The No. 8-ranked men’s swimming team will be well represented in the finals with 11 second swims at the 2021 Big Ten Championships at the McCorkle Aquatic Pavilion in Columbus, Ohio.
CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL
200 IM – Van Mathias (third); Jacob Steele (fourth)
50 Freestyle – Jack Franzman (seventh)
500 Freestyle – Mikey Calvillo (fifth); Michael Brinegar (eighth)
CONSOLATION FINAL
200 IM – None.
50 Freestyle – Gabriel Fantoni (14th)
500 Freestyle – None.
C FINAL
200 IM – Tristan DeWitt (17th); Spencer Lehman (18th); Thomas Vanderbrook (20th); Zane Backes (22nd)
50 Freestyle – Brandon Hamblin (23rd)
500 Freestyle – None.
TEAM SCORES
Ohio State – 433 pts.
INDIANA – 319 pts.
Purdue – 258 pts.
Michigan – 223 pts.
Northwestern – 187 pts.
Wisconsin – 168 pts.
Minnesota – 162 pts.
Penn State – 129 pts.
Iowa – 114 pts.
Michigan State – 68 pts.
NOTABLES
The Hoosiers will bring back 11 swimmers for a second swim in the evening finals, trailing only Michigan (13) amongst Big Ten teams. Ohio State will have 10 swimming in the finals tonight.
In total, nine Hoosiers established career-best times during the preliminary rounds on Wednesday morning. The top two Hoosier finishers from each of the three contested events established NCAA B Cut marks in the prelims.
PRELIMINARY RESULTS
200 IM
Van Mathias – 1:43.94 (Championship Final, NCAA B Cut)
Jacob Steele – 1:43.95 (Championship Final, NCAA B Cut, Career Best)
Tristan DeWitt – 1:46.93 (C Final, Career Best)
Spencer Lehman – 1:47.03 (C Final, Career Best)
Thomas Vanderbrook – 1:47.07 (C Final)
Zane Backes – 1:48.03 (C Final, Career Best)
Jassen Yep – 1:49.75 (Career Best)
Brock Brown – 1:50.81 (Career Best)
50 FREESTYLE
Jack Franzman – 19.47 (Championships Final, NCAA B Cut)
Gabriel Fantoni – 19.76 (Consolation Final, NCAA B Cut, Career Best)
Brandon Hamblin – 20.05 (C Final)
Griffin Eiber – 20.07
Gavin Wight – 20.15 (Career Best)
Jacob Destrampe – 20.19 (Career Best)
500 FREESTYLE
Mikey Calvillo – 4:19.44 (Championship Final, NCAA B Cut)
Michael Brinegar – 4:20.10 (Championship Final, NCAA B Cut)
A 37-year-old Boonville woman is facing several criminal charges after being stopped last night for a traffic violation on South Kentucky Avenue in Evansville.
At approximately 6:30 yesterday evening, Trooper Stewart stopped the operator of a moped on South Kentucky Avenue at Jefferson Avenue for operating the moped without lights. The driver was identified as Holly Hurt, 37, of Boonville. Hurt had a suspended identification card and the plates on the moped were expired. Hurt also displayed signs of impairment. During the field sobriety tests, Hurt kicked and bit Trooper Stewart. After the brief altercation, Hurt was taken into custody without further incident. Hurt was transported to Ascension St. Vincent Hospital for minor injuries and then to the Vanderburgh County Jail where she is currently being held without bond. Hurt’s toxicology is pending. Trooper Stewart was treated for his injury at Ascension St. Vincent Hospital and later released.
Arrested and Charges:
Holly Hurt, 37, Boonville, IN
Battery on a Police Officer, Class 6 Felony
Resisting Law Enforcement, Class A Misdemeanor
Operating a Vehicle while Intoxicated, Class C Misdemeanor
Gov. Eric J. Holcomb and State Health Commissioner Dr. Kristina Box will host a virtual media briefing to provide updates on COVID-19 and its impact on Indiana.
