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University of Southern Indiana Men’s Cross Country returns to a familiar site Saturday when it participates in the NCAA II Cross Country Championships at Angel Mounds in Evansville, Indiana.
USI is one of 32 teams that qualified for the event that also features 27 individuals. The Screaming Eagles advanced to this year’s national championships after placing second of 28 teams at the NCAA II Midwest Region Championships. Seniors Bastian Grau (Höchstadt, Germany) and Cain Parker (Petersburg, Indiana) led the Eagles with sixth and seventh-place finishes, respectively.
At last year’s championships, the Eagles placed 13th in the 32-team field. Chase Broughton finished 27thand Noah Lutz 35th to earn All-American honors. Of the returners, junior Darin Lawrence (Indianapolis, Indiana) had the best finish of 98th.
This is the 13th consecutive year, and 25th overall, that the Eagles have qualified for the national championships. Their best finish is third back in 1982.
The Eagles moved up three spots to fifth in the latest U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association poll.
While the USI women did not earn one of eight at-large bids after a fifth-place finish at the Midwest Region Championships, junior Hope Jones (Cumberland, Indiana) received an at-large bid as an individual and will be one of 25 individuals competing amongst the 32 teams.
Jones finished sixth at the Midwest Region Championships, narrowly missing out on qualifying automatically. Jones finished 182nd at the national championships a year ago as USI placed fifth as a team.
The USI women’s team dropped one spot to 24th in the most recent USTFCCCA poll. The Eagles were the only ranked women’s team to not make the field.
The women’s 6k begins at 10:15 a.m. with the men’s 10k to follow at 11:30 a.m.
Indiana University’s Jessica Parratto and Blake Pieroni earned weekly Big Ten swimming and diving honors on Wednesday, the conference office announced.
Parratto was named the Big Ten Women’s Diver of the Week for the second time this year, while Pieroni was named the Big Ten Men’s Swimmer of the Week for the third time this season.
Pieroni helped lead the No. 1 Indiana men’s swimming and diving squad to victories over No. 13 Notre Dame and Cincinnati last week, winning two individual events. The Valparaiso, Ind. native won the 100 freestyle (43.17) and 200 IM (1:47.07) with NCAA B cut times. He was also a member of the 200 medley relay for the Hoosiers, touching with a time of 1:28.75.
Parratto was dominant for the Hoosier women’s team in the diving well, helping IU take down Cincinnati. The Dover, N.H. product won the 1-meter with a score of 309.50 and the 3-meter with a total of 348.15. Both scores were NCAA Zones qualifying marks.
The No. 1/9 Indiana University men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams will be back in action on Nov. 16-18 at the Early Bird Invitational, hosted by Purdue University.
The University of Southern Indiana men’s basketball overcame a slow start to dominate Brescia University, 93-67, in the 2017-18 home opener Tuesday evening at the Physical Athletics Center. USI watched its record to 3-2 overall in 2017-18, while Brescia, which is a member of the NAIA and considers the game an exhibition, remains 0-2.
The Screaming Eagles started slow, hitting only two-of-seven from the field and falling behind by nine points, 15-6, at the 14:23 mark of the first half. USI rallied midway through the half with a 14-5 run to take a 29-27 lead with 6:25 to play before halftime and extended the lead to as many as nine points (45-36) before settling for the 45-38 margin at the intermission.
USI freshman forward Emmanuel Little (Indianapolis, Indiana) and junior guard/forward Nate Hansen (Evansville, Indiana) led the offensive attack during the first half. Little had 12 points on a near perfect five-of-six from the field, while Hansen dropped in 10 points on four-of-six.
The Eagles quadrupled their lead in the first 10 minutes of the second half, enlarging the margin to 28 points, 71-43, with 10:35 to play. The lead would not shrink below 21 points in the final 10 minutes as USI cruised to the 26-point, 93-67 final.
USI junior guard Alex Stein (Evansville, Indiana), who was honored prior to the game for becoming the 20th Eagle to reach 1,000 or more points in his career, led USI offensive charge with 19 points, 15 coming in the second half. Stein was seven-of-11 from the field, two-of-two from long range and three-of-three from the line.
Following Stein in the scoring column was Little, who had 16 points and 12 rebounds to post his second double-double his career. Senior forward Julius Rajala (Helsinki, Finland) added 12 points, while freshman guard Mateo Rivera (Indianapolis, Indiana) and senior center Davis Carter (Denver, Colorado) rounded out the double-digit scorers with 10 points each.
