VANDERBURGH COUNTY REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION
November 21, 2024, at 9:00 A.M.
CIVIC CENTER COMPLEX
1 N.W. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. BLVD.
ROOM 301, ADMINISTRATION BUILDING
EVANSVILLE, INDIANA 47708
AGENDA
1. Call to Order
2. Attendance
3. Approval of Minutes – Meeting of June 11, 2024
4. Consideration of Resolution No. 2024-VCRC-02 Regarding the Approval of the 2025
Vanderburgh County RDC Annual Spending Plan
5. Old Business
6. New Business
7. Adjournment
Aces and Buckeyes meet for first time since 1976
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – In just the fifth all-time meeting and the first since 1976, the University of Evansville men’s basketball team will take on Ohio State in a 6 p.m. game on Tuesday evening in Columbus. BTN+ and the Purple Aces Radio Network will have the broadcast.
Last Time Out
– Evansville led Radford by as many as 22 points in the first half and 18 at the break, but a huge offensive second half helped the Highlanders rally for a 92-81 win
– Radford scored the first 16 points of the second half while shooting 81.5% in the final 20 minutes
– Cam Haffner scored a career-high 23 points while Gabriel Pozzato had 20 and Josh Hughes finished with a season-high of 19 points
– UE tied the program record with 17 3-point makes in the contest
Career-High
– Cam Haffner’s spectacular start to the season continued against Radford as he scored a career-high 23 points
– Haffner was 8-of-12 from the field and knocked down six of his 10 3-point tries
– He is second on the team and 9th in the MVC with his average of 14.8 PPG
– At MTSU, Haffner scored 16 points in what was his top UE effort at the time following 14 points against Brescia
Best in the NCAA
– Tanner Cuff’s stellar play has put him near the top of the MVC in multiple categories
– With 15 assists and just one turnover, his ratio of 15.00 is #1 in the NCAA
– He is 5th in the MVC with 7.50 rebounds per game while his average of 3.75 assists/game is tied for 8th
– Cuff posted a season-high 15 points at MTSU along with 7 caroms and 3 steals in 35:07, the top minute tally of his UE career
Turning the Corner
– Through the opening three games of the season, Josh Hughes was averaging just 5.0 points but that all changed with a big outing against Radford
– Connecting on 6 of his 11 attempts and four triples, Hughes finished with a season-high of 19 points; he added 5 boards and 3 assists
– After opening the season 1-of-11 from 3-point range, Hughes hit 4 of his 8 tries against the Highlanders
Scouting the Opponent
– Ohio State comes into Tuesday’s game with a 2-1 record
– After opening the season with wins over #19 Texas and Youngstown State, the Buckeyes fell in a hard-fought road game at #23 Texas A&M by a score of 78-64 on Friday
– Leading the way for OSU is Bruce Thornton with 15.7 points per game and a team-high 13 assists
– Just behind him is John Mobley Jr. with 14.3 PPG and a team-leading 10 triples
– Micah Parrish holds a 10.3 PGP average to round out the double figure scorers
– OSU has six players who average 7.3 points per game or
higher
TICKETS GO ON SALE Friday, November 21 at 10M
Tickets will be available at the Ford Center Ticket Office, Ticketmaster.com, and Stevetrevino.com
Evansville, IN– Comedian Steve Treviño is “America’s Favorite Husband.” He can “speak wife fluently,” he never calls “the guys” for help on a home project, and he knows better than to “make his own decisions,” since decision-making is a privilege reserved solely for his wife, Renae.
His relatable approach affirms his status as one of the country’s fastest-rising comics, viewed over 223 million times, selling out shows coast-to-coast, amassing over 2 million total social media followers, and headlining specials for Amazon, NETFLIX, Showtime, and more. He started cutting his teeth in Dallas, Texas, working as a door guy at the Improv and earning himself a spot to open the iconic 2001 Three Amigos Comedy Tour. He quickly earned his stripes and an audience on the comedy club circuit, and he began headlining on his own by the age of 25. He delivered side-splitting performances on The Late Late Show and Comics Unleashed, and produced and wrote for international GRAMMY® Award-winning superstar Pitbull’s La Esquina.
