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Meet Tony Ricketts, General Manager Of D-Patrick Auto Sales

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Meet Tony Ricketts, General Manager Of D-Patrick Auto Sales

By Michael L. Smith, Jr.

When you walk into D-Patrick Auto Sales, located on the corner of the Lloyd Expressway and Green River Road, the first thing you’ll notice is the fact that you are immediately met with a warm smile and a greeting by one of their sales team member.  D-Patrick employees welcome you like you are family, and one of the main reasons is that D-Patrick is a local family-owned business.

The D-Patrick sales team is primed to help each and every person who walks through the door, in large part due to the excellent leadership and training provided to their employees by Evansville native and General Manager of D-Patrick, Tony Ricketts.

Tony was born in Evansville, In, and was raised here until the early 70s until his father bought a farm in Spencer County, Indiana next to Lincoln Park, near Santa Clause. Ind. Tony recalled “that the farm that he grew up on was originally the Thomas Lincoln farm. So, I like to tell people that Abraham Lincoln and I spent our formative years in the same place, just separated by time.”

When he was fourteen his family moved to Santa Clause, Ind because his dad owned a  restaurant/gas station there.  Tony said, “working at my dad’s restaurant/gas station is where my love for cars started.  Really it all began with my grandpa, who lived in Evansville, he was a  car collector. I spent a lot of time helping my grandfather restore old cars.” Tony described a litany of cars that his grandfather used to collect and restore, including some older cars like the Model T and Model A.  He remembered those times fondly, saying, “My grandfather even collected Edsels, which some people look back on as a failure, but really Edsel was a car that was ahead of their time. His grandpa collected Ford’s and various other types of cars as well, like an old Mercedes Benz that he and I would work on together.”

Tony graduated from Heritage Hills High School in Spencer County.  He attended Indiana University in Terre Haute for a couple of years, where he studied aviation. He enjoyed his  time there, learning the ins and outs of airplanes and how to fly them, but after a couple of years I decided that aviation really wasn’t the direction I wanted to go.” Tony moved back to Evansville and started school at the University of Southern Indiana, where he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Business.”

After Tony graduated college he wanted to go into sales somewhere. He had a passion for cars, so he thought the natural thing to do was to apply for a job at D-Patrick. He applied for a management position and 34 years later he’s still there!. Tony said, “D-Patrick has grown by leap and bounds over the year, and how he has been able to grow with the business. “D-Patrick has provided me with a lot of opportunities over the years”

His management and sales skills have served him well over the years. He has dabbled in every aspect of the D-Patrick.  He was a salesperson, a finance and insurance manager, then was promoted sales manager.”

Tony has received leadership training in Cincinnati, OH with an interesting group of individuals led by Richard Olivier, son of the famous actor Lawrence Olivier. The entire process of this training session was based around Shakespeare’s play Henry V. The point of me bringing up this most interesting training session was to show that I know that my job as a leader is to communicate to my team members what is expected of them, and to show them, to guide them how to get there. It’s not about being a boss and yelling at people or making unreasonable demands just because I can, it’s about showing people what your expectations are and how they can meet those expectations. We’ve all got a job to do, we’re all on the same team and we all have the same goal.”

I asked Tony to tell me about the history of D-Patrick. He told me that one of the things he really loved about D-Patrick was that it is still a local family-owned business. Tony also gave me a brief history lesson about D-Patrick. “The O’Daniel family started the company in the 1930s, during the height of the Great Depression. Joe O’Daniel became the owner of an Oldsmobile dealership, and from there it has grown generation by generation. Slowly they expanded into having multiple car lines and became one of the largest sellers of used cars in this market. D. Patrick O’Daniel took over after Joe and expanded the business even further, and now Mike O’Daniel and his brother-in-law Ray Farabaugh, who are partners, are taking it to the next level.” Tony informed me that D-Patrick even has a dealership in the Indianapolis market now, where they have recently opened up in Lebanon, IN.

As the interview winded down, and as the customers continued coming in, I asked Tony if there was one last bit he would like to say before he returned to help his sales team. He pondered the question for a moment, then said, “I’m a person who doesn’t really change a whole lot. I’ve worked at D-Patrick for over 34 years, I’ve been married to my beautiful wife Heather for 31 years, and I’ve lived in the same house for nearly 30 years. I have two grown sons in their thirties. My oldest is named Alec and he’s a funeral director up in Boonville, married to a wonderful woman named Ariel and I am very proud of both of them. My youngest son’s name is Adrian, he works in the building trades here in Evansville, and I’m very proud of him as well. I also have a dog named Skipper who I love. I’ve been blessed with a happy life and a great job.”

