USI BB gets over .500 with win over KWC
University of Southern Indiana Baseball extended its winning streak to eight games after winning a battle with Kentucky Wesleyan College, 11-6, Wednesday evening at the USI Baseball Field. The Eagles go to 12-11 overall and get over the .500 mark for the first time since February after tonight’s action, while KWC ends the evening 11-3.
After KWC grabbed a 1-0 lead to start the game, USI took its first lead of the game, 2-1, in the bottom of the first on a two-run blast to left center senior rightfielder Manny Lopez. The lead was short lived as the Panther scored two in the second and one in the third to post a 4-2 advantage.
USI seized control in the bottom of the third with a six-run frame to lead 8-4. The Eagles’ six-run inning was highlighted by two-run singles by senior shortstop Kobe Stephens and junior second baseman Ethan Hunter.
The Panthers would close the gap to 8-6 with tallies in the fourth and fifth before the Eagles sealed the victory with a run in the bottom of the fifth, seventh, and eighth for the 11-6 win.
USI freshman first baseman Adam Wildeman led the Eagles at the plate with three hits, while Stephens finished with a team-high three RBIs in the win.
On the mound, junior right-hander Brady Bowling picked up his second win in relief. Bowling (2-1) allowed one run on one hit in the third before the Eagles scored six times in the bottom of the frame to take the lead for good.
Up Next for the Eagles:
The Eagles resumes GLVC action April 9-11 when they visit McKendree University for a four-game series. First pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m. for a single game April 9; noon for a doubleheader April 11; and noon for a single game April 11. Live coverage can be accessed through GoUSIEagles.com.
McKendree (10-10, 3-9 GLVC) will welcome the Eagles to Lebanon, Illinois, looking to break a four-game losing streak after dropping the series to Lewis University last weekend. The Bearcats also have lost four of the last six games leading up to the series.
USI leads the all-time series with McKendree, 30-13, including 12 of the last 13 dating back to 2016.
Bills Await Possible Death If Committees Don’t Make A Decision Before Thursday
Bills await possible death if committees don’t make a decision before Thursday
By Taylor Dixon and Carolina Puga Mendoza
TheStatehouseFile.comÂ
INDIANAPOLIS—Thursday is the deadline for all House and Senate committees to vote on bills for this legislative session, meaning bills that are not approved will not move forward.
Some bills that are at risk of dying include one requiring a suicide hotline on student ID cards, another on the deannexation of schools in the South Bend area that led to discord in the Indiana House, and other allowing kids to set up lemonade stands without a permit.
Over 30 other bills face the same outcome because they are not scheduled to be heard in committee meetings Thursday morning. The two that have received some of the most attention during the legislative session are House Bill 1369, involving the licensing of firearms, and Senate Bill 141, which would cut funding for public transit in Indianapolis.
Authored by Rep. Ben Smaltz, R-Auburn, HB 1369 would take away the need for a permit to carry a gun. Instead, those who own firearms could purchase a lifetime license to allow them to take their weapon across state lines. The bill has not been scheduled for a hearing in the Senate Judiciary Committee since it was referred there on March 11.
HB 1369 has received pushback from various members of the Indiana State Police and from mostly Democratic lawmakers.
Sen. Greg Taylor, D-Indianapolis, has been outspoken about his opposition to the bill.
“The people who are lawfully carrying are one shot away from being a mass shooter,†Taylor said. “Recently, several people who were lawfully able to carry committed mass murder.â€
“We’re going through a pandemic right now, where people are having a lot of anxiety and things like that …We need to be cognizant of the fact that a lawful carrying person is just one shot away from being a mass killer.â€
In March, there were seven mass shootings in seven days in the United States, in which 20 people died and many were injured. The most recent shooting happened in Atlanta, Georgia, where nine people were shot by a single gunman. Eight of them died.
More criticism was directed towards the projected funding loss that law enforcement could face. The Indiana State Police currently gets revenue from the permit fees; if removed, they would face a loss of up to $5.3 million in fiscal year 2023.
If HB 1369 does not make it past the Judiciary Committee, there’s a possibility that a bill with similar language could make its way to next year’s legislative session.
“While we can celebrate the fact that that bill is going to die, we also need to be cognizant of the fact that we still have other things that can come up,†Taylor said.
Senate Bill 141 would have cut funding for IndyGo, the public transportation system in Indianapolis, and would have caused problems in creating the Blue and Purple bus rapid transit lines.
SB 141 was sent to the House Roads and Transportation Committee on March 4 and was heard in committee on March 24. Nearly a dozen people testified on the bill in the two-hour meeting. Another 20 people had signed up to speak but did not get the chance due to time restrictions, according to an Indy Star article.
