Officers were dispatched to the 2000 block of E. Virginia St just after 7:00 am in reference to a person with a gun. The caller stated his daughter was at this location and a male had beaten up her friend and threatened them both with a gun. Officers arrived on scene and spoke to a juvenile victim who stated the suspect, identified as Corey Golike, physically attacked her in the alley. Golike then told the adult victim to go inside the house while he and the juvenile victim remained outside, or he would kill both victims. Golike and the juvenile victim later came inside the residence where Golike attacked the juvenile victim again. While inside the house, Golike threatened to shoot both victims again. The juvenile victim was eventually able to run outside and flee Golike after he chased her on foot. Golike fled the scene on foot prior to officer’s arrival.
Through the course of the investigation, a location of interest was discovered. Golike was not located when officers served a search warrant on the home. Golike faces numerous charges from this incident and the investigation is ongoing. If located, please contact 911.
As a follow-up to yesterday’s media release, please see the attached image of Corey Golike. Golike is still being sought for his role in case number 25-02453
VINCENNES, Ind. – The Vincennes University Lady Trailblazers returned to the home floor Wednesday night as the Lady Blazers hosted the No. 5-ranked Lady Warriors from Wabash Valley College in a game outside the regular Region 24 schedule.
The Lady Blazers battled tough against the highly ranked Warriors but were undone by a big 12-0 scoring run in the second quarter as Vincennes fell to Wabash Valley 78-65.
The game got off to a very unusual start as the Lady Warriors were assessed an administrative technical foul before the game, which VU capitalized on to take a 1-0 lead before the tip off.
Vincennes led for most of the opening quarter Wednesday night, with Wabash Valley using a late 5-0 run to jump in front and lead by the narrow margin of 18-15 after the first 10 minutes of play.
The Lady Warriors took their game to another level in the second quarter, opening the period on a 19-4 run to increase their lead to 37-19.
Vincennes would respond before the halftime break, scoring the final four points of the first half to cut the deficit to 43-27 at the break.
Coming out in the second half it looked like the Lady Warriors were going to pick up where the left off, increasing their lead to 21 at 48-27 early in the third quarter before the Lady Blazers would swing the momentum back with a big 10-0 run.
The Lady Blazers would continue to ride the home crowd momentum throughout the third quarter, outscoring Wabash Valley 18-4 and cutting the deficit back to seven points at 52-45.
Wabash Valley would regain composure and take a 58-49 lead into the fourth quarter of play.
The Warriors would grow their lead again early in the fourth quarter, using a 7-0 scoring run to take a 65-51 lead.
Vincennes would not go away quietly though, cutting the deficit back to single digits several times in the fourth quarter, including being within nine at 72-63 late in the fourth.
Wabash Valley was able to run the clock down and convert at the free throw line down the stretch, as the Lady Blazers fell by the final score of 78-65.
The Lady Trailblazers were led offensively by sophomore Marta Gutierrez (Alicante, Spain) who scored 16 of her game-high 21 points in the second half, while also leading the Lady Blazers with five big steals on the defensive end of the floor.
Freshman Ahmya Thomas (Phoenix, Ariz.) finished her night with 12 points, four assists and three steals, while freshman Emani Washington (Indianapolis, Ind.) came off the bench to add 10 points, four assists and three steals.
Freshman Delora Pricop (Satu Mare, Romania) finished off her 12th double-double of the season Wednesday night, finishing with 10 points and 15 rebounds, while also coming away with a pair of blocks.
The Lady Trailblazers will look to bounce back and get back in the win column when VU hits the road Saturday, Feb. 15 to take on Shawnee Community College in Ullin, Ill. at 2 p.m. eastern.
VU will return to the P.E. Complex, Wednesday, Feb. 19 when Vincennes hosts Rend Lake College at 5 p.m. eastern.
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – With the impending weather in the forecast this weekend in Evansville, changes have been announced to the weekend schedule for the University of Evansville softball team’s home tournament.
Originally slated to be a 3-day tournament, the schedule has been modified to a Friday doubleheader between the Purple Aces and Butler. Game one will begin at 2 p.m. with the second contest set for first pitch at approximately 4:30 p.m.
Tickets for Friday’s doubleheader are $12 for adults and $10 for children. The admission price is good for both games.
Evansville opened the season with a 3-2 mark at the Paladin Invitational in Greenville, S.C. Callie Meinel opened the weekend on fire, pacing the Missouri Valley Conference with her three home runs and 10 runs batted in. She accumulated 17 total bases while hitting .353 in UE’s first five games.
