Shooting Incident 500 blk of Lincoln Ave.
 On March 31st, at 7:24 a.m., EPD Officers were dispatched to the 500 blk of Lincoln Ave. in reference to an adult female who had been shot in the arm. Officers located the female outside of the apartment complex with a gunshot wound. She was transported to a local hospital for her injury.Â
It was determined that the victim and the suspect had a verbal argument inside of an apartment. The suspect was identified as 34-year-old Justyn Harris. Harris is the victim’s boyfriend and the father of her child. The argument became heated and the victim saw Harris arm himself with a handgun so she fled out of the apartment. Harris followed the victim and fired a shot. The victim was in the hallway of the apartment complex when she was struck in the arm.Â
Harris fled the scene in a Chevy Impala. Officers located Harris’ vehicle in the 1900 block of S Garvin. Harris was not in the vehicle, but in a nearby apartment. Harris peacefully surrendered to officers, was taken into custody, and transported to the Vanderburgh County Confinement Center.Â
Harris was charged with Aggravated Battery with a Firearm and Possession of a Firearm by a Serious Violent Felon. Harris had a previous conviction for Aggravated Battery inÂ
 On March 31st, at 7:24 a.m., EPD Officers were dispatched to the 500 blk of Lincoln Ave. in reference to an adult female who had been shot in the arm. Officers located the female outside of the apartment complex with a gunshot wound. She was transported to a local hospital for her injury.Â
It was determined that the victim and the suspect had a verbal argument inside of an apartment. The suspect was identified as 34-year-old Justyn Harris. Harris is the victim’s boyfriend and the father of her child. The argument became heated and the victim saw Harris arm himself with a handgun so she fled out of the apartment. Harris followed the victim and fired a shot. The victim was in the hallway of the apartment complex when she was struck in the arm.Â
Harris fled the scene in a Chevy Impala. Officers located Harris’ vehicle in the 1900 block of S Garvin. Harris was not in the vehicle, but in a nearby apartment. Harris peacefully surrendered to officers, was taken into custody, and transported to the Vanderburgh County Confinement Center.Â
Harris was charged with Aggravated Battery with a Firearm and Possession of a Firearm by a Serious Violent Felon. Harris had a previous conviction for Aggravated Battery in 2016
CenterPoint Energy continues its multi-year plan to upgrade natural gas pipelines throughout Indiana
CenterPoint Energy continues its multi-year plan to upgrade natural gas pipelines throughout Indiana
Safety, reliability and a cleaner energy future remain top priorities
Evansville – March 30, 2023 – CenterPoint Energy announced today that contract crews working for the company continue replacing natural gas mains and service lines throughout its Indiana service territory as part of a multi-year program to replace approximately 1,200 miles of bare steel and cast-iron pipeline infrastructure in nearly 75 cities and towns. In 2023, 32 communities in Indiana will benefit with CenterPoint Energy investing more than $76 million and crews retiring approximately 115 miles of pipeline.
The bare steel and cast-iron infrastructure will be replaced with new industry-grade plastic. The new distribution mains, which directly supply homes and businesses, comply with all industry and federal requirements and are expected to enhance further the safety of CenterPoint Energy’s natural gas systems. Additionally, transmission pipelines will be inspected and dependent on inspection results, may be upgraded.
“Our ongoing investments in our natural gas infrastructure remain a top priority for our company as we strive to provide our customers and communities with safe and reliable service,†said Ashley Babcock, Vice President, of Indiana and Ohio Gas. “These improvements will also help reduce operational emissions as we continue our journey toward a cleaner energy future.â€
As crews perform the work, natural gas mains under streets and sidewalks are replaced first, followed by service lines running directly to homes and businesses. Upon completion of the work, affected sidewalks, yards and streets will be restored as weather conditions permit. For an interactive map of projects, visit www.centerpointenergy.com/pipelinereplacement.
“We understand the construction associated with this work may temporarily inconvenience those in affected areas. While an exact timeline for each project will vary, depending on size, weather, ground and soil conditions, crews will work as safely and quickly as possible to minimize impact to customers and the community,†added Babcock.
A representative of CenterPoint Energy will contact affected customers to provide an overview of the required work. CenterPoint Energy reminds residents to exercise caution when driving through the construction zones. Residents and their children are urged to keep a safe distance away from any work sites. Additionally, if you smell the “rotten egg†odor of natural gas, immediately leave on foot, go to a safe location and call both 911 and CenterPoint Energy at 800-227-1376. Don’t use electric switches/outlets, phones (including cell phones), drive or start a car inside or near the location or do anything that could cause a spark.