Roads and Transportation Committee chairman Rep. Jim Pressel, R-LaPorte, said in a statement, “Senate Bill 141 is complex legislation with passionate voices on all sides. Despite meaningful conversations among stakeholder groups and legislators, it’s obvious that consensus won’t be reached before the committee report deadline.â€
IndyGo is thankful that SB 141 did not pass because this means it can start on projects like the Purple Line, which has already been delayed, without fear of running into funding issues.
“We are grateful that Chairman Pressel and the House Committee on Roads and Transportation has decided to not have another hearing on Senate Bill 141,†IndyGo said in a statement. “This bill has been a distraction as we have been focused on maintaining transit service and keeping our riders and employees safe throughout the pandemic, as well as advancing our major projects.â€
However, provisions similar to those in SB 141 have shown up in previous legislation. A similar bill 2020 also died in committee, according to an IndyStar article from 2020.
FOOTNOTE: Taylor Dixon and Carolina Puga Mendoza are reporters for TheStatehouseFile.com, a news website powered by Franklin College journalism students.
Women’s Soccer Drops Regular Season Finale
The University of Evansville women’s soccer team fell 1-0 to Indiana State on the final day of the regular season, at Arad McCutchan Stadium.
An early goal by the Sycamores was the difference in the match, with Indiana State’s Sidney Ewing taking the ball all the way into goal, two minutes into the match.
The Aces put up a fight the rest of the match, outshooting Indiana State 12-9, including a penalty kick attempt at the 23-minute mark taken by Nicole Benati, which was saved by the Sycamores goalkeeper. Benati followed that attempt up with a rebound shot that still was not able to find goal.
Kristen Harvey, Jayme-Lee Hunter and Emily Wolak also added shots at goal for the Aces.
Evansville will play in the quarterfinals of the Missouri Valley Conference Championship on Sunday, April 11, time, location and opponent to be determined.
Hostettler, McNamara: Bill To Fully Fund Virtual Public School Students Now Law
Legislation to fully fund students attending school virtually due to COVID-19 is now law, according to State Reps. Matt Hostettler (R-Patoka) and Wendy McNamara (R-Evansville).
“With the struggles of recent events, we are keeping our promise to fully fund public schools, regardless of whether students attended class in-person or virtually due to COVID-19,” Hostettler said. “Funding our schools remains a top priority. Our educators have worked tirelessly to keep classroom instruction going and played a key role in keeping our students safe.”
Without this new law, public schools would only receive 85% of tuition support per virtual student, which is defined as a child learning 50% or more of their instruction online. McNamara said this law provides 100% of the state’s tuition support for students at public schools who have gone to virtual instruction for part or all of the 2020-2021 academic year, so long as those students weren’t already learning virtually prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Our students and teachers adapted quickly this past year as we’ve shifted between remote and hybrid learning to prevent virus spread,” McNamara said. “Parents and educators should be applauded for an exceptional job to ensure young Hoosiers still receive a high-quality education while being mindful of the COVID-19 health and safety guidelines.”
Senate Enrolled Act 2 is effective immediately. Visit iga.in.gov to learn more.
Todd Rokita Launches Investigations Into Five Big Tech Companies
Inquiry targets Amazon, Apple, Facebook, Google, and Twitter
Attorney General Todd Rokita announced today that he is investigating whether five Big Tech companies have potentially harmed Indiana consumers through business practices that are abusive, deceptive and/or unfair.
In particular, Attorney General Rokita is probing methods by which the companies have limited consumers’ access to certain content — often deleting or obscuring posted material reflecting a politically conservative point of view. Such manipulation prevents consumers from making informed choices, Attorney General Rokita said.
“In a free society, few assets are more important to consumers than access to information and the opportunity to express political viewpoints in meaningful forums,†Attorney General Rokita said. “It is potentially harmful and unfair for these companies to manipulate content in ways they do not publicly discuss or that consumers do not fully understand.â€
In addition to Amazon, Apple, Facebook, Google, and Twitter, Attorney General Rokita is also investigating alleged actions taken by attorney Vanita Gupta to encourage the companies to censor conservative viewpoints.
