Local Author Spotlight: Kevin Wirthwein

11/18/2024

Willard Public Library invites you to an exclusive evening featuring local author Kevin Wirthwein! Join us for a fascinating Local Author Spotlight as Kevin shares insights from his newest book, Black Ball in Evansville, which uncovers nearly 100 years of African American baseball history in Evansville.

Event Details:

Date: Monday, November 18, 2024

Time: 6:30 PM

Location: Browning Gallery

About the Book:
Black Ball in Evansville highlights the teams, players, and compelling stories from the Negro Leagues that shaped the city’s rich baseball heritage. From pioneering players to local legends whose achievements are now part of major league history, this book is a must-read for history and sports enthusiasts alike.

Meet the Author:
Kevin Wirthwein, an Evansville native, award-winning sportswriter, and member of the Society for American Baseball Research, will be present to discuss his work, answer your questions, and sign your copy of the book!

Books Available for Purchase
Copies of Black Ball in Evansville will be available at the event through M.T. Publishing Company (cash or credit accepted).

Willard Public Library encourages patrons and visitors to donate graciously to ensure the continuation of events like this for years to come. The WPL’s Foundation is a non-profit organization registered as a 501(c)(3). >> https://www.willardlib.org/donate

USI Theatre continues its 2024-25 season with As You Like It and pre-show lecture

11/18/2024

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USI Theatre continues its 2024-25 season with As You Like It and pre-show lecture

University of Southern Indiana Theatre continues its 2024-25 season with As You Like It by Willam Shakespeare. The production will run Thursday through Sunday, November 21-24. USI Theatre will also host a pre-performance lecture with Dr. Chuck Conaway, Professor of English, at 12:30 p.m. Sunday, November 24 in the University Center Rooms 2217 and 2218. USI Society of Arts and Humanities members and the public are invited to this lecture at no charge. A reception with snacks and refreshments will follow the 2 p.m. performance.

Directed and adapted by Christia Ward, As You Like It is a comedic Shakespearean play about love, identity and transformation. Rosalind, the daughter of the exiled Duke Senior, is banished from the court by her usurping uncle, Duke Frederick. Disguised as a young man named Ganymede, she flees to the Forest of Arden with her cousin Celia, who assumes the guise of Aliena. In the forest, Rosalind encounters Orlando, a young man who has fallen in love with her and convinces him to woo “Ganymede” to win her love. As various romantic entanglements unfold, identities are mistaken, and characters wrestle with love and self-discovery. The play ends in reconciliation, with multiple marriages and the restoration of Duke Senior to power, celebrating love in its many forms and the joy of self-acceptance.

As You Like It will feature USI students Cooper Craig, Via Ryan, Brecken Maddox, Ethan Hoover, LillyBea Ireland, Jade Griffy, Rayn Miller, Will Monroe, Chloe Kummer, Michael Woywood, Madalyn Cottrell, Morgan Ray, Reagan Roray, Javin Sonheim and Sayge Ramos. Danielle Scott 15’, USI Theatre alumna, will also play a role.

USI Theatre will be using reserved seating, and ticket buyers can choose their own seats when purchasing online at https://usitheatre.universitytickets.com/ or by calling the box office at (812) 465-7110. Tickets are $2 for USI students, $10 for USI employees, $4 for non-USI students (student ID required), $10 seniors (60+) and $12 for adults. Tickets are free to USI students with ID one hour before each performance begins based on availability. Shows begin at 7 p.m., Thursday through Saturday and 2 p.m. for the Sunday matinee.

New this season is the option to purchase Season Tickets for USI Theatre’s three mainstage performances. By choosing at least two of the shows, patrons can save $1 off the regular admission price. Tickets are also now on sale for the rest of the 2024-25 season. Join USI Theatre next semester for 35mm: A Musical Exhibition and The Taming in February followed by Pippin: The Musical in May.