As a team, USI shot 55.7 percent from the field (39-70), 50 percent from beyond the arc (8-16). The Eagles also dominated the board, 52-31.
The Eagles continue their four-game homestand November 20 when they host Fisk University for a 7 p.m. match-up. The second half of the homestand follows after Thanksgiving when USI hosts Martin Methodist College November 25 and concludes Lewis University visits to open Great Lakes Valley Conference play November 30.
Below are the felony cases to be filed by the Vanderburgh County Prosecutor’s Office today.
John Andrew Jones: Operating a vehicle as an habitual traffic violator (Level 6 Felony)
Nickholas Lee Garrett: Possession of methamphetamine (Level 6 Felony), Possession of a narcotic drug (Level 6 Felony), Possession of marijuana (Class B misdemeanor), Possession of paraphernalia (Class C misdemeanor)
Matthew Lee Jourdan: Criminal recklessness (Level 6 Felony), Criminal recklessness (Level 6 Felony), Invasion of Privacy (Class A misdemeanor), Resisting law enforcement (Class A misdemeanor), Domestic battery (Class A misdemeanor)
Larry Dean Barber: Theft (Level 6 Felony)
Deionte Leshaun Cook: Theft of a firearm (Level 6 Felony), Intimidation (Level 5 Felony), Domestic battery (Class A misdemeanor), Carrying a handgun without a license (Class A misdemeanor)
Daniel Lee Thorpe: Intimidation (Level 6 Felony), Intimidation (Level 6 Felony), Disorderly Conduct (Class B misdemeanor)
Christopher Lee Kuhen: Possession of methamphetamine (Level 5 Felony)
Lane Deforest Avery: Possession of methamphetamine (Level 6 Felony), Unlawful possession of syringe (Level 6 Felony), Maintaining a common nuisance – controlled substances (Level 6 Felony)
Josee Lynn Caldemeyer: Theft (Level 6 Felony)
Bryan Allen Payne: Unlawful possession of syringe (Level 6 Felony)
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 have been told because of recent increases in the County Income Option Tax (CIOT) and the Wheel Tax that Vanderburgh County may now have the money to fund the expansion of the county jail?
IS IT TRUE that after over two centuries of statehood the State of Indiana is finally on the verge of allowing alcohol sales on Sunday?…a panel of experts established by the State of Indiana has concluded that firewater should be available on Sunday just like it is in nearly every other place on the planet?…Hoosiers have always been able to purchase booze on Sunday but only at certain times and only at bars or restaurants where beer and cocktails are marked up by a factor of more than 100% when compared to the cost at a grocery store or liquor store?…it is encouraging that Indiana may finally be coming out of the Stone Age with respect to alcohol sales as we all know that buying more on Saturday has always been the way to defeat the idiocy that the state hath wrought?
IS IT TRUE it will be interesting to see if the powers that be will lift the ban on selling automobiles on Sundays too?…this is a ban that has mystified most people who are aware of this relic of the past when “blue laws†were passed to appease temperance league devotees and cars got caught up in the mix?…we cannot understand how a state with four border states that allow and even encourage vehicle sales on Sundays could every think that restricting auto sales on Sunday was good for business?…this is one of the things along with alcohol sales that the Chambers of Commerce in Indiana should be flogging the state government over as it hurts Indiana businesses and diminishes sales tax collections?…we are amazed that pizza sales are allowed on Sunday given the Dark Age thought process that our laws come from?
IS IT TRUE a group of American veterans who deal with some of the most debilitating mental anguish has called upon the State of Indiana to legalize medicinal marijuana? …some Veterans  feel that legalizing medicinal marijuana and decriminalizing small amounts may just cut back on the overcrowding problem at the Vanderburgh County jail?…they also feel that the pro-keeping someone who possessed a small amount of marijuana in jail at $50,000 per year cost to the taxpayers is bordering on insane?
IS IT TRUE the City of Evansville has voted to give a $500,000 tax abatement to a distribution center for golf equipment that will be hiring about 50 people at an average wage of roughly $15 per hour? Â …we been told that distribution centers much like call centers sometimes have very little economic impact on any regional economy? Â …we hope that the new golf equipment distribution center will?
IS IT TRUE last night the Vanderburgh County Democratic party had a very successful Dinner/VIP reception fundraising event? Â …over 100 people attended the VIP reception and 185 attended the dinner? Â …we are told this was the most successful fundraising event that the local democratic party have had in many years? Â …it looks like party chairman Scott Danks has the party headed in the right direction?
