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OVC Freshman Of The Year Is Heading To Evansville

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Cam Haffner officially joins the Purple Aces

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – One of the top freshmen from the 2022-23 college basketball season has officially joined the University of Evansville men’s basketball team as head coach David Ragland has announced the addition of Cameron “Cam” Haffner.

The 2023 Ohio Valley Conference Freshman of the Year joins the Purple Aces following his freshman campaign at Eastern Illinois.  He is the son of Evansville basketball legend Scott Haffner.

“Ace’s fans and family will be excited to welcome in the son of a legend.  Cam is competitive, a gym rat, and can shoot with the best of them,” Ragland said.  “Our staff is excited to work with someone as committed to improvement as Cam is.”

“Cam is coming off a freshman season where he was able to be challenged at the collegiate level and gain in-game experience. Cameron shares the passion, along with our staff, the hunger and eagerness to help rebuild our storied program,” Ragland continued.  “It is important to continue to build our program with individuals who have won at a high level and have an affinity for the University of Evansville.”

Haffner completed his inaugural collegiate season as the top freshman scorer in the OVC with 7.5 points per game.  He was even better in league outings, scoring 9.2 points.  He scored a season-high of 17 points on three occasions, including a game at Little Rock that saw him drain five 3-pointers.

One of the top 3-point shooters in the OVC, the 6-foot-2 guard ranked third in the league with 42.7% of his outside attempts finding the bottom of the net.  He reached double figures on nine occasions as a freshman while hauling in his top total of nine rebounds against Tennessee State.

As a senior at Westfield High School, he averaged 16.5 points per game while converting a single-season school record of 85 triples in his final seasons.  The Indiana Large School All-State honoree in 2022 was named to the Indianapolis Star All-Super Team, which recognizes the top 15 players.  In his senior campaign, Haffner was named to the All-Regional Team while earning All-Sectional Team accolades in his final two high school seasons.  He was also a 3-time All-Conference selection

His father – Scott – is one of the most recognizable names in UE men’s basketball history.  His #3 jersey was retired by the program in 2014, making him the first player in UE’s Division I era to receive the honor.  In just three seasons with the program, he accumulated 1,686 points.  Scott’s most impressive outing with the Aces came on February 18, 1989, when he scored a program-record 65 points in a 109-83 win over Dayton at Roberts Stadium.

State Senator Becker: Communities In Senate District 50 Receive Nearly $3 million In Road-Funding Grants

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STATEHOUSE (April 17, 2023) — Communities in Senate District 50 will receive nearly $3 million to improve roads and bridges through the Community Crossings Matching Grant Program (CCMG), said State Sen. Vaneta Becker (R-Evansville).

The CCMG, established by the Indiana General Assembly in 2016, aims to advance community infrastructure projects, strengthen local transportation networks and improve Indiana’s roads and bridges. Since its enactment, the program has awarded more than $1.27 billion in state matching funds for local construction projects.

In Senate District 50, the following communities received grants:

  • Elberfeld received $8,436.37
  • Evansville received $493,462.91
  • Newburgh received $885,094.02
  • Vanderburgh County received $590,023.62 
  • Warrick County received $1 million. 

“This program is a great asset for local communities to develop their infrastructure,” Becker said. “I congratulate these five recipients and look forward to the improvements that will be made in our district.”

Through the program, the Indiana Department of Transportation matches up to $1 million annually when localities invest in road and bridge repairs. Counties with populations fewer than 50,000 and cities and towns with populations fewer than 10,000 receive a 75%/25% match, while counties with populations greater than 50,000 and cities and towns with populations greater than 10,000 receive a 50%/50% match.

The CCMG offers two rounds of applications each year, with the next call for applications occurring in July of 2023.

Engaging and Supporting Creativity for Elders

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Mini art lesson at Silver Threads Assisted Living in Gregory, SD. Photo by Bailey Veskrna, Prairie Feather Photography. Courtesy of Gregory Horizons.

Humans are creative by nature. Our innate desire to create comes from a place of curiosity, playfulness, and the desire to learn more. This is why learning, regardless of age, physical, or cognitive abilities, has no expiration date. Lifelong learning can be enriching and rewarding, especially as we enter our later years.

However, many arts and culture organizations are not built to provide creative learning opportunities for the growing numbers of older adults and their care partners in both rural and urban communities. As of 2010, people over 65 are 16% of the US population (54 million people). By 2040, 21% of the US population will be people over 65. As the population of older adults grows, so does the need for dynamic and tailored programming.

