Indiana State Senator Jim Tomes will visit Scott Elementary School tomorrow as part of the Indiana State Teacher’s Association Teacher for a Day initiative. Senator Tomes will help teach Randa Smith’s kindergarten class at Scott.
Harshbarger flirts with triple-double as Eagles top Cardinals
University of Southern Indiana Women’s Basketball senior point guard Randa Harshbarger (Philo, Illinois) flirted with a triple-double as the Screaming Eagles earned an 86-60 Midwest Region victory over visiting Saginaw Valley State University Sunday afternoon at the Physical Activities Center.
Harshbarger finished with nine points, eight assists and a career-high 11 steals as the Eagles outscored the Cardinals 40-15 throughout the final 17 minutes of the contest.
Senior guard/forward Kaydie Grooms (Marshall, Illinois) led all scorers with 23, while senior forward Morgan Dahlstrom (Grayslake, Illinois) had her second straight double-double with 14 points, 11 rebounds and four steals.
The Eagles (2-0), who shot 54.2 percent (32-59) from the field, had five players with at least nine points. Junior forward Kacy Eschweiler (St. Charles, Missouri) added 10 points and five rebounds, while junior guard Alex Davidson (Salem, Indiana) matched a career-high with nine points on 3-of-5 shooting from behind the arc.
USI returns to action Thursday at 6 p.m. when it hosts Midwest Region foe Ohio Dominican University at the PAC.
Rachel Tam paces UE volleyball on Senior Night
Four UE seniors honored prior to match
Sophomore Rachel Tam recorded 13 kills and Cassie Brooks had 22 digs, but Loyola was able to finish off a 3-0 victory over the University of Evansville volleyball team on Saturday night at Meeks Family Fieldhouse.
Tam’s 13 kills came in 33 attempts. She also had five digs. Brooks led everyone with 22 digs while Mildrelis Rodriguez had 11 for the Purple Aces (10-18, 4-12 MVC). Allana McInnis had 25 assists. Quinn Spieker was the leader for the Ramblers (4-23, 3-13 MVC) as she tied Tam’s game-high of 13 kills.
Prior to the match, the four seniors – Erlicia Griffith, Jelena Merseli, Montana Schafer and Cathy Schreiber – were recognized for their contributions to the program throughout their careers.
The Aces got off to a nice start, taking a 3-0 lead before Loyola rallied to tie it up at 4-4 before taking their first lead at 9-7. A pair of kills by Rachel Tam helped the Aces tie it right back up at 9-9 before Rocio Fortuny posted a kill to put Evansville back up by a 14-11 score.
Two service aces courtesy of Loyola’s Alex Nunez helped them retake the lead at 16-15. They added to it, going up 23-18 before winning by a 25-19 final. Tam had five kills in the set.2-0
Carrying their momentum from game one, the Ramblers scored the first four tallies of the second frame. Mildrelis Rodriguez got UE on the board with a kill, but Loyola was able to push its lead back out to 9-5. Tam came through once again as a pair of kills helped UE tie it up at 9-9 before grabbing the lead at 11-10. Loyola had the answer once again; already up 15-14, they reeled off nine in a row before grabbing a 2-0 match lead with a final of 25-17 in the second game.
Cassie Brooks notched a service ace to give the Aces an early 5-4 lead in game three, but the Ramblers made their way back into it, taking a 15-13 edge but two Rodriguez kills saw the lead go back into the Aces hands at 17-16. UE was able to push its lead to a pair at 21-19, but a late rally by the Ramblers gave them a 24-22 lead. Down to their last point, the Aces notched two in a row to tie it up, but Loyola was able to fend off the challenge and take game three, 29-27.
Regular season play comes to an end next weekend as the Purple Aces travel to Bradley and Illinois State.
Eagles hold on for 87-76 victory
The University of Southern Indiana men’s basketball team blistered the nets in the first half before holding on to defeat Malone University, 87-76, in final game of the G-MAC/GLVC Crossover Saturday evening in Canton, Ohio. USI watched its record to 2-2 overall in 2017-18, while Malone starts the year, 1-1.
The Screaming Eagles flew out of the gate to start the game, racing out to an 11-0 lead after hitting four of the first six shots in the first two minutes. USI would extend the lead to as many as 20 points after shooting 66.7 percent from the field (18-27) and a blistering 71.4 percent from beyond the arc (10-14), taking a 47-30 lead into halftime.
USI senior guard Marcellous Washington (Lexington, Kentucky) led the first half surge with 15 points on a perfect five-of-five from downtown, while junior guard Nate Hansen (Evansville, Indiana) opened his Eagles career with a near-perfect four-of-five from long range for 12 points.
The Eagles continued to widen the margin in the second half, extending the lead to as many as 25 points, 69-44, with 6:13 to play. The Pioneers, however, would make a run at the Eagles, using a 16-2 run to pull to within 11 points with 1:52 left, 71-60.
Malone would close to within seven points, 81-74, with 26 ticks remaining on the clock before junior guard Alex Stein (Evansville, Indiana) and junior forward Jacob Norman (Evansville, Indiana) sealed the USI victory with six-straight free throws.
After blistering the nets in the opening half, the Eagles finished the game by hitting 57.1 percent from the field (28-49), 56.5 percent from beyond the three-point arc (13-23), and 81.8 percent from the charity stripe (18-22). USI also won the battle on the boards, 34-21.
