| LETTER TO EDITOR |
 As Mayor, I Will Look Out for Evansville’s Kids!by Stephanie Terry-Vanderburgh County Council Member and unopposed candidate for Mayor Of Evansville in the Democratic primary.
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LETTER TO EDITOR: By Stephanie Terry-Vanderburgh County Council Member And Candidate For Mayor Of Evansville
Lt. Gov. Crouch, IHCDA award $1.7 million in rental assistance and supportive services statewide
HOME funding awarded to six not-for-profits across Indiana
March 24, 2023
INDIANAPOLIS (Mar. 24, 2023) – Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch and the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority announced the distribution of nearly $1,700,000 to six Indiana not-for-profit entities to administer the HOME-funded Tenant Based Rental Assistance (HOME TRBA) program. The organizations will assist income-eligible households with at least one member who was formerly incarcerated. The program aims to increase housing affordability, stability, and choice for this population, which experiences homelessness at a rate almost seven times higher than the general population.
IHCDA’s allocation included $500,000 in HOME-American Rescue Plan (HOME-ARP) Supportive Services funds to six Indiana non-profit organizations to ensure that all households assisted by HOME TBRA are offered or connected to a comprehensive set of supportive services that promote long-term housing stability.
“The HOME TBRA program is critical in assisting low-income households with affordable housing options,” said Lt. Governor Suzanne Crouch, Indiana’s Secretary of Agriculture and Rural Development. “We are pleased to provide this funding to support formerly incarcerated individuals and ensure they have access to stable housing and supportive services.â€
IHCDA launched the re-entry-focused program in 2018 in acknowledgment of the specific barriers to housing formerly incarcerated individuals face. IHCDA administers this program by partnering with not-for-profit organizations that offer participants essential services and support such as housing navigation, referrals to mental health and substance abuse treatment, legal aid, job training, employment assistance, and ongoing case management, in addition to deposit assistance and an ongoing rental subsidy. In 2022, IHCDA’s HOME TBRA Program served 162 households across the state of Indiana.Â
HOME Tenant Based Rental Assistance funds and HOME-American Rescue Plan Supportive Services funds were awarded to six organizations:
- Affordable Housing Corporation is awarded $400,000
- Aurora, Inc. is awarded $200,000
- City of Vincennes is awarded $200,000
- Family Promise of Hendricks County is awarded $100,000
- Kokomo Housing Authority is awarded $399,889.40
- Mental Health America of West Central Indiana is awarded $399,767.67
The final policy manuals and Request for Qualifications (“RFQâ€) were released on Nov. 28, 2022. Responses to the RFQ were due on Jan. 9, 2023. Eligible respondents were 501(c)(3) non-profit organizations, public housing agencies, or units of local government.
No. 6 Indiana Opens NCAA Meet with Two Top-Five Relays
MINNEAPOLIS – Indiana men’s swimming and diving placed top five in both opening night relays on Wednesday (March 22) at the 2023 NCAA Men’s Swimming and Diving Championships inside the Jean K. Freeman Aquatic Center.
IU placed fifth in the 200-yard medley relay to kick off the meet, then finished the night with a fourth-place finish in the 800 freestyle relay. Both relays improved time and beat their seeds coming in.
The No. 6-ranked Hoosiers sit fifth in the team standings with 58 points after two events, and Arizona State leads the pack with 68 points.
Indiana earned its best finish and first podium in the 200 medley relay since placing fourth at the 2018 meet, held in the same facility. IU broke its previous program record (1:22.51) by 99-tenths of a second.
 It was a wire-to-wire win of the second of three heats as Indiana posted the time to beat going into the final heat. Junior Brendan Burns kicked things off with a 20.60 backstroke split followed by senior Mathias’ 22.53 in the breaststroke. Junior Tomer Frankel posted the third-fastest butterfly leg in 19.56 and junior Gavin Wight closed things out in 18.83.
