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.”
UPDATE: On 4/1/2025 16 year old Derrick Brifil was booked into the Vanderburgh County Jail on charges of Robbery, Child in Possession of Firearm and Murder in relation to this incident.
Shortly after 11:30 p.m. on 3/22/2025, officers were dispatched to the 2800 block of Lodge Ave in reference to a robbery. The caller, who was on their way to the hospital, stated they were robbed and shot at this location. Officers arrived at the hospital where two male victims were being treated for gunshot wounds. It was learned that one of the victims suffered life-threatening injuries while the second’s injuries were deemed non- life-threatening.
Through the course of the investigation, it was determined that the victims had arranged a meeting in the 2800 block of Lodge Ave. The victims were then approached by two males who attempted to rob them. During the attempted robbery, the two victims were shot. At least one of the victims returned fire before leaving the scene for the hospital.
While officers were on scene investigating, an additional call was received stating there was a person shot at an address near the 2800 block of Lodge Ave. Officers responded to the area and located this subject and
learned he was a juvenile. This juvenile was transported to the hospital where it was determined he was one of Evansville the male subjects involved in shooting the victims in the 2800 block of Lodge Ave. This juvenile subject willcontinue to be monitored by law enforcement while receiving medical care.
Detectives were later able to identify the second male subject involved in shooting the victims. It was also determined that this male was a juvenile. This juvenile was located and taken to EPD Headquarters for an interview. After the conclusion of this interview, the juvenile male was taken into custody. Due to the nature of the crime, the juvenile was booked into the Vanderburgh County Jail.
Vanderburgh County property tax bills will be going in the mail – as soon as Friday, April 4, 2025. I have attached a portion of a sample property tax bill that has the heading “SPECIAL MESSAGE TO PROPERTY OWNER”. For some property owners there may be a new item listed in TABLE 4: OTHER CHARGES/ADJUSTMENTS . . .LEVYING AUTHORITY – Drain – Pigeon Creek Watershed. A residential parcel will have a $7.00 amount listed. If you own farm ground, commercial or other types of property within the Pigeon Creek Watershed, it will be a different amount. This is a newly established special assessment as per Indiana Code # 14-30.5 ARTICLE 30.5. WATERSHED DEVELOPMENT COMMISSIONS. . . enacted in 2023. The Pigeon Creek Watershed Development Commission was established in Vanderburgh County on September 17, 2024 by the Indiana Natural Resources Commission. The funds will be used to address flood damage reduction, drainage, storm water management, recreation, or water infrastructure needs. This is a watershed area, which means the storm water from your property flows into Pigeon Creek based on United States Geological Survey (USGS) hydrologic maps.
Indiana lawmakers on the Senate Appropriations Committee seemed skeptical of Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith’s request for a boost in funding for faith-based initiatives. Screenshot by Indiana Citizen.
Indiana Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith sidestepped questions over how the $3 million increase in spending for faith-based initiatives in his office could specifically address mental health concerns in an interview with The Indiana Citizen, brushing aside questions over whether he was potentially referring to conversion therapy when he testified before state lawmakers that some of it could be spent on mental health programming.
“I kind of look at all therapy as conversion therapy,” the Republican said last week when asked if he would be open to utilizing conversion therapy, which attempts to change the sexual orientation or gender identity of LGBTQ+ people, or similar approaches. He said that conversion therapy is “a weird term” for him because he views all therapy as conversion.
Beckwith surprised lawmakers crafting the state’s biennial budget last month when he testified he wants to double spending for faith-based initiatives in his office. The request comes as the Senate is in the midst of reviewing the House’s version of the state budget.
Beckwith said during the Senate hearing that the programming will address different issues such as mental health as well as homelessness and crime, suggesting that his office can be a bridge connecting the government to nonprofits and faith-based organizations that he said are better suited to address mental health matters. When asked about partnerships with other mental health organizations, Beckwith told committee members that those plans are “up in the air” because his office is waiting to see what happens with the budget. He added that his office wants to work with nonprofits and various faith-based communities.
Beckwith during the hearing said the money would go toward roundtables in every county, connecting people to their local government officials and the salary of Tyson Priest, who Beckwith tapped as the faith-based initiatives director. He also mentioned using some of it as seed money for organizations, such as the Ten Point Coalition, that need help addressing core issues in their communities.