In January, the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission (IURC) approved the recovery of the cost of these improvement projects through the Compliance and System Improvement Adjustment (CSIA). The CSIA is updated twice per year. Customers began seeing the charge reflected on bills in January for the recovery of 80% of the investment made from January through June of last year.
Since 2008, nearly 1,000 miles of natural gas pipelines have been replaced in Indiana, which has led to a reduction in leak calls and natural gas emissions from the distribution system. For more information about CenterPoint Energy’s gas infrastructure modernization program in Indiana, visit www.centerpointenergy.com/pipelinereplacement.
UE Secures $30 Million Grant to Create Evansville Promise Neighborhood
EVANSVILLE, IND. (03/30/2023) The University of Evansville (UE) has announced the receipt of a $30 million federal grant program through the United States Department of Education (DOE) that will establish the Evansville’s Promise Neighborhood (EPN). UE is part of a new cohort funded in 2023. Only three Neighborhoods in the nation were awarded in 2023.
The aim of the funding is to assist children and youth who are growing up in Promise Neighborhoods, providing them with access to outstanding schools as well as robust family and community support systems. These resources will help prepare them to achieve academic excellence, make the transition to college, and, ultimately, embark on a successful career.
The University of Evansville, as lead applicant, submitted the 2022 grant application to the DOE for an Evansville Promise Neighborhood on October 7, 2022, with a total request of $30 million over five years. Twenty-three Evansville Promise Neighborhood partner agencies accounted for a match totaling $32,497,295.55, for a total of more than $62 million to be invested in the community. This figure comes from the cost invested in providing wraparound care services to the schools and neighborhoods designated as the Evansville Promise Neighborhood. The Promise Neighborhood includes six schools: Evans Elementary School, Delaware Elementary School, Lincoln School, Bosse High School, Lodge Community School, and Glenwood Leadership Academy. The major partners for the EPN are UE, EVSC, E-REP, and the Evansville Promise Zone.
“The significance of this investment by our University for numerous families who require assistance is critical and extraordinarily impactful for the well-being of our entire Evansville community,” said UE President Christopher M. Pietruszkiewicz. “UE has been the leader of this initiative from day one, and we eagerly anticipate the positive outcomes it will bring. This is what being a Changemaker campus is all about and it emphasizes the strong partnership we have with our community.”
“This Evansville’s Promise Neighborhood investment is unmatched and will be critical to ensuring our community has the resources they need,” said Evansville Mayor Lloyd Winnecke ’82. “This is a major success for our city and will be beneficial in the months and years ahead.”
“We are excited and grateful for the opportunity to leverage this funding for the betterment of our students and the families we serve,” said Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation Superintendent Dr. David Smith. “It is, once again, another shining example of the collaborative efforts of our Evansville community.”
“This grant we received is a result of this community coming together and collaborating for the common good of Evansville,” said Evansville Promise Zone Director Silas Matchem. “This really solidifies all the work we have been doing since the culmination of the Promise Zone designation. I can’t emphasize enough how big of an impact this will truly have for not only the neighborhoods it serves but for our Promise Zone and the City of Evansville as a whole.”
“Over the past 2-3 years the Evansville Region has committed to enhancing quality of place for both current and future residents through strategic public/private investments. We know that the people care about high quality education, access to healthcare, improved infrastructure, and access to community resources, all of which are key components of what this approach will enable our communities to prioritize,” said Tara Barney, CEO of the Evansville Regional Economic Partnership. “This award is further testament to the high level of collaboration and strategic visioning that regional leaders have had, and as the regional economic development organization, we are thrilled to see the lasting impact and opportunity that is fostered through and from this opportunity.”
The Background
In June of 2016, the City of Evansville received a federal 10-year Promise Zone designation to support its most at-risk, yet most promising neighborhoods within its urban core. Schools and census tracts were selected after a careful review of school and neighborhood data based on areas of most concentrated need within the Promise Zone. This effort was led by Diehl Consulting, widely respected local program evaluation experts, in close partnership with EVSC to analyze the data. Leadership Everyone and UE’s Center for Innovation & Change conducted neighborhood vision and design thinking sessions with EVSC students and families to help guide the interventions selected. Dr. Timothy A. (Tad) Dickel of the T.A. Dickel Group, LLC helped facilitate the process of budget development with partners, and Amy Bolek (UE alumna) of Bolek Grant Writing and Consulting Services led the grant process. UE, as lead applicant, would house the staff leading the Promise Neighborhood, through its Center for Innovation & Change.