Gupta, who is President Joe Biden’s nominee to be associate U.S. attorney general, has allegedly met with Facebook and Twitter executives to urge “more rigorous rules and enforcement,†to use her own words as quoted in Time. Gupta, according to the Time article, stressed that it was important for social media platforms to be “tagging things and taking them down.â€
ERIC CHURCH IN THE ROUND: THE GATHER AGAIN TOUR
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Reigning CMA Entertainer of the Year and current ACM Entertainer of the Year nominee Eric Church has his sights set on a return to the road with this morning’s announcement of a full arena tour. As first shared with the Church Choir and by Billboard magazine earlier today, The Gather Again Tour will kick off this fall and visit 55 cities throughout the U.S. and Canada, culminating at Madison Square Garden in the spring of 2022.Â
Making the most of the long-awaited opportunity to “gather again,†for the first time in his career Church will adopt an in-the-round setup, with the stage at the center of each arena floor in order to accommodate as many fans as possible. Tickets to all U.S. dates go on sale to the general public Friday, May 7 at 10 a.m. local time at www.EricChurch.com. Church Choir members may access tickets early via pre-sale on Tuesday, May 4 at 10 a.m. local time. On-sale information for the Canadian dates will be announced soon.Â
Church, praised by Rolling Stone in the lead review of the April 2021 print issue for how he “has maneuvered the Nashville system, remaining dedicated to the power of down-the-center hitmaking even as he’s helped expand the parameters of the genre,†has passionately taken a leadership role in the industry’s return to touring.Â
“It became very clear to me that the only way to really get back to normal is through vaccinations. You’ve got to get needles in arms,†he shared with Billboard in the April 3 cover story depicting the superstar getting his own second dose of the vaccine after consulting with epidemiologists and industry experts.Â
“I just want to play shows,†he continued. “Politics’ job is to divide – that’s how you win elections. Those things that unite us are music and sports. The times when, whether you’re a Democrat or Republican or whatever, you throw your arm around the person next to you. We need that. I need that.â€Â
Additionally, Church will appear in an upcoming PSA promoting vaccine education, produced by ACM Lifting Lives, The Ad Council, and COVID Collaborative and set to premiere during the ACM Awards broadcast on Sunday, April 18, where Church will also perform a song off his forthcoming Heart & Soul triple album project.Â
The trio is set for release in the coming weeks, with Heart available everywhere Friday, April 16, Soul available everywhere Friday, April 23, and the middle album, &, available exclusively to the Church Choir on Tuesday, April 20.Â
For the latest information and to learn how to join the Church Choir, visit www.EricChurch.com and follow on Facebook and Twitter @ericchurch and Instagram @ericchurchmusic.Â
Ivy Tech’s Vice Chancellor For Student Success Receives Innovation Award From NASPA
The National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA) has selected Deborah Anderson, vice chancellor for student success at Ivy Tech Community College Evansville, as the 2020 innovation award recipient for Technology Research, Assessment and Evaluation.
The award criteria states, “This award will recognize high quality research that has aimed to shine a light on understanding technology in higher education and student affairs, as well as painting a clearer picture for effective practices.”
The research she submitted came from her 2019 dissertation and was titled, Institutional Factors of Characteristics Leading to Successful Implementation of Analytic Technology within Higher Education. Anderson’s study presents results from a multiple-case study on factors leading to successful analytic technology implementation within higher education.
She said that in the past decade, the higher education landscape has widely shifted to welcome analytic technology as a key resource to impact student success, yet there is not much research or writings on the subject and its impact. “Analytic and predictive technologies are sought as a potential strategy to improve academic learning and student engagement,†Anderson noted in her Abstract. “Successful technology innovations impact students’ experiences in the classroom, engagement with the institution, and personal development.â€
USI Athletics Updates Spectator Policies
University of Southern Indiana Athletics, in conjunction with the University’s COVID-19 task force, has announced an updated attendance policy for men’s and women’s soccer and baseball this spring. USI Softball and Men’s/Women’s Tennis policies are in process of being updated.
The spectator policies for these selected sports are listed below, will continue to be re-evaluated throughout the Spring. For the safety and well-being of the players, coaches and officials, the following guidelines have been set in place (updates and new policies are in red):
              USI Men’s and Women’s Soccer:
- Attendance has been increased to four pre-approved guests per USI student-athlete.
- USI student attendance will be allowed and limited to the first 60.
- Masks/face coverings for entry into the facility and must be worn at all times.
- Social distancing must be observed at all times.
- Visiting team fans are still prohibited at this time.
                        USI Baseball:
- Attendance has been increased to four pre-approved guests per USI student-athlete.
- USI student attendance will be allowed and limited to the first 70.
- Dugout Club and baseball sponsor attendance will be allowed and limited to 70.
- Masks/face coverings for entry into the facility and must be worn at all times.
- Social distancing must be observed at all times.
- Visiting team fans are still prohibited at this time.
USI Softball:
- Attendance has been increased to four pre-approved guests per USI student-athlete.
- USI student attendance will be allowed and limited to the first 40.
- Masks/face coverings for entry into the facility and must be worn at all times.
- Social distancing must be observed at all times.
- Visiting team fans are still prohibited at this time.
USI Tennis:
- Attendance has been increased to four pre-approved guests per USI student-athlete.
- USI student attendance will be allowed and limited to the first 20.
- Masks/face coverings for entry into the facility and must be worn at all times.
- Social distancing must be observed at all times.
- Visiting team fans are still prohibited at this time.
GLVC Sports Network coverage of baseball, softball and soccer will be offered live and on-demand for fans unable to attend, unless weather or other unforeseen circumstances prevents the games from being broadcast.