His first Showtime special, Grandpa Joe’s Son, staked out a spot in the Nielsen Top 20. He
funded, produced, and shot his 2014 runaway NETFLIX hit Relatable. To promote the special, he uploaded a clip titled “When Your Wife Comes Home From Shopping.” It exploded, generating 56 million views on Facebook alone and paving the way for heavily shared clips such as “When You Ask Your Wife If She Wants McDonald’s” (21 million views) and “When Going to Vegas With Your Wife Goes Wrong” (4 million views). Co-produced by Nacelle, the follow-up special, Steve Trevino ’Til Death, arrived in 2018. Steve maintained his momentum by broadening his social media presence through fans redoing bits of his comedy specials and posting them to TikTok. In less than two years, that grassroots effort helped him build a worldwide fanbase on the platform from the ground up, amassing 4.8 million likes and over 50 million views on the platform, while also changing up his entire social media game.
In 2020, he and his wife, Renae, unveiled a joint weekly podcast entitled “Steve Treviño and Captain Evil,” that has generated over 1.5 million views/streams and is now in Season 3. He also filmed his fourth self-produced comedy special, My Life in Quarantine, which was picked up by Amazon Prime. The once-in-a-lifetime pandemic special was shot in front of a masked, socially distant crowd and focused on the ups and downs of getting through quarantine.
He regularly raises money for Helicopters for Heroes, an organization benefiting veterans, for whom he helped raise over $1.5 million in the past two years.
www.stevetrevino.com
When an elected position is vacated, the party that the elected official is a member of gets to select another party member to fill the vacancy. The party convenes a meeting of the Precinct Committee-persons for the district that the exiting official represented. About 20 percent of Hoosier lawmakers are not elected for their first term but are placed in the position by a caucus.
This means a tiny handful of political party faithful act as proxies for the citizens. When Alex Burton vacated his 4th Ward City Council seat to become State Representative, 16 Precinct Committee members, many of whom were appointed by the Democratic party chair, were eligible to vote for the next 4th Ward representative on the city council.
Three candidates, Tanisha Carothers, Angie Bullock, and Jaimie Sheth, announced interest in running for the City Council seat. Bullock filed challenges to the candidacy of the other two, claiming that neither met the residency requirement. The challenges included residency details and voting records. Carothers’s CEB 5 form to qualify to run stated that she lived and voted in the 4th Ward, but voter registration records show that she was registered to vote in the 3rd Ward.
Bullock presented her evidence and challenge forms to Vanderburgh County Democratic Party Chair Cheryl Schultz but was informed that short of a lawsuit, there is no avenue for challenging a caucus.
Burton addressed his choice to replace him on the City Council in a letter to Our Times Newspaper, resoundingly endorsing Tanisha Carothers. The letter named the 16 precinct committee members, pointing out that they will make the final determination about representing the 4th Ward.
Sheth withdrew her candidacy before the caucus, and after votes were cast, Schultz announced that Carothers won over Bullock. According to Bullock, the number of votes was never announced.
Bullock believes that Burton may have pressured Schultz regarding the outcome. “It was a conspiracy to put in someone who committed a crime by lying on a form,” She said.
Burton dismisses her claims, saying, “I have not communicated with the Vanderburgh Co. Democratic Party leadership, nor did I give them any instruction regarding the vote for my successor. My open letter to Our Times Newspaper and the 4th Ward Precinct Committee persons represents my thoughts on the matter.”
When asked whether Carothers is eligible for the 4th Ward seat, Burton said, “I’m not sure about any disqualification accusations or anything in question. It is my hope that Angie can move beyond the caucus results. The 4th Ward Precinct Commitee-persons chose who we wanted to represent us on Council. “
The Mayor’s Interfaith Council is inviting the community to celebrate together this week, hosting an Interfaith Thanksgiving Service this Wednesday, November 20, 2024.
The service will begin at 6:30 p.m. at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (8020 Covert Ave.). The Thanksgiving celebration will feature words from faith leaders across the community and a keynote address from Mayor Terry. Those attending can expect to enjoy beautiful music, encouraging fellowship, and light refreshments.
“This will be a wonderful night for community members of all faiths to come together and express their gratitude this Thanksgiving season.,” said Evansville Mayor Stephanie Terry. “I am looking forward to coming together with members of our community and celebrating all of the things we have to give thanks for this year.”
At the service, the Mayor’s Interfaith Council will host a winter accessory drive. Those planning on attending are encouraged to bring new gloves, hats, and socks to donate. All items will benefit EVSC students this holiday season.
The Mayor’s Interfaith Council consists of 13 faith leaders across the Evansville area. The council comes together to foster inclusivity in the community by hosting gatherings and educating residents. The group also works to address discrimination issues for all groups within the community. The Mayor’s Interfaith Council was established to show Evansville residents that differences in beliefs can bring people together rather than divide them.
