The University of Evansville men’s swimming and diving team posts more school records, day three of the Mid-American Conference championship.
Credence Pattinson broke the school record in the 100-yard butterfly at 48.54, finishing in ninth place. Pattinson a fourth place finish in the 100-yard backstroke at 48.88.
Paul Cozzens shaved almost a second off his 400 IM school record, finishing in fourth in the event at 3:57.93.
Brandt Hudson earned fifth place in the 200-yard freestyle at 1:39.02.
Closing out the night, the Aces broke the school record in the 400-yard medley relay, finishing in fifth at 3:19.96.
UE sits in fifth place in the team scores with 239 points, just 40 points behind Ball State.
The Aces kickoff the final day of the MAC championship at 11:30 a.m., with finals beginning at 6:30 p.m.
College of Charleston scores seven runs in the eighth to secure win
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 A late inning rally of runs stopped the University of Evansville baseball team’s winning streak on Friday as College of Charleston rallied from a three-run deficit for a 9-5 win.
“We allowed too many free bases from the 7th inning on. We played well for six innings, but couldn’t find a way to compete on the mound, defensively, or at the plate for the final three innings,” said Aces head baseball coach Wes Carroll. “I’m ready to see how our club comes out tomorrow against a quality opponent.”
Looking to continue their win streak, Evansville’s offense got the spark it needed in the top of the third inning as the bases were loaded with junior Tanner Craig coming to the plate. Craig, who entered sixth in the nation in home runs, smacked a grand slam to right field. Craig’s grand slam is the first for the Aces since Troy Beilsmith hit a grand slam on Feb. 25, 2019 in a 10-5 win over Little Rock.
Evansville added an insurance run in the sixth as freshman Brent Widder drove in Danny Borgstrom with a base-hit to right-center field.
College of Charleston took a chunk out of Evansville’s lead in the seventh, plating a pair of runs to trim the Aces’ advantage to 5-2. Senior Nathan Croner saw his day come to an end in the seventh with runners on second and third as Croner finished the day pitching 6.1 innings, allowing just one earned run and striking-out four.
Needing a pair of outs, it was senior David Ellis who came on in releif to close-out the seventh and Ellis did just that, not allowing the Cougars to draw closer in the inning with back-to-back outs.
The eighth proved to be the all important inning for College of Charleston as the Cougars plated seven runs in the inning to take a 9-5 lead, before shutting down the Aces at the plate in the ninth to grab the comeback victory.
Evansville returns to action with the second game of its three-game series with College of Charleston at 1 PM (CT) on Saturday in Mt. Pleasant, S.C.
 University of Southern Indiana Men’s Basketball rallies in the second half to defeat Bellarmine University, 76-73, in the final quarterfinal game of the Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament Friday evening in Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s First Community Arena in Edwardsville, Illinois. USI, the fourth seed, rises to 22-7 overall, while Bellarmine, the fifth seed, drops to 20-7.
With the win, USI advances to play the University of Missouri-St. Louis (26-5), the top seed, Saturday at 6 p.m. The Tritons advanced the semifinals with a last-second 53-51 victory over Drury University Thursday night.
The Eagles split the season series with the Tritons, falling 73-68 in St. Louis and winning 67-66 at Screaming Eagles Arena.
USI had a hard time holding onto the basketball in the opening half, committing 15 turnovers, but held firm on defense to go into the locker room down, 39-36, at the break. The Eagles were efficient with their host, hitting 58 percent from the floor (14-24), and led by senior guard Joe Laravie with 10 1st half points.
Laravie was nearly perfect during the opening 20 minutes, hitting three-of-four from the floor, one-of-two from beyond the arc, and three-of-four from the stripe.
In the second half, the fierce battle continued as the final period would feature six ties and 11 lead changes, including the Eagles first lead at 17:50 when Laravie hit a three-pointer. The Knights, after USI and Bellarmine traded the lead back and forth over the next three minutes, regained the momentum and matched their largest lead of the game, 60-53, with 10:31 remaining.
USI responded with a 9-0 run to regain the lead, 61-60, on a three-point bomb at the 8:12 mark by junior guard Mateo Rivera. The lead would go back and forth five more times when junior guard/forward Clayton Hughes gave the Eagles the lead for good, 71-70, on a pair of free throws with 2:10 left.
Senior guard/forward Kobe Caldwell gave USI its largest lead of the game, 74-70, with a three-pointer from the left corner before junior forward Emmanuel Little sealed the 76-73 victory with a pair of free throws with two ticks left on the clock.
