St. Peter's Catholic Church Meet the Candidates Wednesday, October 1

St. Peter's Catholic Church will be having a Meet the Candidates tonight (Wednesday, October 1) beginning at 6:30 P.M. It will also feature a spaghetti supper prepared by church members (who are excellent cooks- several of our strong Democrats go to church there). It will be a free will offering.

This will not be at the church, but will be at the South Harrison Community Center in Elizabeth. See everyone there!

South Harrison Community Center

St. Peter's Catholic Church

Deadline to Register to Vote is October 6!

If you haven't registered to vote or know someone that needs to register, they need to get working on it now. The voter registration deadline this year is Monday, October 6. One way to register is to go the Harrison County Clerk's Office on the second floor of the Courthouse.

One other thing to remember is that even if you are currently 17, if you will turn 18 on or before November 4, you can vote this year, but you must be registered!

You can also register to vote online at: Indiana Voters Online

And here is another challenge in the next week: every Democrat should try to register one new person to vote before October 6.

Pictures of Democrats at Lanesville Heritage Weekend, Part III

We wanted to share some pictures of Democrats at the Lanesville Heritage Weekend. We will have this in several installments. Today will be part III and the last of the pictures.

Farm Bureau Meet the Candidates- Monday September 29

The annual Fall Edition of the Harrison County Farm Bureau's Meet the Candidates will be held Monday, September 29 at 5:30 PM at the Farm Bureau Office (which is on the road behind Culver's and close to the Holiday Inn). It will be a chance to hear candidates for offices in Harrison County and those that are larger, but include parts of Harrison County. We would like to see a good showing by Democrats to support our candidates. If there is a chance to ask questions, you may want to have some ready if there is something you want to know about a candidate, their positions on the issues, or what they have claimed. See you there!

St. Michael's Parish Picnic this Sunday, September 28

Several of our strong Democrats and member of St. Michael's Catholic Chruch wanted to remind everyone of the St. Michael's Catholic Church in Bradford's annual parish picnic will be held this Sunday, September 28, beginning at 10:00 AM. They have a delicious all you care to eat fried chicken or ham dinner, along with their famous dumplings and homemade pies. The dinner will start at 10:30 AM. There will also be many other things to do throughout the day like the very large silent auction, games and a car raffle.

For more information, you can visit their website: St. Michael's Parish Picnic

St. Michael's Catholic Church in Bradford

Republican County Commissioners Cut Common Construction Wage by 40%: Act Now

Is there no doubt that the Tea Party controlled Harrison County Board of Commissioners is the worst group we have ever had in our county? There is none now. They treat county employees as bad as they can, went to inferior road repairs (which they abandoned right before the election), did not properly plow snow from county roads or mow them, and did everything they could to enact a radical agenda.

Now, they are going for the pocketbook. Wages on construction projects will be lowered 40% due to their actions. These are projects that hard working Harrison County people depend on for a good standard of living. Now they will take a 40% hit. We will now have cheap labor (which we know involves illegals in some cases) flood into the county for projects. You get what you pay for. Would you want to go into one of these finished projects? We think not.

Another thing is kind of funny that all three Commissioners have either spouses, children, or siblings on federal or county payrolls. Have they asked their wife at the Post Office to take a 40% cut? They have their stuff, but to hell with everybody else.

The next Harrison County Commissioner meeting is Monday, October 6 at 8:30 AM at the Government Center. Go there and let them know your thoughts on what they have done. Maybe suggest they all take 40% pay cuts in their County Commissioner pay.

One bad thing is that only one County Commissioner is up for reelection this year- Jim Klinstiver, who voted for this Tea Party act. Let's vote him out in November, and work on voting out the other two in 2016. All three of them are part of the party of low wages. Remember in November!

We have attached a press release from the Indiana Construction Information Network.

Pictures of Democrats at Lanesville Heritage Weekend, Part II

We wanted to share some pictures of Democrats at the Lanesville Heritage Weekend. We will have this in several installments. Today will be part II.

