About Vanderburgh County, IN

St. Mary's Medical Center's quality improvement efforts have earned the Evansville hospital recognition in the U.S. News and World Report "America's Best Hospitals" August 2009 issue. The issue included 569 other hospitals across the nation.

The recognition is based on St. Mary's success using the American Heart Association's Get With The Guidelines (GWTG) quality improvement program.

In addition, in May the American Heart Association gave St. Mary's a Silver Performance Achievement Award for its efforts to ensure patients with coronary artery disease, heart failure and stroke receive the care they need according to the association's guidelines. The hospital had a one-year, 85 percent compliance rate with those standards of care.

Source: http://www.courierpress.com/news/2009/aug/24/st-marys-gets-mention-americas-best-hospitals-issu/

Evansville's new downtown arena is not built yet, but NEWS 25 learns plans are already in the works to figure out what to do with Roberts Stadium.

NEWS 25 questioned the Mayor and the Convention and Visitors Bureau Director about what they'd like to see done with the 53-year-old stadium.

All sorts of ideas have been thrown out about how to use the piece of prime property. Everything from tearing it down and turning it into a mall or water park has been mentioned, but NEWS 25 learned more firm plans are already being made.

Right now it's the place to go for concerts, shows, and large entertainment gatherings. Roberts Stadium is a venue the city spent millions to renovate less than 20 years ago.

But what will happen once the new arena goes up?

"We're looking at all our options but what probably makes most sense is this is an area that's recreational in nature and its seems to me we ought to keep it recreational in nature," says Evansville Mayor Jonathan Weinzapfel.

Mayor Weinzapfel tells NEWS 25 the new arena may be close to three years away, but Roberts Stadium is already being studied by Evansville firm V.P.S. Architecture. We're told the study has been underway for a few months.

The Mayor says keeping this site for public use has his attention.

"That's a somewhat interesting prospect in terms of looking at that entire area which is recreational in nature, right next to Wesselman Woods, Swonder ice rink, Hartke pool."

Last year the idea of turning Roberts into a water park was thrown out, but Friday we talked to Convention and Visitors Bureau Executive Director Marilee Fowler, who tells us she wants to see this property turned into a baseball and softball complex.

"We've done a great job with soccer and the new Goebel Soccer Complex we've been involved in building and bring tournaments to Evansville so we'd like to see the same thing with baseball and softball," says Fowler.

Fowler says more tournaments means more dollars being pumped into area hotels, restaurants, and shops. Fowler says she's already voiced her opinion to the Mayor.

"He's heard us for so long. Yes he knows our thoughts and interest," says Fowler.

"This is an issue that the arena advisory committee could help us take a look at. Obviously we'd want to have public meetings. We want public input on reuse of the property."

The Mayor says the study on Roberts Stadium should be complete in a couple of months.

NEWS 25 will continue to keep you updated on any public hearing on the matter

Source: http://www.news25.us/Global/story.asp?S=10972322

The Hilltop Inn on Evansville's west side has been named the "manliest restaurant in the midwest". It's now in the running for the national title.

The Hilltop Inn is the home of our "Dinner with the Coach" segment, as well as the famous brain sandwich. You can vote for the restaurant online at asylum.com .

Voting ends Wednesday.

Here we have information on the annual Frog Follies Classic Car Show. You will have a great time with the family to go and look at all the vintage cars.

August 28-30. Vanderburgh County 4-H Center, 201 E. Boonville-New Harmony Road. Thousands of vintage cars will roll in for this annual event, presented by the Evansville Iron Street Rod Club to benefit Easter Seals and other charities.

In addition to concessions, games, and celebrity frog races, there will be a car parts swap meet. 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Fri.-Sat.; 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Sun. $5; free for children 12 and under. (812) 428-3764 or www.frogfollies.org.

We don't know if it's a boy or a girl yet, but a zebra has been born at Mesker Park Zoo and Botanic Garden and is on display with its parents in the zoo's lower zebra area.

Zoo spokeswoman Charlotte Roesner said the foal's birth occurred early Thursday.

She said zookeepers won't be able to examine the young zebra for several days, giving the animal time to bond with its mother.

And until they know the gender, they aren't tossing out names.

"Sometimes the zookeeper who discovers (the birth) gets to name the baby and sometimes the zoo staff comes up with one," said Roesner.

In the meantime, she said the youngster "is up and running around and nursing off its mother."

Zebra foals typically weigh about 55 pounds at birth and are a fuzzy, light-brown color, with the black stripes coming later, said Roesner.

The baby's 25-year-old mother is named Press after the city's evening newspaper which closed in the late 1990s; the 21-year-old father is Courier in honor of the morning daily.

This brings the zoo's zebra population to five.

The West Side attraction is open year-round from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (entry gates close at 4 p.m.)

Admission is $8.50 for adults, $7.50 for ages 3-12, with Vanderburgh County residents receiving a $1 discount.

Visit http://www.meskerparkzoo.com for more information.

Source: http://www.courierpress.com/news/2009/aug/21/yikes-stripes-zebra-born-evansvilles-zoo/