Keghan Pye completed the Paladin Invitational with a team-high .571 batting average. She registered four hits in seven at-bats while scoring four times. In her first weekend of collegiate action, freshman Kynadee Warner batted .556 with five hits in nine at-bats for the Purple Aces. She scored two runs while adding a steal and walk.
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Four Missouri State players reached double figures to lift the Bears to a 71-54 victory over the University of Evansville men’s basketball team on Wednesday evening at JQH Arena.
Evansville had three players reach double figures with Tayshawn Comer leading the way with 17. Connor Turnbull recorded 13 points while Gabriel Pozzato had 12. Tanner Cuff led UE with seven boards and five assists.
Turnull’s putback got the Purple Aces on the board, tying the score at 2-2. Missouri State quickly countered with a triple on the other end and would extend the advantage over the remainder of the half. Inside of the 13-minute mark, the Bears capped a 14-5 start and would continue to hold a 9-point edge two minutes later.
Baskets from Turnbull and Comer cut the gap to five at 16-11, but MSU regained control, opening their first double figure lead of 23-13 at the 7:22 mark. Their lead reached 12 over the ensuing stretch before a triple by Pozzato was followed by a Comer free throw to get UE within seven.
In the final seconds of the period, the teams swapped triples as one by the Bears gave them their largest lead at 13 before Comer connected from downtown to make it a 36-26 game at halftime.
Following the break, SMS added to its lead, quickly extending the lead to 14 in the opening moments. A 6-for-8 start to the final stanza saw the lead grow to 19 points at 49-30 with 13:37 on the clock. Near the midway point of the half, UE cut into the deficit when a dunk from Pozzato got his squad with 14. The teams would swap triples resulting in a 55-41 Bears lead heading into the final nine minutes.
Tanner Cuff’s 3-point play got the Aces even closer as they cut the deficit to just 12. Missouri State would not let UE get any closer. Evansville did its best to remain within striking distance, staying within 16 points until the final two minutes when the Bears went back up by 18 and would take the game by a final of 71-54.
Michael Osei-Bonsu was the leading scorer for the Bears, posting 16 points and seven boards. MSU shot 51% on the night while holding the Aces to 43.1%. The Bears had a slight 31-30 edge on the glass.
UE is back inside the Ford Center on Sunday evening to face Valparaiso in a 7 p.m. contest.
Explore Evansville Names Tom White as New President & CEO
Explore Evansville has announced who will replace Alexis Berggren, who left the convention and tourism office late last year. The new President and CEO is Tom White, who will step into the position starting March 3.
White joins Explore Evansville from Visit Mobile, where he served as Vice President of Convention and Leisure Sales. Previously, White held leadership roles with Yedla Hotel Management Company, and the U.S. Space & Rocket Center.
“I am honored and excited to join Explore Evansville and to be part of this vibrant community,” said White. “Evansville has incredible potential as a destination, and I look forward to working with our team, local partners, and stakeholders to elevate the city’s tourism industry and create meaningful economic impact.”
The Jasper five stand proudly with Rep. Shane Lindauer after presenting in the House chamber. From left to right: Sophie Gates, Mackenzie Morton, Grant Blackman, Rep. Shane Lindauer, Sawyer Sternberg, Ariel Cox.
Photo by Anna Cecil, TheStatehouseFile.com.
By Anna Cecil, TheStatehouseFile.com Feb 12, 2025
Homelessness, non-disclosure agreements, state boundary adjustments, building contracts and Bitcoin—these are some of the standard topics the Indiana House Government and Regulatory Reform Committee discusses.
But this week, they heard from fourth graders about fruit.
This specific fruit isn’t your average apple, orange or banana. These fourth graders were, and probably still are, passionate about persimmons.
Monday morning, the rotunda was filled with giggles and chatter as the young persimmon promoters entered the capitol. They were there to ask that the succulent treat become the official Hoosier state fruit.
The students’ tiny suits, slacks, skirts and sweaters indicated that they were the official persimmon spokespeople and were ready to take the stand.
Now, the typical readers may be asking themselves, what exactly is a persimmon? This newly informed reporter is here to enlighten you on the pleasant produce.
Persimmons are a sweet, autumnal fruit that falls from the Diospyros tree. They turn yellow or orange when ripe. While persimmons are native to the Hoosier state, they don’t grow solely in Indiana; they also thrive in China, Japan, South Korea, Brazil, Spain and additional U.S. states.
A persimmon pilgrimage
Jasper Elementary School teacher Emi Donato spoke with TheStatehouseFile.com about her students’ journey to the Statehouse. What started as a fulfillment of the fourth-grade persuasive writing standard became a bill in the 2025 Indiana General Assembly.