USI, as a team, overcame 20 team turnovers by shooting 53.2 percent from the field (25-47) and dominating the glass, 38-19, that produced a 19-5 advantage in second chance points. Junior forward Josh Price paced the USI dominance of the boards by grabbing a career-high 13 rebounds for a third time this year, nine of them coming on the defensive end.
Individually on the scoreboard, Laravie led three Eagles in double-digits with a USI career-best 21 points. The senior guard finished the contest seven-of-10 from the field, four-of-seven from beyond the arc, and the first half three-of-four at the stripe.
Hughes followed Laravie in the scoring column with 14 points, while Rivera third in the scoring column with 10 points.
10 Ways The Coronavirus Is Making People Change Their Daily
By Ben Kesslen, Erik Ortiz and Yuliya Talmazan
The steady rise in coronavirus cases in the United States and across the globe has had a far-reaching effect on how we interact with one another. Some jittery people have turned to panic buying at grocery stores and pharmacies refused to shake hands and canceled or put off travel plans.
Here are some of the ways normal routines are being altered as the virus’ spread shows no sign of slowing down.
Kiss goodbye to shaking hands
People are finding alternative ways to greet each other at a time when direct contact is being frowned upon. In South Korea, residents are opting for fist bumps and deep bows.
French officials are recommending that people refrain from the traditional “la bise” greeting, or kissing on both cheeks. Instead, some people are tapping elbows or shaking feet instead of hands.
Australian leaders are suggesting people pat each other on the back in lieu of a handshake, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has taken to greeting people in “Namaste”-style — palms together and a slight bow.
A lot of us didn’t realize just how much we were touching our faces until public health officials advised people to wash their hands more carefully to prevent the spread of germs.
Even President Donald Trump said he was trying to fight the urge.
“I haven’t touched my face in weeks,” Trump joked during a coronavirus briefing with airline executives. “I miss it.”
But while social media has magnified fears over face touching, health experts told NBC News that people shouldn’t become obsessed with their inability to stop. Face touching said Joseph Fair, a virologist and outbreak response specialist, “isn’t going to be the end of humanity.”
Going out to eat and drink can be a regular ritual for many, but restaurants and eateries are changing how they do business.
Starbucks announced a pause on allowing baristas to make drinks in customer-provided mugs and tumblers as one way to “prevent the spread of coronavirus.”
Some mom-and-pop establishments are also scrubbing down tables, cutlery and cash registers more often, and one cheese and wine shop in New York City is even taking employees’ temperatures before they start their shifts.
In Winston-Salem, North Carolina, restaurant owner Claire Calvin told NBC affiliate WXII-TV that she has her employees wash their hands every hour and perform sanitation procedures three times a shift. She also is relaunching a dinner delivery program, knowing that customers may be more apt to just stay home instead of eating out.
Asian businesses and restaurants across the U.S. have taken a hit due to unfounded fears that Asian populations harbor coronavirus.
“I’ve never seen it this empty,” Alex Won, who was eating in Los Angeles’ Koreatown, told The Associated Press. “It’s sad.”
Work from home
Companies are prepping for scenarios where going to work might not be safe. In the Seattle area, which has become an epicenter for coronavirus deaths in the U.S., tech giants such as Amazon and Facebook have asked employees to work from home throughout March, and many companies in other cities are planning for a similar scenario.
Download the NBC News app for full coverage of the coronavirus outbreak
But some workers make their living by interacting with the public.
Tewodros Amare, a full-time Uber driver in Oakland, California, said he isn’t taking any chances when it comes to the coronavirus. He cleans his car with disinfectant wipes and rejects rides requested from San Francisco’s international airport.
“I wear rubber gloves,” he told NBC News. “And when I pick up more than two riders, I wear a mask.”
Gyms do their part
The idea that more people may choose to avoid the gym and work out from home has helped companies such as Peloton, which sells stationary bikes and has seen its stock climb in recent days.
But gyms and fitness studios are trying to stave off any customer loss by becoming a model of cleanliness and encouraging members to do their part by wiping down machines and mats.
“Cleanliness in a gym is obviously very important because we are sweating here and we have so many people in and out throughout the day,” Jason Wallace, the owner of Title Boxing Club in Louisville, Kentucky, told NBC affiliate WAVE.
Aside from spraying down every bag and medicine ball, members at the club are asked to wash their hands before and after class and are urged to stay home if they’re feeling sick.
Be mindful on public transportation
Subways, buses and other forms of public transportation can feel like germ factories, but face masks and even gloves have become a common sight for commuters in recent weeks.
Tomorrowland Winter 2020, which was set to take place this month at a French alpine ski resort and feature artists Steve Aoki and Afrojack, was canceled because of the ban.
Other artists, including K-pop boy band BTS, Louis Tomlinson, and Queen, have canceled or postponed concerts in Asia, France and elsewhere, upsetting fans.
