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USI has two at the PAC for Homecoming Week

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University of Southern Indiana Men’s Basketball hosts a pair of games at the Physical Activities Center during Homecoming Week, beginning with Maryville University Thursday at 7:30 p.m. The USI Homecoming game is scheduled for Saturday at 3:15 p.m. when the Screaming Eagles host Quincy University.

Game coverage for all of USI’s game action, including live stats, video stream, and audio broadcasts, is available at GoUSIEagles.com. The games also can be heard on ESPN 97.7 WREF and 95.7FM The Spin.

Following this week’s two-game homestand, USI has only one home date left on the schedule when it hosts Bellarmine University for Senior Day February 10 at 7:30 p.m. The Eagles are slated to play five of their last six on the road to end the 2017-18 regular season.

USI Men’s Basketball Week 12 Notes: 

USI continues to receive votes for national poll. For the second-straight week, USI received votes for the D2SIDA Media Poll this week, falling two votes shy of entering the top 25 for the first time this season. The Screaming Eagles also received votes two-straight weeks in December, but has not appeared in the D2SIDA Media Poll or the NABC Top 25 Poll this year.

Eagles goes 2-0 last week. USI started last week by completing a homestand sweep with a 74-55 victory over the University of Wisconsin-Parkside. Junior guard Alex Stein led the Eagles with 20 points, while senior forward Julius Rajala and senior guard Marcellous Washington rounded out the double-digit scorers with 14 and 11 points, respectively. Freshman forward Emmanuel Little led USI on the glass with 10 rebounds, his seventh double-digit rebounding game this season.

The Eagles completed last week’s action with an 86-56 victory at McKendree University. Senior forward DayJar Dickson led three players in double-digits with a career-high 22 points. Washington was second in Saturday’s victory with 17 points and a team-high, season-best seven rebounds.

Watson wins number 200. USI Head Coach Rodney Watson becomes the third Eagles’ head coach to reach the 200-win mark with the victory, tying for second all-time in program history. He is tied with Rick Herdes (200-59, 2001-09) and 31 wins behind all-time leader Bruce Pearl (231-46, 1992-2001).

Eagles on four-game winning streak. USI is on a four-game winning streak, tying for the second longest stretch of the season. Junior guard Alex Stein leads five players averaging in double-digits with 15.0 points per game. Senior guard Marcellous Washington is second with 13.5 points per outing, while freshman forward Emmanuel Little is posting a double-double with 12.3 points and 11.0 rebounds per contest. Junior guard/forward Nate Hansen and senior forward DayJar Dickson round out the double-figure scorers with 11.5 and 10.5 points per the last four games.

USI Leaders. USI has three players averaging double-digits in 2017-18. Junior guard Alex Stein leads the scorers with 18.4 points per game, while junior guard/forward Nate Hansen and senior guard Marcellous Washington round out the double-digit scorers with 14.4 and 12.2 points per contest, respectively. Freshman forward Emmanuel Little has the team lead on the glass with 7.5 rebounds per outing, 8.6 per contest in GLVC action. Senior forward DayJar Dickson is second with 7.1 rebounds per contest, 7.6 per league game.

Washington and Stein among GLVC, NCAA leaders. Junior guard Alex Stein is first in the league and second nationally in free throw percentage (95.4; 103-108) and 27th nationally in free throws made (103).Senior guard Marcellous Washington leads the GLVC and ranks 19th nationally for assist-turnover ratio (2.89).  USI, as a team, is first in the GLVC and fourth nationally in rebounds, and second in the league and 12th nationally in rebound margin.

USI in GLVC action. The Eagles are back at the Physical Activities Center for a two-game homestand that features Maryville University (February 1) and Quincy University for Homecoming (February 3).

Eagles to Play4Kay against Maryville, host Quincy for Homecoming

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University of Southern Indiana Women’s Basketball tips-off a two-game homestand Thursday at 5:30 p.m. when it hosts Maryville University in its annual Play4Kay game at the Physical Activities Center. The Screaming Eagles also host Quincy University Saturday at 1 p.m. for Homecoming at the PAC.

