Otters’ Opening Night Schedule Changed
The Evansville Otters have announced a schedule change for their home Opening Night on Saturday, May 29, which has now turned into a doubleheader starting at 5:05 p.m. from Bosse Field.
The schedule change comes following a change in schedule for the IHSAA Sectional Tournament being hosted this weekend at Bosse Field.
Thursday’s opening round game between Evansville North and Evansville Harrison was postponed due to inclement weather, shifting the sectional schedule.
The Otters’ Memorial Day game date for Monday is TBD.
Fans can contact the Otters front office at (812) 435-8686 for ticket information.
The Evansville Otters are the 2006 and 2016 Frontier League champions.
The Otters play all home games at historic Bosse Field, located at 23 Don Mattingly Way in Evansville, Ind. Stay up-to-date with the Evansville Otters by visiting evansvilleotters.com, or follow the Otters on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
OTTERS, BOOMERS MATCHUP FRIDAY POSTPONED
Friday’s road matchup between the Evansville Otters and Schaumburg Boomers has been postponed due to inclement weather and near freezing wind chill temperatures.
The two clubs will meet again next Friday, June 4 for a scheduled three-game weekend series in Schaumburg. They will make up Friday’s game with a doubleheader on Sunday, June 6, starting at 5 p.m.
The Otters will return to Evansville and Bosse Field for their 2021 Frontier League home opener Saturday, May 29Â against Equipe Quebec.
The Otters take a 1-0 record into Saturday’s game following a 15-2 rout over the Schaumburg Boomers on Opening Day.
Tickets for all games at Bosse Field can be purchased online or by calling (812) 435-8686.
The Evansville Otters are the 2006 and 2016 Frontier League champions.
The Otters play all home games at historic Bosse Field, located at 23 Don Mattingly Way in Evansville, Ind. Stay up-to-date with the Evansville Otters by visiting evansvilleotters.com, or follow the Otters on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
HEALTH DEPARTMENT UPDATES STATEWIDE COVID-19 CASE COUNTS
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IT’S OFFICIAL: ALEXIS BERGGREN SELECTED NEW PRESIDENT & CEO OF “VISIT EVANSVILLE”
The City-County Observer “Breaking News” information that was recently given to us by several reliable sources that the current General Manager Of Old National Events Plaza will be selected as the next CEO of The Evansville-Vanderburgh County Convention & Vistors Bureau, Inc. by the organization’s Board Of Directors proved to be spot on.
Yesterday Ms. Berggren was offered the position of the CEO/President of The Evansville-Vanderburgh County Convention & Vistors Bureau, Inc and she accepted it.
The final hurdle for Ms. Berggren to be officially hired as the next CEO of the Evansville-Vanderburgh County Convention & Vistors Bureau, Inc was ratified yesterday when she officially signed her employment contract with the organization.
ATTACHED BELOW IS THE PROFILE OF THE NEWLY SELECTED CEO OF “VISIT EVANSVILLE” ALEXIS BERGGREN THAT THE CITY-COUNTY OBSERVER PUBLISHED SEVERAL MONTHS AGO
Long before she arrived in Evansville, Berggren was managing high-profile events and venue operations for convention centers, arenas, and theatres across the country.
Berggren started her career in the Midwest, spending four years in operations at an organization dedicated to promoting the performing arts in Lincoln, Nebraska. That experience quickly led to the Mid-America Center in Iowa and then the Oregon Convention Center, holding roles in operations and event services management.
Hollywood’s Dolby Theater attracted Berggren’s talents next, positioning her in leading production roles for events like the Oscars, America’s Got Talent and other key accounts. She then moved to New Orleans, directing event services for the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, where ASM Global (formerly SMG) executives recruited her for the general manager position she’s held in Evansville since 2017.
As newly appointed General Manager of Old National Events Plaza, Berggren began by pursuing feedback from key stakeholders and clients and quickly identified opportunities where the convention center could improve services and quality. One immediate goal was to offer more flexibility in terms and packaging by working directly with customers and staff to ensure the venue was meeting their individual needs. Another objective was to work towards diversifying local entertainment, booking a wider variety of performers and events for Evansville’s audiences. In addition, the increasing demand and activity at the venue called for some internal assessment and restructuring within each department, ensuring the team could fully support clientele and achieve the highest service standards. As a result, The Plaza has been successful in attracting worldwide talent to Evansville, complimenting the outstanding home-grown staff with new team members from as far as Arizona and Costa Rica.
