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BREAKING NEWS: Bally’s Remains Open After Car Drives Off Bally’s Parking Garage

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Updated November 25, 2024 at 7:30 PM
Operations are returning to normal at Bally’s after a strange incident this morning.
In the midst of the normal morning routine at Bally’s Casino, the sense of normal disappeared in one frightening moment when a car came crashing through the roof of the conference center. That car came from the top floor of the attached parking garage.
At the time of the crash, Koorsen Fire and Safety was hosting a conference for building inspectors and firefighters at the site. Koorsen is the fire protection company for Bally’s, and they aided in getting the building’s systems turned off. Firefighters and others attending the conference rendered aid at the scene.
The vehicle hit a concrete barrier, causing it to drop through the roof of the conference center, followed by the Ford SUV. The driver of the vehicle was the only injury.
A crane was brought in during the afternoon to lift the SUV and the concrete barrier out of the conference center.
The unanswered question is, “Why?” Police are putting together all of the information, looking at video footage, and planning to talk to the driver to determine what happened.

Bally’s was able to continue with normal casino operations through the day today and the parking garage will remain close until further notice.

Bally’s released the following statement: “We are currently investigating an incident involving a vehicle that drove off the seventh floor of our parking garage and will provide updates as necessary. Upon initial review, the incident appears to be the result of driver error. There are no signage or structural issues with the parking garage. The safety of our guests and staff remains our top priority.”

Volleyball opens weekend with two victories

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 UE defeats Florida A&M and Queens

 ATLANTA – Friday’s opening day of the GSU Invitational was a successful one for the University of Evansville volleyball team who defeated Florida A&M to open the tournament before completing the day with a 3-1 triumph over Queens.

“Today wasn’t always our cleanest day, but we’ll always be happy with two wins! I’m so proud of how we persevered and adapted throughout the day; both FAMU and Queens put systematic pressure that we haven’t seen yet in this young season, and while it took us a minute to adapt, everyone rose to the challenge,” UE head volleyball coach Zach Weinberg said. “Our grit and defensive effort continues to impress me. It’s a great day to be an Ace!”

MATCH 1 – UE 3, Florida A&M 2

Josdarilee Caraballo and Chloe Cline led UE with 11 kills apiece as UE opened the day with a victory. Kora Ruff and Lexi Owen wrapped up the match with 24 and 23 assists, respectively. Ainoah Cruz led all players with 28 digs while Caraballo registered 19.

Set 1 – UE 25, FAMU 21

Florida A&M jumped out to a 5-1 lead to open the match. Hinsley Everett got UE back on track with an ace before Ryan Scheu picked up back-to-back kills to tie the set at 7-7. A bad set by the Rattlers gave Evansville its first lead at 9-8. The teams swapped the lead on multiple occasions but it was the Aces who were able pull away in the late stages.  Up 19-18, Evansville outscored FAMU by a 6-2 score to close out a 25-21 win. Ainoah Cruz picked up an ace during the late rally.

Set 2 – FAMU 25, UE 20

Another big start saw the Rattlers jump out to a 10-5 advantage but unlike the first set, FAMU held the lead for the duration of the frame. UE cut the deficit to three at 10-7, but Florida A&M countered to go up 17-10 before tying the match with a 25-20 victory.

Set 3 – FAMU 25, UE 23

Once again, it was Florida A&M taking control in the early moments as they went up 11-6. Lexi Owen and Sabrina ripple assisted on a block that cut the deficit to 11-8, however, the Rattlers pushed the lead to seven points at 16-9. Evansville never gave up as they chipped away at the FAMU advantage. McKenzie Laubach picked up a kill that made it a 21-18 game before UE got within one at 23-22 on a bad set by FAMU. The Rattlers overcame the late rally by UE to take a 2-1 match lead.

