Wendy MacNamara Shares Why HB 1118 is Important to Her

02/17/2025

The following is provided by State Representative Wendy MacNamara an is published without revision.

Protecting first responders’ use of mental health resources

Our first responders face difficult and dangerous situations every day, putting their lives on the line to keep us safe. Unfortunately, facing these traumatic situations can put them at risk for long-term mental health effects, including depression and PTSD.

To decompress and heal from these calls, many first responders use critical incident services management (CISM) debriefings after a traumatic event so they can manage the stress of the incident and not suffer any long-term mental health issues.

I authored House Bill 1118, which passed unanimously out of the House, to ensure any first responder using a CISM debriefing would not be compelled to disclose those conversations in a civil, criminal or administrative proceeding.

According to the Indiana Department of Homeland Security, there are more than 40 CISM teams in Indiana, made up of trained peer volunteers who arrive at the scene to help first responders or provide care in the following days. These sessions can be important in making sure our first responders are cared for and ready to respond to the next call.

Learn More

House Bill 1118 now moves to the Senate for further consideration. Click here to learn more about the bill and follow session.

Aces defeat Valpo in River City game

02/17/2025

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Aces defeat Valpo in River City game

UE shoots 50% in the victory

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Sporting a “River City” look on Sunday at the Ford Center, the University of Evansville men’s basketball team outscored Valparaiso by a 39-25 margin in the second half to pull away for a 79-69 victory.

Connor Turnbull put together another career performance, scoring 27 points on 12-of-15 shooting. He added six boards, three blocks, and three assists. Tayshawn Comer picked up a double-double with 17 points and 11 assists. He was a perfect 10-for-10 from the line. Gabriel Pozzato added 12 points while Josh Hughes finished with 11.

“I thought we did a great job of sharing the ball; having 18 assists was great for us. On the other side, we switched up defenses and had a good sense of urgency to keep them off balance,” UE head coach David Ragland exclaimed. “As we go into the next two games on the road, we need to bring that same sense of urgency that we had in the second half for the entire 40 minutes.”

Valparaiso had a big start, jumping out to a 9-2 lead. The Beacons connected on their opening five attempts on their way to a 13-6 lead in the first four minutes. Connor Turnbull registered UE’s first four points and finished with a game-high 10 in the first half. Evansville made it a 3-point game at 13-10 on a Josh Hughes basket, but Valpo regrouped to retake a 7-point lead, going up 19-12 with 12:30 remaining in the period.

Approaching the midway point of the period, the Aces made their move. Trailing 24-19, Evansville scored seven in a row to take its first lead of the night at 26-24. Tayshawn Comer got things started with a layup while Kaia Berridge followed with the tying 3-pointer. A pair of Comer free throws finished the run to put UE in front.

It did not take long for the Beacons to counter as they scored the next six tallies to go back in front. With 5:31 remaining the stanza, Josh Hughes drained a triple to tie the game at 32-32 while the Beacons would go up six (42-36) inside of the 3-minute mark. A late bucket by the Aces made it a 44-40 game at halftime.

Out of the break, Valparaiso took its largest lead of the game (49-41) just over two minutes in. The Aces fought back with Turnbull picking up another basket and three free throws while Comer followed with a steal and dunk that cut the deficit to one at 51-50 with 13:42 remaining. Turnbull kept it going once again, scoring the next four to take a 54-51 lead entering the final 12 minutes. The second basket gave him 21 points, eclipsing his previous mark of 20.

Entering the final seven minutes, Gabriel Pozzato knocked down all three free throws to push the lead to six points. Just over two minutes later, a 3-pointer by Comer and another field goal by Turnbull gave the Aces their largest advantage of the game at 68-59.

A quick spurt by the Beacons got them within five before UE scored the next five to go up by double figures. Hughes’ second triple of the night capped the run. UE finished things off from there, earning the 79-69 win.

