FOOTNOTE: EPD DAILY ACTIVITY REPORT information was provided by the EPD and posted by the City-County-County Observer without opinion, bias, or editing.
Aces fall in weekend opener
Aces fall in weekend opener
Road trip continues on Saturday
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Big starts in the first two sets catapulted Northern Iowa to a 3-0 win over the University of Evansville volleyball team on Friday evening at the McLeod Center.
Giulia Cardona led the Purple Aces with six kills while Ainoah Cruz led the way with 14 digs. Kora Ruff added 10 assists. UNI was led by Kira Fallert’s 11 kills.
Set 1 – UNI 25, UE 9
A quick start saw the Panthers score the opening four points of the night before Giulia Cardona got the Aces on the board with a kill. Despite the point, UNI kept the pressure on, opening a 9-1 lead before cruising to a 25-9 win to take the early match lead.
Set 2 – UNI 25, UE 7
Another quick start saw the Panthers post the first six points of the set. Following a time out, the Aces forced a pair of UNI errors to get on the board. Holland Morris picked up a kill as UE closed the gap to 9-4. From that point, Northern Iowa outscored the Aces by a 16-3 margin to take a 2-0 lead
Set 3 – UNI 25, UE 18
Josdarilee Caraballo had an ace to give Evansville its first lead of the night at 3-1. Cardona recorded a kill that continued to keep UE in front at 5-3. With the Aces up 8-6, UNI scored three in a row to jump in front before extending the lead to 14-10.
Evansville continued to battle to the final point before the Panthers clinched the match with a 25-18 decision. UE completes the road trip on Saturday with a 4 p.m. match at Drake.
UE Men’s basketball faces Tiffin in exhibition game on Saturday
UE Men’s basketball faces Tiffin in exhibition game on Saturday
Tip set for 1 p.m.
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – In the first and only exhibition game of the preseason, the University of Evansville men’s basketball team welcomes Tiffin University to the Ford Center on Saturday for a 1 p.m. game.
It will be the first opportunity for fans to see the 2024-25 Purple Aces squad. A solid nucleus or returning players join six newcomers to the team. Leading the way for the returners from last year are Tanner Cuff, Joshua Hughes, and Cam Haffner. Cuff contributed in all facets of the game in his first season at UE. He completed the year averaging 7.4 points and 4.2 rebounds per game.
As a freshman, Hughes led the team with 38 blocked shots while registering 6.6 PPG. Haffner made the start in 16 games while finishing third on the team with 33 3-point makes.
Evansville’s newcomers include Gabriel Pozzato, Kaia Berridge, Tayshawn Comer, Connor Turnbull, Ramondo Battle II, and Trent Hundley.
UE looks to build on a breakout 2023-24 season that saw the program make its first postseason appearance since 2015. Earning 17 victories, the Aces posted their highest win total since 2017-18 and picked up their first Arch Madness win since 2017, defeating Illinois State in St. Louis. The team won its first six games, the first Evansville team to do so since the 1964-65 NCAA National Championship squad.
Tiffin is led by first-year head coach Desmond Balentine, brother of current UE assistant coach D.J. Balentine. He spent two seasons on the coaching staff with the Dragons before his elevation to the head coaching position. The Dragons were 18-12 last season.
Suspicious Incident
On October 24th
, at 12:17 p.m., Evansville Police Officers were dispatched to a Holdup alarm at First
Federal Savings on W. Franklin St. When Officers arrived, they encountered an adult male inside the bank.
The male cooperated with officers while they investigated the incident.
The male had entered the bank with a backpack and was acting suspicious. He told the bank employee that
he wanted to withdraw a very large amount of money and wanted to put it in the backpack. The employee
could not find a bank account for the male. He insisted that he had a bank account and wanted to speak with a
manager. He told them that he was not going to leave the bank without his money. The employee directed him
to the manager’s office, and as the male walked in, he shut the door.
Due to the suspicious behavior, the employees were uncomfortable and needed police assistance. The male
never made any threats towards anyone and truly believed that he had money at their bank. The male never got any money.
Because of the suspicious statements that he had made, the male was transported to EPD Headquarters for an interview. EPD Mental Health Specialist Liaison Officer interviewed the male. It was determined that he had no intention of getting money by force and only wanted what he believed was his money. During the interview, he claimed to be an FBI agent and said he had over a billion dollars at that bank. These statements were obviously false.
This investigation is still active, however, it was determined that a robbery or attempted robbery never took place. At this time, no arrests have been made.
Missy Mosby Provides Update on Improvements to the Evansville Animal Control Center
Missy Mosby Provides Update on Improvements to the Evansville Animal Control Center
Kennels – I’m happy to report that City Council unanimously voted in favor of funding painting of the kennels at EACC in August (I’ll have to look back to find date). Unfortunately, this requires us to have several open kennels for 48-72 hours so the contractor can paint and let it cure. We are hoping to start this on November 4th but if we keep having a full house at EACC this might delay the painting even longer. I am also hoping to amend the budget and add extra funds for repair and maintenance in our 2025 budget.
