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HALLOWED HALLS OF LAUREL

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GAVEL GAMUT

By Jim Redwine

www.jamesmredwine.com

(Week of 19 January 2026)

HALLOWED HALLS OF LAUREL

It is kinda’ like how I felt when the sister and two brothers I grew up with became a college professor, a world-class musician and a leading legal scholar. Where did that come from? Gentle Reader, you probably have had the same puzzlement about the neighbor kid you played house or marbles with who is recognized later in life by others as brilliant. You most likely ask yourself, “Who snatched their body away and replaced them with this heroic icon?”

This Gavel Gamut could not be written until after Indiana University’s football team won the CFP semi-final game against Oregon on 09 January 2026; IU did! So, now the ultimate issue to be decided is, will IU beat Miami for the National Championship on Monday, January 19, 2026? In spite of the “rat poison curse”, I say they can and will have done so before you read this column. Miami is extremely well coached and talented, but IU is even better. Discipline and turnovers will decide the outcome. I submit no college football team is better disciplined nor as adept at causing and capitalizing upon their opponent’s mistakes as IU. Yeah, I cannot believe I am writing that either!

Now back to the theme of this column; where the devil did this come from to a program that was the first in college football history to lose over 700 games? What ironic quirk of athletic history brought the college I first saw lose in 1963 to, hopefully, the National Championship a lifetime later? I still remember countless games we lost in the fourth quarter, even in the last seconds of the fourth quarter, or because of some idiosyncratic football faux pas? Where is that team of hard striving ultimate losers who kept falling just short of glory only to be patted on the helmets as if they were incapable of being even average, much less victorious?

Fall 2024 to January 2026 seems as dreamlike as my surprising siblings or friends who found marvelous success and brought me joy in the process. So, has IU won the National Championship? I do not yet know. But I already know my Alma Mater is no longer the doormat of college football history. While I expect IU to beat Miami, I know they have already covered those hallowed southern Indiana limestone walls with laurel amidst all that ivy!

For more Gavel Gamut articles go to www.jamesmredwine.com

On Facebook follow us at “Jim Peg Redwine” or Substack “@gavelgamut”

 

DEATH LIST REPORT

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WEEKLY DEATH REPORT DEC 15 TO DEC 21, 2025

USI DMS Program offers free pregnancy ultrasounds

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The University of Southern Indiana Diagnostic Medical Sonography (DMS) Program is offering non-diagnostic ultrasounds to expectant mothers in their second or third trimester (20-34 weeks pregnant) on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons through April 28, 2026. Students will be practicing assigned images under the direction of experienced faculty members.

“This unique collaboration provides the opportunity for students to enhance their practical skills before starting their clinical rotations,” said Jordan Thomason, DMS Instructor and Clinical Coordinator. “With our state-of-the-art lab and 3D probes, students can practice various scanning techniques and protocols with direct patient interaction under the guidance of an instructor.”

Thomason said that ultrasound sessions are beneficial for both the students and moms-to-be. “Most women enjoy knowing they are helping with our students’ education and are always excited to get another peek at their babies,” she says. “Also, getting to see a live baby on the screen is a wonderful opportunity for our students.”

Rep. O’Brien authors legislation to protect victims of violent crime  

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STATEHOUSE (Jan. 15, 2026) – State Rep. Tim O’Brien (R-Evansville) recently proposed legislation aimed at supporting victims of violent crime bystrengthening notification requirements prior to the release of a violent felon.

House Bill 1250 would require the Indiana Department of Correction to notify law enforcement and the prosecuting attorney of the county or community where they’re releasing a serious violent felon as well as the same authorities of where their crime was committed at least seven days before the release. A court and prosecuting attorney would then notify any victims through Indiana’s Statewide Automated Victim Information & Notification(SAVIN) program of the felon’s release.

O’Brien said the legislation was prompted by a tragic situation that occurred in Evansville last fall when local real estate agent Susan Haynie was allegedly killed by a convicted violent offender who had been released from prison just six months earlier.

“No family should ever be left in the dark about the release of a violent offender,” O’Brien said. “In this case, both local law enforcement and some victims report they were unaware of the release of a violent felon, exposing a serious gap in our system. House Bill 1250 ensures victims, prosecutors and law enforcement receive timely notification so communities can be better prepared when violent offenders return.”

O’Brien said that he worked closely with Haynie’s family while crafting this legislation. They joined forces with a group of the perpetrator’s other victims to form the Susan Haynie Committee, advocating for stronger public safety measures and improved victim notification across Indiana.

The bill has been referred to the House Courts and Criminal Code Committee for consideration. To learn more about HB 1250 or follow session live, visit iga.in.gov.