For more information, contact the box office at (812) 465-7110 or theatre.management@usi.edu. Follow USI Theatre on Facebook at USITheatre and Instagram at @USI_Theatre.

Vaneta Becker on National Adoption Month

11/18/2024

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Celebrating National Adoption Month

During the month of November, we celebrate National Adoption Month — a time to honor the love shared in adoptive families and raise awareness of the importance of adoption.

In recent years, Senate Republicans have championed laws that support families who open their hearts and homes by way of adoption.

Some goals of these recent laws include helping more families afford the cost of adoption and encouraging more families to consider becoming part of Indiana’s adoption system so more children find their forever homes.

To learn more about what Senate Republicans have done in recent years to support and promote adoption in Indiana, click here.

Local Communities Awarded More Than $3.3 Million in Road Funding

Local communities will receive more than $3.3 million to improve roads and bridges through the Community Crossings Matching Grant Program (CCMG).

In Senate District 50, the following communities received grants:

Boonville received $1,495,985.14;
Elberfeld received $73,192.11;
Evansville received $729,809.30;
Tennyson received $205,230; and
Vanderburgh County received $809,506.40

The CCMG program helps improve local infrastructure and plays a key role in keeping Indiana’s economy strong, and I applaud our local leaders who have taken advantage of this excellent opportunity.

To learn more about the program and view the full list of communities receiving matching funds, click here.

Apply for Energy and Heating Assistance

With winter fast approaching, some Hoosiers may be concerned about how they will afford to pay steeper utility bills.

The Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority‘s Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program provides a one-time, annual benefit to help eligible Hoosiers with home energy payments.

Applications for the program are open and will be accepted through April 14, 2025. If eligible, applicants can expect to hear back in about 55 days.

Some utility providers also offer payment assistance for customers. To view a map of providers, click here.

EPD DAILY ACTIVITY REPORT

11/18/2024

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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.

Eagles top the Billikens Sunday, 71-59

11/17/2024

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Eagles top the Billikens Sunday, 71-59

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Women’s Basketball won its third straight game Sunday afternoon after the Screaming Eagles defeated Saint Louis University, 71-59, at Liberty Arena, home of the Screaming Eagles.

With Sunday’s victory, Southern Indiana improved to 4-1 in 2024-25. Saint Louis moved to 2-2 with the loss.

Prior to Sunday’s opening tip, USI Women’s Basketball unveiled three new banners in the Liberty Arena rafters commemorating their 2023-24 Ohio Valley Conference regular season and tournament championships in addition to their first-ever Women’s National Invitation Tournament (WNIT) last year. After the pregame ceremonies, Southern Indiana was ready to battle the reigning WNIT champions in Saint Louis.

Southern Indiana came out with active hands defensively and crashed the offensive glass. Graduate forward Meredith Raley collected USI’s first five points on a three-pointer and a layup. After the two teams exchanged buckets early, Saint Louis led 13-9 going into the first media timeout. The Screaming Eagles’ pestering defense helped USI respond. Before the end of the first quarter, Raley reached 10 points for the game and drained a straightaway three to put the Eagles in front, 19-17, going to the second quarter.

The game was knotted up at 21 following a defensive start to the second period. Then back-to-back triples from junior guard Ali Saunders and senior guard Vanessa Shafford moved Southern Indiana ahead by six at the midway point of the second. The game remained a six-point margin until USI finished the first half on a 6-0 run. Graduate forward Madi Webb drained a buzzer-beating trey to increase the Screaming Eagles’ lead to 12, 42-30, going into halftime.

Saint Louis cut USI’s lead down to five, 44-39, by the 7:45 mark of the third quarter, but another top-of-the-arc three from Raley halted the Billikens’ run. With four minutes left in the third period, sophomore guard Sophia Loden reached double figures and pushed USI back ahead by double digits after cashing in a three-pointer. Raley continued her strong performance with a layup in the last minute of the third, as Southern Indiana led 56-47 heading to the fourth quarter.