Four Valpo players reached double figures with All Wright leading the way with 17. After trailing by a 44-40 margin at halftime, UE outscored the Beacons by a 39-25 margin to rally in the second half. The Aces finished the night shooting 50% while Valpo finished at 40.4%. UE also finished with a 32-29 rebounding advantage.

Next up for UE is a 2-game road trip beginning on Wednesday at Indiana State before heading to UIC for a Saturday matinee.

-www.GoPurpleAces.com-

USI GWEP offering PAC Trainer Certification on Dementia Care

02/17/2025

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The University of Southern Indiana’s Geriatrics Workforce Enhancement Program (GWEP) will host a free two-day Positive Approach to Care® (PAC) Trainer Certification for those providing staff education in nursing homes from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. May 13-14 on the USI campus.

Teepa Snow, one of the leading educators on dementia and the care that accompanies it, founded the PAC method to support and engage people experiencing changes in brain function. PAC Mentors will lead the course at USI, giving participants the opportunity to enhance their dementia knowledge and build the practical skills needed to train other members of their team.

All certification costs for the course will be paid by the USI GWEP, and lunch will be provided between noon and 1 p.m. both days.

Prerequisite work is required, including a three-hour online self-paced course, two online live Champion Courses and an online live Certification Readiness Course. Links to these online courses will be provided upon registration. Participants are also required to attend both days of the in-person training, complete four post-training calls with a PAC Mentor and teach at least one training session.

Registration is required, and seating is limited to 20 participants. To begin the registration process, complete this Short Interest Survey.

For more information, visit USI.edu/pac-trainer-cert or contact Gracie Money at gamoney@usi.edu or 812-464-1894.

The University of Southern Indiana Geriatrics Workforce Enhancement Program is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of an award totaling $5,000,000 with 0% percentage financed with non-governmental sources. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by HRSA, HHS, or the U.S. Government. For more information, please visit HRSA.gov.

EPD DAILY ACTIVITY REPORT

02/17/2025

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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.

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02/17/2025

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Virtual Author Talk: Lee Hawkins | Feb. 18

02/17/2025

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Event Details:

Date: Tuesday, February 18, 2025

Time: 1 PM

Location: Streaming Online

Pulitzer Prize finalist Lee Hawkins will discuss his deeply personal and historical memoir, I Am Nobody’s Slave: How Uncovering My Family’s History Set Me Free. Through extensive research and reporting, Hawkins uncovers his family’s journey through generations of racial violence and resilience, revealing the lasting impact of enslavement, Jim Crow, and systemic racism.

About the Author:
Hawkins, a longtime Wall Street Journal reporter and award-winning journalist, explores the ways trauma shaped his family’s experience and how genealogical research can serve as a path to understanding and healing.

To register and secure your spot, please visit: https://libraryc.org/willardlib

Spring USI Liberal Arts Faculty Colloquium Series to begin February 24

02/17/2025

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The University of Southern Indiana College of Liberal Arts will host its first Faculty Colloquia presentation of the Spring Semester from 1-2:30 p.m. Monday, February 24 in Kleymeyer Hall (LA0101), located in the lower level of the Liberal Arts Center. The event is open to the public at no charge.

Dr. McManus Woodend, Assistant Professor of Digital Media, will present Cinelogical: Cinema and the New Method of Film Criticism and Aggregation and will answer audience questions about his findings.

Woodend will discuss current, popular methods of film criticism and review aggregation and his newly devised system, Cinelogical.

Later presentations will be given by the following faculty:

Dr. Greg Blair, Assistant Professor of Art and Design, What Punk Taught Me: Necessary Transgressions – 2 p.m. Wednesday, March 19 in Kleymeyer Hall (LA0101)

Dr. Laura Soderberg, Assistant Professor of English, presentation topic TBD – 1 p.m. Wednesday, April 2 in Kleymeyer Hall (LA0101)

This presentation and subsequent series are made possible by Liberal Arts Research Awards (LARA) Funding awarded through the College of Liberal Arts to USI and Dr. Adam Sizemore, Colloquium Director and Assistant Professor of Sociology. For questions regarding the Colloquium Series, contact Sizemore at dasizemore@usi.edu.

