UE women’s basketball wins home opener over Wright State
Aces men’s soccer stuns no. 23 Western Michigan in MVC Quarterfinals
Trailblazer Cross Country improves on ranking at NJCAA Nationals
RICHMOND, Va. – The Vincennes University Men’s and Women’s Cross Country teams had a great day Saturday afternoon at the 2024 NJCAA Division I National Championships hosted at Pole Green Park in Richmond, Va.
Both of the VU men’s and women’s teams finished higher than their National ranking heading into the Championship race with the VU men’s team finishing 14th overall and the Vincennes women’s team placing 19th overall.
The day began with the women’s 5k race where the Trailblazers were once again led by freshman Sarra Belgacem (Tunis, Tunisia) who placed 64th overall with a final time of 19:27.7.
Sophomore Adi Fuller (Evansville, Ind.) was the second VU women’s runner across the line, once again saving her best for last with a final time of 20:15.2 to take home 92nd place overall.
Freshman Allie Black (Lynn, Ind.) was close behind in third for the Trailblazers, finishing with a time of 20:55.2 to place 122nd overall.
The VU top five was rounded out by sophomore Jasmyn Self (Casey, Ill.) and freshman Alexis Hale (Evansville, Ind.) with Self posting a time of 21:20.1 and Hale coming in at 21:37.6.
Freshman Melina Loudermilk (Bridgeport, Ill.) closed out the race for the Trailblazers with a finishing time of 23:52.6.
The VU women’s team placed 19th overall as a team with a total of 506 points in the race.
“The weather was great for the race, in the low 60s in the sun,” VU Head Cross Country Coach Tyler Steigenga said. “The course was different than three years ago and probably made it a little faster. The men ran a 2k loop four times and the women ran a smaller 1k loop at the start and then finished with two of the 2k loops.”
“The women improved on their ranking by two spots to finish 19th overall,” Steigenga added. “Sarra led the team once again with a five second PR. She went out way too fast at the beginning of the race and felt the effects early on but managed to rally and finish as the top runner for the team, as she has all season.”
“Adi finished with a new season’s best in her final cross country race for VU,” Steigenga said. “For the second season in a row, she ran her best at the National meet. Allie finished as our third runner again and Alexis followed her with the biggest PR of the VU women’s team, running 19 seconds faster than her previous best.”
“Jasmyn ran her second fastest time as a Trailblazer,” Steigenga added. “Melina completed a successful comeback from injury as she finished her third race of the season.”
The day was finished with the running of the men’s 8k race, which saw freshman Anis Abdaoui (Kairouan, Tunisia) pace the Blazers with a time of 24:59.5 to take 35th place overall in the race.
Sophomores Cody Noel (Hebron, Ind.) and Tanner Spence (Carmi, Ill.) were the next two Blazers across the line, with Noel coming in just ahead of Spence with a time of 26:00.5 and Spence posting a time of 26:04.7.
Freshman Kelvin Kipsang (Kapsabet, Kenya) was the fourth VU runner to finish the race, posting a time of 26:45.5, with sophomore Caden Hostetler (LaGrange, Ind.) rounding out the Vincennes top five with a time of 27:00.8.
Freshman Lane Connaway (Carmi, Ill.) and sophomore Nathan Whitehead (Vincennes, Ind.) closed out the race for the Trailblazers with Connaway finishing with a time of 27:21.2 and Whitehead ending with a time of 27:23.6.
The VU men’s team finished 14th overall as a team with a total of 389 points.
“The men moved up to 14th overall after being ranked 16,” Steigenga said. “Anis led the team with a 19 second PR and a new school record. He broke the old record of 25:10.1 set in 2014 by two-time NJCAA XC All-American Robert Murphy.”
“Cody ran a very even and smart race, picking up over 60 places during the course of the race,” Steigenga added. “He was rewarded with a 10 second PR and improved on his finish from last year’s race. Tanner finished right behind Cody with the biggest PR of the day, running 27 seconds faster than his previous best.”