Set 4 – UE 25, FAMU 23

Consecutive aces by Caraballo set the Aces up with an early 3-1 lead before the Rattlers utilized an 8-3 stretch to go up 9-6. Both squads assumed the lead during the middle portion of the set, but it was a late run by the Aces that sent the game to a fifth set. Trailing 21-20, Laubach and Brooke Herdes picked up kills to open a 4-0 run. After two quick points by FAMU, Cline and Laubach combined on a block to seal a 25-23 win.

Set 5 – UE 15, FAMU 13

After opening the set with a 3-1 lead, the Aces sealed the match with a 15-13 decision in the fifth set. While UE allowed the Rattlers to tie the set on a few occasions, FAMU never took the lead. Following the quick start by Evansville, Florida A&M tied it up at 4-4 before Laubach put her squad back in front. Caraballo added a pair of kills that gave UE a 10-7 edge, but once again the Rattlers battled back to tie the score at 11-11. Another kill by Laubach gave UE the

lead for good as the Aces won by a 15-13 final.

MATCH 2 – UE 3, Queens 1

McKenzie Laubach registered a match-high 24 kills while hitting an efficient .409 to lift the Aces to a 3-1 win over Queens. Chloe Cline had 10 kills and Hinsley Everett added nine. Kora Ruff had 35 assists and 14 digs with Ainoah Cruz tying for the top dig tally in the match with 20. Sabrina Ripple notched five block assists.

Set 1 – Queens 25, UE 18

Queens opened the match on a 4-1 stretch to grab the early momentum before the Aces responded to tie the game at 5-5 when Kora Ruff picked up a kill. Later, it was Chloe Cline giving UE its first lead at 9-8 while McKenzie Laubach solidified a 14-11 advantage.  The Royals scored three in a row to tie the score and the teams battled to a 17-17 tie.  Queens took control, posting four in a row while completing the set on an 8-1 run to take the match lead.

Set 2 – UE 25, Queens 21

After the Royals scored the first two points, Evansville took a 3-2 lead on a Laubach kill and would hold the advantage for the duration of the frame. Sabrina Ripple added a kill to extend the lead to 10-7 while an error by Queens gave the Aces their largest lead at 18-12.  Looking for a late rally, the Royals cut the UE lead to just two at 19-17. Another Ripple kill pushed the edge back to three and the Aces would knot the match with a 25-21 win.

Set 3 – UE 25, Queens 21

Game three was a battle from start to finish. Five early ties led to a 5-5 score before a kill from Hinsley Everett put UE in front at 7-5. After a Laubach kill made it a 10-7 game, Queens rallied to tie the score at 13-13 before jumping in front at 20-19. A pivotal stretch followed for UE as they scored the next four points to retake control while Laubach capped off the set with a kill and a 25-21 victory.

Set 4 – UE 25, Queens 20

Looking to send the match to a fifth set, Queens gained the early lead in the fourth set, opening on a 7-2 run. The lead for the Royals reached as many as seven points at 13-6 before UE changed course with a huge rally. An 8-1 stretch by the Aces tied the score at 14-14 with Cline notching three kills to bring her team back into the game.

After Queens retook a 15-14 lead, the Aces continued to roll. Three in a row by Evansville was the start of an 11-5 run that ended the match and sealed a 3-1 victory. The Aces look to complete a perfect weekend on Saturday against Georgia State at 1 p.m. CST.

 

Aces Take Men’s and Women’s Titles at Panther Prowl

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 OWENSBORO, Ky. – The University of Evansville men’s and women’s cross country teams took dominant victories on Friday night, sweeping the women’s 5K and men’s 6K events at the Panther Prowl.

Evansville’s women’s team took the title with the top four individual finishers and seven of the top 10. Chase Hayes (Noblesville, Ind./Western) cruised to the individual title, finishing at 18:03.9. Avery Stephens (Newburgh, Ind./Castle) finished second at 18:49.9, followed by freshmen Kyleigh Wolf (Columbus, Ind./Columbus North) with a time of 19:04.5 and Josie Lynch (Brazil, Ind./Northview) at 19.26.9. Kyndall Anthis (Patoka, Ind./Princeton Community), Lauren Bradley (Russiaville, Ind./Western) and Veronica Wilgocki (Chesteron, Ind./Chesterton) secured top ten finishes as well with times of 19:55.1, 20:05.6, and 20:25.7 respectively.

