Two Fort Wayne Troopers Recognized For a Milestone 25 Years of Service
Two Fort Wayne Troopers Recognized For a Milestone 25 Years of Service
(Ft. Wayne, IN) – At a recent awards ceremony held on December 6th at the Indiana State Police Museum in Indianapolis, ISP Superintendent Douglas G. Carter presented milestone service awards for two Fort Wayne troopers. Major Anthony Casto and Master Trooper Aaron Cook both received recognition for having reached 25 years of honorable service with the Indiana State Police. Both men are classmates of the 51stIndiana State Police Recruit Academy which graduated back on December 4, 1994.
 Major Anthony Casto- Currently assigned as the North Zone Commander, Major Casto has command oversight of the day-to-day operations and personnel in the six northern Indiana State Police Districts, a position which he has held for the last year. Prior to this current assignment, Casto has held several other command positions, to include the Area II Commander, District Commander for the Fort Wayne Post, and Squad Sergeant for the Fort Wayne Post. Casto is a 2017 graduate of the FBI National Academy 267th Session, and also a 2014 graduate of the IMPD Leadership Academy Session 2014-02. Other notable assignments have included service as a K-9 Handler with the Fort Wayne Post’s Drug Interdiction Team from 1998-2003, a scuba diver with Underwater Search & Rescue Team II, and he also served with the Motorcycle Patrol. Casto is a 1986 graduate of LaPorte High School, and a 1990 graduate of Indiana State University where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Secondary Education. Prior to joining the Indiana State Police, Casto was a high school educator and also a coach for both boys and girls basketball and volleyball at Homestead High School from 1990-93, and Whitko High School from 1993-94. |
 Master Trooper Aaron Cook–Currently assigned as part of the Fort Wayne District’s All Crimes Policing (ACP) Squad, Cook primarily patrols Whitley and Allen Counties diligently focused on highway criminal interdiction efforts. Prior to this current assignment, Cook served for five years as a Squad Sergeant for the Fort Wayne Post, responsible for the leadership and supervision of troopers assigned to Whitley and Huntington Counties. He served as a member of the District’s Drug Interdiction Team from 1998-2003, and has been a member of the department’s Tactical Intervention Platoon. As testament to Master Trooper Cook’s tenacious work ethic and dedication to duty, he has been notably awarded several times over the course of his 25 year tenure. In 2004 he was awarded the department’s second highest medal of valor, the Silver Star Award, as a result of his life-saving actions that rescued a driver from a crashed and burning vehicle in Whitley County. In 2009 he was awarded the department’s Combat Action Award for heroic and exemplary action taken to protect himself and a fellow trooper while in the midst of a gunfight in rural Huntington County. In 2017, he was named as the Trooper of the Year for the Fort Wayne Post as related to his productive enforcement and interdiction patrols. Cook is a 1989 graduate of Columbia City, and lifelong resident of Whitley County.
On behalf of Indiana State Police Superintendent Douglas G. Carter, we would thank these troopers for their unparalleled dedication and service to the citizens of Indiana and the Indiana State Police over the last 25 years. -Walker |
 Vanderburgh Democrats’ January 2020 Updates
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New Year’s Eve Patrols nets Three Impaired Drivers
Last year during New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day, more than 900 crashes occurred throughout Indiana resulting in 174 injuries and four fatalities. To help ensure everyone’s safety last night and early this morning, Indiana State Police increased their patrols and targeted dangerous and impaired drivers. Troopers at the Evansville District arrested three impaired drivers overnight. One of those impaired drivers had a blood alcohol content of .35%, which is four times over the legal limit.
The following were arrested for Driving While Intoxicated:
Pike County:
- Robert W. Daugherty, 32, Petersburg, IN (BAC .14%)
- Driving While Intoxicated with a Prior DUI Conviction, Level 6 Felony
Gibson County:
- Kenan J. Bajzath, 27, Elberfeld, IN (BAC .13%)
- Driving While Intoxicated with a Prior DUI Conviction, Level 6 Felony
Knox County:
- Isaac W. Schmitt, 36, Vincennes, IN (BAC .35%)
- Driving While Intoxicated, Class A Misdemeanor
Arresting Officers: Trooper Johnathan Lukeman, Trooper CJ Boeckman and Trooper Brock Buchanan
Missouri State defeats Evansville in Valley opener
UE faces Valparaiso on Saturday at Ford Center
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In Tuesday’s Missouri Valley Conference opener, the University of Evansville men’s basketball team dropped a 65-52 game against Missouri State at JQH Arena.