There you have it, readers. If you need a car, new or used, come on down to D-Patrick Auto Sales and see Tony Ricketts and his team. They won’t steer you wrong!

FOOTNOTE:  Michael L. Smith, Jr is a profile writer for The City-County Observer and is currently completing classes at Ivy Tech Community College in pursuit of a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism.

BRIAN BILLETT, THUNDERBOLTS SHUT DOWN HAVOC 3-1

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Evansville, In.:  Behind a strong night in net from goaltender Brian Billett and some timely goals, the Thunderbolts put together a solid performance and defeat the Huntsville Havoc 3-1 at Ford Center on Friday night. The Thunderbolts next home game will be on Friday, February 4th at 7:00pm CST as they host the Quad City Storm.  For tickets, call (812)422-BOLT (2658), buy online at EvansvilleThunderbolts.com, or buy tickets in person at the Ford Center Box Office.

Austin Plevy opened the scoring only 2:44 into the game, right off an offensive zone faceoff from Brett Radford to give Evansville a 1-0 lead.  Huntsville threatened to tie the game on numerous chances, but thanks to Billett and some excellent penalty killing, the Thunderbolts maintained the lead, and extended the lead as Tyson Kirkby scored on a breakaway to make it 2-0 with 1:15 remaining in the second period.  Billett himself got the lone assist on the goal, and the goal secured a 2-0 lead for Evansville after two periods.

Through a mostly quiet third period, the 2-0 lead stood until 12:47, when Huntsville finally broke through to cut the lead in half, as Alex Kielczewski scored to make it 2-1.  The Havoc pulled goaltender Zane Steeves, and the Thunderbolts countered by scoring an empty net goal from Josh Adkins with 55 seconds remaining to clinch the victory for Evansville.

Kirkby finished with a goal and assist, while Plevy and Adkins scored one goal each.  Plevy’s goal was also his 92nd point as an Evansville Thunderbolt, breaking the franchise record previously held by Dave Williams.  Brian Billett finished with 30 saves on 31 shots and one assist for his 13th win of the season.  The win was head coach Jeff Bes’ 41st win as head coach of the Thunderbolts, tying the franchise record held by Jeff Pyle.  The Thunderbolts do not meet the Huntsville Havoc again this regular season.

 

Haley Woolf earns preseason MVC recognition

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  1. LOUIS – A member of this year’s senior class was recognized when the Missouri Valley Conference announced its 2022 Preseason Softball Poll on Friday.

 

Haley Woolf was named to the 2022 MVC Preseason All-Conference Team as she begins her fourth season with the Purple Aces.  One of the top sluggers in the conference, Woolf finished the 2021 campaign with five home runs, 20 RBI and 15 walks.  The MVC Player of the Week on May 3 hit three homers and tallied nine RBI in a sweep over Bradley last spring.

 

The Blue Springs, Mo. native played in 39 games as a junior, making 38 starts with the majority coming at first base. In the shortened 2020 season, she tied for 5th in the conference in home runs while finishing fourth with 18 RBI.

 

Along with the preseason all-conference team, the league revealed the preseason poll, which saw the Purple Aces tabbed to finish 8th in the conference, just three points behind Bradley and eight behind 6th place Illinois State.

 

Evansville will begin the 2022 campaign in just two weeks with a trip to Monroe, Louisiana for the Best on the Bayou Classic.

 

VANDERBURGH COUNTY RECENT BOOKING RECORDS

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Booked Last 24 Hours-Public

VANDERBURGH COUNTY CRASH REPORT

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Crash Report

Todd Rokita Takes Further Action Against Disastrous Immigration Policies

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Todd Rokita Takes Further Action Against Disastrous Immigration Policies

AG Rokita Helps Advance Multistate Fight With A Lawsuit

Attorney General Todd Rokita today announced a multistate lawsuit seeking to stop the Biden administration from unlawfully granting special privileges to illegal immigrants. He made the announcement while in Texas, where he was gathering evidence for the next steps in Indiana’s efforts to combat illegal immigration.

“Every elected official has a constitutional duty to protect our liberties, and that is why I am taking action. The flood of illegal immigrants entering the U.S. is a problem that harms all of us,” Attorney General Rokita said. “The ones paying the price for this lawlessness are Hoosier taxpayers, who must bear increased costs for health care, education and other services used by illegal immigrants.”