Here’s the good news! Many arts and culture organizations do offer arts programming for youth and it only takes a few simple steps to expand those programs to include older people. Adapting existing youth programs for aging adults has multiple benefits, from healing generational rifts fostered by structural ageism to adding cultural and generational context for both age groups. Alternatively, organizations can design stand-alone programming for older adults that fosters social connections, skill-building, and general well-being that is tailored to the needs, interests, and abilities of aging adults.

by Anne Basting, Arts Midwest Ideas Hub

UE, Warrick County School Corp. Partner for Teaching and Learning Pathway

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EVANSVILLE, IND. (04/17/2023) The University of Evansville (UE) in partnership with the Warrick County School Corporation (WCSC), is offering a new program open to high school students interested in pursuing careers in Exercise Science/Physical Therapy and Education.

Warrick County students enrolled in Exercise Science/Physical Therapy Pathway and the Education Professions Graduation Pathway will have the opportunity to complete both high school and post-secondary courses simultaneously and earn credit. These courses are then eligible to be transferred as college credit to UE or other universities that would accept transfer credit from the University.

The programs will be taught at the newly developed Warrick Pathways Career Center (WPCC.) The facility is scheduled to open in Fall 2023, and students enrolled in the pathways program will have the opportunity to earn UE credits while taking courses.

“This is positive for both Warrick County students and the University of Evansville,” said Dean of the College of Education and Health Sciences Mary Kessler. “Students benefit from access to higher education resources and coursework, which can help them better prepare for their future academic and career goals. Additionally, there is the potential for students to accelerate the completion of their undergraduate degrees, gain valuable exposure to UE faculty and students, and in some cases enter the workforce earlier. This partnership helps to address concerns related to higher education cost and workforce shortages in our community.”

Through the partnership, scholarship support will be offered to students who successfully complete one of these two Next Level Study Programs. Upon admission, students will be offered a minimum $25,000 annual scholarship at UE. This agreement also allows students the ability for direct entry eligibility to several UE health sciences programs.

“This program creates the perfect opportunity to increase access to higher education for students in the Warrick County area,” said WCSC Director of Learning and Incoming Superintendent Abbie Redmon. “It will promote successful future careers for our local high schoolers by giving them an additional way to complete their education.”

FOOTNOTE: The University of Evansville is a private, comprehensive university located in the southwestern region of Indiana. Established in 1854, UE is recognized across the globe for its rich tradition of innovative, academic excellence and vibrant campus community of changemakers.

Strong Third Round Propels Eagles to Third Place Finish

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SPRINGBORO, Ohio. – University of Southern Indiana Men’s Golf completed their final regular season match on Monday as they finished in third place at the Wright State Invitational. The Screaming Eagles would finish the tournament with a 916 (+64) team score. This is USI’s third top-three finish this spring and fifth on the year.
 
USI finished the tournament with the fourth lowest par-four average score as a team, 4.44, as well as the recording the third most pars of any team. The Eagles were also one of five teams to record an eagle and one of three to record multiple.
 
Senior Zach Williams (Mt. Vernon, Illinois) led USI on the tournament, finishing in a tie for 11th after posting a 228 (+15), shooting 72-76-80 on the tournament. Sophomore Jason Bannister (Laguna Niguel, California) finished right behind Williams, ending tied for 13th after finishing with a 229 (+16), shooting 77-80-72. The 72 (+1) by both players was the lowest scores of the tournament for any Eagle in one round. Williams was one of two Eagles to finish with the fifth most pars recorded on the tournament with 32. Bannister was the first of two Eagles to record an eagle on the tournament, doing so in round two on the par-five ninth.
 
Junior Bryce Kirchner (North Vernon, Indiana) finished in a tie for 32nd with a 234 (+21), he would shoot 74-84-76 on the tournament. Kirchner joined Williams with 32 pars recorded.
 
Junior Jace Day (Bloomington, Indiana) and sophomore Carter Goebel (Breese, Illinois) both finished in a tie for 41st, both finishing with a 236 (+23). Day would shoot 76-80-80 while Goebel would shoot 78-82-76 on the tournament. Day finished the tournament with the fourth lowest average par-five score with an average of 4.78.
 
Junior Trevor Laub (Edwardsville, Illinois) would round out the scorers for USI, finishing in a tie for 53rd with a 241 (+28), shooting 84-79-78. Laub would be the second Eagle to record an eagle on the tournament, doing so in round three on the par-four sixth.
 