“Kelvin had a rough race to finish as our fourth runner,” Steigenga said. “Before VU, he only ran the 800 meters, so stepping up to the longer distance has been a challenge but he is slowly figuring it out. Caden narrowly missed his PR but moved up 58 spots from his first National meet. Lane and Nathan ran near to each other the whole race with Lane getting ahead of Nathan in the finishing stretch and both finishing with new PRs.”
“The reason our men’s team was able to do s well this year was because of our sophomore leadership,” Steigenga added. “Cody, Tanner, Caden and Nathan have done a great job of leading the team in practice and meets, setting a great example for the freshmen that will be in their shoes next year. Adi and Jasmyn have also done a great job leading the women’s team. They have been great examples to the freshmen this year and have played a big role in helping us build up the women’s team as we continue to grow.”
The fall season is not over for the Trailblazers though as members of the VU men’s and women’s Cross Country teams will now get ready to take part in the NJCAA Men’s and Women’s Half Marathon Championships Tuesday, Nov. 12 hosted at Dorey Park in Richmond, Va.
“Overall it was a great National meet for us,” Steigenga said. “We wanted to finish higher by the quality of the field made that really tough. The men ran the second fastest team time in school history and is arguably the best men’s team that VU has ever sent to Nationals.”
“It’s hard to be disappointed when your top three runners PR at the National meet,” Steigenga said. “Many were saying this was the fastest NJCAA XC National meet ever. We placed 12th at the National meet two years ago and if we put this year’s team in that race, it’s not a stretch to say we would finish five places higher than that.”
“It just shows how much the NJCAA has improved in that short span and I look forward to continuing to build the program up as we look to crack the top ten on both the men’s and women’s side,” Steigenga added. “Before we take a break after the cross country season, 10 men and four women will race in the NJCAA Half Marathon Championships for VU Tuesday morning
VETERANS DAY: The Youngest Person to Serve in WWII
The youngest American to serve in World War II, Calvin Graham lied his way into the Navy at 12 years old, eventually earning the Bronze Star, the Purple Heart, and time in jail.
by Johnny Kincaid
NOVEMBER 11, 2024
After Pearl Harbor, Americans sought every opportunity to serve our nation’s war effort. Teenage boys tried to sign up for the military before reaching the legal age, but one stood out because he hadn’t even reached his teens.
Calvin Graham was 11 years old when Pearl Harbor was bombed, and he began preparing to join the military. He started shaving, convinced it would make him look older than he was, and he practiced speaking in a deep voice, pretending to talk like a man.
The minimum age for enlistment was 17, although a 16-year-old could join with his parent’s permission.
Graham forged his mother’s signature on his enlistment papers and stole a notary stamp from a local hotel. Graham told his mother he was going to visit relatives — and instead lined up to enlist with the Navy in Houston, Texas on August 15, 1942.
Calvin Graham was accepted into the Navy and assigned to the USS South Dakota, a warship working alongside the USS Enterprise in the Pacific. Just months after after Graham arrived on board, the ship battled eight Japanese destroyers during the Battle of Guadalcanal.
At one point, shrapnel hit Graham square in the face, tearing through his jaw and mouth. And he fell three stories. Graham got up and pulled sailors to safety and sat with them through the night.
“I took belts off the dead and made tourniquets for the living and gave them cigarettes and encouraged them all night,” Graham later told Smithsonian Magazine. “It was a long night. It aged me.”
Calvin Graham received a Purple Heart for his injuries and a Bronze Star for distinguished combat. But, his mother called the Navy and reported him.
Immediately, the Navy threw Graham into a military prison and stripped him of his medals.
Calvin Graham didn’t receive an honorable discharge until 1978 and didn’t receive disability benefits and back pay until 1988. Jimmy Carter, a fellow Navy man, announced that he would be re-awarded his medals. And in 1988, he was finally granted disability benefits and back pay.
