Early offense gives Welch, Otte
With the win, the Otters clinched a series win to set up an opportunity for a road sweep Thursday.
Evansville scored their first tally in the top of the first inning, getting a single by Keith Grieshaber, who would come around to score two batters later off an RBI double by Elijah MacNamee.
In the top of the second inning, the Otters struck for three runs against Miners starter Andrew Bernstein.
Mike Rizzitello got into scoring position with a double, advanced to third on a wild pitch, and scored on an RBI single by Tanner Wetrich.
A single from David Cronin put runners on the corners. Wetrich scored from third on an RBI single from Grieshaber.
Ryan Long followed with a consecutive single to score Cronin and put the Otters ahead 4-0.
Otters starter Jake Welch had the run support he needed, retiring nine of his first 11 batters.
Welch faced a little adversity in the fourth as the Miners forced the bases loaded with two outs. A walk to Joe Duncan scored Jamey Smart, but Welch stopped the bleeding there with a strikeout to strand the bases loaded.
Bernstein would pitch six innings, allowing four runs-three earned-on 10 hits and three walks with five strikeouts. He was handed the loss, dropping his record to 2-2.
The Otters added another run in the top of the seventh, as Taylor Lane scored on a pass ball, making the score 5-1 Otters.
Welch looked strong after six innings and headed out to the mound in the seventh inning.
Joe Duncan led off the bottom of the seventh with a single and later scored on an RBI single from Yeltsin Gudino, cutting the Otters lead to 5-2.
Otters reliever Drew Beyer entered to take the baseball from Welch to finish off the seventh.
Welch went 6.2 innings, surrendering two runs on six hits while striking out nine. Welch would earn the win, improving his record to 7-5.
Beyer pitched a clean eighth inning as well, getting another strikeout before giving way to closer Taylor Wright in the ninth.
Wright retired the Miners in order to earn back-to-back saves in the series and his 15th of the season.
Offensively, Cronin and Rizzitello each finished with two hits apiece, and Grieshaber logged three hits Wednesday.
Evansville will seek a road sweep in the series finale Thursday with first pitch at 6:35 p.m. from Rent One Park in Marion, Ill.
Women’s Basketball Announces Formation Of Buckets Club
Club Will Support The Aces Program
 EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Evansville head women’s basketball coach Matt Ruffing has announced the formation of the “Buckets Clubâ€, which will be the official booster club of the Purple Aces women’s basketball program.
“This is an exciting time for our program and what better way to get things jump started than to start a booster club that can help to enhance our program,†Ruffing said. “There is a lot of excitement around UE and we are hoping to build on it.â€
Ruffing explained how the club will work with the program to give his student-athletes the best experience possible both on and off the court as well as preparing them for life after college.
“We are in the process of renovating our practice area and looking into a foreign trip in the near future and this club will help us to achieve those goals,†he added. “Our goal is for our student-athletes to excel in the classroom, on the basketball court and in the real world when they graduate. The support that this club provides will be pivotal in making that happen.â€
There are three giving levels for those who are interested in supporting the program. The Layup Level is for donations ranging from $100-299. The benefits of that point include a Buckets Club newsletter, scoreboard recognition, autographed poster, Buckets Club wristband and a club t-shirt.
Next up is the Free Throw Level and includes donations from $300-999. Free Throw members receive all Layup Level benefits as well as an invitational for two people to a minimum of three team practices each year as well as a Buckets Club branded pullover.
The final giving point is the Three Point Level and is for donations of $1,000 and above. These members receive all Layup and Free Throw benefits. Along with that, they will have the opportunity to take a photo with the UE women’s basketball team and staff, a Buckets Club branded jacket and membership in the University of Evansville President’s Club.
Three Point members will also have an All-Access opportunity to travel with the team to Southern Illinois, Indiana State or a select non-conference game. This opportunity includes transportation, lodging (if applicable), meals with the team and access to shootaround, practice and team meetings. All travel will be on a first come, first served basis and availability is limited.
For more information or to secure spot in the club, contact the women’s basketball office at 812-488-2289 or submit the completed brochure, which is linked above.
“IS IT TRUE” AUGUST 22, 2019
IS IT TRUE that yesterdays City-Council Observer sponsored “Working Outside The Box†speaker series held in the private banquet room at Biaggi restaurant was a smashing success?  …that Kevin R. Koch, President & CEO, Koch Enterprises, Inc.was the guest speaker at this worthy community event?  …that Kevin R. Koch impressed those in attendance when he talked about the Koch family humble beginnings?  …the CCO would like to thank the Torian Insurance Group for underwriting this event?  …thanks to the event Chairman Steve Hammer for doing an excellent job in coordinating this event?
IS IT TRUE that local businessmen John Dunn will be the  City-County Observer “Working Outside The Box†guest speaker to held in the private banquet room at Biaggi restaurant on the 25th of September?  …that corporate citizen D-Patrick will underwrite the luncheon expenses at this event?