Up Next for The Eagles:
USI heads to Cape Girardeau, Missouri to compete in their first Ohio Valley Conference Championships beginning on April 23-26 at the Dalhousie Golf Club. The tournament will consist of three days of stroke play followed by the top four teams advancing to match play on the final day.
 
The Eagles have competed against six of the eight other OVC schools this spring with at least one other member being at each tournament. USI has been the highest finisher of all OVC schools in four of the five tournaments, the lone tournament being the Craft Farms Intercollegiate where Tennessee Tech University finished higher.
 
The Eagles have finished higher than Tennessee Tech, Tennessee State University, Lindenwood University, and Morehead State University once each while finishing above the University of Tennessee-Martin and Eastern Illinois University twice.

Women’s golf jumps three spots in second round

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Final 18 holes to take place on Tuesday

WATERLOO, Ill. – Led by Kate Petrova’s 3-over 75, the University of Evansville women’s golf team rose three spots in the standings to 4th place at the Missouri Valley Conference Championship.

Petrova jumped all the way to second place in the standings at Annbriar Golf Course.  Combined with her 80 in round one, Petrova has a 155.  She is four strokes behind Murray State’s Payton Carter entering Tuesday’s final 18 holes.

Second for UE and tied for 12th overall is Allison Enchelmayer.  She lowered her score by three strokes from round one as she carded a 6-over 78 on Monday.  She goes into the final round with a 159.  Enchelmayer is one shot outside of the top ten.

Mallory Russell posted a 79 in round two and has a total of 164 in the first 36 holes.  She lowered her score by six shots from Sunday and is tied for 27th.  Magdalena Borisova is two behind Russell with a 166.  Borisova also lowered her score by six, jumping from an 86 to an 80 in round two.  Alyssa McMinn completed Monday’s round with an 88 and is tied for 41st with a 170.

Evansville is in fourth place with a score of 640.  The Purple Aces are just 10 behind leader Missouri State.  The Bears have a 630 with two out of three rounds complete.  Second through fourth are separated by just three strokes with Belmont (637), Murray State (639) and UE (640) still in the hunt.

Tuesday will mark the final 18 holes of the tournament.

Aces welcome SIUE on Tuesday evening

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Softball faces Cougars in non-conference game

 EVANSVILLE, Ind. – In its final non-conference game of the regular season, the Purple Aces welcome SIU Edwardsville on Tuesday evening for a 6 p.m. game.  ESPN+ will have the coverage from Tri-State Orthopaedics Field at James and Dorothy Cooper Stadium. 

Last Time Out

– On Sunday, the Purple Aces fell to Murray State in the weekend finale by a 6-2 final

– The Racers plated two runs in the second, fourth and fifth innings to take the commanding lead; Evansville scored twice in the seventh but could not get closer

Power Play

– On Friday at Murray State, Alexa Davis had one the Purple Aces’ top offensive games of 2023

– The junior was 2-for-3 with six RBI; after hitting a 2-run double, Davis came back with a grand slam in her next plate appearance

– Davis now has a season tally of 19 RBI, which is tied for the team lead.

– With two outs and two runners on base in a scoreless game on April 11 at Indiana State, she belted a 2-run double to left center that would prove to be the game-winner in a 2-0 shutout win over the Sycamores

– Davis continues to rank in the top five in the MVC in triples (T-3rd), stolen bases (3rd) and walks (T-rth)

Nice Week at the Plate

– Marah Wood recorded a hit in all four games for the Purple Aces last week while batting an even .500

– She was 6-of-12 from the plate and added a home run, three RBI, three runs, two walks and a sacrifice fly

– Tuesday’s win at Indiana State saw Wood go 1-3 with a hit and a walk

– In Friday’s victory at Murray State, she posted a 2-4 effort at the plate while scoring twice

– On Saturday, Wood had her top contest of the week, going 2-2 with a home run and three RBI before completing the weekend with a double and a walk in the series finale versus the Racers.

Big Time Shutout

– In nine frames of work in Evansville’s four games last week, Mikayla Jolly allowed just one earned run while finishing with an ERA of 0.78

– She made the start on Tuesday at Indiana State, tossing five scoreless innings and gave up five hits while striking out one

– With the performance, Holly earned her fourth pitching victory of the season

– On Saturday at Murray State, Jolly received a no-decision as she allowed one run in four innings

BASEBALL ACES RETURN HOME TUESDAY AGAINST WKU

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EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The University of Evansville baseball team will briefly return home on Tuesday night to conclude a home-and-home mid-week series against the Western Kentucky University Hilltoppers.  First-pitch is set for 6 p.m. at German American Bank Field at Charles H. Braun Stadium.

