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Simmons scores 1,000th point in loss to Bradley

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UE looks to right the ship on Wednesday at Valparaiso

University of Evansville senior Blake Simmons became the 49th player in program history to reach the 1000-point mark as the Purple Aces were defeated by Bradley, 66-53, on Saturday evening inside Carver Arena.

Simmons led UE (12-9, 2-6 MVC) with 12 points, all from long range.  Ryan Taylor, who was held scoreless in the first half, finished with 10 in the second frame.  Dru Smith scored nine.

“We did not get off to the start that we wanted, but our guys fought back and I give them credit,” Aces head coach Marty Simmons said.  “We cut it close near the end of the first half, but Bradley had a good run to finish the half and also got off to a good start in the second half.  Our guys fought back, but I do not think our decision-making was good down the stretch.  It was tough, hard-fought game on both sides.”

Four Braves (14-7, 4-4 MVC) scored double figures, led by a 17-point game from Darrell Brown.  Donte Thomas notched 13 points and 12 boards.

Bradley got the early jump on the Aces, scoring the first five points of the game.  K.J. Riley got UE on the board with a pair of free throws before the Braves punched right back.  An and-one by Elijah Childs spearheaded a 9-0 run as the Braves capped it off with a pair of triples to open up a 14-2 advantage.  Evansville missed its first four shots while Bradley opened the game at 4-for-7.

After a timeout, Blake Simmons found Dainius Chatkevicius for a layup for the Aces’ first field goal of the night.  Simmons then knocked down a three a minute later to make to get UE within seven at 14-7.  A 7-0 run was finished off with a Dru Smith bucket as the Aces got within five.  The UE defense held Bradley to 1 of its next 8 from the field following their hot start.

A pair of BU shots saw them retake a 9-point lead at 20-11 midway through the half before Noah Frederking found Chatkevicius cutting to the basket for an and-one.  Simmons hit a triple on the next trip down the floor to make it a 20-17 game and with just over five minutes remaining in the period, John Hall connected on a basket to cut the Bradley lead to just one.

The 1000th point of Simmons career was a big one as it countered the Braves 3-point possession making it a 26-25 game heading into the final four minutes of the half.  From there, the Braves were able to finish the period on a 10-0 run as Donte Thomas hit a three with just five ticks remaining to send the Brave into halftime up 36-25.

Simmons milestone was the second major one to happen for UE in the last three season at Carver Arena.  On February 23, 2016, Egidijus Mockevicius grabbed the 1,198th rebound of his career to break the program record, which was set by Dale Wise in 1961.

Out of the break, the Braves reeled off six in a row to open up a 42-25 lead in the first three minutes of the period.  Smith got the team on the board with a layup at the 16:48 mark before Ryan Taylor got into the scoring column.  The junior missed his first eight shots of the night, but he never gave up, knocking down three field goals in a row as part of a 14-2 run.  Smith completed the rally with a trey to make it a 44-39 game with 12:21 on the clock.

In the following four minutes, the Braves regained the momentum, going on a 10-2 run to see their lead grow back to 13 at 54-41.  Over that span, the Aces hit one of their four attempts while turning it over five times.  Simmons was true from downtown once again with seven minutes left to get the Aces back within 11.

UE continued to chip away.  With under five minutes remaining, a great shot by Taylor got the lead under ten before a pair of free throws by Smith got UE within six (56-50) as three minutes were on the clock.  UE was unable to get any closer as the Braves offense finished the game on a 10-3 run to earn a 66-53 victory.

BU finished the game shooting 42.6% while the Aces finished at 31.6%.  The rebounding statistic also went Bradley’s way by a 41-34 final.

Wednesday evening will see the Aces make their first trip to Valparaiso since the school joined the Missouri Valley Conference last year.

 

Aces compete at Ft. Wayne Duals

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                              Alberts, Chepchieng, and Lowry lead Evansville in first track and field meet in 33 years

 

Competing in its first meet since 1985, the University of Evansville men’s and women’s track and field teams took to the track inside the Athletics Center Fieldhouse on the campus of Fort Wayne.

In the dual-scored meet, the Aces’ men defeated IUPUI (57.00-29.00) and Morehead State (62.00-16.00), while the women’s team fell in all nine of its matchups.