Sophomore DeAndre Williams had a double-double in his first MVC game, posting 12 points and 10 rebounds. Sam Cunliffe added 13 points and 4 rebounds for UE (9-5, 0-1 MVC). Leading Missouri State (7-7, 1-0 MVC) Tulio Da Silva, who had 14 points and 6 rebounds. He hit six of his seven attempts. Lamont West and Isiaih Mosley tallied 13 apiece.
“We played really well in the first half, but Missouri State really got going in the second half,†interim head coach Bennie Seltzer said. “We are not going to make any excuses at all, we did not play well in the second half and have some things we need to fix.â€
Senior K.J. Riley got the Aces started on the right foot, knocking down a long jumper in the first possession of the game. Trailing 5-3, UE scored the next six points on their way to a 9-5 lead. Sam Cunliffe, Riley and Artur Labinowicz each scored in the run.
A 10-1 run saw the Aces open up a 13-6 lead before it would reach double figures on a Noah Frederking triple that made it an 18-8 game with nine minutes remaining in the half. Following a triple from the Bears, Shamar Givance banked a trey of his own that pushed the lead back to ten on the next possession.
With 2:23 remaining, another Williams bucket gave UE its largest lead at 30-17. Missouri State was able to cut their deficit to eight as Evansville went into halftime with a 31-23 advantage.
After cutting into the 13-point deficit in the final minutes of the first half, the Bears continued to claw their way back in the opening moments of the second. MSU scored the opening five tallies in the first three minutes to get back within three. Cunliffe got Evansville back on track with an emphatic dunk that pushed the lead back to five.
Despite the basket, the Bears continued to rally as a 13-2 run to open the half saw them take a 36-33 lead on a Gaige Prim layup. From there, the Bears would lead for the remainder of the game. They outscored the Aces by a 42-21 margin in the second half.
For the game, the Bears shot 49% including a 59.3% total in the second half, draining 16 of 27 attempts. Evansville finished at 36.7%. MSU had a 37-29 edge on the boards.
On Saturday, the Aces head back to the Ford Center for a conference game against Valparaiso. Tip is set for 6 p.m.
Eagles host No. 1 Drury Thursday
For the fifth time in program history, University of Southern Indiana Women’s Basketball will square off against the top-ranked team in the nation when it hosts No. 1 Drury University Thursday at Screaming Eagles Arena. Tip-off for the Great Lakes Valley Conference tilt is 5:30 p.m. and begins the first half of a men’s and women’s doubleheader.
The Screaming Eagles (5-2, 1-0 GLVC) resume Great Lakes Valley Conference play with a pair of home games this week as they also host league newcomer Southwest Baptist University Saturday at 1 p.m.
USI is coming off a tough 95-55 Midwest Region road loss to No. 4 Ashland University. Sophomore forward Ashlynn Brown and freshman forward Tara Robbe each had 12 points to lead the Eagles, who shot just 30.2 percent (19-63) from the field.
Brown averages 9.9 points and a team-high 5.0 rebounds per game, while senior guard Ashley Johnson leads USI with 11.3 points and 3.9 assists per contest. Junior guard Emma DeHartis chipping in 10.9 points and 4.6 rebounds per appearance.
Thursday’s game is USI’s first home game since defeating Hillsdale College, 63-41, November 26.
Both games this week will be aired live on 95.7 The Spin as well as the GLVC Sports Network, while live stats, audio, video and ticket links can be accessed at GoUSIEagles.com.
Headlines
• Rough outing. Playing for the first time in nearly three weeks, USI Women’s Basketball ran into a buzz saw in the form of No. 4 Ashland in a 95-55 setback. Ashland connected on 18 three-pointers, tying a school record, and had five trifectas in a decisive 22-5 second-quarter run that turned a six-point deficit into an insurmountable 42-19 lead. Sophomore forward Ashlynn Brown and freshman forward Tara Robbe each had 12 points to lead USI.
• Takeaways from Ashland. USI did a good job of taking care of the ball, committing just 15 turnovers to Ashland’s 19; but poor shooting coupled with the lights-out shooting of Ashland was too much for the Eagles to overcome. USI shot just 30.2 percent (19-63) from the field and was just 3-of-12 (.250) from three-point range. Ashland, meanwhile, went 32-of-58 (.552) from the field and 18-of-34 (.529) from behind the arc, all while holding a 48-29 rebounding advantage.
