kenneth Hopper told Superior Court Judge Keith Meier that he thought it was "in his best interest."