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HOT JOBS IN EVANSVILLE
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Otters comeback falls short, Rascals even series
Despite scoring a total of four runs in the seventh and eighth innings, the Evansville Otters could not muster enough runs in their comeback bid against the River City Rascals Saturday, losing by a score of 6-4.
Offensively, the Rascals’ attack was spread out in a concise manner throughout the game.
Zach Lavy recorded an RBI groundout to first base to give the Rascals a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second.
In the bottom of the third, Otters starter Anthony Arias issued a bases-loaded walk to Braxton Martinez to extend the Rascals lead to two.
A sac fly from Nolan Meadows gave the Rascals a 3-0 lead after three.
Arias handed the ball to the bullpen in the bottom of the fourth following a hits batsman.
The left-hander, who made his first start since his college career, earned the loss allowing three runs on one hit in three innings pitched.
Chris Cepeda came in and allowed one hit, getting the Otters out of the fourth inning.
The Rascals tacked on two runs in the next two innings as Lavy hit a sac fly in the fifth, and Braxton Martinez did the same in the sixth, extending the Rascals lead to five.
Rascals starter Travis McQueen was strong on the mound through six innings, shutting out the Otters and allowing three hits, but the Otters got to him in the seventh inning.
Carlos Castro extended his hitting streak to 14 games after hitting a two-run home run in the seventh off McQueen, giving the Otters life cutting the deficit down to three at 5-2.
McQueen trotted out to the mound in the eighth inning but issued a walk to Hunter Cullen, and he was pulled following the walk.
Yeison Medina came on in relief and allowed a double to J.J. Gould to start his outing, putting runners on second and third with no outs for the Otters.
Medina allowed back-to-back RBI groundouts to David Cronin and Keith Grieshaber to make the score 6-4 after eight.
One of those two runs was credited to McQueen, who finished with seven innings, allowing three runs on six hits with one walk and six strikeouts.
The Otters had a leadoff base runner to start the top of the ninth as Jack Meggs reached on an error by Rascals shortstop Andrew Penner, but Jason Zgardowski retired the next three batters he faced, including a long flyout by Hunter Cullen to right field, a foot shy of a game-tying home run.
Zgardowski earned the save, his fourth in 13 games appeared.
Sunday’s rubber match will be at 5:05 p.m. from CarShield Field in O’Fallon, Mo.
Apple Wins Second Gold Medal at World University Games
Indiana University postgraduate swimmer Zach Apple won his second gold medal at the 2019 World University Games in Naples, Italy on Saturday.
After winning the gold in the men’s 4×100 freestyle relay with Team USA earlier in the week, Apple was back to his winning ways on Saturday. The Hoosier postgrad touched first in the men’s 200 freestyle final to win gold with a time of 1:46.80.
With his impressive time, Apple is the fastest American in the event this year and his mark ranks 20th overall in the world in 2019.
In the Championship Final of the women’s 100 breaststroke, incoming Hoosier freshman Emily Weiss placed eighth with a time of 1:09.10.
Postgraduate Hoosier Kennedy Goss qualified fourth overall for Sunday’s Championship Final of the 100 backstroke for Team Canada, finishing with a time of 1:00.43.
Indiana’s Gabriel Fantoni qualified fifth overall for Sunday’s Championship Final of the men’s 50 backstroke for Team Brazil with a time of 25.03.
“READERS FORUM” JULY 7, 2019
We hope that today’s “READERS FORUMâ€Â will provoke honest and open dialogue concerning issues that we, as responsible citizens of this community, need to address in a rational and responsible way.
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New Tourism Department Will Be More Business Focused
By Brandon Barger
TheStatehouseFile.com
INDIANAPOLIS—Ask Lt. Gov. Susanne Crouch about the best places to visit in Indiana, she immediately rattles off Spencer, home to an LGBTQ+ store and community center, sites in Indianapolis, and the Indiana Dunes on the shores of Lake Michigan.
Indiana Dunes is the newest national park in the state and could become one of the big tourist spots in the state, if not the Midwest. The new designation for one of the state’s scenic sites is expected draw new tourists who would stay to experience other places in Indiana.
Crouch and the Indiana General Assembly recognized that because tourism is changing, there needed to be new ways to promote sites like the new national park as well as other destinations.
