Home Blog Page 114

Shooting Investigation/Arrest 100 blk S Green River Rd

0

At 7:50 a.m. this morning (02/07/25), EPD Officers were dispatched to the 100 block of S. Green River Rd. in reference to shots fired. Once on scene, officers located an adult female victim with minor injuries. The victim had been struck by glass after the suspect, identified as Xairus V. Hardin, had fired a shot into the window of her room. The shot itself did not strike the victim. The victim was taken to a local hospital for treatment for non-life-threatening injuries. Detectives responded to the scene.

Detectives learned that Hardin is the victim’s ex-boyfriend. Hardin came to the Victim’s room, they began to argue, and Hardin told the victim he would kill her. Hardin left the victim’s room and fired a shot at herthrough the window.

Hardin fled the scene on foot. Motor Patrol Officers quickly set up a perimeter around the area. Officers located Hardin and a foot pursuit ensued. Officers were ultimately able to detain Hardin, and he was taken to

EPD Headquarters to be interviewed by detectives. Another individual was located with Hardin and was also detained. He was interviewed by detectives, but it was determined that he was not involved in the shooting incident.

A backpack was located in the backyard where the foot pursuit had taken place. The backpack contained a white powdery substance that tested positive for 240 grams of fentanyl.

Hardin was arrested and charged with Attempted Murder, Intimidation with a Deadly Weapon, Criminal Confinement, and Dealing a Narcotic Drug. He was transported to the Vanderburgh County Confinement C

Aces women’s basketball starts the second half of MVC play

0

CARBONDALE, Ill. — The University of Evansville women’s basketball team travels west to Southern Illinois and Missouri State this weekend.

A quick start to the Purple Aces game against Valparaiso didn’t last in a 66-54 loss to the Beacons last weekend. UE led 14-10 at the end of the first quarter but had a season-low second quarter. A 50% plus third quarter from the field wasn’t enough for an Evansville comeback in the second half.

The Aces’ held their second annual National Girls and Women in Sports Day game against Valpo last week. UE Athletics hosted 85 area girls 8th grade and under for a girls sports clinic followed by watching the basketball game. Evansville had a season-high attendance for Saturday’s game in Meeks Family Fieldhouse with over 600 fans in attendance.

The Aces head into the second half of Missouri Valley Conference play hungry for a second conference victory. UE will start against the one MVC team they did pick up a win against in the first 10 Valley games, Southern Illinois. On their home court, the Aces led for over 35 minutes in the 85-70 win. Evansville will look for its first victory in Carbondale since 2017 on Friday night.

The Salukis also have one Valley win after the first half of conference action. SIU beat Indiana State 63-58 on the road before seeing the Aces in mid-January. The win at the Hulman Center was one of only two road wins for the Salukis so far. But Southern Illinois has a single home win at the Banterra Center from December in their Elementary Field Trip game. SIU and leading scorer forward Gift Uchenna will try for their first home conference win Friday.

UE will wrap up its road trip over the weekend with the team’s final MVC game at Great Southern Bank Arena. The Missouri State Lady Bears are in their final season in the Missouri Valley Conference and are currently tied for second in the league with two other teams. Missouri State has only lost to two Valley teams so far with both losses coming on the road to UIC and Illinois State. The Lady Bears continue to be led by senior guard Lacy Stokes who is averaging 12.3 points and four assists a game.

After sitting out a game for a foot injury in mid-January sophomore forward Maggie Hartwig (Sauk City, Wis. / Sauk Prairie HS) is back to her high scoring ways. Hartwig led Evansville in scoring in back-to-back games at home last week. She also picked up her fifth double-double of the season in 35 minutes against the Beacons with 21 points and 12 rebounds. Hartwig is sixth in the MVC with five double-doubles on the year. She is also fifth in the Valley in scoring, averaging 16.2 points a game.

With another double figure outing on Saturday freshman guard Camryn Runner (Cicero, Ind. / Hamilton Heights HS) leads the Aces with 19 double-digit scoring games. In 21 games, Runner has only had two single digit outings with both coming against other Valley teams. But when Runner wasn’t scoring in double figures, she was leading UE in rebounds during those two games.