USI (17-2, 9-1 GLVC), which is ranked No. 10 in the latest Division II Media Poll and No. 16 in the latest WBCA Top 25 Coaches’ Poll, puts on its pink uniforms Thursday as it joins the fight against breast cancer. The Eagles, winners of six straight, are asking all fans to join them in pink.

Both games this week can be heard on WSWI 95.7 FM and watched on the GLVC Sports Network. Live stats, audio and GLVCSN coverage can be accessed at GoUSIEagles.com.

Women’s Basketball Notes (1/30/18)
• Eagles 2-0 last week. USI Women’s Basketball went 2-0 in GLVC play last week, posting a 74-57 home win over Wisconsin-Parkside before claiming a 74-62 road win over McKendree.

• Second-half defense. Second-half defense was a big key to the Eagles’ success last week. USI held UW-Parkside to 25 second-half points and McKendree to 23. They held both opponents to a combined 23.8 percent (15-63) from the field and 22.2 percent (6-27) from behind the arc.

• Last week’s Leaders. Senior forward Morgan Dahlstrom averaged 17.0 points and 14.0 rebounds per game to lead the Eagles last week. Senior guard/forward Kaydie Grooms added 15.0 points and 2.5 steals per contest, while junior forward Kacy Eschweiler chipped in 11.0 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per outing. Senior guard Randa Harshbarger led USI with 6.5 assists per game.

• Six-game win streak. During the Eagles’ six-game win streak, Grooms is leading USI with 17.8 points and 2.5 steals per game, while Dahlstrom is averaging 15.0 points and 12.3 rebounds per contest. Alex Davidson is contributing 11.5 points per outing, while Harshbarger is chipping in 9.0 points and 5.5 assists per game. Eschweiler is contributing 7.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game.

• Big runs. USI is using big runs during its six-game wining streak. The Eagles have had double-digit surges in each of their six wins and have strung together at least 15 straight points in four of those contests. Their largest runs were 17-0 outbursts against Missouri S&T and UW-Parkside.

• Season Leaders. Grooms and Dahlstrom continue to lead the Eagles in scoring with 17.9 and 15.7 points per game, respectively. Dahlstrom leads the GLVC with 10.2 rebounds per contest, while Harshbarger is averaging a team-high 3.9 assists per appearance.

• USI in the Top 25. USI surged four spots to No. 16 in the latest USA Today Sports/NCAA Division II Coaches’ Poll and stayed at No. 10 in the latest Division II Media Poll. USI also is No. 8 in the latest Herosports.com Division II rankings and No. 12 in the Massey Ratings.

• Where do they stand? USI and Drury begin the week tied atop the GLVC Tournament Point Rating System with a 4.60 points average; while Lewis is sitting in third at a 4.55 points average. Bellarmine and Missouri-St. Louis are fourth and fifth with respective point averages of 3.55 and 3.45. The top eight teams will qualify for the GLVC Tournament based on the point rating system, which is detailed on page 9 of this week’s notes.

• Play4Kay. The Eagles host Maryville February 1 for its annual Play4Kay game. USI Women’s Basketball asks fans to join the Eagles in pink as they try to raise breast cancer awareness.

• Homecoming. USI hosts Quincy Saturday for Homecoming at the PAC. The Eagles have won their last four Homecoming games.

• A look at Maryville. Led by senior guard Ali Ringering, the Saints (6-11, 3-8 GLVC) have four players averaging double-figures in the scoring column. Ringering is averaging 14.3 points for Maryville, which saw a two-game win streak end with a 60-55 home loss to Wisconsin-Parkside Saturday.

• A look at Quincy. Senior forward Anika Webster averages 16.4 points per game to lead the Hawks (7-13, 3-8 GLVC), who have lost three of their last four games.

• What’s ahead? USI visits Illinois Springfield February 8 before hosting Bellarmine February 10 for Senior Night at the PAC.