IS IT TRUE that the IRS has now documented that there has been massive migration of high earning individuals from high tax states to low tax states?…the big winner has been Florida with the losers being made up of Illinois, New Jersey, and New York?…we doubt that the people running these states with notice until their checks start to bounce?
Todays READERS POLL question is: Do you feel that the State of Indiana should allow alcohol sales on Sunday?
EDITOR’S FOOTNOTE:  Any comments posted in this column do not represent the views or opinions of the City County Observer or our advertisers
NOVEMBER 15TH, 2017Â 
 BRITNEY TAYLOR EVANSVILLE, INDIANA
TaylorMade distributes several types of golf equipment, including clubs, gloves, hats, and more. These items will be found at the new distribution center.
TaylorMade currently has distribution centers in California, South Carolina, and Canada, but those operations will be consolidated in Evansville at the new location.
The project is expected to be complete by July 2018.
A groundbreaking ceremony is set for Wednesday, November 15th at 2 p.m. at the north side location.
To take a look at the project, visit TaylorMade Distribution Center.
November 14, 2017 written by Olivia Covington for Indiana Lawyer
In a 177-page complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana on Tuesday, the city and Marion County demanded a jury trial and sought multiple forms of relief, including compensation for the past and future costs of “abat(ing) the ongoing public nuisance caused by the opioid epidemic.†The city also seeks damages for the costs of providing medical and therapeutic care, law enforcement resources and other similar costs related to combatting the growing opioid problem.
More than a dozen companies are named as defendants including Indianapolis-based Cardinal Health, Inc., and Purdue Pharm, the producer of OxyContin.
The complaint alleges the city and county spend millions of dollars every year to combat the epidemic created by the defendants. Meanwhile through an alleged false advertising campaign that created “a false perception of the safety and efficacy of opioids in the minds of medical professionals and members of the public,†the defendant drug companies have made “blockbuster profits,†including $8 billion in revenue in 2012 alone, the complaint claims.
The city also alleges the defendants had a duty to report and stop suspicious orders for opioid prescriptions, yet failed to do so, contributing to the epidemic.
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“The rising numbers of persons addicted to opioids have led to increased health care costs and a dramatic increase in social problems, including drug abuse and diversion and the commission of criminal acts to obtain opioids throughout the United States, including Indianapolis and Marion County,†the plaintiffs wrote in their complaint. “Public health and safety throughout the United States, including Indianapolis and Marion County, has been significantly and negatively affected due to widespread inappropriate use of the drugs manufactured and distributed by defendants.â€
Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett announced his plans to take legal action against the drug companies in October, promising a “robust lawsuit†similar to those that have already been filed by several other government entities.
“Last winter, we set Indianapolis on a course to comprehensively reform our criminal justice system,†Hogsett said in a Tuesday statement. “Throughout that process, we have heard first-hand accounts of the devastation opioid abuse can wreck as it tears apart families and take(s) the lives of Indianapolis residents. We must do all we can to combat this epidemic of addiction while holding those accountable who have contributed to this crisis and caused such a prolific drain on taxpayer dollars.â€
The suit was filed on behalf of the city and county by Indianapolis firm Cohen & Malad, which also called on the court to require the defendants to establish an “’abatement fund’ for the purposes of abating the opioid nuisance.â€
“It’s time for the companies that profited to the tune of billions of dollars off opioids (to) be held accountable for the severe harm they’ve caused Indianapolis and Marion County,†Cohen & Malad managing partner Irwin Levin said in a statement.
TheStatehouseFile.comÂ
INDIANAPOLIS — She’s a jack of all trades — an artist, a firearms instructor, a cook.
“She does everything,†Miriam Weaver said. “We’ve shot guns with her and then watched how great she is at entertaining and having people over and making sure everybody in the room is happy.â€
First lady Janet Holcomb and two of her bridesmaids pose at her wedding. Miriam Weaver and Amy Jo Clark said Holcomb’s wedding is one of their favorite memories of her.
She looks put together no matter what she’s doing.
“She’s like Jackie O, but Republican,†Amy Jo Clark said.
She is a friend, an aunt, the first lady — but she’s also an everyday person.
“She is still her, the Janet she’s been since we first met,†Clark said.
First lady Janet Holcomb, Weaver and Clark have been friends since 2009 when now-Gov. Eric Holcomb set up a breakfast date with the three of them — years later, they were her bridesmaids.
