ST. CHARLES, Mo. — The University of Evansville men’s soccer team will look to match its best start since 2008 on Friday night.
The Purple Aces continued their perfect start to the season on Wednesday night with a 1-0 win over Eastern Illinois. UE took 29 shots throughout the match but only found the back of the net once, as EIU’s goalkeeper kept the Panthers in the game. But Evansville kept the ball far away from its own goal for its fourth straight victory. The 29 shots that the Aces took on Wednesday night against Eastern Illinois was the most by a UE men’s soccer team since the 2017 season. In 2017 Evansville set a program record for shots against Anderson with 46 in 90 minutes.
Lindenwood comes into Friday’s match still searching for its first win of the season. The Lions return home after having their first road loss to Wright State. Lindenwood surrendered four unanswered goals after scoring the first goal of the match in the 4-1 loss. The Lions are led by two different players, senior midfielder Josh Francombe and freshman defender Anel Kafedzic with a goal apiece.
UE now becomes one of only 17 teams across Division I with a 100% win-loss-tied percentage. Evansville is also alone atop the Missouri Valley Conference standings as the only team with four wins on the year. The Aces also lead the MVC in save percentage (85.7%), shots per game (16), shots on goal per game (7.5), and team goals against average (0.5). UE is now Top 10 in the nation in goal differential coming in at number 10.
With his second clean sheet of the season, freshman goalkeeper Michal Mroz (Elk Grove, Ill. / Elk Grove HS) now leads the Missouri Valley Conference in shutouts. Mroz also leads the conference in goalkeeper minutes played with 360 minutes so far. Along with leading two categories, Mroz is second in the conference in several statistical categories including goals against average (0.500) and save percentage (85.7%).
Chuck Whobrey President of Teamsters Local 215 Have served the Membership With Class, Dignity, And Honor
BY CHARLES L. BERGER, ESQ
SEPTEMBER 6, 2024
Dear CCO Editor
The recent announcement of the retirement of Chuck Whobrey as President of Teamsters Local 215 takes me back to when he first became the President. An article appeared on December 13, 1992, in the Evansville Courier, profiling Chuck as the new President of Teamsters Local 215. When you review that article and you consider his career since that time, he is a person who never wandered from his path as a strong and forceful labor leader in our community. Chuck’s influence has been one of a very positive influence upon our community. He helped create many different forces for change in the betterment of the working folks in our community, who he has represented and even those who he did not represent have benefited from his leadership and courage. He has made possible better health benefits for many individuals who never would have seen them but for his leadership and negotiating savvy.
He was instrumental in creating a scholarship fund to help individuals, who are without all of the necessary financial means, to provide a higher education for their children with an additional source of funds to do so.
Chuck has always stood up for his members and for the importance of improving the conditions of the working men and women in our area of the state. While Chuck’s influence will continue, his presence will be dearly missed missed
Recently, the Indiana Department of Environmental Management announced they had designated Evansville as a “Clean City.” I applaud the promises Evansville made to IDEM to “achieve” this designation since they are all clearly needed. However, it should be noted that this designation is not because we are actually “clean,” only that we intend to make an effort to be. As usual for IDEM, the criteria for this award are minimalist, completely ignoring way too many dirty streets and poor air quality Evansville and the region regularly exhibit.
In July, Indiana was found to be 49th out of 50 in quality of life. In the past, Hoosiers have notoriously had really high levels of infant mortality, toxic emissions and 100% of our streams and likes carry the dubious designation of Fish Consumption Advisories. Those FCAs warn women of child bearing age to limit their consumption of Indiana caught fish to one quarter pounder a month, lest they cause their yet to be born to have developmental disabilities due to mercury contamination.
Not long ago, Evansville was near the top of the list of “Obese” cities and last month the Indiana Lottery introduced “Rick, from Evansville” as a buffoon, snack eating competitor “going for the Gold” in the Hoosier Lottery as he cannonballs his entrance into a swim race.
Just so you know, Evansville does have new energy. Its new administration will hopefully address serious problems that impact our health. Improved quality of life will actually be something to celebrate instead of ridicule. But until our citizens finally recognize they shouldn’t throw their trash on our streets or in their neighbor’s yards and we are no longer forced to breathe fouled air, any claims of being “clean” are premature.
