Schedule adjusted as Aces head to Illinois State
Games now set for Friday and Saturday
Another huge weekend of Missouri Valley Conference action is upcoming for the University of Evansville softball team as the Purple Aces head to Normal, Ill. for a 3-game series against Illinois State.
The series has been shifted to Friday and Saturday with the weekend forecast in Illinois; the teams will play a doubleheader on Friday at 1 p.m. with a single game set for Saturday at 11 a.m.
Despite falling in its four games last week, the Aces were extremely competitive, falling by a total of six runs in those contests. Three of those games went to extra innings, including a 14-inning marathon on Wednesday. Mea Adams was the top performer for UE, batting .357 in the last four games while walking on two occasions.
Second on the team in batting was Jaime Nurrenbern, who notched a hit in four at-bats. Nurrenbern threw 10 innings in the last two games, posting an ERA of 0.70 while giving up just six hits. Morgan Florey notched a 3.32 ERA with 25 K’s over the last week while Ashleigh Downing was also solid, tossing 8.1 frames with a 3.36 ERA.
Adams led the way with a .400 batting average against Missouri State and went 1-4 with a run against UT Martin. Adams registered four hits in 10 at-bats while walking twice, recording an RBI and scoring a run versus MSU. She heads to Illinois State riding a 5-game win streak.
Florey struck out the side in the first inning on Saturday and in the process, posted the 600th strikeout of her career; Florey is just the second in program history to do so, joining Katie Markle on the exclusive list. Florey is on the cusp of joining the top 20 in MVC history as Drake’s Jessica Hicks ranks 19th with 653 in her career from 2003-06. With 202 strikeouts on the season, she is just 15 away from setting the single season program record.
The Redbirds sit at 14-23 overall and 5-5 in the Valley. They have won four in a row with two victories over both Indiana State and Loyola. ISU is led by Allison Spence, who is batting .304 on the season. She leads the way with 34 hits, nine doubles and 23 RBI.
USI Games At Bellarmine Moved Up Eagles & Knights Play Friday-Saturday
The University of Southern Indiana baseball team hits the road for a four-game Great Lakes Valley Conference set with Bellarmine University that has been moved up to Friday and Saturday in Louisville, Kentucky, due to the weather forecast. The first pitch is set for 11 a.m. (CDT) each day.
Following the four-game series in Louisville, the Screaming Eagles come back home for a four-game homestand at the friendly surroundings of the USI Baseball Field. USI hosts Kentucky Wesleyan College April 17 at 6 p.m. before a three-game showdown with fourth-ranked University of Tampa April 20-21. Start times for the USI-Tampa series are set for 6 p.m. April 20 and 21, prior to concluding the three games with a noon first pitch April 22.
Game coverage of the Screaming Eagles baseball games this season can be found on GoUSIEagles.com. Watch Twitter, Facebook, and GoUSIEagles.com for any schedule changes due to weather.
VANDERBURGH COUNTY FELONY CHARGES
Below are the felony cases to be filed by the Vanderburgh County Prosecutor’s Office today.
Allen D. Fetcher: Operating a motor vehicle after forfeiture of license for life (Level 5 Felony), Unlawful possession of syringe (Level 6 Felony), Possession of paraphernalia (Class A misdemeanor)
Chad Dale Winstead: Battery against a public safety official (Level 6 Felony), Resisting law enforcement (Level 6 Felony), Intimidation (Level 6 Felony), Resisting law enforcement (Class A misdemeanor), False informing (Class B misdemeanor)
John David Benthall: Intimidation (Level 5 Felony), Criminal mischief (Class B misdemeanor)
Michael Vincent Murr: Strangulation (Level 6 Felony), Domestic battery (Class A misdemeanor)
Justices reverse ‘unreasonable’ probation internet restriction
Olivia Covinton for www.thendianalawyer.com
A Tippecanoe County man convicted of incest with his teenage niece will have one of his probation conditions revisited after the Indiana Supreme Court determined the condition requiring him to get permission to access the internet was not reasonably related to his crime.
In Kristopher L. Weida v. State of Indiana, 79S02-1711-CR-687, 34-year-old Kristopher Weida had sex with his 16-year-old niece, K.M., after looking at explicit photos on their cellphones and perusing a website about incest. Weida subsequently pleaded guilty to Level 5 felony incest and left sentencing to the Tippecanoe Superior Court’s discretion.
The trial court sentenced Weida to three years, with one year executed and two years suspended to the probation. Among the probation conditions imposed was Condition 8, which prohibited Weida from access websites “frequented by children,†and Condition 26, which prohibited him from accessing the internet without prior approval from his probation officer. However, Weida was permitted to use the internet to contact his children.
