WINTER STORM BEGINS

01/05/2025

A WINTER STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE ENTIRE EVANSVILLE AREA.

As the winter precipitation begins, local officials remind you not to get out unless you have to. Roads are quickly turning slick and hazardous, making any travel risky.

The expectation is that areas north of I64 will receive 6-9 inches of snow and sleet with some freezing rain and ice. South of I69 will see less snow, 3-6 inches, but 1/4 to 1/2 inch of ice.

The ice will be the culprit for creating power outages and deceivingly slippery roads.

Stay in if at all possible.

Jerome Stewart – The Word in 120

01/05/2025

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It was recently reported that Apple Computers, which was co-founded by billionaire Steven Jobs in 1976, is now a 4 trillion dollar company. Stevens Jobs died in 2011 of pancreatic cancer. However successful we are in life, we all must die. 1st Timothy 6, vs. 7 says, “For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we will carry nothing out.” James 4 vs. 14 speaks to life’s brevity, saying, “whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow.”

For what is your life? “It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.” As to Steven Jobs, his last words are noteworthy and so sincere. He said quote; “At this moment time, lying on a sick bed and recalling my whole life, I realize that all the
recognition and wealth that I took much pride in, have paled and become meaningless in the face of impending death…You can employ someone to drive your car for you, to make money for you, but you cannot have someone bear your sickness for you. Material things lost can be found. But there is one thing that can never be found when it is lost—Life!”

When Jesus hung bleed and died on the cross for the sins of all mankind, for those who know Jesus as Lord and Savoir, we will never be lost as long as there is a willingness to follow Him. Jesus says in John 10 vss. 27 and 28; “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone pluck them out of My hand.”

So the question is this. Do you know Jesus? If not you need to. Once there has been a transition from this life to the hereafter it will be too late to say yes to Jesus!

Yesteryear: This Date in 1937 the Ohio River Starts to Flood

01/05/2025

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On Jan. 5, 1937, water levels began to rise in the Ohio River Flood of 1937. Southern Indiana would be devastated. The flood left two-thirds of Evansville underwater, with martial law being declared for a few days and 90,000 people being forced from their homes. Flooding along the river turned the waterway into a 25-mile-wide lake stretching from Illinois to Pennsylvania, and a total of 385 people would die.

Watch for more pictures from the flood of ’37 this week in the City-County Observer.

The following video is raw footage taken by Ed Rech. Some footage is poor quality and you may want to leave the sound down because there is a buzz.

Kelley sets career scoring high at Illinois State

01/05/2025

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Kelley sets career scoring high at Illinois State

JANUARY 5, 2025

The Purple Aces put up a 55-point performance in the loss

NORMAL, Ill. – The University of Evansville women’s basketball team ended its road trip in Illinois with a 79-55 loss to the Illinois State Redbirds.

The Purple Aces struggled to stop Illinois State’s balanced offensive attack in their second game of the 2025 calendar year. UE led the game in free throw percentage making all but one attempt from the charity stripe. No Evansville player scored in double figures, but freshman guard Avery Kelley (Evansville, Ind. / Memorial HS) set a career-high in points with eight.

The Aces fell behind early on Saturday afternoon with only five points in the game’s first eight minutes. The Redbirds grew their lead to 14 before UE cut into the deficit with sophomore forward Maggie Hartwig’s (Sauk City, Wis. / Sauk Prairie HS) first layup. Evansville’s final basket of the first quarter came from freshman forward Elle Snyder (Latrobe, Penn. / Greater Latrobe HS) behind the arc as the Aces faced a 14-point deficit going into the second quarter.

Both teams went back and forth making baskets for the first three minutes of the second. However, Illinois State put together a seven-point run over three minutes to grow the lead to 19. Freshman guard Camryn Runner (Cicero, Ind. / Hamilton Heights HS) ended the run at the line as Hartwig made a layup a possession later. UE put up three more points in the first half to be down by 19 at halftime.