USI holds on to defeat Alabama State, 15-13 Screaming Eagles win the series, 3-1

02/16/2025

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USI holds on to defeat Alabama State, 15-13
Screaming Eagles win the series, 3-1

MONTGOMERY, Ala. – University of Southern Indiana Baseball had to hold on to defeat Alabama State University, 15-13, Sunday in Montgomery, Alabama. USI is 3-1 after two days of 2025, while Alabama State is 1-3 to begin its season.

USI senior centerfielder Khi Holiday gave the Screaming Eagles the first inning lead for the third time in the series, crossing the plate on an error with two outs in the opening frame. Holiday got into scoring position by singling, stealing second, and advancing to third on a bunt single by senior leftfielder BJ Banyon.

After USI added to the lead with a pair of runs in the top of the second and Alabama State posted a tally in the bottom half, sophomore rightfielder Cameron Boyd put the Eagles up 5-1 with a two-run blast to right field. The home run was USI and Boyd’s first of the season.

The Eagles extended the lead for the fourth-straight frame, exploding for six runs in the fourth for an 11-1 advantage. USI sent 11 men to the plate, scoring six times on a bases-loaded hit by pitch, a single, and three bases-loaded walks.

The Hornets would not be outdone as they rallied with five runs in the bottom of the fourth and two more in the fifth to cut the USI advantage to 11-8.

USI would rebound with four in the top of the sixth to re-extend the lead to 15-8. A RBI-single by junior designated hitter Cole Kitchens and junior shortstop Clayton Slack highlighted the rally.

Alabama State, however, would mount a comeback, scoring five in the bottom of the eighth before sophomore right-hander Aaron Rubio closed the door on the Hornets. Rubio got the final out of the eighth and stranded the bases loaded in the ninth.

On the mound, freshman right-hander Sage Stout picked up his first collegiate win in relief. Stout (1-0) blanked the Hornets for an inning, striking out one batter.

USI senior right-hander Hiroyuki Yamada started and received a no-decision. Yamada was charged with six runs on three hits, two walks, and a hit batter in 3.1 innings of work.

Up Next for the Eagles:
The Eagles open the 2025 home schedule by hosting Western Kentucky University on Tuesday. The first pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m. and the first 200 fans get a USI red rally towel.

WKU is 2-0 after starting the year with a pair of wins over Illinois State University at home this weekend. USI trails 10-2 in the all-time series with WKU after falling to the Hilltoppers, 5-3 and 2-1, last spring.

Due to the prediction of inclement and cold weather, USI encourages fans to watch for potential schedule changes on USIScreamingEagles.com, X, and Facebook.

UE baseball falls in series finale at Little Rock

02/16/2025

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UE baseball falls in series finale at Little Rock

The Purple Aces participated in their first run rule game of 2025

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – The University of Evansville baseball team couldn’t stop Little Rock’s red-hot offense in an 11-1 loss on Sunday afternoon.

The Purple Aces faced their first run-rule defeat as the Little Rock Trojans burst out to an early lead and didn’t surrender through eight innings. Sophomore left-hander Kevin Reed (Martinsville, Ind. / Martinsville HS) made his first start of 2025, pitching 3.2 innings with four strikeouts. Senior catcher Evan Waggoner (Bedford, Ind. / Bedford Lawrence North HS) led UE on offense going two of three at the plate with two hits, a double, and an RBI.

Evansville’s offense started Sunday with two hits to have runners in scoring position as senior second baseman Cal McGinnis (Kimberly, Wis. / Bradley) singled and went to third on a double from Waggoner. However, a strikeout to shortstop Brodie Pert (Markham, Ontario, Canada) ended the Aces’ offensive threat in the first. UE began the bottom of the inning with an out but soon struggled with the Trojan offense.

Little Rock put together three hits and reached on an error in four at-bats to take a 3-0 lead early. And the Trojans weren’t done as a ground out scored another runner and a balk call on Reed scored a fifth runner in half an inning. Evansville faced a 5-0 deficit after only an inning of work at Gary Hogan Field.

