USI wins second series of the season:Â The USI Screaming Eagles have started its first NCAA Division I season with a pair of series wins. USI opened the season with a 3-1 series win over Western Illinois University and a 2-1 series win over Bellarmine University.
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USI rallies to win series with Bellarmine:Â The Eagles had to rally to win the series with Bellarmine. Following a 4-2 game one loss, USI scored six in the eighth to defeat the Knights, 6-3, and closed out the series win with a lopsided, 18-5, win in game three.
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Kahre leads USI last week. USI senior leftfielder Evan Kahre (Evansville, Indiana) led USI last week by batting .438 with five runs scored, two doubles, and two triples. He also ranked second on the team with five RBIs.
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USI started last week by falling at Lipscomb: The Eagles tried to rally in the ninth but fell short at Lipscomb University, 6-4, Tuesday. Senior outfielder Evan Kahre led the Eagles with a pair of hits, including a two-run double.
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Seebold has best start last week: Sophomore right-hander Gavin Seebold (Jeffersonville, Indiana) had USI’s best start of the week, posting his first win of the season. Seebold allowed one run on three hits, while striking out four in five innings of work.
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Long ball Eagles: Junior first baseman Tucker Ebest (Austin, Texas) has a team-high three home runs in the first eight games. Freshman infielder Caleb Niehaus (Newburgh, Indiana) follows with a pair of home runs.
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Leading hitters: Sophomore shortstop Ricardo Van Grieken (Venezuela) and junior infielder Daniel Lopez (Dominican Republic) are leading the Eagles in batting averaging, hitting .429 each. Â
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McNew climbing the USI All-Time charts: Senior catcher Lucas McNew is sixth all-time at USI in home runs (21); ninth in RBIs (141) and 13th in doubles (41).
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USI vs. Washington State:Â USI and Washington State University are meeting for the first time in the history of the two programs.
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Washington State in 2023:Â The Cougars of Washington State (7-1) have won seven of their first eight games in 2023 after posting a 3-1 outing in the Tony Gwynn Classic at San Diego State University. After falling in the opening game to the University of California-Irvine, 8-3, Washington State defeated SDSU, 14-1; the University of California San Diego, 3-2; and the University of Nevada Las Vegas, 10-9.
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Last trip to the West Coast:Â The last time USI traveled to the West Coast was a visit to the California State University Stanislaus in 2014. Cal State Stanislaus took the series, 2-1, but USI grabbed a win in the final game, 8-1.
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Eagles fly to the West Coast to play Washington State​​​​​​​
No. 14 Trailblazers end regular season on a high after Sophomore Night win
VINCENNES, Ind. – The No.14-ranked Vincennes University Trailblazers closed out the 2022-23 regular season Tuesday night with an 80-70 sophomore night win over Olney Central College.
The night began with the Trailblazer basketball team honoring and celebrating their six graduating sophomores. Five players; Tasos Cook (Columbus, Ohio), Trenton Johnson (South Bend, Ind.), Devawn White (Montreal, Quebec), Caleb Johnson (N. Preston, Nova Scotia) and Shilo Jackson (Indianapolis, Ind.) as well as graduating two-year basketball manager Luke Weiss (Vincennes, Ind.).
The five sophomore players made up the starting lineup for Vincennes and really did a bulk of the damage Tuesday night.
VU got off to a slow start but first broke away with an 8-0 scoring run to take a 20-14 lead midway through the first half.
The Blue Knights would rally back and take the lead several times throughout the later part of the opening period.
VU would close out the first half on a 6-0 scoring run to head into the halftime break with a 39-35 lead.
The lead changed hands 12 times in the opening 20 minutes of play between these two teams battling for positioning within next week’s Region 24 tournament.
The Trailblazers grabbed complete control of the game out of the locker room with VU opening the second half on a 17-5 run to take a 56-40 lead.
VU would grow their lead to 17 midway through the second half and looked to avoid giving up the big lead late.
Olney Central continued to battle and managed to get the Vincennes lead back down under double-digits, but the Blazers held on late as VU closed out the regular season with a big 80-70 win.
“Tonight it was the sophomores,†VU Hall of Fame Head Coach Todd Franklin said. “Trenton, Devawn, Caleb, Tasos and Shilo, they were all really good. I thought Trenton and Devawn had excellent nights. We’ve been waiting for them to really step up. We love them and we know it’s in there and to see them come out here on sophomore night and do it was great. Now we’ll see if they can carry that into next week in tournament play. This is the time where you write the story they are always going to tell about you and hopefully tonight was the first big step toward that story really being what they really want it to be.â€
VU was led offensively by Caleb Johnson, who finished with 24 points and three rebounds.