On the men’s side, freshman James Cruse (Melbourne, Australia) finished second overall and was the Aces’ top finisher with a time of 18:48.3. Nathan Whitehead (Vincennes, Ind./South Knox) also placed in the top five, finishing fourth at 19:14.7. Tanner Spence (Carmi, Ill./Carmi) and Nathan Campbell (Bloomington, Ind./Bloomington North) also placed inside the top ten with times of 19:26.5 and 19:37.7, respectively. Evansville took the team title with a score of 26, a margin of victory of 47 ahead of the second place squad.

The Aces cross country teams will be back in action on September 20 for the John McNichols Invitational in Terre Haute, Ind., hosted by Indiana State.

Panther Prowl Cross Country Classic (September 5)
Women’s 5K Men’s 6K
1 Chase Hayes 18.03.9 2 James Cruse 18:48.3
2 Avery Stephens 18:49.9 4 Nathan Whitehead 19:14.7
3 Kyleigh Wolf 19:04.5 7 Tanner Spence 19:26.5
4 Josie Lynch 19:26.9 9 Nathan Campbell 19:37.7
7 Kyndall Anthis 19:55.1 12 Nicholas Hirsch 20:12.7
8 Lauren Bradley 20:05.6 14 Aiden Nord 20:28.4
10 Veronica Wilgocki 20:25.7 16 Thomas Wamser 20:32.2
13 Sidney Charles 21:09.3 19 Jake Antibus 20:36.9
16 Rebekah Sachs 21:19.6 26 Hayden Wannemuehler 20:46.9
29 Ella Sinn 22:31.3

USI Board of Trustees approve rates for 2026-27 housing and meal plans

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At its regular meeting on Thursday, September 4, the University of Southern Indiana Board of Trustees approved housing and meal plan rates for the 2026-27 academic year.

Housing and meal plan options were evaluated with student preferences and national trends in mind, and the approved rates balance affordability with flexibility to meet the varied needs of students.

The Board also heard an update on current campus construction projects.

Women’s golf opens 2025-26 season

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Aces set for Redbird Invitational

 EVANSVILLE, Ind. – This weekend, the University of Evansville women’s golf team opens the 2025-26 campaign with a trip to Normal, Ill. for the Redbird Invitational.

Play opens on Sunday with 36 holes before Monday features the final 18. Weibring Golf Club will be the host for the event with par set for 72 and the yardage measuring 6,093.

A field of 16 squads will be on hand including Bowling Green, Butler, Dayton, Drake, Eastern Kentucky, Evansville, Illinois State, Illinois Wesleyan, Indiana State, IU Indianapolis, Loyola Chicago, Northern Illinois, Northern Iowa, South Dakota, South Dakota State, and Valparaiso.

Three of the Purple Aces top four golfers from last season return led by Kate Petrova.  The 2-time Missouri Valley Conference Champion led UE with a season stroke average of 75.29. She earned two victories in the spring including the ASU Spring Classic and Golfweek/Stifel Challenge.

Louise Standtke completed the year with an average of 76.41. In her freshman campaign, Standtke had a stretch of four top five finishes in five events.  She capped that off with a win at the ISU Spring Invitational. Elizabeth Mercer is also coming off a strong year. Posting an average of 78.56, Mercer recorded four top-20 finishes in five spring events.

Governor Braun Announces Early Completion of Executive Order 25-45: Report Confirms READI Regions As Indiana’s Economic Planning Framework

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INDIANAPOLIS – Governor Mike Braun today announced the release of a new independent study from the Indiana Business Research Center (IBRC) at the IU Kelley School of Business that validates the state’s 15 READI regions as Indiana’s official economic and workforce planning framework.