WHO:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Gov. Holcomb
State Health Commissioner Kristina Box, MD, FACOG
Chief Medical Officer Lindsay Weaver, MD, FACEP
City of Gary Health Commissioner Roland Walker, MD
WHEN:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 2:30 p.m. ET, Wednesday, March 3
INDIANAPOLIS—As the legislative session resumes in March, several bills focusing on women’s reproductive issues, including abortion and maternity leave, are continuing to face debate.
Although the bills received a lot of support and opposition, they all succeeded in their respective chambers and will move one step closer to becoming law.
Organizations such as the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) oppose some of the bills, arguing they could add extra steps for women to get an abortion.
“Reproductive health care, including abortion, should be safe and available to those who need it and not restricted by certain politicians who want to ban abortions,†the ACLU said in a statement.
Groups like the ACLU argue some of the bills could be unconstitutional and go against the U.S. Supreme Court decision Roe v. Wade, which prohibits the government from creating laws that add more restrictions to the access of a safe abortion.
Learn more about the details behind the bills below:
House Bill 1577 – Telemedicine and abortion-related services
Authored by Rep. Peggy Mayfield, R-Martinsville, HB 1577 focuses on the distribution of health-related services and information about abortion for women. It allows mental health providers to deny their services to a woman who is seeking an abortion if it goes against their ethical, moral or religious beliefs.
“The lives of the babies and the mothers, and much of this bill, is an extension or an expansion of common-sense extensions of previous laws. There is no new territory in this bill that has not been discussed before,†Mayfield said.
Rep. Peggy Mayfield, who authored HB 1577, wants to make sure clinics that complete abortions inform women of all their options in case they change their minds. Photo provided.
The bill also specifies that an abortion-inducing drug cannot be distributed, prescribed or given to women who are more than eight weeks pregnant and, if the drug is given, it has to be consumed in front of a physician. The physician is required to explain the possibility of patients reversing the abortion pill in certain circumstances. HB 1577 will prohibit distributing information via telemedicine that is intended for abortion.
Additionally, the bill will require clinics to provide an ultrasound image of the fetus for both the woman to keep and for the patient’s file. If a clinic fails to include the ultrasound in the pregnant woman patient’s file, they’re at risk of losing their annual license.
Indiana law says women who are less than 18 must have parental consent before proceeding with abortion. HB 1577 will require parental consent to be notarized—in other words, parents have to prove their identity. According to Planned Parenthood, no other medical procedure in Indiana requires parents to prove their identity.
The debate on HB 1577 will continue on the Senate floor as organizations and physicians support and oppose the bill. The American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists supports the idea of requiring clinics to inform women who are getting an abortion that there’s the possibility of reversing the effects of the abortion pill.
But doctors such as Caitily Bernard, an assistant professor of clinical obstetrics and gynecology who testified against the bill during the House hearing, said HB 1577 is unethical because it provides “untrue and potentially dangerous information†to patients.
House Bill 1309 – Pregnancy accommodation
HB 1309, authored by Rep. Karen Engleman, R-Georgetown, advances for a first reading at the Senate floor and defines the process of how workplace accommodations for pregnant women will work. The bill says employees must listen to a request for accommodation by a pregnant employee; however, the employer is not obligated to act upon that request. At the same time, the pregnant employee will not be at risk of being disciplined or fired for asking for accommodations.
Rep. Karen Engleman authored HB 1309, which doesn’t require employers to provide accommodations to pregnant employees. It advances to the Senate floor. Photo provided.
Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb will push this bill once again after it failed last year. He has highlighted the benefits of allowing female employees to take a brief leave rather than letting them go and training new people.
According to the National Partnership for Women and Families, neighboring states such as Kentucky and Illinois must provide “reasonable accommodations†for their pregnant female employees.
Senate Bill 10 – Statewide maternal mortality review committee
Senate Bill 10, authored by Sen. Jean Leising, R-Oldenburg, explores the usage of a maternal mortality committee review. This bill would release patient’s mental health records, without their consent, to the statewide maternal mortality review committee. The committee will use the records to determine if an abortion was performed on the individual and if that resulted in maternal mortality.
FOOTNOTE: Â Carolina Puga Mendoza is a reporter for TheStatehouseFile.com, a news website powered by Franklin College journalism students.