• Record book watch. Three players are in currently in USI’s record books:
–Kaydie Grooms is sixth in three-point field goals made (131) and three-point field goal attempts (339); seventh in scoring (1,354) and free throws made (309); ninth in blocks (62); 11th in steals (162); 12th in assists (215); and 17th in rebounds (479);
–Randa Harshbarger is fourth in assists (333) and seventh in steals (174);
–Morgan Dahlstrom is eighth in rebounds (637), tied for 11th in blocks (59), and is tied for 21st in scoring (858).

• USI in statistical rankings. USI begins the week ranked first in the GLVC in five statistical categories including scoring defense, scoring margin, field goal percentage defense, rebounding and rebound margin. The Eagles rank in the top five of 15 GLVC statistical categories and in the top 25 of four NCAA II statistical categories.

• Eagles in statistical rankings. Several Eagles were in the top 15 of GLVC statistical categories to begin the week:
–Morgan Dahlstrom (7 categories) ranks No. 1 in total rebounds (10.2 rpg), offensive rebounds (3.4 orpg), defensive rebounds (6.8 drpg) and double-doubles (8);
–Alex Davidson (2 categories) is No. 14 in three-pointers made per game (1.6) and steals (1.8 spg);
–Kacy Eschweiler (2 categories) is No. 8 in blocks (1.2 bpg);
–Kaydie Grooms (7 categories) is No. 4 in scoring (17.9 ppg);
–Imani Guy (1 category) is tied for No. 12 in blocks (0.8 bpg)
–Randa Harshbarger (3 categories) is No. 2 in steals (2.9 spg).

• Magic Mark: 75 points. The Eagles are 396-75 (.841) all-time when scoring at least 75 points. USI is 269-26 (.912) since 1996-97 when reaching the 75-point plateau.

mayors race research for future article

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Democrats seized the U.S. House, but that momentum hasn’t reached Evansville.

Here, it’s going in the opposite direction.

In 2008, 56 percent of Vanderburgh County voters went straight-ticket Democrat. Ten years later, in last month’s election, that dropped to 45 percent – about 3,000 voters less. In that same time span, Republicans went from 42 percent to 53 percent – or about 4,000 more.

That’s just one problem the local party faces as the 2019 election looms. The biggest? They don’t have a candidate for mayor.

A recent story by the Courier & Press’ Tom Langhorne featured a long list of prominent Democrats saying “no” to a possible run against Lloyd Winnecke.

State representative Ryan Hatfield? No. County commissioner Ben Shoulders? Pass. City Councilman Jonathan Weaver? Don’t think so.

Those creepy nutcrackers standing amid the Christmas decorations on Main Street? They didn’t seem interested either.

Local Democratic chairman Scott Danks claims the party will find a strong candidate. But he admitted it won’t be easy.

After all, Winnecke has steamrolled his last two opponents. And as of 2017, he had at least $500,000 in campaign funds. That number has only grown since then, and there’s no telling what kind of cash he’ll have to work with by the time November rolls in.

A Democratic win would be a huge upset no matter who steps forward. But even if the party can’t win, the 2019 election presents a giant opportunity.

Now is the time to find a candidate who speaks to Evansville voters who usually sit out of city elections. Only 20 percent of voters cast a ballot in 2015 – that’s a gargantuan slab of untapped potential.

You could get a lot of those folks on your side in a few easy ways.

Protect their wallets

Vectren – soon to be CenterPoint – charges the highest residential electrical rates in the state. Yet the company has been immune from political criticism for years thanks to its healthy campaign contributions and status as a major area employer.

But Evansville residents are drowning in bills. It would be nice for a mayoral candidate to acknowledge that and vow to oppose any future rate hikes.

Just do anything to speak to the army of city residents who are struggling financially – 21 percent of whom are living in poverty.

I doubt any of those people care in the slightest about a swanky Downtown hotel in which they could never afford to stay.

Find an outsider candidate

It’s all the rage, man.

Every person who turned down possible mayoral runs were white men who are already ensconced in area government.

Evansville has never had a non-white, non-dude top executive. It’s time to change that.

Address neglected areas

Downtown Evansville has seen a lot of improvements under Winnecke. But most city residents don’t live there. And I’ll bet there are a lot of voters who feel like their neighborhoods have been ignored.

Talk with folks in Center City or Howell. See what people in the Diamond-Stringtown area have to say.