Hand sanitizer stations & Eye washing stations – these had been ordered and received a few months ago but they had not been installed. These have now been installed.
Fire Extinguisher – these were checked earlier this year but had not been serviced yet. These should be serviced by the end of this month.
Drains – There are drains in the small dog area – it’s just you do not see them because of the placement of the small off the floor dog beds. We do have someone that is coming to look at the drain covers and also check on the drainage to make sure everything is operating properly. This is something that we are aware of and had been working on trying to find the correct covers for the drains. Unfortunately, there have just been so many animals coming into EACC that this had been delayed.
Vaccinations – When I first started on Council in 2008, EACC did NOT vaccinate animals and this is something that I worked on getting funded and I’m happy to report that we do vaccinations now. EACC vaccinate for kennel cough and they also have testing that they can do for Parvo, if dogs are showing signs of sickness.
Flea treatment – I’ll be honest, we do ask for donations for flea treatment and this is something that I have on my Facebook page regularly as a “Wish List” for people to donate to EACC. I am trying to get this in the budget for next year and will address this with my Amendment to the Budget.
Wet Dog Food – We do budget for this. Unfortunately, EACC has been inundated with mama dogs having litters of puppies at EACC or breeders and back yard breeders surrendering entire litters of puppies and we ran out. Since there are always people who want to donate, again, I asked for this on my FB page as a “Wish List”. Again, I hope to address this with my Amendment to the budget.
Air Flow – Unfortunately, the maintenance worker did retire and we are unable to hire someone until the workers sick and vacation time has been paid out. The vent cleaning and changing of filters will be back on a regular maintenance & cleaning schedule.
Smell – Unfortunately, there is not a lot we can do about the smell. As you know, can clean a kennel from top to bottom and as soon as we turn around they can go to the bathroom. Our staff does all they can to keep things clean and use good sanitizers but they fight a never ending battle.
Spirit Medical Fund – I’m excited to also announce that you can now donate to the Spirit Medical Fund through the evansvillegov.org website, click on Animal Control, go to the Donate button for Spirit Medical Fund. I have been requesting this for years and am happy to report that Joe Atkinson of Mayor Terry’s office helped make this possible. We are also hoping to add some of the licensing online and will be working on updating the Animal Control Ordinance.
2025 Budget – It has been an honor and a privilege to serve on City Council for the past 17 years and I have always been a strong proponent of adding more funding to repair and maintenance items so we can take care of what we have BEFORE we add new line items. On Monday night, City Council will be voting on the 2025 budget & I have submitted an amendment to this budget for in the 2025 budget. There is a proposal for a new full time position for City Council to have an assistant and the proposed salary is $43,150. I have submitted an amendment to move that $43,150 over to Animal Control and would like to see $7,000 get moved for necropsies and had asked for $36,150 to go to repairs and maintenance for EACC. I am researching some other items and will probably be amending this to use some of the money to purchase flea medication, flea treatment for the building and more money for wet food purchases. In order for this amendment to pass, there will have to be 5 aye votes.
Mayor Terry Joins EPD, FOP in Announcing New Agreement to Strengthen Police Departmen
October 24, 2024
Evansville Mayor Stephanie Terry today joined Evansville Police Chief Philip Smith and Detective Aaron McCormick, president of the Fraternal Order of Police, to announce an agreement between city officials and the FOP on a new, three-year contract.
City leaders announced the agreement at a news conference this afternoon, after the agreement was approved by FOP membership with a 99.4% “Yes” vote. It will now go to City Council for approval.
“Public safety is the primary job of city government, and our highest priority is a safe Evansville,” Mayor Terry said. “As mayor, I want to ensure not only that we take care of the officers responsible for keeping us safe, but also that we are offering wages, benefits, and other opportunities that make the Evansville Police Department competitive with other law enforcement agencies in the region and state, improving our capacity to attract and retain the best law enforcement officers.
“I believe this contract does all of those things, and I’m proud to be able to stand united alongside representatives from the EPD and the FOP with a contract that we all agree will move the City of Evansville and the EPD forward and allow us to continue collaborating with our officers to offer the best police service to residents.”
The contract, which includes the 7 percent salary increase first proposed by Mayor Terry in her 2025 budget last month, will lead to better officer recruitment, retention, and training, McCormick said in his remarks.
And it will allow the Evansville Police Department to continue expanding its community policing efforts, while also maintaining its commitment to strong enforcement practices.
“Under Mayor Terry’s leadership, agency collaboration has been a key focal point,” Chief Smith said. “Units within the department are working together to bring offenders to justice. The partnership with the CGIC (Crime Gun Intelligence Center) has opened the door for gun crimes to be investigated more thoroughly by using technology.
