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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.”

Swimming and diving travels to EIU on Saturday

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Aces and Panthers meet in Charleston, Ill.

                               

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – A busy stretch for the University of Evansville swimming and diving teams continues Saturday with a meet at Eastern Illinois. Action begins at 1 p.m. in Charleston, Ill.

Evansville competed at home against UIC last weekend before traveling to Carbondale, Ill. to face Southern Illinois and Indiana State. Reigning Missouri Valley Conference Diver of the Week Levi McKinney broke the Purple Aces 3-meter diving record on Friday before setting the UE mark in the 1-meter dive on Saturday

McKinney’s score of 335.80 in the 1-meter event set the Purple Aces record and gave him another NCAA Zones qualifying score. He was second in the event. In the 3-meter dive, McKinney took top honors with a score of 329.05. Gabe Lett set PR’s in the 1M (169.70) and 3M (177.70) dives. Eden McRoberts set a personal best in the 1-meter dive. She earned a score of 202.15 for her top performance.

Logan Tenison took the top spot in the 200-backstroe race. He swam a 1:52.43. Tenison earned a runner-up finish in the 100-backstroke. His time of 50.64 was just over a second off the winning time. Trevor O’Sullivan completed the podium in the 100-breaststroke with his effort of 1:01.84 while Adam Pawlak took third in the 200-fly (1:58.77). Michael Pruett followed with a 3rd-place in the 50-free, completing the race in 21.59.

Highlighting the women’s efforts were a pair of top eight efforts by Hannah Krings. The senior was 6th in the 1000-free (11:34.03) and 8th in the 500-free event (5:39.45). Jadyn Dauphinais had her personal best in the 100-fly with a time of 59.16 to take 9th place. Evelyn Chin was 8th in the race, swimming a 58.44. Claire Mewbourne finished the 100-breaststroke race in 8th place (1:09.55) before coming in 9th in the 200-breaststroke with a time of 2:30.87.

Applegate’s top finish in mile paces Eagles

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LOUISVILLE, Ky.—Sophomore Addison Applegate raced to a first-place finish in the mile to lead University of Southern Indiana Women’s Track & Field at the Bellarmine Open Friday.
 
Applegate finished the race in a personal-best five minutes, 00.95 seconds and was one of four Screaming Eagles to land inside the top eight. Sophomore Maggie Smith and freshmen Mackenzi Thomas and Lilyanna Blais were fifth, sixth and seventh, respectively, to aid USI’s efforts.
 
Junior Zoe Seward and sophomore Cordelia Hoover posted top eight finishes in the 3,000 meters, while sophomore Lauryn Speicher earned an eighth-place finish in the 400 meters to round out the Screaming Eagles’ top performers.
 
On the men’s side, USI scored six top eight finishes in the mile and the 3,000 meters. Junior Landen Swiney was a team-best third place in the 3,000 meters with a personal-best time of 8:33.74. He’s now posted personal bests in eight of the last three races he’s competed in dating back to the fall cross country season.
 
Junior Mukal Verma and freshman Andrew Smith raced to fifth and eighth place finishes to round out the Screaming Eagles’ top performers in the 3,000 meters. Juniors Tyler Zimmerman and Eli Mojonnier were fourth and sixth in the mile, while sophomore Alan Marshall carded an eighth-place finish.
 
USI returns to action Saturday when it competes at the Vanderbilt Invitational in Nashville, Tennessee.

Flames Shut Down Aces in Defensive Battle

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EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The University of Evansville women’s basketball team was limited to their second-lowest scoring output of the season on Friday night, falling to the visiting UIC Flames by a score of 66-48 at Meeks Family Fieldhouse.
Georgia Cox (Ballarat, Australia/Eastern Illinois) scored 11 points for the second consecutive game, matching her season high. Logan Luebbers Palmer (Union, Ky./Randall K. Cooper) matched Cox with 11, while Camryn Runner (Cicero, Ind./Hamilton Heights) added 10 points, five assists and three steals.

Evansville started hot, jumping out to a 12-4 lead in the first seven minutes of action, capped by a three-pointers from reigning MVC Freshman of the Week Sydney Huber (Cedar Rapids, Iowa/Mount Vernon) and fellow freshman Jelena Savic (Melbourne, Australia/Kurunjang Secondary School). UIC cut the deficit to three in the final minute of the period, but a layup by Cox and a buzzer-beating jumper from Runner gave the Aces an 18-13 lead at the end of the opening quarter.

Cox remained the hot hand early in the second quarter, adding two more baskets to her tally to help the Aces remain in front. However, the Flames dominated the rest of the quarter, outscoring Evansville 13-4 in the final six minutes to take a 32-28 lead at the break.