Drinking wine out of shared chalices during Holy Communion and shaking hands are regular parts of a church service. But the coronavirus has church leaders rethinking worshipers’ interactions.
Paul Etienne, the Catholic archbishop of Seattle, said in a letter to parish leaders that wine should not be distributed during Communion until further notice and churchgoers should receive the sacrament wafer in their hands, not on their tongues, the AP reported.
Furthermore, sick parishioners are being urged to stay home and those who do attend Mass are asked to avoid the traditional act of shaking hands at the sign of peace.
In Chicago, the archdiocese is requiring priests, deacons and other personnel to wash their hands before each Mass and use hand sanitizer before and after Communion.
Meanwhile, photos and videos circulating on social media have shown a dramatic change at the Grand Mosque in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. The holy site, which is typically crowded with worshipers, is nearly empty.
Saudi officials are working to curb the coronavirus, which has infected at least five people in the kingdom.
Switch to FaceTime
A quick trip to visit friends and family is suddenly causing people to think twice. Instead of getting on a bus, driving a few hours or taking a train, people are staying home and communicating online.
Airports have caused particular panic for some, with people delaying trips or canceling flights in an effort to assuage their anxieties over the virus.
After an employee of the Wildhorse Resort & Casino in Pendleton, Oregon contracted the coronavirus, the owners closed down for two days for deep cleaning. The process involved the use of a Clorox Total 360 System, an electrostatic spraying unit used by hospitals and clinics.
The larger gambling industry is bracing for a slowdown in business as analysts fear visitors might cut back on trips and look to avoid rubbing shoulders with strangers or coming into contact with tables and machines. The Las Vegas area has seen at least one confirmed case of the coronavirus.
Workers on the Strip have noticed a small decrease in business and people who do visit are taking precautions.
“I definitely have seen a lot more people, in general, walking around wearing face masks,” showgirl Lexi McKimmey told NBC News.
FOOTNOTES: Contributing Writers:
Ben Kesslen is a reporter for NBC News.Â
Erik Ortiz is a staff writer for NBC News focusing on racial injustice and social inequality.
Yuliya Talmazan
Yuliya Talmazan is a London-based journalist.
Alex Shi, Matteo Moschella , Andy Eckardt, Paul Goldman, Nancy Ing, Stella Kim, and Alyssa Newcomb contributed.
With prom just around the corner, EVSC Foundation is helping students by hosting a no-cost formal dress giveaway. Students are invited to a day of shopping with friends and a selection of over 1,000 beautiful dresses—all donated by the community. Students can shop for a dress on any of the following “Blitz†days: March 7, 14, 21, and April 4 (9 am – 1 pm) at Academy of Innovative Studies (former North High School). Use door 27.
Although the Hangers program provides service exclusively to EVSC students, this event will be open to students from surrounding counties. For non-EVSC student shoppers, Hangers asks for a $20 donation in exchange for a dress.
Since March 2018, over 700 students have hand-picked a dress from Hangers for a dance or other special occasion. For interested donors, this is an opportunity to free up closet space and support young people. Hangers accepts donations of dresses or gently-used clothing all year long, Monday – Thursday (8 am to 12 pm). Individuals may drop off donations at Hangers, located behind the Academy for Innovative Studies Diamond (use entrance on Wedeking Ave).
 About Hangers
Hangers is a clothing resource committed to serving students in need in the Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation. School uniforms and school-appropriate clothing, shoes, coats, hygiene products, and special event items (prom dresses, choir concert suits, etc.) are all provided free of charge at Hangers. This service helps students focus on their education.
Most of Indiana’s more than 1,800 schools are considered to be meeting or approaching the state’s expectations, according to 2019 federal ratings released Friday.
Few schools — just 87 — rose to “exceeding expectations.†Around 200, or 11%, were not considered to be meeting standards and scored in the lowest category.
The 2019 federal ratings offer the first gauge of how schools performed last year while state A-F grades remain tied up by a potential hold harmless exemption to protect schools from low test scores in the first year of the new ILEARN exam.
The state adopted this second measure in 2017 to comply with new federal requirements under the Every Student Succeeds Act without changing state grades. Schools are scored based on whether they are on track to meet the state’s long-term goals in seven different areas: test scores, growth scores, attendance rates, graduation rates, the percentage of students who earn honors diplomas, gaps in passing rates among student groups, and progress for English-language learners.