Here are the criteria listed on IDEM’s website as to how a community becomes a “clean” city. Leave it to IDEM to only require the completion of forms to satisfy their requirements just as they do with all the toxic pollution they permit:
Steps to Become a Clean Community:
1. Access and complete the application form.
2. Just so you know, the signature on the application must be that of the highest-ranking public official for the municipality (for example: mayor, county commissioner, etc.).
3. Attach the completed form to an email to: clean@idem.in.gov with “Application for Clean Community Program” in the subject line.
4. You will receive a confirmation that you’ve received your application for processing.
5. As with all IDEM recognition programs, successful applicants must have a positive environmental compliance history. This will be determined through an IDEM environmental compliance history check process.
6. Upon successfully meeting the requirements of environmental compliance, you will be contacted by the Clean Community program manager to fill out a Clean Team & Project Information Sheet.
7. The sheet will identify your population, the number of projects required based on that population, and the name of the projects that you are choosing from the list of Clean Community pre-approved projects. This project list will be provided to you by the Clean Community program manager.
8. Once your projects are chosen, the Clean Community program manager will provide you with specific project descriptions that outline exactly what needs to be submitted to qualify for Clean Community program requirements.
9. Lastly, you will identify your Clean Team members, a group of people in the community who will help plan and implement your sustainability efforts. It is recommended that your Clean Team be comprised of people from multiple departments and areas of expertise, both within the municipality, businesses, or through citizen involvement.
10. Based upon the review of the items above, you will be issued either a Welcome or Denial Letter. A denial will explain areas of improvement needed to qualify for entry into the program.
11. Work at your own pace to complete your municipality’s chosen projects.
12. A simple Annual Report is required that keeps the Clean Community program manager informed of your progress.
13. Attendance by at least one representative of your Clean Team at the Clean Community Annual Meeting is also required.
Questions or Interest in Joining? Please contact the Clean Community program manager.
FOOTNOTE: This article was posted by the CCO without bias or editing.
JEFF LYONS SELECTED AS A 2024 CCO “ANNUAL COMMUNITY SERVICE” AWARD WINNER
by Johnny Kincaid
September 16, 2024
The Annual City-County Observer “Annual Community Service Awards” luncheon is held at Bally’s-Evansville on September 20, 2024 in the Walnut room. at noon.
We are pleased to announce that this event is a total sellout and we expect almost 300 people to attend this well-respected annual awards ceremony.
Jeff grew up in Evansville and is a 1982 graduate of FJ Reitz High School. He graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Telecommunications from Indiana University in Bloomington. His first job was at WTHI-TV in Terre Haute as a morning weathercaster. He continued studying meteorology in Terre Haute at Indiana State University, completed certification as a meteorologist with the American Meteorology Society, and holds the Certified Broadcast Meteorologist Seal. Jeff returned to Evansville in 1988 and began his career at WFIE as a reporter and meteorologist.
In his 35+ years with WFIE, Jeff has visited every county in the Tri-State and routinely speaks 40-50 times each year at schools, community groups and church organizations. He has been an active board member at The Arc of Evansville since 2000, and co-wrote, produced and hosted The Really Big Show for 21 years. The show was a major fundraiser for ARC and raised over 1.5 million dollars for the organization. Jeff served as an adjunct instructor at the University of Southern Indiana for 17 years and taught broadcast performance in the school’s communications department.
Jeff has been married to his wife, Kate, for 35 years and has 3 children. He and his wife are avid bicyclists and musicians. Jeff currently plays the organ and his wife sings at St. Boniface parish. Jeff was also involved with a restoration project of the pipe organ in the Veterans Memorial Coliseum. Jeff has deep roots in Evansville and is the sixth generation to live on the Westside.
Bally’s Evansville’s Cavanaugh’s On The River Wins OpenTable’s 2024 Diners’ Choice Award
Evansville, IN – September 6, 2024 — Bally’s Evansville is thrilled to announce that Cavanaugh’s on the River has been awarded OpenTable’s 2024 Diners’ Choice Award. This esteemed accolade recognizes Cavanaugh’s as a premier dining destination, celebrated for its exceptional steak and seafood and remarkable riverfront setting.