The physical, defensive battle continued into the final stanza of regulation. Each team kept exchanging blows as the margin hovered near the 10-point mark in USI’s favor. Out of a timeout with four minutes on the clock, the Billikens hit a three to draw back within eight, 65-57. The Eagles answered again with a jumper from Shafford and an open-court layup by Saunders to go back up by 12. From there, the Eagles maintained their double-digit advantage and held the Billikens scoreless in the final couple of minutes.

Southern Indiana shot for 37.5 percent (27-72) overall and nearly 43 percent (9-21) from distance. USI was 8-16 at the free-throw line. The Screaming Eagles outrebounded Saint Louis by one, 47-46, as USI had 21 offensive boards. USI’s defense made the Billikens cough up 19 turnovers while USI only had 13.

Individually, Raley paced Southern Indiana with 19 points on 7-12 shooting with three triples. Loden finished with 12 points and eight rebounds in a career-best 31 minutes of action. Shafford also posted 12 points, and Saunders totaled 11 points with six caroms, seven assists, and three steals.

Saint Louis shot the ball for 33.3 percent (21-63) and was limited to just above 18 percent (4-22) from three. The Billikens were 13-18 for 72.2 percent at the charity stripe. Graduate forward Peyton Kennedy led Saint Louis with 23 points.

The Screaming Eagles conclude their three-game homestand next Saturday, November 23, at 3 p.m., renewing an old Great Lakes Valley Conference rivalry against Northern Kentucky University. Next Saturday’s game also features USI faculty and staff appreciation.

Tickets for all home games at Liberty Arena can be purchased online at usiscreamingeagles.com or the USI Ticket Office.

UE men’s soccer captures MVC Championship in overtime

11/17/2024

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UE men’s soccer captures MVC Championship in overtime

The Purple Aces head to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1996

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – The University of Evansville men’s soccer team was again the overtime victor in the postseason with a 3-2 win over #3 Bowling Green.

The Purple Aces ended the MVC Championship much like it began with an overtime victory on a road pitch. UE earned its second MVC Tournament title on Saturday night and for the first time in 28 years. Senior forward Kai Phillip (Diego Martin, Trinidad & Tobago) and sophomore midfielder Baraka Tarleton (Andover, Minn. / Andover HS) were the two goal scorers for Evansville while the game-winning goal in the 99th minute was credited as a team goal.

“When you go down 2-1 in the first half you have to go search the game. Especially in a game like this, you don’t want to leave any cards on the table. You want to go all in,” said Head Coach Robbe Tarver following the win. “That’s what we did. We kept the pressure up. I thought we were very patient as the game went on and tried to find good moments because the win was tough trying to get it from behind. We found our moment to score and continued it into overtime to win.”

For the second match in a row, it was a defensive battle to start the MVC Championship on Saturday. The first shot of the entire match was the Aces’ first goal in the waning seconds of the 30th minute. Midway into the attacking third redshirt freshman midfielder Jacopo Fedrizzi (Giulia, Italy) found Phillip on the left side of the field. Phillip took the ball from the top of the 18 to the 12 before shooting it past the Falcons goalkeeper into the middle of the box.

But UE only held the lead for under four minutes as Bowling Green answered on a score that barely crossed the goal line. The Falcons’ offensive pressure continued and they added a leading goal in the 40th minute on a shot from the right side of the penalty area. Evansville wasn’t able to answer in the final five minutes and headed into halftime trailing by one.

Bowling Green tested freshman goalkeeper Michal Mroz (Elk Grove, Ill. / Elk Grove HS) early in the second half with a close shot in the 52nd minute. Mroz made the save diving to the bottom left of the goal, spurring the Aces’ offense. Fedrizzi had back-to-back shots that almost made it past Falcons’ goalkeeper Brendan Graves in the 67th and 68th minutes. But it would be Tarleton who found the back of the net in the 79th minute to help send the game into overtime.