Screaming Eagles open Hawai’i trip with win over Billikens

0

HONOLULU – University of Southern Indiana Softball opened its 2025 season Thursday with a 4-3 victory in comeback fashion against Saint Louis University at the Hawai’i Paradise Classic.
 
Southern Indiana (1-0) got its offense going early with three consecutive two-out hits in the top of the first inning, but the Screaming Eagles could not push across a run. Saint Louis’ (0-1) offense loaded the bases in the first and second innings, but USI senior starting pitcher Josie Newman worked out of the jams in each frame.
 
The Billikens broke through with a tally in the third and fourth innings to take a 2-0 lead. However, the Eagles answered to get a run back in the top of the fifth after junior outfielder Caroline Stapleton singled and later came around to score on an RBI single by Newman.
 
The momentum carried over into the sixth for USI with a crooked number on the scoreboard. Junior designated player Olivia Money led off with a walk. Senior Whitley Hunter, who came up to pinch hit, drove Money in on an RBI double and tied the game 2-2. A few batters later and with two outs, senior outfielder Kennedy Nalley doubled to bring Hunter home and give Southern Indiana a 3-2 advantage. Another two-base pinch-hit knock in the next at-bat by freshman Grace Huffman scored Nalley to increase the lead to 4-2.
 
Saint Louis did not go down without a fight. The Billikens loaded the bases again in the bottom of the seventh inning. A bases-loaded walk made it a one-run game, 4-3, with two outs on the board. Newman induced a groundout to first for the final out and seal USI’s season-opening win.
 
Offensively, Nalley and Newman led USI with a pair of hits and an RBI. USI totaled four runs on nine hits. Newman also recorded her first win and complete game in the pitching circle. The senior struck out seven and allowed three runs off four hits.
 
Saint Louis’ sophomore pitcher Isabel Royle took the loss in relief. Royle surrendered all four runs on five hits in three innings of work. Senior pitcher Taylor Hochman pitched four shutout innings and allowed four hits toward a no-decision.
 
The Screaming Eagles return to action tomorrow from Hawai’i for two games on Friday. USI will face Santa Clara University at 6:30 p.m. CT and then take on host University of Hawai’i at 11 p.m. CT. Links for live stats coverage are available at usiscreamingeagles.com.

USI struggles with Little Rock, falls 74-56 Screaming Eagles host Redhawks for Homecoming Saturday

0

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Men’s Basketball struggled offensively and fell to the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, 74-56, Thursday evening at Liberty Arena. The Screaming Eagles are 9-14 overall and 4-9 in OVC action, while the Trojans go to 15-9, 9-4 OVC.
 
After a defensive battle through the first seven minutes, Little Rock jumped out to a 16-5 with an 8-0 run. USI’s offense struggled during Little Rock’s run, going scoreless for over six minutes.
 
The Eagles was able to ignite the offense briefly to close the gap to 18-13 by converting three-straight trips down the floor. Junior guard Damoni Harrison started the run with a jumper at 8:10 and was followed by a pair of three-point bombs by junior guard Jayland Randall and graduate forward Jack Mielke with 7:34 and 6:55 on the clock.  
 
Little Rock responded with an 16-3 run to retake control, 34-16, with 2:26 left in the first half. The clock would run out on the first half with the Eagles trailing, 37-24. USI struggled in the opening 20 minutes, hitting eight-of-26 from the field.
 
In the second half, USI started to battle back in the first 10 minutes, cutting the deficit to 10 points, 53-43, during an 8-3 run with 11:17 to play. Little Rock, however, stopped the USI momentum and methodically extended the lead through the final 10 minutes to the eventual 18-point decision, 74-56.
 
USI had three players in double digits for the game, led by the 15-point performance of sophomore forward Stephen Olowoniyi. Olowoniyi was the only Eagle with a hot hand, hitting five-of-six from the field and five-of-six from the stripe.
 
Randall followed with 14 points, while Harrison rounded out the double-figure scorers with 13 points and grabbed a team-high nine rebounds.
 
