Home Blog Page 4349

Eagles are 25th in NCBWA preseason poll

0

University of Southern Indiana Baseball is ranked 25th nationally in the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Division II Preseason Top 25 Poll as it prepares for the first pitch of 2018 on February 16 versus the preseason number one Delta State University. The Screaming Eagles, who also were ranked 13th Collegiate Baseball Newspaper Preseason Top 40, have been ranked eight times in the last 11 preseason polls, getting the top spot in 2011 and 2015.

USI throws out the first pitch in two weeks when it travels to Delta State for a double-header with the Statesmen February 16 before playing a single neutral-site game against Quincy University. The Eagles open the 2018 home schedule with the Dunn Hospitality Classic February 23-25, featuring match-ups with Missouri University of Science & Technology, Hillsdale College, Grand Valley State University, and Rockhurst University.

NCBWA Preseason Top 25
RANK     SCHOOL
1. Delta State (8)
2. West Chester (8)
3. Colorado Mesa (1)
4. UC San Diego
5. Tampa
6. St. Thomas Aquinas
7. Mount Olive (1)
8. Emporia State
9. North Georgia
Quincy
11. Mercyhurst
12. Southern New Hampshire
13. Azusa Pacific
14. Northwood
15. Nova Southeastern
16. Lubbock Christian
17. Minnesota State
18. Catawba
19. Dixie State
20. Angelo State
21. St. Cloud State
22. Chico State
23. UNC Pembroke
24. West Alabama
25. Southern Indiana

Others receiving votes: Seton Hill, Pa.; California Baptist; Lindenwood, Mo.; New Haven, Conn.; USC Aiken; Florida Southern; West Texas A&M; Cal Poly Pomona.

Indiana’s King Named Big Ten Swimmer of the Week

0

Indiana University swimmer Lilly King was named the Big Ten Women’s Swimmer of the Week on Wednesday, the league office announced. Originally, King had not been named this week’s recipient, but after an error with some results was discovered, the Evansville, Ind. product earned the honor.

The weekly honor is the fifth this season for King and the ninth of her illustrious career. The accolade is the 11th this season for the IU women’s swimming and diving team – the most of any team in the league. Combined, with the men’s squad, IU has won 23 total weekly honors, six more than Michigan (16).

This past Friday, King helped the No. 8-ranked Hoosier women’s team take down No. 10-ranked Louisville, 160.5-139.5. The junior earned four first-place finishes overall and won three individual events, posting NCAA B Standard times in the 100 breaststroke (59.99), the 200 breaststroke (2:11.03) and the 400 IM (4:13.69).

King also helped IU win the 200 medley relay against the Cardinals, posting a time of 1:38.14.

 

Simmons Posts First Double-Double In Win Over UNI

0

Junior Ryan Taylor scored 25 points and senior Blake Simmons posted the first double-double of his career to lead the University of Evansville men’s basketball team to its third win a row, taking down UNI by a final of 57-49 inside the Ford Center on Wednesday evening.

“I am just proud of our guys,” Evansville head coach Marty Simmons said.  “UNI was able to come back on us in the first half, but we did a nice job of playing better together in the second half.  We made some plays and our defense did a nice job.  This is a good win for us.”

Taylor connected on 10 out of 17 shots on the night on the way to his third 20-point game in a row.  Simmons finished with 15 points and 15 rebounds for UE (15-9, 5-6 MVC).  Evan Kuhlman had a nice game, posting eight points in 17 minutes of work.

“Our mindset is the same every night,” Blake Simmons said after the game.  “Unfortunately Dru was not out here tonight, but our goal is the same every night and that is to always play as hard as we can and get the W and that is what we did tonight.”

Leading the Panthers (11-13, 3-9 MVC) was Bennett Koch.  He scored 19 points and had five rebounds, both team bests.

A defensive battle ensued as the Purple Aces and Panthers battled to a 21-21 tie at the half.  Evansville had the upper hand early on as a Blake Simmons trey and a field goal from Ryan Taylor gave UE a 5-0 lead.  The Aces added to make it an 8-2 game before the Panthers got back on track with an Isaiah Brown triples that got them within a point at 10-9.

Taylor, who totaled 12 points in the first half, had a 10-0 run on his own.  He started off with two 3-pointers that gave Evansville a 20-9 lead.  UE’s defense held the Panthers scoreless for 8:06 as UNI missed 10 shots in a row.

