            EPD DAILY ACTIVITY REPORTED
media Â
DAILY ACTIVITY REPORTFOOTNOTE: Â EPD DAILY ACTIVITY REPORT Â information was provided by the EPD and posted by the City-County-County Observer without opinion, bias, or editing.
BASEBALL ACES SWEEP SATURDAY DOUBLEHEADER FROM BOWLING GREENÂ
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The University of Evansville baseball exploded for 20 total runs in two games on Saturday, and combined it with strong pitching to sweep a doubleheader from the visiting Bowling Green State Falcons at German American Bank Field at Charles H. Braun Stadium in Evansville.  UE won the opener 9-3 before cruising to an 11-0 run-rule victory in game two.
“What a great day for us at the yard today against a good team,†said UE head coach Wes Carroll.  “Our offense had a great approach and was able to put up some runs against two really good starters, and both Nick Smith and Tyler Denu set the tone on the mound for us with quality starts.
“We were able to stack a lot of quality at-bats together today and put up some crooked numbers, which was great to see.  We have a quick turnaround though, as we play an early doubleheader tomorrow, so we need to be ready to go.â€
After erupting for 14 runs on Wednesday in a mid-week victory at Southeast Missouri State, the Purple Aces continued the offensive momentum early on Saturday.  UE plated the first run of the game just three pitches into Saturday’s opener, as junior Kip Fougerousse led off with a double off the wall in right-center field and scored on an RBI single by fifth-year first baseman Chase Hug.  Four batters later, senior third baseman Brent Widder would come through with a two-out, two-run triple off of the glove of a lunging left-fielder to give UE an early 3-0 lead.
UE would add two more runs in the third inning and would take a 5-2 lead to the bottom of the fifth inning, before fifth-year outfielder Danny Borgstrom tripled off the literal top of the outfield fence in right field to score a run to push the lead to 6-2.  He would then score on a sacrifice fly by sophomore DH Ben Stuart to move the cushion to 7-2.
Evansville would tack on two more runs in the sixth inning, and that would be more than enough for UE’s game-one starter Nick Smith (1-2), who tossed a seven-inning complete-game victory while striking out a career-best 12.  Offensively, Hug, junior shortstop Simon Scherry and junior catcher Brendan Hord all had two-hit games, with Hug, Widder, Borgstrom and Stuart all driving in two runs each.
In the nightcap, UE starter Tyler Denu (1-0) struck out the side in the first inning to set the tone on the mound, and Fougerousse crushed the second pitch he saw as UE’s lead-off batter over 414 feet to right-center field to give Evansville a lead it would never lose.  Fougerousse finished the second game going 3-for-5 with three runs scored and an RBI.
After Fougerousse’s fourth home run of the year gave UE a 1-0 lead in the first inning, the Purple Aces would push the lead to 2-0 in the fourth inning on an RBI double by sophomore DH Evan Waggoner.  Evansville would then break things open in the fifth inning with four runs on back-to-back RBI singles by fifth-year outfielder Eric Roberts and Widder, who would both then come into score on a Bowling Green error.  UE then added five runs in the sixth inning to enact the mercy rule, and reliever Shane Harris worked a perfect seventh inning to close out the contest.
Denu earned the victory in game two for UE by tossing 5.0 scoreless innings of three-hit baseball, while striking out four.  Harris allowed just one base runner in two scoreless innings of relief work to close things out.
With the two victories on Saturday, Evansville (5-5) extended its winning streak to five-straight games.  Bowling Green, meanwhile, saw its overall record to 2-6.  The two teams will conclude the four-game series on Sunday, beginning at 11 a.m. at GAB Field.  Junior LHP Donovan Schultz (0-1, 8.00 ERA) and graduate RHP Jarrett Blunt (0-0, 2.45 ERA) are expected to start the two games for UE.
THUNDERBOLTS SHUT OUT 3-0 IN BLOOMINGTONÂ
Bloomington, Ill.:  Despite a strong first two periods, the Thunderbolts ran into a hot goaltender in Eric Levine and were unable to score, losing 3-0 to the Rivermen in Bloomington on Saturday night.  The Thunderbolts’ next home game will be on Sunday, March 5th  against the Peoria Rivermen at 3:00pm CT.  For tickets, call (812)422-BOLT (2658), go to EvansvilleThunderbolts.com, or visit the Ford Center Ticket Office.