Beckwith did not respond to a request for a document or details regarding the spending request. Jim Kehoe, Beckwith’s communications director, said he forwarded the request to the person in the lieutenant governor’s office who handles document requests.
On social media, the pastor-turned state official has repeatedly tied matters of gender identity to mental illness. Several decades of research indicates that there is no inherent association between mental disorders and identifying with different gender identities or sexual orientations, and all mainstream medical organizations in the U.S. have concluded that diverse orientations can be part of the human experience, according to the American Psychiatric Association (APA).
In February, Beckwith posted on the social platform Instagram a screenshot of a post originally on X from Meg Brock, a contributor to the conservative news outlet The Daily Caller, where she wrote, “My name is Meg and I am a woman” and continued with a list of labels that she does not identify with.
Beckwith captioned his repost on Instagram: “Mental Illness should be treated and not celebrated.”
Screenshot by Indiana Citizen.
In a separate post on the platform LinkedIn from nearly a year ago, Beckwith posted a graphic linking a children’s story to matters of gender identity.
“It’s time we address the issue of mental illness with the seriousness it deserves, rather than using it as a platform for virtue signaling,” he captioned the photo. “True bravery comes from seeking help and starting the healing process, not from glorifying untreated conditions. Let’s end the great pretense and advocate for genuine support and recovery.”
Across the country, 23 states and Washington, D.C., have banned the practice, according to the LGBTQ think tank Movement Advancement Project, but Indiana specifically safeguards the practice as the only state where state law prohibits local governments from banning conversion therapy. And as part of the national backlash against transgender individuals, a number of states have pushed to reintroduce the practice.
Screenshot by Indiana Citizen.
Conversion therapy, which is practiced by both licensed professionals who claim to be providing health care as well as spiritual advisers in the context of religious practice, has resulted in increased suicides and increased thoughts of suicide, according to a 2020 report from The Williams Institute, a think tank at the University of California, Los Angeles, dedicated to sexual orientation and gender identity law.
The APA decried conversion therapy in a statement last year, saying, “Leading professional health care bodies have concluded that conversion therapies lack efficacy and may carry significant risks of harm.”
Beckwith, a longtime Noblesville pastor, said during the interview with The Indiana Citizen that he sees all mental health treatment as some version of conversion.
“What’s the difference between an AA program—an Alcoholics Anonymous program—because you’re converting an alcoholic into being sober, right?” Beckwith said. “So, every aspect of therapy is saying, ‘I need to make a conversion.’”
Meanwhile, musings of conversion therapy have made their way to some state legislatures.
In Kentucky, lawmakers last week overturned Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear’s veto of a bill that could allow conversion therapy.
Earlier this year, lawmakers in North Dakota considered a bill that would allow social workers to legally offer conversion therapy, though it failed to pass out of the Senate. A similar piece of legislation made its way into North Dakota’s legislature in 2023.
In recent years, The Texas Tribune has reported that lawmakers have tried to enact legislation that would prohibit conversion therapy—which has previously garnered support from the Texas GOP, CNN’s decade-old reporting showed—and discrimination against LGBTQ+ individuals in the Lone Star State.
During last week’s interview, when Beckwith was told that conversion therapy typically targets the LGBTQ+ population, he downplayed the debunked treatment.
“I don’t know why conversion therapy would be targeted at one group of people over another, because I just look at therapy, in general, as conversion in a good way,” he said.
The way mental health is framed could be an indicator of what treatments are implemented, suggested Andrew Flores, an expert on LGBTQ populations at UCLA’s Williams Institute and an assistant professor of government at American University.
For example, thinking primarily about gender identity, gender dysphoria—the distress that people feel when there’s a difference between their sex assigned at birth and their gender identity—or sexual orientation in the context of mental health, Flores said, could lead to certain outcomes depending on the viewpoint a person offering treatment holds.
“So thinking that maybe the best way to address mental health care is by using faith-based initiatives might open the door for care or treatment from a particular point of view that may not necessarily be, say, affirming of LGBT people,” Flores said during an interview last week.
“There’s always going to be this challenge about how these issues will get framed and discussed for the public and to kind of help mold public opinion to get to be more OK with one’s position,” Flores said.
