EPD DAILY ACTIVITY REPORT
Trailblazers Region 24 winning streak continues with road sweep of John A. Logan
CARTERVILLE, Ill. – The Vincennes University Trailblazer volleyball team extended their 17-game Region 24 winning streak Wednesday night with a three-set sweep of John A. Logan 25-17, 25-21, 25-22.
Set one began as a back-and-forth battle with the two teams trading points for most of the set until the Trailblazers used a 4-0 scoring run to take a 19-13 lead.
VU would close out the set strong, using a 3-0 scoring run to extend the lead and take the opening set 25-17.
The Trailblazers carried this momentum into the second set when Vincennes opened on an 8-0 scoring run behind the serving of sophomore setter Hannah Graber (Montgomery, Ind.)
Vincennes would grow their lead to 10 in the second set before the Lady Volunteers battled back with three separate 4-0 scoring runs.
VU would manage to hold on and take the second set however, with the Blazers coming away with the 25-21 set win and holding a 2-0 match lead.
Vincennes again grabbed an early lead in set three but John A. Logan did not go away quietly with the Lady Vols battling back to cut the deficit to one point at 21-20.
The Trailblazers would go on to take four of the next six points to close out the third set and the match over John A. Logan 25-22.
Vincennes was led offensively by sophomore Malgorzata Banasiak (Gdynia, Poland) who finished with seven kills on the night.
Freshman Paige Parlanti (Las Vegas, Nev.) finished closely behind with six kills on the match, while also adding seven digs, a pair of blocks and a pair of aces.
Freshmen Alexis Chrappa (Effingham, Ill.), Tuana Turhan (Ankara, Turkey) and sophomore Hannah Graber each finished with four kills.
Chrappa added three blocks and Turhan finished with a team-high five blocks, three digs and two aces. Graber also led the Blazers with 11 set assists and three aces, while also adding five digs.
Freshmen Audrey Buis (Franklin, Ind.) and Nisa Salis (Ankara, Turkey) round out the VU offense with Buis finishing the match with three kills and a block and Salis finishing with two kills and a block.
Freshman setter Maecy Johnson (Chrisman, Ill.) ended her night with nine set assists and freshman libero Morgan Netcott (Montague, Mich.) led the Blazers with 10 digs.
Sophomore Lara Gomes de Castro (Sao Paulo, Brazil) finished out the VU box score with five digs on the night.
Study Committee Discusses Cannabis Before Standing-Room-Only Crowd
Study Committee Discusses Cannabis Before Standing-Room-Only Crowd
The Interim Study Committee on Public Health, Behavioral Health and Human Services met Tuesday to discuss cannabis in Indiana—a topic that had people crowding into the first-floor committee room inside the Indiana Statehouse.
Testimony from Indiana farmers, hemp business owners, bankers, the Indiana Chamber of Commerce, the Indiana Prosecuting Attorneys Council, and many more lasted four hours.
Farmers called for tapping into the comparable $1.79 billion Michigan marijuana market to provide and keep jobs in the state while increasing tax revenue.
Others used statistics from a 2018 poll indicating that a majority of Hoosiers—81%—support legalizing cannabis either recreationally or medicinally.
Katie Wiley from Stash Ventures, a Michigan-based hemp company, said the company was founded in Indiana but has had success in Michigan because of the legislation passed there.
She said that by legalizing marijuana now, the state could catch up to and improve upon other states’ legislation on the issue, rather than fall behind and miss out on opportunities waiting on the federal government to legalize cannabis nationally.
She was just one person asking for regulations from seed to store so that consumers know what they’re getting and the products are safer and of better quality.
Eric Simo, the owner-operator of Hempin LLC in Columbus and Crothersville, spoke out about the Indiana law making the sale of the hemp flower illegal, noting the losses his company has taken as a result.
“We have to move forward … We’re kind of like the laughing stock of the Midwest… It’s sad and it’s inhumane,†Simo said.