Cale List opened the scoring 3:47 into the first period, and it remained that way for most of the game, with only a couple of power plays for either side that went unconverted through the next 50 minutes or so.  Evansville outshot the Rivermen in the first and second periods, but could not find the equalizer. The third period was heavily in Peoria’s favor, and the Thunderbolts were outshot 17-4 in the final frame.  Evansville paid for the drop in play, as JM Piotrowski scored a power play goal with 4:16 remaining to make it a 2-0 Rivermen lead before scoring again into an empty net goal with 57 seconds remaining to officially put the game away, 3-0 Rivermen.  In net, Trevor Gorsuch kept Evansville in the game the whole way, finishing with 31 saves on 33 shots.  The Thunderbolts and Rivermen meet once again on Sunday, March 5th at Ford Center.
Albion Fellows Bacon Center Receives Community Awareness Project Funding for 2023 National Crime Victims’ Rights WeekÂ
 Evansville, IN – Albion Fellows Bacon Center has received funding from the National Association of VOCA Assistance Administrators (NAVAA) through a grant from the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC), within the Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice, to promote community awareness of crime victims’ rights and services during the 2023 National Crime Victims’ Rights Week.
 The awarded funding will be used to host victim services tables at local courthouses and a Victims’ Rights outreach fair at Eastland Mall as part of a Community Awareness Project in Vanderburgh, Warrick, Posey, and Gibson Counties. The Project is part of National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, an annual observance that takes place April 23-29, 2023.
 “The support from NAVAA and OVC for our 2023 National Crime Victims’ Rights Week activities will help us help crime victims,†said Ashley McReynolds, Director of Engagement and Resource Development.  “Members of our community are encouraged to help promote justice through service to crime victims by joining our 2023 National Crime Victims’ Rights Week activities and supporting victim assistance programs on a daily basis.â€
First designated by President Ronald Reagan in 1981, National Crime Victims’ Rights Week increases general public awareness of, and knowledge about the wide range of rights and services available to people who have been victimized by crime.  The theme for 2023 National Crime Victims’ Rights Week is “Survivor Voices:  Elevate, Engage, Effect Changeâ€.
Since 2004, the NCVRW Community Awareness Project has provided financial and technical assistance to more than 1500 community projects that promote victim and public awareness activities, and innovative approaches to victim outreach and public education about victims’ rights and services during National Crime Victims’ Rights Week. Albion Fellows Bacon Center (with collaboration from partners such as Holly’s House, Willow Tree, Parenting Time Center, Lampion Center, YWCA, Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Office, Vanderburgh and Posey Prosecutor’s Offices) was one of the 89 recommended by NAVAA and selected for funding by OVC for 2023 from the 151 applications that were submitted nationwide.
Eagles earn split on first day at The Spring Games
MADEIRA BEACH, Fla. – University of Southern Indiana Softball (4-6) earned a split on the first day of games for the Screaming Eagles at The Spring Games in Madeira Beach, Florida, recording a 2-0 win against Holy Cross before getting edged by Yale University, 3-2, in the night cap.
Â
In the first game of the day against Holy Cross, the offenses were rather limited by the starting pitchers. Sophomore pitcher Josie Newman (Indianapolis, Indiana) pitched her second shutout of the season on Saturday for USI. Newman struck out 12 in seven innings, giving up only three hits, to improve her season record to 3-3. Her opposition in the circle from Holy Cross, sophomore pitcher Sophia Roncone, was also strong. Roncone went seven innings, surrendering two runs – one earned – with three strikeouts, as her record dropped to 1-3.
Â
USI had a chance in the top of the third with the bases loaded but were unable to score. In the top of the fourth inning, the Screaming Eagles found a little momentum the second time through the lineup in the middle of the batting order. Following a stolen base by sophomore outfielder Olivia Howard (Fishers, Indiana), who came in as a pinch runner, junior first baseman Lexi Fair (Greenwood, Indiana) found the left-center gap for an RBI double to drive in Howard and give USI a 1-0 lead after four innings.
Â
Meanwhile, Newman had struck out eight through four innings, including striking out the side in order in the bottom of the fourth.