“It was just a really good first night for the Hoosiers,” IU head swimming coach Ray Looze said. “The medley was a mystery to us because we did not do well at Big Tens, took third in the conference. We knew we had a better one, but we weren’t sure what we had. Brendan just did a phenomenal job putting us in a good position, and then everybody after did their job. When you can win that second-to-last heat, sometimes it gives you a chance to get your relay into the top eight, where, obviously, the points can be very valuable. But, they won it going away, which was great, and destroyed the school record in the process.â€
Three Hoosiers returned 45 minutes later for the 800 freestyle relay. The lone new face, sophomore Rafael Miroslaw went 1:32.51 in the opening leg. Frankel followed with a 1:32.06. Seventh at the halfway mark, Brendan Burns blasted a 1:31.78 split to put Indiana in third going into the final 200 yard. Mathias anchored the relay, going 1:31.62 as IU placed fourth in 6:07.97 – the third-fastest time in program history and the best since 2019.
“In the 800 free relay, our intention was to go fastest to slowest, but we went the opposite,†Looze said. “Brendan and Van at Big Tens really did a good job, and that was the strength of the relay. Credit to everybody. (Rafael Miroslaw) wasn’t real happy with that, but he still kept us in the game. Tomer kept us in the game too, we were within striking range, and then Brendan, 1:31.7, and Van, 1:31.6, were fantastic splits and allowed us to go from seventh and work ourselves back into that one. And it’s a longer relay, so stuff like that can happen.
“Good start and we have a lot more in front of us. Tomorrow, from a swimming standpoint, is our weakest day by far, so we’re going to have to scrap and hang tough. That will be our plan.â€
RESULTS
200 MEDLEY RELAY
5. Brendan Burns, Van Mathias, Tomer Frankel, Gavin Wight – 1:21.52 (Program Record, All-America)
800 FREESTYLE RELAY
4. Rafael Miroslaw, Tomer Frankel, Brendan Burns, Van Mathias – 6:07.97 (All-America)
HOOSIER ALL-AMERICANS
Brendan Burns (200 Medley Relay, 800 Freestyle Relay)
Tomer Frankel (200 Medley Relay, 800 Freestyle Relay)
Van Mathias (200 Medley Relay, 800 Freestyle Relay)
Rafael Miroslaw (800 Freestyle Relay)
Gavin Wight (200 Medley Relay)
* -Â Denotes Honorable Mention
UP NEXT
The 2023 NCAA Men’s Swimming and Diving Championships resume Thursday for day two, the first full day of action. IU athletes will compete in the 200 IM, 50 freestyle, 1-meter dive and 400 medley relay, with preliminaries beginning at 11 a.m. ET. Finals are scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. ET.
SABIC Signs Four Ivy Tech Students to First-Ever Internships
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – SABIC, a global diversified chemicals company, today (3-23-23) signed four students enrolled in Process Operations Technology classes at Ivy Tech Community College, to be paid interns at its Mt. Vernon plant.
They are:
- Nathan Collins Harrisburg, IL
- Blayne Mayhew Petersburg, IN
- Karl Baro Mt. Vernon, IN
- Conner McKinney Mt. Vernon, IN
“The students were recognized today as the first chemical operator interns at SABIC,†said Niall McConville, Director of the SABIC Mt. Vernon facility. Several years ago, SABIC officials came to Ivy Tech to discuss a possible partnership to create a local curriculum for candidates interested in chemical operator positions at their company. Ivy Tech began offering the technical certificate in Process Operations in 2017.
“At the time of our initial discussions, we had seen the writing on the wall and knew that many of our chemical operators would retire over the next 10 years and we needed to work quickly to educate and train individuals to fill these specialized roles as well as create a long-term pipeline,†said McConville. “We modeled what we wanted at Ivy Tech after a similar program in another state, and put resources in place to make it happen.â€
In the last year, SABIC has introduced possible full-ride scholarships, paid internships, and a guaranteed interview for a job at their Mt. Vernon plant, to students in the program at Ivy Tech.