Wyatt Lohaus ended the UNI streak with a triples of his own and helped them finish the half on an 11-1 run to force the 21-21 tie at the break.  Evansville missed its last seven field goal tries of the half and went without a bucket for the final 6:43.  UNI’s run was capped off by a Hunter Rhodes trey in the final minute that tied the game up.

The Panthers had an efficient opening possession of the second stanza.  After forcing the third person foul of the night on both Dainius Chatkevicius and Dalen Traore, Rhodes hit a jumper giving the Panthers their first lead of the game at 23-21.  A Bennett Koch and-one pushed the UNI lead to 28-22 less than four minutes in.

On the next UE possession, K.J. Riley ended a streak of over 10 minutes without a field goal as he connected on a shot at the 16-minute mark.  Evan Kuhlman followed that up with a three to bring the Aces within one at 28-27.  Taylor’s hot night continued as his third 3-pointer of the game tied it up at 32-32 with 12:24 left.

Seconds later, the 19th points of the evening for Taylor gave the lead back to Evansville at 34-33.  After Northern Iowa tied it up on a free throw, a 5-0 run, all from Blake Simmons, put the advantage back in UE’s favor.  As a team, Evansville hit seven field goals in a row to go up, 39-34.

Neither team could pull away too far as Carlson connected from downtown to cut its deficit to a pair, but on the other end, Noah Frederking hit his first bucket of the night and Kuhlman followed it up with his second from long range as the Aces went up 45-39 with 7 minutes remaining.

Evansville’s lead continued to grow.  With under five minutes on the clock, Simmons’ fifth basket of the game, coupled with another one from Taylor, saw UE match its largest lead at 53-42.  The Panthers got as close as seven in the final minutes, but the Aces clinched the night with a 57-49 victory.

UNI finished with a slight 33-32 edge on the boards, but it was the Aces offense finishing the night at 45.7% while the defense held UNI to 31.3%.

Simmons led everyone with his career mark of 15 caroms to go along with 15 points in his first double-double.  He was proud of the effort following the game.

“I was able to block out, be aggressive and go after the boards,” Simmons said.  “Sometimes the ball just falls to you and tonight, the bounces were going towards me.  It was good to have a double-double, but more important, we got the win.”

It is back to the road for the Aces as they travel to Normal, Ill. on Saturday to face Illinois State in a 3 p.m. contest inside Redbird Arena.

 

Help the Sheriff’s Office Identify this Fraud Suspect

0
The Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Office is seeking your help to identify this fraud suspect. Our Criminal Investigations Section is investigating multiple fraud cases involving stolen debit card information.

The suspect pictured below attempted to use a counterfeit bank card at a local ATM.

Please click here to submit a tip or call our telephone tip line at (812) 421-6297.

 

 

 

 

 

IU’s Lanza, Fantoni Earn Weekly Big Ten Honors

0

The No. 2-ranked Indiana University men’s swimming and diving team saw two swimmers earn weekly honors from the Big Ten on Wednesday.

Junior Vini Lanza was named the Big Ten Swimmer of the Week, while fellow Belo Horizonte, Brazil product Gabriel Fantoni was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week for a third-straight time.

The No. 2 Hoosiers wrapped up the dual-meet season with a 184.5-115.5 victory over No. 14 Louisville last Friday. Indiana (9-0) finished the year undefeated for the second-straight season, extending the team’s dual-meet win streak to 22.

On the year, the IU men earned 12 Big Ten weekly honors, five more than Michigan and Purdue who each had seven apiece. Combined with the women’s team, Indiana won 22 total weekly accolades, six more than Michigan (16).

Against the Cardinals last Friday, Lanza swept the butterfly events, winning the 100 (46.86) and 200 (1:45.14) with NCAA B cut marks. The junior was also a member of the winning 200 medley relay (1:26.29) and 400 freestyle relay (2:54.54).

Fantoni notched an impressive win against Louisville in the 100 backstroke, touching the wall with a NCAA B cut of 47.27. The rookie was also on the team’s winning 200 medley relay.

 

VANDERBURGH COUNTY FELONY CHARGES

0

Below are the felony cases to be filed by the Vanderburgh County Prosecutor’s Office today.