“At the same time, the investment made in our officers is not focused on pay alone. There has been an investment in the overall wellness of officers with the addition an on city staff mental health professional for officers to utilize and a wellness coordinator withing the agency to help officers focus on their physical well-being. And there has been an additional investment in community policing through initiatives like our new division of Park Police officers, summer activities like Movies in the Park and Pop with a Cop, and community outreach efforts like the mayor’s new Block-by-Block city-wide cleanup initiative.”
That kind of support has led to improved morale among officers, McCormick said. It also led to what he called the most cooperative relationship and bargaining process he’s seen in his time with the FOP.
“I want to thank the Chief of Police, the Mayor, and the city administration for their cooperation and communication in working throughout the negotiation process,” McCormick said. “By continuing to collaborate, we aim to ensure that our officers are well-supported, well-trained, and well-equipped to handle the complexities of modern policing, while also being mindful of the trust and partnership we have with the public.
“Mayor Terry said on the campaign trail that these things would be priorities in her administration, and we are pleased to say that she has followed through on that in full.”
It is slated to go into effect January 1, 2025, and run through December 31, 2027.
Media seeking additional information may contact Joe Atkinson, Communications Director for Evansville Mayor Stephanie Terry, at 812-305-0543, or jatkinson@evansville.in.gov.
CCO’s Best Comments of the Week
At the City-County Observer, we believe that one of the ways that we serve the community is by giving you a chance to react to the stories that we publish. Here are some of the best comments from the past week:
On our story about the local Christian Bookstore, the Vineyard, being suspended from Facebook for violating the platform’s community standards:
- Sherry Farmer: “It appears that ‘Facebook Community’ is really referring to ‘Facebook Owners’.”
- William Pitt: “The devil at work once again”
- John Blair: “Facebook, is a private entity and can do whatever they desire on their site. They are under no obligation to allow anything they disapprove of on their site. Just like the CCO is under no obligation to even allow these comments if they choose.”
On the Joe Wallace story “And Liberty and Justice for All”:
- Don Nichols: “Well put. The last two paragraphs describe what we all want and expect in the future. The issue many are concerned about is one presidential candidate seems interested in changing our system to one of those described to one of those mentioned earlier in the article. Don’t take my word for it, listen to that candidates own words.
Some say when an autocratic promises something…. believe them.” - Eviltaxpayer: “The president we have now has been trying (socialist democrats) silence trump since day one,,,,,that you can’t deny my friend. I’m going with Trump, had he been a a fascist dictator he would have done that in his first term.”
Volleyball set for weekend trip to Iowa
Aces face UNI and Drake
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Next up for the University of Evansville volleyball team is a weekend trip to Iowa to face the top two squads in the Missouri Valley Conference. UE takes on Northern Iowa at 6 p.m. Friday before traveling to Drake for a 4 p.m. match on Saturday with ESPN+ having the broadcast of both matches.
Last Time Out
– The Purple Aces earned home wins over Southern Illinois and Missouri State last weekend before falling at Indiana State on Monday
– Friday’s win over SIU saw the Aces pick up the win in five sets with Giulia Cardona picking up 37 kills; she added 30 more to her tally in the win over the Bears
Up to 2K
– With a season-high 37 kills against SIU, Giulia Cardona became the second player in MVC history to reach 2,000 in her career
– She now has a total of 2,089 and is chasing the all-time league mark of 2,293
– With an average of 7.44 kills per set over the weekend, Cardona was named the MVC Player of the Week on Monday
– Cardona leads the nation in kills/set (5.55), total kills (455), points/set (6.24), total points (511.5), total attacks (1,278) and attacks/set (15.59)
– Her kills average is even higher against league opponents – 6.34/set
Double Figures
– Angelica Gonzalez is putting up the most consistent numbers of her UE career
– Over the last three contests, the sophomore is averaging 2.25 kills/set
– She registered 11 kills in the win over SIU before finishing with 10 versus the Bears
– Gonzalez set career marks in kills (14) and attempts (35) in the win over the Beacons
On the List
– Ainoah Cruz has now reached the threshold to become eligible for MVC stat rankings
– With her season mark of 3.56 digs per set, the sophomore is 11th in the conference
– Cruz picked up 23 digs in her first contest of the season at USI before matching that tally in the win over Valpo
Double Digits
– For the first time in her collegiate career, Chloe Cline reached double figures in kills, finishing the SIU win with 10
– Equally impressive was her accuracy as she hit .625; in the weekend wins over SIU and MSU, she averaged 2.11 kills per game
– Cline has registered 4+ kills in 10 of the last 12 matches
Scouting the Opposition
– Northern Iowa is 14-7 overall and a perfect 9-0 in league play heading into the weekend
– The Panthers are led by Kira Fallert and Cassidy Hartman, who are averaging 3.86 and 3.53 kills per set, respectively
– Drake holds a 12-8 mark while opening their MVC slate with eight wins in nine contests
– They are led by Macy Daufeldt’s average of 4.15 kills per game