From the Evansville-Vanderburgh School Corporation:
Dr. Smith and Scott School surprised Tony Williams, a custodian at Scott, with the Cause for Applause Employee of the Month Award today! Tony was nominated by Scott parent Lisa Messel who said that Williams is loved by the students at Scott and makes it a point to interact with them whenever possible. One of these interactions had some of the fifth and sixth grade boys in the North youth football program telling him about their games and when they played. According to Lisa, Tony was at the next game to cheer them on and the students were overjoyed to see him there. Lisa said Tony deserved the recognition for his outstanding generosity of this time and influence he has on the students. Thanks for everything you do, Tony!! 

Tony has been an employee of the EVSC since August 1994.

Evansville, Indiana - United States Attorney Joseph H. Hogsett, joined by Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent in Charge Dennis Whichern and U.S. Marshal Kerry Forestal, today presented more than one-hundred pairs of designer shoes to Vanderburgh County Sheriff Eric Williams as part of what federal authorities have dubbed "Operation Goodwill." The shoes were seized from an Evansville drug dealer and will be distributed by Sheriff Williams through the Evansville-Vanderburgh County School Corporation's PTA Clothing Bank. 

"This program is a true win-win..it saves Hoosier tax dollars and it will help strengthen community efforts here in Evansville designed to keep drugs out of our schools," Hogsett said. "I believe it also sends an important message that if you engage in criminal behavior such as drug dealing, you will be caught and your ill-gotten gains will be taken away from you."

On November 22, 2012, members of the Evansville Police Department executed a search warrant at the residence of Seth Merrick on Greenfield Road in Evansville. Merrick was arrested for his involvement in the trafficking of hundreds of pounds of marijuana in the Evansville area and law enforcement seized 115 pairs of designer shoes, all of which were unworn and in boxes. 

Merrick, who had prior drug convictions from 2001 and 2005, was convicted and sentenced in May 2011 to two years of incarceration. His prosecution was the result of an investigation by the DEA's Evansville Task Force, which includes members of the Evansville Police Department, the Vanderburgh County Sheriff's Office, the Vincennes Police Department, the Daviess County Sheriff's Office and the Indiana State Police. 

Subsequently, Hogsett, Wichern and Forestal proposed to transfer the seized shoes to Sheriff Williams as part of "Operation Goodwill," a 15 year-old federal program designed to build goodwill between law enforcement in the community. This proposal was accepted and the Vanderburgh County Sheriff's Office plans to distribute the shoes throughout the community to youths in need in conjunction with the PTA Clothing Bank program.


SOURCE: Vanderburgh County Sheriff's Office & Department of Justice News Release - December 4, 2012

News Release from the Evansville Police Department
Type of Crime: Criminal Recklessness, Intimidation with a Weapon, Trespass 
Date of Crime: 101012 8:40pm
Location of Crime: 1300 Washington Ave Bosse High School 

SUMMARY:  Evansville Police have arrested a juvenile for threatening students with a BB gun inside Bosse High School last night. The incident happened after students returned to the band rehearsal room after practicing on the football field. 

The 16 year old suspect is an EVSC student, but not a Bosse band member. According to witnesses, the suspect got into an argument with members of the band during a break. When the practice ended, he followed the band students back into the school. He confronted one of the students and words were exchanged. As several female students tried to get the suspect to leave, he pulled a handgun out of his waistband and waved it around. The suspect then tried to leave. 

There was a parent on scene that intervened. Edward Stocker tackled the suspect and held him down until police arrived. Officers took the suspect into custody and recovered the gun. 

The gun was found to be a BB gun designed to look like a real handgun. There were 30-40 students present when the incident took place. Investigators are interviewing the students to determine if more charges are going to be filed. 

The suspect is currently being held in a secure juvenile detention facility. He has been charged with the following crimes:

• Criminal Recklessness Cl-C Felony
• Intimidation with a Weapon Cl-C Felony (2 counts)
• Trespass Cl D Felony

Students at Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation high schools will be pitching in to help clean up the city when a competition designed for them kicks off on Saturday, Oct. 13, announced Mayor Lloyd Winnecke and EVSC Superintendent David Smith today.