UE had a free kick just two feet from the corner that Fedrizzi placed right inside the goal box. A Bowling Green player bounced the ball to Graves, but Tarleton was able to head the rebound to the crossbar. The ball dropped from the crossbar to Tarleton’s feet where he buried the shot into the top of the net. Evansville had two more shots in the 90 minutes while the Falcons had the final one, but neither team found the game-winning goal in regulation.

Overtime was all Aces as they dominated possession and shots, not allowing Bowling Green a chance. Phillip had his second shot of the night early in the period that was blocked. Fedrizzi quickly found the ball for another shot that was saved by Graves. Neither team had much offense until the early seconds of the 99th minute when UE drew a corner kick on the right side. Fedrizzi took the kick and curved the ball almost to the goal line. A Falcon defender then knocked the ball into the net giving Evansville the game-winning goal right before the overtime period would have ended.

Kai Phillip was named the MVC Tournament MVP scoring two goals in three games and recording seven shots with four landing on goal. Three other Aces players were named to the MVC All-Tournament Team: midfielder Jacopo Fedrizzi, junior defender Nacho Garcia (Zaragoza, Spain), and freshman defender Martin Wurschmidt (Fram, Norway). Phillip, Garcia, and Wurschmidt all scored at least one goal in the tournament while Fedrizzi assisted on two goals.

Fedrizzi led UE in shots on Saturday with four and two on goal. Phillip, Tarleton, and graduate forward Sami Owusu (Denver / Dayton) all had two shots with one on goal each for Evansville’s 10 shots. The Aces outshot Bowling Green two to one while both teams had two corner kicks each.

UE will find out its first opponent of the NCAA Tournament on Monday afternoon during the Selection Show at 12 p.m. It will be Evansville’s first appearance in the NCAA postseason since 1996.

Swimming and diving completes A3 Invitational

11/17/2024

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Swimming and diving completes A3 Invitational

Both teams finish in top five

CARBONDALE, Ill. – Following the completion of the third and final day of the A3 Invite, the University of Evansville swimming and diving teams each came home with top five finishes. The Purple Aces men took fourth place with a 426.5 while the ladies came in fifth with a tally of 306.

Joseph Capo had the top finish for the men on the final day. Registering a time of 16:09.18 in the 1650-Freestyle, he took third place. Wyatt Gallas took 8^th in the race with a 16:43.68.

Another third-place finish came in the 400-Free Relay as Michael Pruett, Ben Hasanovic, Logan Tenison, and Daniel Santos Lopez finished in 3:03.32. In the A Final of the 200-Backstroke, Patrik Vilbergsson earned a 4^th-place finish, registering a time of 1:49.66. Boris Tavrovsky was 7^th in the event, swimming a 1:51.48. In the B Final, Tenison was third, posting a 1:53.86 while Logan Anderson took second in the C Final with his effort of 1:57.95.

Santos Lopez led UE with a finish of fourth in the A Final of the 100-Free race. He completed the event in 45.34. Michael Pruett was third in the B Final, recording a 45.98. In the 200-Breaststroke, Joao Pereira picked up a top five in the A Final. Tallying a 2:05.01, he came in fifth. Carlos Souto Vilas followed him in sixth. Adam Pawlak had a solid effort in the B Final of the 200-Fly, taking fourth with a time of 1:57.58.

Sveva Brugnoli provided the highlight of the day for Evansville. Her time of 2:04.47 in the A Final of the 200-Fly gave her the victory. Evelyn Chin grabbed a top five in the B Final, finishing 4^th with her effort of 2:13.54.

Mari Mueller came in fourth in the A Final of the 200-Breaststroke. She registered a 2:21.42. Rafaela Markarewicz came in 6^th in the B Final with a 2:27.02. Ane Madina had a strong performance in the B Final of the 200-Backstroke. Finishing in 2:07.84, she came in fourth. Hannah Krings picked up a top ten in the 1650-Free. She took 10^th place with a time of 18:11.37.

