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PROSECUTOR MOERS ANNOUNCES SECOND JURY TRIAL WIN OF THE WEEK AFTER BRANDON ARTIS IS FOUND GUILTY OF MURDER, ROBBERY, AND INTIMIDATION

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Evansville, IN – Prosecutor Diana Moers announces that, on March 6–9, 2023, the Vanderburgh County Prosecutor’s Office successfully prosecuted Brandon Artis for shooting and killing his marijuana dealer and stealing his drugs and cash in front of a female civilian and her three children.

Trey McGillicuddy was a marijuana dealer who had recently started dealing with Artis. On August 27, 2022, Artis shot McGillicuddy at the latter’s residence in the presence of Sessily Bruner and her children. He then pointed his gun at Ms. Bruner and her daughter and demanded Ms. Bruner load up bags of marijuana or he would shoot the child. Artis took away the bags of marijuana, a satchel with cash in it, and other objects.

A search was conducted of Mr. Artis’ residence where the stolen items were found.A necklace with a pendant was found near the crime scene and looked identical to the one that Artis had worn.

The jury found the Defendant guilty of murder; one count of robbery resulting in serious bodily injury, a Level 2 felony; one count of armed robbery, a Level 3 felony; one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon, a Level 4 felony; and two counts of intimidation where the defendant drew or used a deadly weapon, a Level 5 felony.

Artis waived his right to a jury trial on a felony firearm sentencing enhancement and a habitual offender sentencing enhancement, and those enhancements proceeded to a bench trial before the Honorable Robert J. Pigman. Judge Pigman is expected to issue a ruling prior to sentencing.

Prosecutor Moers thanked her Deputies, Jeremy Kemper and Audrey Beckerle, Detective Beitler, Mike Ward, and the entire EPD Street Crimes Unit for their exhaustive work on the case, and Jon Carter for their diligent efforts in this case. “We were able to remove another dangerous person off the streets because of careful and effective police work, coupled with a focused prosecution strategy,” stated Prosecutor Moers, “This serves as a strong warning to criminals that their unlawful actions will lead to severe consequences in Vanderburgh County.”

Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Jeremy Kemper commented, “While I know this verdict will not bring back Trey, I hope it provides some measure of justice and closure to his family.”

Sentencing is scheduled for April 12, 2023, in front of Judge Robert J. Pigman of the Vanderburgh Superior Court.

 

USI welcome Jamaal Barber, Artist

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The University of Southern Indiana Art and Design Department and the College of Liberal Arts will welcome Jamaal Barber, artist, and printmaker, as presenter of the 2023 Sydney Berger Lecture. The lecture will be held at 5 p.m. Thursday, March 16 in the USI Performance Center. The event is open to the public at no charge.

Barber will be on campus all week prior to his presentation, working with students in printmaking classes and performing portfolio reviews.

“Jamaal Barber is a printmaker, podcaster and professor who deals with identity and about all aspects of black life in contemporary American culture,” says Dr. Greg Blair, Assistant Professor of Art and Design and event organizer. “His lectures and workshops with our students will be a powerful and important experience for them as they develop their own voices as creative professionals.”

Barber’s talk will explore the complexities of Blackness as an identity, as a cultural phenomenon and as the energy that connects the experiences of melanated people across time and space. Barber recently completed his MFA in Printmaking at Georgia State University. Before school, he worked as a full-time artist doing exhibitions and commissions for companies across the country. His work has been published by Twitter, The New York Times, Penguin Random House, Black Art in America and Emory University. Barber’s work has also been included in the Decatur Arts Festival, Atlanta Print Biennial Show Print Austin and the Center for Contemporary Printmaking.

For more information, visit USI.edu/berger.

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Founded in 1965, the University of Southern Indiana enrolls nearly 9,200 dual credit, undergraduate, graduate and doctoral students in more than 130 areas of study. A public higher education institution, located on a beautiful 1,400-acre campus in Evansville, Indiana, USI offers programs through the College of Liberal Arts, Romain College of Business, College of Nursing and Health Professions and the Pott College of Science, Engineering, and Education. The University offers study-abroad opportunities in more than 60 countries and hosts international students from around the globe. USI is a Carnegie Foundation Community Engaged University and offers continuing education and special programs to more than 15,000 participants annually through Outreach and Engagement. USI is online at USI.edu. 

Indiana Destination Development Corporation Prepares to Launch Initiative, ‘Military Monuments and Museums in Indiana’

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INDIANAPOLIS – Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch and the Indiana Destination Development Corporation (IDDC) are preparing to launch a new initiative: ‘Military Monuments and Museums IN Indiana.’ 