Pictures of Democrats at Lanesville Heritage Weekend, Part I

We wanted to share some pictures of Democrats at the Lanesville Heritage Weekend. We will have this in several installments. Today will be part I.

Happy 42nd Anniversary to Rusty and Vickie Sizemore!

Happy 42nd Anniversary to Rusty and Vickie Sizemore! Two fine people and two great Democrats!

Compare your candidates for Judge: The Facts

Here are the FACTS: There is only one candidate for Judge of the Harrison County Superior Court that has the necessary experience and is up for the job. There is only one candidate that has any connections with Harrison County. Claypool is currently living a rented cheap apartment above where Jocko's used to be (you wonder if he even ever heard of Jocko's before he carpetbagged into our county a few months ago), for a few months, and one has to wonder how many of those nights his head hit the pillow in Harrison County. Claypool has also never paid a DIME of property taxes in Harrison County. We should not have someone that has never paid a dime of property taxes in our county have authority to spend our hard earned money.

Also, you may have seen shirts or signs that say "Judge Joe Claypool". This is a complete lie. Claypool is not a Judge, nor has he even practiced law for nearly eight years. He works as a gaming agent at the riverboat. He need a Judge with the right experience. We need Dennis Byrd, the only qualified, Harrison County candidate for Judge.

The Facts

Meet Your Democratic Candidates in Crandall- Tuesday, September 23

We will be having a meet the candidates meeting on Tuesday, September 23. It will be at the Crandall Community Center from 6:30 to 8:00 P.M. Pop in at anytime to meet our candidates and enjoy some refreshments. Thanks to Rachael Armstrong for helping us to set it up. We will have further events all around Harrison County as the election approaches.

Rest in Peace Gordon Pendelton, 1933-2014

Hello fellow Democrats,

We are all saddened by the passing of our friend Gordon Pendleton on September 18, 2014.
He was with us for 81 years. Gordon has served on the County Council since 2007. He founded First Federal Bank (now First Harrison Bank), which is now a major employer in the area. He served on numerous boards, including the Harrison County Community Foundation, the South Harrison School Board, and the State School Board. He was also a strong and proud Democrat. Gordon was a teacher, coach, father, grandfather, husband and friend to us. He will be missed.


Please keep his family in your prayers.

Gehlbach & Royce are handling the arrangements. Visitation will be on October 5, from 1-5PM with a memorial service following at 5PM at the Corydon Central High School Gymnasium.


In lieu of flowers the family has requested that contributions be made to the Community Foundation.

Jim Kincaid, Chairman
Harrison County Democratic Party

Gordon Pendleton, 1933-2014

Palmyra Pal-Wow in the Park this Weekend, September 19-21

The Palmyra Pal-Wow in the Park will be held this weekend, beginning Friday, September 19 and ending Sunday, September 21 in Buffalo Trace Park.We have included a link for the agenda for the festival below. Some of the highlights are a live band Friday night at 700 PM by Brian Elmore and Big Steel Train, a car show and weiner eating contest (by the Weiner King) on Saturday, and many others. The park will also feature free admission this weekend. The weather looks great this weekend, so come support this festival, and watch for your Democratic candidates there!

Here is more information: Pal Wow Festival 2014

WDRB covering the last Pal Wow

Milltown Community Festival this Weekend, September 19-21

The Milltown Community Festival will be held this weekend, beginning Friday, September 19 and ending Sunday, September 21.We have included the agenda for the festival below. Some of the highlights are the Side F/X band on Friday night, King Kodd band on Saturday night, the parade on Saturday at 4:00 PM, the American Legion breakfast Saturday from 800 AM to 1100 AM, and the chicken bbq on Sunday from 1130 AM to 300 PM. Come support this festival, and watch for your Democratic candidates there!