A divided panel of the Indiana Court of Appeals upheld those probation conditions in August, with Judge Rudolph Pyle writing the conditions were “reasonably related†to Weida’s offense and because they did not constitute a complete internet ban. But Judge John Baker dissented, finding Condition 26 was “unduly intrusive and unnecessarily restrictive.â€
After hearing oral argument in December, the Indiana Supreme Court unanimously agreed with Baker’s dissent regarding Condition 26, but aligned with the majority opinion with regard to Condition 8.
Looking first to Condition 8, Justice Christopher Goff rejected Weida’s argument that the trial court should have provided “an illustrative list of prohibited activities to pass constitutional muster.†Then, taking his probation conditions as a whole — which included other prohibitions on explicitly communicating with children in person or on the internet — Goff said Weida’s probation imposed a blanket ban on contacting children other than his own.
Thus, a person of ordinary intelligence would understand that Condition 8 prohibits Weida from visiting websites where he could engage in such communication, Goff said. That prohibition is reasonably related to Weida’s rehabilitation and to protecting the public considering the nature of his offense, he said, and does not unduly intrude on his First Amendment rights.
But turning to Condition 26, the high court found its provisions — which have since been altered on a statewide level — were not reasonably related to Weida’s rehabilitation or to public safety. Relying on Waters v. State, 65 N.E.3d 613, 619-20 (Ind. Ct. App. 2016), the court noted that Weida had no history of misuse of the internet, aside from the time he spent looking at an incest website with his niece.
“A more appropriate internet restriction — one that reasonably relates to his rehabilitation and protecting the public — will restrict access to obscene or sexually explicit material,†Goff wrote. “Such a restriction will assist him in rehabilitating and avoiding enticement to re-offend yet allow him to remain a productive member of our internet-dependent society.â€
Thus, the court remanded the case with instructions to impose a more reasonable internet restriction. In a footnote, they also summarily affirmed the Court of Appeals’ holding that Weida’s sentence was not inappropriate.
The victim from Ohio St. near Fulton Ave. death
The victim from Ohio St. near Fulton Ave. has been identified as Mark Douglas Slaughter, age 43, of Evansville. He died at Deaconess Midtown Hospital at 23:57 hours 04-12-2018 after having been struck by a vehicle on Ohio St. An autopsy has been scheduled for 9 am tomorrow 04-14-2018. The Evansville Police Department is investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident.
USI-Tampa tickets on sale
  Tickets are on sale now for the upcoming University of Southern Indiana and fourth-ranked University of Tampa three-game baseball series at the USI Baseball Field. The series is scheduled for 6 p.m. April 20; 6 p.m. April 21; and noon April 22.
Ticket prices are $5 per game or $10 for all three games of the series and can be purchased in advance until April 19 at the USI Athletics office. Fans also can purchase tickets in advance at the USI Baseball Field during the Eagles’ game versus Kentucky Wesleyan College April 17.
AG Curtis Hill writes op-ed supporting citizenship question on census and extolling immigration’s benefits to U.S.
Attorney General Curtis Hill has written an op-ed criticizing a lawsuit brought by 17 states against the U.S. Census Bureau seeking the removal of a planned 2020 question on respondents’ citizenship status. In the op-ed, Attorney General Hill takes exception to plaintiffs’ contention that such a question serves to frighten and intimidate foreign-born respondents.
The op-ed also pays homage to America’s rich heritage of welcoming legal immigrants to the nation’s shores and calls for a continuation of this legacy. “How we treat immigrants in America will define much about our culture, our character and our spirit as we move forward in the 21st century,†he writes.
This op-ed – attached below — is available for publication by any outlet. A photo of the Attorney General is also attached. If you intend to publish this op-ed — and/or if you have any difficulty opening the attached Word document — please inform Deputy Director of Communications Bill McCleery at bill.mccleery@atg.in.gov. Thank you for your consideration.
EVANSVILLE HYDROFESTâ„¢ WILL ROAR ON THE RIVER LABOR DAY WEEKEND
Evansville HydroFest™ will return to the Ohio Riverfront in Downtown Evansville, Indiana USA over the Labor Day weekend in 2018. Evansville HydroFest™ will host the American Power Boat Association’s Eastern Divisional Championships for 14 classes of Inboard Boats during the 3-day event, Friday August 31st, Saturday September 1st, and Sunday September 2nd, 2018.
All 14 classes of eligible APBA boats use inboard powerplants, as opposed to outboard motors, in a variety of hull designs, including flat bottom, V bottom, and hydroplanes. The classes are grouped by hull type, length, weight, and size and type of engine. Each class is distinguished by letters, such as Y, NMH, and GP.