Ivy Tech Evansville Chancellor Daniela Vidal believes this partnership is a good model for the workforce. “We are so pleased to be able to co-create this talent pipeline offering a technical certificate in Process Operations Technology.†Vidal said. The Technical Certificate is a 34-credit hour program, over a two- to three-semester time frame. “To date, 13 students have graduated with a technical certificate and we expect many more in the future. Ivy Tech partners with many industries to provide the relevant, timely training needed for our communities’ workforce needs.â€
Capobianco Captures Second-Straight Silver on 1-Meter
MINNEAPOLIS – Indiana swimming and diving senior Andrew Capobianco earned his second-straight NCAA silver medal on the 1-meter springboard Thursday (March 23), leading three All-America finishes for IU on day two of the 2023 NCAA Men’s Swimming and Diving Championships inside the Jane K. Freeman Aquatic Center.
Currently sitting sixth place with 99 points, Indiana is in solid position to move back into the top five going into what projects to be its best two days. IU was eighth with 78 points through Thursday at the 2022 meet but totaled 187 points over the final two nights to place top five nationally.
Capobianco finished as the runner-up on 1-meter by just 3.5 points. His last two dives both scored 80-plus points to put him position to win the event. In the final round, Capobianco hit an 86.70 to give himself a nice 71.1-point lead over the eighth and final diver, Ohio State’s Lyle Yost. Yost changed his dive from a 2.6 DD to a 3.6 and got just enough out of it to outscore Capobianco by that fine margin.
“I am so proud of Andrew today,†IU head diving coach Drew Johansen said. “He delivered an amazing final dive to have a chance to win. He continues to lead this team through his actions, and I can’t wait to see him lead the team through these final days.â€
Capobianco now has five NCAA medals and 11 All-America honors to his name. The two-time NCAA 3-meter champion will dive on that board for the final time in his collegiate career on Friday.
For the first time in program history, every member of Indiana’s 200-yard freestyle relay posted a sub-19.00 split. The quartet of senior Van Mathias (18.96), junior Gavin Wight (18.98) and sophomores Finn Brooks (18.97) and Rafael Miroslaw (18.92) beat their Big Ten champion swim of 1:16.29 to go 1:15.83 Thursday night and finish ninth in the nation – three spots better than their seed. All three of IU’s relays this week have finished in the top 10.
Mathias has three strong showings in the 50 free Thursday. In the morning, he broke the program record in 18.89 to post the top qualifying time for the consolation final. In the evening he went 18.91, still better than the previous record, to finish 11th in the country. Then, his 18.96 leadoff split set the tone for the 200 freestyle relay.
“It was another good day for the Hoosiers here at the NCAA Championships,†IU head swimming coach Ray Looze said. “Congratulations to Andrew Capobianco on his runner-up finish on 1-meter and Van Mathias’ school record with his fantastic 50 freestyle. I was pleased that our 200 freestyle relay moved up to ninth place from their 12th-place seed. We have a big day tomorrow, and we’re very excited to get back in the pool!â€
Friday promises excitement for the cream and crimson. The Hoosiers are slated to have 10 prelim swims and four divers in the 3-meter prelim. Senior Brendan Burns will do the 100-yard butterfly, 100-yard backstroke double in which he placed ninth and second a year ago. Burns is the No. 4 seed in the 100 back, though his personal best and program record 44.15 is faster than this year’s top-seeded swimmer. The last race of the day is the 400-yard medley relay, in which IU was the runner-up a year ago. On the third day of the 2022 NCAA Championships, Indiana earned two silver-medal finishes.
