UE travels to UIC for Saturday matinee

02/20/2025

UE travels to UIC for Saturday matinee

Aces look for third MVC win in a row

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – In search of its third win in a row and ninth Missouri Valley Conference victory of the season, the University of Evansville men’s basketball team travels to UIC for a 2 p.m. game on Saturday. ESPN+ and the Purple Aces Radio Network will have the broadcast

Last Time Out

– For just the second time since 2011, the Purple Aces earned a road win over Indiana State, taking a 79-74 victory on Wednesday

– Gabriel Pozzato led UE with 22 points while Tayshawn Comer scored 21

– Josh Hughes picked up the first double-double of his career with 15 points and 10 boards while Connor Turnbull scored 15

Full 40

– For the seventh time this season and second game in a row, Gabriel Pozzato played all 40 minutes at Indiana State while leading UE with 22 points

– Pozzato is 7th in the MVC with 34.43 minutes per game

– The 3-time MVC Freshman of the Week is the #7 scorer in the league with 15.4 PPG

– He earned his third MVC freshman accolade on Feb. 3 as he averaged 25.5 PPG in wins over Murray State and Belmont

– After missing eight games, he returned on Jan. 18 against Belmont

– Pozzato has posted double figures in 17 of his 20 games this year

15 And 10

– In the road win at Indiana State, Josh Hughes picked up his first collegiate double-double with 15 points and 10 boards

– It marked the first time he hauled in 10 rebounds in his UE career

– Hughes has recorded double figures in seven of the last nine home games

– After registering 10 points versus Belmont, Hughes had 12 against UIC and 12 versus Bradley before finishing with 11 versus Valpo

Double-Double

– Tayshawn Comer recorded his first double-double of the season with 17 points and 11 assists against Valparaiso

– His 11 assists tied his career mark

– Over the last 15 games, Comer is averaging 19.9 points, 4.7 assists, and 4.1 rebounds per game over that time and leads UE with his season scoring average of 15.9 PPG

– Included in that tally is a career-high 27 points in the win over Murray State, besting his mark of 26 in the road win at SIU

– Against league competition, Comer is averaging 18.7 PPG, which is second

Scouting the Opponent

– UIC has dropped five of its last six games to fall to 15-12 overall and 8-9 in the MVC

– The Flames dropped a 74-57 game at Drake on Wednesday following a home win over Missouri State on Feb. 16

– Five UIC players average double figures with Javon Jackson leading the way

– Jackson is averaging 12.5 PPG and has a team-high 45 steals

– Ahmad Henderson II holds an average of 11.4 PPG while Tyem Freeman checks in at 10.5 PPG

– Jordan Mason and Sasa Ciani are averaging 10.3 and 10.0 PPG, respectively

-www.GoPurpleAces.com-

Lady Trailblazers go wire-to-wire in Region 24 win over Rend Lake College

02/20/2025

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Lady Trailblazers go wire-to-wire in Region 24 win over Rend Lake College

VINCENNES, Ind. – The Vincennes University Lady Trailblazers hit the floor Thursday night for another NJCAA Division I Region 24 contest, this time playing host to the Lady Warriors from Rend Lake College from Ina, Ill.

The Lady Blazers got going early and rode a big first half to a wire-to-wire 100-55 victory over the Lady Warriors.

Vincennes jumped out to a fast start Thursday night, opening an early 13-5 advantage over Rend Lake with an 11-3 scoring run.

VU continued to add to their lead and finished out the first 10 minutes of action holding a 27-17 lead over Rend Lake College.

Vincennes continued to push the tempo in the second quarter, using a 10-3 run to take a 39-23 lead and holding a 54-35 advantage at the halftime break.

Rend Lake continued to battle early in the second half but VU quickly grabbed the momentum back with a 7-0 scoring run as the Lady Blazers took a 72-48 lead into the fourth quarter.

Vincennes put the finishing touches on an outstanding evening in the fourth with a 13-0 scoring run early in the fourth to take an 85-50 lead.

The Lady Blazers would cruise down the stretch, picking up their game defensively and holding the Lady Warriors to just seven points in the fourth quarter.

VU closed out the game strong by scoring the final 10 points of the game as Vincennes picked up the 100-55 victory over the Lady Warriors.

The Lady Blazers were led offensively by another big double-double by freshman Delora Pricop (Satu Mare, Romania) who finished with 24 points and 12 rebounds for her 14th double-double of the season.