“The Military Monuments and Museums IN Indiana initiative is a comprehensive program that will cover war memorials, historical markers, museums, and other distinctive locations that showcase the rich military history of the great state of Indiana,” said Lt. Gov. Crouch, Indiana’s Secretary of Agriculture and Rural Development. “This initiative is expected to create a network of information and experiential opportunities that will connect every part of the State.”

The expected launch date for the Military Monuments and Museums IN Indiana initiative is July 4, 2023. It will have a dedicated location on VisitIndiana.com where people can learn about Indiana’s military history and the numerous locations around the state that showcase it.

 USS LST-325
George Rogers Clark Monument “We have a unique opportunity to spearhead a statewide program dedicated to educating and informing Hoosiers and visitors about the abundance of military history in Indiana,” said Elaine Bedel, IDDC Secretary and Chief Executive Officer. “We encourage you to participate in the Military Monuments, and Museums IN Indiana initiative after its launch to show your support.”

The IDDC is partnering with organizations throughout the state to help share the military history in Indiana including the Indiana National Guard, Indiana Historical Society, Indiana Historical Bureau, Indiana War Memorials, and more. The partnerships are a testament to Indiana’s shared commitment to the state’s military heritage.
press confOn Feb. 24, 2023, Lt. Gov. Crouch and Bedel spoke at the Evansville Wartime Museum alongside Evansville Mayor Lloyd Winnecke during a press conference to discuss and raise awareness for the importance of Indiana’s military history. Evansville was designated as one of 18 American World War II Heritage Cities by the National Parks Service in Dec. 2022.

Evansville re-signs four, including two All-Stars

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EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The Evansville Otters have re-signed Dakota Phillips, Parker Brahms, Jake Polancic and Brody Tanksley to return to Evansville for the 2023 season.

Phillips, a fan-favorite catcher out of Nacogdoches, Texas, enters his fourth season with the Otters. The 2022 season was cut short for Phillips due to a hand injury sustained in July. Phillips was named the 2022 West Division starting catcher for the Frontier League All-Star Game but was unable to play due to the injury. But, his .313 batting average in 2022 was the best of Phillips’ professional career. He has put together a .261 batting average across his three years with the Otters. In 178 games with Evansville, Phillips has acquired 39 doubles, 30 home runs and 114 RBI.

During his three seasons with Evansville, Phillips has split time at designated hitter, catcher and first base. Phillips has played for Evansville since the 2019 season but due to the cancellation of the 2020 Frontier League championship season (COVID-19), Phillips played with the Lightning Sloths of the Constellation Energy League in 2020. Phillips played collegiately at Tennessee Wesleyan for his senior season. With Tennessee Wesleyan, Phillips hit .353 with 14 home runs and 47 RBIs.

Brahms, from Sacramento, California, returns to the Otters’ pitching rotation after earning his shot at the next level last year. After starting the year with a 5-1 record and 2.55 ERA in his nine starts, Brahms’ contract was purchased by the Cincinnati Reds. In that span, he had 63 strikeouts in his 60 full innings. He was named a Frontier League All-Star in 2022 but did not participate due to his call-up to the Reds organization. While with the Reds’ Arizona Complex League team, Brahms played in seven games, mostly out of the bullpen. In his 16.2 innings with the Reds ACL squad, he allowed only five earned runs and struck out 22 batters.

Prior to joining the Otters, Brahms spent 2021 with the Pittsburgh Pirates organization, signing as a free agent. He pitched for the rookie-level Pirates Black in the Florida Complex League and the Bradenton Marauders of the Low-A Southeast League. Brahms pitched collegiately for California State Sacramento, or Sacramento State, from 2017-2020. In college, he was 18-14 with a 3.15 ERA and 295 strikeouts. He made 52 starts in 58 appearances and pitched in 291.1 innings. Brahms was originally drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 27th round of the 2019 MLB June Amateur Draft, but decided to further his collegiate career. While at CSU Sacramento, Brahms earned All-WAC first-team honors in 2017 and 2018, while also receiving WAC Freshman of the Year accolades in 2017.

Polancic, a native of Langley, British Columbia, Canada, enters his second season with the Otters. He stood out as one of the Frontier League’s best relievers in 2022, allowing just 14 earned runs on 21 hits across his 37 appearances. In 48 complete innings, Polancic struck out 71 batters while walking only 20. His 2.63 ERA was one of the league’s best.