Devawn White set a new season-high in his final game at the P.E. Complex, ending with 10 points and four rebounds.
Trenton Johnson also reached double-figures with 10 points, two rebounds and a team-high two steals.
Tasos Cook distributed the ball well all night, ending with nine points and eight assists. Cook also grabbed four rebounds.
Shilo Jackson just missed a double-double in his final game on the VU floor, finishing his night with eight points and a team-high 10 rebounds and two blocks.
Freshman Kris King (Washington, D.C.) came off the bench to add nine points and three rebounds, while freshman Michael Osei-Bonsu (Bolingbrook, Ill.) just missed a double-double off the bench with seven points, 10 rebounds and three assists.
“When COVID hit, we were the best program in the country,†Franklin said. “I don’t even know how anybody could argue that. We had it humming and going and then the pandemic hit and it threw us off. So, this team has had to get us restarted and they have. This has been an outstanding season. We’re 26-4 and they have been a top 10 to 15 team all year and they have done it without the experience of having those guys back that have been to Elite Eights and Final Fours, they’ve really had to figure it out as we go.â€
“This group has put VU back to where VU is supposed to be,†Franklin added. “And we’ve still got more steps to go to get there all the way. Hopefully we do and hopefully these guys are not done. We’re talking about the season right now like it’s finished, but it’s not.â€
“These guys have been great,†Franklin said. “They’ve been good guys. They’ve been good off the court. That’s one thing with us, we try not to trade off talent for character of guys and that’s hard to do sometimes. But that’s what we’ve done with these guys and they have worked really hard and have managed to still make themselves one of the best teams in the country without us taking a few guys that maybe could have gotten our talent level even higher. But when you don’t do that, you have to have character guys because that’s what you are relying on and that’s what we’ve had this year.â€
The Trailblazers will now begin preparing to go on a postseason run, beginning with the NJCAA Division I Region 24 tournament hosted by Rend Lake College in Ina, Ill.
Vincennes has earned the No. 2-seed overall with a 14-4 record in Region 24 play this season and will play the winner of No. 7 Lake Land College and No. 10 Lincoln Trail Monday, March 6 at 6 p.m. eastern.
Lincoln Trail and Lake Land will play Saturday, March 4 at Lake Land College in Mattoon, Ill. at 3 p.m. eastern.
“Tomorrow is going to be rest,†Franklin said. “We haven’t had a day off in a while. Then we will get back and go to work on Thursday. There’s nothing new here. We know that we have to get better at finishing games. It’s just a toughness thing. It was that way again tonight. We did a good job of getting a big enough lead to where we knew we were going to win, but then we let off the gas. We have to find a way to get through that and it comes down to having as many guys as possible ready to step up.â€
“You can see the difference tonight when Devawn and Trenton step up,†Franklin added. “It made all the difference in the world in how you play. So we are going to see who we can get to really jump on that bandwagon and help us roll. Because now it’s postseason time and this is a quality ball club with high aspirations. So, I want to see them excited. I want to see them focused. I want to see them locked in, tough-minded and determined. Because you don’t get to do this very often in life and you certainly don’t get to be on a top 10 or so team in the country very often. I want them to embrace it and enjoy it and take advantage of it.â€
Gov. Holcomb issues statement regarding the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s announcement
Gov. Holcomb issues statement regarding the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s announcement
INDIANAPOLIS — Governor Eric J. Holcomb offered the following statement regarding the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) decision to transport hazardous materials from the East Palestine train derailment to an Indiana facility.
“I continue to object to the EPA Administrator’s decision, from Washington, D.C., to move hazardous waste from the East Palestine train derailment to Indiana. Further, there has been a lack of communication with me and other Indiana officials about this decision.
After learning third-hand that materials may be transported to our state yesterday, I directed my environmental director to reach out to the agency. The materials should go to the nearest facilities, not moved from the far eastern side of Ohio to the far western side of Indiana. I have made a request to speak to the administrator to discuss this matter. I want to know exactly what precautions will be taken in the transport and disposition of the materials.â€
Senate session grows contentious as Democrats call for more debate
Partisan tensions boiled over Monday in the Indiana Senate, reaching a breaking point for some of Indiana’s state senators.
During the second reading of Senate Bill 391, which relates to the closure of school buildings, Sen. Andrea Hunley, D-Indianapolis, brought forward two amendments. However, when opposing the amendments, bill author Sen. Linda Rogers, R-Granger, didn’t say why she disagreed with them—she simply said she opposed them and urged her colleagues to do the same in a few short sentences.
This prompted Sen. Greg Taylor, D-Indianapolis, to stand and address the body, his main bone of contention being the lack of explanation.