In the 400-Free Relay, Madina, Brugnoli, Rebecca Lago, and Mia Pesavento earned a 5^th-place finish. The group finished the race in 3:34.74.

-www.GoPurpleAces.com-

TAYLOR BRILLIANT IN GOAL DESPITE OVERTIME LOSS TO RIVERMEN

11/17/2024

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TAYLOR BRILLIANT IN GOAL DESPITE OVERTIME LOSS TO RIVERMEN

Evansville, In.: Despite outstanding goaltending by Ty Taylor for the second consecutive night, the Thunderbolts came up just short in a 2-1 overtime loss to the Rivermen on Saturday night at Ford Center. The Thunderbolts’ next home game will be on Saturday, November 23rd against the Quad City Storm at 7:05pm CT.

Evansville started things off very quickly, scoring the opening goal only 27 seconds into the game as Derek Contessa picked up his first goal of the season, unassisted. However, the Rivermen tied the game later in the period, as Cale List scored at 15:48. After seeing no power play chances in the first period, things changed drastically in the second and third periods, as Evansville went on the power play 5 times, and the Rivermen 7 times, however no power play goals came out of any of the 12 combined opportunities. In overtime, Alec Baer scored to win the game for Peoria at the 1:59 mark.

Contessa scored Evansville’s lone goal, while Ty Taylor finished with 37 saves on 39 shots, standing on his head once again despite the loss. The Thunderbolts and Rivermen meet once again on Thursday, December 19th at Peoria Civic Center.

Individual game tickets, group packages, and season tickets are on sale for the 2024-25 season. Call 812-422-BOLT or visit our all-new website (www.evansvillethunderbolts.com) for details.

About Evansville Thunderbolts: The Evansville Thunderbolts is the area’s only professional hockey team. The Thunderbolts are a proud member of the SPHL. The team is owned and operated by VW Sports, L.L.C, a subsidiary of VenuWorks, Inc. www.evansvillethunderbolts.com

Lady Blazers drop hard fought rematch with Moberly Area C.C.

11/17/2024

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Lady Blazers drop hard fought rematch with Moberly Area C.C.

VINCENNES, Ind. – The Vincennes University Lady Trailblazers closed out the 2024 VU Lady Blazer Classic Saturday evening with a rematch against the Lady Greyhounds of Moberly Area Community College from Moberly, Mo.

Moberly Area came away with a 73-61 victory earlier this season in Moberly and were able to complete the season sweep as the Lady Blazers came out on the wrong side of a 76-71 final score.

The two teams came out firing in the opening quarter, trading basket after basket with the Lady Greyhounds holding a 28-21 lead after a high scoring opening 10 minutes.

Vincennes was able to bounce back and get the lead back in the second quarter after an 8-0 scoring run put the Lady Blazers on top 33-32.

Moberly Area regained the momentum and looked to be going into the locker room on a hot streak before the Lady Blazers scored the final six points of the first half to head into the halftime break tied at 44-44.

The second half was much more of a defensive battle with VU holding a 53-52 lead before Moberly Area closed out the third quarter on an 8-2 scoring run to take a 60-55 lead into the final quarter of action.

VU grabbed the early momentum in the fourth quarter, opening the final period by outscoring the Lady Greyhounds 8-2 to take a 63-62 lead.

Moberly Area was able to convert from three-point range down the stretch, as the Lady Trailblazers continued to battle but were unable to regain their lead as Moberly Area closed out the 76-71 victory.

“I do believe that we put in a good fight,” Lady Blazers Interim Head Coach Ingrida Hartsfield said. “I think we fell a little short especially right at the end of the game. I think in the final two minutes we didn’t get the rebounds that we needed and it just seemed like we just stopped playing for a second and that cost us.”

The Lady Trailblazers were led offensively by freshman Delora Pricop (Brasov, Romania) who finished her night with a career-high 23 points, to go along with five rebounds and five big blocks.