Jose Esteban Ramirez: Domestic battery (Level 6 Felony)

Everett Darnell Easterling: Residential entry (Level 6 Felony)

Rachel Lynne Fisher: Unlawful possession or use of a legend drug (Level 6 Felony), Maintaining a common nuisance – controlled substance (Level 6 Felony), Unlawful possession of syringe (Level 6 Felony), Possession of paraphernalia (Class A misdemeanor)

Trevor John Stanley: Maintaining a common nuisance – controlled substances (Level 6 Felony)

Heavenly: Possession of methamphetamine (Level 6 Felony), Possession of paraphernalia (Class C misdemeanor)

Matthew S. Lander: Possession of a narcotic drug (Level 6 Felony), Operating a vehicle as an habitual violator (Level 6 Felony)

Jean-Claude Majors: Possession of methamphetamine (Level 4 Felony), Possession of a narcotic drug (Level 6 Felony), Possession of a synthetic drug or synthetic drug lookalike substance (Class A misdemeanor)

Bradley Keith York: Resisting law enforcement (Level 6 Felony), Criminal recklessness (Level 6 Felony), Operating a vehicle while intoxicated endangering a person (Class A misdemeanor), Reckless driving (Class C misdemeanor), Resisting law enforcement (Class A misdemeanor)

Angela Faye Skaggs: Conspiracy Dealing in methamphetamine (Level 2 Felony), Dealing in methamphetamine (Level 2 Felony), Carrying a handgun without a license (Level 5 Felony)

Diamond Staples: Domestic battery (Level 6 Felony), Domestic battery (Level 6 Felony)

Eric Thomas Bradshaw: Domestic battery (Level 6 Felony), Domestic battery (Level 6 Felony)

Anthony Lee Parker: Intimidation (Level 6 Felony), Intimidation (Level 6 Felony), Battery resulting in moderate bodily injury (Level 6 Felony), Disorderly conduct (Class B misdemeanor)

Tonya Enair Duerson: Possession of cocaine (Level 5 Felony), Possession of methamphetamine (Level 5 Felony), Criminal Trespass (Class A misdemeanor)

Brittney Nicole Clark: Theft (Level 6 Felony)

Jeremy Wilburn Ford: Unlawful possession of syringe (Level 6 Felony), Operating a vehicle as an habitual traffic violator (Level 6 Felony)

Dane Josephe Reiter: Possession of a narcotic drug (Level 6 Felony)

Brandon Michael Thaxton: Residential entry (Level 6 Felony)

Brain W. Weightman: Resisting law enforcement (Level 6 Felony), Reckless driving (Class C misdemeanor), Operating a motor vehicle without ever receiving a license (Class C misdemeanor)

Daniel Lee Besaw: Domestic battery (Level 5 Felony)

Youth First Unveils 20th Anniversary Celebrations

0

Youth First, Inc. will host a ribbon cutting on Thursday, February 1st at 9:00 am to unveil its 20th-anniversary celebrations. The year ahead will include an anniversary edition of the organization’s signature auction, an awards reception, and a celebratory gala. These events will honor the community that has stepped forward to support Youth First over the years and serve as a springboard for the organization’s future endeavors.

Featured speakers at the unveiling include Dr. William Wooten, Youth First founder; Carol Lynch, Youth First Board Member; Jim Back, Edward Jones Financial Planner; and Parri Black, Youth First President & CEO. The Southwest Indiana Chamber will mark this occasion with an anniversary ribbon cutting and light refreshments will be served.

The organization will highlight the Edward Jones Emerald Gala celebrating Youth First’s 20th anniversary on April 21, 2018, at Tropicana’s Riverfront Pavilion. Limited sponsorships and tickets are available. The gala features an anniversary edition of Youth First’s Passport to Adventure auction as well as a formal dinner, dancing, and other entertainment. This event commemorates Youth First’s 20th anniversary by honoring all of the supporters who continue to protect and heal the hearts of youth and families.

Prior to the gala, Youth First will host an auction preview and awards reception presented by Romain Cross Pointe Auto Park on April 19, 2018, at Tropicana’s Riverfront Pavilion. All are welcome to preview auction items at this reception which will also honor young people who have benefitted from Youth First’s programs and services. This event is open to the public and free to attend. The winners of the Don Mattingly Youth Award and the Carol Lynch Advocate of Youth First Award will be named.