Donato’s original intent was for the students to start a persimmon petition. Before they did that, they had to have permission from their school superintendent, Dr. Tracy Lorey.
Lorey, who this month became the state deputy secretary of education, had a few tricks up her sleeve.
Instead of helping the students draft a petition, she connected them with Rep. Shane Lindauer, R-Jasper, who drafted House Bill 1618, which would bring the students’ persimmon vision to life.
After attending a presentation from the young persimmon advocates, and with just a couple weeks left to file the persimmon bill, Lindauer made the dreams of Jasper fourth graders come true.
Persimmons, Indiana’s newest official state fruit candidate, showcase their burnt orange color when perfectly ripe in the fall. Photo provided by the Indiana Statehouse Tour Office.
“I wanted to hug him even though I didn’t really know him,” Donato said. “I, like, how exciting, you know? The kids are going to be able to go up and actually present.”
When the clock struck 10:30 a.m., they indeed presented. The Jasper five gathered at the front of the House chamber, braving the intimidating stares of grinning committee members who were likely excited to hear from someone without gray hair.
Sawyer Sternberg was the first student to testify. He provided the committee with a brief introduction to his fellow students’ testimony topics and kindly requested that they consider adopting the persimmon as the Hooser state fruit.
Fourth-grader Grant Blackman then educated committee members by sharing the persimmon’s many health benefits. His suit and tie may have convinced the committee that he is the state’s resident fibrous fruit expert.
With his tiny note sheet in hand, he boldly informed the room that persimmons reduce inflammation, contain vitamins A, B and C, potassium, and calcium. According to Blackman, they are also high in fiber, which helps with digestion, and are good for the heart.
Classmate Sophie Gates testified next. She gave committee members a quick rundown on the students’ beloved fruit.
First, she stated that persimmon trees can grow anywhere from 35 to 60 feet tall. She added that the fruit is able to grow all over the state and flourishes in rich Hoosier soil.
Then she informed the representatives that the fruit’s name is derived from the Greek word Diospyros, which means fruit of the gods.
“It gets its vivid name due to its sweet and juicy taste,” Gates said.
For a little historical background, she added that Native Americans in Indiana were known to eat dried persimmons.
After Gates’ presentation, Ariel Cox, whose small but mighty business casual attire may have been envied by Press Row, explained that Indiana would be one of 32 states to adopt an official fruit.
She then appealed to the committee with reason.
“Indiana has a state bird, insect, flower, song and river. So why not have a fruit?” Cox asked.
The committee members chuckled, indicating that Cox made a valid point.
After Cox’s rhetorical question, Mackenzie Morton took the stand and informed the committee of the persimmon’s economic benefits. She said the wood from the fruit’s tree can be used for golf clubs, drumsticks, instruments, furniture and other goods that would stimulate commerce in Indiana.
As a reporter who was once assigned the commerce beat, this writer thought young Morton’s knowledge on the needs of the Hoosier market was impressive.
After sharing the persimmon’s economic implications, she added that the fruit is great to cook with. At Mitchell’s annual Persimmon Festival, there is a persimmon pudding contest, which is a popular Hoosier persimmon treat.
Persimmons per se
When students finished their presentation, the well-briefed lawmakers asked their burning questions.
Rep. Joanna King, R-Middlebury, asked the students if they brought a persimmon in for the committee to try. When they said no, she expressed her disappointment.
“We love to eat here in the House,” King said. “That would have been a great treat for us here this morning.”
Even though she didn’t get to try the fruit, King was excited to learn that persimmon trees can grow in northern Indiana, where she is from.
“That would be a good reason for me to vote for this bill,” she said.
Rep. David Abbott, R Rome City, asked the students if anyone had ever tasted the fruit.
Cox explained that it is good, but the one she had was tart.
Rep. Chris Campbell, D-West Lafayette, wondered if the students considered any other fruits.
Blackman said they thought about the pawpaw, another native Hoosier fruit. Out of respect for their Ohioan neighbors, the students settled on the persimmon.
“We didn’t do it because our neighboring state Ohio has it,” he said.
When the questioning ceased, committee Chair Rep. Doug Miller R-Elkhart, thanked the fruitful advocates for their time. He decided to hold HB 1618 to ensure it had careful consideration.
The five testifiers and their classmates who came to observe left the chamber when the discussion was over.
Cox, Gates, Blackman, Sternberg and Morton told TheStatehouseFile.com that presenting to committee members made them “very nervous and scared.”
This new reporter, who has only been on the job for two months, thoroughly sympathized with that sentiment.
The students agreed it was especially intimidating when the representatives began asking them follow-up questions.