For the men’s side, Evansville’s highest finish of the day came in the pole vault as freshman Ian Alberts finished fourth among the 10-vaulter field with a height of 4.10 meters. Fellow freshman Kevin Yeung joined Alberts in the pole vault competition, finishing in a tie for eighth with a height of 3.20 meters.

Racing at a distance much shorter than he has been accustomed to in a pair of season’s with the Aces’ cross country team, sophomore Stanley Chepchieng excelled in the 800 meters earning an 11th-place finish with a time of 2:03.67. Also in the 800, sophomore Tucker Dawson finished in 2:12.82 in 17th, while freshman Alton Hoops (2:24.12) and sophomore Jonathan Newby (2:34.29) crossed the finish line in 19th and 20th, respectively.

Evansville also saw success in the mile run as freshman Ethan Price (23rd) finished just over 13 seconds shy of a top 10 finish with a time of 4:36.29 in the tightly bunched field.

For the Aces’ women’s team, much like her counterpart on the men’s team, freshman Anna Lowry found success in the 800 meters, finishing 15th with a time of 2:32.03. Lowry finished the race less than five seconds off the fifth-place finisher. Also for the Aces in the 800, freshman Izzy Dawson crossed the line in 21st just seven seconds behind Lowry while freshman Lexi Sutherland finished 24th in 2:46.03.

Freshman Nikki Hutchcraft represented the Aces in the 60-meter dash, finishing 19th among the 30-sprinter field in a time of 8.30.

In the final women’s event of the afternoon, the Aces put together a successful run in the 4×400 meter relay. Evansville finished ninth among the 13 teams competing in the relay, finishing in a time of 4:27.82 ahead of A-teams from Morehead State and Valparaiso and Northern Kentucky’s B-team.

Both men’s and women’s squads return to indoor competition on February 3 at the Don Denoon Invitational in Carbondale, Illinois.

EPD ACTIVITY REPORT

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EPD REPORT

Serial Vending Machine Thief Caught in the Act

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An Evansville man believed to be responsible for dozens of vending machine break-ins was taken into custody last night after being observed breaking into an RC Beverage Co machine at Burdette Park.

On January 19, 2018 at approximatly 6:30 PM detectives with the Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Office and Evansville Police Department conducted a joint investigation in the area of Burdette Park. Detectives set up surveillance on vending machines in the area due to a rash of recent vending machine break-ins.

During surveillance Mr. Collin Smith was observed drilling out the locking mechanism of a vending machine at Burdette Park. As Mr. Smith left the area detectives inspected the machine and found metal shavings on the ground. They also found the machine’s money bin missing.

Officers followed Mr. Smith after he got into the passenger seat of a waiting SUV. Deputies stopped the vehicle and took Mr. Smith and the driver, Ms. Mandy Saxer, into custody.

During an interview with detectives, Mr. Smith implicated himself in committing approximately 30 thefts from vending machines in Vanderburgh County and the tri-state area over the last year. Local businesses lost over $20,000.00 in damages to the machines as a result of the thefts.

ARRESTED:

Collin Scott Smith (pictured above), 41, Theft with Prior Conviction as a Level 6 Felony, Criminal Mischief as Class A Misdemeanor

Mandy Lee Saxer (pictured above), 40, Theft as a Class A Misdemeanor, Criminal Mischief as a Class A Misdemeanor

Presumption of Innocence Notice: The fact that a person has been arrested or charged with a crime is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in a court of law.

Vanderburgh County Recent Booking Records

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http://www.vanderburghsheriff.com/recent-booking-records.aspx

“READERS FORUM” FOR JANUARY 21, 2018

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WHATS ON YOUR MIND TODAY?

We hope that today’s “Readers Forum” 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?”
Issue For Discussion: Do you think the government shutdown will have any effect on us locally?

Todays “Readers Poll” question is: If the election was held today for the U. S. Senate in the Republican primary who would you vote for?

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.

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EDITOR’S FOOTNOTE:  Any comments posted in this column do not represent the views or opinions of the City-County Observer or our advertisers.