Out of that need for change came House Enrolled Act 1115. The legislation abolishes the the current Office of Tourism Development, replacing it with a quasi-private entity—the Indiana Destination Development Corp.
As a public-private corporation, it will be governed by a board appointed by Gov. Eric Holcomb and will include members of the private sector who are in the tourism business such as hotels, restaurants, theme attractions and more. It is expected to function much like the Indiana Economic Development Corp., which replaced the Department of Commerce in 2005 as a vehicle for attracting jobs and business to the state.
It will also be able to acquire more money to be used for tourism, as the IDDC will have the authority to pull in money from not only the budget that the General Assembly allocates, but also from the private tourism sector.
This new corporation will take over all of the tasks and duties of the old department and will have modified the structure of the administration by next June 30. While the new corporation is being created, the Department of Tourism Development will continue to operate as the principle vehicle to urge people to visit Indiana.
Rep. Michael Karickhoff, R-Kokomo, authored the new bill after being a part of the special task force designed to look into the current tourism landscape.
“People are quick to point out that the state doesn’t do what neighboring states do in terms of funding levels,†he said.
Currently, Indiana budgets a little more than $4 million a year on the tourism department plus about $970,000 for marketing. Those numbers are much smaller than the amounts spent to lure tourists to Michigan, whose tourism department has a $35 million budget, or Ohio, with a $10 million budget.
Even though Indiana may not lure the number of tourists that other states draw, the industry has an impact on the state’s economy.
A study released at the end of 2018 reported that 2017 was a record year with $12.7 billion in tourism spending. That is the last year for which data is available.
The same study, which was conducted by an independent marketing firm, reported that visitors went to 80 million destinations throughout the state. Overall, the tourism industry supports nearly 200,000 jobs.
Karickhoff said lawmakers recognize the impact of the industry, which is why a study committee was created in the 2017 session of the General Assembly. That study committee looked at how other states support their tourism industries and found that there is no single model.
On the private sector side, they were looking for something a little different, said Jim Epperson, executive director, SoIN Tourism, based in Jeffersonville.
“We wanted to have a structure to first and foremost create a better partnership relationship between the industry and the office (IDDC) and to measure the results of our cooperative efforts together,†he said.
Patrick Tamm, who works with the Indiana Restaurant and Lodging Association and helped lawmakers look into ideas for the bill along with others, looked at the states surrounding Indiana to understand what was a good starting point for Indiana’s tourism approach.
“If you think about Michigan, like Pure Michigan, the first response was that people ridiculed it and today it is one of the best brands out there…that’s what we are looking for.â€
After the bill passed through the house, Sen. Chip Perfect, R-Lawrenceburg, took over as the first sponsor in the Senate. Perfect knows about tourism in Indiana as his family owns one of two ski slopes in Indiana, Perfect North Slopes.
The senator believes that the new bill will help to change people’s ideas about moving to the state.
“It’s not just about bringing people in to visit, but tourism is, in some way, is highlighting the assets a state has relative to tourism, is an important economic driver in terms of getting people to move to the state.â€
For Crouch, who has traveled to nearly every part of the state during her term, calls Indiana tourism’s best kept secret. With the new direction and a new tourism board, she said she hopes Indiana become the worst kept secret.
Brandon Barger is a reporter for TheStatehouseFile.com, a news website powered by Franklin College journalism students.
EVERY MONTH HAS A FOURTH By Jim Redwine
EVERY MONTH HAS A FOURTH
Gavel Gamut By Jim Redwine
America’s court system has several purposes but, in general, they all amount to resolving controversies. Citizens need some place to help them settle their differences with other citizens so everyone can get on with their lives. And one of the most important thing judges can do to start the resolution of a court case is to encourage the competing parties to find common ground. If the competing parties recognize they have similar needs and if all parties can at least consider the possibility that an outcome that benefits their adversary may also benefit themselves, a path leading to a reasonable compromise may appear.
Our country has often struggled with competing strongly held beliefs even going so far as resulting in the Civil War. But short of actual armed conflict we have suffered through numerous periods where political issues at first appeared to be intractable but were assuaged by the parties finding common ground. Our current public debate over such issues as immigration or war with Iran or several other significant matters may feel as if the only solutions are pistols at ten paces. However, when Americans are reminded we have more and better reasons to agree than disagree, we can begin to accommodate, and even celebrate, our differences. Such is the beauty of our national birthday party. Perhaps we should consider having similar periods of healing every month.