“We didn’t know what was going to happen,” Morton said.
Despite their anxieties, the young Jasper natives successfully fulfilled their civic duty.
Donato recognized that the fight for the persimmon is far from over. Her students’ next step in persimmon endorsement will be creating an online petition that Hoosiers all over the state can sign to support the Southern Indiana dreamers.
“It’s exciting that some kids can make a difference,” Sternberg said, “not just adults.”
Anna Cecil is a reporter for TheStatehouseFile.com, a news website powered by Franklin College journalism students.
It is painful when defeat is snatched from the jaws of victory as occurred on Jan. 15, 2025, some five days before President Trump’s inauguration. Israel was on the verge of a strategic triumph over the Muslim Brotherhood/Iranian axis in the Middle East, brought about by its unparalleled military superiority and audacity. That victory is now in question.
The chain of events began with the unprovoked massacre of 1200 Israelis by Hamas and the taking of some 250 hostages on October 7, 2023. In the war that followed, the “seven front war,” between Israel and Iranian proxies, the Middle East was being transformed before our very eyes with the fall of Hezbollah in Lebanon, Bashar al-Assad in Syria, and Hamas in Gaza. New regional alignments were emerging in the face of Israeli victory and hegemony. All this despite the best efforts of the Biden administration to thwart and hamstring Israel.
Many supporters of Israel looked forward to the Presidency of Donald Trump, a known ally of Prime Minister Netanyahu and Israel, and the force behind the “Abraham Accords,” which occurred in his first term: the unprecedented normalization of relations between Israel and four Arab nations, including the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan, and Morocco. Trump also recognized Jerusalem as the capitol of Israel and moved the American embassy there.
No one anticipated that Trump would steal this historic victory at the last moment, undercutting much that Israel had accomplished singlehandedly by forcing Israel into a damaging ceasefire that restored, in effect, the status quo, and reinstated, incomprehensibly, Israel’s greatest enemy, Hamas: an organization formed in 1987, that is committed to the genocide of Jews worldwide and the destruction of the state of Israel.
Phase 1 of the ceasefire deal, required the cessation of hostilities and the withdrawal of Israeli troops, with massive rebuilding and aid to Gaza (600 “aid” trucks a day: more than double current levels). Lasting 42 days, it frees 33 hostages (31 Israeli, two American), 25 living, eight deceased, in exchange for the release of some 1700 Palestinian criminals, including many terrorists with Israeli blood on their hands. Israel will withdraw from the Philadelphi corridor in Rafah between Gaza and Egypt through which much of Hamas’s weaponry and supplies is smuggled. It also requires a withdrawal from the Netzarim corridor, which divides northern from southern Gaza.
The deal, however, leaves Hamas intact and arguably stronger, flush with the status of having withstood the onslaught of the “Zionist Entity,” and now able to rebuild. Indeed, they are celebrating their “victory” as we speak.
The key goals of the war as outlined by Netanyahu after Oct. 7, 2023 were: eliminating Hamas, securing the release of Israeli captives in Gaza, and ensuring that the Palestinian enclave would not pose a threat to Israel’s security. None of these goals have been achieved. The ceasefire deal ensures they never will be.
Although severely weakened, Hamas can now reconstitute itself. Israel loses control of the Philadelphi corridor, thus allowing Hamas to rebuild their war machine. The deal doubles the amount of aid to Gaza. Controlled and sold by Hamas at great profit, it solidifies their hold on power. They can recruit soldiers to restore their capability. Surrendering the Netzarim corridor allows Palestinians to return to northern Gaza. If fighting breaks out, they will have to evacuated again, a pubic relations nightmare. It is a return to pre-October 7 with none of the war goals achieved. Worst of all, Hamas has been legitimized as a negotiating partner.
The release of some 1,700 Palestinian prisoners from Israeli prisons, many with Jewish blood on their hands, is also problematic. The now deceased Yahya al-Sinwar, former leader of Hamas and architect of Oct. 7, was one such prisoner released in a prior prisoner deal of more than a thousand Palestinian prisoners in 2011 in exchange for a single Israeli soldier, Gilad Shalit, captured by Hamas. The mass release of Palestinian terrorists and criminals can be expected to result in the shedding of more Israeli blood.
Then there is Steve Witkoff, Trump’s Middle East envoy, a real estate mogul and friend of Trump, with little experience or knowledge of the Middle East. He had negotiated this deal with the Prime Minister of Qatar. Witkoff pressured Netanyahu to accept it. Issues that had been life and death for Israel seemed to disappear. Witkoff, furthermore, has questionable allegiances. In 2023, the Qatari Sovereign Wealth fund, bailed him out by purchasing the swanky Park Lane Hotel in Manhattan for $623 million. Qatar is the chief funder of Islamic terror, including Hamas, and should be nowhere near such negotiations. Nor should Witkoff.