Sophomore Marta Gutierrez (Alicante, Spain) just missed out on a double-double, with 20 points, nine assists, seven rebounds and three steals.

Freshman Ahmya Thomas (Phoenix, Ariz.) closed out her night with 17 points, seven steals, five rebounds and five assists, while freshman Emani Washington (Indianapolis, Ind.) added 16 points, seven assists and four steals.

Freshman Netala Dixon (Dyersburg, Tenn.) came off the bench to score in double figures, finishing with 12 points, seven assists and five rebounds.

Freshman Jazmyn Robey (Sellersburg, Ind.) was the sixth Lady Blazer scorer in double figures, ending her night with 11 points and two rebounds.

The Lady Trailblazers will look to keep this momentum going when the Blazers hit the road next week to take on Olney Central College in Olney, Ill. Wednesday, Feb. 26 at 6 p.m. eastern.

VU will then return home to the P.E. Complex, Saturday, March 1 for the final regular season game of the 2024-25 season when Vincennes hosts Wabash Valley College at 5 p.m. eastern.

VINCENNES BOX SCORE

VINCENNES (100): Delora Pricop 10-17 4-4 24, Ahmya Thomas 6-13 3-4 17, Jazmyn Robey 4-10 0-0 11, Marta Gutierrez 8-10 1-1 20, Emani Washington 7-19 0-0 16, Iris Comesana 0-2 0-0 0, Netala Dixon 6-10 0-0 12, Team 41-81 8-9 100.

Rend Lake – 17 18 13 7 – 55

VU (15-13, 9-3) – 27 27 18 28 – 100

Three-point goals: VU 10 (Robey 3, Gutierrez 3, Thomas 2, Washington 2). Rebounds: VU 36 (Pricop 12). Assists: VU 28 (Gutierrez 9). Steals: VU 20 (Thomas 7). Blocked Shots: VU 2 (Pricop, Gutierrez). Turnovers: VU 8. Personal Fouls: VU 16. Fouled out: Robey.

Capo and McCall highlight second day of MVC Championships

02/20/2025

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Capo and McCall highlight second day of MVC Championships

Meet continues Friday

OXFORD, Ohio – Joseph Capo and Sammy McCall each had their top collegiate times as the University of Evansville men’s swimming and diving team completed the second day of the Missouri Valley Conference Championships.

In the morning prelims, Capo swam a 4:35.08 in the 500-free. His time bested his previous record of 4:36.38 and checked in as the 7^th-best time in program history.

Daniel Santos Lope led the way for the Purple Aces in the 50-free. He posted a 20.71 in the prelims before lowering that time to a 20.52 in the finals. He took 13^th in the finals with a time that was just 0.27 off his school record. Sammy McCall finished the prelims with a time of 20.77, which put him 7^th in UE history. Logan Tenison also had a solid effort, posting a 20.95, which is just outside the top ten for the Aces.

Carlos Souto Vilas paced UE in the 200-IM prelims. His time of 1:54.26 put him in 21^st while Titus Jabedo took 24^th with a 1:55.10.

Patrik Vilbergsson, Jakob Grundbacher, Souto Vilas, and Santos Lopez competed in the 400-medley relay and finished 6^th in the race. Their time checked in at 3:17.15.

Following Thursday’s action, UE ranks 7^th in the team standings with a score of 56.

-www.GoPurpleAces.com-

Peplowski Ties Big Ten Record on Relay Day

02/20/2025

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COLUMBUS, Ohio – Indiana swimming and diving kicked off its Big Ten Championships title defense with a conference record and a silver-medal relay performance Wednesday (Feb. 19) night inside the McCorkle Aquatic Pavilion on the campus of the Ohio State University.

Indiana sits second in the team standings after two events and the first of four days of conference championship competition.

“Solid start to the competition, but we have six important sessions to go,” IU head swimming coach Ray Looze said. “Preliminaries will be key.”

Senior Anna Peplowski led off IU’s 800 freestyle relay with a 200 free split of 1:40.69, matching Michigan’s Siobhan Haughey’s Big Ten record swim from the 2018 Championships to rank tied-for-ninth all-time. Peplowski’s swim also shattered Haughey’s meet record from 2019 and beat her own program record by 28 tenths. Only Gretchen Walsh’s 1:39.34 is faster this season.

Peplowski will swim the 200 free again Friday, looking to defend her Big Ten title in the event.