“Operation Hot Mess,” as it was dubbed by students and the Clean Evansville team, is a competition between EVSC high schools to see how many individuals they can encourage to come out on Oct. 13 to pick up trash on the West Side around Cedar Hall Community School on Fulton Avenue, Helfrich Park STEM Academy on West Maryland Street, and along Mt. Auburn Road and Buchannan Road. The event will end in the parking lot at 14News WFIE on Mt. Auburn Road.

Mayor Winnecke said the competition is an outgrowth of the city’s Clean Evansville initiative that organizes individuals on the first Saturday of every month to help make our community more attractive by cleaning up neighborhoods and roadways. He pointed out the Clean Evansville imitative is really a community pride and awareness project.

“It’s not only about helping out on the first Saturday of the month, or for special events like this one – although that is great,” Mayor Winnecke said. “It’s really about recognizing the litter blowing down the street and taking the time, any time you see it, to stop and pick it up.”

The Mayor invited the entire community to come out on Saturday, Oct. 13, pick a school to support, and help make our city litter free.

EVSC Superintendent David Smith said Operation Hot Mess allows the community to see an example of how our students are leaders in our communities, too. “Unfortunately, sometimes we don’t expect enough of them, and we appreciate the Mayor coming up with this idea and giving them the opportunity to step up and show everyone that kids can come together to make a difference for their city.”

The winning school will be determined through the percentage of participation based on the enrollment at each school. Families and neighbors of students are encouraged to help out as well. Schools participating include: Academy for Innovative Studies, Bosse High School, Central High School, Harrison High School, New Tech Institute, North High School, and Reitz High School. The winning school will receive a party sponsored by 14News WFIE and Heritage Federal Credit Union.

The anti-litter campaign is coordinated by the City of Evansville, Keep Evansville Beautiful and volunteer members of the Clean Evansville Committee. Allied Waste provides trash collection services and Rural King donates supplies. Accuride, Vectren and Fifth Third Bank have committed employees to participate in the monthly clean-ups. Volunteers from other companies and organizations interested in participating should call Keep Evansville Beautiful at 425-4461.


SOURCE: www.evansville.in.gov 

From Evansville Police Department Incident Report - April 14, 2012:
EVSC - Victim of Burglary-non residential at 2319 Stringtown Rd Evansville, IN between 22:37 04/14/2012 and 22:40 04/14/2012.
On 04/14/2012 at approximately 22:37 hours, officers were dispatched to the old North High School building at 2319 Stringtown Rd in reference to a commercial burglary alarm. Dispatch notified officers they received multiple beam alarms from multiple locations throughout the school. As officers arrived, dispatch notified officers of additional alarms. Officers arrived on scene and quickly set up a perimeter around the building. Officers could hear audible alarms from several different locations. Officers identified the athletic office had all of its lights on and the drawers and cabinets were open. At the same time, dispatch advised they received an alarm from the area of the athletic office. A K9 officer identified he was going into the building with his police K9. The officer was heard by outside officers announcing his presence and for the individuals inside the school to make themselves known. Moments later, a w/m, later identified as Joseph P. Logsdon, exited through the west doors of the gym A. Logsdon was spotted by officers and ordered at gunpoint to the ground. Logsdon was taken into custody. Logsdon stated he was 18 years old and there was another w/m in the building and that he was of age. Officers relayed to the K9 officer there was another w/m in the building and he was a juvenile. Logsdon stated they were both North High School students at the new school. Moments later, a w/m exited the east doors of the building into the football and athletic field. Officers spotted him and ordered him to come to them. The w/m went out of sight, took off a jacket, and walked back out to the officers and was taken into custody. Officers located a set of building keys laying with the jacket. Officers requested a detective to the scene. The detective arrived and conducted his investigation. Later, officers found that the 2 green and white North High School jackets, which Logsdon and the juvenile were wearing, and a set of EVSC building keys used to access perimeter and interior doors of schools throughout the city were stolen from various areas of the building. An EVSC representative arrived on scene and the two jackets and building keys were returned to him. Officers transported Logsdon and the juvenile to headquarters to be interviewed by the detective. When the detective was finished, Logsdon was arrested and transported to the VCCC and charged with burglary and theft from a building. The juvenile, with his parent, was arrested, charged with burglary, theft from a building and then released to his mother.