Â
In the top of the seventh, USI scored an insurance run, as junior catcher Sammie Kihega (Greenfield, Indiana) doubled in a run with two outs to put USI ahead, 2-0, which allowed Newman to finish the game with ease.
Â
In USI’s second game of the day against Yale, once again, both starting pitchers put up zeroes through the first three innings, working around a few baserunners along the way.
Â
For USI, senior pitcher Allie Goodin (Evansville, Indiana) made the start in the circle. In the top of the fourth, Goodin pitched with the bases loaded. A double by Yale scored two unearned runs after an error earlier in the inning. USI answered right away in the bottom half of the inning with two runs to knot the game, 2-2. Goodin helped her own cause with an RBI single that scored junior outfielder Mackenzie Bedrick (Brownsburg, Indiana), and later in the inning, Fair singled in the tying run.
Â
Yale recaptured the lead, 3-2, in the top of the fifth on a solo home run by sophomore infielder Lauren Perren. Yale held on the rest of the way.
Â
Goodin was charged a tough loss, going six innings with five strikeouts. The senior allowed three runs – one earned. Her record dropped to 0-3.
Â
Yale freshman pitcher Emma Taylor picked up the win after a complete game with three strikeouts and two runs allowed. Her record moved to 2-2.
Â
Offensively, on the day, Bedrick recorded a pair of hits against Holy Cross, and Kihega had a two-hit game against Yale.
Sen. Braun and Congressman Biggs lead the push to recognize national debt as a threat to national security
Sen. Braun and Congressman Biggs lead the push to recognize national debt as a threat to national security
WASHINGTON — Senator Mike Braun (R-IN) and Congressman Andy Biggs (R-AZ) have introduced a resolution that formally recognizes America’s national debt as a threat to its national security. Reckless spending, unbalanced budgets, and waste have soared the national debt to more than $31 trillion.
“Our staggering national debt is the greatest national security threat to the United States, but no one wants to talk about it. Washington needs political will and a backbone to stop reckless spending and restore regular order to address our fiscal crisis,â€Â said Senator Braun.
“Our government’s spending spree is unsustainable and inches us closer to defaulting. America produces significant revenue and yet we continue to find ourselves in a position where we are unable to pay our bills. This means future generations will bear these costs and that’s unacceptable. If our government does not become more fiscally responsible, we will no longer be able to adequately fund our military apparatus as well as basic societal services. That is a recipe for a disaster and enables our adversaries to surpass us on the global stage. Raising the debt ceiling every year is a cop-out. This resolution will restore regular order to the appropriations process and acknowledge that Washington has a spending problem. I am grateful for Senator Braun’s dedication to this critical issue,â€Â said Congressman Biggs.Â
Read the full resolution here.
The effort to move Indiana to partisan school board elections dies in the House
Indiana Capital Chronicle
A bill that would have let Hoosier communities decide if local school board elections should be partisan died in the Indiana House after lawmakers failed to vote on the measure by Monday’s deadline.
That means school board races will stay non-partisan — at least for now. Language from the bill could still crop up in others before the end of the current legislative session.
House Bill 1428, authored by Rep. J.D. Prescott, R-Union City, sought to add political party identifications to what are now nonpartisan school board elections throughout the state. The legislation was the first to extend “local control†over the issue.
Monday was the deadline for House bills to pass out of the chamber. Prescott did not call the bill for a full chamber vote, however, likely indicating a lack of support from the House Republican caucus.
GOP House Speaker Todd Huston expressed support for optional partisan school board races earlier this month, but noted that members of his caucus are “all across the spectrum†on Prescott’s proposal — “This is one of those bills that doesn’t split along party lines.â€
Ultimately, Republican lawmakers could not find consensus over whether school board candidates should have to be nominated via party primaries or only be listed by a political party on the November general election ballot.
“It’s hard to find that sweet spot,†Huston said on Monday. “We didn’t quite get it this year.â€
Multiple other versions of the bill circulated through the Indiana Statehouse this year and last, to no avail.
A separate proposal that died earlier in the current session would have instead created a blanket requirement for school board candidates to identify as a Republican, Democrat or Independent.
Currently, Indiana is among 41 states where local school board elections are held without any party identification on the ballot for candidates.
The move for partisan school boards bubbled up after local fights over COVID-19 protocols, race issues and book bans.