“This is frustrating for all of us who want to have open dialogue about legislation,†Taylor said. “Sen. Hunley, your amendment … says that charter schools should be under the same rules as traditional public schools. What is wrong with that? And now we have a rule that says she (Rogers) can’t be questioned.
“When are you going to start treating this place like a democracy, people?â€
Photo by Xain Ballenger, TheStatehouseFile.com.
Following this, Taylor and a few other senators continued their conversation outside the chamber.
Sen. Lonnie Randolph, D-East Chicago, passionately addressed the Senate Chamber after the failed vote on an amendment for Senate Bill 350.
“No issue is a dumb issue,†he said. “No issue is non-debatable. If nothing else, we try to improve whatever issues that come up. So, don’t tell me issues that we discuss are incidental, that have no consequence. Every time we come up with an issue, every opinion should be listened to and respected.â€
Monday’s schedule called for 45 bills to be discussed, and 13 were voted on before the Senate broke for recess (they were slated to return after press time).
Sen. Shelli Yoder, D-Bloomington, pleaded with her fellow senators when offering amendments to Senate Bill 480, which would prohibit a doctor from providing gender transition procedures to a minor.
Yoder referenced the individuals who gave public testimony earlier in the bill’s life, saying many relating personal experiences had been adults without the support of parents during their procedures, which took place outside of Indiana.
“So, you can understand that in order to pass 480 and to find individuals in support of this, you would have to bring them in from out of state, which is what happened,†Yoder said.
Her amendment failed.
Xain Ballenger is a reporter for TheStatehouseFile.com, a news website powered by Franklin College journalism students.
Senate passes bill allowing adults to be arrested for crimes they committed in youth
Senate passes bill allowing adults to be arrested for crimes they committed in youth
The Indiana Senate passed a bill Tuesday that would allow an adult to be arrested for a crime they committed as a youth.
Sen. Stacey Donato, R-Logansport.
The bill is authored by Sen. Stacey Donato, R-Logansport, Sen. Aaron Freeman, R-Indianapolis, and Sen. Eric Koch, R-Bedford, and revolves around adult court jurisdiction over delinquent acts.
Senate Bill 464 provides that a juvenile court would not have jurisdiction over a person if they committed a crime between the ages 12 and 18 but were 21 or older when charged with the offense.
This would apply to felonies like murder, attempted murder, kidnapping, rape, criminal deviant conduct, robbery (if committed while armed with a deadly weapon and resulting in bodily injury), and child molestation.
Sen. Greg Taylor, D-Indianapolis, outlined his opposition with an example: If a 15-year-old committed one of those felonies and was charged at age 23, then the juvenile court would have no jurisdiction. But if that person were caught at 15, then they could go to juvenile court.
“That is just flat-out wrong,†Taylor said.
The bill passed, 31-13.
Commissioner Cheryl Musgrave reacts to Evansville ranking in The Wall Street Journal
Vanderburgh Humane Society Teams Up with Evansville Animal Care & Control and Best Friends Animal Society to Save More Animals
[Evansville, Indiana] — The Vanderburgh Humane Society is partnering with Evansville Animal Care & Control and Best Friends Animal Society as part of Best Friends’ Prince and Paws Shelter Collaborative Program with a goal of increasing a live release rate from 61% to 90% for dogs and cats entering Evansville Animal Care & Control.
In all, Best Friends is providing a grant in the amount of $150,000 (of which $60,000 has already been received) to support the initiatives in this partnership.
The shelter collaborative program matches shelters that are leaders in animal welfare with shelters that are working to save more animals. The goal of the partnership is to improve the save rate at Evansville Animal Care & Control (EACC) by the end of the year grant program. This would mean that the vast majority of the dogs and cats entering their care leave alive, understanding that some animals will be too medically or behaviorally fragile to be released. Best Friends helps to facilitate these matches, works with peer mentors to create a contract that includes clear grant parameters, provides mentors with seed grants, and offers ongoing training and coaching to mentors and fellows.
The Vanderburgh Humane Society (VHS) is a national leader in animal welfare who was chosen to partner with Evansville Animal Care & Control because they have experience overcoming many of the challenges Evansville Animal Care & Control faces each day. And Animal Control, bound by City Ordinances to pick up strays and accept all owner surrendered animals, is always looking for partnership to increase their live release rate.
“Things will only improve for our community’s animals if we all work together,†says Kendall Paul, CEO of the Vanderburgh Humane Society. “This grant will take the VHS and Evansville Animal Care & Control’s longtime partnership to new heights. The initiatives that come from this collaboration will have a positive impact for the people and animals of Vanderburgh County.â€
Through the shelter collaborative program, Best Friends will be providing grant funding to cover the expenses associated with achieving the partnership’s goals. Evansville Animal Care & Control and VHS will use the funding to implement nationally recognized proven strategies to decrease unnecessary intake and increase adoptions, community engagement, and rescue partnerships.