• Back-to-Back Top 5 opponents. As USI plays just its second game in a month, the Eagles will be playing its second straight Top 5 team when it hosts No. 1 Drury Thursday. The last time USI played Top 10 teams in consecutive games was the 2015 GLVC Tournament, when USI upset No. 2 Lewis before falling to No. 8 Drury in the GLVC Championship game. This is believed to be the first time in program history that the Eagles have faced Top 5 teams in back-to-back games.
• USI vs. No. 1 teams. USI gets the opportunity to face the No. 1 team in the nation for the fifth time in program history when it takes on top-ranked Drury Thursday. USI is 1-3 in its previous four contests; the most-recent being a bout with Lewis January 24, 2016. Below is a list of how USI has fared against the top team in the nation:
–Jan. 24, 2016: #1 Lewis 83, at USI 73
–Jan. 8, 2009: #1 Northern Kentucky 62, at USI 48
–March 21, 2001: #1 Columbus State 79, #14 USI 73
–Jan. 6, 2001: at #21 USI 72, #1 Northern Kentucky 62
• Tough schedule. USI has had a tough schedule throughout its first seven games and will be facing its third nationally-ranked opponent in eight games when it hosts Drury. Five of USI’s first seven opponents have posted winning records this season, while USI’s opposition has a combined 47-30 record in 2019-20.
• Early deficits. The Eagles have had to dig out of some early deficits throughout the first seven games. They trailed Central Missouri by 13 before rallying for a seven-point win in their season-opener and were down by 12 in the first half against McKendree before rallying for their latest win. USI nearly eliminated a 20-point second-half deficit in its loss to Ferris State.
• Double-figures. USI has had eight different players reach double figures in the scoring column this year, with six different players scoring at least 10 points in multiple games.
• Johnson records three assists, three steals. Senior guard Ashley Johnson recorded five points, three assists and three steals in USI’s loss to Ashland.
• Moses, Robbe lead USI in rebounding. Senior guard Kiara Moses and freshman forward Tara Robbe each had five rebounds to lead USI on the boards in its loss to Ashland.
• Robbe efficient off the bench. Freshman forward Tara Robbe was 5-of-8 from the field and 2-of-3 from the free throw line as she reached double figures for the first time in her collegiate career in just 21 minutes of work in USI’s loss to Ashland.
• Turner blocks two shots. Junior center Audrey Turner led USI with two blocks in the Eagles’ loss to Ashland.
• About Drury. The Panthers are 10-0, 1-0 in GLVC play, and have won 49 consecutive regular-season games dating back to the 2017-18 season. Senior forward Hailey Diestelkamp averages 15.8 points and 6.5 rebounds per game to lead the Panthers, whose most recent game was a 72-68 road win over Florida Southern December 20. Senior guard Daejah Bernard averages a team-best 5.1 assists and 2.5 steals per contest for a Panthers squad that is averaging 17.3 assists and 17.0 steals as a team.
• About Southwest Baptist. The Bearcats, who visit McKendree Thursday, are 6-3 overall and 0-1 in GLVC play following a pair of wins in Puerto Rico to close out the calendar year. Senior guard Bailey Rezabek averages 18.3 points per game to lead Southwest Baptist, which is in its first year in the GLVC.
• USI opens Screaming Eagles Arena with win. USI Women’s Basketball christened its brand-new home with a 52-45 come-from-behind win over No. 11 Central Missouri last Wednesday. The Eagles rallied from a 13-point first-quarter deficit to earn the season-opening victory after holding the Jennies to just 31 points throughout the final 33 minutes of the contest.
• Screaming Eagles Arena. The Eagles’ game against Central Missouri marked the first-ever regular-season basketball game in Screaming Eagles Arena. USI Women’s Basketball played in the Physical Activities Center from 1980-81 to 2018-19, posting a 363-194 record all-time at the PAC, including a 217-81 record under Head Coach Rick Stein.
• USI earns first win over nationally-ranked opponent since 2017. The Eagles’ win over then No. 11 Central Missouri marked USI’s first victory over a Top 25 opponent since they defeated No. 25 Grand Valley State, 53-44, at the Bellarmine Thanksgiving Classic November 25, 2017. Central Missouri also represented the highest-ranked opponent the Eagles have defeated since taking down No. 9 Drury, 84-78, at the PAC February 4, 2017.
• Magic Mark: 75 points. The Eagles are 414-77 (.843) all-time when scoring at least 75 points. USI is 287-28 (.911) since 1996-97 when reaching the 75-point plateau.