RESULTS
50 FREESTYLE
11. Van Mathias – 18.91 (Honorable Mention All-America)
1-METER DIVE
- Andrew Capobianco – 439.45 (Silver, All-America)
200 FREESTYLE RELAY
- Van Mathias, Gavin Wight, Finn Brooks, Rafael Miroslaw – 1:15.83 (Honorable Mention All-America)
HOOSIER ALL-AMERICANS
Finn Brooks (200 Freestyle Relay*)
Brendan Burns (200 Medley Relay, 800 Freestyle Relay)
Andrew Capobianco (1-meter)
Tomer Frankel (200 Medley Relay, 800 Freestyle Relay)
Van Mathias (200 Medley Relay, 800 Freestyle Relay, 50 Freestyle*, 200 Freestyle Relay*)
Rafael Miroslaw (800 Freestyle Relay, 200 Freestyle Relay*)
Gavin Wight (200 Medley Relay, 200 Freestyle Relay*)
* -Â Denotes Honorable Mention
UP NEXT
Indiana will have competitors in the 100 fly, 200 free, 100 breast, 100 back, 3-meter dive and 400 medley relay on Friday. Prelims begin at 11 a.m. ET and finals will start at 7 p.m.
WARRICK HUMANE SOCIETY PRESENTS “WARRICK TAILS ON TRAILS 4th ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONâ€
Newburgh, IN – March 23, 2023
Warrick Tails on Trails will celebrate its 4th Anniversary on April 1, 2023, from 8:00 am – 9:30 am. Participants are invited to come out and walk a shelter dog, take some fun photos in our special photo area, and enjoy snacks and giveaways. As part of the celebration, there will be a donation drive for the Warrick Humane Society, and monetary donations will be accepted for new leashes for the Warrick Tails on Trails program. If a participant falls in love with a shelter dog at the event, they will receive $50 off the adoption fee! The special is valid for dogs over 6 months of age who are fully vetted, and the adoption must be completed on April 1.
Warrick Tails on Trails is a free, family-friendly program where participants take a WHS shelter dog on a walk or run along the Warrick Trails. It is held every Saturday from 8:00 am – 9:30 am, weather permitting. First-time participants who want to walk a dog need to bring a photo ID. Participants must be 18+ to control the leash, but all family members are encouraged to come along!
Why is the Warrick Tails on Tails program so important? This is an opportunity for the Warrick Humane Society shelter dogs to get out on a long walk each week, providing the dogs with physical exercise as well as socialization and enrichment. In addition, the dog walkers fill out a “report card†about each dog, which provides valuable information to the adoption team when they are matching a potential adopter with just the right dog!
DONATION DRIVE WISH LIST
Bleach
Fabuloso
HE Liquid Laundry Detergent
Dish Soap
Lysol
Disinfecting Cleaning Wipes
13 Gallon Trash Bags
Bath Towels (used are great!)
For more information contact:
Kim Henning
Warrick Humane Society Assistant Director
812-858-1132
WHSassistantdirector@gmail.com
Jackson’s double-double not enough as No. 15 Trailblazers fall in National Quarterfinals
HUTCHINSON, Kan. – The No. 15 seed Vincennes University Trailblazers had their season come to an end Thursday afternoon at the hands of No. 7 Northwest Florida State by the final score of 68-55.
VU sophomore Shilo Jackson (Indianapolis, Ind.) closed out his Trailblazer career in fitting fashion, ending with an 11-point, 10-rebound double-double, his sixth of the season and 21st in a Vincennes uniform.
Vincennes got off to a slow start out of the gates Thursday and the defending National Champion Raiders pounced on the opportunity.
Northwest Florida State quickly built a double-digit lead in the first half at 21-10.
VU would slowly chip away at this lead, eventually using a 6-0 scoring run to close out the first half of play to cut the deficit down to 37-32 heading into the locker room break.
NW Florida quickly built their lead back up to double-figures to start the second half, before VU closed the margin back down to seven.
The Raiders answered back to take a 16-point lead midway through the second period and this time the Blazers were unable to get back within 10 points as NW Florida State came away with the 68-55 victory to advance to the Final Four.
The Trailblazers were led offensively by sophomore Caleb Johnson (N. Preston, Nova Scotia) and freshman Kris King (Washington, D.C.).
The pair of Blazers each finished the game with 12 points, with King getting going early to score nine points in the first half, while also ending with four rebounds and dishing out a team-high three assists. Johnson would grab two rebounds and lead the Blazers defense with three steals on the game.
Shilo Jackson closed out his VU career with 11 points and 10 rebounds, while also protecting the rim with a team-high three blocks.