Here is more information from the Town of Milltown: Milltown Community Festival 2014

Elizabeth Volunteer Fire Department Supper this Saturday, September 20

The Elizabeth Volunteer Fire Department Supper is this Saturday, September 20. It will be held at South Central High School. The meal includes fried chicken, ham, mashed potatoes, slaw, green beans, noodles, and homemade desserts. It is served family style. It will start around 4:00 in the afternoon. A live auction will be held later in the evening. Come down to Elizabeth and support your local fire department.

Otto Schalk: Watch what he does, NOT what he says, Part I

We have already pointed out that Prosecutor Otto Schalk has a habit of wanting to see himself on television and in the newspaper as often as regular people go to work each day (and it may cost taxpayers money because of it), and that his credibility is clearly in question about where he was born and whether he failed to tell the truth later, but you may wonder if this also extends to other cases he prosecutes. It does, big time.

You may have noticed in the last few years that it seems that Otto Schalk talks big about cases where he charges people with something, and then you hear very little from him on how the cases turn out. Let's start with this one to see an example. Back in November, 2011, there was a story that appeared in the Corydon Democrat, titled "3 Arrested in Burglary Ring". The Prosecutor made big promises on this case, in which he alleged involvment the Aryan Brotherhood. Here are some quotes:

"White supremacists are not welcome in Harrison County, and it's not a place for burglars," Schalk said. "Once they're caught — when they're caught — we're going to prosecute them to the fullest."

Schalk said that while the quartet is only being charged for robbery at this time, he expects a number of other charges to be handed down in the next couple of days, including manufacturing and selling of methamphetamine and possibly other drugs.

"Short of moving to the North Pole, we'll catch these guys," he said.

"These are not the type of people you'd want to move in next door to you," Schalk said.

He also talked to WHAS-11:

"White supremacists are not welcome in Harrison County," Harrison County Prosecutor Otto Shalk said. "There's no place for that. There's no place for burglaries. You put the two of them together, that's my number one target."

Let's not leave out WLKY-32:

The State's ready to move forward with trial and seek justice for the victims," said Schalk.

Schalk said it's still unclear exactly which case will go to trial first.

Clearly big talk and big promises from the Prosecutor. The fullest extent of the law would mean to the average person that he would try to seek the maximum sentence or at least close to it. The reality is far from that when one examines the court records. There were four defendants in this case, and we will list case numbers, not actual names. You can review the court records on this website by typing in the case number that we provide: https://mycase.in.gov/default.aspx. Also, one thing he and his supporters may do is to try to blame these outcomes on the Judges in the cases. Note that when the Prosecutor makes a motion to dismiss, the Judge has to do so, and it is the Prosecutor that designs plea agreements, the Judge can either accept or reject, usually when they are considered too soft (that does happen-see below), so let's remember where the responsibility is here. And if you were wondering, the top sentence for a B Felony is 20 years and for a D Felony 3 years, so you can judge for yourself what "prosecute them to the fullest" is in your mind.

Defendant 1, Case 31D01-1111-FB-856, charged with Burglary (B Felony) and Theft (D Felony), dismissed by motion of Prosecutor. Case 31D01-1111-FB-901, charged with Burglary (B Felony), Theft (D Felony), Residential Entry (D Felony), Criminal Trespass (A Misdemeanor), Criminal Gang Activity (D Felony), dismissed by motion of Prosecutor. Case 31D01-1111-FB-902, charged with Burglary (B Felony), Theft (D Felony), Residential Entry (D Felony), Criminal Trespass (A Misdemeanor), dismissed by motion of Prosecutor. Defendant 1 also has two other pending drug cases, 31D01-1004-FB-298 and 31D01-FB-93, both serious methamphetamine cases, where the Court rejected the easy plea agreement offer. 

Defendant 2, Case No. 31D01-1111-FB-856, charged with Burglary (B Felony), Theft (D Felony), Residential Entry (D Felony), Criminal Trespass (A Misdemeanor), Criminal Gang Activity (D Felony), dismissed by motion of Prosecutor.