Despite almost matching its winning time from the 2024 championships (6:55.45), the Hoosiers finished fourth in the 800-yard freestyle relay with a 6:55.53. Sophomores Miranda Grana (1:43.68) and Reese Tiltmann (1:45.50) and junior Kristina Paegle (1:45.66) followed Peplowski’s leadoff.

Indiana finished just a tenth off the winning time in the 200-yard medley relay, settling for silver in 1:34.52. The quartet of seniors Kacey McKenna (23.63) and Brearna Crawford (26.86), Grana (22.70) and Paegle (21.33) dropped the program’s fastest time since 2018 and No. 2 all-time performance.

TEAM SCORES
1. Michigan – 128

Indiana – 108
Ohio State – 106
USC – 106
Wisconsin – 104
Minnesota – 92
Northwestern – 92
Nebraska – 76
Purdue – 74
Illinois – 72
Penn State – 64
Iowa – 56
Rutgers – 56
UCLA – 48
RESULTS
200 MEDLEY RELAY
2. Kacey McKenna, Brearna Crawford, Miranda Grana, Kristina Paegle – 1:34.52 (NCAA A Cut)

800 FREESTYLE RELAY
4. Anna Peplowski, Ella Ristic, Ching Hwee Gan, Kristina Paegle – 6:55.53 (NCAA A Cut)

Anna Peplowski (leadoff) – 1:40.69 (Big Ten Record, Championship Record, Program Record, NCAA A Cut)

Vanderburgh County Arrest Warrants

02/20/2025

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Vanderburgh County Arrest Warrants

Vanderburgh County Recent Booking Records

02/20/2025

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Booked Last 24 Hours-Public

JOE WALLACE: Musk Derangement Syndrome: When Ideology Trumps Fiscal Responsibility

02/20/2025

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Musk Derangement Syndrome: When Ideology Trumps Fiscal Responsibility

By Joe Wallace

Elon Musk has become one of the most polarizing figures in modern America. To his supporters, he is a visionary entrepreneur who has revolutionized industries ranging from electric vehicles and space travel to AI and neural interfaces. To his detractors, he is a billionaire menace—an egotist with too much influence, a reckless tweeter, and an alleged threat to democracy. The fervor surrounding Musk has become so extreme that it seems we now have a new political condition: Musk Derangement Syndrome (MDS).

The symptoms of MDS include an automatic opposition to anything Musk supports, regardless of merit, and an uncritical acceptance of any criticism against him, regardless of accuracy. The latest example of this phenomenon is the backlash against the Department of Defense’s (DOD’s) initiative to cut spending, a move partially inspired by Musk’s critiques of government inefficiency. Predictably, the response from some corners of Washington has been less about the policy itself and more about attacking its perceived association with Musk.

A Push for Fiscal Sanity

The effort to rein in federal spending is not a fringe concern—it is a necessity. The national debt now exceeds $34 trillion, and the interest on that debt is rapidly becoming one of the largest expenses in the federal budget. Despite this, when the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) proposed cost-cutting measures—many of which align with common-sense reforms Musk has long advocated—opponents rushed to discredit them.

Some of the proposals include:

Eliminating Redundant Programs – The federal government is notorious for duplication. Reports from agencies like the Government Accountability Office (GAO) routinely identify billions in wasteful overlap.
Streamlining Military Procurement – The Pentagon’s procurement system has been criticized for its inefficiency and bloated bureaucracy. SpaceX’s success in cutting launch costs compared to legacy contractors is a clear example of how the government could operate more efficiently.
Reducing Regulatory Bloat – Musk has long warned that excessive regulation stifles innovation and leads to unnecessary expenditures. Simplifying the compliance process could save billions without sacrificing safety or oversight.

These proposals are not radical, nor are they inherently tied to Musk. Yet, because they resemble ideas he has championed, they have been met with hostility—particularly from the left.

The Democratic Backlash: Ideology Over Economics?

Democratic opposition to cost-cutting measures is nothing new, but the intensity of the reaction to DOGE’s efforts suggests that opposition to Musk himself may be a driving factor. Several prominent Democrats have dismissed the plan outright, citing Musk’s personal political views and business dealings as reasons to reject any policy associated with him.

Consider the response from Senator Elizabeth Warren, who claimed that “billionaire influence in policymaking is a danger to democracy”—a statement that would carry more weight if her party had not embraced figures like Bill Gates and George Soros in shaping policies they favor. Others, like Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, have framed the issue as a “power grab” by Musk, despite the fact that he is not directly involved in government decision-making.

