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.”
KALAMAZOO, Mich. – University of Southern Indiana Men’s Basketball came up short, 88-74, against Western Michigan University Wednesday evening despite a late second-half rally. The Screaming Eagles (3-6) fell behind early in the opening half, trailing 17-3 following a 17-0 run from the Broncos. USI’s struggles persisted throughout the first half, as the team was unable to score from the field in the final 5:20. The team entered the intermission with a 47-27 deficit. Western Michigan (4-5) came out of the break firing, extending its lead to a game-high 23 points midway through the second half. USI rallied after the under-eight timeout. Senior guard Ismail Habibhit a stepback three and a fast-break layup to close the gap. Senior guard Cardell Bailey hit a huge three-point basket that brought the Eagles within nine with under three minutes left. The Broncos answered the Eagles’ push with one of their own. Western Michigan closed out the game on a 10-2 run, extending its lead to 14 as the final horn sounded. For the game, USI went 23-55 from the field and 10-23 from beyond the arc. The team grabbed 33 boards compared to Western Michigan’s 41, but USI outrebounded them on the offensive end nine to five. Bailey tied the game high with 26 points and nabbing six rebounds. Habib also crossed the 20-point mark with 23 on 4-6 from three. Junior forward Tolu Samuels recorded a team high of 10 rebounds, three offensive, and scored three points. Junior guard Sheridan Sharphad a team-high three assists on the day. Western Michigan was led by senior guard Jayden Brewer, who had 26 points, 10 rebounds, and four assists. Next Up For USI: USI concludes its road swing December 7 with a visit to Indiana State University for a noon (CST) game in Terre Haute, Indiana. The Sycamores are 5-4 overall, beating Eureka College Tuesday evening 99-57. The Eagles lead the young series, 2-1, after taking a second-straight at Liberty Arena from the Sycamores last year, 87-77. Indiana State won the meeting in Terre Haute in 2023-24, 98-54. The next home game for USI is December 15, when the Eagles host East/West University for the start of a three-game homestand. The homestand includes the start of the Ohio Valley Conference season when USI hosts the University of Arkansas at Little Rock December 18 and Morehead State University December 20.
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The second double-double of Connor Turnbull’s career along with timely outside shooting by Trent Hundley helped the University of Evansville men’s basketball team pull away for a 64-52 win over Ball State on Wednesday inside the Ford Center.
Turnbull recorded season highs in both points (21) and rebounds (10) en route to his second career double-double. He added five blocks. Hundley tallied nine points while knocking down three triples. AJ Casey finished just a point shy of his first double-double finishing with nine points and a career-high 11 boards.
“We have been challenging the group to hold teams between 60 and 65 points and we held them to 52 tonight,” UE head coach David Ragland said. “From a defensive standpoint we played well all night and offensively we were able to get it inside and take advantage of our height.”
Alex Hemenway opened the evening with a 3-pointer in Evansville’s first possession while Ball State scored the next five points to take their first lead at 5-3. The Cardinals maintained the lead for the majority of the game’s opening 12 minutes. Their second triple of the night gave them an 11-7 lead while their third outside shot solidified a 14-9 lead with 11:46 remaining in the half.
Evansville chipped away at the deficit with field goals from Josh Hughes and AJ Casey cutting the deficit to a single point. At the 8:03 mark, it was Bryce Quinet putting the lead back in UE’s hands at 17-16. Another triple by the Cardinals put them back in front seconds later before Trent Hundley connected from downtown to tie things back up at 22-22.
Over the final four minutes of the half, the Aces reassumed the lead. Hundley’s second 3-pointer gave UE a 33-29 with just over a minute remaining. BSU scored the final three to make it a 33-32 game at the break. Connor Turnbull led UE with 11 points in the opening 20 minutes while Armoni Zeigler matched that tally for Ball State, leading the way with 11.
Ball State regained a 36-32 lead just over three minutes into the second half as the squads swapped the lead six times over the ensuing stretch. With the score tied at 44-44 inside of 13 minutes remaining, back-to-back baskets by Turnbull gave UE a lead it would not relinquish for the remainder of the game. Another basket by Turnbull gave the Aces a 50-46 edge with 10:35 remaining.