Man Accused of Assaulting Rand Paul Pleads Guilty

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JANUARY 21TH, 2018  BRITNEY TAYLOR ILLINOIS, INDIANA, KENTUCKY

 The man accused of assaulting Rand Paul is pleading guilty to assault. The United State Attorney, Josh Minkler, says 58-year-old Rene Boucher, of Bowling Green, is charged with assaulting a member of congress resulting in personal injury.

 

Boucher and congressman Rand Paul are neighbors in Bowling Green. On November 3, 2017, Rand Paul was mowing his yard and wearing headphones when Boucher allegedly saw Paul stack brush onto a pile near his property and “had enough”. Boucher ran onto Paul’s property and tackled him.

As a result of this assault, Rand Paul suffered multiple fractured ribs and subsequently contracted and required medical attention for pneumonia.

Boucher allegedly admitted to the assault, but denied it was politically driven. The suspect has signed a plea agreement, but no date has been set for sentencing. Boucher pleaded guilty to the assault.

If convicted, Boucher faces up to 10 years in jail and a fine of up to $250,000.

Britney Taylor

Web Producer

Rokita Donates Schumer Shutdown Salary To Border Patrol Agent Families

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Today, Congressman Todd Rokita announced his plan to donate his salary from during the Schumer Shutdown to charities supporting families of fallen border patrol agents and law enforcement officers:

“I’ve decided to donate my shutdown salary to charities supporting the families of fallen border patrol agents and law enforcement officers who have died at the hands of illegal immigrants,” said Congressman Todd Rokita. “President Trump needs all the help he can get against Chuck Schumer and radical Senate Democrats who have put amnesty for illegal immigrants and an open border ahead of the American people, our military, and health care for low-income children.”

 

Supreme Court: Recusal Not Required Though Attorney Was Reference For Judge

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Olivia Covington for www.theindianalwyer.com

Though an attorney who served as a reference for his application to the Indiana Supreme Court served as counsel for an adoption case in his court, a Hamilton County judge was not required to recuse himself because of that relationship, the Indiana Supreme Court has ruled.

In L.G. v. S.L., et al., 18S-AD-32, S.L. and W.L. filed a petition for adoption of Infant Male R in November 2015. Meanwhile, L.G. filed a paternity action that was consolidated with the adoption proceeding, and a discovery dispute between the adoptive parents and L.G. ensued.

Among the issues that arose during the proceedings was L.G.’s motion for recusal of Hamilton Superior Judge Steven R. Nation who had applied to become an Indiana Supreme Court justice. The adoptive parents’ attorney, Charles Rice, was listed as one of Nation’s professional references on his application and wrote a letter of recommendation for Nation during the pendency of the instant case.

L.G. argued Nation and Rice’s relationship warranted recusal, but Nation denied the motion and eventually entered a decree of adoption. The putative father then appealed, and the Indiana Court of Appeals sua sponte determined Nation should recuse himself on remand. The appellate court also reversed the dismissalof L.G.’s motion to contest the adoption.

While the Indiana Supreme Court affirmed the Court of Appeals’ ruling as to the actual adoption proceedings, it granted transfer Friday to address its disagreement with the lower court’s ruling on the issue of recusal.

Justice Steven David, writing for the unanimous court, drew on the case of Indiana Gas Co. v. Indiana Fin. Auth., 992 N.E.2d 678 (Ind. 2013), a case in which the movant called for Justice Mark Massa’s recusal due to his personal relationship with a project manager for one of the parties. Massa declined, writing it would be “disabling to this Court if we were required to recuse every time a ‘friend’ came before us as a lawyer for a party or worked as an employee of, or consultant to, a party.”

“Similarly, although Rice said kind things about Judge Nation in a recommendation letter and served as a reference for him, this alone is not enough to require recusal,” David wrote. “If it were, then Judge Nation (and any trial judge who submitted an application for an appellate judge position) would have to recuse himself in each case where one of the attorneys listed on his application and/or who wrote letters for him appeared.”

“This would be disabling to courts, particularly in small Indiana counties where only a handful of attorneys practice in front of the trial court judge,” he continued.

David went on to write that reference letters, by nature, are flattering, and there was nothing extra in Rice’s letter that suggested a special relationship between him and Nation. Further, Nation, as the fact-finder, was vested with discretion to assess the credibility of witnesses, and there was “nothing unusual or inappropriate about the trial court finding that (L.G.) was not a credible witness.”