Defendant 3, Case No. 31D01-1111-FB-897, charged with Burglary (B Felony), Theft (D Felony), Residential Entry (D Felony), Criminal Trespass (A Misdemeanor), dismissed by motion of Prosecutor. Case No. 31D01-1111-FB-900, charged with Burglary (B Felony), Theft (D Felony), Residential Entry (D Felony), Criminal Trespass (A Misdemeanor), Criminal Gang Activity (D Felony), in a plea agreement, he pleaded guilty to Theft, with other charges dismissed, including the more serious Burglary charge. He received a sentence of 18 months, and was given jail credit for 270 days, so his agreement was to get out of jail. On Case No. 31D01-1201-FB-19, charged with Burglary (B Felony), Theft (D Felony), Residential Entry (D Felony), Criminal Trespass (A Misdemeanor), in a plea agreement, he pleaded guilty to Theft, with other charges dismissed, including the more serious Burglary charge. He received a sentence of 18 months, and was given jail credit for 270 days, so his agreement was to get out of jail. So three cases where he could have received 20 years each, he gets out with a year and a half. Is this "we're going to prosecute them to the fullest"? This defendant is already out on the streets, and let's hope he isn't your neighbor.

Defendant 4 (note there was a Special Judge on these cases), Case No. 31D01-1109-FB-751, charged with Burglary (B Felony), Theft (D Felony), Residential Entry (D Felony), Criminal Trespass (A Misdemeanor), dismissed by motion of Prosecutor. Case No. 31D01-1201-FB-18, charged with Burglary (B Felony), Theft (D Felony), Residential Entry (D Felony), Criminal Trespass (A Misdemeanor), Criminal Gang Activity (D Felony), dismissed by motion of Prosecutor. Case No. 31D01-1202-FB-92, Dealing Methamphetamine (B Felony), Possession of Ammonia with Firearm, Manufacture (C Felony), Dumping Controlled Substance (D Felony), Receiving Stolen Property (C Felony), Receiving Stolen Property (C Felony), Possession of Paraphernalia (A Misdemeanor), dismissed by motion of Prosecutor. Case No. 31D01-1111-FB-857, charged with Burglary (B Felony), Theft (D Felony), Residential Entry (D Felony), Criminal Trespass (A Misdemeanor), in a plea agreement, he pleaded guilty to Burglary (B Felony), all other charges dismissed. He received a sentence of 6 years, 3 of which he has to serve, with 547 days jail credit and 3 years probation. In Case No. 31D01-FB-903, charged with Burglary (B Felony), Theft (D Felony), Residential Entry (D Felony), Criminal Trespass (A Misdemeanor), in a plea agreement, he pleaded guilty to Burglary (B Felony), all other charges dismissed. He received a sentence of 7 years, 3 of which he has to serve, with 327 days jail credit and 4 years probation. In Case No. 31D01-FB-904, charged with Burglary (B Felony), Theft (D Felony), Residential Entry (D Felony), Criminal Trespass (A Misdemeanor), in a plea agreement, he pleaded guilty to Burglary (B Felony), all other charges dismissed. He received a sentence of 7 years, 3 of which he has to serve, with no jail credit and 4 years probation. The three cases that were not dismissed are to be served back to back, but here is the kicker- criminals can get day for day credit, so the first case could have no additional time, only a few months on the second one, and another year and a half on the last one. So according to the State Prison, Defendant #4 is scheduled to be back in someone's neighborhood come April 25, 2016. So there were six cases in which the most serious charge here was 20 years, so back to back, that comes to 120 years, not counting for the other charges that would make it even more. So if you look that he was put in jail in November, 2011, sentenced in March, 2014, and to be released in April 2016, he will serve only about four and a half years, when he could have been facing more than 120 years for being involved in meth labs and breaking into Harrison County citizen's homes and stealing things from them. Is this an example of "we're going to prosecute them to the fullest"? 