Next Up For USI:
USI concludes a three-game homestand Saturday when USI hosts Southeast Missouri State University for the Homecoming game. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m.
 
The SEMO Redhawks are 14-10 overall and 9-4 in the OVC after defeating Morehead State University, 80-51, on the road this evening. SEMO has four straight and five of the last six games after tonight’s action.
 
SEMO leads the all-time series with USI, 7-3, after posting a 77-66 win in Cape Girardeau last month. USI junior guard Sam Kodi led four Eagles in double-digits with 15 points. Junior guard Braxton Jones followed with 13 points, while Olowoniyi and Harrison had 12 points and 11 points, respectively.
 
Tickets for the homestand and all USI home dates are on sale now at USIScreamingEagles.com.
 

Eagles fall in late minutes against Trojans

0

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Women Basketball suffered its second consecutive setback at home Thursday night, falling 75-61 against the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.

After a 10-0 start in home games this season, Southern Indiana has had a tough 0-2 start to the three-game homestand. Thursday’s home loss moved USI to 16-8 overall and 8-5 in the Ohio Valley Conference. Little Rock got back to .500 overall with an 11-11 record and improved to 9-4 in conference play. The two sides entered the game tied for fourth in the OVC standings, but the Trojans grabbed sole possession of fourth place by the end of the night as USI moved down to fifth.

Defenses made good shots on offense come at a premium in the opening minutes Thursday. Neither side gathered a lead larger than one possession in the early going. With the game tied at 10, sophomore forward Chloe Gannon gave USI its first lead, 12-10, at the 1:32 mark of the opening frame, which carried over into the start of the second period.

After a three-pointer from sophomore guard Triniti Ralston that put USI up by three 90 seconds into the second quarter, Southern Indiana endured nearly a four-minute scoreless drought in the middle of the second. Little Rock took advantage and would go on a small run in the back half of the second quarter to grab an eight-point lead, 27-19. With two minutes left in the first half, consecutive from junior guard Ali Saunders and senior guard Vanessa Shafford helped cut the Trojans’ lead down to four. Little Rock led 34-30 at halftime.

At the start of the second half, graduate forward Meredith Raley got USI on the scoreboard while reaching double figures for the game. USI hit a bit of a dry spell from the floor in the middle of the third, but a layup by Gannon brought the Eagles within two. Gannon continued to make a big impact throughout the third quarter. Gannon hit a layup in the final seconds of the period to reach 11 points in the game and make the score a one-point difference, 45-44, in favor of Little Rock.

Little Rock started the fourth quarter with a small run in the first two minutes to jump ahead, 51-44. The Trojans’ advantage reached double digits near the six-minute mark, 56-46. The Screaming Eagles chopped that lead in half thanks to a layup by Saunders and a three-point play by Gannon. As Little Rock tried to pull away, a three from Ralston kept USI within five, 61-56, with three and a half minutes to go. However, the Trojans finished the game outscoring the Eagles 14-5 in the final three minutes.

Southern Indiana shot for just above 40 percent (20-49) from the floor and under 28 percent (5-18) from beyond the arc. USI was 16-20 for 80 percent at the foul line. Gannon paced USI with a season-high 16 points, five rebounds, and four assists. Ralston tallied a dozen points, Saunders scored 11, and Raley added 10 points to round out USI’s double-figure scorers.

Little Rock went for 53 percent (26-49) shooting overall and 40 percent (6-15) from three. The Trojans were 17-28 for 60.7 percent at the free-throw stripe. Little Rock had three players finish in double digits with two scoring 20-plus points. Graduate guard Sug Williams and senior forward Jordan Holman dropped 21 and 20 points, respectively.

The Screaming Eagles get back on the court at Liberty Arena on Saturday for a 5 p.m. contest against Southeast Missouri State University. The game can be seen on ESPN+ and heard on The Spin 95.7 FM with additional radio coverage on WREF 97.7 FM. Tickets for all home games at Liberty Arena can be purchased online at usiscreamingeagles.com or the USI Ticket Office.