This is the first year schools were put into categories. In 2018, they were given federal A-F grades, but the Indiana Department of Education altered its approach after the practice was criticized for being confusing
But it also makes it difficult to judge how schools are truly performing. State Board of Education members didn’t discuss the results before approving them on Wednesday. And unlike previous years, the Indiana Department of Education released a bare-bones spreadsheet that didn’t break down how schools’ grades were calculated or what scores were factored in, saying that would “undermine the hold harmless.â€
Under the state’s second accountability measure, known as federal grades, most of Indiana’s schools were considered to be meeting or approaching the state’s expectations. The federal measure, released in January, was not included in the hold harmless and was calculated using the low 2019 scores.
Governor Eric J. Holcomb signed an executive order declaring a public health emergency to increase coordination across all levels of government in the state’s response to coronavirus. This is also a step in making Indiana eligible for federal dollars to respond to the outbreak. A copy of the executive order is attached.
“With the help of our federal, state and local partners, Indiana is responding to this case as we have planned and prepared for weeks,†Gov. Holcomb said. “The Hoosier who has been diagnosed has taken responsible steps to stay isolated.â€
This morning, Gov. Holcomb and the Indiana State Department of Health confirmed the first case of coronavirus in a Marion County resident with a recent history of travel to a Boston event tied to several cases in other states.
ISDH is working closely with the Marion County Public Health Department, Community Hospital North and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to ensure that any close contacts of the patient are identified and monitored and that all infection control protocols are being followed. State Health Commissioner Kris Box, M.D., FACOG, said the adult patient has been in quarantine since arriving back in Indianapolis and that the risk to the general public is low.
Rhonda Wheeler, a University of Southern Indiana sophomore currently undecided on major, will serve as the editor-in-chief for The Shield, USI’s independent student newspaper, for the 2020-21 academic year. She will replace Riley Guerzini, who will finish his term at the end of the Spring 2020 semester.
As editor-in-chief, Wheeler will be responsible for the overall operations for the media outlet. She will plan and conduct weekly editorial board and budget meetings, determine the content and general layout of the weekly newspaper and meet with the sales and marketing director to set editorial content and advertising distribution.
“The goal of any student publication is to inform the students and community about what is going on inside the campus and the surrounding area and act as a voice for students,†said Wheeler. “We are a student-run, independent forum which gives us the ability to voice all concerns without the administration controlling the content.â€
Wheeler currently serves as the news editor for The Shield, where she reports and assigns stories and serves as the leader and manager of the news reporters for the newspaper. She has also served as the community engagement editor for The Shield and as news director for 95.7 The Spin, USI’s student radio station.
Wheeler says that one of her goals is to increase communication between the newspaper staff and the campus community. “There have been many changes made to the paper and, while I agree with them, I feel better communication with our audience would help our readers know what to consistently expect from us.†This includes determining the printed size and length of the newspaper, reaching out to incoming freshmen through the UNIV 101 program and expanding the amount of advertisements sold.
In a letter of support, Casey Pycior, assistant professor of English, said that Wheeler is “the kind of student I could always count on to speak up when the rest of the class might have been hesitant†and that she is “communicative, responsible and respectful of others’ work, traits that I’m sure will be valuable in her role as editor-in-chief of The Shield.â€
The USI Student Publications Committee annually selects the editor-in-chief for The Shield. Applications for positions are available online or in The Shield office. To get involved, call 812-465-1682, or visit the office in the lower level of University Center East, Room 227.
“Indiana is home to such a diverse agriculture industry and this diversity adds so much to our economy and society,†said Lt. Governor Suzanne Crouch, Secretary of Agriculture and Rural Development. “I encourage specialty crop growers and organizations to take full advantage of this funding opportunity.â€
The Specialty Crop Block Grant program offers federal funding to the state departments of agriculture to support the specialty crop industry. The allocation amount for Indiana is unknown at this time.
Applicants can include producer groups, trade associations, nonprofits, colleges, and universities. Grants should focus on improving marketing, training, food safety, pest control and plant health. Organizations interested in this funding opportunity must apply through the Indiana State Department of Agriculture.
Funding will not be awarded to projects that benefit a particular commercial product or provide a profit to a single organization, institution or individual. Each project must identify at least one expected measurable outcome that specifically demonstrates the project’s impact on enhancing the competitiveness of eligible specialty crops. And, must be in one of the following funding priorities:
Funding Area I: Market Enhancement
Funding Area II: Access, Education, and Training
Funding Area III: Research
“This funding will go a long way in shoring up Indiana’s specialty crops in incomplete areas, like research and marketing,†said Bruce Kettler, Indiana State Department of Agriculture Director. “I encourage organizations to look at the key issues they are facing and see if this funding opportunity is something they would like to pursue to improve this diverse sector.â€
Applications are due by March 22, 2020, and proposals must be submitted online through the Indiana State Department of Agriculture’s Grants Management System.