“Judge Nation’s order made no findings about the merits of Father’s motion to contest the adoption or Father’s ability to be a suitable parent,” David wrote. “Accordingly, we see no need for Judge Nation to recuse himself on remand.”

The high court summarily affirmed the Court of Appeals’ decision in all other respects and remanded the case for further proceedings. Justice Geoffrey Slaughter did not participate.

UE Baseball Announces 2018 Schedule

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Aces Facing A Challenging Slate

With the spring season quickly approaching, University of Evansville head baseball coach Wes Carroll has announced the 2018 schedule for the Purple Aces.

“We are excited to play another competitive schedule.  Our non-conference schedule will help prepare us to compete in the Missouri Valley Conference,” head coach Wes Carroll said.  “I look forward to our first game as our guys are working hard to compete at the highest Division 1 level.”

The season officially kicks off with a trip to the Wofford Tournament from February 16-18.  The Aces open up against Fordham, who went 27-24 a season ago before taking on Dayton in a Saturday contest.  The tournament finale pits UE against one of the top ten teams in the nation from a year ago – the University of Kentucky.  Finishing the season ranked 9th in the country, the Wildcats went 43-23 and advanced to the first Super Regional in program history.

Next up will be a trip to Kennesaw State for a 4-game set.  The teams will match up in single games on 2/23 and 2/25 with Saturday the 24thmarking a doubleheader.  After that, the Aces return to Evansville to open up the home schedule.  The first series will be against a familiar foe – Western Illinois.  The Leathernecks are coached by Ryan Brownlee, son of former UE head coach Jim Brownlee.  That series takes place March 2-4.  A single game against Mid-American Conference foe Bowling Green will take place at Braun Stadium on March 7.

Another challenging series follows for Evansville as they had to Florida Gulf Coast (March 9-11) for three games.  The defending Atlantic Sun Champions were 43-20 in 2017 and played in the Chapel Hill Regional.  UE is home for a March 14 single game versus SIU Edwardsville, a 23-29 squad from a season ago.

From March 16-18, the Aces will be taking on the defending Big Ten Tournament Champion Iowa Hawkeyes in a three-game series in Iowa City.  Iowa won 39 games last season on their way to the Houston Regional.

Home play continues on March 20 versus UT Martin before Oakland City heads to Braun Stadium for a March 24 doubleheader.  Evansville then returns the trip to SIU Edwardsville on Tuesday, March 27.  Another familiar opponent will mark the final non-conference series of the season as the Purple Aces travel to Omaha, Neb. to take on former MVC member Creighton.  The Bluejays went 24-25 in the Big East in 2017.  A midweek game on April 4 pits the Aces against Murray State in Murray, Ky.

Valley play opens up on the road in Springfield, Mo. as Evansville takes on Missouri State from April 6-8.  The reigning regular season MVC champs finished last season ranked 17th in the NCAA.  They went 43-20 overall and 18-1 in the MVC and enjoyed great postseason success.  MSU won the Fayetteville Regional before advancing to play TCU in the Super Regional.

On April 10, UE welcomes Murray State before hosting its first MVC home series that weekend against Bradley.  That series takes place from April 13-15.

The third ranked team from 2017 appears on the schedule on 4/17 when UE makes a day trip to Nashville to face Vanderbilt.  The Commodores are coming off of a #18 ranking and played in the Corvallis, Ore. Super Regional after defeating Clemson in a Regional series in the 2017 NCAA Tournament.

In-town rival USI heads to Braun Stadium for a single game on April 25 before another local squad – Southern Illinois – makes its way to town for a 3-game set from April 27-29.  The team then takes to the road for series at Dallas Baptist and Indiana State.  DBU won the MVC Tournament in 2017 while winning 42 games.  They fell to #6 TCU in the Fort Worth Regional.  That series goes from May 4-6.

UE treks north to Terre Haute from 5/11-13 to take on the Sycamores, who were 29-26 last season.  The Aces also have midweek contests against Belmont and UT Martin over that span.

Regular-season play finishes with a home series against Illinois State.  The Redbirds head to Evansville for a series taking place on May 17-19.  The 2018 MVC Tournament, which is being hosted by Dallas Baptist, runs from May 23-26.

 

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