UE Volleyball opens 2023 season on Friday morning
Aces travel to Cape Girardeau, Mo.
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Record-breaking team and individual accomplishments in the fall of 2022 have the University of Evansville volleyball team primed to make another run in 2023. The Purple Aces face a tough test out of the gate as the regular season opens this weekend with a trip to the SEMO Invitational. Friday’s opener pits UE against the Redhawks at 11 a.m. before Saturday’s match has Evansville taking on Central Michigan at 12 p.m.
Puerto Rico National Team
– UE head coach Fernando Morales continues his work as the head coach of the Puerto Rico National Team
– He will be splitting time between Evansville and Puerto Rico over the first month of the season
– In his absence, assistants Michelle Nogueras and Jonathan Vila will split head coaching roles
First to 500
– Giulia Cardona put forth one of the best seasons the Evansville program has ever seen last fall
– Completing the season with 574 kills and 1,581 attempts, Cardona set the UE single-season program record for both stats
– With an average of 4.35 kills per set, she ranked second in the league behind teammate Alondra Vazquez
– On a national scale, Cardona ranked third with 674.0 total points, fifth in attacks (1,581) and sixth in total kills (574)
– The MVC leader in service aces with 0.49 per set was 18th in the NCAA
– Cardona set her career mark with 25 kills on two occasions last season – at Southern Illinois and in the MVC Championship win over Bradley
– She was named to the All-MVC First Team and garnered league Player of the Week accolades on Sept. 26, 2022
A Season of Firsts
– As the UE program continues to establish itself in the top half of the MVC, 2022 saw the Aces take multiple steps towards that goal
– Evansville went 11-7 in conference action, marking the top win tally for the program since joining the Valley in 1994; before 2022, the 2000 squad was the only one to finish above .500 in MVC play, going 10-8
– Entering last season, UE was 0-29 in road matches at Illinois State but came through last October with a 3-0 sweep at Redbird Arena
– Between 2009 and 2018, Evansville failed to qualify for the MVC Championship; since that time, the program has made the tournament in three out of four seasons (the lone outlier was the spring of 2021)
– UE won just one MVC Tournament match between 1994 and 2021 before tripling its win total with victories over Bradley and SIU last season
MVC Preseason
– Receiving 99 votes, the Purple Aces were picked to finish 5th in the MVC Preseason Poll
– UNI, Drake, UIC and Southern Illinois were chosen in the top four positions
– Junior Giulia Cardona was voted to the Preseason All-Conference Team
Scouting the Opposition
– Preseason Ohio Valley Conference favorite SEMO is the first opponent of 2023
– The Redhawks went 17-16 last season while winning 10 OVC matches
– Tara Beilsmith and Zoey Beasley were voted on the Preseason All-Conference Team
– Saturday’s opponent will be Central Michigan, who is coming off a 20-12 campaign while going 12-6 in the Mid-American Conference
– The Chippewas played in the NIVC Tournament where they fell to Xavier in the opening round
She’s Back
– Limited to just 29 sets over eight matches in 2022 due to injury, Melanie Feliciano is back for her 5th season with the program
– A member of the All-MVC First Team in 2021, Feliciano averaged 2.86 kills and 2.41 digs in limited action last fall
– She recorded at least eight kills in each of her matches last season including her top tally of 14 versus Western Carolina
– Feliciano finished the fall of 2021 with 380 kills, an average of 3.28 per set, which ranked 6th in the Valley
– With 1,169 kills in her career, Feliciano is quickly approaching Evansville’s top ten career list with Brooke Maher holding the #10 spot with 1,254 kills
EPD DAILY ACTIVITY REPORT
FOOTNOTE: Â EPD DAILY ACTIVITY REPORT information was provided by the EPD and posted by the City-County-County Observer without opinion, bias, or editing.
Vincennes Man Arrested for Operating Power Wheels Jeep while Impaired
Knox County – Wednesday night, August 23, at approximately 9:00 p.m., Trooper Buchanan was patrolling in the 2500 block of North 2nd Street in Vincennes when he observed a male operating a Power Wheels Jeep in the roadway. Trooper Buchanan stated the vehicle had no lights or reflectors and was difficult to see. The Power Wheels Jeep was stopped on 2nd Street and the driver was identified as John McKee, 51, of Vincennes. McKee displayed signs of impairment and failed field sobriety tests. Further investigation at Good Samaritan Hospital in Vincennes determined McKee was under the influence of methamphetamine and marijuana. He was arrested and taken to the Knox County Jail.
Arrested and Charge:
- John McKee, 51, Vincennes, IN
- Operating a Vehicle while Intoxicated with a Prior Conviction, Level 6 Felony
Arresting Officer: Trooper Buchanan, Indiana State Police
Assisting Officer: Trooper Hurley, Indiana State Police
Richardt to lead business development for Ports of Indiana
Southwest Indiana native to head up a statewide initiative to expand port authority’s engagement and economic impacts along Ohio River, Lake Michigan, and beyond
INDIANAPOLIS (August 21, 2023) – Ports of Indiana has hired Jenna Richardt as Senior Vice President of Business Development and Engagement for the statewide port system.
Richardt is the first senior vice president to be based in Mount Vernon, Ind., but will lead statewide initiatives focused on growing business for all of the ports and expanding engagement with key partners to increase Ports of Indiana’s value within its local communities and the entire state.