 EVANSVILLE – In its only midweek contest of the season, the University of Evansville baseball team travels to take on Kentucky in Lexington, Ky. on Wednesday afternoon at 3 PM (CT).
Eyeing a sweep, the University of Evansville baseball team battled in a 7-4 loss to NIU in the final game of the three-game series on Sunday afternoon at German American Bank Field at Charles H. Braun Stadium in Evansville.
Evansville struck first offensively, scoring the game’s opening run in the bottom of the second inning.
With a pair of Aces in scoring position, a wild pitch by the Huskies scored sophomore Danny Borgstrom to give Evansville the 1-0 lead.
The aforementioned big inning for NIU came in the top of the fourth as the Huskies scored five runs in the inning, including three on a home run to left center field by Jack Blazevich.
Evansville answered with a run in the bottom half of the inning as freshman Max Malley lifted a sacrifice fly to left that scored Borgstrom again.
In the fifth, NIU added two more runs on a single and a sacrifice fly to increase the Huskies lead to 7-2.
The Aces slowly pushed closer, scoring a run in the bottom of the fifth and sixth innings to close within three runs.
In the bottom of the ninth, Evansville appeared to be replicating its magic from Friday night as senior Craig Shepherd opened the half inning with a base-hit.
Following Shepherd’s single, NIU pitcher Brandon McPherson recorded three-straight outs to end the game and give the Huskies a 7-4 win.
Previewing the Matchup: Kentucky
Evansville and Kentucky meet for the 19th time in the series when the two sides collide on Wednesday.
The Aces lead the all-time series with the Wildcats, 10-8.
Back during the 2018 season, the Wildcats captured the last meeting between the two teams, 8-4, on Feb. 18 in Lexington.
Kentucky enters Wednesday’s game following a busy slate for the Wildcats. Wednesday’s game will mark its sixth game in six days.
Because his senior season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Smith’s appearance on the mound Wednesday will represent his first competition since his junior season at Boonville HS in 2019. During his junior campaign, Smith pitched in two no-hitters, including a five inning, solo no-hitter in which Smith threw 11 strikeouts.
Zeros for Meyer, Dominik
Evansville has gotten strong performances from a pair of relievers this season who were both newcomers to the program in 2020.
Freshman Jakob Meyer has recorded a pair of saves in three appearances, pitching 4.2 innings, striking-out four and not allowing a run.
Dominik made his season debut on Sunday, coming in and pitching 2.1 innings, allowing just one hit and holding the Huskies scoreless.
Patience at the Plate
The Aces have showcased their patience at the plate in 2021.
Evansville sits just outside the top 50 in the nation in base on balls earning 34 through seven games this season.
Scherry Impresses Early
In his first collegiate season, freshman Simon Scherry has already made a strong impression, especially in this past weekend’s series against NIU.
In a series win over NIU, Scherry impressed with a bevy of extra-base hits.
On the weekend, Scherry led Evansville with a .545 batting average, recording four doubles and six RBI.
The local native recorded just two strikeouts and drew a walk and stole a base.
Defensively, Scherry finished the weekend a perfect 1.000, playing both second base and shortstop.
On the year, Scherry leads the Aces in average, doubles, and RBI.
INFO:Â For all of the latest information on University of Evansville athletics, visit GoPurpleAces.com or follow the program on Twitter via @UEAthletics.
FUTURE UNAFRAID:Â To make a gift to the Future Unafraid initiative and contribute to the Purple Aces’ response to COVID-19, please visit UEAlumniOnline.com/FutureUnafraid
SUPPORT:Â For information on giving to UE Athletics or its individual athletics programs, visit the SUPPORT tab on the top of GoPurpleAces.com
HEALTH DEPARTMENT UPDATES STATEWIDE COVID-19 CASE COUNTS
INDIANAPOLIS — The Indiana Department of Health announced today that 582 additional Hoosiers have been diagnosed with COVID-19 through testing at state and private laboratories. That brings to 662,750 the number of Indiana residents now known to have had the novel coronavirus following corrections to the previous day’s dashboard.