Located on the second floor of the Riverfront Event Center, Cavanaugh’s on the River offers an unforgettable dining experience featuring a delectable menu of steak, seafood, and more. Guests can enjoy their meals while overlooking the scenic Ohio River views and indulge in live entertainment provided by regional musicians at Cavanaugh’s piano bar. The restaurant’s elegant atmosphere and vibrant entertainment make it the ideal choice for a memorable evening out.
Reservations are highly recommended to ensure an exceptional dining experience. For more information or to book a table, please visit Cavanaugh’s on the River (ballys.com) or Open Table.
As she does nearly every morning, Lauren Jones wakes up at 4:00 a.m. and prepares to go for a run that could be anywhere from three to ten miles, sometimes in preparation for another marathon.On the mornings she does not run, she is lifting weights at the YMCA.She lives on the west side of Evansville with her husband, David, two cats, and a beloved puppy, Candi.Lauren will be either the first or second person (depending on her husband David’s schedule) opening the law offices of Jones · Wallace in the Fifth Third building in downtown Evansville.She is the Firm Administrator and paralegal, and since 2019 has been Chief of Staff for the Vanderburgh County Law Department.She has been in the legal field for 30+ years.
Lauren was the Paralegal and Chief of Staff of the Law Department of the City of Evansville from 2004 through 2011 where she demonstrated unequaled professional
skills, competence and dedication as a paralegal.At that time, then-Mayor Jonathan Weinzapfel said:
“As Chief of Staff for the City Law Department, Lauren Jones shoulders a great deal of responsibility. From her work at Code Enforcement hearings to handling tort claims, we depend on Lauren to represent the City and its interests.She serves as a role model to other paralegals and helps raise the standard for the profession.”
In addition to her administrative skills in coordinating the activities of members of the City Law Department who were in various law firms, she represented the City in prosecuting City Code ordinance violations in Administrative Hearings, which proved invaluable to the City in reducing the back log of cases, and eliminated the need for an attorney.The City’s Code Enforcement Coordinator, Greg Bryant, remarked at the time:
“For the past few years, I’ve had the opportunity to work closely with Lauren on Code Enforcement legal issues.Her client dedication and case preparedness are always there.She just exudes professionalism with a can-do attitude and it has truly been my pleasure to work with her.”
Lauren was the Paralegal in every jury trial for the City in that period of time from 2004 to 2011.
For a number of years, Lauren worked with a small group of dedicated paralegals from around Indiana seeking to create a statewide certification program to raise the standards of professionalism for paralegals in the Indiana Bar Association.Former Indiana State Bar Association President, Spence Walton, observed:
“ As President of the Indiana State Bar Association in 2000-2001, we passed changes to the admission requirements allowing paralegals to join the ISBA.I have had the pleasure of working with Lauren Jones and others to establish the Paralegal Committee to enhance paralegals’ roles in the Indiana legal system.Lauren has always been at the forefront of her profession to make the practice of law in Indiana not only better for paralegals, but also the clients we all serve.”
In 2014, after many years of effort and perseverance, the small group of paralegals, which included Lauren working with former ISBA President and Ethics Chair John Conlon and Indiana Appellate Court Judge Ed Najam, persuaded the ISBA Board of Governors and the ISBA House of Delegates to approve a program for registered paralegals, which ultimately was adopted by the Indiana Supreme Court.Lauren was one of the first paralegals to receive the designation of Indiana Registered Paralegal with registration number three.She has Bachelor of Science in Paralegal Studies, and is a PACE Registered Paralegal, and an Indiana Registered Paralegal.As a member of the Indiana State Bar Association for many years, she has served as Vice Chair of the Affiliate Membership Committee and a member of the ISBA Ethics Committee.Lauren served on the Board of Directors of the Indiana Paralegal Association, serving two terms as President.She also chaired the IPA Ethics Committee and was a long-serving member of its Regulation Committee.Lauren is currently a member of the ISBA, IPA, National Federation of Paralegal Association and the Evansville Bar Association Paralegal Section, where she served as the first Chairperson.Lauren has been a member of the EBA Diversity Outreach Committee.
In 2013, Lauren was awarded the Indiana Paralegal Association’s Outstanding Board Member of the Year award.In 2012, she was awarded the Indiana State Bar Association’s Affiliate Committee Award.In 2010, Lauren was awarded the Outstanding Paralegal of the Year by the Indiana Paralegal Association.She also received the 2010 Evansville Bar Association’s Outstanding Paralegal Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Profession of Paralegal and Dedicated Service to the Legal Community.She was the 2005 recipient of the Evansville Bar Association President’s Award.