UIC continued to control the momentum coming out of halftime, starting the half on a 9-2 run. The lead ballooned to 16 at the 3:05 mark before the Flames took a 51-36 advantage through three quarters.
The Flames opened their largest lead of the night on a three-pointer at the 8:28 mark in the fourth quarter, a 20-point advantage. From there, the Falmes would cruise, taking a 66-48 win.

Evansville has a quick turnaround this weekend, heading to Terre Haute on Sunday for a match-up with in-state rivals Indiana State. Tip-off is set for 2 PM.

 

Darrah Breaks Women’s Weight Throw Record at Bellarmine Open

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LOUISVILLE – University of Evansville senior Gwen Darrah (Cleveland, Ohio/Orange) broke her own UE women’s indoor weight throw record at the Bellarmine Open on Friday, highlighting the first meet for the Aces track & field program in 2026.

Sprints and Hurdles
Women
Taylor Johnson (Evansville, Ind./Reitz) posted the second-best indoor 60-meter dash time in program history, falling just short of her personal and program record with a time of 7.93 seconds. Freshman Mya Baker (Noblesville, Ind./Noblesville) made a strong collegiate debut, finishing just behind Johnson at 8.00. Johnson and Baker placed seventh and ninth, respectively, while Clara Kelty placed 17th with a time of 8.84.
Johnson matched her second-best time in program history in the 200-meter dash at 25.00, placing second. Kelty also completed in the event, finishing with a time of 30.10. Johnson secured another podium finish in the 400-meter dash, placing third with a time of 57.88, the third best mark in indoor program history. Kelty and Mallory Hagan (Henderson, Ky./Henderson County) finished the event 14th and 16th, with times of 1:08.13 and 1:12.05.

Freshmen Lissa Willis (Vincennes, Ind./Vincennes Rivet) and Hagan competed in the 60-meter hurdles, with Willis finishing eighth at 10.06 seconds and Hagan placing 12th at 11.26 seconds.

Men
In the 60-meter dash, Jose Ocampo (Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico) posted a personal best time of 7.09 seconds to place 11th. Connor Shin (Bloomington, Ind./Bloomington North) finished at 7.19 seconds to place 20th, while Myles Terry (Evansville, Ind./Evansville North) finished 22nd at 7.22 seconds and Jude Nguyen (Farmington Hills, Mich./North Farmington) set a personal best of 7.33 seconds to place 27th.

Terry was Evansville’s top finisher in the 200 meters, placing 13th with a time of 22.57 seconds. Ocampo notched another personal best at 22.70 seconds to finish in 16th, followed by freshman Josiah Hoehn in 17th with 22.92 seconds (Hazel Crest, Ill./Homewood-Flossmoor) and Shin in 18th with 22.94 seconds.
Terry again paced the Aces in the 400 meters with a time of 51.77 seconds to place 18th Shin set a person record of 52.08 to place 22nd.

Freshman Brody Riggs (Fort Branch, Ind./Gibson Southern) made a strong collegiate debut in the 60-meter hurdles, placing seventh with a time of 8.77 seconds. Fellow freshman Hoehn followed in eighth at 8.83 seconds, while another freshman, Tristin DeTalente (Evansville, Ind./Evansville North), placed 11th at 9.14 seconds. In the 4×400 relay, Evansville’s team of Hoehn, Riggs, Nowicki and Losma finished fourth with a time of 3:29.67.

Distance and Mid-Distance
Women
Veronica Wilgocki (Chesterton, Ind./Chesterton HS) was the lone Evansville woman to compete in the mile, finishing 21st at 5:56.54. Avery Stephens notched a personal best in the 3000 meters, securing a podium finish at third overall with a time of 10:18.92. Kyleigh Wolf (Columbus, Ind./Columbus North) enjoyed a strong collegiate track debut, placing seventh at 10:34.02. Fellow freshmen Amick McClelland (Quincy, Ill./Quincy) and Josie Lynch (Brazil, Ind./Northview) placed 12th and 21st with times of 10:57.87 and 11:21.46, while Kyndall Anthis (Patoka, Ind./Princeton Community) secured a personal best time of 11:28.52 to finish 22nd.

Men
Three Aces competed in the mile, with Jake Antibus (Switz City, Ind./White River Valley) leading the pack with a time of 4:36.27, good for 15th. Jakub Nowicki (Poznan, Poland) placed 25th at 4:58.65, followed by Alejandro Navarrete (Mogaroe, Ohio/Mogadore) in 26th with a personal best time of 5:01.38.
Tomasso Losma (Lombardia, Italy) placed 10th in the 3000 meters with a time of 8:41.88, leading a pack of six Aces. Freshman Nathan Campbell (Bloomington, Ind./Bloomington North) finished 13th at 8:50.56, followed by Tanner Spence (Carmi, Ill./Carmi) in 14th at 8:54.82 and Woody Burrell (Cedarburg, Wis./Cedarbug) in 16th with a personal best time of 8:56.53. Oliver Wilgocki (Chesterton, Ind./Chesterton) and Thomas Wamser (Greenville, S.C./J.L Mann) rounded out the Evansville finishers at 29th and 35th with times of 9:15.08 and 9:32.79.
Evansville took two of three podium spots in the 5000 meters, as Nathan Whitehead (Vincennes, Ind./South Knox) finished second with a time of 15:43.8, followed by freshman Nicholas Hirsch (Evansville, Ind./Memorial) in third at 15:59.78.