A total of 12,192 Hoosiers are confirmed to have died from COVID-19, an increase of 31 from the previous day. Another 431 probable deaths have been reported based on clinical diagnoses in patients for whom no positive test is on record.
To date, 3,123,029Â unique individuals have been tested in Indiana, up from 3,120,195Â on Monday. A total of 8,056,112 tests, including repeat tests for unique individuals, have been reported to the state Department of Health since Feb. 26, 2020.
To find testing sites around the state, visit www.coronavirus.in.gov and click on the COVID-19 testing information link.
Hoosiers age 55 and older, along with healthcare workers, long-term care residents and first responders who are regularly called to the scene of an emergency to render medical assistance, are now eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. To schedule, visit https://ourshot.in.gov or call 211 if you do not have access to a computer or require assistance.
As of today, 1,014,651 first doses of vaccine have been administered in Indiana, and 587,359 individuals are fully vaccinated.
Additional locations and appointments are being added as more vaccine becomes available.
Reopen Evansville Task Force & Evansville Sports Corporation Announce Health and Safety Protocols Ahead of Basketball Championships
Evansville, IN – The state of Indiana will soon be the center of college basketball and the action begins in Evansville.
The first automatic bid to the NCAA tournament will be awarded at the Ford Center, as the Ohio Valley Conference Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championship will be held March 3-6. Later in the month, the Division II Midwest Regional will be played March 13-16 and the Division II Elite Eight & National Championship on March 24-27 in downtown Evansville.
“Our community is proud to host the OVC & Division II Basketball Championships and looks forward to welcoming the teams, student-athletes and fans,†said Steve Schaefer, Deputy Mayor & Chair of the Reopen Evansville Task Force. “As we continue to reopen and host major sporting events in Evansville, safety remains our top priority.â€
In preparation for the basketball tournaments, the Reopen Evansville Task Force convened with medical professionals and key stakeholders to develop a COVID-19 safety plan of action for the events. Players and coaching staffs will be tested prior to arriving to Evansville. Through a partnership with Deaconess Hospital, participants in the OVC tournament will also be tested prior to each game of the tournament.
“We want to ensure participating fans, coaches and student athletes are healthy throughout this event,†said Schaefer, who also serves as the Chairman of the Evansville Sports Corp. Board. “Following months of meetings between the Task Force, Evansville Sports Corporation, Vanderburgh County Health Department (VCHD) and medical professionals from both Deaconess Hospital and Ascension St. Vincent, these protocols were developed to keep the tournaments on track at the Ford Center in Downtown Evansville.â€
In addition to testing, a number of additional COVID-19 health and safety protocols will be in place, including;
Temperature check at entrance
Masks/face coverings
Limited concessions
Hand sanitizing stations
Enhanced cleaning and sanitation processes
Security officers and ushers
Informational Signage;
Fans attending this year’s event will be temperature screened upon entering the Ford Center and will be required to where a face covering/mask at all times. Spectator seating for the events will be limited to 2,500 fans and will be divided into socially-distanced pods. Pods will be spaced by the CDC prescribed safety distance of at least six (6) feet apart from other seating pods. This buffer is comprised of the row in front and behind the group being left vacant as well as a minimum of three seats on either side of the pod. All aisle way seats will be left vacant in order to maintain a buffer from patrons as they move to their assigned seating locations. All spectator seats will be sanitized before use and there will be increased sanitization performed in all commons areas.
Participating teams are also required to follow all COVID-19 protocols set forth by the Ford Center and the hotel properties.
“COVID-19 has had a huge impact on our organization and the industry as a whole,†said Evansville Sports Corp. Executive Director Eric Marvin. “As we continue to reopen and host major sporting events in Evansville, safety remains our top priority. Thanks to guidance from VCHD and local medical professionals, 2021 should be a record setting year.â€
Tickets must be purchased in socially-distanced seating pods of two or four. Fans can purchase single-session tickets through ticketmaster.com or at the Ford Center ticket office.
ATTACHED BELOW IS THE LINK OF THE 2021 OHIO VALLEY CONFERENCE Â BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS SCHEDULED AT THE FORD CENTER
The Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs announced today a collaboration with the Indiana University Environmental Resilience Institute(ERI) to invite local Indiana governments to apply for the Beat the Heat program. The goal of the program is to create sustainable, long-term projects, programs, and educational materials that help residents cope with hot days and the public health impacts associated with the heat.