As the late and revered former Executive Director of the Evansville Bar Association, Susan Helfrich once said:
“Without Lauren’s dedication, hard work, and professionalism, paralegals would not be valued members of the Evansville Bar Association.”
She is also active in the community and currently serves as a member of the Community Correction Advisory Board. She is a member of the Board of Directors of A Network of Evansville Women (ANEW) and has been a member for 15+ years. She currently chairs ANEW’s Orientation Committee and has chaired and served on several ANEW committees. Lauren currently performs duties on the Women’s Equality Day committee as well.Lauren served as a volunteer for the Vanderburgh County Juvenile Court’s Teen Court Program; has volunteered for the Volunteer Lawyer Program; and has served as a volunteer paralegal for members of the military reserves who were called to active duty.She has donated many hours annually assisting charitable organizations, as well as individuals, especially youth and the elderly.
Lauren has been a member of Abundant Life Community Church in Newburgh since 1998, where she has taught Sunday School for over 25 years.Former Associate Pastor Kevin Kappler remarked before he accepted a position at another church:
“Lauren Jones has been my youngest son Kraig’s Sunday School teacher for approximately a year.Lauren and her husband David have been faithful and incredibly committed to their group of students in their endeavor to deliver the Word of God and display the compassion of Christ.Not only did they take the time to personalize their classroom through painting and decorating, but they have also taken the students to several off-ground activities.”
Lauren Jones has been a role model for others in the legal community through her years of commitment to raising the bar of professionalism and helping to provide a higher standard of legal services.
Explore Evansville: 2024 State of the Tourism Industry
BY STAFF
SEPTEMBER 06, 2024
Evansville, IN – September 6, 2024 – The Rotary Club of Evansville recently hosted Alexis Berggren, President & CEO of Explore Evansville, who presented an insightful overview of the state of the tourism industry in the region. The presentation underscored the critical role that Destination Marketing Organizations (DMOs) play in economic development and highlighted key trends, challenges, and successes within the tourism sector. The Importance of Tourism
Tourism remains a vital contributor to the economic vitality of Vanderburgh County and beyond. In 2023, travelers spent an astounding $1.3 trillion across the United States, supporting over 15.4 million jobs. Locally, tourism generated $503 million in 2022, supporting 10,293 jobs, making it the fifth-largest industry in Vanderburgh County. Without this sector, households in Vanderburgh County would face an additional tax burden of $1,149 annually. Tourism Trends and Challenges
The industry is currently facing unprecedented challenges. Despite the recovery from the pandemic, there are still more job openings than available workers, with Vanderburgh County leisure and hospitality sectors trailing behind 2019 levels by approximately 1,000 employees. Generational shifts in travel preferences are also reshaping the landscape. Boomers continue to favor traditional travel methods, while Gen Z travelers prioritize unique, authentic experiences and have an increasingly short attention span for advertising.
Local Tourism Investments Since 1995, Explore Evansville has invested over $46 million in local tourism infrastructure, with notable projects including Goebel Sports Complex, Mesker Park Zoo, and the Deaconess Aquatic Center. These investments, largely funded by visitor spending, not only enhance the tourism landscape but also reduce the tax burden on residents by covering costs that would otherwise fall on the community.
Tourism Performance and Economic Impact In the first six months of 2024, Explore Evansville played a pivotal role in helping to sell or service 62 events, generating nearly 150,000 visitors and over $30.5 million in economic impact. The sales team has already booked 42,289 room nights for future events, representing a 22% increase over 2023 and an estimated economic impact of $23.37 million.
Looking Ahead. The future of Evansville’s tourism industry is poised for continued growth, with plans to expand the Evansville Sports Complex and explore new tourism opportunities at regional parks. Upcoming events in 2025, including the United Pentecostal Church Indiana Youth Convention, International Jugglers’ Association, and the Professional Pickleball Association, promise to bring significant economic benefits to the area.A Community Effort
Berggren emphasized the importance of community collaboration, stating, “Our role goes beyond just promoting Evansville—we are dedicated to building a stronger community by driving economic growth and creating experiences that benefit both our residents and visitors alike.” With a dedicated team, a supportive board of commissioners, and collaborative local partnerships, Explore Evansville is committed to sustaining and growing the region’s tourism industry.