Dr. Melvin M. “Mel” Peterson H’91, H’14, a long-time friend and donor to the University of Evansville (UE), has continued his legacy of generosity through a bequest of more than $5.3 million. Peterson’s bequest provides $1 million for an endowed faculty chair and $100,000 for a scholarship in the Department of English. The bequest will also grow the University’s endowment and support the institution’s academic infrastructure.
The bequest brings Peterson’s total giving to UE to $9,629,490. Peterson passed away on April 3 at the age of 101 following a brief illness.
Peterson’s participation and financial support left an imprint on many areas of the University, notably his role in purchasing Harlaxton College, UE’s campus in Grantham, England. Peterson’s connection to UE began indirectly in 1975, 14 years before he moved to Evansville when he visited Harlaxton with his long-time friend, Dr. William Ridgway. Captivated by the history of the manor and intrigued by its possibilities for foreign study, Dr. Ridgway eventually purchased Harlaxton upon the urging of Peterson. A few years later, Ridgway gifted Harlaxton to the University of Evansville, and it has become the centerpiece of UE’s international study programs.
“Thanks to Mel and Bill’s foresight and generosity, thousands of students have had the life-changing experience of studying at Harlaxton,” said University of Evansville President Chris Pietruszkiewicz.
Peterson’s first gift to UE was a $1,000 donation to Harlaxton in 1980, beginning a 44-year philanthropic relationship with UE.
His affinity for supporting the arts and humanities can be traced to his scholarly endeavors. After retiring from Chevron Oil Corporation at age 50, Peterson earned a master’s degree in English from the University of California and a master’s degree in history from Indiana State University. He also holds an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from the University of Evansville.
Peterson participated in many areas of University life. He enjoyed the academic world and relished interacting with faculty, staff and students. Peterson attended theatre productions, art show openings, poetry and literary readings and concerts. He served as president of the Samuel Johnson Society and was a board member of Harlaxton Society. He also supported the Art Department, the Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the Nursing Department. In 1991, the UE Alumni Association recognized his service to the University by naming him a Samuel Orr Honorary Alumnus. Peterson was also an active honorary member of the UE Board of Trustees.
Always a proud donor, Mel sought to set an example for others. Thanks to his generosity, the Mel Peterson Art Gallery, situated at the corner of Weinbach and Lincoln Avenues, and the Mel Peterson Video Production Lab in Hyde Hall, have enhanced the learning experience in the Art and Communications programs. Peterson also made generous contributions to the renovations of Hyde Hall and Bower-Suhrheinrich Library.
“Thanks to Mel, the University of Evansville offers a rich and diverse academic experience,” Pietruszkiewicz said. “Those of us who knew him are better for our friendship. He will be missed, but his legacy will live on.”
The University of Evansville is a private, comprehensive university with a solid foundation in the arts and sciences and professional schools in business, engineering, education, and health sciences. Established in 1854, UE is recognized across the globe for its rich tradition of innovative, academic excellence and dynamic campus community of #Changemakers.
Reverend Tracy Gorman, longtime President / CEO of the Evansville Rescue Mission, has
been elected to a three-year term as President of the Great Lakes District of the CityGate
Network, of which the Evansville Rescue Mission is a member.
According to Gorman, “Along with the work we will continue to do here in Evansville, I look
forward to serving my fellow Mission leaders from around this District to help them
advance their work and ministry to the homeless and marginalized in any way I can be of
assistance. The work these ladies and gentlemen do is incredible, and I simply want to
come alongside them and be a helpful resource” Gorman assumes his new role
immediately. Tracy Gorman will be working alongside the newly elected District Vice
President, Ann Ebbert, who is President / CEO of the Cherry Street Mission in Toledo, Ohio.
CityGate Network (www.CityGateNetwork.org) is the oldest and largest association of
Gospel Rescue Missions in North America, comprised of over 300 member-Missions! As
one of 9 Districts in the association, the Great Lakes District encompasses the states of
Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin.
The Evansville Rescue Mission, founded in 1917, is the largest and oldest service provider
to the homeless community in this area. The Evansville Rescue Mission is comprised of the
Men’s Residence Center; the Youth Care Center; The Thrift Store; Mission Grounds CoZee
Shop; the Furniture Warehouse; and the soon-to-open Susan H. Snyder Center for Women
and Children. Tracy Gorman is in his seventeenth year at the helm of the organization.
