EVANSVILLE, Ind.—University of Southern Indiana senior Audrey Comastri has been named the Ohio Valley Conference Female Track Athlete of the Week in an announcement by the league office Tuesday afternoon.
Comastri earns her first-career OVC weekly honor after leading and impressive charge for the Screaming Eagles in the 1,500 meters last Friday at the Billy Hayes Invitational. She finished the Invitational race in the 1,500 meters with a personal-best time of four minutes, 26.37 seconds.
Her time was just .22 seconds away from USI Hall of Famer Heather Cooksey’s all-time mark of 4:26.15, which was set at the 2005 Little State Championships. Comastri’s time ranks second all-time at USI and is at the top of the Ohio Valley Conference 1,500-meter performance list.
The weekly award marks the second time during the outdoor season that USI Women’s Track & Field has earned OVC Track Athlete of the Week honors. Freshman Hadessah Austin was named co-OVC Track Athlete of the Week as well as OVC Freshman of the Week on April 2.
USI competes at the OVC Outdoor Championships Thursday, Friday and Saturday. The Eagles own the top times in the OVC in the 1,500 meters, 5,000 meters and 10,000 meters; and have the second-fastest time logged in the 800 meters.
Austin leads the OVC in the 5,000 and 10,000 meters with respective times of 16:23.45 and 34:30.10. She captured the OVC indoor championships in the 3,000 and 5,000 meters in February.
In addition to the 1,500 meters, Comastri ranks second in the 800 meters with her school-record time of 2:11.19.
The OVC Outdoor Championships are being hosted by Southeast Missouri State University in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, and can be watched on ESPN+ with a subscription. Live Results and meet information links can be accessed at USIScreamingEagles.com.
Comastri earns first OVC weekly honor
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Stanford earns OVC Athlete of Week award
EVANSVILLE, Ind.—University of Southern Indiana junior Isaac Stanford has been named the Ohio Valley Conference Male Track Athlete of the Week in an announcement by the league office Tuesday afternoon.
Stanford earns his first OVC Track Athlete of the Week honor during the outdoor season after racing to a third-place finish in the 1,500 meters last Friday at the Billy Hayes Invitational.
The Flora, Illinois, native finished the race in three minutes, 49.96 seconds and was just over a second away from his season-best time of 3:48.74, which he ran at the Bryan Clay Invitational last month.
Stanford, who ranks fourth in the OVC in the 1,500 meters and 10th in the 800 meters, also earned OVC Track Athlete of the Week honors during the indoor season.
USI competes at the OVC Outdoor Championships Thursday, Friday and Saturday. The Eagles own the first and fourth fastest times in the 5,000 meters and the third and fourth fastest times in the 10,000 meters during the outdoor season.
Sophomore Austin Nolan leads the OVC with a 5,000-meter time of 14:28.47 and is third in the 10,000 meters with a time of 31:49.51. Freshman Layden Wagoner and junior Dylan Bland respectively rank fourth in the 5,000 and 10,000 meters with times of 14:35.85 and 31:50.65, while freshman Ben Perulfi is sixth in the 3,000-meter steeplechase with his time of 9:39.60.
The OVC Outdoor Championships are being hosted by Southeast Missouri State University in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, and can be watched on ESPN+ with a subscription. Live Results and meet information links can be accessed at USIScreamingEagles.com.
EVSC Meeting
The Board of School Trustees of the Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation will meet Monday, May 19, 2025 at 5:30 PM in the Board Room of the EVSC Administration Building located at 951 Walnut Street, Evansville, IN. During the meeting, as previously published, the Board will hold a Public Hearing regarding the proposed superintendent contract.
EPD DAILY ACTIVITY REPORT
FOOTNOTE: EPD DAILY ACTIVITY REPORT information was provided by the EPD and posted by the City-County-County Observer without opinion, bias, or editing.
Three Arrested After Robbery Investigation
On 5/12/2025 officers were dispatched to the 700 block of Line Street in reference to a Holdup in Progress. The caller stated that a group of females were beating another female. The caller stated the suspects stole the victim’s phone and keys and were armed with a stick and a taser. All three suspects fled the scene in a silver passenger car before officers arrived.
On scene, officers met with the victim, who was able to identify the three females who robbed her. The victim identified Taliya Walker and Tadra Wilson by name, but only knew the third female as “Ari”. “Ari” was later determined to be Arianna Pride. Tadra contacted the victim and asked if she wanted to hang out. The victim agreed to meet Tadra at Line Street Park. The victim sat in Tadra’s passenger seat to talk when Taliya and Arianna approached. Taliya began spitting on the victim while all three yelled at her. Tadra kept the victim from getting out of the car by grabbing her by the hands. As the victim kept trying to get out of the car, she was pulled out by her hair. Outside the car, the victim was kicked and punched by all three suspects. The victim was also struck with a stick of some kind.
When the victim tried to get her keys and phone from inside the car, they were taken from her. All three suspects fled when it appeared someone was calling 911. The taser was never used during the incident
The victim was later transported to the hospital where it was learned she suffered a broken finger and a possible broken nose. All three suspects were charged individually, but face Robbery, Theft and Battery charges.
Trailblazer Taveon Smith commits to Campbellsville University
VINCENNES, Ind. – Vincennes University Men’s Basketball freshman Taveon Smith (Radcliff, Ky.) announced last week his commitment to play next season at NAIA Campbellsville University in Campbellsville, Ky.