Jumps
Women
Lilyana Gargano (Hudson, Fla./Fivay) placed sixth in the high jump with a mark of 1.40 meters.

Men
Riggs also competed in the high jump for the men’s squad, placing seventh with a mark of 1.80 meters. In the long jump, Nguyen finished 22nd with a mark of 5.52 meters and Antwaun Powell (Ringgold, Ga./Heritage) finished 25th with 5.12 meters.

Throws
Women
Darrah crushed her previous weight throw record of 14.62 with a mark of 15.50 meters, placing third in the field. Emma Bertel (Franklin, Ind./Franklin Community) finished 16th in the event at 12.01 meters. In the shotput, Jillian Miller (Boonville, Ind./Boonville) nabbed a personal best of 10.29 meters to place tenth, while Bertel placed 12th at 10.18 meters and Holland Morris (Florence, Ky./Randall K. Cooper) placed 26th with 7.25 meters.

Men
Freshman Drew Aaron (Mount Vernon, Ind./Mount Vernon) was the lone Ace to compete in shot put, finishing 17th with a mark of 11.87 meters. In the weight throw, Tyler Cherne (Boardman, Ohio/Boardman) secured an eighth-place finish with 15.60 meters, followed by Beau Baldwin (Mount Vernon, Ind./Mt. Vernon) in 17th at 11.89 meters.

KARPINSKI LEADS THUNDERBOLTS TO 3-2 COMEBACK WIN OVER ICE FLYERS  

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Pensacola, Fl.:  Behind stellar goaltending from Cody Karpinski against his former team, the Thunderbolts rallied from a 2-0 deficit to come back and defeat the Ice Flyers 3-2 in a shootout on Friday night at the Pensacola Bay Center.  The Thunderbolts’ next home game at Ford Center will be on Friday, January 23rd against the Birmingham Bulls at 7:00pm CT.
                Pensacola grabbed the game’s first lead late in the first period, with Tyler Burnie scoring on a back-door pass at 15:50.  48 seconds later, the Ice Flyers doubled their lead to 2-0 as Zack Jones scored on a 2-on-1 rush at 16:38.  Evansville’s trend of strong second periods continued, starting with Connor Tait batting in a puck at the side of the net from Eelis Laaksonen and Will van der Veen at 7:41 to trim the deficit to 2-1 Pensacola.  On the power play late in the period, the Thunderbolts nearly fell behind 3-1 with a shorthanded 2-on-0 rush by Pensacola as Tyler Burnie passed across to Tyler German, but a sure goal was robbed by Karpinski, who dove across to make the pad save.  The save proved to be a massive momentum swinger, as Evansville scored one second after the power play expired to tie the game 2-2, with Berkopec scoring the goal from Myles Abbate at 17:11.  After a scoreless third period and overtime, where Karpinski again denied a 2-on-0 scoring chance, the game went to a shootout.  Behind goals in the first round by Scott Kirton and fourth round from Abbate and another 4 saves on 5 shootout attempts by Karpinski, Evansville ended their losing streak of five consecutive shootouts and completed the comeback, 3-2 the final score to open the weekend doubleheader at Pensacola.
                Abbate scored the shootout-winning goal plus an assist, with Tait and Berkopec also scoring one goal each.  In goal, Cody Karpinski stopped 30 of 32 shots on goal in regulation and overtime and 4 of 5 in the shootout for his 2nd win of the season.  The Thunderbolts and Ice Flyers meet again on Saturday, January 17th at Pensacola Bay Center, with Evansville leading the regular season series 1-0.

Opportunity to Acquire a Legacy Online News Publication: City-County Observer

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For over two decades, the City-County Observer has been a recognizable and trusted name in local digital journalism. Built during a time when community-focused reporting mattered most, the Observer established itself as a platform for government transparency, civic dialogue, and independent reporting. Today, it presents a rare opportunity: the chance to acquire a legacy online newspaper with an established brand, existing readership, and significant growth potential.

A Recognized Name with Community Credibility

The City-County Observer is not a startup—it is a known entity. The name carries weight in the community, particularly among readers who value local government coverage, public accountability, and independent commentary. In an era when local journalism is disappearing, this publication represents something increasingly rare: brand recognition tied to civic trust.

