Arrest Made in Altercation Involving a Discharged Handgun
Around 3:30 a.m. on August 24, officers were dispatched to a general complaint of individuals blocking vehicles near the intersection of Kentucky Avenue and Gum Street. Shortly after the initial call, additional information was received indicating that a firearm had been discharged. Upon arrival, officers located a spent shell casing, a weapon-mounted flashlight, and a significant amount of blood at the scene. Through statements gathered from witnesses and victims, it was determined that an altercation initially occurred at a separate location between the victim and the offender, Jeron T. Sebree (29). Sebree was told to leave the establishment. Shortly after, the confrontation continued at a secondary location near Kentucky Avenue and Gum Street. There, the same victim became involved in a second altercation, this time with a second offender.
During the second altercation, Sebree intervened, striking the victim multiple times with a handgun. At one point, he ‘cocked’ the weapon. While hitting the victim, the handgun discharged, grazing her in multiple areas. Two additional victims were also grazed by the discharged round, or shrapnel. Despite the firearm discharging, both Sebree and the second offender continued to physically assault the victim. In total, five individuals were identified as victims in the incident, three of whom sustained grazing injuries from the discharged round. Sebree’s actions resulted in injury that posed a substantial risk of death and showed reckless, knowing, and intentional disregard for the safety of others nearby.
Later that same night, during third-shift hours, officers located Sebree’s vehicle parked in a driveway. Upon contact, Sebree surrendered without incident and was transported to EPD headquarters, where he was interviewed by a detective. Following the interview, Sebree was taken to the Vanderburgh County Jail and arrested on charges of aggravated battery (Level 5 felony) and criminal recklessness
(Level 5 felony). This incident is still under investigation and additional arrests may be forthcoming.
Aces Men’s Soccer Earns Road Result at Mercer
MACON, Ga. – Hitting the road for the first time this season, the University of Evansville men’s soccer team earned their second draw of the season, playing the Mercer Bears to a 1-1 final on Sunday afternoon.
For the second game in a row, Evansville fell behind early, as Mercer’s Liam Corr found the back of the net in the 10th minute of action to give the Bears the lead.
Evansville was quick to equalize, however. Taking control of the ball near midfield, Nacho Garcia (Zaragoza, Spain/UNIR) sent a ball down towards the box, where freshman Devin Shepherd (Denver, Colo./Arapahoe) controlled the ball off a Mercer header and chipped a shot over the head of the Mercer keeper to tie the score at one. The goal, coming in 23rd minute, was the first of Shepherd’s collegiate career.
The score would remain tied at one going into the half, but the second half saw the Aces take control. Evansville dominated possession throughout the second 45, creating numerous chances, but could not break through to find the winner as the afternoon ended in a 1-1 draw.
“This is a tough place to play,” said UE head coach Robbe Tarver. “Mercer has had a lot of consistently good years and play a tough style.”
“To concede early again and respond to get back into the game, I thought we managed moments well. We just couldn’t find the winner.”
“The energy, the effort, those intangibles – I thought we really owned those moments today. That will really set the foundation for our team this year.”
Evansville out-shot Mercer 10-8 overall, including a 5-2 edge in shots on goal. Tancredi Fadda (Milan, Italy/University of Milan) and Nacho Diaz-Caneja (Coruna, Spain) led the way in shots with two, with each putting one on goal. Michal Mroz (Elk Grove, Ill./Elk Grove) made one save in goal for the Aces.
With the draw, Evansville moves at 0-0-2 on the year. The Aces will return to the pitch on Thursday for a showdown at perennial powerhouse North Carolina. Kick-off is set for 6:30 PM CT from Chapel Hill.
Felix homers twice as Otters take series
Joan Gonzalez made his ninth start of the season and delivered another solid outing. He worked through some traffic through four frames stranding six runners and allowing just one run.
The Otters offense came alive in the fourth with some help from a couple hard hits. After a single from JT Benson, LJ Jones reached after a ball got stuck in the glove of a defender. Keenan Taylor hit a double to tie the game followed by Cohen Wilbanks getting hit by a pitch. Justin Felix stepped in and ambushed a first-pitch fastball for Evansville’s second grand slam of the season to jump the Otters out in front 5-1. After a scoreless frame from Gonzalez, Taylor hit a second double to add two more runs to the lead at 7-1.
Gonzalez went out for the sixth but some soft contact and a walk scored a run. The bases were loaded and Nick McAuliffe slammed the door, getting three outs while allowing just one inherited run to score on a sacrifice fly.
Evansville entered the bottom of the sixth with a 7-3 lead and Felix added to it with his second home run of the game. Five separate Otters now have had multi-homer games this season.