IS IT TRUE we are told that several people are wondering why the Evansville DMD isn’t doing some street and sidewalks renovations in the Center City and West Franklin Street areas?  …they would also like to know why the Evansville DMD doesn’t award facade grants to existing businesses or give low-interest loans to develop loft apartments in the Center City and West Franklin Street areas?
We understand that sometimes people don’t always agree and discussions may become a little heated.  The use of offensive language and insults against commenters shall not be tolerated and will be removed from our site.
Any comments posted in this column do not represent the views or opinions of the City-County Observer, our media partners or advertise.
Todd Young’s Bill Would Bar Those Under 21 From Buying Tobacco Products
By Emily Ketterer
TheStatehouseFile.com
INDIANAPOLIS –– Indiana Sen. Todd Young said now is the time to act to stop teens from smoking, as more reports of cases of lung illnesses with links to the use of e-cigarettes rise.
Young’s legislation in Congress, the Tobacco 21 Act, would prohibit the sale of tobacco products, including e-cigarettes, to anyone under the age of 21. Current law allows anyone over the age of 18 to purchase tobacco products.
Multiple news outlets have recently reported that across 14 states there have been almost 100 cases of lung illnesses a linked to vaping e-cigarettes, many involving teens and young adults.
Young, a Republican, said in an interview Tuesday that he believes these reports show the urgency to pass this act.Â
“I’m hearing now more than ever that we have to act now. We have a nationwide epidemic on our hands,†Young said.
He added that between 2017 and 2018 there was nearly an 80% increase in e-cigarette usage among high school students, and 95% of smokers begin smoking before the age of 21.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that approximately 4.9 million middle and high school students across the nation used some type of tobacco product last year, particularly e-cigarettes and vaping.Â
“This is as serious as a public health crisis as you can have. Especially because we are talking about our state’s children,†Young said.
He said raising the age from 18 to 21 won’t outright solve the issue of young people smoking, but changing the law will help the cause.Â
“When I was born, it was fashionable in a lot of circles to use tobacco products, and over the course of my very short lifetime, we’ve been able to reverse that trend,†Young said. “With the increase in e-cigarette and vaping usage … the real risk here is we’re going to begin to normalize a behavior that had been for a generation, regarded as harmful.â€
Young held a press conference Monday with Teens for Tobacco 21, a student organization at Floyd Central High School in Floyds Knobs, Indiana. The students involved spoke out against the use of tobacco, including sophomore Myla Tissandier.
“We appreciate the efforts that Sen. Young and his team are taking to make ‘T21’ a federal issue and encourage them to make the legislation a reality, so my generation’s future doesn’t have to go up in smoke,†Tissandier said in a statement Monday.
Advocates for the change in the law sit on both sides of the aisle in Congress, Young said, with Democrat Sen. Brian Schatz of Hawaii signed on as a co-author and support from the majority leader, Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky.Â
The act will likely be added into larger legislation in the U.S. Senate that will address other public health concerns before going to a full vote as early as September, Young said.Â
FOOTNOTE: Emily Ketterer is a reporter for TheStatehouseFile.com, a news website powered by Franklin College journalism students.
OBITUARY OF MICHAEL KLUEH
Klueh, Michael 9/18/1954 – 8/15/2019 Grand Rapids Michael Schaaf Klueh, 64, of Evansville, IN and Grand Rapids, MI, passed away unexpectedly on Thursday, August 15, 2019 in Grand Rapids. Born on September 18, 1954, in Jasper, IN,
Michael was passionate about his family, his work, his education and his efforts to help others. Michael enjoyed more than 35 years of experience in health care finance, compliance and risk management. For the last three years, Michael served as Vice President of Compliance for Spectrum Health. At Spectrum Health, Michael led and managed the delivery system for the integrated compliance effort. He led the development of an organization-wide risk assessment process and compliance work plan.
Michael was a member of the Knights of Columbus at Holy Spirit Catholic Church in Grand Rapids. Michael is preceded in death by his parents, Robert Lee and Patricia (Schaaf) Klueh of Evansville and grandparents Fidelis and Mae Klueh and Albert and Dorothy Schaaf, both of Jasper.
2019 “Pig Book” Exposes $15.3 Billion in Pork
2019 “Pig Book” Exposes $15.3 Billion in Pork
“The little pink book Washington doesn’t want you to read†is back! Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) released the 2019 Congressional Pig Book at a recent news conference on Capitol Hill alongside Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and Reps. Ted Budd (R-N.C.), Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.), and Tom McClintock (R-Calif.). Also in attendance were CAGW’s mascots, “PigFoot†and “Pig Spender,†and a live pot-bellied pig named Faye.