As you can see, when dealing with Otto Schalk, we have to examine what he does not what he says. Not only were these cases not prosecuted to the fullest, many of them were outright tossed out by him. If these people are his "number one target", one would hate to see how cases that were lower targets would be handled. And it doesn't seem like he was so willing to go to trial on any of these cases either. Maybe we need a Prosecutor that will follow through on what they say. We need a Prosecutor that will protect, not promote himself. 

Otto Schalk: Listen to what he does, not what he says.

Meet Your Democratic Candidates- Thursday, September 18 in Frenchtown

We will be having a meet the candidates meeting on Thursday, September 18. It will be at the Frenchtown (Spencer Township) Community Center from 6:30 to 8:00 P.M. Pop in at anytime to meet our candidates and enjoy some refreshments. Thanks to Rachael Armstrong for helping us to set it up. We will have further events all around Harrison County as the election approaches.

New Middletown Community Festival on September 20: Walk or Ride with Democrats

The Annual New Middletown Community festival will be held on Saturday, September 20. The parade will be held at 10 AM. Democrats and our candidates will be there and we can always use parade riders or walkers. Look for our candidates and our red wagon before 930 AM.

There will be vendor booths and food and pony rides, free games for kiddos, free bouncies, car and tractor show, free music by Twilight DJ Services, 50/50 raffle, silent auction, corn hole tournament, prince and princess contest, a parade at 10am and a pancake breakfast that morning at 8am (proceeds this year go to Jimmy Cochran)!!! Fun for the whole family!!

Here is the facebook link for the festival:  New Middletown Community Festival

Who would lie about where they were born? Otto Schalk did.

You may have read a recent comment in the Live Wire regarding Otto Schalk not being truthful about where he was born. After years of prodding, the Corydon Republican (aka Corydon Democrat) begrudgingly printed a small comment in the Live Wire, while the story deserved much more investigating. The paper asked for a response, to which he said it was done without his knowledge (funny how they don't ask other elected officials for responses to live wire comments). Let's set the record straight with documents from the 2010 election that will take away any doubt from who is telling the truth here.You can click on any of the images for a larger view.

Here is the birth announcement from the Mt. Carmel Daily Republican Register from January 18, 1985:

 

Here is a zoomed in part of the most relevant portion:

 

Well, most of us have had birth announcements in the newspaper. However, take a look at this mailer from the 2010 Election, which as you can see, clearly says "Otto was born in Lanesville". One has to wonder where the hospital was in Lanesville in 1985, but we will ignore that for now. (Please note that while John Evans and Rod Seelye are in this mailer, there is nothing either of them have listed anything that was false or incorrect.)

 

Now, here is the truth. As you can clearly see, this mailer was specifically authorized by Otto Schalk for Prosecutor. You can also see that he had to pose for a group photo as well. And if you are wondering what "Justice for All of Harrison County" is, well, it was a Political Action Committee, whose chairperson in 2010 was Maryland Austin, who Otto Schalk then worked for. As you can clearly see, there is virtually no way that he could not have known what this said in regards to where he was born, unless his law associate photo shopped him into the photo, never told him of the mailer and said he authorized it without his consent. That doesn't pass the smell test. It is clear that lies were told in order to try to get votes by Schalk and his supporters. And if you look at a map, Evansville and Princeton, Indiana are not that close to Lanesville. In fact, they are almost two hours away.

Now, you can see the facts for yourself. They are clear and they are damning. And to top it all off, when questioned by the local newspaper in the Live Wire, he claimed no knowledge and that he didn't authorize it. Anyone that can speak English can see that was a lie on top of a lie. One also has to wonder why the Corydon Republican would print a lie as a response when they had the information showing what he said in response was not true, but promoting Republicans seem to be that newspaper's thing in the last few years. We need a Prosecutor with credibility. One that authorizes lies about where he was born does not meet that criteria. If someone will lie about this, one has to start wondering what other lies he has told.