It’s hard to escape the conclusion that the outrage is more about Musk than about the policy itself. If these same cost-cutting measures had been proposed under a different banner, would they be facing such fierce opposition?

Fiscal Responsibility Should Be Bipartisan

The knee-jerk rejection of any policy associated with Musk is emblematic of a deeper problem in American politics: the prioritization of tribalism over governance. Reducing waste and improving government efficiency should not be partisan issues. Yet, because Musk has been painted as an enemy by certain political factions, even reasonable efforts to cut spending are being dismissed out of hand.

This is Musk Derangement Syndrome in action—where rational discourse is abandoned in favor of personal animus. But the American taxpayer does not have the luxury of indulging in ideological vendettas. With inflation still impacting household budgets, the burden of federal debt rising, and economic uncertainty ahead, the need for responsible governance has never been greater.

Conclusion: Time to Move Beyond MDS

Elon Musk is not perfect, nor does he need to be for his ideas to have merit. The federal government’s spending problems are real, and solutions—regardless of their origins—should be judged on their effectiveness, not on who proposed them. If lawmakers continue to let Musk Derangement Syndrome dictate their positions, it will be the American people who suffer the consequences.

The choice is simple: govern with wisdom, or oppose for the sake of opposition. If Washington chooses the latter, it will prove that the real problem isn’t Musk—it’s the politicians who put their personal grievances ahead of the country’s needs.

Governor Mike Braun Signs Executive Order to Contain Soaring Costs of ABA Therapy

02/20/2025

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Governor Mike Braun Signs Executive Order to Contain Soaring Costs of ABA Therapy to Medicaid While Maintaining Quality of Care

This post is provided by the Governor’s press office

FEBRUARY 2025, 2025

Governor Mike Braun today signed an executive order to contain rapidly rising Medicaid costs for Applied Behavior Analysis therapy while maintaining quality of care for thousands of Hoosier children and young adults who use the treatment.

Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) is a therapy for the early treatment of autism, helping improve quality of life for the individual and their family and friends.

Indiana Medicaid payments for Applied Behavior Analysis exploded by a factor of 8 in a two year period from 2017 to 2019, from $14.4 million to $120 million. Payments are expected to increase by a factor of 5 over the next year, with $645 million projected to be spent on ABA for approximately 8,000 Hoosier children in 2026.

The U.S. Office of the Inspector General conducted an audit of Indiana’s ABA payments in 2019 and 2020 to determine why costs had soared so dramatically. The audit found Indiana made at least $56.5 million in improper Medicaid payments for ABA, largely due to problems with credentialing for providers and a lack of evaluations, referrals, and documentation.

“Indiana’s $1 billion Medicaid budget shortfall last year means we need to take bold action to contain costs where they are clearly getting out of hand. When the price our state pays for one service is soaring from $14 million to $120 million in just two years, with over $39 million of improper payments identified in an independent audit, something is clearly wrong and needs to be addressed immediately,” said Governor Mike Braun. “We’re taking decisive action to contain these massive cost increases while maintaining quality of care for the Hoosiers that rely on these treatments.”

Governor Braun’s executive order establishes a working group of parents, legislators, subject matter experts, physicians, and ABA therapy providers to find solutions that will contain the soaring costs of ABA to Medicaid without compromising care quality.

Specifically, the working group is tasked with evaluating the following solutions, and presenting Governor Braun with three actionable recommendations for ABA cost containment while maintaining quality:

the best clinical care models to provide the right therapy, at the right ages, in the right setting, to best serve children and families;

recommendations for a better coordinated experience for children who need ABA therapy services, but in a financially sustainable manner;

proper transitions for children as they grow in their educational, family and social settings;

quality metrics for ABA therapy services;

potential caps on hours of therapy services provided per week;

potential caps on the number of months a child can receive therapy services;

creating an appeals process for extenuating circumstances; and

establishing new provider enrollment and billing requirements for ABA providers to address issues identified in the federal audit.

Chuy’s Will Be Opening Soon In Evansville Here’s What to Expect

02/20/2025

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By Johnny Kincaid

Chuy’s Tex-Mex Restaurant announced last June that it had purchased the east side O’Charley’s location. While no date has been set for the restaurant’s opening, the Chuy’s website says that it is “opening soon.”

In the spirit of giving you an idea of what to expect, I visited a Chuy’s location in Indianapolis to share a little about the experience. The decor is pretty typical of a themed chain restaurant that spends a lot on decorations. The staff was trained well and attentive, making sure that customer expectations were met.