There are loads of unheard voices in this city. Act as their megaphone.

Find a way around the money

Granted, in American politics, that might be like asking a gunshot victim to find a way around the bullet.

University of Evansville political scientist Robert Dion summed it up this way.

“People typically don’t want to give big contributions to somebody who has no money,” he told the Courier & Press. “To get off the ground is a challenge, because to get those big donors early on, you have to have a really compelling case. And it’s hard to have a compelling case when you don’t have any money.”

Essentially, to get money, you need money. Otherwise, you’ll never have the money you need to get more money. Who says the system is broken?

The only thing that could overcome a mound of dollars is a major surge of voter excitement.

Eighty percent of registered voters in Evansville felt like there was no point in voting in the 2015 election. Show them they’re wrong, and you might have a shot.

Know Before You Go – Security Protocol For Sound Of Music

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KNOW BEFORE YOU GO ~ TICKETHOLDERS ARE STRONGLY ENCOURAGED TO ARRIVE EARLY.

THEATRE DOORS WILL OPEN AT 6:30pm

Please be aware of the shows late seating policy – Once the house lights have gone to half and the preshow announcement begins, latecomers cannot be seated until after the title song “The Sound of Music” (about 7 minutes into the show).
The following items are prohibited:

“Purses & shoulder bags no larger than
13” x 13” will be permitted. Diaper bags may be accepted,
however  backpacks and duffel bags are not allowed.
All belongings will be subject to search upon entry.
Video Cameras, Recording Devices, Laptops, or Tablets
Laser Pointers, Noise Makers, Selfie Sticks
NO Weapons, Illegal Drugs or Paraphernalia
of any kind
Alcoholic Beverages, Coolers, or Food
 Old National Events Plaza Website
OLD NATIONAL EVENTS PLAZA
715 Locust Street, Evansville, IN. 47708
812-435-5770

VANDERBURGH COUNTY FELONY CHARGES

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

Lucas James Pace: Possession of methamphetamine (Level 6 Felony), False informing (Class B misdemeanor)

Demanio Lamont Morris Moss: Operating a vehicle while intoxicated (Level 6 Felony), Driving while suspended (Class A misdemeanor)

Teiha Ann Bechtel: Possession of methamphetamine (Level 6 Felony), Possession of paraphernalia (Class C misdemeanor)

Dylan Cody Alan Anderson: Possession of synthetic drug or synthetic drug lookalike substance (Level 6 Felony)