In its inaugural year 2017, Evansville HydroFest™ attracted a total of 53 teams in 10 different classes, including 1 Litre Y Hydroplanes, National Modified Hydroplanes NMH, and Grand Prix Hydroplanes GP. Hurricane Harvey caused inclement weather and river conditions requiring many adjustments to the racing schedule, but the fans and race teams unanimously declared the event a great success. For 2018, a comparable number of teams are expected from throughout North American including Canada.
The GP’s are the loudest, fastest, and largest of the APBA Inboard Classes, using 468 cubic inch supercharged/fuel injected V8 engines running on methanol and producing upwards of 1500 horsepower. The current world straightaway record was set in Fall 2016 by GP15, driven by Jerry Hopp at 170.620 mph.
The Grand Prix’s are organized and presented by Grand Prix world (GPW). The Executive Director is Mr. Sam Cole, a longtime organizer of hydroplane racing.
Evansville HydroFest™ is presented by Evansville Events, Inc., a 501c3 non-profit entity of the Evansville Convention and Visitors Bureau. Mr. Bob Warren is the Executive Director. Serving on the Executive Organizing Committee are Mr. Vernon Stevens, President of Southern Business Machines and Mr. Randy Lientz, President of AXIOM. All members reside in Evansville.
Bob Warren emphasized: “We are presenting Evansville HydroFestâ„¢ because our residents and visitors have asked for a new form of boatracing on our beautiful Ohio River. They want more boats, closer competition, less downtime, cooler temperatures, and MORE ROAR! And we will deliver. We chose Labor Day weekend because high temperatures will be around 85 degrees. As for action, as soon one race is completed, the next heat will begin.â€
Admission cost for Evansville HydroFest™ is $10 total for the 2 days of racing. 12 and under are free. The wristbands will go on sale June 28th at all 6 Schnucks Evansville/Newburgh locations, and additional sales locations will be the Evansville Museum and SWIRCA.
The Preliminary Event Schedule is as follows:
Friday, August 31, 2018
8:00 am to 1:00 pm             Pit and Race Course Set Up, Team Registration
1:00 pm to 5:00 pm             River Closed
Testing & Qualifying for All Classes
5:00 pm                                 River Open to Traffic
Saturday, September 1, 2018
9:00 am                                 Mandatory Driver’s Meeting
10:00 am to 5:00 pm           River Closed
4-lap Qualifying Heat Races for All Classes
5:00 pm                                 River Open to Traffic
Sunday, September 2, 2018
10:00 am to 5:00 pm           River Closed
4-lap Qualifying and Championship Heat Races for All Classes
5:00 pm                                 Awards Presentation
River Open to Traffic
Vernon Stevens stated: “The Evansville HydroFest™ represents an entirely new form of family entertainment for the Midwest. The Mission of our event is:
To Present Quality of Life Family Entertainment with a Sustainable Event Utilizing the Ohio River to Retain and Attract Citizens and Visitors to Evansville, Indiana USA.â€
“Our Vision for Evansville HydroFest™ is to:
ü Provide Affordable, Family Friendly Entertainment
ü Utilize the Natural Resource of the Ohio River
ü Deliver a Quality, World-Class Event
ü Engage the Tri-State Community, the Midwest, and All North America
ü Manage the Event to Be Self Sustainable for Future Generationsâ€
“Our Values for Evansville HydroFest™ are:
ü We Are in the Entertainment Business
ü Professional Race Teams are Necessary to Deliver Quality Entertainment
ü Spectators Will Pay a Fair Price for Quality Entertainment
ü Sound Fiduciary Principles Are Necessary for Sustainability.â€
Randy Lientz continued: “We are grateful for the support of Evansville’s Mayor Lloyd Winnecke and the various city services we need to present Evansville HydroFestâ„¢. We are working closely with the City of Evansville, the United States Coast Guard, the Army Corps of Engineers, American Power Boat Association, Grand Prix World, and the Evansville Convention & Visitors Bureau.â€
Vernon Stevens says “More than 100 volunteers will be needed to stage Evansville HydroFestâ„¢. Dubbed “The Roar Corps,†a wide variety of positions are needed before, during, and after the event.â€Â Interested individuals and groups can register at: evansvillehydrofest.com/volunteer.â€
Stevens also emphasized: “Corporate Sponsorships are now being solicited to help fund Evansville HydroFest™, beginning with the Title Sponsor. The Executive Committee will meet with interested businesses to explain the benefits of participation in the event, details, provisions, and costs.
For more information about the American Power Boat Association, visit www.apba.org
For more information about Evansville HydroFestâ„¢, visit www.evansvillehydrofest.com
For more information about the City of Evansville, visit www.visitevansville.com