In Berggren’s first year, she and her team outlined a five-year plan wherein the venue would work toward revenue neutrality, and by the end of 2018, the facility had performed 30% ahead of expectations. In 2019, the team continued to increase the number of events and attendance within the facility, and going into 2020, they had forecasted tremendous gains towards their goals.
The pandemic posed a new challenge for Berggren and her team as they responded to more immediate community needs. Within a week of the State’s orders to close all municipal buildings, Berggren led The Plaza team as they transitioned from managing in-person events to supporting virtual emergency meetings and, eventually, four of Vanderburgh County’s Superior Courts. In the Fall of 2020, they would assist over 9,000 early voters in passing safely through the facility, providing vital support to the County Clerk’s electoral operation.
To ease the impact of mandatory shut-downs, Berggren partnered with officials to research recovery resources for the venue. Her quick and thorough analysis of market trends and forthcoming economic strain led her to develop several mitigation plans based on differing fiscal outcomes. Berggren worked diligently with her team to develop a comprehensive safety and reopening plan, one of the first circulated in the venue management industry at the beginning of the pandemic. She partnered with City and County leaders to ensure the safety of key civic and court staff, members of the public, as well as venue employees. This planning positioned The Plaza for proactive pandemic management and placed the venue far ahead of the industry curve, retaining a handful of essential staff to support the operation of the building and poise the facility to successfully reopen.
As the team at Old National Events Plaza plans for the upcoming year, they’re met with a more complex industry landscape than that of 18 months ago. Berggren continues to lean into the network of venue professionals she’s cultivated within ASM Global’s management team and as an active member of the International Association of Venue Managers (IAVM) and Trustee of the IAVM Foundation.
Berggren also serves as one of two County Commissioner appointees to the Convention and Visitors Bureau Board of Directors. She has proven to be a strong source of support in the collective efforts of Evansville’s downtown partners and enjoys networking with peers and community changemakers as a member of the Evansville Rotary Club.
Business is strengthening for the convention center in Q3-Q4 of this year and is building for next year, although perhaps more slowly than anticipated. As events contract for 2022, forecasts are nearing 80% of pre-pandemic event levels. Berggren and her team are ready for what comes next. “In terms of convention centers and theatres within our management company, The Plaza is weathering the pandemic better than most,†notes Assistant General Manager, Nick Wallace. “Many venues are just now reopening and have suffered tremendous losses. I’d attribute our current position to quick collaborative planning by local officials, and our team’s dedication to managing through the challenges.â€
The Old National Events Plaza continues to announce new upcoming shows. Fans can look forward to an array of live performances in 2021 and 2022 including Styx, TobyMac, Joe Bonamassa, Soul Asylum, Straight No Chaser, and comedians Leanne Morgan and John Crist. We’re told more announcements are on the way in the coming weeks.
It’s been a dynamic four years at Old National Events Plaza for Alexis Berggren, both personally and professionally. She added two children to her family in 2018 and 2020, making this season in her life a time of dramatic change and growth. Both at home and at work, she knows there’s a lot to do in the future. However, Berggren’s perspective remains clear. “The Old National Events Plaza, and facilities like it, are so unique in that they can drive both significant economic impact and cultural influence within a community. Connecting people to their passions and providing for a higher quality of life is a tremendous responsibility, and we can make the greatest advancements by being effective ambassadors and dependable partners.â€
Commentary: Be True To Your School
Commentary: Be True To Your School
By John Krull
TheStatehouseFile.com
FRANKLIN, Indiana—A building sits on the spot where I graduated from college.
On that day, 40 springs ago, my college—the one where I now teach—held its commencement ceremony outdoors, under a tent. The ground upon which I received my diploma now is occupied by a lovely building devoted to nurturing the fine arts.
That’s how time works.
Things change.
