The Purple Aces sophomore was recognized for his work away from the track
ST. LOUIS — In an effort to honor the achievements of exceptional student-athletes, the Missouri Valley Conference has created the State Farm MVC Good Neighbor Award. Twelve student-athletes have been named by Commissioner Jeff Jackson as the honorees for the 2025 Spring season.
This year’s Spring honorees include Brenna Blume, Belmont, Softball; Timmy O’Brien, Bradley, Baseball; Ana Kirillov, Drake, Women’s Cross Country and Track; Alejandro Navarette, Evansville, Men’s Track & Field; Luke Malone, UIC, Men’s Track; Delainey Bryant, Illinois State, Softball; Yang Tai, Indiana State, Women’s Golf; Amy Henning, Missouri State, Tennis; Preston Chaudoin, Murray State, Baseball; MaKenna Kuper, Northern Iowa, Softball; Joshua Delgado, Southern Illinois, Men’s Track & Field; Kade Reinertson, Valparaiso, Baseball.
In order to be eligible for the award, the student-athlete must be in good academic standing, must demonstrate good citizenship through good sportsmanship and significant community service, and must participate in a sport during the season of recognition. The Valley will recognize 12 student-athletes three times annually (Fall, Winter, Spring), for a total of 36 honorees. Institutions select their State Farm MVC Good Neighbor Award honorees.
Navarette was the Purple Aces’ recipient of the award as a sophomore computer science major with a 4.00 GPA. Navarette has been named to the Dean’s List all three semesters he has been at UE and will likely make the Dean’s List for the Spring 2025 semester.
Navarette is also heavily involved in community service projects around the Evansville area and his hometown of Mogadore, Ohio. This year the sophomore helped Dynamics Community Theatre in Tallmadge, Ohio with their production of “Fiddler on the Roof”. Navarette helped build sets for the production while also assisting on the special effects for the musical number “Tevye’s Dream”.
Evansville Mayor Stephanie Terry announced today that the City of Evansville will participate in the Move with the Mayor® Spring Mental Health and Physical Activity Challenge, a national initiative aimed at highlighting the power of movement and social connection in supporting mental and physical health.
The initiative – held in partnership with the National Forum for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention – will launch in Evansville on Wednesday, May 1, and run throughout Mental Health Awareness Month.
As part of the challenge, Mayor Terry encourages residents of all ages to participate in group and individual activities such as walking, biking, meditation, yoga, and more. The month-long effort seeks to strengthen mental well-being, reduce isolation, and foster a greater sense of community connection across the city.
“When we move together, we grow together—not just physically, but emotionally and as a community,” said Mayor Stephanie Terry. “I know how heavy life can feel sometimes, and I also know how much better things can get when we show up for ourselves and for one another. That’s what Move with the Mayor is all about—taking simple steps to feel better, connect more, and build a healthier, more supportive Evansville for everyone.”
Residents are invited to share their progress and inspire others by using the hashtag #MoveWithTheMayor on social media throughout the month.
Mayor Terry also will be walking in different areas of the city every Monday at 10:30 a.m.; those events will be announced closer to the dates. And she will be encouraging movement through activities like line dancing, stretching, and breathing exercises during several of her initiatives throughout the month, including:
Traveling City Hall (Wednesday, May 14, 5:30 p.m., Sunrise Pump Station)
Pool Party! Mayor’s Free Day at City Pools (Date TBD)
Block by Block Neighborhood Cleanup (Saturday, May 31, Tepe Park Neighborhood)
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, mental health is a key component of overall wellness—and poor mental health can significantly increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases like heart disease and stroke. By encouraging movement and connection, the City hopes to take proactive steps toward healthier outcomes for all residents.
Research shows being physically active and socially connected can reduce these risks while improving cognitive function, mood, and quality of life. “We’re thrilled to have Mayor Terry on board with the National Forum’s campaign to spotlight the importance of social connections for physical and mental well-being,” says John M. Clymer, executive director of the National Forum. “The research is clear. Social isolation and loneliness pose serious health risks, but building strong connections with others while moving more can make a real difference.”
INDIANAPOLIS – The Indiana Black Legislative Caucus (IBLC) will host seven town halls throughout the state this summer to discuss the 2025 session of the Indiana General Assembly and answer questions from constituents. The schedule for the town hall series is as follows:
Saturday, June 7: Kountry Kitchen, 1831 N. College Ave., Indianapolis IN 46202, noon-2 p.m. ET
Saturday, June 28: Evansville Vanderburgh Public Library Central Branch’s Browning Room, 200 SE MLK Jr. Blvd., Evansville, Indiana, 47713, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. CT
Saturday, July 12: Michigan City Council Chambers, City Hall, 100 E. Michigan Blvd., Michigan City, IN 46360, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. CT
Saturday, Aug. 9: Allen County Public Library Main Branch Theater, 900 Library Plaza, Fort Wayne, IN 46802, noon-2 p.m. ET
Saturday, Aug. 23: Terre Haute City Hall Courtroom, 17 Harding Ave., Terre Haute, IN 47807, noon-2 p.m. ET
Saturday, Sept. 13: UAW Local 5, 1426 S. Main St., South Bend, IN 46613, noon-2 p.m. ET
Saturday, Sept. 20: East Chicago City Hall Council Chambers, 4525 Indianapolis Blvd., East Chicago, IN 46312, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. CT
“These town halls give us the opportunity to hear directly from our constituents throughout the state about their concerns for Indiana, questions about the legislative process and what we can do to connect them with needed resources,” State Rep. Earl Harris Jr. (D-East Chicago), chair of the IBLC, said. “Community engagement is an integral part of the work we do in the Statehouse. In the IBLC, we strive to be accessible and transparent, and to help our constituents understand not only what we’re working on, but how they can play a role in shaping policy. When we listen, learn and work together, we build stronger, safer and more just communities across Indiana.”