Evansville will bring a 20-15 overall record into Tuesday night’s game after a heart-breaking 3-2 walk-off loss to Southern Illinois on Sunday.  After winning the series-opener 10-2 on Friday night at SIU, the Salukis rallied for 6-3 and 3-2 victories to win the series.

Graduate outfielder/pitcher Eric Roberts led UE last week both offensively and on the mound.  Roberts hit a team-best .389 last week with two doubles, a home run, four RBI and two stolen bases to lead the Purple Aces’ offense.  He also went 3.0 shutout innings in his first career start on the mound last Tuesday at WKU.  Overall, Roberts is hitting .307 with a Missouri Valley Conference-leading 14 home runs and 42 RBI.  He is joined above .300 this year by fifth-year first baseman Chase Hug, who is hitting a team-best .366 going into Tuesday night’s action.

WKU will enter Tuesday’s game at 19-18 overall after winning two out of three games at UAB over the weekend.  WKU infielder Tristin Garcia was named the Conference USA Player of the Week on Monday, after hitting .556 last week to help the Hilltoppers to three victories.  Garcia went 1-for-4 in the game between UE and WKU last Tuesday, but exploded for nine hits in three games at UAB.  He will bring a team-best .370 batting average into Tuesday night’s game.

WKU used eight different pitchers to keep UE at bay last Tuesday night in a 6-2 win in Bowling Green, Kentucky.  Senior third baseman Brent Widder had two of UE’s five hits with a double and a solo home run to pace the Purple Aces’ attack.  Evansville will send freshman RHP Max Hansmann (2-0, 9.15 ERA) to the mound to try and get revenge on Tuesday night.  WKU will counter with LHP Cal Higgins (0-1, 10.22 ERA), who also started last Tuesday’s game for the Hilltoppers.  Higgins worked a scoreless first inning last Tuesday, issuing a walk and recording a strikeout.

The game will not be televised and there will be no local radio available.  The only audio stream available will be WKU’s radio stream, available from a link on GoPurpleAces.com.

The KEEP Foundation Launches Seattle Slew Grant Program

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Lexington, Ky. April 17, 2023 – The Kentucky Equine Education Project (KEEP) Foundation has launched its new Seattle Slew grant program. The KEEP Foundation is committed to helping support educational programs, projects and other endeavors that help advance the future of the equine industry in Kentucky. 

KEEP Foundation’s Seattle Slew grants are available to Kentucky non-profits, equine educational programs, events and initiatives. The Seattle Slew grant program is part of the Foundation’s efforts to support education and promote the importance of the equine industry to Kentucky’s economy and culture.

“Kentucky’s equine industry is a vital part of our state’s heritage and economy,” said Katie LaMonica, KEEP Foundation Board Chair. “We believe it’s important to support educational programs and projects that foster awareness of the industry and its contributions to our state. We’re excited to see the innovative and impactful programs and projects that will be supported through this grant program.”

The grant program is open to non-profit organizations, schools, and other groups that are involved in equine-related educational programs and projects. Examples of eligible programs and projects include, but are not limited to:

  • Equine-related STEM education initiatives
  • Equine-assisted therapy programs
  • Equine-related vocational training programs
  • Equine-related art or cultural initiatives
  • Equine-related history and heritage projects

Grants of up to $5,000 are available, and new submissions will be reviewed quarterly. For more information or to apply for a grant, please visit HERE.

The KEEP Foundation has expanded its programming in recent years. In addition to its annual scholarship program, monthly Equine Educational Luncheon Series and it’s Workforce Initiatives, the Foundation also partners with Amplify Horse Racing, to host it’s monthly Career with Horses Tour Series.

All of these programs and initiatives would not be possible without the support of Kentucky’s equine industry and proceeds from the KEEP Foundation’s Seattle Slew license plate. Proceeds from sales and renewals of the 2022 license plate topped nearly $60,000.

The KEEP Foundation’s Seattle Slew specialty license plate would not have been possible without the gracious support of Karen and Mickey Taylor, the owners of Seattle Slew, and Bobby Shiflet, owner of the Tony Leonard Collection, who donated the photo of Seattle Slew that was used for the license plate. 