Evansville has applied for Promise Neighborhoods four times, including in 2021, the first year in which UE was a partner and is now the lead partner. Evansville’s selection as a Promise Zone was seen as a necessary precursor to eventually receiving the Promise Neighborhoods grant.
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.
KEEP Applauds Legislature for Passing Sports Wagering Legislation
Lexington, KY. (Friday, March 31, 2023) - The Kentucky Equine Education Project (KEEP) released this statement following the passage of HB 551:
KEEP commends the Kentucky Legislature for passing HB 551, which will legalize sports wagering in Kentucky.
KEEP and Kentucky’s horse industry have been actively involved for the past several years in advocating for sports wagering legislation that protects the role of Kentucky’s signature industry in the landscape of wagering options and provides new revenue for the state.
HB 551 accomplishes this by allowing for sports wagering to be offered in-person at Kentucky’s racetracks. Additionally, sports wagering will be governed by the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission, a testament to the trust that wagerers place in Kentucky’s horse industry.
Overall, this bill will benefit Kentucky’s horse industry and community by offering new revenue sources for the industry, as well as attracting new fans to the sport through the in-person experiences at Kentucky racetracks.
The legalization of sports wagering in Kentucky is a result of the hard work and dedication of lawmakers, industry leaders, and advocates who have been fighting for this change for years. KEEP has been a vocal supporter of this legislation, and we are proud to have played a role in making it a reality.
KEEP would like to thank the members of the Kentucky Legislature for their leadership and vision in passing this important legislation. We look forward to continuing to work with them and other stakeholders to ensure that Kentucky remains the horse racing capital of the world.
About KEEP
The Kentucky Equine Education Project, Kentucky’s equine economic advocate, is a not-for-profit grassroots organization created in 2004 to preserve, promote and protect Kentucky’s signature multi-breed horse industry. KEEP is committed to ensuring Kentucky remains the horse capital of the world, including educating Kentuckians and elected officials of the importance of the horse industry to the state. KEEP was the driving force in the establishment of the Kentucky Breeders Incentive Fund, which has paid out more than $177 million to Kentucky breeders since its inception in 2006, and pari-mutuel wagering on historical horse racing, which has been responsible for more than $40 million to purses and more than $24 million to the Kentucky Thoroughbred Development Fund.
KEEP works to strengthen the horse economy in Kentucky through our statewide network of citizen advocates.
USI to host roundtable discussion on diversity in the classroom
The University of Southern Indiana College of Liberal Arts Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee and the Center for Social Justice Education will present a roundtable discussion about the importance of centering diverse backgrounds and voices in the classroom at 3 p.m. April 11 in Liberal Arts 1003 in the Liberal Arts Center. This event is open to the public at no charge.
The roundtable discussion will feature a panel that will share personal and professional experiences and the challenges facing educators. The panel will also discuss the importance of diversity in the classroom and how it can benefit students of all backgrounds.
For more information, email Dr. Kristalyn Shefveland, Associate Professor of History, or call 812-461-5434.
About the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee
The College of Liberal Arts Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee is a University of Southern Indiana College of Liberal Arts initiative committed to diversity and inclusion on our campus and to promote an academically enriching and supportive climate that allows all members to thrive and succeed.
About the Center for Social Justice Education
The Center for Social Justice Education is dedicated to individual and societal well-being in a global community, promoting critical thinking, and a systems perspective across agencies, institutes, departments and individuals to pursue social change for all individuals’ well-being.
Huddleston Farmhouse, utility shut-offs, plant biostimulants
Preservationists and organic farmers Tyler and Gentry Gough have purchased Cambridge City’s historic Huddleston Farmhouse and 18 acres from Indiana Landmarks. Built in 1841, the 14-room farmhouse originally provided a home for the 13 members of the Huddleston family and functioned as an inn for weary National Road travelers. Huddleston family members sold the home in the 1930s, and it served a number of uses before Indiana Landmarks acquired the property in 1974.