I don’t remember many of the details of the ceremony itself—who the speaker was, what the speaker said or even the moment when I walked across the stage and grasped my diploma.
What I do recall is the swelter of emotions within and around me. I knew I was leaving something and some people and that I was launching into something new and unknown.
Those were strange and unsettling days.
The country had been in upheaval for much of the four years I was in school. Gas shortages, rising inflation and slowed job growth—what was called “stagflation†at the time—had turned the economy into a quagmire.
Iranian extremists had seized American hostages and held them for more than a year. All my peers were old enough to remember Vietnam. In my dorm, we had several long chats about the possibility that we’d be sent off, again, to fight another endless war.
We had a new president. These days, Americans remember Ronald Reagan as an avuncular figure, a man of easygoing, genial charm.
As he rose to power, though, he carried with him a reputation as a bomb-thrower, one who escalated rather than defused tensions wherever he went. In the late days of the campaign that elevated him to the Oval Office, a joke made the rounds.
“What’s sandy and glows in the dark? Iran, if Reagan is elected.â€
Trading jibes about the nuclear holocaust was a way to deal with the anxiety of the time. That unease was not diminished when an unbalanced young man with an unhealthy attachment to a teenage actress shot Reagan and several other people.
The president survived, but there was a sense that the world could come apart at any moment.
That sense was heightened by the insularity of my college days.
Mine was a small school. Fewer than 80 of us crossed the stage that long-ago May day.
Those were, as now, difficult days for small colleges. Many went under during the late 1970s.
At the time, my school seemed always on the edge of disaster, kept alive, as my southern Indiana relatives and ancestors would say, “only by main will and determination.â€
The fact that our college seemed on the edge of extinction toughened us in some ways. In others, it blinded us to larger realities.
I do remember thinking, as I slipped into my cap and gown that day, that I was about to leave my little pond for the ocean. The thought both exhilarated and terrified.
I had accepted a teaching fellowship to go to grad school in St. Louis. Where that would lead, I did not know. I was filled with inchoate longings to write, to lead a life of the mind and engage with ideas and events, but the how of getting there eluded me.
I could not imagine how a guy from such a small place could find work as big as his dreams.
I did not know, as I sat there in my robe, that the offer to write during the coming summer for The Indianapolis News—the offer that opened up exactly the life I wanted—was only days away. I had not yet come to appreciate the ways that life and the world can surprise, even astonish, one with possibility.
Instead, I sat there as graduates always have and always will, reflecting on where I had been and the people I had known—and pondering what lay ahead.
On that day in those uncertain times, I thought about how the future seemed to stretch out, all those unknown days ahead that would be filled with hope and dread, joy and sadness, opportunity and peril.
The future beckoned, and it frightened me.
As it always does and always will.
FOOTNOTE: John Krull is director of Franklin College’s Pulliam School of Journalism and publisher of TheStatehouseFile.com, a news website powered by Franklin College journalism students.
Senators Braun Amendment Will Outlaw Animal-Human Hybrids
WASHINGTON – Senator Mike Braun, Senator Steve Daines, and Senator James Lankford’s amendment to the Endless Frontier Act that would make it a crime to engage in chimera research, or the creation of animal-human hybrid organisms, received a vote on the Senate floor tonight.
Rep. Chris Smith of New Jersey introduced the original legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives.
A chimera is an organism that contains cells from two distinct species, such as an animal-human hybrid created in a laboratory setting. In recent years, research programs involving chimeric organisms have become more prevalent.
“Human life is distinct and sacred, and research that creates an animal-human hybrid or transfers a human embryo into an animal womb or vice versa should be completely prohibited and engaging in such unethical experiments should be a crime,†said Senator Braun.
“We shouldn’t need to clarify in law that creating animal-human hybrids or ‘chimeras’ is ethically unthinkable, but sadly the need for that very clear distinction has arrived,†said Senator Lankford. “Currently the National Institutes of Health does not do this research, and we need to keep it that way. Researchers who are attempting these horrific once-science-fiction experiments should focus on valuing the dignity of human life, not trying to genetically merge and manipulate humans and animals. I’m glad to stand against this unethical practice with Senators Braun and Daines.â€
“In trying to compete with China, we shouldn’t become like them. It’s critical that we draw a bright line against unethical forms of research that fail to recognize the distinct value of humans over animals,†said Senator Daines.