First Responder Agencies to Host Battle of the Badges in Jasper

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Resolve to give blood and help save lives during National Blood Donor Month

JASPER, Ind. (January 14, 2026) – Join the Jasper Fire and Police Departments as they come together for the first-ever Battle of the Badges to support patients in need of blood transfusions.

Winter can be an especially challenging time to collect enough blood, as inclement weather often leads to canceled drives. Seasonal illnesses, such as the flu, can also prevent donors from making or keeping their appointments. Your participation can make a meaningful difference for patients.

The Battle of the Badges is a friendly competition to see who can recruit the most eligible blood donors to join them in this lifesaving effort. The community is encouraged to give blood on Thursday, January 22 from 1:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. at the Jasper Public Library located at 100 3rdAvenue, Suite B, Jasper, Indiana.

 

All presenting donors will have the opportunity to vote for their favorite first responder agency. Donors will also receive an exclusive American Red Cross Battle of the Badges t-shirt, while supplies last.

Following a busy holiday season, the American Red Cross blood supply is under pressure. Without immediate action, doctors may have to make difficult decisions about which patients receive blood transfusions and who will need to wait.

Joining first responders to donate at this special event can help ensure blood is on the shelves before it is needed.

HOW TO DONATE BLOOD at the Jasper Battle of the Badges Blood Drive 

Make an appointment at RedCrossBlood.org and use sponsor code jasperlibrary to donate blood at either of the participating locations. You can also call 1-800-RED CROSS
(1-800-733-2767) or download the Red Cross Blood Donor App.

Completion of a RapidPass online health history questionnaire found at

redcrossblood.org/rapidpass is encouraged to help speed up the donation process. A blood donor card or driver’s license or two other forms of identification are required at check-in. Individuals who are 17 years of age in most states (16 with parental consent where allowed by state law), weigh at least 110 pounds and are in generally good health may be eligible to donate blood. High school students and other donors 18 years of age and younger also have to meet certain height and weight requirements.

For the seventh year, the Red Cross and the National Football League (NFL) are partnering in January for National Blood Donor Month to urge individuals to kick off 2026 with a blood donation. As a thank-you to donors for helping address the need for blood during the critical post-holiday time, those who come to give Jan. 1-25, 2026, will be automatically entered for a chance to win an exciting Super Bowl LX giveaway. The winner and guest will get to enjoy Super Bowl LX in Santa Clara, California, access to day-of in-stadium pregame activities, tickets to the official Super Bowl Experience, round-trip airfare, three-night hotel accommodations (Feb. 6-9, 2026), plus a $1,000 gift card for expenses. For full details, visit RedCrossBlood.org/SuperBowl.

Access blood donation here: B-roll 

A special thank you to German American Bank and Spring Valley Bank & Trust Company for their partnership and support of our lifesaving mission.

 

USI’s Simmons earns CSC Lifetime Achievement Award

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EVANSVILLE, Ind.—University of Southern Indiana Director of Athletic Communications Ray Simmons has earned the College Sports Communicators (CSC) Lifetime Achievement Award in an announcement by CSC Thursday afternoon.

Simmons, who recently announced plans to retire in June, is in his 37th year serving as the Director of Athletic Communications at USI after being hired as its sports information director in August of 1989.

The primary media contact for the USI men’s basketball and baseball programs during those times, Simmons helped promote and publicize four NCAA Division II national players of the year, more than 44 All-Americans, and 14 Academic All-Americans. He also helped publicize USI’s team successes, such as the USI baseball national championships in 2010 and 2014; the 1995 men’s basketball national championship; the 1994, 2004 and 2019 men’s basketball Elite Eight teams; the 1997 women’s basketball national finalist team; and the 2007, 2016 and 2018 baseball runs to the national championship series.

Simmons, who has helped guide USI’s transition to Division I, was the host site media coordinator when USI and the City of Evansville hosted the 2002, 2014, 2015, 2019, 2021 and 2022 NCAA Division II Elite Eight and the 2024 and 2009 NCAA Division II Men’s and women’s Cross Country National Championships. He also was the media liaison for CBS Sports for the national championship events.

Outside of his University duties, Simmons has assisted with media relations as a press officer at the 1994 and 1995 United State Olympic Festivals and as a sports information coordinator at the 1996, 1998, 1999 and 2000 NCAA Division II Men’s Basketball Elite Eights.

Simmons also was instrumental in the creation of the Great Lakes Valley Conference Academic All-Conference program and served as a GLVC sports information coordinator for men’s and women’s soccer and baseball during his time at USI. He also handled staffing for several GLVC Basketball Tournaments during his tenure at USI.

The Litchfield, Illinois, native came to USI after a year as the assistant sports information director at Florida International University in Miami, Florida, where he worked with Division I men’s and women’s soccer, women’s basketball, men’s and women’s tennis, volleyball and baseball. He worked as an undergraduate in the sports information office at SIU Edwardsville, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in 1988, and as an undergraduate intern at ESPN.