Indiana Landmarks President Marsh Davis: “We couldn’t have asked for better stewards. Their vision for the land and its historic structures carries on the legacy and tradition of the Huddleston family and others who have cared for this important historic property.â€
Gentry Gough: “Our goal is to provide a place of beauty, integrity, stability and knowledge to the community for generations to come. We’ll provide fruit, vegetables, herbs, nuts, grains, heritage meat, syrup and more.â€Â
This week, CenterPoint Energy reminded customers that Indiana’s winter regulatory moratorium, which temporarily suspends disconnections of customers who meet low-income guidelines and have received federal and state utility heating assistance, has expired. Customers who have received a disconnect notice should contact the company at 1-800-227-1376 to make payment arrangements and avoid potential disconnection.
Ashley Babcock, vice president, Indiana and Ohio Gas: “Throughout the winter heating season, we have been communicating with customers who may be experiencing financial hardships on the options available to manage their accounts. We encourage customers experiencing financial challenges to contact us as soon as they receive a disconnection notice to make arrangements to avoid a disruption in service.â€
On Wednesday, U.S. Senators Mike Braun and Alex Padilla introduced the Plant Biostimulant Act, which would create a uniform process for approving commercial plant biostimulant use as an alternative to synthetic pesticides and fertilizers and conducting research on the technology’s benefits for soil health.Â
Braun: “Plant biostimulants are important tools that allow farmers to make more with less, which preserves our natural resources and increases efficiency. I’m glad to lead this bipartisan bill with Sen. Padilla so that there is clear pathway for these innovative products to be on the market for farmers in Indiana and across the nation.â€
UE, BELMONT MEET FOR FIRST TIME AS VALLEY BASEBALL FOES THIS WEEKEND
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Two of the hottest teams in the Missouri Valley Conference will square off this weekend trying to bounce back from their first loss in a while, as the University of Evansville Purple Aces will host the Belmont Bruins in a three-game Valley series at German American Bank Field at Charles H. Braun Stadium in Evansville.
The three-game series will begin on Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m. with a single game, before a noon Sunday doubleheader will conclude the series. The first two games of the series can be seen live on ESPN+, with the second game on Sunday being available on ESPN3. All three games of the series can be heard live in Evansville on 107.1 FM-WJPS and the Old National Bank/Purple Aces Sports Network from Learfield.
Both Evansville and Belmont will be looking to bounce back from a loss in their last trip to the diamond, as both teams saw long winning streaks snapped last time out. Evansville will bring a 16-8 overall record and 3-0 MVC mark into Saturday’s opener after seeing its nine-game winning streak broken on Wednesday against Southeast Missouri State. Belmont, meanwhile, will enter the weekend set at 14-12 overall and 2-1 in the Valley after seeing a seven-game winning streak snapped in its last game against Illinois State last weekend.
Evansville will enter the weekend series leading the Valley in scoring, with 175 runs in 24 contests. Fifth-year outfielder Eric Roberts is the current MVC Player of the Week, and he will enter this weekend’s action as the only player in NCAA Division I baseball to lead his league in home runs, RBI and stolen bases. Roberts hit his league-leading 10th home run of the year and collected his MVC-best 33rd RBI on Wednesday night against Southeast Missouri State. Roberts also leads the Valley with 10 stolen bases, and he is one of just two Division I players currently with double-digit totals in both home runs and stolen bases (North Carolina’s Mac Horvath is the other).
Belmont will counter UE’s offense with a pitching staff which currently leads the MVC with a 4.66 ERA. Saturday’s starter, Andy Bean, is the current MVC Pitcher of the Week after tossing a complete-game shutout in the Bruins’ 2-0 series-opening win over Illinois State. Bean will bring a 2-3 overall record and 3.26 ERA into Saturday’s contest, and he has not allowed a run in his last two starts. The Bruins’ pitching staff is led by former UE pitching coach A.J. Gaura, who is in his second season in Nashville.
This weekend will mark the first-ever Valley series between UE and Belmont. The two teams first met in 2010, and have met every year outside of two (2011 and 2021) since. The Bruins lead the all-time series, 15-4, and won a pair of mid-week games over Evansville last year by scores of 7-4 and 8-2. Saturday’s opener will be just the seventh all-time meeting in Evansville, however, as 13 of the previous 19 meetings have taken place in Nashville.
Evansville will send senior LHP Tyler Denu to the mound in Saturday’s opener. Denu is 2-0 with a 3.37 ERA and is coming off a career-best outing in which he struck out a career-high 10 men in a collegiate-best 7.0 innings of work in UE’s 7-3 victory at Missouri State last Saturday.