Home Blog

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

0
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.”

Convicted felon facing weapon possession charge after warrant service at local hotel.

0

Convicted felon facing weapon possession charge after warrant service at local hotel.

Henderson Police arrested DEON VAUGHN on June 19th at a local hotel on a warrant for Terroristic Threatening. While serving the warrant, officers saw a handgun within reach of Vaughn.

Vaughn was taken into custody without incident. During a check of his criminal history, officers learned Vaughn has a felony conviction in Indiana and is prohibited from possessing a firearm.

Vaugh was lodged in the Henderson County Detention Center on the following charges:

KRS 527.040 Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon

KRS 508.080 Terroristic Threatening (Complaint Warrant)

Otters tie single-game home run record in midweek win

0

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The Evansville Otters (16-17) bats stayed red hot with a 15-12 victory over the Washington Wild Things (19-15) on Wednesday night. The Otters hit seven home runs in the game, matching a franchise record dating back to August 8, 2007.

The offense got started quickly with a three-run home run from JT Benson. Not to be outdone, Keenan Taylor hit a solo shot to put Evansville up 4-0 after the first.

After Washington put two up in the top of the second, Graham Brown hit a two-run home run of his own to give the Otters a 6-2 lead after two.

Anthony Patterson III got his second professional start, and after a stellar first start, he pitched through some trouble tonight. Washington used an eight-run third inning to take a 10-6 lead.

Evansville didn’t wait to bounce back. JJ Cruz hit a towering three-run home run and after a Dennis Schwartz bloop hit, G. Brown hit his second home run of the night to give the Otters an 11-10 lead after three.

The Wild Things followed suit with another home run to lead 12-11 after their half. Evansville responded once again with LJ Jones’ first home run of the year to tie the game at 12.

The pitching for both sides tightened after the fourth. Joan Gonzalez in his third inning pitched a clean fifth, finishing with five punchouts on the night. Nolan Thebiay pitched the sixth and extended his scoreless streak to six innings to start his pro career. Casey Delgado worked a 1-2-3 seventh that would eventually see him earn the win.

The bottom of the seventh would be the difference in the tight ballgame. With two runners on with two outs, Pierce launched a three-run blast to give Evansville a 15-12 lead, capping off his 4-for-5 night.

Nick McAuliffe pitched a clean eighth with three strikeouts. He also has been fantastic to start his pro career, not allowing a run in his first 12.1 innings. Alex Valdez shut the door in the ninth, facing the minimum and striking out two.

Evansville’s 15 runs were all scored off home runs in tonight’s ballgame. The Otters are back in action with a doubleheader against Washington tomorrow with Salute to the Negro Leagues Night, sponsored by Millennium Steel and the Evansville African American Museum. The twin bill features postgame fireworks after the conclusion of the second game. Gates open at 4:00 p.m. CT with first pitch scheduled for 5:05 p.m. CT.

INDIANA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH RECOMMENDS WAYS TO STAY SAFE AND HEALTHY THIS SUMMER

0

Attorney General Todd Rokita helps deliver $7.4 billion blow to Sackler Family and Purdue Pharma in nation’s largest opioid settlement

0

Indiana to receive up to $100 Million

Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita, alongside 55 other Attorneys General, has secured a landmark $7.4 billion settlement with the Sackler family and Purdue Pharma, marking the largest settlement to date holding individuals accountable for their role in the opioid crisis. This agreement addresses the devastating impact of Purdue’s aggressive marketing of opioid products under the Sacklers’ ownership, which fueled the worst drug crisis in U.S. history.

“This settlement – along with the other ones we have produced over the last four years—are a monumental victory for Hoosiers and communities nationwide devastated by the opioid epidemic,” Attorney General Rokita said. “The Sackler family and Purdue Pharma profited for decades while pushing addictive drugs that tore apart families and lives. This agreement ends the family’s control, bans them from selling opioids in the U.S., and delivers critical funds to rebuild our communities through addiction treatment, prevention, and recovery programs.”

Under the terms of the settlement, Indiana’s state and local governments will receive up to $100 million over the next 15 years to support efforts to combat the opioid crisis. The majority of the settlement funds will be distributed within the first three years, with the Sacklers contributing $1.5 billion and Purdue providing approximately $900 million in the initial payment. Additional payments include $500 million after one year, $500 million after two years, and $400 million after three years.

The settlement permanently ends the Sackler family’s control of Purdue Pharma and prohibits them from participating in the opioid industry in the United States. The funds will bolster critical programs to address addiction, support recovery, and prevent further harm in communities across Indiana and the nation.

Like prior opioid settlements, the settlement with Purdue and the Sacklers will involve resolution of legal claims by state and local governments. The local government sign-on and voting solicitation process for this settlement moving forward will be contingent on bankruptcy court approval. A hearing is scheduled on that matter in the coming days.

“This is about accountability and justice,” Attorney General Rokita added. “We’re ensuring that those responsible for this crisis are held accountable and that the resources are directed to where they’re needed most – our communities working to heal and rebuild.”