Neither team would find the scoreboard over the next four minutes as the squads combined to go 0-for-8 with six turnovers. Another huge basket by Hundley ended the stretch as another trey gave UE its largest lead at 53-46. The Cardinals got back within three on multiple occasions before Evansville finished strong over the final two minutes. Buckets from Turnbull and Bryce Quinet got things going before Quinet hit four free throws as the Aces pulled away for the 64-52 victory.
Zeigler paced the Cardinals with 17 points while Devon Barnes and Kayden Fish added 11 and 10 points, respectively. UE wrapped up the night shooting 42.3% from the field while limiting BSU to 32.1%. Evansville outrebounded Ball State by a 41-34 final.
On Saturday, the Aces travel to Western Kentucky for a 3 p.m. contest in Bowling Green.
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Playing at Purdue for the first time since 2009, the University of Evansville women’s basketball team fell to the Boilermakers by a score of 91-49 on Wednesday night inside Mackey Arena.
Camryn Runner (Cicero, Ind./Hamilton Heights) scored in double figures for the seventh time this season, leading the Aces with 17 points on five-for-seven shooting, including a five-for-seven mark from three-point range. Freshman Georgia Ferguson (Waterloo, Ontario/Cairine Wilson Secondary School) added eight points, while Elle Snyder (Latrobe, Penn./Greater Latrobe) grabbed a team-high six rebounds.
After Purdue scored the first five points of the game, Evansville responded with baskets by Logan Luebbers Palmer (Union, Ky./Randall K. Cooper) and Ferguson to make it 5-4 two minutes in. However, the Boilermakers opened up a run in the following five minutes of action, taking a 17-4 advantage before a basket by Luebbers Palmer ended the run. Runner ended the half with four points for the Aces, who trailed 22-10 at the end of the first quarter.
Purdue increased their lead to 20 in first six and a half minutes of the second period, but Runner continued to battle on the offensive end for Evansville, knocking down a pair of threes and a layup. However, the Boilermakers continued to roll into halftime, carrying a 46-22 lead at the break.
The third quarter continued in Purdue’s favor, as the home team limited Evansville to six points in the first seven minutes of the period. Runner put together a mini-run of her own with a pair of free throws and a three-pointer with just over two minutes to go in the quarter, while Kaiden Kreinhagen (Indianapolis, Ind./North Central) drilled a triple as the buzzer sounded to end the quarter.
Another three-pointer from Kreinhagen with 7:40 to go in the fourth made it 74-39, while Daniela Llavero (Malaga, Spain/Ies Mediterraneo) scored five points in a row with 2:16 to play, but the Boilermakers cruised to the 91-49 win.
The Aces return to action on Sunday for a trip to Saint Louis to take on the Saint Louis Billikens. Tip-off is set for 5 PM.
By Leslie Bonilla Muñiz and Tom Davies , OIndiana Capital Chronicle
Capital city’s clerk says 4-district split will sow ‘chaos’ for her office and for voters.
The author of Indiana’s new congressional redistricting bill acknowledged the maps are “politically gerrymandered” during committee questioning Tuesday but defended the proposal against accusations of illegal racial gerrymandering.
The maps, released Monday morning, were drawn “purely for political performance” of Republicans, Rep. Ben Smaltz told indignant Democratic colleagues on the House Elections and Apportionment Committee.
It was the House’s only public hearing on the maps — and was held with less than a day’s notice.
Over about three hours, 43 Hoosiers spoke against the proposal and two in favor, excluding several state lawmaker witnesses. The meeting featured ominous testimony from Marion County’s Democratic elections chief and Republican former Lt. Gov. Sue Ellspermann.
The committee voted 8-5 to advance Smaltz’s House Bill 1032 to the floor, with one Republican joining Democrats in opposition.
Legal arguments
The current districts, drawn by the GOP in 2021, are 7-2 in favor of Republicans.
The House and Senate GOP worked with the National Republican Redistricting Trust to engineer a likely 9-0 sweep of the districts — as sought by President Donald Trump ahead of the 2026 midterms.