Jackson Malouf started the seventh and after a single and two quick outs, two singles loaded the bases. Alex Valdez got the final out of the seventh, allowing a run to score but maintaining an 8-4 lead for Evansville.
After a couple of walks in the seventh, Taylor hit his third double and recorded his fourth RBI to extend Evansville’s lead to 9-4. Valdez came back and worked a scoreless eighth, then Gunnar Dennis finished it up with three strikeouts to secure the Otters’ 9-4 win.
Evansville has now won six of Gonzalez’s last seven starts and he has earned five wins in that time. Taylor’s four and Felix’s five RBIs combined for all of Evansville’s runs in today’s ballgame.
The Otters get a rest day on Monday before hosting Florence for the final three games at Bosse Field in 2025. The 6:35 p.m. CT game is the final Fifth Third Bank $2 Tuesday of the season with gates opening at 5:30.
Eagles find the net three times Sunday, edged by Zips
AKRON, Ohio – University of Southern Indiana Women’s Soccer found the scoring column with a trio of goals at the University of Akron on Sunday afternoon, but it was not enough as the Screaming Eagles were edged 5-3 in an offensive shootout against the Zips.
For the third straight outing, USI totaled a flurry of shots with 17 attempts on Sunday. Five were on goal, with three going in. Redshirt sophomore forward Eva Boer led the team with four shots and two on target, including the first tally of the season. Freshman midfielder Haley Kocher was second on the team with three shots, including one on goal.
Akron recorded its five goals on 10 total shots and six on frame.
After both teams came out trying to settle into the match and a pair of early shots by Akron, the host Zips struck first with a header goal in the 15th minute to grab a 1-0 lead.
Five minutes later, USI answered and evened the game, 1-1. A cross that deflected off the post and was tapped back by sophomore forward Josie Pochocki was then headed into the net by Boer for the first goal of the season for the Screaming Eagles.
A penalty-kick goal by Akron in the 31st minute put the Zips back in front. Once again, USI had a quick response as freshman defender Tierney Mullady slotted in a corner-kick pass from junior forward Grace Bamber to tie the game, 2-2.
However, Akron went into halftime ahead 3-2 after another goal in the 38th minute.
It was not long into the second half that the Screaming Eagles drew all square at 3-3 when senior forward Peyton Murphy rifled a shot from over 30 yards out into the top corner of the goal with 51:51 on the clock.
The offensive shootout continued as Akron jumped back ahead, 4-3, with a goal nearly 10 minutes later.
USI continued its recent high-shooting prowess from over the last few matches, but the Eagles could not tie the game once more. The Zips added an insurance goal in the 81st minute to seal the win.
The Screaming Eagles return to Strassweg Field for the start of a three-match homestand Thursday when USI hosts Eastern Michigan University at 1 p.m. Thursday’s match can be seen with a subscription to ESPN+.
All three matches of the upcoming homestand feature free admission courtesy of ProRehab.
Support for the 9th Annual Hunger Bowl More Critical Than Ever
Support for the 9th Annual Hunger Bowl More Critical Than Ever as St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry Faces Supply Crisis
Evansville, IN — As the community rallies for the 9th Annual Friday Knights Hunger Bowl on September 12, the need for support is more pressing than ever before.
The St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry recently lost one of its largest suppliers, which had previously donated $120,000 in groceries annually. This major loss comes at a time when the number of households seeking assistance continues to climb; many of them first-time visitors struggling to keep up with inflation and food insecurity.
FULL PRESS RELEASE HERE: https://www.svdpevansville.org/support-for-the-9th-annual-hunger-bowl-more-critical-than-ever/
Vanderburgh County Board of Commissioners Meeting
DRAFT AGENDA
Vanderburgh County Board of Commissioners
August 26, 2025 – 9:30 a.m.