Gov. Mike Braun to meet with Hoosiers in need of property tax relief

0

INDIANAPOLIS – Governor Mike Braun has invited individuals who expressed property tax concerns to join him for intimate discussions tomorrow in Terre Haute and Evansville. Gov. Braun will host a one-on-one fireside chat with a constituent in Terre Haute and will host a roundtable discussion with invited constituents in Evansville. Every year for the last six years, Governor Braun has visited all 92 counties in Indiana, and one consistent issue that Hoosiers share is the rising costs of property taxes. Through Gov. Braun’s Freedom and Opportunity Agenda, Hoosiers will get much needed property tax relief.

Terre Haute Fireside Chat (Eastern Time)

WHEN: Friday, February 7, 2025 at 9:00 AM ET

WHERE: 680 Poplar St, Terre Haute, IN 47807 – Vigo County Public Library, Room C

Evansville Roundtable (Central Time)

WHEN: Friday, February 7, 2025 at 11:45 AM CT

WHERE: 200 SE Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, Evansville, IN 47713 – Evansville Vanderburgh Public Library

BURTON ON CENTERPOINT ELECTRIC UTILITY RATE INCREASE: ‘NOW IS THE TIME FOR ACTION, WE CANNOT AFFORD TO WAIT ANY LONGER’

0

By: State Rep. Alex Burton (D-Evansville) 

February 7. 2025

Energy utility costs in Southwest Indiana have been unreasonably high for more than a decade, and recent decisions are making matters worse. On Feb. 3, the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission (IURC) voted to approve CenterPoint’s latest rate increase proposal for electricity. As a City Councilor, I supported efforts to intervene in such rate hikes, and now, as a state legislator, I remain committed to finding lasting solutions. My goal is to legislate effective measures that address the root causes of these high utility costs. This includes: (1) implementing payment deferment on rate hikes during periods of economic hardship, (2) ensuring residents have a fair voice by creating a voting seat on the IURC, (3) promoting non-burdensome renewable energy options, and (4) establishing fair and transparent formulas for determining rate increases.

Unfortunately, these goals are not yet reality. As it stands, the Indiana General Assembly (IGA) has shown little interest in providing relief to residents who are struggling under the weight of high utility costs. While I understand that achieving change is an uphill battle, the impact of these costs is felt across every household, nonprofit, and business in House District 77. For this reason, I actively sought a seat on the House Utilities, Energy and Telecommunications Committee and will continue to legislate our best tomorrow.

But my concerns go beyond just this immediate issue. I fear our current path is setting the stage for even higher utility bills down the line. That’s why I’m working closely with my colleagues in the legislature, Attorney General Todd Rokita and housing organizations to raise awareness of Evansville’s reality and advocate for change. Utility relief shouldn’t be a partisan issue, which is why I’m working across the aisle to find solutions.

We must be proactive in expanding energy options that offer both long-term sustainability and affordability. We also need to identify real, actionable solutions that reduce utility costs while simultaneously boosting efforts to increase safe, high-quality and affordable housing. Hoosiers deserve more than just rising utility rates; they deserve real relief.

Now is the time for action. We cannot afford to wait any longer.

Softball opens 2025 season on Friday

0

 Aces travel to Greenville, S.C.

 EVANSVILLE, Ind. – A trip to Greenville, S.C. for the Paladin Invitational opens the 2025 season for the University of Evansville softball team.

The Purple Aces open the season on Friday at 8:30 a.m. CT against Stonehill before resuming action on Saturday with games against UT Martin and Tennessee Tech.  Sunday’s final day will see UE face TTU and Furman.

Evansville’s top three hitters from last season return as Zoe Frossard, Jess Willsey, and Brooke Voss will anchor the offense.  Frossard, a member of the 2025 All-MVC Preseason Team, led UE with a .301 average last season.  She drew a team-high 28 walks and was second on the team with nine stolen bases and 26 runs scored.

Willsey completed the 2024 campaign with a .284 average.  Her 23 RBI from last year paces all of Evansville’s returners.  Voss had a solid freshman campaign, batting .270 with six home runs, 18 RBI, and 25 runs scored.

Sydney Weatherford is back for her senior season in the circle.  In 2024, she led the Aces in wins (8), ERA (3.42), and innings pitched (116.2).