EPD DAILY ACTIVITY REPORT
BREAKING NEWS: SHERIFF DAVE WEDDING GIVES ADDITIONAL IMFORMATION ABOUT THE CAPTURE OF CASEY WHITE
NBC NEWS
Casey White, the Alabama inmate who was captured Monday in Indiana after a multiday manhunt, told authorities that he had planned to engage in a shootout with law enforcement, an official said Tuesday.
Casey White and Vicky White, the former corrections officer accused of helping him escape, had a cache of weapons, according to Vanderburgh County, Indiana, Sheriff Dave Wedding. The pair had four handguns, and several semiautomatic weapons, including an AR-15, that were recovered from their car, he said. He added the pair had about $29,000 left in the car.
“He said that he was probably going to have a shootout at the stake of both of them losing their lives,” Wedding told reporters.
But the fugitive’s plans were hampered when U.S. marshals used their vehicles to push Casey and Vicky White’s Cadillac into a ditch.
“That action may have saved many of my deputies and members of law enforcement,” Wedding said.
Casey White surrendered to authorities following the wreck.
Vicky White, 56, was pronounced dead hours after the crash, Vanderburgh County Coroner Steve Lockyear said.
The U.S. Marshals Service said when Casey White came out of the car, he exclaimed: “Please help my wife. She just shot herself in the head, and I didn’t do it.â€
Vicky and Casey White were not related, Wedding said during an appearance Tuesday on NBC’s “TODAY†show.
While the initial information indicates Vicky White shot herself, the sheriff said “we won’t rule anything out until we have a thorough investigation by the coroner.â€
An autopsy is scheduled for Tuesday, according to Lockyear.
Casey White, 38, waived extradition during his first court hearing Tuesday, meaning he can now be transported back to Alabama. He signed the waiver with his shackled left hand.
“I’m waiving my rights. I’m going back to Alabama,” Casey White, wearing a bright yellow prison shirt and pants, told the judge.
Officials have said Casey White had a “special relationship†with Vicky White, the former assistant director of corrections at the Lauderdale County Jail. They had a relationship for at least two years and communicated over the phone, according to authorities.
Vicky White is believed to have helped Casey White escape on her final day at work before retirement, and a warrant for her arrest was issued this month.
Vincennes baseball falls in conference doubleheader at Parkland College
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The Vincennes University baseball team closed out their road Mid-West Athletic Conference (MWAC) season with a doubleheader at Parkland College Monday afternoon.
The Trailblazers fell behind early in both games and were unable to recover as the Cobras took game one of the day 15-4 and game two 10-2.
Game one of the day got off to a shaky start for the Blazers as Parkland put up a big five-run inning in the second and tacked on another run in the third to take an early 6-0 lead.
Vincennes would get on the scoreboard in the fourth after four straight walks drove in VU’s first run of the game, followed by a fielder’s choice by freshman Ethan Burdette (Linton, Ind.) to drive in a second run.
Parkland would grow their lead back with a pair of runs in the bottom half of the inning before Vincennes would responded with another two run inning in the fifth.
Sophomore Peyton Lane (New Paris, Ohio) led off the inning with a walk and would later score on a wild pitch.
Sophomore Connor VanLannen (Clinton, Ind.) later walked in the inning and was driven in on an RBI single by sophomore Dale Coy (Evansville, Ind.).
Parkland would grab the momentum back in the bottom of the fifth with a three-run inning and take game one in walk-off fashion in the sixth with another four runs, giving the Cobras the 15-4 win.
Freshman Dawson Blaylock (Eaton, Ohio) got the start on the mound in game one of the day, throwing three and two-thirds innings, allowing eight runs on 10 hits and striking out two.
Sophomore Ryan Bartley (Tuscola, Ill.) worked two-thirds of an inning out of the bullpen and allowed two runs, while striking out one.
Freshman Caleb Moore (Wentzville, Mo.) threw the remaining one and one-third innings, allowing five runs on four hits and striking out one.
“Game one of the day we gave up five runs in the third and battled our way back into the game, but not enough,†VU Head Baseball Coach Chris Barney said. “We’ve got to play better defense, bottom line. Today we didn’t do it. We had about five or six errors in the game, we had missed opportunities to turn a double play, we had some pick off plays where we had guys out but we just didn’t catch the ball. We’ve just got to do a better job of catching the baseball and recording outs.â€
Thank You Hoosier Nurses
Thank You Hoosier Nurses
By State Representative, Tim O’BrienÂ
Hoosier nurses work hard and selflessly serve our communities. These professionals are heroes for being on the frontlines to help Hoosiers in their most challenging and vulnerable moments. As we celebrate National Nurses Week through May 12, let’s come together to voice our appreciation for those who dedicate their careers to this worthy profession. From births and broken bones to surgeries and scrapes, the care provided by nurses is critical. It’s also a time to shine a light on the need for more skilled nurses in Indiana as demand continues to outpace supply. Thankfully, our state is stepping up to help.