Sophomore Tasos Cook (Columbus, Ohio) finished out his day with nine points, two assists, two steals and two rebounds, while freshman Michael Osei-Bonsu (Bolingbrook, Ill.) led the Blazers with 12 rebounds for the game.
The No. 15 Trailblazers close out the 2022-23 season with a final record of 30-6, VU’s 19th 30-win season in program history.
The Trailblazers earned VU’s 37th NJCAA National Tournament appearance, an NJCAA record and ended their run with 67 NJCAA National Tournament victories in program history, setting a new NJCAA record.
Thursday’s result means the end for VU’s five departing sophomores; Tasos Cook, Caleb Johnson, Shilo Jackson, Trenton Johnson (South Bend, Ind.) and Devawn White (Montreal, Quebec).
VINCENNES BOX SCORE
VINCENNES (55): Tasos Cook 3-8 2-2 9, Trenton Johnson 0-1 0-0 0, Caleb Johnson 4-14 4-7 12, Michael Osei-Bonsu 2-7 0-0 4, Shilo Jackson 3-7 5-6 11, James Locke IV 0-1 0-0 0, Devawn White 1-1 0-0 2, Kris King 4-15 3-4 12, Ryan Oliver 2-7 1-5 5, Kent King 0-1 0-0 0, Victor Lado 0-0 0-0 0, Karyiek Dixon 0-0 0-0 0, Team 19-62 15-24 55.
VU (30-6, 16-5) – 32   23 – 55
NW Florida State – 37   31 – 68
Three-point goals: VU 2 (Cook, Kr. King). Rebounds: VU 39 (Osei-Bonsu 12). Assists: VU 10 (Kr. King 3). Steals: VU 8 (C. Johnson 3). Blocked Shots: VU 3 (Jackson 3). Turnovers: VU 8. Personal Fouls: VU 14. Fouled out: None. Technical Fouls: VU Coach (1-17:25).
-30-
The No. 15 VU Trailblazers end the season at 30-6 with a 16-5 record against Region 24 opponents.
Vincennes University Precision Machining Technology students win global competition
VINCENNES, Ind., March 22, 2023 – A trio of Vincennes University Precision Machining Technology majors won first place in the Educational Division of the 2022 Mastercam Wildest Parts Competition. Composed of Nate Conrad, Jackson Roberts, and Luke Schirmer, the VU students won the top prize for their innovative and fun electric skateboard.
Sponsored yearly by Mastercam, the competition encourages student interest and participation in manufacturing. The contest challenges students in high school and college to create parts demonstrating creativity and technical skill using Mastercam software.Â
“I am extremely proud of the work done by our student team during the 2022 Wildest Parts Competition,†VU Advanced CNC Assistant Professor Jonathan Vennard said. “The students were self-sufficient and were able to take what they have learned in the Precision Machining and Advanced CNC Programming and Operations courses to create a truly innovative project.â€
The VU students showcased their talents and skills while beating second and third-place teams from Taiwan. Those teams created a violin and a combination/master lock in the shape of an end mill.
VU’s winning project began as a personal venture before Vennard encouraged the students to enter the electric skateboard into the competition. The students challenged themselves, resulting in a first-place finish and a great sense of achievement.
With the exception of electronics, everything on the winning skateboard was designed and manufactured by Conrad (Valley City, Ohio), Roberts (Chesterton, Indiana), and Schirmer (Lizton, Indiana).
According to Roberts, “Working with Nate and Luke showed me what three liked minded people could really accomplish by working together. We were all able to accept the responsibilities set forth at the beginning of the project and be able to bounce ideas off each other when we encountered problems in our tasks. What I enjoyed best about the competition was being able to follow whatever criteria we set as a team for our project. Every step of the way felt like a major accomplishment while seeing the board materialize in front of us. The last few days were very stressful, but once the board was finished, the feeling of achievement was overwhelming.â€
Their winning skateboard and successful ideas earned the trio a cash award, certificates and other prizes.