CAGW unearthed 282 earmarks costing taxpayers $15.3 billion in the appropriations bills funding the federal government in fiscal year (FY) 2019. The cost is more than half of the record of $29 billion in earmarks set 13 years ago – an ominous uptick in congressionally-directed, special interest spending. This also marks the seventh time that members of Congress violated the earmark moratorium adopted in FY 2011 in order to waste vital taxpayer dollars on parochial and non-essential pet projects.
Among the egregious examples of pork-barrel waste highlighted in the 2019 Pig Book are $13.8 million to manage wild horses and burros, $9 million to quarantine fruit flies, and $863,000 to eradicate brown tree snakes in Guam.
Television news coverage of the 2019 Pig Book has included interviews on C-SPAN’s “Washington Journal,†FOX Business Network’s “After the Bell,†and FOX News Channel’s “Outnumbered Overtime with Harris Faulkner,†as well as local network news coverage in 35 states.
The 2019 Pig Book has also resulted in numerous articles in print and online, including June 12’s top story on FOXNews.com and articles in The Daily Caller, Las Vegas Review-Journal, and Washington Examiner. In addition, CAGW President Tom Schatz authored an opinion piece on the Pig Book that appeared on FOXBusiness.com, and Cal Thomas highlighted the Pig Book in his nationally syndicated column, which appears in more than 500 newspapers across the country.
Read the 2019 Congressional Pig Book Summary and get your own copy.
CAGW has named New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham (D) Porker of the Month for enacting a “Mini-Green New Deal†in her state. In March, Gov. Lujan Grisham signed the Energy Transition Act into law, which mandates that New Mexico’s electricity grid be completely carbon-free by 2045. The law will likely cost New Mexico citizens billions. According to a University of Chicago study, mandating “a certain percentage of the state’s electricity come from renewable sources†increases electricity prices by 17 percent, and “consumers in the 29 states studied had paid $125.2 billion more for electricity.†Worse yet, these policies “are inefficient in reducing carbon emissions.†Responding to the bill’s passage, CAGW President Tom Schatz said, “The radical Green New Deal would bankrupt the country if it were adopted nationally, and this pint-sized version in New Mexico threatens that state with the very same fiscal calamity.†For trying to impose a problematic “Mini-Green New Deal,†Gov. Lujan Grisham is the June Porker of the Month. Read more about the Porker of the Month.
More Retail Stores Are Closing In 2019 As The Retail Apocalypse Drags On
Shopko filed for bankruptcy in January and said it would close 251 stores. The company said in March that it had failed to find a buyer for its business, and would liquidate its remaining 120 stores.
Discount chain Fred’s announced in April that it would close 159 stores by the end of May. In May, the company said it would close another 104 stores. In June, Fred’s announced plans to close another 49 stores. In July, the company said it would close 129 stores. After all those closures, the company will have about 80 stores remaining.
Charming Charlie, which sells jewelry and accessories, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in July and said it plans to close all of its 261 stores in 38 states by the end of August.
The women’s clothing retailer Chico’s said in March that it would close 100 Chico’s stores, 90 White House Black Market stores, and 60 Soma stores over the next three years.
Gap said in February that it would close 230 namesake stores over the next two years as it reported that the brand’s same-store sales fell 7% during the holiday quarter. The company also said it would spin off its Old Navy brand.
The women’s clothing retailer Avenue said in August that it planned to close all of its 222 stores in 33 states.
Walgreens said in August that it plans to close 200 stores in the US.
“As previously announced, we are undertaking a transformational cost management program to accelerate the ongoing transformation of our business, enable investments in key areas and to become a more efficient enterprise,” a Walgreens spokesperson wrote in a statement to Business Insider. “As part of this effort, we plan to close approximately 200 stores in the US.”
LifeWay Christian Resources said in March that it planned to close all 170 of its stores. The Nashville-based company said it will continue to sell Bibles, books, children’s products, church supplies, and Christian music and movies on its website.
Performance Bicycle’s parent company, Advanced Sports Enterprises, filed for bankruptcy protection in November and later announced that it would close all 102 of its stores.
Barry Brecheisen/Invision for Sears/AP ImagesSears Holdings, which owns Sears and Kmart stores, emerged from bankruptcy in February after filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in October.
Destination Maternity plans to close between 42 and 67 stores this year.
Pier 1 Imports said it plans to close 57 stores in fiscal 2020.
Sears Holdings, which owns Sears and Kmart stores, emerged from bankruptcy in February after filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in October.
Phillip Pessar/FlickrA’gaci, a women’s clothing chain based in San Antonio, announced in August that it was going out of business and closing all its 54 stores.
Victoria’s Secret said it would close 53 stores this year, citing a “decline in performance.”
Office Depot is closing 50 stores under its namesake and OfficeMax banners in 2019, the company told Business Insider.