Before joining the Otters last year, Polancic played for the Winnipeg Goldeyes of the American Association in 2021. Before 2021, Polancic spent four seasons in the Arizona Diamondbacks organization. The right-hander was drafted by the Diamondbacks in the 11th round of the 2016 MLB June Amateur Draft. Polancic’s career totals include 105 appearances, a 5.09 ERA, 155.2 innings pitched, and 178 strikeouts.

Tanksley, who hails from Mitchell, Ind., is in his second season with the Otters. Despite spending much of the year as a rotational catcher, Tanksley stepped up for Evansville in mid-August when both Otters catchers were out with injuries. Across the six-game span as the only available catcher, Tanksley had three multi-hit games and the game-winning RBI against Joliet on August 12.

Prior to the Otters, Tanksley played collegiately for Indiana University-Southeast, where he played five seasons for the NAIA school. In those five seasons, he batted .340 with 90 runs, 56 doubles, nine triples, 36 home runs, 179 RBIs, and a total of 249 hits. He played in 215 games and recorded 733 at-bats.

The 2023 season is right around the corner. For information on season tickets, call 812-435-8686. Group and single-game tickets will go on sale in the coming weeks.

The Evansville Otters are the 2006 and 2016 Frontier League champions.

WARRICK HUMANE SOCIETY PRESENTS “WINE, WAGS & WHISKERS FOR WHS”

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WARRICK HUMANE SOCIETY PRESENTS “WINE, WAGS & WHISKERS FOR WHS”

Newburgh, IN – March11, 2023

Warrick Humane Society is hosting our first annual Wine, Wags & Whiskers for WHS event sponsored by Jennings Street Public House on April 13, 2023, at 6:00 pm. Guests will enjoy an elegant 5-course small plates dinner catered by To the Table perfectly paired with wines presented by wine expert, Pam Reimann, of Wine-Oh! Tours and Events. All proceeds benefit WHS Rescue Pets!

The event will be held at The Parlour at Jennings Street Public House. All attendees must be 21 years of age or older.

Tickets and reserved tables are available on Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/wine-wags-and-whiskers-for-whs-tickets-569992973327

For more information contact:

Kim Henning
Warrick Humane Society Assistant Director
812-858-1132
WHSassistantdirector@gmail.com

About Warrick Humane Society
Warrick Humane Society, a no-kill shelter located in Newburgh, Indiana, was founded in 1983 by a handful of dedicated volunteers who rescued lost, injured and neglected animals. Since WHS opened their building in 1997 and began actively working with Animal Control agencies and other rescue organizations, WHS has saved thousands of animals and placed them in loving homes. Warrick Humane Society is a 501(c)(3) no-kill rescue dedicated to improving companion animals’ lives.  WHS does not receive any funding from taxes or any national organizations. WHS is funded entirely by individual and corporate donations, bequests, grants and fundraising events.  Because all animals adopted by WHS are spayed/neutered, vaccinated, treated for parasites and microchipped as well as receiving any other special care they may need, finding enough funding is always a challenge.

Otters re-signs four, including two All-Stars

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Otters re-sign four, including two All-Stars

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The Evansville Otters have re-signed Dakota Phillips, Parker Brahms, Jake Polancic and Brody Tanksley to return to Evansville for the 2023 season.

Phillips, a fan-favorite catcher out of Nacogdoches, Texas, enters his fourth season with the Otters. The 2022 season was cut short for Phillips due to a hand injury sustained in July. Phillips was named the 2022 West Division starting catcher for the Frontier League All-Star Game but was unable to play due to the injury. But, his .313 batting average in 2022 was the best of Phillips’ professional career. He has put together a .261 batting average across his three years with the Otters. In 178 games with Evansville, Phillips has acquired 39 doubles, 30 home runs and 114 RBI.

During his three seasons with Evansville, Phillips has split time at designated hitter, catcher and first base. Phillips has played for Evansville since the 2019 season but due to the cancellation of the 2020 Frontier League championship season (COVID-19), Phillips played with the Lightning Sloths of the Constellation Energy League in 2020. Phillips played collegiately at Tennessee Wesleyan for his senior season. With Tennessee Wesleyan, Phillips hit .353 with 14 home runs and 47 RBIs.

Brahms, from Sacramento, California, returns to the Otters’ pitching rotation after earning his shot at the next level last year. After starting the year with a 5-1 record and 2.55 ERA in his nine starts, Brahms’ contract was purchased by the Cincinnati Reds. In that span, he had 63 strikeouts in his 60 full innings. He was named a Frontier League All-Star in 2022 but did not participate due to his call-up to the Reds organization. While with the Reds’ Arizona Complex League team, Brahms played in seven games, mostly out of the bullpen. In his 16.2 innings with the Reds ACL squad, he allowed only five earned runs and struck out 22 batters.