Hoosiers stream into the House chamber for the body’s only public hearing for a congressional redistricting bill on Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2025. The maps were released the morning before, and the hearing was scheduled that afternoon. (Leslie Bonilla Muñiz/Indiana Capital Chronicle)
“They’re politically gerrymandered, if you’d like to say that,” said Smaltz, R-Auburn.
He was adamant that no racial information was used in crafting the bill.
The targeted districts now held by Democratic Reps. André Carson and Frank Mrvan are by far Indiana’s most racially diverse. The maps split Carson’s district, which largely overlaps Marion County borders, four ways, and halves Mrvan’s.
“You’re okay with … racially gerrymandered maps if you get your desired outcome for … politically gerrymandered maps?” asked Rep. Cherrish Pryor, D-Indianapolis.
“We didn’t look at that, at any of that,” Smaltz replied.
Rep. Matt Pierce, an attorney, said Smaltz’s emphasis on partisanship is legal strategy.
“You’re not used to hearing (that) around here, because even when people are being partisan, they don’t like to admit it,” Pierce said. But, he noted, the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled political gerrymandering is up to state lawmakers and beyond the judiciary, as opposed to racial gerrymandering.
‘Chaos’ incoming, clerk says
Local election officials typically have a year before an election to make redistricting-related adjustments, Marion County Clerk Kate Sweeney Bell told the committee.
If approved next week as planned, clerks would have just four months before early voting starts April 7, ahead of the May 5 primary elections.
She detailed the complex updates required to reassign the likely hundreds of thousands of impacted Indianapolis voters, retrain thousands of poll workers, update public communications and more — all on a smaller budget amid cuts to local revenue.
Marion County Clerk Kate Sweeney Bell testifies against mid-census redistricting, predicting it’ll sow chaos for election administrators, during a House committee hearing on Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2025. (Leslie Bonilla Muñiz/Indiana Capital Chronicle)
“If any of this is done incorrectly, voters are going to feel the impact when they come to vote,” the clerk said.
She urged lawmakers to reject the proposal, adding, “If it passes, there will be chaos. Chaos in clerk’s offices around the state. Chaos when candidates file at the election board. … That’s exactly what election administrators want to avoid.”
The bill includes more than maps.
It expressly legalizes mid-census redistricting, and allows precincts to be split between congressional districts for just the 2026 election cycle.
It would also restrict state-level lawsuits by banning temporary restraining orders against the maps. Injunction-related appeals would go directly to the Indiana Supreme Court.
Opponents have vowed to challenge the approved version, although they’re still assembling their legal strategies.
Wide range of Hoosiers testify
Ellspermann, the retired Ivy Tech Community College president, was among the dozens who spoke in opposition to the proposal. The Republican previously served as lieutenant governor under former Gov. Mike Pence, and as a House lawmaker.
“We have fair maps. The ones we have performed — some might say over-performed — for the Republican majority,” she said. “The plea to redraw Indiana’s map is coming out of Washington, D.C. Some may argue that they have the right to ask, and in that case, we certainly have the right to answer, ‘No.’”
She reminded lawmakers — including former colleagues amid 2011 redistricting — that they pledged to “serve all Hoosiers, not just those who voted for us or the current president” in their oath of office.
Hoosiers “have a reputation for standing up to political pressure,” Ellspermann added, lauding Pence for his refusal to overturn the 2020 election.
Retired Ivy Tech Community College President Sue Ellspermann, a Republican, testifies against mid-census redistricting during a House committee hearing on Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2025. (Leslie Bonilla Muñiz/Indiana Capital Chronicle)
Several who testified denounced GOP legislators for bowing to Trump’s demands and accused them of “cheating” in order to win elections.
“Dividing natural constituencies is immoral and wrong,” Indianapolis resident Jane Alexander said. “Disenfranchising populations or communities of interest in Indiana is wrong. Just because other states take certain steps doesn’t mean we should.”
Numerous Hoosiers accused Republicans of taking representation away from Democrats in Indiana since the state is not only red. In the 2024 presidential election, Trump took nearly 59% of the votes cast, or 1.7 million, while Democratic nominee Kamala Harris took almost 40%, or 1.1 million.