Evansville struck first in the second half as junior forward Mae Dozier (Louisville, Ky. / Wabash Valley) hit a three in the first 20 seconds. The Redbirds answered with a three of their own before rattling off a 10-5 run in the first four minutes. The Aces were able to put together a brief five-point run to bring the deficit back under 20. But another lengthy run for Illinois State to end the quarter had UE down by 32 after 30 minutes of play.

The Evansville offense continued to struggle in the fourth quarter as the Aces took over three minutes to make a field goal. But thanks to strong performance at the line from Runner and freshman guard Logan Leubbers Palmer (Union, Ky. / Randall K. Cooper HS) kept UE in the game. Once Evansville began making field goals in the fourth the Aces had their best run of the game with nine straight points in just over a minute.

For the final five minutes of the game, UE went shot-for-shot with the Redbirds before ending on another nine-point run. But it wasn’t enough to get Evansville back in the game, falling on the road to Illinois State 79-55.

Hartwig led the Aces on offense with a nine-point performance while Kelley was right behind with her career-high eight points. Hartwig also led the team on defense with nine rebounds while Runner had her best MVC game under the glass with seven boards. Senior guard Júlia Palomo (La Seu D’Urgell, Spain) led UE in assists with four while Hartwig had a team-leading three blocks.

Evansville remains on the road for one more game but does get to return to the Hoosier state. The Aces will face their in-state rivals the Indiana State Sycamores on Sunday, January 12th. Tip-off from the Hulman Center is set for 1 p.m. CT in just over a week.

USI New Harmony Gallery of Contemporary Art to feature “Infinite Gauge: Makenzie Goodman and Adam Stacey”

01/05/2025

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USI New Harmony Gallery of Contemporary Art to feature “Infinite Gauge: Makenzie Goodman and Adam Stacey”

JANUARY 5, 2025

The University of Southern Indiana New Harmony Gallery of Contemporary Art (NHGCA) is proud to present Infinite Gauge: Makenzie Goodman and Adam Stacey, featuring new works in sculpture and image-based media from the artist duo. The exhibit opens Saturday, January 11, with an artist talk at the Working Men’s Institute at 1:30 p.m. and a public opening reception from 3 to 5 p.m. The exhibit will run through February 22.

This presentation of recent works mounts a dialogue with the waterways of Indiana, specifically the Wabash and White Rivers, as a lens through which time might be considered in a comprehensive sense. The exhibit contrasts the human experience of the passage of time against geological time, considering factors that investigate how these rivers have shaped life along their banks. Works on view pose the question: Can we use a river and its path over time to learn about ourselves, our shared history, our belief systems and how our actions have rapidly and irrevocably altered the places we depend on?

The Wabash and White rivers are part of a series of waterways being continuously monitored to understand environmental changes in real time. The United States Geological Survey uses a super gage network across the Ohio-Indiana-Kentucky watershed, tracking key metrics that inform our understanding of changes in these ecosystems. Super gage #03378500 is located in the Wabash River at New Harmony, Indiana. These readings are updated in real time and visible on the United States Geological Survey webpage.

While it may be difficult to point to demonstrated examples of how these alterations in river chemistry directly affect our day-to-day lives, changes in measurements over time impact fisheries, wildlife preserves and other habitats not only in the region being monitored, but farther south along the Mississippi river, even impacting ecosystems at the river’s terminus in the Gulf of Mexico.

Infinite Gauge takes a bird’s eye view of how river pollutants, flooding and other issues linked to climate change impact living beings across the Wabash and White River watersheds and beyond. These shifts and how they are interpreted through the continuous passage of time form a core focus of the exhibition. Translated across sculpture, installation, new media art, cyanotypes and works on paper, Infinite Gauge reflects on humanity’s growing footprint in the natural world.

Goodman works in photography, video and installation to question belief systems associated with place. She considers the history and mythology of an area to explore the way we interpret and interact with the spaces we inhabit and what that imposed anthropocentric relationship means for the land. She received a Master of Fine Arts from Brooks Institute of Photography in Santa Barbara, California, and is an Assistant Professor at Appalachian State University in North Carolina.