LINK OF PRINTED NOVEMBER 2024 CITY-COUNTY OBSERVER
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Vanderburgh County lawmakers: State funding hits the road for local infrastructure improvements
STATEHOUSE (Nov. 8, 2024) – Vanderburgh County lawmakers said local communities will soon be on the move with more road and bridge projects with the help of recently released state funding.
Funding is available through Indiana’s Community Crossings Matching Grant Program, which can be used for road reconstruction, bridge preservation, intersection improvements and other projects. A total of 223 communities across the state will receive more than $139 million in state matching grants.
“The economic success of our local communities depends in part on having reliable infrastructure,” said State Rep. Wendy McNamara (R-Evansville). “These investments help us attract residents, businesses and economic opportunities to area, and we can continue to improve our quality of life.”
Area grant recipients include Evansville ($729,809) and Vanderburgh County ($809,506).
“Community Crossings grants help all types of communities improve local roads and increase connectivity,” said State Rep. Tim O’Brien (R-Evansville). “To keep up with Southwest Indiana’s growth, it’s vital that we continue to invest in our infrastructure so that we can meet our needs now and in the future.”
“Our rural communities often do not have enough funding to tackle all of their infrastructure needs,” said State Rep. Matt Hostettler (R-Patoka). “Community Crossings grants give them some budget flexibility so that they can make essential upgrades on their roads, bridges and more.”
To qualify for the competitive grant, smaller municipalities provide a 25 percent match in local funds, while larger communities provide a 50 percent match. State law requires 50 percent of the available matching funds be awarded annually to communities within counties with a population of 50,000 or fewer. Since 2016, Community Crossings has awarded more than $1.8 billion to improve local roads and bridges.
Gov. Holcomb, INDOT award $139.7 million through Community Crossings matching grants
PETERSBURG, Ind. – Governor Eric J. Holcomb and the Indiana Department of Transportation gathered today at the Pike County Courthouse in Petersburg with cities, towns, and counties from across southwest Indiana receiving portions of the nearly $140 million awarded through the Community Crossings matching grant program, a component of Governor Holcomb’s Next Level Roads program.
“Community Crossings has been an annual highlight over the years ,” said Gov. Holcomb. “The fact that nearly 14,000 miles of road and over 200 local bridges have been replaced or rehabilitated through this program since 2017 is simply astonishing, in addition to countless economic and quality of life benefits in hundreds of communities across Indiana.”
Communities submitted applications for funding during a highly competitive call for projects in July. Funding for Community Crossings comes from the state’s local road and bridge matching grant fund. The Community Crossings initiative has provided more than $1.8 billion in state matching funds for local road improvement projects since its start in 2016.
“This program has impacted communities in all 92 Indiana counties, most more than once,” said INDOT Commissioner Mike Smith. “I want to recognize all of the local agencies who have participated over time for their hard work and dedication to improving their local transportation networks.”
State legislators identified long-term funding for Community Crossings as part of House Enrolled Act 1002, passed by the General Assembly and signed into law by Gov. Holcomb in 2017.
A list of all 223 communities receiving matching funds in the 2024 fall call for projects is available here. The next call for projects will open in January. Learn more about the Community Crossings matching grant program on the INDOT website.
Four Local Shelters Participate in “Hoosier Adopt A Shelter Pet Month”

Governor Holcomb and ICAP (Indiana Coalition of Animal Welfare Professionals) designate November “Hoosier Adopt A Shelter Pet Month” with
4 local organizations participating!
(Evansville, IN – November 6, 2024): The Indiana Coalition of Animal Welfare Professionals alongside dozens of shelters and rescue organizations across the State of Indiana are coming together to designate November 2024 “Hoosier Adopt a Shelter Pet Month,” to bring awareness to the growing public problem of pet homelessness and the crisis shelters and rescues are facing. Indiana shelters and rescuers collaboratively call on the community to act now to adopt, foster, donate, and/or volunteer during Hoosier Adopt a Shelter Pet Month to help alleviate this crisis and reverse the monumental steps taken back in saving the lives of homeless pets.