EPD ACTIVITY REPORT

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EPD REPORT

Vanderburgh County Recent Booking Records

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

IS IT TRUE JANUARY 30, 2018

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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 we are told that the search for the next Chamber Of Commerce CEO has been completed?  …the list of candidates that applied for this position was extremely impressive?  …applicants for this position pulled out all stops to get the attention of the search committee?  …one candidate even had Mayor Winnecke, the Governor of the State of Indiana and a Federal officeholder to lobbied in his behalf?  …it would be great if this job went to someone locally?
IS IT TRUE some people are now speculating that former Evansville Mayor Jonathan Weinzapfel may announce that he is will not seek the Democrat nomination for the US House of Representative?  …several people in the political know now feel that Weinzapfel extremely late entry in the race will definitely cause a serious split in the Democratic party?
IS IT TRUE we remember that in 2009 former Mayor Jonathan Weinzapfel was routinely referred to as a rock star and thought to be on a path to become Governor of Indiana?…one local luminary, the late and great Larry Aitken actually said on camera that Weinzapfel should be President of the United States?…two years later after the Ford Center was shoved down the taxpayer’s throats without a referendum, a promised hotel without subsidy failed to materialize, and the McCurdy fiasco began, the attempted Homestead Tax credit grab, Weinzapfel decided not to run for re-election?
IS IT TRUE that the only announced Democratic candidate for the 8th District Congressional seat is a well respected Terre Haute attorney with a good political following throughout the 8th Congressional District?  …we have been told that Mr. Weinzapfel personally approached a supporter of Democratic Congressional candidate Willaim Tanoos and asked him to tell him to withdraw from 8th District Congressional primary race?  …Mr. Tanoos response was heck no because he in it to win it?
IS IT TRUE last year Evansville Mayor Lloyd Winnecke announced that he plans to seek a third term as your mayor in the 2019 election?…that this advanced announcement gave Winnecke a long time to raise money to fend off any challengers who decide to toss their hat into the ring?…in his two campaigns for Mayor, Winnecke has proven to be able to raise over a million dollars for an office that only pays around $100,000 per year?…with the apparent popularity that Winnecke enjoys and over a million bucks in his war chest, it will be one formidable task to defeat Winnecke in a general election?…Mayor Winnecke would be well serve to avoid becoming a little dictator because real people do not like hubris?
IS IT TRUE one of the shortcomings of downtown Evansville has been and continues to be the fact that there is no grocery store even close to the residential units that are in the area?…there have been some attempts in the past by local investors like Wesselmans and the Sunshine Market that were on the edge of the downtown but couldn’t get enough traction to survive?…there was recently an attempt at a small grocery section by Stratman’s Pharmacy that was a long time downtown business that did their best to make groceries available to downtown residents?…instead of prospering Stratman’s Pharmacy made the decision to cease downtown operations leaving the downtown with no grocery and no pharmacy?…the reality is that the number of customers who are required to keep such businesses profitable just doesn’t live near the downtown?
IS IT TRUE there is another issue with the building stock in downtown Evansville that makes it difficult to make a profit in any business that competes for dollars with businesses located in new buildings in the population zones?…the age of the buildings and the primitive state of the electrical and insulation systems make the utility bills exorbitant in downtown Evansville?…when a service provider has a $1,000+ utility bill tries to compete with someone in the burbs who has a $150 bill the playing field is not level and often the difference cannot be made up for in pricing and volume?…until something is done to equalize the cost of doing business in downtown Evansville smart businesses will stay away and starry eyed downtown supporters who believe the hype with try and eventually learn the hard way about empty promises?
IS IT TRUE back in June 2017 the City Council voted to allow potbellied pigs as pets in the city limits?…we are wondering what will be allowed next since there are already homes in the city limits with cows, chickens, and at least one donkey?…we are looking forward to hearing a member of the city council bray like a donkey approve East Side Jack as a household pet?  …if City Council would spend more time on things like how to stop runaway deficit spending instead of a  “pot-bellied pigs” issue we wouldn’t be in such a financial mess?
IS IT TRUE last year officials at Henderson Methodist Hospital and Deaconess Hospital discussed issues of economic concerns? …could it be that Deaconess Hospital has a strong interest in purchasing Henderson Methodist Hospital in the very near future? …that Henderson Methodist Hospital is the largest employer in Henderson County and has a major economic impact in the region?  … we wouldn’t be surprised hear that a deal between Deaconess Hospital system and Henderson Methodist Hospital to merge both hospitals may happen later this year?
IS IT TRUE last year Deaconess Hospital-Evansville leadership signed a “Letter of Intent” with Henderson Methodist Community Hospital agreeing that both entities would cooperate in the sharing of physicians and other hospital services?  …we wonder if Deaconess Hospital-Evansville official ever considered a move to help secure a bond debt owed by Henderson’s Methodist Community Hospital to the tune of $25 to $30 million dollars?
IS IT TRUE we feel that Vanderburgh County Sheriff Dave Wedding is doing a very good job? … that Sheriff Wedding has proven to be a “Good Steward Of The Public Trust”?
Todays “Readers Poll” question is: Do you feel its time that Mr. Weinzapfel announces his decision if he’s running for Congress or not?
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.

House Committee Unanimously Votes to Increase Cigarette Tax, Smoking Age

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JANUARY 29TH, 2018  TYRONE MORRIS INDIANA

 An Indiana house bill looking to increase the cigarette tax and the smoking age moves out of committee. The House Public Health Committee approved the bill nine to zero.

House Bill 1380 increases the cigarette tax from 99 cents per pack to $2.99 per pack. $1 in revenue from each pack would go toward tobacco use prevention and education.

That same bill also increases the legal age to buy cigarettes and other tobacco products from 18 to 21.