When Beckwith was asked during the interview if the mental health initiatives would help individuals experiencing gender dysphoria, he dodged a direct answer and acknowledged that it’s a mental health concern, saying, “It doesn’t mean that we love people who are struggling with that any less.”
In response to his thoughts regarding gender identity and sexual orientation in the context of his social media posts and the faith-based initiatives, Beckwith said, “I’ll love somebody who identifies as whatever they want to identify as, I’ll love them in the same way that I love anybody else, like I’ll give them the shirt off my back. I’ll help them.
“But I also think there’s a push from that community to say, ‘You better accept us as normal.’ And that’s not what we’re going for,” he added.
When pressed further, Beckwith said that the initiatives would help people only with what they say they’re struggling with.
“Do they need help with counseling? Or do they need help with homelessness? I guess the question is: What are they looking for, right? Like, if somebody doesn’t want help, you’re not gonna be able to help that person.”
Beckwith went on to suggest that Indiana shouldn’t “play pretend games” when it comes to addressing matters related to gender identity.
“That’s what we’re being pushed to do. It’s like, ‘Hey, you better believe the way we believe,’ or else you’re a bigot, a transphobe, a homophobe, or whatever other type of -phobe they want to call us. It’s like, no, we love you guys, we care about you, but we care about you enough to say, ‘Hey, this is the way. This is the truth,’” Beckwith said.
He added: “I posted about that very openly. Say: ‘Hey, I’m not going to get pushed into a corner. I’m not going to be bullied by somebody to play along with somebody’s idea of reality.”’
This article was published by TheStatehouseFile.com through a partnership with The Indiana Citizen, a nonpartisan, nonprofit platform dedicated to increasing the number of informed, engaged Hoosier citizens.
Juliann Ventura is a political reporter who grew up in Indianapolis. Prior to joining The Citizen, Juliann reported in Washington, D.C., most recently on The Hill’s breaking news team. She earned her master’s in journalism from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism and her bachelor’s in international studies and criminology from Butler University. Juliann’s reporting has been featured in The Washington Post, ProPublica, and numerous state and local publications.
The University of Southern Indiana Board of Trustees has announced the appointment of Steven J. Bridges as USI’s fifth President, effective immediately. Bridges has served as Interim President since July 20, 2024. The announcement was made at a special session of the Board on Wednesday, April 2.
“The USI Board of Trustees has unanimously voted to appoint Steve Bridges as our fifth President,” said Christine Keck, Chair of the USI Board of Trustees. “I congratulate Steve not only for his outstanding service as our Interim President since July 2024, but for his prior decades of dedicated service to USI. He is taking on this role at a critical and exciting time for USI, as we fully transition to Division I athletics and set our sights on even further excellence in all aspects of our operation. Steve has the full confidence of the USI Board of Trustees and the skills, integrity and vision to lead USI well into the future.”
Bridges, a two-time USI alumnus, is the first member of the USI alumni to serve as President of the University. He received his bachelor’s degree in accounting in 1989 and master’s degree in business administration in 1995.
He joined USI as a Staff Accountant in 1989 and went on to serve in leadership positions with increasing responsibilities, including Controller and Assistant Business Office Director, Banner Project Manager, Controller and Business Office Director, Assistant Vice President for Finance and Administration and Assistant Treasurer, and an interim appointment as Associate Vice President for Operations and Assistant Treasurer. Since April 2015, he served as the Vice President for Finance and Administration (VPFA), the University’s chief business and fiscal officer.
During his 36-year tenure at USI, he was responsible for business operations of the Finance and Administration function of the University, including the Budget Office, Business Office (Accounting, Accounts Payable, Bursar’s Office and USI Campus Store), Facility Operations and Planning, Foundation Accounting, Human Resources, Information Technology, Internal Audit, Procurement Services (Risk Management and Travel Services) and Public Safety. He also provided leadership for student loan accounting and collections, investment management accounting, debt management and accounting, auxiliary accounting, property accounting, completion of University financial statements and served as the business liaison for food services.
“Being selected as the fifth President of the University of Southern Indiana is the greatest honor of my career,” said Bridges. “To have worked and served alongside each of our past presidents over my nearly 36-years at USI is humbling. As President, I will be a history-driven and forward-thinking leader. The extraordinary education I received at USI has prepared me well and will continue to take center stage for our students. As a Screaming Eagle and one of 54,000 plus alumni, I am determined to continue to share the care and concern I received as a student and am proof of the transformative nature of higher education. USI is a big piece of my heart, and I am so proud to continue to serve the institution as President.”
