Otters, Slammers to have post draft tryout camp
The Evansville Otters and Joliet Slammers will host a Frontier League post-draft tryout camp Monday, June 17 at Grand Park in Westfield, Ind.
 This workout serves as an open tryout for players who are seeking an opportunity to sign a professional contract for the 2019 season during the post amateur draft period. Only the first 100 players to sign up will be accepted.
 The event gives each player a chance to showcase their talent in front of Frontier League managers and coaches as well as Major League organizational scouts. The Joliet Slammers, Evansville Otters and Arizona Diamondbacks organizations will be represented at the tryout.
 “Joliet and Evansville both put great emphasis on these tryout camps,†Otters manager Andy McCauley said.
 Tryouts start at 9 a.m. Position players can check in from 8:30 a.m. through 9 a.m. and pitchers can check in from 11:30 a.m. to noon (all times local).
 “These tryout camps have been successful in previous years as evidenced by the signing of over 20 players from our three camps last year,â€Â McCauley said.
 The Frontier League is a professional, independent baseball organization located in the Midwestern United States. The league formed in 1993 and is the oldest active independent league.
 To be eligible to play in the Frontier League, you must be at least 18 years old to play and must have been born on or after October 1, 1992, to be eligible.
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Divided Appeals Court Reduces Child Molester’s Sentence
A divided Indiana Court of Appeals panel cut a child molester’s sentence in half after it concluded that the length of his sentence was inappropriate due to his dementia and incompetence, among other things.
Harry Truman Smith was convicted in Clark Circuit Court of one count of Level 1 felony child molesting and one count of Level 4 felony child molesting after he fondled his then-7-year-old niece.
Before trial, two competency evaluations conducted on Smith revealed that he at one point could read and write but was no longer able to do so after he sustained a traumatic brain injury from a severe motor vehicle accident. He was also evaluated to have “significant memory deficits†due to dementia that rendered him incompetent to stand trial.
The same was concluded by two court-appointed physicians who examined Smith. They noted that “it would be relevant as to whether [Smith] had been charged with previous crimes of a similar nature prior to his development of dementia or dementia may have led to impairment in judgment [sic] and impulse control that played a role in the current proceedings.â€
Both physicians also concluded that Smith was not competent to stand trial; however, Smith agreed to plead guilty to the convictions, both as Level 4 felonies. Smith’s counsel stated in part that Smith’s “mental faculties have failed†and his time at a mental health hospital “certainly played a major part … in the crime.â€
Smith ultimately received a 16-year sentence for his convictions, splitting the appellate panel in its memorandum decision, Harry Truman Smith v. State of Indiana (mem. dec.),18A-CR-2493.
Judge Elaine Brown and Judge Paul Mathias agreed, and their majority opinion thus reversed the trial court. They found Smith’s sentence to be inappropriate in light of the nature of the offenses and his character based on those factors.
The majority also concluded Smith’s overall risk assessment score using the Indiana risk assessment system placed him in the low risk to re-offend category. The appellate court, therefore, remanded for an amended sentence of eight years per count, with two years suspended, to be served concurrently after finding Smith had led “a law-abiding life for a substantial period before the commission of the offenses.â€
But Judge Melissa May dissented from the majority in a separate opinion, arguing that she would not reduce Smith’s sentence as there was “nothing inappropriate†about it.
“While the record demonstrates Smith has dementia and cognitive deficits from traumatic brain injury, there is no suggestion that these memory or processing issues were responsible for Smith being unable to appreciate the heinous wrongfulness of his touching his seven-year-old great-niece’s vagina on multiple occasions,†May wrote.
“Were their such evidence,†May continued, “I would question whether Smith should have been advised to plead guilty, but I would not question that society should be protected from Smith for at least sixteen years.â€
Indiana’s Capobianco and Hixon Win Synchro National Title
Current Indiana University diver Andrew Capobianco and postgrad diver Michael Hixon won the men’s synchronized 3-meter dive national title at the 2019 USA Diving National Championships on Monday.
With the victory, Capobianco and Hixon earned the opportunity to represent the U.S. in this summer’s FINA World Championships in the event.
The duo finished with 406.44 points in the 3-meter synchro final to win the national title. Hixon and Capobianco had two dives score more than 80 points in the finals, with a reverse 1 ½ with 3 ½ twists earning 84 points and an inward 3 ½ tuck scoring 83.64 points.