Attorney General Rokita is joined in securing this settlement in principle by the attorneys general of Alabama, Alaska, American Samoa, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Northern Mariana Islands, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, U.S. Virgin Islands, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, and Wisconsin, Wyoming.

CenterPoint Energy Foundation encourages nonprofit organizations to apply for the final grant cycle of 2025

0

The Foundation welcomes applications to fund eligible nonprofit programs and initiatives focused on community vitality and education

 EVANSVILLE, IND.  —— The CenterPoint Energy Foundation is currently accepting applications through July 18 for its final grant cycle of the year.

Grants are awarded to eligible nonprofit organizations whose primary location is in CenterPoint Energy’s service areas and have programs supporting the Foundation’s giving priorities of community vitality and education. The Foundation prioritizes programs serving low-to-moderate income families and under-resourced communities.

Funded separately and financially independent from the utility, the CenterPoint Energy Foundation strives to be a catalyst for good by leveraging everyday opportunities and resources to increase the vibrancy in the communities it serves.

“We’re proud of the impact the CenterPoint Energy Foundation has in creating positive, meaningful change within the communities where we deliver electric and natural gas service,” said June Deadrick, Vice President, Community Relations at CenterPoint Energy. “The Foundation remains committed to initiatives and programs enriching the lives of those living and working within our service areas, while building a foundation for a brighter tomorrow.”

During its first grant cycle of 2025, the CenterPoint Energy Foundation awarded more than $8.6 million in grants to 199 nonprofit organizations in Texas, Minnesota, Indiana and Ohio, that are expected to result in community initiatives implementing the following actions:

  • Supplying nearly 490,000 free books to kids.
  • Supporting more than 280,000 hours of tutoring for students.
  • Investing in more than 2,400 units of affordable housing.
  • Funding more than 600 home repairs for low-income individuals.
  • Restoring or preserving more than 100,000 acres of natural habitat.
  • Planting more than 50,000 trees.
  • Connecting more than 6,500 teen and adult students to financial literacy, homeownership or budgeting training.

Starting in 2026, each of the two annual Foundation grant cycles will focus on specific funding priority pillars. The first cycle of 2026 will award grants for education efforts, while the second cycle will award grants to community vitality initiatives.

EVANSVILLE LAND BANK CORPORATION NOTICE OF EXECUTIVE SESSION

0

Evansville Land Bank will hold an Executive Session on Friday, June 20, 2025, at 9:00 a.m. in Room 301 of the Civic Center Complex at 1 N. W. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.

This Executive Session will be held for discussion of strategy with respect to the purchase, sale or lease of real property by the Evansville Land Bank Corporation pursuant to the Indiana Code 5-14-1.5-6.1(b)(2)(D).

A regular meeting will be held at 9:30 a.m. following the Executive Session. The agenda for the meeting is attached.

GIAQUINTA, HOUSE DEMOCRATS CONDEMN SLASHING OF INDIANA STATE PRE-K PROGRAM

0

INDIANAPOLIS – As Hoosier parents prepare their household budgets for the 2025-2026 school year, fewer working families will have On My Way Pre-K, Indiana’s state preschool program, at their disposal to assist with the cost of sending their 3- and 4-year-olds to pre-K. Gov. Braun’s administration announced at the beginning of June that it would slash On My Way Pre-K seats from over 6,000 to 2,500 for the upcoming school year.

Additionally, reimbursement subsidies for families enrolled in the program will be capped at $147.82 a week – for some counties, this will slash reimbursement rates in half or more. This means that child care providers will receive less money from the state for children enrolled in the program, disincentivizing provider participation and broad access, and low-income families will be responsible for the cost not paid for by the state.

House Democratic Leader Phil GiaQuinta (D-Fort Wayne) and House Democrats are deeply concerned that the Braun administration and Statehouse Republicans chose to prioritize the expansion of Indiana’s private school voucher program to millionaires and billionaires this session over maintaining the On My Way Pre-K program for low- to moderate-income families. GiaQuinta released the following statement reacting to the cuts:

“Working parents are already stretched thin. Now, they’re being told to do more with less – the theme of this administration. Cutting On My Way Pre-K means pulling the rug out from under hard-working families who were planning to use this program to make their household budget work.

“These cuts weren’t inevitable. In the 2025 budget, Statehouse Republicans chose to prioritize making private school vouchers universal. While millionaires and billionaires are getting more tuition assistance for the private schools their children already attend, working families are being told that pre-K for their 3- and 4-year-olds is too expensive for the state. That’s not budgeting — that’s bad priorities. Amid a budget shortfall, Statehouse Republicans found the money to expand a program that they cared about. It just wasn’t the program that benefits families struggling to get by.

“Hoosier families deserve more, plain and simple.”

 

EPD DAILY ACTIVITY REPORT

0
EPD

 

EPD DAILY ACTIVITY REPORT

FOOTNOTE: EPD DAILY ACTIVITY REPORT information was provided by the EPD and posted by the City-County-County Observer without opinion, bias, or editing.