It was a clean second inning for both teams with three up and three down appearances at the plate. Little Rock added another run in the bottom of the third on a single but back-to-back strikeouts from Reed kept the Trojan lead at 6-0. Waggoner connected on his second hit in the top of the fourth but was stranded on the basepaths.

Little Rock began the bottom of the fourth with two singles and made it a 7-0 game on a stolen base attempt at second. Reed added his fourth strikeout of the game after the score, but the inning was finished by freshman right-hander RJ James (Toronto, Ontario) in his collegiate debut. James stayed on the mound for the Aces for the next four innings with two strikeouts.

UE went three-up and three-down in the top of the fifth while the Trojans led off with a double. The double wouldn’t lead to anything as center fielder Ty Rumsey (Evansville, Ind. / North HS) turned a flyout into a double play at home with a bullseye throw to Waggoner to end the inning. Evansville quickly got a batter on base in the top of the sixth as McGinnis was hit by a pitch with one out.

With McGinnis at first right fielder Harrison Taubert (Casper, Wyo. / Northeast HS) had his second multi-base hit in as many games with a double to left center. With runners on third and second Waggoner was able to drop the ball in between first and second to score McGinnis and advance Taubert to third with two outs. Taubert would stay at third as Little Rock got the third out to keep it a 7-1 game.

The Aces made three defensive changes in the seventh inning that kept the Trojans from scoring. But Little Rock’s offense got going in the bottom of the eighth inning to end the game a half inning early with four runs for the 11-1 run rule. UE will return to action on Tuesday, February 18 at Lipscomb. First pitch from Ken Dugan Field is set for 3 p.m. next week.

JEFF BES JOINS SPHL’S 300-WIN CLUB AS THUNDERBOLTS DEFEAT RIVERMEN 4-2

02/16/2025

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JEFF BES JOINS SPHL’S 300-WIN CLUB AS THUNDERBOLTS DEFEAT RIVERMEN 4-2

Evansville, In.: The Thunderbolts broke a 2-2 tie in the third period with two goals from Matthew Hobbs and Isaac Chapman to defeat the Peoria Rivermen 4-2 on Sunday afternoon at Ford Center, as Head Coach Jeff Bes became the 4th head coach in SPHL history to achieve 300 coaching victories. The Thunderbolts’ next home game will be on Friday, February 28th against the Quad City Storm at 7:05pm CT.

The Rivermen took the game’s first lead, as Daniel Chartrand scored at 10:12 of the first period. In response at 14:29, Tyson Gilmour scored at the side of the net from Logan vande Meerakker and Scott Kirton to tie the game at 1-1. Shortly after a power play chance at 12:20 of the second period, Evansville grabbed a 2-1 lead as a shot by Cameron MacPhee deflected and arced over everybody and into the net, with assists going to Vande Meerakker and Nolan McElhaney. During the celebration, Peoria’s Tristan Trudel punched Kirton unprovoked, and as a result Trudel was handed a match penalty and game misconduct. In the third period, Zach Wilkie tied the game at 3:48, but Evansville again battled through adversity and retook the lead at 6:29, as Hobbs scored from Brady Lynn to give Evansville their second lead of the game. At 10:56, Evansville gained some insurance as Chapman scored on a breakaway from Hobbs to make it 4-2 Evansville, the lead sticking following a late 6-on-5 push from Peoria.

Hobbs scored the game-winning goal plus an assist, Chapman, Gilmour, and MacPhee scored one goal each, while Vande Meerakker tallied a pair of assists. In net, Cole Ceci finished with 28 saves on 30 shots for his 11th win of the season. With the win, Head Coach Jeff Bes picked up his 300th SPHL win, 125 of them with Evansville, joining Glenn Detulleo (312), Jerome Bechard (368), and Jean-Guy Trudel (389) as the 4th member of the SPHL’s 300-Win Club. The Thunderbolts and Rivermen meet for the final time this regular season on Sunday, March 30th at Ford Center.