The latest version of the bill
Supporters of the bill have maintained that forcing school board candidates to declare a party will provide greater transparency for voters.
Democrats and representatives from multiple education groups opposed the bill, however, arguing that such steps would needlessly further inject politics into local school decisions.
The latest version of the bill would have given Hoosier communities two options to trigger a referendum vote.
One provision said sitting school board members could decide on their own to vote for their seats to become partisan. But local voters would still have gotten the final say.
Another option would have used a petition process requiring signatures of 500 voters or 5% of voters in the district, whichever is lesser. A successful petition would put the question on the ballot.
But locals also had the option to do nothing at all, meaning school board elections in a particular district would remain nonpartisan. That was the default option laid out in the bill.
Updated language in the bill clarified that Libertarians and other third-party candidates could run, as long as they declare their party affiliation.
Voters would also have been required to choose, individually, school board members on ballots — a straight-ticket option wouldn’t be available.
Whether through a school board vote or voter-led public question, school board candidates would have had to run in partisan primaries in order to be nominated for the general election, or forgo a primary altogether but have to use a partisan label in the general election.
To claim a party, school board candidates further must have voted that way in the last two primaries in which that person voted.
Candidates for school board additionally could not work for that school corporation, according to the bill.
A school board or community would have been forced to wait 10 years between any public questions if they later changed their minds and wanted to opt out of partisan school board races.
Â
CenterPoint Energy continues damage assessment following severe storms
Evansville – March 4, 2023 – CenterPoint Energy today issued the following update as restoration efforts continue in southwestern Indiana:
Â
CenterPoint Energy crews made significant progress assessing damages overnight and restoring service to affected customers.
Â
As of 12:00 p.m. CT, there are 159 outages affecting approximately 2,800 customers. This morning, an additional 32 electric and vegetation crews were deployed to assist with the restoration efforts. Â
Â
CenterPoint Energy’s restoration efforts are expected to continue throughout the day. As crews encounter challenges with downed trees, damaged equipment, blocked streets, and flooding in some locations, restoration progress may be impacted. As a result, some customers may remain without service for the remainder of the weekend.
Â
“Our dedicated crews worked hard overnight troubleshooting major outages and restoring as many customers as safely and quickly as possible,†said Richard Leger, Senior Vice President, Indiana Electric. “We greatly appreciate our customers’ continued patience as we work around the clock to restore service. We will not rest until the lights are back on for every customer who can take electric service.â€
Â
Leger added, “The heavy rain we received yesterday has made the soil very soft, resulting in some trees not being well rooted. I want to remind customers that even though the weather has improved they should be cautious around large trees and to stay clear of any areas with standing water.â€
Â
Priority of restoration is given to facilities vital to safety, health and welfare, such as hospitals, water treatment plants and public service facilities. Following key facilities, the company follows its priority restoration process by making repairs to electrical facilities that will return power to the largest number of customers first, then continue the restoration process by prioritizing repairs to benefit the greatest number of customers until power is returned to everyone. Â
Â
CenterPoint Energy noted that the extreme weather may have caused damage to customer-owned equipment, such as the customer’s service entrances, risers and/or weatherhead, the point where power enters the home through an electric service drop, which is often a pipe located on the side of the residence or building. Since this equipment is owned and maintained by the customer, if it is damaged, customers will need to contact a qualified electrician to make repairs before the company is able to restore service to them. Once repairs are made, the customer or the electrician should request a permit from the city and contact CenterPoint Energy’s Customer Service at 800-227-1376 to request a service reconnect.
Â
If customers do not have damage to their service entrances, risers or weatherhead, and their power has not been restored, they should check and reset the circuit breakers. If service is still not restored, customers should contact CenterPoint Energy’s Customer Service at 800-227-1376 to report that their service is still off.
Â
 CenterPoint Energy reminds all customers to:Â
Â
·         Stay away from downed power lines. Be especially mindful of downed lines that could be hidden and treat all downed lines as if they are energized.   Â
·         Be cautious around work crews and give them the distance to assess damages and make repairs.Â
·         If your power is out, do not open freezers and refrigerators any more than absolutely necessary. Opening these appliances will allow food to thaw more quickly.Â
·         Consider checking with others who may benefit from your assistance.Â
·         Report any downed lines or damage to 800-227-1376.Â