Freshman Netala Dixon (Dyersburg, Tenn.) continued to attack the basket all game, finishing her night with 17 points, six assists and four rebounds.

Sophomore Marta Chico (Chabas, Spain) got the Lady Blazers offense going early and connected on four of four from three-point range to set a new season-high with 16 points and six rebounds.

Freshman Ahmya Thomas (Phoenix, Ariz.) entered the starting lineup for the first time this season and did not disappoint with another all-around game with 11 points, eight assists, six steals and five rebounds.

“Individually I think we did well on offense,” Hartsfield added. “Of course we still need to work on some of the finishes and it’s never going to be perfect but it starts with defense. You can’t win the games if you don’t play defense or box out and rebound.”

The Lady Trailblazers will look to bounce back when they return to the Physical Education Complex floor Tuesday, Nov. 19 to take on Kaskaskia College at 5 p.m. eastern.

“We will watch the film from this weekend and hopefully learn from our mistakes,” Hartsfield said. “I told them in the locker room that this one’s done and you can’t go back so we’ve just got to keep moving forward.”

Other scores from the final day of the 2024 VU Lady Blazer Classic include No. 4 Wabash Valley College winning over NJCAA D-III No. 6 ranked Owens Community College 111-51.

VINCENNES BOX SCORE

VINCENNES (71): Delora Pricop 8-16 7-9 23, Ahmya Thomas 3-11 5-6 11, Marta Chico 6-6 0-2 16, Yanni Huggins 0-0 0-0 0, Netala Dixon 8-16 0-2 17, Iris Valera 2-6 0-0 4, Emani Washington 0-2 0-0 0, Team 27-57 12-19 71.

Moberly Area – 28 16 16 16 – 76

VU (2-4) – 21 23 11 16 – 71

Three-point goals: VU 5 (Chico 4, Dixon). Rebounds: VU 30 (Chico 6). Assists: VU 22 (Thomas 8). Steals: VU 8 (Thomas 6). Blocked Shots: VU 5 (Pricop 5). Turnovers: VU 16. Personal Fouls: VU 15. Fouled out: None.

USI falls at Purdue Fort Wayne Screaming Eagles come home next week

11/17/2024

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USI falls at Purdue Fort Wayne
Screaming Eagles come home next week

FORT WAYNE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Men’s Basketball concluded a three-game road swing with a 93-74 loss at Purdue University Fort Wayne Saturday evening in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The Screaming Eagles are 1-4 to start the year, while the Mastodons go to 3-1 in 2024-25.

USI spotted Purdue Fort Wayne a 14-point first-half advantage, 28-14, before junior guard Jared Washington caught fire and sparked a 15-1 run to pull to within two, 31-29, with 5:21 left in the opening half. Washington scored 12 of the 15 points, while USI, as a team, was a perfect six-of-six from outside, including three-of-three from downtown.

The Mastodons would win the final five minutes, 10-6, and led at halftime, 41-35.

In the second half, Purdue Fort Wayne expanded its halftime lead to 11 points, 55-44, before USI narrowed the deficit to four points, 56-52, with 13:44 to play when junior guard Jayland Randall converted a pair of free throws. The Mastodons rebounded and expanded their advantage to as many as 23 points, 88-65, with 3:25 to play before settling for the 93-74 final.

Individually for USI, Washington would lead the Eagles with 19 points, a season-high. The junior guard was six-of-11 from the field, three-of-seven from beyond the arc, and four-of-four from the stripe.

Randall and junior guard Damoni Harrison followed with 14 points each. Harrison was five-of-nine from the field, two-of-four from long range, and two-for-two from the line. Randall was four-of-10 from the field and six-of-six from the charity stripe.

Next Up For USI:
USI returns to Liberty Arena’s friendly home surroundings on November 22 when it hosts the University of South Dakota to start a three-game homestand. During the homestand, USI is also slated to host Indiana State University on November 25 and East-West University on December 2.