Perhaps Trump recalled the return of the 53 U.S. hostages from Iran, with the inauguration of Ronald Reagan on January 20, 1981. Reagan achieved this historic return without firing a shot or giving up a thing. The return of the hostages from Gaza bears no resemblance to this. Perhaps Trump wanted to avoid a “kinetic” war during his time in office. But this war did not start under his rule and he bears no responsibility for it. The current war in the Middle East occurred under Biden as a direct result of Biden’s policies of appeasement and enrichment of Iran and its terrorist proxies.
Did Trump simply want to take a victory lap for returning the hostages before his inauguration? It appears so. Trump, through Witkoff, forced Israel to agree to the very same deal that Biden (and Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken) had been pressuring Israel to accept since May 2024. Was Donald Trump so anxious for a peace deal that he would destroy the single greatest opportunity Israel, the U.S., and the world have ever had to put an end to the Muslim Brotherhood-Iranian bloc in the region?
Israel had resisted Biden’s efforts to accept the very same deal since May 2024. They did so because they were waiting for Trump to get in. They assumed, mistakenly, that Trump would support their war efforts and goals.
By pressuring Israel, to accept this horrible deal, President Trump has given Hamas a new lease on life. He has rewarded the Palestinians for starting the war. Gaza will now be rebuilt and they will receive tremendous amounts of aid and investment. Did they deserve this? Furthermore, Hamas could have ended the war at any time: through unconditional surrender, laying down of arms, and acceptance of military occupation by Israel over Gaza – as occurred with the Allied occupation of Nazi Germany and Japan at the end of World War II.
The emphasis on the hostages is also frayed. They (and their families) are victims, cruelly captured, tortured, with many killed, and now used as pawns to further Hamas’s cause and manipulate Israel, the U.S., and the world. But is their suffering greater than that of the more than 400 young Israeli soldiers killed in Gaza and their families, or the more than 15,000 wounded in that war, many with disabling and permanent injuries.
This ceasefire deal is a victory for Joe Biden, the Democratic party, Hamas, Hezbollah, Iran, Qatar and their many anti-Semitic supporters around the world including in western cities and college campuses. Hamas now is celebrating this unexpected gift from a leader generally and properly regarded as a friend of Israel, a modern-day Cyrus, the greatest friend that Israel and the Jewish people have ever had. This war should have secured Gaza, ended the terrorist threat, returned Gaza to Israel, with a full military occupation. Ideally, the Palestinians should be resettled elsewhere, as occurs often in war.
Israel and its supporters expected more from President Trump. The disastrous ceasefire is a strategic defeat for Israel at precisely the moment that should have been their greatest victory. The irony is tragic. As Israel was expecting strong support by Trump in their titanic struggle against Islamic terror, they were handed, in effect, Biden’s deal. It is also Hamas’s deal. And now it is Trump’s deal.
We appreciate the many good things President Trump is doing for the country and the world, including sealing the border, deporting illegal aliens, restoring the economy, dismantling the deep state, ending lawfare, winding down the war in Ukraine, and eliminating DEI, among many other things. We respect his courage and incredible comeback to win the presidency a second term against a hostile and corrupt bureaucracy, legal system, and media, and against all odds. While we appreciate the many good things President Trump is doing for the country and the world – we note that this is not one of them. This is a betrayal of Israel and the Jewish people.
Dr. Richard Moss, a physician in the town of Jasper in Dubois County, is the author of “A Surgeon’s Odyssey” and “Matilda’s Triumph” available on amazon.com. Contact him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
GRAMMY NOMINEE CHARLEY CROCKETTMAKES EVANSVILLE DEBUT IN MAY
TICKETS GO ON SALE ON FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 14, AT 10 AM
Evansville, IN – February 12, 2025 – GRAMMY® Award-nominated country artist Charley Crockett will make his Evansville debut at Old National Events Plaza on Wednesday, May 7, 2025. Fans can pick up tickets early during the venue presale, starting Thursday, February 13, by visiting the Old National Events Plaza social media pages.
Texas-born Crockett has released 14 albums independently and he picked up his first GRAMMY® nod for 2024’s “$10 Cowboy.”
In the last year alone, he notably sold-out Red Rocks Amphitheater in Colorado, the Greek Theater in Los Angeles, CA and two nights at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, TN. Crockett and his music have also received praise from The New Yorker, Rolling Stone, and Variety.
by Richard Moss, M.D.