Specifically, the lawsuit asks a U.S. district court to stop a program granting certain illegal aliens from El Salvador, Guatemala or Honduras the ability to petition the federal government to bring their minor children into the United States.

Beneficiaries under the “Central American Minors Program,” or “CAM” — which has never been approved by Congress — are not only permitted to enter and reside within the United States for a practically indefinite period, but their travel arrangements from their home countries are provided through taxpayer funds.

This is Attorney General Rokita’s second trip to the border in three months. Last fall, he visited several locations along the U.S.-Mexico border to get a firsthand look at the crisis. A video overview of that trip is available here.

“We welcome migrants to the United States who are grateful to be here and want to restart their lives under the values this country was founded upon,” Attorney General Rokita said. “The first way they can show that is by following our laws. Those who do not should not be allowed to stay.”

Attorney General Rokita has helped lead the fight against the Left’s soft coddling of illegal immigrants, such as when he led a 16-state coalition last August aimed at stopping President Joe Biden from shelving former President Donald Trump’s successful “Remain in Mexico” policy. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of Attorney General Rokita and the coalition. Although the Biden administration continues its efforts to undo the Trump policy, the federal government in December submitted to the court ruling and resumed the “Remain in Mexico” policy for now.

The Eight-State Lawsuit Is Attached:

Hayden Sets Personal, Program Bests as Hoosiers Beat Evansville

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Hayden Sets Personal, Program Bests as Hoosiers Beat Evansville

 BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Senior diver Kristen Hayden broke a program record and set two personal bests on Friday (Jan. 28) as Indiana swimming and diving defeated Evansville inside Counsilman-Billingsley Aquatic Center.

Hayden’s 399.38 in the 3-meter dive marks the new dual meet standard for IU swimming and diving, besting the previous record set by Christina Loukas in 2006 (373.95). Her best dive, a forward 3 ½ somersault pike, scored a 76.73.

Hayden’s 335.33 in her 1-meter dive victory also marks a career-high for the Hillsborough, N.J. native.

“It was a great showing for IU women’s diving with Kristen Hayden breaking a dual meet record and trending towards some great diving that we hope to see in the postseason,” IU head diving coach Drew Johansen said. “All our athletes did well, as we had multiple personal bests. Right now, the focus is to stay healthy and get them right for Big Ten Championships coming up in just a few weeks.”

Both the men’s and women’s teams earned victories in IU’s final meet before Big Ten Championships. The Hoosier men finished the regular season 9-0 after collecting their 15th straight dual meet win, a streak that goes back to 2019. IU’s women’s team improved to 7-2 on the year.

“I want to thank the University of Evansville for coming to the Counsilman-Billingsley Aquatic Center,” IU head swimming coach Ray Looze said. “I thought the meet was beneficial for both programs and got them ready for the conference championships in a few weeks. We were able to get a little healthier, try some different things out on relays and make sure we keep it fun and keep that passion level and that joy high for the sport that we’re competing in.”

“It was awesome to see [IU President] Dr. Pamela Whitten drop by the meet today, and I want to give her a shoutout as the first female president of IU. It was an honor to have her on the deck today.”

TEAM SCORES

Men

No. 5 Indiana 140, Evansville 104

Women

No. 13 Indiana 148, Evansville 111

HOOSIER WINNERS

Men

Luke Barr – 200 Medley Relay (1:27.16)

Jasper Davis – 200 Freestyle (1:41.70)

Jacob Destrampe – 200 Freestyle Relay (1:20.39)

Michael Draves – 1,000 Freestyle (9:29.86)

Tomer Frankel – 200 Medley Relay (1:27.16), 200 Freestyle Relay (1:20.39)

Corey Gambardella – 100 Freestyle (45.42)

Logan Graham – 200 Backstroke (1:47.81)

Brandon Hamblin – 200 Medley Relay (1:27.16), 200 Freestyle Relay (1:20.39)

Van Mathias – 100 Breaststroke (54.74), 50 Freestyle (20.21), 200 Freestyle Relay (1:20.39)

Ben McDade – 500 Freestyle (4:32.50)

Rafael Miroslaw – 200 IM (1:50.47)

Joseph Radde – 100 Backstroke (49.16)
Jacob Steele – 200 Medley Relay (1:27.16), 200 Butterfly (1:52.90)

Women

Brearna Crawford – 200 Medley Relay (1:44.51), 100 Butterfly (55.86)
Anna Freed – 200 Medley Relay (1:44.51)
Catherine Graham – 200 Medley Relay (1:44.51), 100 Backstroke (1:04.61)