The analysis, The Case for READI Regions as Official Economic Planning Regions, was commissioned under Executive Order 25-45, which directed the Secretary of Commerce to recommend by year-end 2025 a unified set of regional boundaries. Today’s report delivers on that order ahead of schedule.

Governor Braun said the findings affirm the strength of Indiana’s regional approach:
 
“This report proves what we’ve seen on the ground: Indiana’s regions are strong, well-defined, and ready to lead. The 15 READI regions were built by local leaders, tested through real collaboration, and now validated by independent research. By aligning the state around this framework, we remove confusion, cut costs, and give Hoosiers one clear plan forward.”

The IBRC study compared READI regions with state-defined Economic Growth Regions and federally defined Metropolitan Statistical Areas. It found that:

  • READI regions emerged voluntarily from local governments in 2021 with READI 1.0 and align with real labor markets.
  • They demonstrate nearly the same commuting “tightness” (a measure of economic cohesion) as state-drawn regions, at lower implementation cost.
  • They have already proven their effectiveness through READI and READI 2.0, where regional strategic plans leveraged billions in investment.

Dr. Phil Powell, Executive Director of the IBRC and co-author of the report, noted the significance of the findings:
 
“Our analysis shows that READI regions provide a socially efficient and empirically sound foundation for Indiana’s regional policy. They capture economic activity nearly as effectively as state-drawn regions, but with the added advantage of trust and collaboration already built among local leaders. That gives Indiana a durable framework to deliver economic and workforce development.” – Dr. Phil Powell, Executive Director, Indiana Business Research Center

Secretary of Commerce David Adams said the adoption of the READI framework will ensure clarity and accountability moving forward:
 
“This report confirms that Indiana’s regional approach is working. With READI regions now validated as the economic planning framework, we can focus on strategy—empowering regions grow population, wages, and opportunity with one clear map.”

Attorney General Todd Rokita leads 22-state effort to support Trump administration’s elimination of DEI from federal contracting

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Attorney General Todd Rokita is leading a 22-state effort in support of the U.S. Department of Labor’s proposed rule to rescind long-standing regulations that require discriminatory affirmative action plans for federal contractors.

In a letter sent this week, Attorney General Rokita argues that DOL’s current affirmative action requirements are clearly unconstitutional under the Fifth Amendment’s equal protection guarantee and in light of the United States Supreme Court’s decision inStudents for Fair Admissions v. Harvard.  

“The federal government has no right to mandate affirmative action plans that prioritize ideology over merit,” said Attorney General Rokita. “These regulations promote unlawful discrimination, undermine true equal opportunity, and needlessly burden employers. Federal contractors should hire based on skill and experience, not political agendas.”

DOL’s proposed rule advances the objectives of President Trump’s executive order — titled “Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity” — in which he ordered the federal government to end discriminatory DEI practices, like affirmative action programs and arbitrary workforce balancing based on race and sex for federal contractors.

In addition to noting that these DEI practices being harmful to society and bad policy, the comment letter argues that the executive branch did not have the statutory authority under federal law to mandate affirmative action requirements on federal contractors in the first place.

“The Department of Labor’s move to eliminate these burdensome affirmative action mandates is a step toward fairness,” Attorney General Rokita added. “Thanks to President Trump’s leadership, we’re once again restoring common sense and ensuring federal contractors can focus on merit-based hiring, free from discriminatory practices based on race or sex.”

This effort builds on Indiana’s leadership. Last month, Attorney General Rokita, in coordination with Governor Mike Braun, announced that all state contracts now must include revised language that makes clear that contractors must not pursue DEI initiatives that treat people differently on the basis of race or sex.

Read the letter here.