For more information on Explore Evansville and upcoming events, visit www.exploreevansville.com or contact the office at (812) 421-2200.
By Colleen Steffen, TheStatehouseFile.com Sept, 6, 2024
Former U.S. Sen. Richard Lugar sits in Franklin College’s Branigin Room on April 30, 2018. The Indiana politician watched the premiere of a documentary depicting his life and career, “Richard Lugar: Reason’s Quiet Warrior.”
Photo by Erica Irish, TheStatehouseFile.com.
In April 2018, almost a year to the day before he died, former U.S. Sen. Richard Lugar, R-Indiana, visited the campus of Franklin College to watch an hour-long documentary about his life.
“Richard Lugar: Reason’s Quiet Warrior” had been created by students from the Pulliam School of Journalism, and after airing on WFYI, it would go on to be nominated for a regional Emmy. Through interviews with friends, family, colleagues and the man himself, it painted a portrait of the Eagle Scout, lifelong Rotarian, school-board commissioner, Indianapolis mayor and U.S. senator as unassuming, dignified to the point of formality, ambitious, but with an enduringly idealistic vision of public service.
“Donald Trump took office in 2016, and we were really starting to see that shift, such a shift into division,” says Shelby Thomas, then Shelby Mullis, a Franklin College sophomore on the documentary team. “To talk to somebody who was all about bipartisanship, who made so many changes and had such a big impact …
“To be able to talk to him—it was so interesting.”
Lugar soon will be honored with a new statue to stand in the center of Richard G. Lugar Plaza, the two-acre space between East Washington Street and the City-County Building in downtown Indianapolis. Its unveiling happens 10 a.m. Tuesday, several blocks away at Bicentennial Unity Plaza, on Pennsylvania Street at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will deliver remarks.
For Thomas, the timing of this latest memorial is also appropriate, just months before a bitterly partisan presidential election. She wracked her brain to think of something contentious Lugar might have said during her several trips to Washington, D.C., to help interview him and could not.
“I don’t remember his comments about the political climate of that time, but I think it’s because he was not one who … he was not one to shame,” she said. “Whatever he said was very tame if he said anything at all.”
While Lugar isremembered as the two-term Indy mayor who envisioned Unigov, as Indiana’s longest serving congressman and as one of the men behind the Nunn-Lugar program to reduce nuclear weapons, the young journalists who briefly worked with him—while also working at the Indiana Statehouse with TheStatehouseFile.com—were struck by his tone.
Then Franklin College freshman Erica Irish served as a transcriptionist and researcher on the documentary, listening to all the team’s recorded interviews with Lugar and even hunting down his writings from his high-school newspaper—spending a long time with his words.
“To me, Lugar most exemplified the power of communication in building consensus,” she says. “He spoke at many points in his life about the necessity of staying in the room with—and listening to—the people who disagree with you. We can’t write each other off simply because of policy disagreements. Without disagreement and debate, policy will never serve everyone.”
Clayton Taylor of WFYI and John Krull, director of Franklin College’s Pulliam School of Journalism and publisher of The Statehouse File, served as co-executive producers of the documentary. Krull also was writer and narrator. Joel Cramer, J.D., a Franklin professor of journalism, was field producer for the 11-student team.
“’Reason’s Quiet Warrior’ presented several gifts,” says Krull. “The first, of course, was that it provided on video a complete telling of Richard Lugar’s story. But the greater gift was the impact it made on the students who worked on it. In addition to enhancing their skills, it gave them a much broader understanding of the ways the world works.”
After Franklin graduation and a stint in daily newspapers, Thomas landed in the office of Gov. Eric J. Holcomb as deputy director for drug prevention, treatment and enforcement.
“I think obviously The Statehouse File was my introduction to government and politics. Prior, I could tell you who the governor was … But it wasn’t until The Statehouse File—it really taught me the basics,” Thomas said. “But it was these really personal experiences I got that solidified my interest in public service.
“To be able to hear from Lugar himself all of those times we interviewed him, it just really solidified—that’s the type of public servant you want be.”
Colleen Steffen is executive editor of TheStatehouseFile.com, a news website powered by Franklin College journalism students. She worked as a newspaper reporter and editor for more than 13 years and is now in her 10th year teaching college journalists.