Kristen Hayden – 3-meter dive (399.38), 1-meter dive (335.33)

Elyse Heiser – 500 Freestyle (4:58.68)

Aislinn Holder – 50 Freestyle (23.94)

Dominika Kossakowska – 200 Freestyle (1:49.52), 100 Freestyle (51.33)

Mackenzie Looze – 200 Freestyle Relay (1:35.30)

Kacey McKenna – 200 Freestyle Relay (1:35.30)

Cat Minic – 200 IM (2:07.31)

Samantha Muma – 200 Freestyle Relay (1:35.30)
Noelle Peplowski – 200 Medley Relay (1:44.51), 200 Backstroke (2:02.38)

Ella Ristic – 100 Backstroke (56.85), 200 Freestyle Relay (1:35.30)

NOTABLES

  • Like Hayden, three more IU women’s divers set personal bests on Friday. Freshman Morgan Casey (282.68, 309.45) and redshirt junior Margaret Rogers (272.25, 304.80) each had career days in both events, while junior Carmen Hernandez set a career-high in the 3M (306.40).
  • In her third event as a Hoosier, freshman Ching Hwee Gan tallied an NCAA B Cut in the 1,650-Yard Freestyle, touching the wall in 16:14.67.
  • Freshman Dominika Kossakowska, also in just her third collegiate event, won both the 200 and 100 Freestyle races.
  • Senior Van Mathias led all Hoosiers with three wins on Friday, coming in the 100 Breast (54.74), 50 Free (20.21) and 200 Freestyle Relay (1:20.39)

NCAA CUTS

A: None.

B: Ching Hwee Gan – 1,650 Free (16:14.67)

NCAA ZONE QUALIFYING SCORES

1-Meter: Morgan Casey (282.68), Tarrin Gilliland (313.65), Kristen Hayden (335.33), Margaret Rogers (272.25)

3-Meter: Morgan Casey (309.45), Tarrin Gilliland (363.90), Kristen Hayden (399.38), Carmen Hernandez (306.90), Margaret Rogers (304.80)

UP NEXT

The Hoosiers direct all attention towards Big Ten Championships. The women’s meet is scheduled for Feb. 16-19 in Madison, Wisconsin. The men will compete a week later, Feb. 23-26, in West Lafayette, Indiana.

@IndianaSwimDive

Be sure to keep up with all the latest news on the Indiana men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams on social media – Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

#GoIU

Supporting Public Safety By Reducing Jail Overcrowding

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by Wendy McNamara

This session, I co-authored legislation to help address jail overcrowding and boost resources to fight crime. 

House Bill 1004 would provide judicial flexibility so Level 6 felony offenders can be sent to the Indiana Department of Correction.

A recent report by the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute shows nearly 75% of all felony criminal filings in 2021 were Level 6 felonies, with many of those substance-related, like possession of meth or operating while intoxicated.

With the DOC often offering greater access to mental health and addiction treatment services than many local jails, more offenders can get additional help to stay out of the criminal justice system.
According to the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute, 77% of Indiana’s jails are overcrowded or at capacity. Alleviating county jail overcrowding issues will help locals redirect resources to where they matter most. 

To learn more about House Bill 1004,

What To Expect If USI Moves From NCAA Division II to Division I

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What To Expect If USI Moves From NCAA Division II to Division I

BY CITY-COUNTY OBSERVER STAFF

The University of Southern Indiana (USI) campus on Evansville’s Westside has been transformed during the last few decades from a commuter campus to a fully equipped campus with state-of-the-art classrooms, advanced degrees, student housing, and a plethora of athletic facilities that are only exceeded by big nationally recognized programs.

Most recently the Screaming Eagle Arena which seats 4,800 spectators has been the scene of an increasingly successful basketball program. USI crowds for home games draw roughly 2,500 to 3,000 attendees on a regular basis. The most notable opponent this year has been the #1 ranked Auburn Tigers, which are coached by former USI coach Bruce Pearl. That is the same Bruce Pearl that coached USI to a Division 2 NCAA championship in 1995 after finishing the 1994 season as a runner-up.

USI has always been competitive in every NCAA Division II intercollegiate that they participate in and starts most years with realistic visions of winning another national championship in multi-sports.

If the USI Trustees elevate the athletic teams to NCAA Division I, Evansville may become one of the smallest markets to have the distinction of being home to two Division I teams. That is a worthy distinction for the people down at “Visit Evansville”  and “SPORTS CORP” to tout as worth a visit.