“Office Depot, Inc. continues to optimize its retail footprint as part of the three-year strategic plan announced in August 2016,” said Shera Bishop, a spokeswoman for Office Depot. “We will continue to serve our customers at neighboring Office Depot and OfficeMax stores as well as online at officedepot.com.”
CVS Health said it closed 46 underperforming stores in April.
The Children’s Place said in May that it plans to close 40 to 45 stores in 2019, but the company is also planning to open 25 new stores over the next two years, including 10 new openings this year.
Abercrombie & Fitch said in March that it plans to close up to 40 stores this year. Abercrombie & Fitch also plans to open 40 new stores, including 20 Hollister stores, 15 Abercrombie Kids stores, and five Abercrombie stores.
The company announced the closings as it reported that its Abercrombie brands’ same-store sales fell 2% during the fourth quarter. Most of the stores that Abercrombie & Fitch plans to close are located in the US, the company said.
Bed Bath & Beyond said in April that it plans to close at least 40 stores in 2019, and possibly more. The company also said it would open 15 new stores.
“We expect to open approximately 15 new stores in fiscal 2019. This will be offset by a minimum of approximately 40 stores we expect to close,” Robyn D’Elia, chief financial officer and treasurer, said on an earnings call. “This number will grow unless we are able to negotiate more favorable lease terms with our landlords.”
The women’s clothing retailer Christopher & Banks said in December that it planned to close 30-40 stores over the following two years.
JCPenney said it will close 27 stores in 2019, including 18 full-line department stores and 9 home and furniture stores. The department-store chain said same-store sales fell 4% during the fourth quarter.
Beauty Brands, a regional chain of salon and spa superstores, said in December that it planned to close 25 stores this year.
Henri Bendel closed all its stores in January after 123 years in business.
Z Gallerie, a home furnishings and decor retailer, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in March. The company said it plans to close 17 of its 76 stores during the restructuring process, according to bankruptcy filings.
Barneys New York filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in August and said it will close 15 of its 22 stores.
Macy’s is closing stores in Wyoming, Washington, California, New York, Indiana, Massachusetts, Virginia, and West Virginia.
J.Crew is closing stores in Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee, Louisiana, California,and Canada.
Kohl’s is closing four stores this year. All the closing stores are located in or near a shopping mall.
USI Men’s Soccer Team Projected To Place Fourth In The Great Lakes Valley Conference
The University of Southern Indiana men’s soccer team is projected to place fourth in the Great Lakes Valley Conference in 2019 in a vote by the league’s 16 head coaches. USI, the all-time leader with 10 GLVC titles, is coming off a 2018 GLVC regular season championship after posting a 13-4-1 overall record and an 11-1-1 GLVC mark.
The GLVC regular season will feature a 15-match, round-robin schedule based on eight pairs of travel partners. The regular season champion, along with the next seven best teams based on Conference winning percentage, will earn a berth to the eight-team GLVC Men’s Soccer Championship Tournament. The top four seeds will host on campus November 10 with the winners advancing to the Woehrle Athletic Complex in Jeffersonville, Indiana, for the semifinals and finals on Nov. 15 and 17.
Bellarmine collected 210 total points for the top spot in the GLVC Men’s Soccer Preseason Poll and was receiving votes last week in the United Soccer Coaches NCAA Division II Preseason Rankings. USI, who was the top seed in the NCAA II Midwest Regional last fall, also received votes for the USC NCAA II Preseason poll.
The 2019 USI squad is comprised of 30 players – 20 returning players and redshirts and 10 newcomers. The Eagles have nine seniors and 11 fourth-year players on the team this season, compared to one a year ago.
The top returning scorer for USI is senior midfielder Sean Rickey (Columbia, Illinois), the D2SIDA Midwest Region and GLVC Offensive Player of the Year led USI with 28 points on 11 goals and six assists. Rickey also was named second-team All-American by D2SIDA.
Second on the team in scoring was senior forward Eric Ramirez (Vincennes, Indiana), who is a two-time All-Region and All-GLVC honoree. Ramirez posted 18 points on eight goals and two assists.
USI opens the 2019 regular season on the road, traveling to Northern Michigan University September 5 and Northwood University September 8. The first home game of 2019 is September 15 when the Eagles open the GLVC campaign.
2019 GLVC MEN’S SOCCER PRESEASON POLL
Rank School              Points (1st-Place Votes)
1.   Bellarmine        210 (9)
2.   Maryville         195 (2)
3.   Indianapolis       194
 4.   Southern Indiana  189 (5)
5.   Rockhurst         170
6.   Illinois Springfield  157
7.   McKendree       138
8.   Lindenwood       128
9.   Quincy           108
10.   Lewis            106
11.   Missouri-St. Louis    96
12.   Drury              77
13.   Missouri S&T        58
14.   Truman State       48
15.   William Jewell      29
16.   Southwest Baptist    17