Stacey is a sculptor who works with ceramics and various other materials. His artwork examines human impact and relationship to place. He received a Master of Fine Arts from New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University and currently works as a Lecturer in Art in Foundations at Appalachian State

The NHGCA at University of Southern Indiana promotes discourse about and access to contemporary art in the southern Indiana region. The NHGCA is a proud outreach partner of USI. The Gallery is located at 506 Main Street in New Harmony, Indiana. Regular hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. For more information, visit the NHGCA website or call 812-682-3156.    

This exhibition is made possible in part by the Efroymson Family Fund, Arts Council of Southwestern Indiana, and the Indiana Arts Commission, which receives support from the State of Indiana and the National Endowment for the Art

Notice of 2025 Regular Meeting of the Southwest Indiana Regional Development Authority

01/05/2025

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The Southwest Indiana Regional Development Authority meeting on Wednesday, January 8^th at 7:45 A.M. (Central) is cancelled. The Executive Session held at 7:30 a.m. before the regularly scheduled open public SWIRDA meeting pursuant to I.C. 5-14-1.5-6.1(b)2(D) and/or (4) has also been cancelled.

The meeting will resume on Wednesday, February 12^th at 7:45 AM at Innovation Pointe 4^th floor. located at 318 Main Street, Evansville, IN 47708.

All meetings are accessible via ZOOM using the following information:

Meeting ID: 813 2775 5920
One tap mobile
+13092053325,,81327755920# US
+13126266799,,81327755920# US (Chicago)

Additional notice shall be given if the date, time, or place of a regular meeting or meetings is changed.

Notice issued by:

Danniece Henderson,

Evansville Regional Economic Partnership on behalf of

Southwest Indiana Regional Development Authority (SWIRDA)

20 health systems dropping Medicare Advantage plans | 2025

01/05/2025

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20 health systems dropping Medicare Advantage plans | 2025

Jakob Emerson; BECKER HEALTHCARE

JANUARY 4, 2025

health coverage to more than half of the nation’s older adults, but some Hospitals and health systems are opting to end or not renew contracts with some MA plans over administrative challenges.

Among the most commonly cited reasons are excessive prior authorization denial rates and slow payments from insurers.

In 2023, Becker’s began reporting on hospitals and health systems nationwide that dropped some or all of their Medicare Advantage contracts. 2024 coverage is here.

20 health systems dropping Medicare Advantage plans:
Editor’s note: This is not an exhaustive list. It will continue to be updated this year.

Dallas-based Baylor Scott & White is no longer in network with Humana Medicare Advantage as of Jan. 1.
Livonia, Mich.-based Trinity Health is no longer included in Humana’s Medicare Advantage network as of Jan. 1.
West Des Moines, Iowa-based MercyOne is no longer included in Humana’s Medicare Advantage network as of Jan. 1.
Raleigh, N.C.-based WakeMed is out of network with Cigna Medicare Advantage as of Jan. 1.
Greenville, S.C.-based Bon Secours St. Francis Health System ended its participation with Cigna Medicare Advantage on Jan. 1.
CommonSpirit hospitals in Colorado and Humana went out of network on Jan. 1.
The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in Columbus went out of network with Anthem Medicare Advantage on Jan. 1.
WVU Medicine’s Uniontown (Pa.) Hospital and its affiliated provider groups are no longer participating providers with Highmark PA or Highmark Wholecare Medicare Advantage as of Jan. 1.
Robbinsdale, Minn.-based North Memorial Health has ended its contract with Humana Medicare Advantage.
Duluth, Minn.-based Essentia Health went out of network with Humana Medicare Advantage plans in 2025.
Watertown, S.D.-based Prairie Lakes Healthcare System dropped Humana Medicare Advantage.
Nashville-based Vanderbilt Health is no longer in network with BCBS Tennessee Medicare Advantage.
Sioux Falls, S.D.-based Avera Health ended participation as an in-network provider with Humana Medicare Advantage, effective Jan. 1.
Quincy, Ill.-based Blessing Health implemented a new MA approach in 2025 and is only contracting with BCBS, UnitedHealthcare, Molina and Total Retiree Advantage Illinois.
Lawrence, Kan.-based LMH Health no longer accepts Aetna or Humana Medicare Advantage, effective Jan. 1.
Sioux Falls, S.D.-based Sanford Health dropped Humana Medicare Advantage in Minnesota for 2025.
North Platte, Neb.-based Great Plains Health no longer accepts any Medicare Advantage plans as of 2025.
Kimball (Neb.) Health Services no longer accepts any Medicare Advantage plans as of 2025.
Carson City, Nev.-based Carson Tahoe Health is no longer in network with Alignment Health and Molina Medicare Advantage as of Jan. 1.
Midland-based MyMichigan Health is no longer participating in the Aetna Medicare Advantage network in 2025.