Soil sampling program available for Hoosier farmers

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RICHARD NIXON

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redline

GAVEL GAMUT

By Jim Redwine

www.jamesmredwine.com

(Week of 08 September 2025)

RICHARD NIXON

It is 4:30 a.m. and I just spent the last three hours watching a PBS special on Richard Nixon. It may be that years of working the night shift followed by several hours of college classes makes normal sleep abnormal for me. At least I prefer that explanation to what my father told me when I asked him why he was up and down most nights, “Son, when you get old you just can’t stay asleep”. Regardless, I am awake and the PBS documentary reminded me of a Gavel Gamut article I wrote in about January of 2007 about Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford. That article is set out below. Gentle Reader, I trust you remember it.

What almost twenty more years has done to my impressions of the turbulent Sixties and Seventies is soften some edges and made others more acute. Once again, just like my sleep habits, I prefer to ascribe those changes to factors other than my age. Anyway, I was intrigued by President Nixon’s self-imposed catastrophe wrought by a series of his seemingly inexplicable wrong decisions that changed Americans’ views of our own country and our role in the world. Most perplexing to me was how unnecessary and silly many of Nixon’s Watergate cover-up decisions were. Nixon was highly intelligent and disciplined. He was a tireless worker from a lower economic class family who knew right from wrong. Yet, he chose the easier wrong over the harder right at virtually every stage of the “Third-Rate Burglary” that brought about his own demise and our country’s imbroglio. It is a fairly obvious allegory of the old, “For want of a nail, a horseshoe was lost”.

One take away I got from the PBS special was how my view of Nixon’s frailties was softened by today’s events, such as the Jeffrey Epstein scandal and President Trump’s comments about it or, perhaps, the bombing of Iran or the sinking of the Venezuelan drug boat. I kept watching President Nixon digging a deeper hole for himself and the rest of us as my thoughts conjured up President Trump. Nixon went from winning every state but Massachusetts to resigning in disgrace. As a side note, Nixon’s first Vice-President, Spiro Agnew, had resigned in disgrace only a year before.

I do not predict nor am I soliciting any contemporary resignations, but the lessons of history should be heeded by those who lead us. Maybe some type of epiphany is called for. I know I had to reevaluate what I thought I had learned when I lived through similar times. Perhaps President Trump who is about my age was up watching the special too.

PARDON ME, PRESIDENT FORD

(Week of January 8, 2007)

President Gerald Ford died December 26, 2006.  In a life filled with public service, he will always be best known for his pardon of President Nixon in 1974.

President Nixon personally chose Gerald Ford to replace the disgraced Vice-President Spiro Agnew who resigned in 1973 amid disclosures of bribery while Agnew was Governor of Maryland.

Vice-President Ford served under President Nixon until Nixon resigned in August of 1974.  One month after President Nixon resigned, President Ford issued him a full pardon for any crimes he may have committed while president.

At the time, I and most Americans were calling for a complete investigation of the Watergate debacle and especially Nixon’s involvement in it.  It was a time of a media feeding frenzy and blood in the water.  

President Ford took the unprecedented step of going personally before Congress and flatly stating that President Nixon and then Vice-President Ford had no deal to pardon Nixon if he would resign.

I recall how dubious I was when President Ford stated that he issued the pardon only to help our country to start healing from the loss of confidence caused by Watergate.

Yet, after a few months I began to have second thoughts about my initial reaction to the pardon.  I began to see how much courage it took for President Ford to go straight into the anti-Nixon firestorm sweeping the United States.

As a country, we were almost paralyzed by the partisan fighting at home and the War in Viet Nam.  We needed a new direction and a renewed spirit.

Surely President Ford with his twenty-two (22) years in Congress knew he was committing political suicide by not giving us our pound of flesh.  Still, he put his country first.  Of course, the country rewarded his sacrifice by booting him from office and electing President Jimmy Carter to replace him.

But during the campaign of 1976, when President Ford came to Evansville, Indiana on April the 23rd, I took my son, Jim, out of school and we went to the Downtown Walkway to cheer the man who put country above self.