“Come into my store, come down, spend an hour and talk to the citizens of Indiana that are desperate,†he said. “They don’t want pharmaceuticals. They don’t want opiates.â€
Mike Ripley from the Indiana Chamber of Commerce said it is maintaining its 2017 position, opposing “the legalization of marijuana in any form for recreational use, for medical or therapeutic use until the time when efficacy and safety have proven to be consistent through clinical trials.†The agency does support the use of isolated components of marijuana cannabinoids for medicinal purposes if approved by the FDA.
Brock Patterson from the Indiana Prosecuting Attorneys Council said a main concern falls on the need to improve testing capabilities in labs and associated costs. And expressing health concerns, the American Cancer Society said that if legalizing legislation passes, smoking marijuana should be prohibited in public under no-smoking laws.
The next meeting is scheduled for Oct. 4.
USI Men’s Swim & Dive Voted Eighth In Preseason Poll
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Men’s Swimming & Diving is predicted to finish eighth in The Summit League this season. The Summit released the preseason predicted order of finish Wednesday morning along with the 2022-23 Preseason Swimmers and Divers to Watch, where freshman multi Garrett Crist (Bargersville, Indiana) and diver/breaststroke Lane Pollock (Boonville, Indiana) landed themselves on the list. The Screaming Eagles will compete in the program’s inaugural season after joining The Summit League in early 2022.
“We are excited about our first year of competition and doing so within the Summit League,” says USI Head Coach Cameron Kainer. “This league is comprised of teams who have qualified for the NCAA meet and show year in and year out what it takes to compete at that level. We are excited about joining this prominent league and I think we are planning to turn some heads in our first season.”
Topping the preseason poll was the reigning Summit League Champion, the University of Denver, who nabbed 48 total points and six first-place votes. South Dakota University and Lindenwood University claimed a tie for second place with 38 points and one first-place vote each.
Rounding out the final five are the University of Nebraska Omaha (30), South Dakota State University (28), University St. Thomas (19), Eastern Illinois University (14), and USI (9).
Along with the preseason poll, the Summit announced its 2022-23 Preseason Swimmers and Divers to Watch, where Crist and Pollock earned two of the 16 spots. Crist is a Center Grove High School product who was a three-time All-Conference and two-time All-State competitor. He also was named to the NISCA All-American swim team in 2021. Pollock, the lone Eagles’ diver, comes out of Boonville High School where he collected 12 athletic letters in three different sports. He tallied two state appearances and led his team to back-to-back conference championships.
The Eagles begin the 2022-23 campaign when they host Valparaiso University on October 1 at USI Aquatic Center. USI also will host Quincy University on October 22 and Southern Illinois University on January 21, 2023. The Eagles travel to four different meets with their first being a competitor in the Bellarmine Invitational on October 28 and 29. The Eagles will then travel to Minneapolis, Minnesota for The Summit League Championships from February 22 to 25, 2023.
| 2022-23 Summit League Men’s Swimming & Diving Preseason Coaches’ Poll | |||
| Rank | School | Points (1st) | 2022 Championship Finish |
| 1. | Denver | 48 (6) | 1st (987 pts) |
| 2. | South Dakota | 38 (1) | 2nd (723 pts) |
| Lindenwood | 38 (1) | GLVC: 5th (1,129 pts) | |
| 4. | Omaha | 30 | 4th (564 pts) |
| 5. | South Dakota State | 28 | 3rd (595 pts) |
| 6. | St. Thomas | 19 | 5th (302 pts) |
| 7. | Eastern Illinois | 14 | 6th (217 pts) |
| 8. | Southern Indiana | 9 | N/A |
Summit League Men’s Preseason Swimmers and Divers to Watch
(as selected by league coaches)
Marco Nosack, Denver
Jon Brouillette, Denver
Mack Sathre, South Dakota
Jaden Cardona, South Dakota
Elliott Irwin, Lindenwood
David Molina-Fregenal, Lindenwood
Luke Asbury, Omaha
Ian Blackstock, Omaha
Austin Smith, South Dakota State
Zach Boyd, South Dakota State
Alex Foti, St. Thomas
Joe Rudd, St Thomas
Sebastian Rosales, Eastern Illinois
Conner Colston, Eastern Illinois
Garrett Crist, Southern Indiana
Lane Pollock, Southern Indiana
Braun-Sponsored Bill Would Make Dealing Fentanyl A Felony Murder Offense
Fentanyl overdose is the number one cause of death for Americans between the ages of 18 and 45. Hoosier communities are seeing record rates of overdose deaths, including Vanderburgh County which saw a record number of overdose deaths last year – 60% of which were from fentanyl.