EPD DAILY ACTIVITY REPORT

01/05/2025

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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.

Late rally lifts Indiana State past Evansville

01/05/2025

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Late rally lifts Indiana State past Evansville

Sycamores win by 66-62 final

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – In a game that featured 11 lead changes, it was Indiana State making the final run as they defeated the University of Evansville men’s basketball team by a final of 66-62 on Saturday afternoon at the Ford Center.

Tayshawn Comer was the top scorer for the Purple Aces, finishing with 24 points and 7 assists. Tanner Cuff scored 11 while Josh Hughes and Connor Turnbull registered 10 apiece. Hughes led UE with 9 boards while Turnbull added 8. Jaden Daughtry registered a game-high 26 points for the Sycamores.

“I thought we did a good job with our energy. Our defensive game plan was excellent holding ISU under their average,” UE head men’s basketball coach David Ragland said. “There were a few possessions that changed everything down the stretch and those things are fixable. Our guys are understanding that mindset, playing physical and executing are what matters, and they have responded the right way since the break. We needed a chance to regroup and give ourselves a chance to win.”

After scoring a career-high of 26 points just three days ago, Tayshawn Comer was back at it, posting 12 points in the opening half. His triple set the Purple Aces up with a 5-2 lead in the opening moments while the Sycamores scored the next five to take their first lead at 7-5. Baskets from Josh Hughes and Kaia Berridge put the lead back in Evansville’s hands with a 13-9 edge at the 13:25 mark.

Just as fast as the Aces made their run, ISU came back to retake an 18-15 edge. The teams swapped the lead over the later moments of the period, leading to a 26-23 Sycamore lead with 3:28 on the clock. Evansville erupted to score 13 of the next 15 to take its largest lead of 36-28 inside the final minute. Cam Haffner, Comer, and Hughes each recorded a triple during the run. ISU scored the final basket of the period to make it a 36-31 game at the break.

Indiana State came out on fire to open the second half, quickly cutting the deficit to one as they scored six of the first eight points in the first two minutes of the second half. Evansville fended off the challenge, but with 12:18 remaining, Indiana State took its first lead of the period at 48-46. Just as they had done all game, the Aces battled back. A triple by Cuff was followed by a basket from Trent Hundley that gave UE a 51-48 edge with 9:47 left.

Another spurt by the Sycamores saw them score the next four to go back up by a point before a pair of free throws from Comer put UE back in front (53-52) with 5:19 remaining. It was Cuff and Comer who kept UE in the fight, overcoming a pair of ISU leads to tie the game at 57-57 entering the final three minutes.

In the ensuing possession, ISU retook the lead for what would be the final time. They led by as many as four, but UE had a chance. Two more Comer free throws cut the deficit to 62-60 at the 45-second mark. Following a Sycamore miss, UE corralled the rebound, but a turnover returned possession to ISU and they would hold on for the 66-62 win.