Evansville, Indiana has a long and distinguished history when it comes to NCAA Division II basketball. The University of Evansville Aces have 5 national titles and those banners hang in the downtown Evansville Ford Center. Since making the move to Division I, the Aces have hung no more national championship banners. They have earned a trip to March Madness on several occasions and advanced to the round of 32 once. Their last appearance in March Madness was in 2000. This year’s Aces are struggling and have only won very few games. The official attendance in the 10,500 seats Ford Center for Aces games is typically only 3,000 and the stands never seem like they are that full. When the Aces were in Division II, they usually filled Roberts Stadium to its capacity of over 10,000 people and knocked off some nationally-ranked opponents. Most would conclude that the move to NCAA Division I has not been good for the Aces. It must be noted that college basketball has changed a lot since those good old days at Roberts where the Aces always played up to the competition.

The trend in lifestyle campuses like what USI has transformed into is to move to NCAA Division I. Former conference members Northern Kentucky and Bellarmine are among the teams that have made the jump. NKU is now in the Horizon League and has a 12-10 record. Bellarmine is in their 2nd Division I season and has a 13-10 record with notable losses to the #1 Gonzaga and then #2 UCLA on a west coast tour. Bellarmine has been to four Division II final fours and won one championship during the last decade. They also play their home games in Louisville’s Freedom Hall which seats 18,750. Despite the seating capacity in the off-campus facility, the Bellarmine Knights seldom draw over 2,000 attendees.

We feel that the University of Southern Indiana is most certainly NCAA Division I ready as NKU, Bellarmine, or any of the other teams that have made the transition. From a facilities perspective, USI already has established an impressive collection of on-campus facilities that many NCAA Division I universities would love to have. Millions of dollars have been invested and much will be expected. The City-County Observer would like to encourage USI to grab for the brass ring and become Evansville’s second NCCA Division I athletic program. This move will have positive impacts on campus life and even may serve to enhance academics.

We also would caution against expecting to hang any additional national championship banners. The new goal will be to make the March Madness field of 68 with an occasional victory to advance to the field of 32 or even 16 as teams like Southern Illinois and Murray State have. Both of those programs enjoy much more national visibility for making the transition to NCAA Division I and USI can too.  Murray State is likely to be ranked in the top 25 soon with its 21-2 record and being ranked is something our Eagles can aspire to as an NCAA Division I team. The Eagles can also aspire to beat some very good highly ranked teams as the Aces did a few years ago at Rupp Arena knocking off the Kentucky Wildcats.

Go for it USI, former coach Bruce Pearl, College administrators, alumni, student-athletes, coaching staff, faculty and staff, and the people of Evansville will be proud that you did

Finally, we would like to publicly recognize USI President Ronald S. Rochon, USI Board of Trustees Chair Ronald Romain, and USI Athletic Director Jon Mark Hall for the outstanding work they quietly did behind the scene to ensure that USI will be in a position to continue to provide our community with the educational, economic, cultural, and athletically offerings that will make us proud.

EVSC FOUNDATION TO HOST HANGERS BENEFIT GALA

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 The EVSC Foundation is excited to host the fifth annual Hangers benefit Gala on Saturday, March 5 at 5:30 pm. The family-friendly event will take place at Cambridge Golf Course and will include a dinner, program, silent and live auctions and games. 

All gala proceeds go to support Hangers, the EVSC clothing resource, funding clothing and basic hygiene products (shoes, coats, uniforms, toothbrushes, deodorant, soap) for the ~2,500 at-need students who visit Hangers annually. 

“There are many reasons why families may need our support,” says Dave Schutte, Director of Hangers. “From house fires, to homelessness, to a death in the family, life circumstances can change swiftly at any given moment. Hangers lets us act immediately to help families in need and to empower young people with confidence and dignity; the simple gift of clothing allows students to focus on their education instead of their struggle.” 

Single tickets to the event are $75, and reserved table seating for eight is $600. Auction item donations and monetary gifts are also appreciated. Individuals interested in supporting the program beyond the gala can donate gently-used or new clothing by dropping off items at Hangers (located at the Academy for Innovative Studies – former North High School – by door 27 on Wedeking Ave.). 

“A $150 donation sponsors one child,” Schutte says. “Funds raised through the gala will help us continue supporting students in need and even expand our services working with similar agencies who share a common mission of helping young people.” 

To learn more about Hangers and the Gala, contact Dave Schutte, Director of Hangers, at (812) 483-9474 or dave@evscfoundation.org. 

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