Current partnership initiatives are:
- FREE microchips for pets in the community at pop-up microchip clinics, including the first one coming up on:
Friday, March 3, 2023 from 1-5 pm
Located in the Vanderburgh Humane Society’s rear Intake lobby
(National microchip registration is included at no extra charge) - Use portions of the grant to waive reclaim fees so families can reclaim their pets from Evansville Animal Care & Control more quickly, with less financial burden
- Creative initiatives to improve outcomes for cats
- To provide best practice recommendations to update the City of Evansville’s Animal Control Ordinance
- A focused collaboration around promotion of adoptable pets and fundraising for animals’ medical expenses at both organizations
Together, the VHS and Evansville Animal Care & Control expect these strategies to dramatically reduce the need to euthanize animals simply for lack of space at Evansville Animal Care & Control.
Alisa Webster, Superintendent at Animal Care & Controls says “The collaboration between Evansville Animal Care & Control and VHS gives us the opportunity to truly reach out and help the community with their pets. One of our goals at Evansville Animal Care & Control has always been to reunite pets with their owners. Now with the Best Friends grant the programs that we have planned are geared towards reunification through microchipping, and free reclaims. Together we WILL save more lives.â€
The shelter collaborative program is a cornerstone of Best Friends Animal Society’s goal of making America a no-kill nation by 2025, according to Carrie Ducote, National Senior Strategist for the Shelter Collaborative Program.
The public is encouraged to follow both organizations on their social media accounts below to stay up-to-date with the latest news about this partnership:
NATE BARGATZE IS SOLD OUT FOR JUNE 3, 2023
NATE BARGATZE IS SOLD OUT FOR JUNE 3, 2023
NEW SHOW JUST ADDED!
TICKETS FOR THE NEW SHOW GO ON SALE ON FRIDAY, MARCH 3, AT 10 AM
Evansville, IN – February 28, 2023 – Comedian Nate Bargatze is stopping by Old National Events Plaza on June 3, 2023, with his national tour,The Be Funny Tour. The tour is offering a second show at 9:30 PM, in response to selling out the first show slated for 7:00 PM the same night.
“We are incredibly excited to host Nate Bargatze at The Plaza this summer. His last visit was phenomenal, and we wanted to give his fans the opportunity to see him again this year. The response has been overwhelming, and we’re looking forward to hosting two sell-out shows when Nate tours back to Evansville,†said Nick Wallace, General Manager at Old National Events Plaza.
Hailing from Old Hickory, Tennessee, stand-up comedian Nate Bargatze has been recognized this year as “The Nicest Man in Stand-Up,†by The Atlantic Magazine and a “Rising Star,†by CBS Morning. The 2021 GRAMMY Award-nominated comedian and podcaster is selling out shows across the world.
Bargatze’s comedy is both clean and relatable, which is evident in his ten appearances on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon following four appearances on Late Night with Conan O’Brien. Both of Nate’s one-hour Netflix specials, “The Tennessee Kid†(2019) and “The Greatest Average American†(2021) premiered globally with rave reviews.
For more information and tickets, visit www.natebargatze.com.
Ticket Information:
What: Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Nate Bargatze, The Be Funny Tour
When:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Saturday, June 3, 2023, at 7:00 PM SOLD OUT or 9:30 PM
Where: Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Old National Events Plaza | 715 Locust Street | Evansville, IN 47708
Tickets: Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Tickets start at $39.00 plus applicable fees and tax.
Tickets are available at Ticketmaster.com or the Old National Events Plaza Box Office. For more information about the Aiken Theatre, visit:www.oldnationaleventsplaza.com.
 About Outback Presents
Outback Presents is the leading independent, full-service promoter of live entertainment. From their home base in Nashville, TN, Outback Presents specializes in producing music and comedy shows, tours and festivals across North America and connecting their diverse roster of artists with their fans. For more information, visit www.outbackpresents.com.
About Old National Events Plaza
Old National Events Plaza, managed by ASM Global, is Evansville, Indiana’s premier convention center and largest live entertainment theatre. Housing a spacious 2,500-seat theatre, 38,000 square- feet of column free exhibit space, a beautiful 14,000 square-foot ballroom, and 12,00 square-feet of meeting space, Old National Events Plaza hosts a variety of events. The venue offers easy scheduling, one-stop-shop services, and in-house catering and audio-visual services. For more information and a complete schedule of events, please visit www.oldnationaleventsplaza.com.