Both teams completed the game shooting 40.7% (22-of-54) while UE wrapped up the game with a 36-33 rebounding lead. The Aces are back at the Ford Center on Wednesday for a 7 p.m. game against Illinois State.

-www.GoPurpleAces.com-

Lady Trailblazers open 2025 with big win over Volunteer State

01/04/2025

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Lady Trailblazers open 2025 with big win over Volunteer State

VINCENNES, Ind. – The Vincennes University Lady Trailblazers opened the 2025 portion of their schedule Saturday night with a showdown against Volunteer State Community College from Gallatin, Tenn.

The Lady Blazers were propelled by a big first half scoring run to pull away and come out the big 87-47 victory over the Pioneers.

VU got off to a slow start Saturday night in their first game back from the Holiday break, finding themselves trailing midway through the first quarter 15-11 to Volunteer State.

The Lady Blazers were able to come back strong to close out the first quarter however, scoring the final 11 points of the opening period to take a 22-15 lead.

Vincennes continued this run into the second quarter as VU used a 27-2 scoring run, stretching from the first quarter through most of the second quarter to take an early commanding 38-17 lead.

VU would continue to add to this big lead with 13 straight points late in the first half before the Pioneers hit a buzzer beater three to end the first half with the Lady Blazers on top 51-25.

The Lady Trailblazers picked up on the defensive end to begin the second half, holding the Pioneers to just six points in the third quarter as VU’s lead continued to grow to 71-31 heading into the fourth.

Vincennes was able to put the game away early in the fourth quarter, putting an exclamation point on the victory with a 10-0 fourth quarter scoring run as the Lady Blazers cruised to a big 87-47 victory over Volunteer State C.C.

The Lady Blazers were led by an outstanding game by freshman Delora Pricop (Satu Mare, Romania) who was able to set new season highs with 27 points and 17 rebounds in the game, her sixth double-double of the season, while also leading the Blazers with three blocks on the defensive end of the floor.

Freshman Emani Washington (Indianapolis, Ind.) was the second leading scorer for VU Saturday night, finishing the game with 18 points, four rebounds and three assists.

Freshman Iris Comesana (Vigo, Spain) also set a new season high Saturday night with 14 points, including a pair of threes to go along with six rebounds and four assists.

Freshman Ahmya Thomas (Phoenix, Ariz.) continues to move the ball well from the point guard position, finishing her night with 13 points, six assists and four steals.

Sophomore Marta Gutierrez (Alicante, Spain) was the fifth Lady Blazer to score in double figures, with all five of VU’s starters Saturday night scoring double digit points.

Gutierrez had a strong all around game with 11 points, team leading seven assists and six steals, while also grabbing four rebounds on the night.

The Lady Blazers will look to keep this momentum going as they get set for a tough Region 24 road game Wednesday, Jan. 8 when VU heads to Belleville, Ill. to take on Southwestern Illinois College at 6 p.m. eastern.

VU will then return home to the P.E. Complex Saturday afternoon for another Region 24 contest when Vincennes hosts Shawnee Community College Saturday, Jan. 11 at 2 p.m. eastern.

VINCENNES BOX SCORE

VINCENNES (87): Iris Comesana 6-9 0-0 14, Delora Pricop 11-17 5-8 27, Ahmya Thomas 6-11 1-5 13, Marta Gutierrez 5-7 0-0 11, Emani Washington 7-13 3-3 18, Jazmyn Robey 1-4 0-1 2, Netala Dixon 1-5 0-0 2, Team 37-66 9-17 87.

Volunteer State – 15 10 6 16 – 47

VU (7-8, 2-0) – 22 29 20 16 – 87

Three-point goals: VU 4 (Comesana 2, Gutierrez, Washington). Rebounds: VU 38 (Pricop 17). Assists: VU 27 (Gutierrez 7). Steals: VU 18 (Gutierrez 6). Blocked Shots: VU 4 (Pricop 3). Turnovers: VU 18. Personal Fouls: VU 12. Fouled out: None.