They had a miss on their front 4 ½ tuck for just 62.70 points in the final, but the duo scored 90.06 points on that same dive in the preliminaries. The pair won their first international medal together with a bronze medal at the FINA World Series in Montreal last month.
In the women’s synchronized 10-meter dive final, IU postgrad Jessica Parratto and partner Delaney Schnell took third with a score of 280.38 points.
Vanderburgh Bicentennial Park Ribbon Cutting Scheduled for FridayÂ
Evansville, IN– The Old Courthouse Foundation announces the completion of Vanderburgh Bicentennial Park, a project underwritten by the Foundation to celebrate Vanderburgh County’s Bicentennial in 2018. The Foundation’s Board of Directors, along with the Vanderburgh County Commissioners will cut the ceremonial ribbon on the Old Courthouse Lawn project at 10 am on Friday, May 24 at the Court Street Entrance.Â
Foundation president, Nick Wildeman states, “This project honors our county’s 200th birthday. By renovating the Old Courthouse grounds to include walking paths, seating and landscaping, we hope to engage the public in the use of the park for leisure activities as well as creating opportunities for more public outdoor events. Our Courthouse has been utilized continuously for over 128 years. We hope to continue that legacy by offering more space in which our county’s citizens can enjoy our region’s architectural jewelâ€.Â
Ben Shoulders, President of the Board of County Commissioners said, “We hope the Community will join us on Friday to celebrate our vibrant Old Courthouse and continue to utilize our wonderfully renovated greenspace right in the heart of downtown.†Â
Following the ribbon cutting, the Foundation will host Lunch on the Lawn. This free, family-friendly event will include Live Music by the band Foundayshun and food for purchase from local food trucks including Chino Taco, Bruce Li, Sweet Sassy Sweet Confections, Lolly’s Pops, Kona Ice, River City Dawgs and Papa T’s Tamales. Food trucks will be located on the Fourth Street side of the Old Courthouse. Â
In addition, the Old Courthouse and the Old Jail will be open to the public and self-guided tours are encouraged. Docents will host guided tours of the Old Courthouse at 11:00am and 1:00pm starting in the Main Rotunda on the first floor of the building. Woods and Woods will host tours of the Old Jail also at 11:00 am and 1:00 pm. Those tours will begin at the main entrance to the Woods and Woods offices.
The Old Courthouse Foundation is a non- profit organization whose mission is to support the preservation and ongoing restoration of the Old Courthouse and create educational programs to engage the community in its preservation’s efforts.
AG Curtis Hill to announce opioid-related lawsuit
Attorney General Curtis Hill plans a press conference to announce an opioid-related lawsuit. He will be joined by members of his Complex Litigation Team.
WHO: Attorney General Curtis Hill and the Complex Litigation Team
WHAT: Press Conference
WHEN: 1 p.m., Tuesday, May 21, 2019
WHERE: Office of the Attorney General, Statehouse Room 219, Indianapolis.
HOT JOBS IN EVANSVILLE
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Traffic Advisory for May 21st on I-64 and US 41
Gibson County – Tuesday afternoon, May 21, several hundred motorcycles participating in Run for the Wall will be entering our state via I-64 at approximately 2:45 p.m. They are traveling from Ontario, CA, to Washington D.C. Troopers will escort the motorcycles and support vehicles while traveling through Indiana.
The group is expected to arrive at Flying J Truck Stop located on US 41 at Warrenton Road at approximately 3:15 p.m. When the motorcycles approach the area, both north and southbound lanes of US 41 will be shut down at Warrenton Road and just south of I-64 to allow the motorcycles to exit the interstate and to enter the Flying J parking lot safely.
At approximately 4:00 p.m., US 41 southbound at Warrenton Road will be shut down again to allow these motorcycles and support vehicles to enter US 41 and I-64 safely. US 41 northbound will remain open. I-64 eastbound will be shut down just west of US 41 to allow the motorcycles and support vehicles to enter the interstate safely. I-64 westbound will remain open. Troopers will once again escort the motorcycles to Corydon, where they will be spending the night.
Important – If you plan to watch the caravan of motorcycles, please ensure you park in a safe location. Parking along the interstate system is not allowed. Many people will be standing on area overpasses to show their support. Please be aware that anything accidently dropped onto the interstate while motorcycles are traveling through may create serious issues.
Motorists should expect brief delays at approximately 3:15 and again at approximately 4:00 p.m.