“This collaboration with ERI and our community partners will provide countless innovative tools and resources to better improve the health of our rural communities,†said Denny Spinner, Executive Director of OCRA. “Working with vulnerable populations will be at the center of this project which ensures no one is left behind during a hot summer day. OCRA is excited to build a new partnership with the experts at ERI to provide this opportunity.â€
For this program eligible applicants are non-entitlement local units of government to include towns, counties and cities. Two communities will receive up to $121,940 to fund a full-time staff person for two years and costs associated with program activities. This staff person, with support from ERI, will:
Assess community needs related to heat relief;
Develop marketing and educational materials;
Outline community engagement techniques; and
Develop and implement heat relief strategies.
“Extreme heat is responsible for more annual fatalities in the United States than all other natural disasters combined,†said Dana Habeeb, an assistant professor at IU’s Luddy School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering and the program’s principal investigator. “With temperatures increasing across Indiana, we are excited to work with local government leaders to create tailored strategies designed to protect at-risk residents. The communities selected for the Beat the Heat program will not only be preparing and empowering their local communities to respond to the challenges of extreme heat, but also pioneering a model that could guide heat mitigation strategies for other communities throughout the state of Indiana.â€
Each community will receive hospital and emergency management services data related to how hot days and nights impact residents’ health as well as a map of the community’s vulnerable populations. Selected applicants will be required to contribute $7,500 toward the project.
An informational webinar will be held at 11 a.m. ET Monday, March 15 to further explain this opportunity and application process. Registration is available at: https://go.iu.edu/3FjA.  Applications are being accepted through Friday, March 26, 2021.
 The Indiana Department of Health today announced that it has partnered with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, University of Notre Dame and Ivy Tech Community College to host three mass vaccination clinics to help eligible Hoosiers receive a free COVID-19 vaccine.
In addition, effective today, Hoosiers age 55 and older are now eligible to receive a free vaccine.
“Getting tens of thousands of vaccines in arms in a matter of days is a huge undertaking that requires incredible partnerships,†Governor Eric J. Holcomb said. “We are incredibly grateful to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Notre Dame and Ivy Tech for their willingness to meet this challenge head-on to help save Hoosier lives.â€
The mass vaccination clinics will offer the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which received its Emergency Use Authorization from the FDA on Saturday. The vaccine requires only one dose and has been shown to be safe and effective at preventing hospitalizations and deaths in clinical trials involving nearly 44,000 participants from all races and ethnicities.
“The Johnson & Johnson vaccine gives eligible Hoosiers a safe, effective and convenient way to protect themselves from COVID-19,†said State Health Commissioner Kris Box, M.D., FACOG. “Because it requires just one dose, every shot administered represents a Hoosier who can rest easier, knowing their risk of severe illness from this disease has dropped exponentially.â€
The Indiana Department of Health has also begun planning for a future mass vaccination clinic in Gary in collaboration with local health officials. Additional mass vaccination sites in other locations will be planned as more vaccine becomes available.
All clinics will require advance registration through https://ourshot.in.gov or by calling 211. Proof of age and residency will be required. The mass vaccination clinics are listed as sites that eligible Hoosiers can select when making an appointment. No walk-ups will be permitted.
Indiana’s Area Agencies on Aging, AARP and nearly 70 libraries around the state also can help Hoosiers schedule their appointments.
The clinic schedules are as follows:
Indianapolis Motor Speedway 4790 W. 16th St., Indianapolis
March 5-7
8 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Enter through main gate off 16th Street; participants will remain in their cars for their vaccines.
Ivy Tech Community College 8204 County Road 311, Sellersburg
March 12-13
8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Participants will remain in their cars for their vaccines.
University of Notre Dame Compton Family Ice Arena
100 Compton Family Ice Arena, Notre Dame
March 26-27
8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Additional dates may be added to each of the above sites depending on demand and vaccine availability.
A separate advisory with instructions for media interested in covering the clinics will be issued closer to the events.