Just two witnesses spoke in favor of the maps: Allen County Council member Paul Lagemann, who is a lobbyist with D.C.-based Heritage Action, and Marion County resident Nathan Roberts.
Lagemann pushed legislators to advance the maps, saying they “reflect the will of Hoosiers and ensure that Hoosier voices are not diluted in Congress.”
California, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Texas and Utah have already heeded — or countered — President Donald Trump’s call for more GOP U.S. House seats.
Split concerns
Smaltz said the proposed new map divides fewer counties than the current: seven instead of eight. But Marion County, the state’s largest, would be splintered four ways.
Pryor, the Indianapolis Democrat, said residents’ representation would suffer.
She noted that 7th District Rep. Carson is the only Black federal officeholder in Indiana.
He represents the state’s most racially diverse congressional district, with the latest U.S. Census Bureau figures showing its population as 49% white, 33% Black and 12% Hispanic or Latino of any race.
Rep. Cherrish Pryor, D-Indianapolis, questions Rep. Ben Smaltz, R-Auburn, about his congressional redistricting bill during committee on Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2025. (Leslie Bonilla Muñiz/Indiana Capital Chronicle)
The district is entirely within Marion County and includes almost 80% of the population of Indianapolis.
Carson’s office is also a one-stop shop for Indianapolis and its residents.
“My congressman has been there to focus on bringing back money, (which) we send to Washington, back to Marion County,” Pryor said. She feared the four representatives overseeing their respective chunks of Indianapolis — alongside huge, largely rural swaths of the state — would be less responsive to the city’s residents.
“I’m not sure that that’s an advantage or disadvantage,” Smaltz said, to have “four voices in Congress versus essentially one.”
Of the districts given a slice of Indianapolis, the 4th would run east and north, bordering Chicago-area counties. The 6th appears more compact, while the 7th would hook into central Indiana before stretching south along Ohio and Kentucky. The 9th would be concentrated in southern Indiana with a thin finger into Marion County.
The four districts would all be about 11% Black and 4% or less Hispanic, according to an analysis of the proposed maps by the nonprofit group PlanScore.
Smaltz said the redraw would also split fewer townships: nine instead of 13. Three of them appear in Marion County.
Up by Lake Michigan, Mrvan’s current district would be cleaved in half.
His 1st District has a population makeup of 63% white, 17% Black and 17% Hispanic. The proposed new 1st District would have a population that is 16% Black and 12% Hispanic, according to PlanScore.
Committee Republicans defeated several Democratic amendments along party lines before voting to advance the bill.
Rep. Tim Yocum, R-Clinton, was the sole GOP lawmaker to vote in opposition.
He declined to comment, telling reporters, “My vote is my answer.”
The bill heads to the House floor for second reading, when any representative can offer an amendment. That is scheduled for Thursday.
“This isn’t the process any of us would prefer or the timeline we would choose, but it’s the process before us,” Smaltz said.
Evansville, In.: The Evansville Thunderbolts and Head Coach/Director of Hockey Operations Jeff Bes, in coordination with the SPHL, are pleased to announce that goaltender Kristian Stead has been named the inaugural Warrior Hockey SPHL Goaltender of the Month for the month of October/November. The Thunderbolts’ next home game will be on Friday, December 5th against the Macon Mayhem at 7:00pm CT.
Stead has been off to a terrific start to his Thunderbolts career, starting with a record of 10-2-1, a goals against average of 1.75, and a .945% save percentage. His 10 wins are tops amongst all SPHL goaltenders, and his goals against average and save percentage rank second in both categories. Stead became the quickest goaltender in Thunderbolts franchise history to record 10 wins, doing so in only 12 games played. The previous record for fewest games required was 14 games, accomplished by Tomas Sholl (2017-18), Trevor Gorsuch (2022-23), and Cole Ceci (2023-24). The native of Merritt, British Columbia previously played parts of three seasons with the Knoxville Ice Bears between 2021-2024, while also playing stints in the ECHL with South Carolina, Tulsa, and most notably with the Norfolk Admirals. With the Ice Bears, Stead was also named to the SPHL’s All-Rookie Team in 2021-22.