USI restarts GLVC action vs. Drury, SBU Eagles rises to 12th nationally in NABC poll
12th-ranked University of Southern Indiana Men’s Basketball restarts 2019-20 Great Lakes Valley Conference action Thursday when it hosts 25th-ranked Drury University and Saturday with visiting Southwest Baptist University. Game time Thursday versus Drury is set for 7:30 p.m., while tip-off against Southwest Baptist is 3:15 p.m.
Game coverage for USI Men’s Basketball in 2019-20, including live stats, video, and audio broadcasts, is available at GoUSIEagles.com. The games also can be heard on ESPN 97.7FM and 95.7FM The Spin.
In the national polls, USI rose to 12th in the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Top 25, rising four spots. Drury, tied for 25th nationally, is USI’s first ranked opponent of the season. The Eagles remained ranked 23rd last Division 2 Sports Information Directors Association (D2SIDA) of 2019 with the next poll scheduled for release on January 7.
USI Men’s Basketball Week 8 Quick Notes:
USI goes 2-0 in Bill Joergens Memorial Classic. USI posted a pair of comeback wins in the Bill Joergens Memorial Classic to end the calendar year, defeating King University, 87-68, and Tiffin University, 105-89. Junior forwards Emmanuel Little and Josh Price led the way by averaging double-doubles. Little posted 20.5 points and 11.0 rebounds per game, while Price added 19.5 points and 10.5 rebounds per game.
Eagles are 3-0 during homestand. The Eagles are 3-0 during its longest homestand of the year and are led by junior forwards Emmanuel Little and Josh Price. Little is posting 19.1 points and 8.6 rebounds per game, while Price is averaging 14.6 points and 8.6 rebounds.
The Last Time. The Eagles also had three players post double-doubles in the win over Tiffin, marking the first time since the win over Lake Erie College in 2013. Junior forward Emmanuel Little led the way with 22 points and 12 rebounds; junior forward Josh Price had 16 points, 11 boards; and senior guard Darnell Butler had 18 points, 13 rebounds.
Price named GLVC Player of the Week. USI junior forward Josh Price earned the first GLVC Player of the Week of his career after his efforts versus King and Tiffin. Price averaged a double-double with 19.5 points and 10.5 rebounds per game.
Leading the Eagles. Junior forward Emmanuel Little leads five USI players averaging in double-digits with 19.1 points per game with junior forward Josh Price following with 14.6 points per outing. Both are averaging a team-leading 8.6 rebounds per contest.
In the GLVC. Junior forward Emmanuel Little is tied for fifth in the GLVC in scoring, while junior forward Josh Price is 18th. Little and Price also are second and third, respectively, in the league in rebounding. As a team, USI is second in the GLVC in scoring, fifth in rebounding.
USI vs. Drury. USI trails the all-time series versus Drury University, 12-11, and has fallen short in five of the last six match-ups. The Panthers defeated the Eagles last year in the Physical Activities Center, 76-72, and USI was led by Alex Stein with 18 points. The Eagles held the series advantage in the PAC, 5-4, with their last victory over the Panthers coming in February of 2017, 77-51, at home.
Drury in 2019-20. Drury is 8-1 overall after splitting a pair of games in the Las Vegas Holiday Hoops Classic, falling Rollins University, 72-67, and defeating Pittsburg State University, 94-92, in overtime. The Panthers also started the GLVC slate with a victory Southwest Baptist University, 76-70, in Springfield, Illinois.
USI vs. Southwest Baptist. USI and Southwest Baptist University will be meeting for the first overall and in the GLVC.
SBU in 2019-20. SBU is 7-2 overall, having won its last two games before the break, and will be playing McKendree University in Lebanon, Illinois, Thursday before coming to USI. SBU started its first GLVC campaign with a loss at Drury, 76-70.
NABC Division II Top 25 Poll
1. Bellarmine (Ky.)
2. Northwest Missouri State
3. Lincoln Memorial (Tenn.)
4. Nova Southeastern (Fla.)
5. West Texas A&M
6. UC San Diego
7. St. Edward’s (Texas)
8. Ferris State (Mich.)
9. Indiana (Pa.)
10. West Chester (Pa.)
11. Indianapolis (Ind.)
12. Southern Indiana  Â
13. Dixie State (Utah)
14. Florida Southern
15. Dallas Baptist (Texas)
16. Daemen (N.Y.)
17. Grand Valley State (Mich.)
18. Missouri Southern
19. Alabama Huntsville
20. Embry-Riddle (Fla.)
21. St. Thomas Aquinas (N.Y.)
22. East Central (Okla.)
23. Bentley (Mass.)
24. Augustana (S.D.)
25. Azusa Pacific (Calif.)
Drury (Mo.)