Governor Holcomb joins Lilly announcing historic $3.7 billion investment in Boone County

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Mandatory Credit: Photo by Darron Cummings/AP/Shutterstock (11717541e) Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb delivers his State of the State address virtually, in Indianapolis State of the State, Indianapolis, United States - 19 Jan 2021

Governor Holcomb joins Lilly in announcing a historic $3.7 billion investment in Boone County. Lilly increases manufacturing investment to accelerate global pharmaceutical production,

LEBANON, Ind. – Governor Eric J. Holcomb joined executives of Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE: LLY), community leaders and Secretary of Commerce Brad Chambers today to break ground on the company’s new manufacturing facilities in Boone County.  Lilly, which announced plans to locate at the LEAP (Limitless Exploration/Advanced Pace) Innovation and Research District in May 2022, announced plans today to increase its commitment, investing an additional $1.6 billion and creating another 200 new jobs at its two new manufacturing sites. This increases the company’s overall plans in Lebanon to more than $3.7 billion and nearly 700 new jobs, representing the largest manufacturing investment at a single location in the company’s history.  “Lilly has played a critical role in shaping Indiana’s economy over the past 145-plus years, and today’s groundbreaking makes it clear – the company will be at the forefront of driving Hoosier innovation and job creation forward for generations to come,” said Gov. Holcomb. “As a state, we are proud to partner with Lilly in accelerating Indiana’s talent pipeline and career opportunities while leveraging the state’s manufacturing excellence to develop life-changing and life-saving solutions for people across the world.”

The new facilities will expand the company’s manufacturing network for active pharmaceutical ingredients, support increased demand for existing Lilly products and play a key role in bringing the next generation of therapeutic modalities, including genetic medicines, to patients globally. Lilly has introduced 19 new medicines, including Jaypirca (recently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for mantle cell lymphoma), since 2014 and plans to introduce several additional potential medicines in 2023. 

“Through these new facilities, Hoosiers will make life-changing medicines that patients around the world need to address serious health challenges, including diabetes and cancer,” said Lilly’s chair and CEO Dave Ricks. “We’re investing at record levels in our home state to help our communities and economy thrive and enhance educational opportunities for more students. We look forward to doing our part to make Indiana an even better place to work and live, while fostering cutting-edge innovation in our state.” 

Once construction is complete, Lilly will begin hiring for highly skilled positions, such as engineers, operating personnel and lab technicians, who will utilize advanced technology to create innovative medicines for patients. The company today also announced a new $15 million Lilly Scholars program with the Ivy Tech Foundation to create a scholarship and an experiential learning program at Ivy Tech Community College for high school and college students with diverse backgrounds who intend to pursue careers in pharmaceutical manufacturing.

“It’s an incredibly exciting milestone for the state as we break ground on the first LEAP investment,” said Sec. Chambers. “LEAP is envisioned to be a best-in-class district for research, manufacturing, for future focused and forward-looking industries. It’s envisioned to be a highly sustainable community that respects its agricultural heritage and a vibrant place where people can live, work, play, learn and prosper. I couldn’t be more excited to support Lilly as our anchor investor. The future is bright at Lilly LEAP Lebanon.” 

Based on the company’s plans to create 700 new jobs, the IEDC committed an investment in Lilly of up to $4.5 million in the form of incentive-based training grants. The IEDC also committed an investment of up to $17.085 million in redevelopment tax credits based on the company’s plans to invest $3.7 billion. The IEDC also offered up to $271.5 million of Innovation Development District tax rebates with the flexibility for the project to grow to $4.5 billion in capital investment. 

“It’s a historic day for the city of Lebanon and Boone County as we celebrate a groundbreaking milestone for both Lilly and the LEAP Research and Innovation District,” said Mayor Gentry. “I am grateful for the state’s partnership to develop this future-focused, world-class project and Lilly’s decision to invest in Lebanon. Lilly and LEAP will create life-changing career opportunities for Lebanon and Boone County residents for generations to come.”

Lilly’s investment will anchor Indiana’s LEAP Lebanon, a mega-site identified by the Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC) as a strategic location for development and growth because of its proximity to research centers in Indianapolis and Purdue University in West Lafayette as well as the availability of skilled talent. The innovation district boasts thousands of acres along Indiana’s I-65 Innovation Corridor, offering diverse settings for advanced manufacturing, mixed-use and corporate campus investments, and is expected to attract leading businesses and innovators in high-tech, fast-growing sectors that will be critical to the economy of the future. 

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