Stead has once previously earned Warrior Hockey SPHL Player of the Week honors, doing so in the 2021-22 season with Knoxville.
Federal records confirm at least 165 non-citizens registered to vote in Indiana — 21 cast ballots
Attorney General Todd Rokita and Secretary of State Diego Morales secure landmark settlement to safeguard voter rolls, identify illegal votes
Federal records confirm at least 165 non-citizens registered to vote in Indiana — 21 cast ballots
In a major victory for election integrity — made possible by the cooperation of President Donald Trump’s Department of Justice — Attorney General Todd Rokita and Secretary of State Diego Morales today announced the settlement of a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) that forces the federal government to modernize citizenship verification tools and help prevent non-citizens from voting in elections nationwide.
The agreement, filed last Friday in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida, resolves lawsuits brought by Indiana, Florida, Ohio, and Iowa to compel DHS to fulfill its statutory obligation to confirm the citizenship and immigration status of individuals in response to requests by state and local governments. Because of Indiana’s leadership and persistence in bringing this lawsuit, the settlement now guarantees every state and territory in America — not just the four plaintiffs — will have access to these modernized federal verification tools for the next 20 years.
Preliminary results from the new U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) verification process enshrined in the settlement confirm that at least 165 identified non-citizens have registered to vote in Indiana. Its verification data also helped confirm that at least 21 noncitizens have cast ballots in recent elections.
“From day one, many individuals dismissed our work as a ‘witch hunt’—but the facts speak for themselves: non-citizen voting is real here in our state, and even one illegal ballot undermines the trust we are told to have in our election processes and even the Republic itself,” said Attorney General Rokita. “This settlement delivers the federal access we’re entitled to under law, allowing the Secretary of State to swiftly remove ineligible voters from the rolls and fortify our system against future risks. Indiana’s elections will be more transparent, fairer and more secure as a result.”
The settlement follows Attorney General Rokita and Secretary Morales’ October 2024 request to USCIS for citizenship verification of over 585,000 Indiana voters who registered to vote without using a state-issued photo identification. After the Biden Administration failed to respond to the request, Attorney General Rokita and Secretary Morales filed suit.
“As a naturalized citizen, I deeply understand the privilege and responsibility that comes with the right to vote,” said Indiana Secretary of State Diego Morales. “This landmark settlement provides Indiana with long-overdue tools to protect the integrity of our elections. Hoosiers deserve absolute confidence that every lawful vote counts and that our voter rolls are accurate and secure. I am grateful for President Trump’s leadership and his administration’s commitment to upholding election integrity.”
Under the settlement, DHS has committed to making and preserving critical upgrades to its verification system—known as the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program— including:
• Free verification services for all state and local governments;
• Integration with the Social Security Administration to allow for verification using full Social Security Numbers (SSNs) or the last four digits of SSNs as identifiers;
• Bulk upload capabilities to process verifications efficiently, eliminating the need for one-by-one manual entries; and
• Enhanced data outputs, including data identifying supporting documentation that confirms verification results.
These improvements will enable faster, more reliable verification and the settlement ensure USCIS will grant states and localities full use of the improved verification system.
As part of the agreement, Indiana will enter into a new Information Sharing Agreement (ISA) and updated Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with DHS within 90 days to streamline data exchange.
The new verification process will also help improve voter list maintenance, including by identifying voter registrations linked to deceased individuals. Preliminary data indicates 6,528 voter registrations linked to deceased individuals. That information will be shared with county election officials for cancellation if obituaries can be found based on Indiana Code. Analysis of the verification data provided by USCIS is ongoing.
One of the premiere events of Victorian Christmas is our Candlelight Christmas nights. Join us on either December 5th or 12th from 5 – 8 pm. This special night is one you won’t want to miss. On these nights, the tours are self-guided, so you can take as long or as little time as you would like exploring the house and taking in the rooms beautifully designed by some amazing decorators. Docents and volunteers will be spread throughout the house to answer any questions you might have.
Join us December 5th and 12th, anytime from 5 – 8pm. Buy your tickets at the door in the Carriage House Admission and giftshop.