Even before the COVID-19 virus began to spread, hospitals across our nation experienced a severe nursing shortage. The pandemic exacerbated an already stressful situation for nurses and Indiana is projected to need 5,000 additional nurses by 2031. This means we will need 1,350 additional students above what’s projected to graduate from nursing school each year to meet our needs.
With more than 4,000 nursing job openings statewide, I voted for a new law already in effect which allows nursing programs to increase enrollment at faster rates and accept more clinical simulation hours, all while maintaining high-quality training for all nursing students.
With the demand for nurses, competitive salaries and numerous specialties to choose from, launching a nursing career can be very rewarding. To learn more about a career in nursing, including scholarships dedicated to those who agree to work in Indiana upon graduating, visit ic4n.org.
Please take a moment to thank a nurse this week. Whether in an emergency room, at our schools or in the workplace, nurses are there for us in our time of need. Thank you, nurses, for your dedication and care.
USI Softball Nabs Top Seed iI MW Regional
EVANSVILLE, Ind.—University of Southern Indiana Softball was awarded the top overall seed for the NCAA II Midwest Region Tournament Monday morning in an announcement by the national office on ncaa.com. The Screaming Eagles will play host to the four-team NCAA II Midwest Region #1 Tournament Thursday-Saturday at the USI Softball Field.
The Eagles (43-10), who won their fifth Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament title and first since 2017 Sunday, square off against No. 8 seed Saginaw Valley State University Thursday at 2:30 p.m. in game two. The opening game, scheduled for Thursday at noon, features the No. 4 seed, Lindenwood University, taking on the No. 5 seed, Drury University.
The winners of game one and game two will meet Friday at noon in the winner’s bracket, while the losers of those two contests will square off in the elimination bracket Friday at 2:30 p.m. There will be one more elimination bracket game Friday at 5 p.m., while the championship and “if necessary” games are Saturday at noon and 2:30 p.m., respectively.
This marks the second time in program history that USI has hosted the NCAA II Midwest Regional and the first time since 2017. It is the first time USI has hosted as the No. 1 seed.
If the Eagles come out of their half of the bracket, they’ll face the winner of the NCAA II Midwest Region #2 Tournament May 19-20 at the USI Softball Field.
The University of Indianapolis garnered the No. 2 seed and is hosting the NCAA II Midwest Region #2 Tournament. UIndy faces the No. 7 seed, the University of Findlay, in the opening round, while the No 3 seed, Grand Valley State University, takes on the No. 6 seed, Ohio Dominican University, in the other first-round contest.
Tickets for this weekend’s regional are $5 for adults and $3 for college students with valid ID and youth (ages 3-17). All games will be streamed live on the GLVC Sports Network, while USI’s games also will be carried on 95.7 The Spin as well as ESPN 97.7 The Ref. Live stats , audio and video links will be available on GoUSIEagles.com.
US Marshals Service Are Investigating The Death Of Vicky White, Fugitive From Alabama
The Vanderburgh County Coroners Office, the Vanderburgh County Sheriffs Office, and the US Marshals Service are investigating the death of Vicky White, fugitive from Alabama.
White died at Deaconess Hospital at 19:06 hrs CST. An autopsy is scheduled for 17:00 hrs. tomorrow. Additional information will be available after the autopsy.
The Sheriff’s Office can provide investigative information as it becomes available.Â
Simon Scherry named MVC Player of the Week
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EVANSVILLE – Following another MVC series sweep, University of Evansville baseball shortstop Simon Scherry has been named Missouri Valley Conference player of the week, it was announced in a release from the Conference office Monday afternoon.
Helping Evansville to a three-game sweep of Illinois State, Scherry was hot a the plate, leading the team with a .583 batting average on the weekend. Scherry record seven hits in 12 at-bats, including a double, while scoring three runs, including the game-winning run in Evansville’s 5-run ninth-inning comeback over the Redbirds on Friday night. Scherry’s 63 hits this season are tied with Mark Shallenberger for the most on the team and for fifth in the MVC in the category. In the field, Scherry has saved countless runs with his defensive play, ranking tops among non-first baseman in the MVC in double plays with 31.
Scherry is the sixth Ace this season to earn an MVC weekly honor, joining Mark Shallenberger, Tanner Craig, Shane Gray, Evan Berkey, and Nick Smith, who won the honor twice this season.
The Aces are back on the field at German American Bank Field at Charles H. Braun Stadium on Wednesday night for a 6 PM first pitch against SIUE.