“I chose Campbellsville University because it’s closer to home and it’s a good fit for me,” Smith said.
Smith worked his way into a role this past season as a solid defensive reserve option for VU Hall of Fame Head Coach Todd Franklin.
Smith played in each of VU’s final three regular season games and saw action in two of the Trailblazers’ three NJCAA National Tournament games including playing nine minutes in the National Quarterfinal round against Panola College.
Smith closed out his lone season in the Blue and Gold with a total of 45 points in 23 games, including two starts and a 30.4 shooting percentage from three-point range.
Smith completed his season stat line with 19 rebounds, 17 assists and five steals for the Trailblazers.
With Smith, the Trailblazers finished the 2024-25 season with a final record of 28-5, including recording a perfect 16-0 regular season record in Region 24 play.
The Trailblazers won the 2025 regular season Region 24 Championship and earned VU’s 12th NJCAA National Tournament appearance in the past 13 seasons, reaching the National Quarterfinals in Hutchinson, Kan.
“My favorite memory was when we all took a picture together in the locker room after going 16-0 in the Region,” Smith added.
Smith will be joining a Tigers squad coming off a 12-17 year this past season under Head Coach Brent Vernon.
Smith is the latest member of the Trailblazers Men’s Basketball program to announce their plans for the upcoming season, joining Bryan Akanmu (Paris, France) and Michael Cooper (Minneapolis, Minn.) who signed with Wagner College in New York, Travelle Bryson (Anderson, S.C.) who is headed to Howard University in Washington, D.C. and Lebron Thomas (Bishopville, S.C.) who signed to play at Green Bay.
“Athletically Vincennes University helped me by making my work ethic a lot better,” Smith said. “Academically, VU helped me because the coaches were always on us about our work and it helped me stay more focused in the classroom.”
The Vincennes University Athletic Department would like to congratulate Taveon Smith on his commitment to Campbellsville University and wishes him good luck as he continues his athletic and academic career next season.
EWSU’s First Disinfectant Switch of 2025 Starts May 19
(Evansville, IN) – Starting Monday, May 19, and continuing until Monday, June 30, Evansville Water and Sewer Utility (EWSU) will temporarily switch the disinfectant used in the water treatment process. The switch to free chlorine from the regularly used disinfectant chloramine is a common preventive maintenance practice that helps ensure the delivery of high-quality, safe drinking water to our customers year-round.
Here’s what you should know
- What is Chloramine?
Chloramine is a disinfectant used in drinking water to remove bacteria and viruses that can make you sick. It is made up of chlorine and ammonia. EWSU has used chloramine as the disinfectant in its water treatment process since 1999.
- What is Free Chlorine?
Free chlorine is a slightly more potent disinfectant than chloramine, and it is used to remove more resistant bacteria and viruses that may be found in the water distribution system.
- Why would EWSU Convert from Chloramines to Free Chlorine?
State drinking water guidelines recommend that utilities using chloramine periodically switch to free chlorine for a while. The temporary use of chlorine will ensure that a proper disinfectant level is maintained throughout the network of water mains and pipes that deliver your drinking water.
Free chlorine is a more aggressive disinfectant than chloramine. This temporary change in the water treatment process denies bacteria the ability to form resistance to the usual disinfection treatment process. Switching to free chlorine is a proactive step to maintain optimal disinfectant levels in the water distributionsystem.
As always, the drinking water will be regularly monitored to ensure that the water delivered meets or exceeds federal Safe Drinking Water Act standards.
- Why Does EWSU Use Chloramines Most of the Year?
While chlorine is an effective disinfectant, chlorine alone creates byproducts that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency regulates. These byproduct levels can be significantly and cost-effectively reduced with chloramine. Also, chloramine has less smell than chlorine and remains in the distribution system longer to prevent bacterial growth. As such, chloramine is a better long-term choice as a regular disinfectant.
- Will I Notice a Difference in My Water?
During this period, some customers may notice a slight change in the taste or odor of their tap water. Free chlorine may have more of a chemical odor, slightly like that of swimming pool water. Each customer has a sensitivity level to the taste or odor of free chlorine. Many detect no change at all. The mild chlorine taste and odor are typical and pose no health risk.
- Are Free Chlorine and Chloraminated Water Safe?
Yes, chlorine and chloramine are effective and safe for people and animals for drinking, cooking, bathing, watering the garden, and all other standard uses. However, precautions should be taken to remove or neutralize chloramine and free chlorine during the kidney dialysis process, when preparing water for fish tanks and ponds, and businesses requiring highly processed water. A dechlorination procedure optimized for chloramine removal will work equally well with free chlorine.
People and businesses that typically take special precautions to remove chloramine from tap water (such as dialysis centers, medical facilities, and aquatic pet owners) should continue to take the same precautions during the temporary switch from chloramine to free chlorine.
Most customers will not need to take precautions as the water remains safe to drink and is treated according to state and federal standards.
- Information for Kidney Dialysis Patients
Just like chloramines, free chlorine must be removed from water used in kidney dialysis machines. EWSU has contacted representatives from the medical community to inform them of this temporary conversion. We advise dialysis patients to call their physicians or dialysis centers if there are any questions.
- Information for Fish Owners
Like chloramine, free chlorine is toxic to fish. Therefore, fish owners need to remove chlorine, ammonia, and chloramine from the water before using it with tropical fish. Local pet stores carry water conditioners that remove chloramine and free chlorine. If customers have questions, we recommend contacting their petstore for information and detailed instructions.