U.S. Senator Mike Braun has joined his colleagues U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) and Senator Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) in introducing the Felony Murder for Deadly Fentanyl Distribution Act.
The bill makes the distribution of fentanyl resulting in death punishable by federal felony murder charges.
“Fentanyl is killing young Hoosiers and cutting a path of destruction through the Midwest,†said Senator Mike Braun. “If you are peddling this poison you should pay the price.â€
“A wide-open Southern border has fueled a fentanyl epidemic in this country. The dealers and distributors of this deadly drug must be held accountable, and that’s what we’re fighting to do,†said Ernst. “This effort will impose felony murder charges for people who willingly distribute this lethal opioid to unknowing recipients.â€
“Fentanyl is killing Americans at a record high. This deadly drug is widespread throughout our country and has left no community untouched,†said Rubio. “This bill would make drug dealers pay the price for selling deadly fentanyl.â€
Illicit use of fentanyl is now the leading cause of death among Americans aged 18-45. Ernst, Rubio, and Braun were joined by Senators Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), and Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) in introducing the bill.
Gov. Holcomb Announces Partnership With Midwest Governors To Establish A Regional Hydrogen Coalition
A Robust Hydrogen Ecosystem Will Lead To More Economic Development
INDIANAPOLIS-Governor Eric J. Holcomb today joined his fellow governors in Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin to collaborate on developing a robust hydrogen market, supply chain, and workforce across the Midwest by signing the Midwest Hydrogen Coalition Memorandum of Understanding (M-H2 Coalition MOU).
“Strong partnerships and collaborations with our neighbors will foster a robust hydrogen ecosystem that will spur future growth in Indiana,†said Gov. Holcomb. “The Regional Hydrogen Coalition represents an opportunity for Hoosiers to benefit from this growing industry here in the Midwest.â€
The M-H2 Coalition MOU will support advancing hydrogen production in the region, with little to no greenhouse gas emissions, while leveraging each participating state’s unique assets. Developing a strong Midwest hydrogen market ecosystem that reduces pollution, enhances energy security, and improves public health outcomes will enable existing industries to remain globally competitive and encourage new industries to build and grow in the Midwest.
The coalition will conduct its work by employing a coordinated multi-state, multi-sector approach to developing a robust and sustainable hydrogen economy across the Midwest, informed by industry, academic, and community engagement. Indiana will utilize its advanced manufacturing, engineering, and research and development expertise to help promote diverse hydrogen production pathways throughout the Midwest region. These innovations and opportunities will be crucial to safeguard the region’s manufacturing economy in the long term.
LETTER TO EDITOR: Registered Republican Pledges Not To Vote For Tim O’Brien Because Of His Aboration Stance
Registered Republican Pledges Not To Vote For Tim O’Brien
September 23, 2022
We the people elect our state and federal representatives and senators to vote for the will of the people they represent.Â
I’m a registered Republican who will NOT vote for Tim O’Brien (R) because of his personal ridged stance on abortion.Â
Indiana’s abortion law will wreak havoc with women’s lives, health and mental health, and income.Â
Tim O’Brien doesn’t have the right to force his personal ideals on the people he represents. Women must have control over their own bodies. The immense heartbreaking decision of women to bring a pregnancy to term or not is hers alone.
Sincerely,
Jane Webster
Vanderburgh County
FOOTNOTE: The City-County Observer posted the letter Of Jane Webster without opinion, bias, or editing.Â
The City-County invites anyone who wants to write a letter in the agreement or in opposition to  Jane Webster’s letter you may do so by writing to city-countyobserver@live.com Â
We will publish your letter without basis, opinion, or editing. Â