As expected, tortilla chips and salsa were promptly brought to the table. The chips were light and fresh, and the salsa was spicy and fresh, some of the best I’ve had.

The menu offers an interesting variety of Tex-Mex items, such as “Big As Yo Face” burritos and the “Elvis Presley Memorial Combo.” I chose an enchilada dish called “Chicka-Chicka Boob-Boom,” which features chicken wrapped in a fresh corn tortilla and covered in “Boom-Boom” sauce. It was cheesy, delicious, and pretty spicy.

I asked my server about the spice level of the food. She smiled and said, “Yea, we love our spice.” Chuy’s gets their peppers from Hatch, New Mexico, a place that is legendary for producing flavorful peppers with just the right amount of spice.

If you can’t handle the heat, ask your server about less spicy options.

All in all Chuy’s will be a good edition to the Evansville food scene. I’m looking forward to their opening.

UE Men’s basketball hangs on for road win at Indiana State

02/20/2025

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Men’s basketball hangs on for road win at Indiana State

Pozzato and Comer lift UE to victory

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Gabriel Pozzato and Tayshawn Comer both reached the 20-point mark while Josh Hughes recorded a double-double to push the University of Evansville men’s basketball team to a 79-74 win over Indiana State on Wednesday evening at the Hulman Center.

With the win, the Purple Aces earned their 8^th Missouri Valley Conference victory, the most for the program since the 2015-16 season. It also ended a 7-game skid for UE against the Sycamores.

“We showed great resilience and maturity tonight. Indiana State has a great program and this is a hard place to win at,” UE head coach David Ragland said following the win. “Our big guys built up confidence early and we were able to get big stops late to finish with the win.”

Pozzato led UE with 22 points while Comer finished with 21. Hughes and Connor Turnbull recorded 15 points apiece. Hughes added a career-high 10 boards on the way to his first double-double.

Picking up right where he left off on Sunday against Valparaiso, Turnbull scored the first two points of the game as the Purple Aces took a 4-0 lead. Josh Hughes added a triple that put UE up 7-3 just over two minutes in. Hughes’ second basket of the evening capped an 11-8 start for the Aces at the 13:43 mark.

Over the next two minutes, Indiana State made its run, scoring the next nine points to go up 17-11. UE regrouped to post the next seven tallies in just over a minute of action to retake an 18-17 edge. Turnbull had the first two baskets during the rally. Just past the halfway mark of the period, the Sycamores found themselves up 19-18.

Evansville took control over the final minutes. Gabriel Pozzato’s first 3-pointer of the game opened a 10-0 run that gave UE a 28-19 lead with 7:22 remaining in the half. Highlighting the stretch was Tayshawn Comer’s pass to Pozzato for an alley oop. ISU cut the deficit to just five at 30-25 inside of the 6-minute mark before the Aces countered once again. Outscoring ISU by a 10-2 margin, UE took its largest lead at 40-27 inside the final four minutes.

Another basket by Hughes matched the 13-point lead in the final minute until a triple in the final seconds cut the ISU deficit to 46-36 at halftime. The Sycamores shot 50% in the half while UE finished at 48.6%. Evansville did its damage in second-chance point, outscoring ISU by a 16-2 margin in the opening stanza.

After ISU knocked down a triple to get within nine, back-to-back field goals by the Aces made it a 13-point game inside of 18 minutes left. The Sycamores chipped away at the deficit, cutting it to 57-51 with 14:18 left in the contest while the Aces countered with four quick points, including a hook shot by Tanner Cuff, to retake the 10-point edge.

With 10:43 left in the game, Indiana State cut the deficit to seven once again and forced an inbound pass by the Aces with two seconds left on the shot clock. Turnbull hit a 3-pointer that put his squad back up by double figures. The lead for UE hovered between 7 and 12 points as UE held a 72-60 lead with 6:17 remaining.

A furious rally by the Sycamores saw them score 11 in a row and 14 of the next 16 to tie the game at 74-74 with just over a minute left. Comer got UE back on track with a layup while a Pozzato dunk in the final seconds put the finishing touches on the 79-74 victory.

Leading the way for ISU was Jaden Daughtry who scored a game-high 23 points. Shooting 52% in the second half, UE finished the game at 49.2% with ISU shooting 43.1%. The Aces also had a 36-31 edge on the glass. UE remains on the road for a 2 p.m. game at UIC on Saturday in Chicago.

-www.GoPurpleAces.com-