Tyrone Morris

Web Producer

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Commentary: Bias Crimes: Hopefully, Taking This Step First Turns Out To Be Enough

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January 29, 2018, 

By Michael Leppert
michaelleppert.com

Fort Wayne’s La’Kysha Gardner testified before a Senate Committee at the Indiana Statehouse on Tuesday morning. She had a compelling story to tell about an assault on her son, Jason, and what appears to be an under-reaction to it by Allen Superior Court.

Gardner explained to the Senate Corrections and Criminal Law Committee that the assault was racially motivated and that it was a clear example of a hate or bias crime. The committee was considering Senate Bill 418, which is legislation designed to create sentencing aggravators in crimes that occur with an element of bias.  One would think she was there to testify in support of the bill.  But not so.

“I oppose this bill because it’s just not enough,” Gardner said. Many could argue that she has a point. At least as it pertains to the crime against her son.

I wish that was the dilemma that the General Assembly is facing, but it’s not.  The legislature is not struggling with whether passing Senate Bill 418 goes far enough. They are struggling over whether they should do anything on the topic at all.

The bill’s author, Sen. Sue Glick, R-LaGrange, has filed a similar version of the bill three consecutive years. I remember in 2016 with regard to her first bill, when she said something remarkably simple about the whole thing. She said, “this is something we can do.”

Yes. It is.

So what does it do? The bill would allow for judges to consider the element of bias in the commission of a crime as an aggravating factor at sentencing. That means that if someone is convicted of a Class A misdemeanor, a judge could consider the element of bias through a preponderance of evidence presented when issuing the sentence. The sentence would still need to stay within the statutory sentencing guidelines of Class A misdemeanors.

This “aggravator” can be used if the crime was committed “with the intent to harm or intimidate an individual because of the individual’s perceived or actual” characteristics. The characteristics listed are ones you would expect: race, religion, color, sex, gender identity, disability, national origin, ancestry, sexual orientation, or ethnicity.

There are no new crimes being established. There are no “thought police” being created. It does not favor whites over blacks, gays over straights, or Jews over Christians. It simply allows a prosecutor to argue, after a conviction, that the sentence should consider bias as an element in any direction within the items on the list.

SB 418 is not a panacea perfectly designed to eradicate hate-based crime from our state. There is no such legislative idea available. While I appreciate the enormity of what Gardner and her family have experienced in the last year, no new law will erase it. Or prevent it from happening again.

I wish there was such an idea.

As Glick said two years ago, what is being proposed is something we can do.  Maybe it’s a baby step, or maybe it’s “half a loaf.”  But there are some other small measures on big issues in my career that come to mind as transformational.

I think of smoking bans that did not include casinos.  I actually quit smoking the very month that Indianapolis’ local ban went into effect. Did it help me quit smoking?  Absolutely it did.

Last year, the General Assembly was being lobbied to spend $100 million dollars on pre-kindergarten expansion in its biennial budget. They only coughed up $44 million. Will it help?  Absolutely it will.

I have this debate with guns rights people all of the time. I do not believe there is a law that will end gun violence in America. But I do believe there are things we can do to make progress toward that goal.  Doing nothing is the most offensive strategy available because the status quo is intolerable.

But Gardner also said in her testimony: “I am a Hoosier but I wish that I wasn’t.” I found myself nodding in the chairs behind her when she said it.  I agree the justice system in Indiana did not treat her family right. But I disagree that killing SB 418 is the answer to our state’s shortcomings.

SB 418 is something we can do.

It would be an embarrassment to still be one of five states without a bias crime law when this session ends in March. We might be one of four if Georgia passes a bill that is pending in their statehouse.

Though it may not be enough for La’Kysha and Jason Gardner, passing this law using the momentum of the injustice they have experienced will make many of us glad they are Hoosiers.

Finding a way to convince them to stay here is also something I think we can do. We all should try.

Footnote: Michael Leppert is a public and governmental affairs consultant in Indianapolis and writes his thoughts about politics, government and anything else that strikes him at Contrariana.com.

Posted by the City county observer without opinion, bias or editing.

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