Peg and I participated in one such Fourth of July celebration in New Harmony, Indiana last week. Because New Harmony is a small town we personally knew where many of the people attending and involved in the party stand on volatile issues such as immigration, global warming, military involvement, the Me Too Movement, Black Lives Matter and, especially, partisan politics. Many of our friends and family are well informed and passionate on these and other matters. Conversations have often seemed more like a contact sport than reasoned debate.
But for several hours on the Fourth of July we all found common ground in the Declaration of Independence, songs of praise and a First Amendment type respect for our hard won honorable common heritage. In our culture we have numerous monthly events that each of us enjoys and respect such as club and association gatherings, sporting events, birthdays and anniversaries. Maybe we should set aside some time every month to renew our common faith in America.
For more Gavel Gamut articles go to www.jamesmredwine.com
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RIVER KITTY CAT CAFÉ CELEBRATES THEIR 300TH ADOPTION WITH THE VANDERBURGH HUMANE SOCIET
River Kitty Cat Café has reached their 300th cat adoption just shy of their 2-year anniversary on Main Street in downtown Evansville, Indiana!
River Kitty opened on July 14th, 2017. The Vanderburgh Humane Society was their selected cat adoption partner and assisted the owners every step of the way in planning design, procedures, and safety with regard to the shelter cats in their establishment. Their initial goal was 10 adoptions per month. They have surpassed that goal nearly every month since they opened. Even in June of 2019 alone they facilitated 17 adoptions!
The 300th adoption has been processed. A young orange & white kitten named Morley will go home with his new family today. Morley was originally surrendered to the VHS in May, along with his mother Brynn, who is still currently up for adoption. Brynn & Morley came from a home with a multitude of other cats, and their owner simply got overwhelmed and had to surrender many of them. Now, Morley is looking forward to life with his new mom Brea Reynolds from Bicknell, IN!
Adult cats are one of the most difficult populations of animals that the VHS adopts out. Plus, this time of year, the shelter is inundated with kittens. Felines are so susceptible to stress-related illness or behavior problems in the shelter setting. River Kitty provides a serene, reduced-stress environment for anywhere from 10-15 of our adoptable cats (and sometimes kittens) while they wait on new families. They have done a fantastic job with their space and their brand, which ultimately benefits the VHS cat population in a big way. The VHS team is so thankful for River Kitty’s role as a feline satellite adoption center for the Tri-State. Owners Annette and Nancy, along with their team, have risen to the occasion with gusto.
The VHS takes in approximately 1700-1800 cats each year. Most of them find loving homes. But in 2015 and 2016, approximately 40-60 adult cats were euthanized for either a lack of space or minor behavioral problems that the shelter was not able to devote resources to addressing. Every year the live release rate improves, but there are almost always some cats who fall through the cats simply because there are so many cats and not enough cage space and adopters to save them all. In 2017, that number dropped below 30 cats, and River Kitty was only open for the second half of that year. Then in 2018, for the first time in our organization’s history, the VHS did not have to euthanize any cats for lack of space. River Kitty’s outstanding success has been the missing piece to help close that gap between life and death for adult VHS cats. Their business has significantly lifted the burden that constantly hangs over VHS staff and volunteers during “kitten season†every year: “Where in the world are we going to put all these cats?†2019 is on track to yield even better proportions of live outcomes for cats than ever before. And they show no sign of slowing down.
On Friday, July 5th, Morley’s new family will be picking him up at 4:00 pm and the media is invited. For interviews or photo opportunities ahead of time, please contact Amanda at the information above.
Art In The Garden Seeks Art Vendors
The Southwest Indiana Master Gardener’s Association (SWIMGA) is hosting the first outdoor Art in the Garden at their Display Garden off the Lloyd Expressway in Evansville.
The event is 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. Saturday, July 20, with a rain date of Sunday, July 21.
Artists of all disciplines are encouraged to sell their works and show their processes if possible.
There will be no judging, awards or commissions taken by SWIMGA. There is a $10 entry fee. There is space for only 20 artists! Spots will be confirmed in order of entry form and payment received. Call Karen Krahling 618-384-7912 or Kay Haller 812-867-5898 for more information.