“We’re very excited to have someone of Jenna’s caliber join our team to help expand our business development efforts,†said Jody Peacock, CEO of the Ports of Indiana. “She brings extensive experience in economic development and a vast knowledge of Southwest Indiana, where we see the largest growth opportunities in the next decade. Jenna will also be focused on expanding our partnerships with key stakeholders to further leverage Ports of Indiana’s economic development capabilities around the state.â€
Richardt is from Southwest Indiana and has been serving as the Chief Regional Economic Development Officer and Senior Vice President for the Evansville Regional Economic Partnership (E-REP). Prior to that she was Executive Director for the Posey County Economic Development Partnership in Mount Vernon.
As part of her new role, Richardt is helping to launch a new partnership between Ports of Indiana and Evansville Regional Economic Partnership which will allow the organizations to expand their working relationship to pursue key initiatives. Richardt will have a shared leadership role in both organizations for the next few months and spend time in both offices to provide a smooth transition and foster collaboration.
“It’s an honor to join a great team and such a wonderful success story at Ports of Indiana,†Richardt said. “Our state ports are powerful economic engines for Indiana, and I am eager to build on the past achievements in Southwest Indiana and at the ports to grow business throughout Indiana.â€
In addition to business development, Richardt will also oversee marketing and communications, cargo and real estate development as well as government affairs for Ports of Indiana.
Ports of Indiana is a statewide port authority operating three ports consisting of 2,800 acres of land along the Ohio River and Lake Michigan. Currently, the ports have 1,000 acres available for future development of which about 70% is located in Mount Vernon.
Indiana has the country’s No.1-ranked inland river port district and No.2-ranked Great Lakes port district. The state’s three ports generate $8 billion in annual economic impact and support 50,000 jobs. In addition to managing maritime facilities, Ports of Indiana is the statewide grantee of foreign-trade zones, offers specialized bond financing, and is pursuing the development of large-scale multimodal facilities around the state.
VANDERBURGH COUNTY COMMISSIONERS PRESENT THE 2023 “STATE OF THE COUNTY†ON SEPTEMBER 5TH
 (Evansville, IN) – Vanderburgh County Commissioners Cheryl Musgrave, Justin Elpers, and Ben Shoulders will present the annual “State of the County†presentation at the upcoming Evansville Rotary Club luncheon on September 5, 2023, at Old National Events Plaza.Â
The Commissioners will discuss hot topics throughout the conversational program including the American Rescue Plan Act, recreational projects, economic development opportunities, and public safety improvements. Roads, infrastructure, and tourism are also slated for discussion, with a focus on highlighting completed projects and achievements during the last year.Â
The public and members of the media are welcome to attend. The Rotary Club of Evansville requests that non-members register as a guest with the link below.Â
Event Information:Â
What: Evansville Rotary Club weekly luncheon, State of the CountyÂ
When: September 5, 2023Â
Presentation: 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.Â
Doors open: 10:30 a.m.; Buffet open: 11:00 a.m.Â
Where: Old National Events Plaza, BallroomÂ
715 Locust Street, Evansville, IN 47708Â
Tickets: The cost to attend the luncheon is $22.00.Â
Non-members may register here: Rotary Club of Evansville (evansvillerotary.com)Â
IDEM issues Air Quality Action Day for Wednesday in two Indiana regions
INDIANAPOLIS – The Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) has issued an Air Quality Action Day (AQAD) and is forecasting high ozone levels for Wednesday, August 23, in the following areas:
- Southeast Indiana, including the cities of: Brownstown, Corydon, Jeffersonville, Madison, New Albany, Salem, Versailles and all other cities within the area.
- Southwest Indiana, including the cities of: Bedford, Bloomfield, Evansville, Huntingburg, Mount Vernon, Paoli, Princeton, Rockport, Tell City, Vincennes and all other cities within the area.
A state map including regions and affected counties is available at SmogWatch.IN.gov.Â
IDEM forecasters anticipate higher ozone as hot and hazy conditions make their way into the region. High temperatures near or over 90 degrees combined with light winds will lead to conditions that are suitable for ozone to build to the level Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups (USG).
Note:Â IDEM’s AQAD forecast is based on data from ozone air quality monitors located throughout the state. IDEM encourages residents of counties within or bordering the AQAD region(s) to heed the forecast. Air quality information for all Indiana counties can be found at SmogWatch.IN.gov.Â
Some municipalities have additional open burning restrictions on AQADs. For more information, see idem.IN.gov/openburning/laws-and-rules.
IDEM encourages everyone to help reduce ozone by making changes to daily habits. You can:
- Drive less: carpool, use public transportation, walk, bike, or work from home when possible
- Combine errands into one trip
- Avoid refueling your vehicle or using gasoline-powered lawn equipment until after 7 p.m.
- Keep your engine tuned, and don’t let your engine idle (e.g., at a bank or restaurant drive-thru)
- Conserve energy by turning off lights and setting the thermostat to 75 degrees or above
Air Quality Action Days are in effect from midnight to 11:59 p.m. on the specified date. Anyone sensitive to changes in air quality may be affected when ozone levels are high. Children, the elderly, and anyone with heart or lung conditions should reduce or avoid exertion and heavy work outdoors.
Ground-level ozone is formed when sunlight and hot weather combine with vehicle exhaust, factory emissions, and gasoline vapors. Ozone in the upper atmosphere blocks ultraviolet radiation, but ozone near the ground is a lung irritant that can cause coughing and breathing difficulties for sensitive populations.
IDEM examines weather patterns and current ozone readings to make daily air quality forecasts. Air Quality Action Days generally occur when weather conditions such as light winds, hot and dry air, stagnant conditions, and lower atmospheric inversions trap pollutants close to the ground.