While the National Institute of Health (NIH) does not currently fund this research directly, chimera research programs continue in local universities as exhibited by last year’s creation of a mouse embryo with 4% human cells.
In 2016, the NIH considered lifting their moratorium on experimentation involving human stem cells in animal embryos. Though the NIH has not to date lifted that moratorium, chimeric research has continued to advance in private research settings with alarming results.
In April of this year, researchers at the Salk Institute in California created a human-monkey chimeric embryo by injecting human stem cells into embryos from long-tailed macaques. The human cells survived within the monkey embryo and generated additional cells; the researchers noted that all 132 macaque embryos injected with human cells still contained human cells seven days after fertilization.
Acting on the significant ethical concerns and ramifications such animal-human hybrid research has for the sanctity of human life, the senators introduced an amendment to the Endless Frontiers Act which would make it a crime for any person to knowingly 1) create or attempt to create a prohibited human-animal chimera; 2) transfer or attempt to transfer a human embryo into a nonhuman womb; 3) transfer or attempt to transfer a non-human embryo into a human womb; 4) transport or receive for any purpose a prohibited human-animal chimera.
This amendment is endorsed by the following groups:Â
- Family Research Council
- March for Life Action
- National Right to Life
- Senate Pro-Life Caucus
- Susan B. Anthony List
- US Council of Catholic Bishops
- White Coat Waste Project
Senator Braun on the amendment:
In recent years, research involving human-animal hybrids has become much more prevalent.
For example, in April, researchers in China created a monkey-human hybrid embryo that they allowed to grow and study for weeks.
I have serious ethical concerns with this type of human chimera research continuing. My amendment would ban the practice, by applying the NIH’s current anti-chimera policy universally.
Due to the dangerous and offensive nature of this research, my amendment imposes criminal penalties on those that participate in this unethical research.
We must act now. Just this morning, the International Society for Stem Cell Research, an international standards-setting body, issued guidance that permits the creation human-animal hybrids.
I ask that my Senate colleagues reject this foreign position and maintain our NIH’s ethical standards.
All life is sacred. It is Congress’ responsibility to enact common-sense bioethics restrictions that protect human and animal life from unethical experimentation.
I ask that you vote yes on Amendment 1771.
Attorney General Rokita: Indiana University’s COVID-19 Vaccine Policy Runs Afoul Of State Law
Attorney General Rokita: Indiana University’s COVID-19 vaccine Policy Runs Afoul Of State Law
Attorney General Todd Rokita today issued an official public opinion concerning the legality of COVID-19 vaccination policies recently announced by Indiana and Purdue Universities.
“This session, members of the Indiana General Assembly passed legislation to codify in law a prohibition on COVID-19 vaccine passports, preventing public institutions from mandating proof of vaccination as a condition for receiving services or employment,†Attorney General Rokita said. “Indiana University’s policy clearly runs afoul of state law—and the fundamental liberties and freedoms this legislation was designed to protect.â€
In response to a request from State Representative Peggy Mayfield (R-Martinsville) and State Senator Andy Zay (R-Huntington), Attorney General Rokita writes that House Enrolled Act (HEA) 1405 expressly prohibits state or local units from issuing or requiring proof of immunization status. Indiana law and numerous cases have held public universities to be “arms of the stateâ€, and therefore required to abide by the mandates set out in this new law.
Indiana University unquestionably violates HEA 1405 by requiring its students, faculty, and staff to show proof of immunization as a condition of continued attendance or employment.
“In response to the concerns of Hoosiers across the state, the Indiana General Assembly passed legislation earlier this year to ban government-issued COVID-19 vaccine passports,†said State Rep. Peggy Mayfield (R-Martinsville). “Under this law, I agree with the attorney general, as it was my intent, that public entities, including state universities, can’t require proof of the vaccine. Hoosiers should have the right to make healthcare decisions that best suit their families, their personal medical circumstances, and a broad interpretation of their religious beliefs – a concept that we’re disappointed to see Indiana University has rejected.”