 

“IS IT TRUE” FEBRUARY 1, 2018

14
We hope that today’s “IS IT TRUE” 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?”
IS IT TRUE  the new tax reform act just passed by Congress and signed by President Trump on January 1, 2018, states that any non-profit organizations that pay it’s executives more than $1,000,000 per year that any amount over that figure will be assessed a 21% excise tax?  … the tax assessments are considered to be a non-deductible tax to the corporation? … the tax reform act states that non-profit or publicly traded corporation is responsible to pay for this tax, not the employee?  …local hospitals are non-profit entities and according to the IRS website, their CEO’s are paid more than $1,000,000 a year? …we wonder if that extra cost that our local hospitals pay in employee excise tax will be passed onto the patients?
IS IT TRUE those who are dependent on taxation for survival tend to stay where the taxes that they don’t pay are high so they can get more free things?…high earning taxpayers on the other hand often take their money and leave for more favorable laws?…Florida, on the other hand, has welcomed 750,000 new residents to their no income tax refuge from places like Illinois?
IS IT TRUE that on a nationwide basis the economics are looking much better with the official unemployment rate at historical lows and the stock, market, at all-time highs?…it should not be forgotten that we do still have 95 Million people of working age who for some reason are choosing not to participate in the workforce?
IS IT TRUE that yesterday that “Hoosiers For Rokita” made some negative statements about Mike Braun and Luke Messer after they filed for the United States Senate seat?  … the negative statements made towards United States Senatorial candidates Mike Braum and Luke Messer was considered by many as an act of desperation by the members of the “Hoosiers For Rokita”?  …all three Republican primary candidates for the United States Senate are equally qualified and we hope that future campaigning for this office will be focused on the issues and not negative attacks on one another?
IS IT TRUE that at the surprise of a bunch of supporters that the rumored candidate for congress Jonathan Weinzapfel has announced that it is not his time to run?…his three paragraph swan song sounded very much like a rewrite of his announcement in 2011 not to seek a third term as Mayor of Evansville?…this was welcome news to a host of people who remember all of the stunts this guy pulled as mayor including shoving the Ford Center down the taxpayers throats with a questionable study that stated it would be paying its own way by now?…that wasn’t even close as Weinzapfel’s Folly has become a tapeworm on City of Evansville’s budget?
IS IT TRUE with Weinzapfel headed back to IVY Tech to continue his highly paid appointment that only leaves one elected official who was complicit in trying to sneakily remove the Homestead Tax Credit from the people of Vanderburgh County in a closed-door darn near illegal secret meeting?  …that Mr. Weinzapfel decision not to run for Congress seemly puts an end to the political career of the once considered “Golden Boy Of Local Politics”?
IS IT TRUE the last official standing of the Homestead Tax Credit Bandidos is none other than current Evansville Mayor Lloyd Winnecke who was in on that sneaky deal that Weinzapfel attempted to pull?
IS IT TRUE we are told by people in the know that any candidate running for re-election that has wasted our tax dollars on questionable capital projects or voted on tax increases will have a problem of getting re-elected in future elections?
IS IT TRUE we are being told that a couple members of the Evansville City Council may have finally realized that they may have been misled by the City Controller concerning the major financial shortfalls facing them in the upcoming 2018 city budget?  …that the former City Council President and Finance Chairmen John Friend-CPA prediction that starting in 2017 will be the beginning of major financial problems for the City of Evansville?  …it looks like Mr. Friends predictions may be spot on?
IS IT TRUE all eyes are on the newly appointed City Council Finance Chairman Jonathan Weaver?  … it’s obvious that Mr. Weaver processes the ability to analysis un-needed and excessive spending requests from the City Administration?  …we wish him well in identifying and stopping some of the “pie in the sky” spending requests of Winenneke Administration?
IS IT TRUE we have been told that the next CEO of the Area Chamber Of Commerce may be indeed someone who lives here locally?
IS IT TRUE for the last several years the City of Evansville has been trying to develop about 8 to 10 parcels of land in the Second, Third, Sycamore and Vine streets areas in hopes it will attract a multi-million residential and retail development? …last year the Director of the Department of Metropolitan Development predicted that an RFP will attract some awesome development proposals? …that the RFP idea fell flat on its face because not one investor submitted a proposal to develop the above parcels of land?  …wouldn’t it be had been wise if the DMD Director would have spent his time on correcting the expensive North Main Street curb mistake and also trying to get rid of the many dilapidated homes surrounding the North Main Street area?
Todays “Readers Poll” question is: Do you feel that former Mayor Jonathan Weinzapfel made the right decision by not running for Congress?
Please take time and read our articles entitled “STATEHOUSE Files, CHANNEL 44 NEWS, LAW ENFORCEMENT, READERS POLL, BIRTHDAYS, HOT JOBS” and “LOCAL SPORTS”.  You now are able to subscribe to get the CCO daily.
If you would like to advertise on the CCO please contact us City-County Observer@live.com.
EDITOR’S FOOTNOTE:  Any comments posted in this column do not represent the views or opinions of the City-County Observer or our advertisers.