A member of the College Sports Communicators (formerly CoSIDA), Simmons was the chair of the CSC NCAA Legislation Liaison Committee for five years (2001-05); was an at-large representative on the College Division Management Advisory Committee (2016-18); a member of the Charity Committee (2006-07) and served two terms as a member of the inaugural D2SIDA Board of Directors (2006-12), authoring the board’s constitution. Simmons also was elected to two terms on the USI Administrative Senate (2011-14; 2021-22).

Simmons, along with the rest of the 2026 CSC special award winners, will be honored at CSC’s 69th annual convention from June 7-10 at Mandalay Bay Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada.

THUNDERBOLTS TAKE ON ICE FLYERS TWICE IN PENSACOLA

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Evansville, In.:  The Thunderbolts, now having earned at least a point in three consecutive games, head South to the Sunshine State to take on the Pensacola Ice Flyers for a pair of games this Friday and Saturday night.
Week In Review:
                Last Friday night, the Thunderbolts led 4-1 with goals from Derek Contessa, Jordan Simoneau, Tyson Gilmour and Matthew Hobbs, before suffering an unfortunate comeback from the Havoc in the third period and falling 5-4 in a shootout.  Evansville rebounded on Saturday with a 3-2 comeback victory in Huntsville, behind goals from Scott Kirton, Hobbs, and Will van der Veen as the Thunderbolts secured 3 out of 4 points on the weekend in Huntsville.  On Wednesday night, the Thunderbolts secured another point but lost in a shootout to Birmingham, 4-3 the final score with two goals from Evan Miller and one from Contessa.
The Week Ahead:
The Thunderbolts will be on the road this Friday and Saturday night at Pensacola, opening face-off for both nights set for 7:05pm CT.  Fans can watch on FloHockey or can listen for free on the Thunderbolts Mixlr Channel.

Vanderburgh County Recent Booking Records

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Booked Last 24 Hours-Public

EPD DAILY ACTIVITY REPORT

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EPD

 

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.

USI wins with big second half, 71-54

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COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – University of Southern Indiana Men’s Basketball dominated the last seven minutes, 23-6, and defeated Tennessee Tech, 71-54, Thursday evening at Eblen Center in Cookeville, Tennessee. The Screaming Eagles, which snapped an eight-game losing streak, go to 4-13 overall and 1-6 in the OVC, while the Golden Eagles are 7-11, 2-5 OVC.
 
USI started slow on the offensive end, hitting only seven-of-26 (26.9 percent) during the first 17 minutes of the contest and found themselves in a 27-19 hole. The Screaming Eagles rallied in the final three minutes of the first 20 minutes to knot the game at 27-27 in the intermission.
 
USI junior guard/forward Amaree Brown and junior forward Devin Curtis led the run with three points each, while senior guard Ismail Habib dropped in the tying two points to complete the run. Senior guard/forward Steven Clay led the Screaming Eagles in the opening frame with six of the 27 points.
 
The second half started in USI’s favor as the Screaming Eagles continued their run to 15-0 and a 34-27 lead after Habib capped off the run with a pair of free throws and a pair of buckets during the surge. The seven-point lead was the largest of the game for USI at that point of the contest.
 
After the Golden Eagles put together a 7-0 run of their own to knot the score at 34-34, they extended the run to 11-0 and regained the advantage, 38-34, with 13:27 left. The TTU run was aided by a USI scoring drought of four minutes.
 
USI ended the drought with 12:55 to play and tied the score, 48-48, with 7:31 to play on a layup by Habib. The Screaming Eagles would go on to dominate the final seven minutes to get their first conference win of the year.
 
 Over the final seven minutes, USI outscored TTU, 23-6, on a blistering 10-of-12 from the field, including a pair of three-pointers and free throws. Senior guard Cardell Bailey led the offensive explosion with 11 points, while Habib followed with 10 more.
 
The Screaming Eagles also did the job on the defensive end, holding the Golden Eagles to two-of-10 from the field in the final 7:20 of the game.
 
Individually in the USI scoring column, Habib led the Screaming Eagles with 21 points, 19 coming in the second half. He was eight-of-20 from the field, including two three-pointers, and three-of-four from the stripe.
 
Bailey joined Habib in the scoring column with 17 points, 14 in the second half and 11 points in the final seven.
 
Next Up For USI:
USI finishes the road trip Saturday by visiting Tennessee State Saturday at 3:30 p.m.
 
TSU posted a 105-100 overtime win over Morehead State Thursday night to go to 11-6 overall and 5-2 in the OVC. The Tigers have won four of their last five games.
 
USI leads the all-time series with TSU, 6-5, after splitting last year. The Screaming Eagles took the opening game, 77-75, at Liberty Arena, but lost on the road in Nashville, 74-69.

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