The Presidential Search Committee and Board of Trustees carried out a nationwide search for the role, attracting a diverse pool of highly qualified candidates. These candidates included current university presidents, provosts, deans and student affairs executives, as well as executives from industries beyond higher education.
“The USI Presidential Search Committee poured through nearly 100 well-qualified resumes from national candidates,” remarked Christina Ryan, Chair of the USI Presidential Search and First Vice Chair of the USI Board. “After a rigorous process, the Committee put forward an accomplished slate of candidates for full Board of Trustees consideration. I am delighted that Steve Bridges, an outstanding USI alumnus and person of character, rose to the top of the list.”
During his time as VPFA, Bridges completed the largest single bond issuance in the history of the University and completed an auxiliary system bond issuance that was briefly the lowest rate in the history of state of Indiana higher education bond issuance. During the COVID-19 pandemic, decades of fiscal stewardship resulted in no layoffs or terminations at the University, when that was not the case for many in the higher education sector.
Bridges was instrumental in implementing the campus-wide Banner system, an administrative software application, on schedule, on budget and with very limited scope creep. He has also chaired numerous committees that advanced and supported the institution’s fiscal responsibilities.
He is invested in uplifting area youth and has been a dedicated supporter of Girl Scouts of Southwest Indiana since 1999, serving as Finance/Audit Committee Chair, Long-Range Property Plan Committee Member and Treasurer. He also is a member of the WNIN Board, Ohio Valley Conference Board of Presidents, Evansville Regional Economics Partnership Board and Holy Name Church Finance Committee and Chair of the Central Association of College and University Business Officers Audit Committee.
Bridges resides in Henderson, Kentucky, with his wife Rosemary. They have three adult children and four grandchildren with a fifth on the way.
EVANSVILLE, IND. (04/02/2025) Dr. Andy Lampkins has been named the Dean of the University of Evansville’s (UE) College of Education and Health Sciences, effective June 1, 2025. Dr. Lampkins has served as interim dean since September 2023 and brings a wealth of experience to the position.
Dr. Lampkins joined the faculty at UE in 2013 as the G. Richard and Rita ’59 Eykamp Endowed Chair in Chemistry. Prior to his time at UE, he held positions as a Walther Cancer Institute Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Notre Dame and was a faculty member at Samford University. Dr. Lampkins’ research focuses on molecular synthesis, new reaction development, and drug design/discovery. Specifically, his group uses organic chemistry as a tool to address medical challenges, with ongoing projects aimed at the discovery of Alzheimer’s treatments, the synthesis of biologically active natural products, and the development of “smart” therapeutics.
“I am excited to officially step into the role of Dean and look forward to working alongside our faculty, staff, and students to continue to build on the outstanding legacy of the College of Education and Health Sciences,” said Dr. Lampkins. “This is an exciting time for the college, and I am committed to ensuring our students receive the best education while also fostering a culture of research and innovation.”
Dr. Lampkins succeeds Mary Kessler, who was appointed UE’s Acting Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost in September 2023.
“Dr. Lampkins has demonstrated exceptional leadership in his role as acting dean, and I have every confidence that he will continue to elevate the College of Education and Health Sciences,” said Mary Kessler, Acting Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost. “His passion for education and student success will be invaluable as he leads the college into its next chapter.”
The University of Evansville is a private, comprehensive university with a solid foundation in the arts and sciences and professional schools in business, engineering, education, and health sciences. Established in 1854, UE is recognized across the globe for its rich tradition of innovative, academic excellence and dynamic campus community of #Changemakers.
Residents of the Tepe Park neighborhood will soon have a new way to cool off, with a splash pad set to open this summer.
Danielle Crook, Evansville’s Executive Director of Parks & Recreation, presented plans for the new splash pad to the Board of Park Commissioners at its meeting this afternoon. The project—one of three major park improvements announced this year, alongside new play spaces at Garvin Park and Fulton Park—is funded by the $24 million Parks Bond passed in 2024.
Work on the project is expected to begin this spring, with equipment arriving in June and the splash pad opening as soon as installation is complete.