Attorney General Rokita notes that while HEA 1405 prohibits public universities from requiring proof of the COVID-19 vaccine, it does not prohibit them from requiring the vaccination itself. In its current form, Purdue University’s COVID-19 vaccination policy does not appear to violate HEA 1405. Based on the information available, Purdue will require vaccination only for certain optional activities – no different than the guidelines universities have implemented for certain groups, like athletic teams, since the onset of the pandemic.
“I’m grateful that the Indiana Attorney General’s Office has reviewed this matter,†State Senator Zay said. “Next session, I hope to take legislative action to close the apparent loopholes that exist in HEA 1405 to ensure state-funded universities like Purdue and Indiana University must comply with the legislature’s intent to thwart government overreach and safeguard the individual liberties of their students, faculty, and staff.â€
FOOTNOTE; The Attorney General’s official public opinion is attached.
Technician. Academy At Ivy Tech
Technician. Academy Announces New Respect is Learned© In The Pits Sponsor, Ivy Tech Community College Evansville
EVANSVILLE, IN – Technician. Academy is excited to welcome Ivy Tech Community College Evansville as the newest sponsor for this year’s Respect is Learned© In The Pits contest.
“We are so excited to partner with the Technician. Academy and be represented in this year’s NHRA U.S. Nationals. The opportunity this chance affords our students is invaluable – even if they do not win the competition,†said Ivy Tech Chancellor Daniela Vidal. “For our faculty and students to be able to see the team in the pits in action and view the race from the stands is a chance in a lifetime.â€
The annual Respect is Learned© In The Pits contest gives college automotive students the chance to work hands-on in the pits with 3-time NHRA Top Alcohol Dragster World Championship Team, Randy Meyer Racing (RMR). Since 2017, six automotive students have joined RMR in Indianapolis at the NHRA U.S. Nationals where they gained real-world experience and valuable connections to the automotive racing industry. This year, two more students will be selected to win this internship opportunity.
“This opportunity wouldn’t be possible without sponsors like Ivy Tech and MotoRad,†said Technician. Academy Founder, Shawn Collins. “Encouraging students to pursue automotive repair as a career and gain hands-on experience is so important in an industry that’s short on technicians and quality training. Respect is Learned© In The Pits is one of our ways of liberating the industry, and we’re excited to have Ivy Tech on board.â€
Ivy Tech Community College Evansville and the Ivy Tech Foundation are proud to sponsor this initiative and help provide these students with once-in-a-lifetime learning experiences.
“There are thousands of open positions in Indiana in the automotive industry, and competitions like this, and programs like Ivy Tech’s Automotive Technology Program, prepare students for successful futures and help fill open positions with skilled technicians in Indiana automotive shops,†said Chris Kaufman, program chair at Ivy Tech Evansville. Ivy Tech offers short-term certificates in sequences of technical and professional courses that are industry focused that build upon each other leading to an Associate of Applied Science degree in Automotive Technology, he added.
Stay tuned for additional opportunities and updates from Technicians. Academy and Ivy Tech Community College Evansville. To learn more about the Respect is Learned© In The Pits contest, visit www. Technician. Academy or contact the team at info@technician.academy.
For additional information about Ivy Tech’s Automotive Technology Program go to IvyTech.Edu/evansville/automotive.
ABOUT TECHNICIAN.ACADEMY:
Technician. Academy offers personalized online courses as well as blogs, how-to tips, and industry insights to automotive technicians. EXTEND GROUP, a solutions-based marketing agency in Evansville, IN, introduced Technician. Academy in 2016 to provide a single location for accurate training and content that is valuable to the automotive technician of today and tomorrow. For more information, please contact Technician.Academy and EXTEND GROUP at 855.306.8818 or by email:info@technician.academy.
ABOUT IVY TECH COMMUNITY COLLEGE:
Ivy Tech Community College serves communities across Indiana, providing world-class education and driving economic transformation. It is the state’s largest public postsecondary institution and the nation’s largest singly accredited statewide community college system. It serves as the state’s engine of workforce development, offering high-value degree programs and training that are aligned with the needs of its communities, along with courses and programs that transfer to other colleges and universities in Indiana. It is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.