Prior to joining the Otters, Brahms spent 2021 with the Pittsburgh Pirates organization, signing as a free agent. He pitched for the rookie-level Pirates Black in the Florida Complex League and the Bradenton Marauders of the Low-A Southeast League. Brahms pitched collegiately for California State Sacramento, or Sacramento State, from 2017-2020. In college, he was 18-14 with a 3.15 ERA and 295 strikeouts. He made 52 starts in 58 appearances and pitched in 291.1 innings. Brahms was originally drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 27th round of the 2019 MLB June Amateur Draft, but decided to further his collegiate career. While at CSU Sacramento, Brahms earned All-WAC first-team honors in 2017 and 2018, while also receiving WAC Freshman of the Year accolades in 2017.

Polancic, a native of Langley, British Columbia, Canada, enters his second season with the Otters. He stood out as one of the Frontier League’s best relievers in 2022, allowing just 14 earned runs on 21 hits across his 37 appearances. In 48 complete innings, Polancic struck out 71 batters while walking only 20. His 2.63 ERA was one of the league’s best.

Before joining the Otters last year, Polancic played for the Winnipeg Goldeyes of the American Association in 2021. Before 2021, Polancic spent four seasons in the Arizona Diamondbacks organization. The right-hander was drafted by the Diamondbacks in the 11th round of the 2016 MLB June Amateur Draft. Polancic’s career totals include 105 appearances, a 5.09 ERA, 155.2 innings pitched, and 178 strikeouts.

Tanksley, who hails from Mitchell, Ind., is in his second season with the Otters. Despite spending much of the year as a rotational catcher, Tanksley stepped up for Evansville in mid-August when both Otters catchers were out with injuries. Across the six-game span as the only available catcher, Tanksley had three multi-hit games and the game-winning RBI against Joliet on August 12.

Prior to the Otters, Tanksley played collegiately for Indiana University-Southeast, where he played five seasons for the NAIA school. In those five seasons, he batted .340 with 90 runs, 56 doubles, nine triples, 36 home runs, 179 RBIs, and a total of 249 hits. He played in 215 games and recorded 733 at-bats.

The 2023 season is right around the corner. For information on season tickets, call 812-435-8686. Group and single-game tickets will go on sale in the coming weeks.

The Evansville Otters are the 2006 and 2016 Frontier League champions.

 Evansville African American Museum receives $100,000 Check from the American Rescue Plan funds 

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 Evansville African American Museum receives $100,000 Check from the American Rescue Plan funds 

Submitted by Lori Noble

March 2023

Evansville, IN— On Monday, January 23, Commissioners Cheryl Musgrave and Ben Shoulders presented the Evansville African American Museum with a $100,000 Check from the American Rescue Plan funds.

Kori Miller, Executive Director of the Museum stated he is thankful to the Vanderburgh County Commissioners and Vanderburgh County Council for understanding the significant contributions of the culture and arts community to our city and that these funds will definitely help offset funding lost during Covid, and with the completion of the Porterhouse renovation project. 

NCAA DIVISION II MEN’S BASKETBALL COMMITTEE ANNOUNCES 2023 CHAMPIONSHIP FIELD

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INDIANAPOLIS — The NCAA Division II Men’s Committee announced the field of 64 teams that will compete in the 2023 NCAA Division II Men’s Basketball Championship.

Twenty-three conferences have been awarded automatic qualification. The remaining 41 teams were selected at large by the committee. Seven of the eight regional tournaments, consisting of eight teams each, will be conducted March 11, 12 and 14 while one regional tournament also consisting of eight teams will be conducted March 10, 11 and 13. The eight regional champions will advance to the quarterfinals in conjunction with the 2023 NCAA Division II Men’s Elite Eight. The quarterfinal, semifinal and championship games will be conducted at the Ford Center in Evansville, Indiana, March 21, 23 and 25.