“We went out and thought ‘Oh my God, we love her,’ so we hit it off and became best friends,†Clark said. Clark and Weaver host “Chicks on the Right†on WIBC.
Growing up on a small horse farm just east of Muncie, Janet Holcomb loved being outdoors, reading and drawing. She enjoyed drawing so much that she started taking art classes at Ball State before pursing her fine arts degree there. She also helped lead her family’s fastener business, R & R Engineering — a bolt engineering company.
“I always balanced art with business courses since I grew up in a family of small business owners,†Janet Holcomb said. “I wasn’t certain what my intentions were at the time, but I was passionate about it so I pursued it to see where it would lead.â€
It led her to political fundraising in 2001, which led her to Gov. Holcomb.
“I knew of him and we had mutual acquaintances but we didn’t meet until he started working for Gov. Daniels,†she said.
Gov. Eric Holcomb and first lady Janet Holcomb as the governor takes his oath of office in January. Photo by Alexa Freeman, TheStatehouseFile.com.
The couple hit it off and have been happily married for five years. But until about a year ago, she never expected she would be the first lady.
In February 2016, then-Gov. Mike Pence asked then-U.S. Senate candidate Holcomb to fill the vacancy of the lieutenant governor’s seat. He was sworn in on March 3.
“I thought, ‘Ok, we have four years to adjust to this role and contemplate if there is a next step if we want to do that’,†the first lady said.
But less than five months after being sworn into his new position, Gov. Holcomb got a call that Pence became the vice presidential-nominee. On July 26, he was named the gubernatorial candidate.
“I think Eric has always had a passion for serving others, so I wasn’t completely surprised,†Janet Holcomb said. “But the way the events transpired, no one could have predicted that.â€
When Weaver and Clark heard the news, they immediately texted the first lady.
“We texted her,†Weaver said, “and we were like, ‘Oh my gosh, you could be the first lady.’â€
“And she was like, ‘No way. There’s really no way I’m going to become first lady’,†Clark said.
First lady Janet Holcomb takes a selfie with her nieces, Victoria and Catherine. Her nieces love attending events with her, like the Indiana State Fair.
Even after becoming first lady, her nieces still see her as “Aunt Janet.â€
They have tagged along with her to events like the Indiana State Fair and the Governor’s Ball.
“When you are with her you would be nothing but happy,†her 10-year-old niece, Victoria Holcomb, said.
And the first lady, who was a 4-H’er herself, loves to support her nieces in their 4-H competitions.
“Since she has been in 4-H, she knows all the things you need to know about showing horses,†10-year-old Kay Ann Amos said. “My Aunt Janet made a trip to my show this year to help me and give me great tips.â€
Kay Ann has also stayed in the governor’s residence.
“It was like being in a maze,†she said. “But luckily Henry and Aunt Janet knew the way around.â€
Henry is their beloved schnauzer who is almost always by her side.
But despite her new role as first lady, she said nothing has really changed — other than having security detail.
“The state police assigned an officer to me, so when I go to the grocery store, I have a security detail with me,†she said.
And that’s changed how she can spend her free time.
“We can’t just go to Nordstrom whenever we want to,†Clark said.
Instead, the friends who love going on girls trips to Florida, zip lining and brunching — must check the first lady’s schedule.
The three friends recently spent a weekend at the governor’s cabin in Brown County and an afternoon at the governor’s residence.
“It was weird kind of because she’s our friend,†Clark said. “We were friends with her before she became first lady, so we just see her as Janet. Janet — our friend, Janet — who loves to be barefoot, just Janet.â€
They love to joke about her new role, however.
“I go over there and I’m like, ‘You have three kitchens now. I don’t even know what to do with one kitchen’,†Clark said laughing. “And then I tell people that except and they’re like, ‘Oh my goodness, you hung out with the first lady’.â€
From paying bills to hosting dignitaries for dinner, every day as first lady is different, but every day is a new challenge.
First lady Janet Holcomb and her friends, Miriam Weaver and Amy Jo Clark, have been friends since 2009. They were both bridesmaids in Holcomb’s wedding. Photo provided.
“It’s fun,†she said. “I kind of enjoy new challenges and the change but it’s also very tiring.â€
Her friends, nieces and those who know her best said she’s not only a great person, but also a great first lady.
“When you need someone, she knows what to say,†Clark said. “She understands how to be a first lady she is such a perfect representative for the state, but also a perfect friend.â€
Adrianna Pitrelli is a reporter for TheStatehouseFile.com, a news website powered by