“We are so thankful for the industry partnerships, support, and guidance that we receive here at VU to help make cutting-edge projects like this one possible,†Vennard said. “We look forward to continuing to compete in the Mastercam Wildest Parts competition and Project
MFG competitions in the future, to continue to carve the Vincennes University name as one of the premier educational facilities for machinists in the country.â€
VU’s Precision Machining Technology program has a nearly 100 percent graduation placement rate. Starting salaries for VU Precision Machining graduates average in the $40,000 to $50,000 range or higher.Â
Mathias Breaks Program Record in Prelims
MINNEAPOLIS – Indiana men’s swimming and diving senior Van Mathias broke the program’s 50-yard freestyle record, swimming an 18.89 during Thursday (March 23) morning’s preliminary session at the 2023 NCAA Men’s Swimming and Diving Championships inside the Jane K. Freeman Aquatic Center.
Mathias’ time was the ninth-best among morning swims, so he’ll share the top qualifying spot in the 50 free consolation final Thursday night. Mathias broke Olympian Blake Pieroni’s mark of 18.93, set at the same pool at the 2018 national meet.
Mathias’ personal best coming into the season was a 20.05, but the fifth-year swimmer has trimmed his time as the season has gone. At midseason, Mathias swam a 19.38 then brought it down to a 19.00 to win the Big Ten title in February.
Sophomores Finn Brooks (19.36) and Rafael Miroslaw (19.44) both swam season-bests, which bodes well for the days to come.
Senior Andrew Capobianco tallied a 391.00 score in the 1-meter diving prelim, just 1.95 points behind the championship final’s top qualifier. Capobianco is now an 11-time All-American and will go for his second medal on the 1-meter springboard after winning silver a year ago. In the prelim, Capobianco tallied scores of 65.60, 67.50, 61.50, 54.00, 69.30 and 73.10.
IU has the No. 12-seeded relay in the final event of the evening, the 200-yard freestyle relay. Indiana won the event at the Big Ten Championships as Mathias, junior Gavin Wight, Brooks and Miroslaw went a pool record 1:16.29. The program record is not far from reach, sitting at 1:15.41.
RESULTS
200 IM
DQ. Luke Barr (Shoulders past vertical toward breast – back)
50 FREESTYLE
t9. Van Mathias – 18.89 (Program Record, Career Best, Consolation Final)
- Finn Brooks – 19.36 (Career Best)
- Rafael Miroslaw – 19.38
1-METER DIVE
- Andrew Capobianco – 391.00 (Championship Final)
- Carson Tyler – 338.25
- Maxwell Weinrich – 327.90
- Quinn Henninger – 319.15
HOOSIER ALL-AMERICANS
Brendan Burns (200 Medley Relay, 800 Freestyle Relay)
Andrew Capobianco (1-meter)
Tomer Frankel (200 Medley Relay, 800 Freestyle Relay)
Van Mathias (200 Medley Relay, 800 Freestyle Relay, 50 Freestyle*)
Rafael Miroslaw (800 Freestyle Relay)
Gavin Wight (200 Medley Relay)
* -Â Denotes Honorable Mention
UP NEXT
Mathias and Capobianco will return for their individual finals Thursday night. The 50 free final is scheduled to begin at 7:40 p.m. ET to be followed by 1-meter diving. Indiana will also compete in the 200-yard freestyle relay which caps the evening.
USI-Morehead State baseball series shifted due to rain
EVANSVILLE, Ind.— The forecast of heavy rain Thursday and Friday has forced a schedule change for the Ohio Valley Conference three-game baseball series between the University of Southern Indiana and Morehead State University at the USI Baseball Field. Friday’s 6 p.m. single game has been postponed and will be a part of a 2 p.m. Saturday doubleheader, while Sunday’s single game remains slated for a noon start.Â
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For more information about possible USI Baseball weather-related schedule changes, visit USIScreamingEagles.comÂ
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The Screaming Eagles, who will be playing their first OVC game, is 7-14 overall in 2023, while Morehead State enters the series with a 10-10 mark this spring.