The devil went down to … Mississippi and did a—jig?
That’s right—and it was awesome.
“Sinners” reminds me of 1996’s “From Dusk till Dawn,” where George Clooney and Quentin Tarantino play brothers stuck in a Mexican saloon with deadly vampires—except this battle takes place in a 1930s juke joint in the American South, and both brothers are played by Michael B. Jordan.
Scott McDaniel, assistant professor of journalism at Franklin College.Photo provided: https://franklincollege.edu/academics/majors/multimedia-journalism-franklin-college/scott-mcdaniel/
It seems “Sinners” director Ryan Coogler can’t get enough of Jordan. Each of the five films he’s directed since 2013 star Jordan, including “Creed” and “Black Panther.” With “Sinners,” Coogler gets a double dose of his muse, casting Jordan as twin brothers Smoke and Stack, who move back home to the Mississippi Delta with a surprising amount of cash and a plan to immediately open an establishment for good music, food and drink in the Black community.
The story starts slow, with the brothers gradually tracking down the rest of the talented cast to assemble on the stage and dance floor. Jordan gives his usual steady performance as the identical siblings. Hailee Steinfeld plays a former love interest named Mary, though I wish there was more of her in the story, especially when things get scary. Wunmi Mosaku is terrific as the other brother’s love interest, portraying the strong, voodoo-loving Annie, who provides the necessary explanations about the evil that shows up.
But it’s the music performed on the joint’s stage that sets the tone for this unique addition to the genre. The opening of the film lays out the folklore around the rare musician whose talent has the power to connect the world of the living with that of the dead and worlds yet to be.
That’s the case for the twins’ mystical musician cousin Sammie (Miles Caton). When Sammie finally steps on the stage with his guitar and raises his voice to the heavens, Hell spits out its demons.
The bloodsucking Remmick (Jack O’Connell) shows up looking for Sammie, and the film’s pace doesn’t let up from there. O’Connell is amazing as a monster among men, able to lull the unsuspecting with simulated humanity and music, despite something not feeling right about him.
Remmick gives the terrified patrons an interesting pitch—suggesting that giving in to the immortality of becoming a vampire is the only way to exist freely in a racist world that doesn’t want them.
He arrives with some recent undead converts and performs some pretty amazing Irish tunes along the way, so he’s not your typical supernatural assassin. Sound silly? Maybe, but their fanged trio can really jam.
And it’s the music that fuels the movie to be something different than your typical vampire action flick. When Sammie sings the song he wrote for his preacher dad—his magic bridging past, present and future—those few minutes are as epic and memorable as any scene I’ve watched this year.
Turns out the blues can do more than get your foot tapping. “Sinners” sings straight from the heart—then drives a stake through it.
Scott McDaniel is a department chair and assistant professor of journalism at Franklin College. He lives in Bargersville with his wife and three kids.
11 a.m.-1 p.m. – Entrepreneurship Expo. Businesses that have been created in this year’s Entrepreneurship classes will be represented in booths throughout the event. The winner of the pitch competition will be announced at 12:45 p.m. by Chancellor Daniela Vidal.
Ivy Tech Community College Evansville, 3501 N First Avenue, Koch Student Center, Room 152
Parking:
Please park near Entrance C on the north side of the main Ivy Tech building (Colonial Avenue parking lot) and enter through Entrance C.
FOOTNOTE: EPD DAILY ACTIVITY REPORT information was provided by the EPD and posted by the City-County-County Observer without opinion, bias, or editing.
Retirement benefits including employer match plans. Schedule: Full-time Days, Monday – Friday 7:30AM – 4PM. Hospital: Ascension St. Vincent Evansville.
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Vanderburgh County – On Saturday, April 19, at approximately 12:55 p.m., Master Trooper Finney was patrolling I-69 near Lynch Road when he observed the rider of a black sport bike traveling north at a high rate of speed. Trooper Finney lost sight of the motorcyclist, but he continued to travel north and eventually located the rider again when he had to slow down due to construction near the 18-mile marker. Trooper Finney attempted to stop the motorcyclist by activating his emergency red and blue lights, but the rider left the driving lane and passed the slow traffic by using the shoulder at a speed of more than 100 mph. Trooper Finney terminated the chase after losing sight of the motorcycle near I-69 and SR 68.
Over the next several days, Trooper Finney was able to identify the motorcycle rider as Zakei Amad Rasheed, 21, of Evansville. It was also determined the motorcycle was a 2025 Suzuki.
A search warrant was executed for Rasheed’s residence and a motorcycle helmet, the backpack he was wearing during the chase, and a 2025 Suzuki was recovered. Rasheed was not at the residence when the search warrant was executed.
The case was reviewed by the Vanderburgh County Prosecutor’s Office and an arrest warrant was issued on April 28 for his arrest. At approximately 2:00 p.m. yesterday, Rasheed turned himself in at the Vanderburgh County Jail. He posted bond and was released.
Arrested and Charges:
Zakei Amad Rasheed, 21, Evansville, IN
Resisting Law Enforcement with a Vehicle, Level 6 Felony
Reckless Driving, Class C Misdemeanor
Aggressive Driving, Class A Misdemeanor
Speeding, Class C Infraction
Passing on the right, Class C Infraction
Arresting Officer: Master Trooper M. Finney, Indiana State Police