Conferences that received automatic qualification are as follows:

California Collegiate Athletic Association                               Cal State San Bernardino

Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference                                   Caldwell

Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association                           Winston-Salem State

Conference Carolinas                                                                     Emmanuel College (Georgia)

East Coast Conference                                                                   St. Thomas Aquinas College

Great American Conference                                                        Southern Arkansas

Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference                 Northern Michigan

Great Lakes Valley Conference                                                  McKendree

Great Midwest Athletic Conference                                         Ashland

Great Northwest Athletic Conference                                     Northwest Nazarene

Gulf South Conference                                                                  West Alabama

Lone Star Conference                                                                    West Texas A&M

Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association              Northwest Missouri State

Mountain East Conference                                                          West Liberty

Northeast-10 Conference                                                            Saint Anselm College

Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference                              Minnesota State University Moorhead

Pacific West Conference                                                               Point Loma

Peach Belt Conference                                                                  Augusta University

Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference                                 Indiana (Pennsylvania)

Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference                                      Fort Lewis College

South Atlantic Conference                                                           Catawba College

Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference                      Miles College

Sunshine State Conference                                                         Nova Southeastern

Northwest Missouri State defeated Augusta University, 67-58 to win the 2022 NCAA Division II Men’s Basketball Championship in Evansville, Indiana.

Bobby Nichols Intercollegiate up next for UE men

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EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Action resumes on Sunday for the University of Evansville men’s golf team with a trip to Sevierville, Tenn. for the Bobby Nichols Intercollegiate.

The tournament runs Sunday through Tuesday with 18 holes taking place each day at the River Course at Sevierville Golf Club.  A 12-team field includes Tennessee Tech, Tennessee State, USI, Northern Iowa, Evansville, Findlay, Carson-Newman, Roan State CC, Walters State CC, Maryville (TN) College, Chicago State and West Virginia.

UE opened the season in February at the Alabama State University Spring Classic at RTJ Golf Trail at Capitol Hill.  Led by Michael Ikejiani’s 8th place finish, the Aces tied for second place.

Scoring a 755 for the 2 ½ rounds, the Purple Aces completed the tournament tied with Alabama State for the second position.  Arkansas-Pine Bluff took top honors with a 742.  Michael Ikejiani was the top performer for UE, finishing round two with a 76 before carding a 40 in the final nine holes.  He had a 188.  His 72 in round one tied for the team’s low score at the tournament.

Daniil Romashkin tied for the 9th spot with a 189.  Following rounds of 74 and 76, he notched a 39 in the last nine holes.  One behind him was the duo of Nicholas Gushrowski and Henry Kiel.  Both scored a 190 to tie for 12th place.  Gushrowski finished both full rounds with a 76 and was halfway there in the last nine, totaling a 38.  Kiel had a 75 to open play before shooting an even 72 in the second round.  His final nine holes finished at a 43.

BLUE RAIDERS BLANK BASEBALL ACES, 2-0, IN SERIES OPENER 

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MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – Middle Tennessee State starter Jaden Hamm tossed a complete-game one-hit shutout on Friday, and Blue Raider lead-off man JT Mabry went 2-for-3 with two runs scored, as MTSU took the opener from the visiting University of Evansville baseball team, 2-0, at Reese Smith Jr. Field in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.

“We spoiled a great start today from Nick Smith, and their starter put together a three-pitch mix today that we couldn’t handle,” said UE head coach Wes Carroll.  “Big game tomorrow to get back into this series.”

After Hamm set the tone in the first inning by sending the Purple Aces down in order, MTSU got all of the offense it would need for the day on just six pitches.  Mabry led off the frame with a line-drive to right that just got past a diving Eric Roberts in right field and rolled all the way to the warning track for a triple.  He then trotted home three pitches later on a sacrifice fly by shortstop Brett Coker to give MTSU a 1-0 lead.

From there, Hamm and Smith traded scoreless frames on the mound until the sixth inning.  UE sophomore center-fielder Ty Rumsey opened the sixth inning with Evansville’s only hit of the day on a bouncing ball over the mound.  UE would put runners on the corners with one out, but Hamm was able to get a double-play ground ball to get out of trouble and maintain a 1-0 lead.  Mabry then worked a one-out hit-by-pitch in the bottom of the inning and scored on a double by Coker to push the MTSU lead to 2-0.

Evansville would bring the potential tying run to the plate in the top of the ninth inning with two outs, but Hamm struck out UE junior catcher Brendan Hord to end the threat and the contest.  It was a fitting end of the day for Hamm (3-1), who struck out 11 men while walking three in the complete-game victory.

Smith (1-3) was the tough-luck loser for Evansville, as he allowed the two runs on six hits while striking out five in 7.0 innings of work.  At one point in the contest, Smith set down 11 MTSU hitters in order.

With the win, Middle Tennessee State improves to 7-6 on the season, while Evansville sees its record even at 7-7.  The two teams will continue the series on Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m., with UE sending senior LHP Tyler Denu (1-0, 3.45 ERA) to the mound.  Saturday’s game can be seen live on ESPN+

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