Room 301, Civic Center Complex
1. Call to Order
2. Attendance
3. Pledge of Allegiance
4. Action Items
A. Engineer
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Open Bids: VC25-08-01 “Concrete Street Repairs”
United Consulting Bridge Inspection Report
County Right-of-Way Encroachment Agreement with NCI Evansville DG LLC
Change Order #1: VC24-12-03 “North Woods, North Elm, West Franklin Street
Drainage Improvements”
Change Order #1: VC24-08-04 “Concrete Street Repairs”
Time Extension Request: VC24-12-01 “Nisbet Road Small Structure
Replacement”
7. Time Extension Request: VC25-03-01 “Milling and Resurfacing of County Roads”
B. Assessor
1. Contract with Pictometry International Corp d/b/a EagleView for Ortho Imagery
C. Computer Services
1. Alpha Laser and Imaging Individual Lease Agreement: Burdette Park 1202qq
2. Master Services Agreement and Service Order: Astound Business Solutions
3. Crowe LLP Engagement Letter for IT Operations Feasibility Study
D. Final Reading of Ordinance No. CO.08-25-013: An Ordinance Amending Chapter 10.60
Concerning Off-Road Vehicles
E. Grant Agreement Between Solid Waste Management District and Therapeutic Work
Release Program
F. Opioids Settlement
1. Request to Accept Purdue Pharma Bankruptcy Plan
2. Governmental Entity and Shareholder Direct Settlement Agreement (Purdue
Direct Settlement)
5. Department Head Reports
A. Burdette Park
1. 2025 Aquatic Center Year End Report
6. New Business
7. Old Business
8. Read Bids: VC25-08-01 “Concrete Street Repairs”
9. Consent Items
A. Approval of August 12, 2025, Board of Commissioners Meeting Minutes
B. Employment Changes
C. Auditor
1. Claims Voucher Reports
Drainage Board Immediately Followingi. ii. August 11, 2025 – August 15, 2025
August 18, 2025 – August 22, 2025
2. 2025 Covered Bridge Certification
D. Engineer
E. Sheriff
1. F. Treasurer
10. Public Comment
11. Adjournment
1. Report and Claims
Road Closure Request – Evansville Wartime Museum
1. July 2025 Monthly Report
11. Members of the Vanderburgh County Board of Commissioners
i. Justin Elpers, President – District 2
a. Term: January 1, 2023 – December 31, 2026
ii. Amy Canterbury, Vice President – District 3
a. Term: January 1, 2025 – December 31, 2028
iii. Mike Goebel, Member – District 1
a. Term: January 1, 2025 – December 31, 2028
Drainage Board Immediately Following
Attorney General Todd Rokita warns Hoosiers: Watch out for fake Indiana ‘DMV’ text scams
Attorney General Todd Rokita is alerting Hoosiers about a text message scam falsely claiming to be a “final notice” from the State of Indiana Department of Vehicles (DMV), not the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles. These fraudulent messages aim to steal personal and financial information from unsuspecting individuals by threatening actions related to alleged traffic violations.
“These scammers are nothing more than digital pickpockets trying to steal your identity or hard-earned money,” said Attorney General Rokita. “Hoosiers should remain alert of any message demanding personal information, report the message as junk and contact their phone provider for blocking solutions.”
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Indiana achieves historic increase in student literacy
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I’m proud to share that Indiana is making progress in improving third grade literacy. Recent data from the 2024-2025 Indiana Reading Evaluation and Determination (IREAD) assessment show a nearly five percentage point increase in literacy rates statewide, marking the fourth consecutive year of growth. More than 87% of Hoosier third graders demonstrated proficiency in reading, putting Indiana’s literacy rate at this grade level back to pre-pandemic levels. Additionally, for the first time, Indiana third-graders saw improvement across all student populations. |
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I also want to celebrate the outstanding literacy achievements in our community. Congratulations to Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp. on achieving an 83 percent IREAD pass rate and Warrick County School Corp. for a 96 percent rate. Your dedication is making a real difference in the lives of our children. These IREAD results follow Indiana placing sixth in the country for fourth and eighth grade reading in the 2024 National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP) rankings. To improve Indiana’s literacy rates, the General Assembly passed a law in 2023 implementing science of reading standards, which is evidence-based instruction that increases students’ reading competency through phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary development, fluency, oral language skills and comprehension. A law passed in 2024 added screenings for students at risk of falling behind on reading proficiency and providing earlier intervention. |
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As your state representative, I am committed to continuing these efforts so every Hoosier student has the tools to succeed. Thank you for your continued support as we work together to make Indiana a great place for our children to learn and grow. Results from the 2025 IREAD for individual schools and corporations are available on the Indiana Department of Education’s website. Click here to learn more about the state’s literacy standards. |
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Indiana Students Make Historic Gains in Reading
As Indiana’s Secretary of Education Dr. Katie Jenner always says, our students first learn to read, then read to learn.
With that in mind, I’m thrilled to share some news about Indiana’s IREAD scores – Indiana’s third graders just achieved the largest increase in reading proficiency our state has seen since the launch of IREAD in 2013. Last week, the State Board of Education shared the 2024-2025 IREAD assessment scores, which show a nearly 5% increase in literacy rates for third graders across the state.
Additionally, 87.3% of third graders are now proficient in foundational reading skills, an increase of 6,000 more students than last year.
Recognizing the acute need for our students to improve their literacy skills, the General Assembly supported legislation to implement Science of Reading curriculum in our classrooms, increase financial investments in literacy initiatives and provide targeted support for students who are falling behind.
Though I’m pleased to have played a small part in the efforts to increase our literacy rates, we must thank and recognize our educators who are working with our students every day to help them improve. We could not have achieved this level of improvement without their focus, dedication and care for the students they instruct and mentor.