“As we work to revitalize neighborhoods across Evansville, making sure every community has access to safe, well-maintained parks is a top priority,” said Mayor Stephanie Terry. “From new, safer playgrounds at Garvin and Fulton parks to this exciting new splash pad at Tepe Park, we’re making long-overdue investments that give families more places to play, gather, and make memories.”
The Tepe Park splash pad brings to life a vision first articulated years ago, as part of the Tepe Park Neighborhood Plan. This year, it became a reality through a partnership between the Department of Parks & Recreation and the Evansville Water Sewer Utility.
The project will be managed by Morley & Associates, with equipment provided by Playpros.
BELLEVILLE, Ill. – The Vincennes University baseball team picked up another big win over an NJCAA Division I program Wednesday morning when the Blazers split their mid-week doubleheader at Southwestern Illinois College.
Vincennes opened the doubleheader by taking game one by the final score of 2-0 before dropping game two to the Blue Storm 11-0.
The Trailblazers opened the doubleheader with a hard fought pitcher’s duel in game one, with neither team able to break onto the scoreboard in the first four innings of the game.
VU was able to get base runners early in the game, getting runners in scoring position in the first and third but were unable to get a run across until the fifth.
Vincennes took advantage of sophomore Bradyn Douglas (Frankton, Ind.) being hit by pitch early in the fifth inning, followed by a single by freshman Jevan Andrews (Hobart, Ind.) and a walk by sophomore Nate Montgomery (Lexington, Ind.) to load the bases with one out.
Freshman Carter Gricius (Scottsburg, Ind.) broke the scoreless tie with a sacrifice fly to score Douglas from third and give the Blazers the 1-0 advantage.
VU added to their lead in the sixth with sophomore Yancey Edlin (Pekin, Ind.) leading off the inning with a walk, advancing on a successful sacrifice bunt by freshman Evan Doran (Indianapolis, Ind.).
Edlin would then move up to third with a stolen base and come in to score on an RBI groundout by freshman Cole Trevino (Jasper, Ind.) to increase the VU lead to 2-0.
The VU pitching staff would hold onto this lead as the Blazers were able to keep the Blue Storm off the scoreboard and pick up the 2-0 shutout victory over Southwestern Illinois College.
Sophomore Carson Allen (Louisville, Ky.) got the start in game one for the Blazers, throwing three innings, allowing two hits and striking out four.
Freshman Wyatt Burris (Farmland, Ind.) was the first out of the bullpen for VU Head Baseball Coach Chris Barney, throwing three innings, allowing one hit and striking out one to pick up the winning decision.
Freshman Jakob Hoyer (Georgetown, Ind.) came in in the seventh inning, getting the final three outs on just 12 pitches as he comes away with the save.
The Blazers looked to keep the momentum going in game two of the day but were unable to keep the offense going.
Southwestern Illinois was the first to break onto the scoreboard in game two, scoring four runs in the third inning and breaking away with seven runs in the fourth.
Vincennes was able get a base runner in the fifth inning but was unable to push a run across to keep the game going as Southwestern Illinois College picked up the 11-0 victory.
Sophomore JD Bowser (Mt. Carmel, Ill.) got the start in game two for the Blazers, throwing three innings, allowing four runs on four hits and striking out three.
Freshman Kory Kingsbury (Evansville, Ind.) entered the game in the fourth, allowing four runs on three hits in one-third of an inning on the mound.
Evansville, Ind., (April 2, 2025)— Evansville first responders are on a mission to help save lives during a Battle of the Badges Blood Drive on Wednesday, April 9, at the Evansville Fraternal Order of Police Lodge Meeting Room. Community members are invited to become a hero for patients in need by donating blood and voting for their favorite department as the Evansville Fire Department and the Evansville Police Department compete in this blood drive challenge.
Battle of the Badges blood drives help meet patients’ needs through a fun competition. Anyone who donates blood at this drive will have the opportunity to vote for their favorite department, and the department with the most votes will be declared the winner.
First responders witness firsthand how crucial blood donations can be to help save a patient’s life. The need for blood is constant, and every two seconds, someone in the United States needs blood. We depend on the generosity of donors to help ensure patients receive the care they need and deserve.
Evansville Battle of the Badges Blood Drive
Wednesday, April 9th
11 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Evansville Fraternal Order of Police Lodge Meeting Room