The following 4 local organizations will be participating during their normal business hours with reduced adoption fees or incentives:
- Vanderburgh Humane Society (VHS) (www.vhslifesaver.org) and River Kitty Cat Cafe
The VHS is “In Our Adoption Era,” offering $50 adoptions for all dogs, cats, kittens, and rabbits from November 8th-16th with an Eras Tour theme. (The launch of this event also coincides with the VHS thrift store, Happy Tails Resale Shop’s 10th anniversary storewide sale on November 8th & 9th. A separate press release sent out on Monday covers that event.) Dog & rabbit adoptions will take place at the VHS facility, and cat/kitten adoptions will take place exclusively at River Kitty Cat Café in Downtown Evansville. Adopters will receive free goodies & entry to win a prize. Please note that cat adoptions are NOT suspended completely… they will be taking place at River Kitty Cat Café exclusively.
- It Takes a Village It Takes a Village Rescue (www.itvrescue.org)
ITV will be offering “Spin the Wheel” adoption discounts for all pets over 1 year old from November 12th-16th. Their theme is “Thanks-Fur My New Home (Thanksgiving theme)” and all new adoptions will receive a fur-friendly prize. Adoptions will take place at the Evansville location on Stockwell Road only.
- PAAWS (Proving Animals Are Worth Saving (http://www.paaws.org)
PAAWS is a foster-based rescue and will have pets available at the Evansville PetSmart on Saturday, November 9th. They will offer half-off adoption fees and a free day of doggie daycare for all adopters.
- Evansville Animal Care & Control (https://www.evansvillegov.org/city/department/index.php?structureid=221)
Adopters at Evansville Animal Care & Control will be entered to win a prize basket!
Shelters and rescue groups are experiencing an overwhelming number of animals entering the system. The increased intake of animals and the reduction in adoptions is being driven by inflation, rising costs of food and supplies, the lack of affordable pet inclusive housing, and scarcity of veterinary resources. As a result, shelters are overburdened, over their capacity for care, and healthy pets are being euthanized for space. This is dangerously reversing decades of work to save the lives of healthy, adoptable pets.
According to Shelter Animals Count (SAC), the most trusted and current source for animal sheltering data, alarming trends are emerging in which more dogs are entering the shelters than leaving, less are leaving with a live outcome, and shelter length of stay has tripled.
“The crisis shelters are facing does not originate within the shelters,” said Stephanie Filer, Executive Director of Shelter Animals Count. “Shelters need help now more than ever. This is a community problem that requires a community solution.”
Community problems require all stakeholders to collaborate and collectively solve for improved quality of life. Building humane communities where healthy, adoptable pets are not euthanized, but adopted into loving homes is the preference of our society. In this time of crisis, we need the community now more than ever to open their hearts and homes to a shelter pet in need so we can ensure we are on the pathway to preserving those humane communities across the State of Indiana.
Organizations’ adoption hours:
Vanderburgh Humane Society
400 Millner Industrial Drive, Evansville, IN 47710
Tuesday-Saturday 12-6 pm
Closed Sundays & Mondays
River Kitty Cat Café (VHS satellite location)
226 Main Street, Evansville, IN 47708
Monday-Thursday 10 am -6 pm
Friday 10 am – 6 pm
Saturday 9 am – 6 pm
Sunday 11 am – 4 pm
It Takes a Village Evansville location:
1417 Stockwell Road, Evansville, IN 47715
Tuesday – 12 – 5 pm
Wednesday – 12 – 7 pm
Thursday – 12 – 5 pm
Friday – 12 – 9 pm
Saturday – 12 – 9 pm
Closed Sundays & Mondays
PAAWS (foster-based)
Will have adoptable pets at the Evansville PetSmart on Burkhardt Road
Saturday, November 9th from 11 am – 3 pm
Evansville Animal Care & Control
815 Uhlhorn Street, Evansville, IN 47715
Monday-Saturday 10 am – 5 pm
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