For the right buyer, the City-County Observer is more than a website—it is a foundation. One that can be revitalized, expanded, and positioned for long-term success in the future of local media.

If interested, please contact citycountyobserver@live.com,  or 8127748012

HALLOWED HALLS OF LAUREL

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redline

GAVEL GAMUT

By Jim Redwine

www.jamesmredwine.com

(Week of 19 January 2026)

HALLOWED HALLS OF LAUREL

It is kinda’ like how I felt when the sister and two brothers I grew up with became a college professor, a world-class musician and a leading legal scholar. Where did that come from? Gentle Reader, you probably have had the same puzzlement about the neighbor kid you played house or marbles with who is recognized later in life by others as brilliant. You most likely ask yourself, “Who snatched their body away and replaced them with this heroic icon?”

This Gavel Gamut could not be written until after Indiana University’s football team won the CFP semi-final game against Oregon on 09 January 2026; IU did! So, now the ultimate issue to be decided is, will IU beat Miami for the National Championship on Monday, January 19, 2026? In spite of the “rat poison curse”, I say they can and will have done so before you read this column. Miami is extremely well coached and talented, but IU is even better. Discipline and turnovers will decide the outcome. I submit no college football team is better disciplined nor as adept at causing and capitalizing upon their opponent’s mistakes as IU. Yeah, I cannot believe I am writing that either!

Now back to the theme of this column; where the devil did this come from to a program that was the first in college football history to lose over 700 games? What ironic quirk of athletic history brought the college I first saw lose in 1963 to, hopefully, the National Championship a lifetime later? I still remember countless games we lost in the fourth quarter, even in the last seconds of the fourth quarter, or because of some idiosyncratic football faux pas? Where is that team of hard striving ultimate losers who kept falling just short of glory only to be patted on the helmets as if they were incapable of being even average, much less victorious?

Fall 2024 to January 2026 seems as dreamlike as my surprising siblings or friends who found marvelous success and brought me joy in the process. So, has IU won the National Championship? I do not yet know. But I already know my Alma Mater is no longer the doormat of college football history. While I expect IU to beat Miami, I know they have already covered those hallowed southern Indiana limestone walls with laurel amidst all that ivy!

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

On Facebook follow us at “Jim Peg Redwine” or Substack “@gavelgamut”

 

DEATH LIST REPORT

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WEEKLY DEATH REPORT DEC 15 TO DEC 21, 2025

USI DMS Program offers free pregnancy ultrasounds

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The University of Southern Indiana Diagnostic Medical Sonography (DMS) Program is offering non-diagnostic ultrasounds to expectant mothers in their second or third trimester (20-34 weeks pregnant) on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons through April 28, 2026. Students will be practicing assigned images under the direction of experienced faculty members.

“This unique collaboration provides the opportunity for students to enhance their practical skills before starting their clinical rotations,” said Jordan Thomason, DMS Instructor and Clinical Coordinator. “With our state-of-the-art lab and 3D probes, students can practice various scanning techniques and protocols with direct patient interaction under the guidance of an instructor.”

Thomason said that ultrasound sessions are beneficial for both the students and moms-to-be. “Most women enjoy knowing they are helping with our students’ education and are always excited to get another peek at their babies,” she says. “Also, getting to see a live baby on the screen is a wonderful opportunity for our students.”

Rep. O’Brien authors legislation to protect victims of violent crime  

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STATEHOUSE (Jan. 15, 2026) – State Rep. Tim O’Brien (R-Evansville) recently proposed legislation aimed at supporting victims of violent crime bystrengthening notification requirements prior to the release of a violent felon.

House Bill 1250 would require the Indiana Department of Correction to notify law enforcement and the prosecuting attorney of the county or community where they’re releasing a serious violent felon as well as the same authorities of where their crime was committed at least seven days before the release. A court and prosecuting attorney would then notify any victims through Indiana’s Statewide Automated Victim Information & Notification(SAVIN) program of the felon’s release.

O’Brien said the legislation was prompted by a tragic situation that occurred in Evansville last fall when local real estate agent Susan Haynie was allegedly killed by a convicted violent offender who had been released from prison just six months earlier.

“No family should ever be left in the dark about the release of a violent offender,” O’Brien said. “In this case, both local law enforcement and some victims report they were unaware of the release of a violent felon, exposing a serious gap in our system. House Bill 1250 ensures victims, prosecutors and law enforcement receive timely notification so communities can be better prepared when violent offenders return.”

O’Brien said that he worked closely with Haynie’s family while crafting this legislation. They joined forces with a group of the perpetrator’s other victims to form the Susan Haynie Committee, advocating for stronger public safety measures and improved victim notification across Indiana.

The bill has been referred to the House Courts and Criminal Code Committee for consideration. To learn more about HB 1250 or follow session live, visit iga.in.gov.

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