For while William Shakespeare may almost always get his character analysis right, when it came to President Ford, “The good he did lived after him.”   Julius Caesar, Act III, sc. ii.

Even President Carter, one of America’s most courageous and best former presidents said of President Ford:

“President Ford was one of the most admirable

  public servants I have ever known.”

And when it came to the pardon of President Nixon, Senator Ted Kennedy, while admitting that he had severely criticized the pardon in 1974, said that he had come to realize that:

“The pardon was an extraordinary act of courage

that historians recognize was truly in the national

interest.”

So, President Ford, since even your political opponents came to appreciate your courage and goodness, I am confident that you have long ago “pardoned” all of us who doubted you back when we needed your leadership.

For more Gavel Gamut articles go to www.jamesmredwine.com

Pacers Sports & Entertainment formally breaks ground on world-class, $78M Indiana Fever Sports Performance Center

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INDIANAPOLIS (Sept. 4, 2025) – Pacers Sports & Entertainment, alongside the Indiana Fever and local leaders, officially broke ground today on the landmark $78 million Indiana Fever Sports Performance Center, a world-class facility featuring state-of-the-art amenities designed exclusively for female athletes.

The 108,000-square-foot, three-story center, set to open ahead of the 2027 WNBA season, will be located in downtown Indianapolis, and connect to Gainbridge Fieldhouse via skybridge. Amenities will include premier spaces for performance and conditioning, recovery and rehabilitation, and mental health and wellness along with lifestyle support.

“We are excited to create a performance center specifically for our elite female players that gives them the resources to thrive on and off the court,” said Mel Raines, CEO of Pacers Sports & Entertainment. “We are also especially grateful to the city of Indianapolis for its partnership and leadership in helping bring this vision to life.”

The facility will have best-in-class amenities including two regulation-sized courts with natural light, strength and conditioning equipment, yoga and Pilates area, hydration station and full-service kitchen. To help players recover and recharge, the facility will offer a spa-like retreat with massage, infrared light therapy, sauna, steam, heat studios, and multiple hydrotherapy pools. The team will also have a private outdoor courtyard and mental performance spaces. The center will boast a hair and nail salon, childcare space, and podcast and content production studio.

“What we’re celebrating today is the beginning of something transformational, an exclusive facility built specifically to support our players at every level, both professionally and personally,” said Kelly Krauskopf, president of the Indiana Fever. “The Indiana Fever have always been proud to call Indianapolis home and as we break ground, we’re building upon our city and organization’s commitment to being a global leader in women’s sports.”

The center will offer exclusive fan experiences in the Hall of Excellence, which will honor the team’s history, and a Fever team store with exciting and unique merchandise opportunities.

“Today’s groundbreaking marks the transformation of a piece of prime, downtown real estate into a state-of-the-art facility that will bolster our thriving sports economy and support our talented Indiana Fever players,” said Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett. “Developments like these are solidifying Indianapolis as a world-class sports city and a true destination for women’s sports.”

Currently, the team’s dedicated practice court and training area, which were renovated in 2020, are located within Gainbridge Fieldhouse and considered among the top facilities in the WNBA.An affiliate of PS&E is constructing the facility on the west half of the former Marion County Jail site, located at the corner of Delaware and Maryland streets. The city of Indianapolis made an intergovernmental land transfer to the Capitol Improvement Board of Marion County, which entered into an operating agreement with the PS&E affiliate. The facility will be donated to the CIB at the conclusion of the term of the operating agreement. The Indiana Pacers and Indianapolis Colts practice facilities are also located on land owned by the CIB.

Construction will be led by Shiel Sexton and the architect of record is Populous, a global design firm known for being at the forefront of innovation and leading the charge in women’s professional sports.

WEEKLY DEATH REPORT AUGUST 04 TO AUGUST 10, 2025

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WEEKLY DEATH REPORT AUGUST 04 TO AUGUST 10, 2025

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