Washington finished the game with a career-high 22 points as three Eagles reached 20-or-more points. The senior guard was six-of-eight overall, six-of-seven from long range, and a perfect four-of-four from the stripe.
Hansen finished his USI debut with 21 points, also hitting six-of-eight from the field, five-of-seven from downtown, and four-of-six from the line. Stein, who had 13 second half points, rounded out the double-digit scorers with 20 points on seven-of-10 from the field, including a three-pointer, and five-of-six from charity stripe.
The Eagles begin the 2017-18 home slate Tuesday when they host Brescia University for a non-conference 7 p.m. contest. USI leads the all-time series with Bresica, 3-0, after winning the last meeting in 2010-11, 98-62, at the PAC. The Bearcats are 0-2 to start the season.
Women’s basketball tips-off 2017-18 campaign Sunday
Aces welcome Murray State to Meeks Family Fieldhouse
The University of Evansville women’s basketball team opens up its 2017-18 season on Sunday at 1 p.m. against Murray State as the Aces return to campus for their first game since 2000.
Back on campus, the Aces will call the newly renovated Meeks Family Fieldhouse home and welcome in the Racers for the 2017-18 season opener.
Evansville is coming off a 14-17 record in head coach Matt Ruffing’s first season in 2016-17. The Aces won six of their last seven games to conclude last season, including a victory over Missouri State in the quarterfinals of the MVC Tournament. Returning for the Aces this season are a pair of upperclassmen guards who started every game last season in senior Brooke Dossett and junior Kerri Gasper. Also returning are sophomore guard Macie Lively, sophomore center Kaylan Coffman and junior center Tattenai Hall.
Murray State similarly opens the season on Sunday as the Racers are under the direction of first year head coach Rechelle Turner. The Races enter the opening weekend after a 15-14 season in 2016-17. Returning for Murray State this season are four of its top five scorers from a year ago, including leading scorer senior guard/forward Ke’Shunan James who averaged 20.5 points and 7.3 boards in 2016-17.
The Aces and Racers meet for the 25th time in the series history on Sunday with Murray State holding a 20-14 advantage in the series. In last year’s matchup, Evansville used strong efforts in the second and third quarters to push the Aces past the Racers, 82-77. The last time Evansville and Murray State met in Meeks Family Fieldhouse was November 29, 1993 when the Racers captured a 96-94 overtime victory.
At halftime of Sunday’s contest, Evansville will recognize Aces’ women’s sports pioneer Lois Patton for her efforts in building women’s athletics at the University of Evansville.
Eagles end 2017 with four-set loss to Rangers
Senior middle hitter Te’Ayla Whitfield (Fort Wayne, Indiana) had 13 kills, a .522 attacking percentage and three blocks to lead the Screaming Eagles, while sophomore middle hitter Elexis Coleman (Joliet, Illinois) contributed 12 kills and a .360 attacking percentage.
Freshman setter Casey Cepicky (St. Louis, Missouri) had 46 assists for the Eagles, who end the year with a 12-19 overall record and a 5-13 mark in GLVC play. Senior libero Shannon Farrell (Munster, Indiana) and sophomore defensive specialist Lizzy Gardner (Lafayette, Indiana) had 25 and 14 digs, respectively, to lead USI’s back row.
Saturday’s match was the final collegiate outing for Farrell, Whitfield, senior defensive specialist Jessica Lee (Mackinaw, Illinois) and senior outside hitter Shelbi Morris (Brazil, Indiana). Farrell completes her career as USI’s all-time digs leader (1,900), while Whitfield finishes her career tied for seventh all-time at USI with 254 block assists and ninth with 291 total blocks. Morris, who did not play in 2017 due to injury, finishes her career with 487 kills and 539 digs, while Lee completes her career with 748 digs.
Set 1 (UWP 25-20)
In a back-and-forth first set, UW-Parkside won the final six points to earn a five-point win and one-set lead in the match. The Eagles attacked at a blistering .407 pace in the first set, but the Rangers trumped USI with a .452 attacking percentage. Coleman was one of three USI players with three kills in the opening frame.
Set 2 (UWP 25-22)
The Rangers (13-17, 8-10 GLVC) won seven of the final eight rallies to overcome a 21-18 deficit and earn the three-point win in the second frame. USI hit just .093 in the second stanza, despite a five-kill, .714 attack percentage effort from Coleman.
Set 3 (USI 25-11)
USI used a 14-2 run and a .440 attacking percentage to rout the Rangers by 14 in the third set and cut UW-Parkside’s lead to a set. Jung had four kills and a .667 attacking percentage to lead the Eagles in the third set.
Set 4 (UWP 25-22)
The Eagles saw an early 12-9 lead dissipate as the Rangers used an 11-5 run to put USI in a three-point deficit it could not recover from. Whitfield racked up six kills and a .600 attacking percentage to lead the Eagles in the final set.
Short Box Score (Match)
Southern Indiana vs Wisconsin-Parkside (Nov 11, 2017 at Somers, WI)
Wisconsin-Parkside def. Southern Indiana 25-20,25-22,11-25,25-22
Southern Indiana (12-19, 5-13 GLVC) (Kills-aces-blocks) – Whitfield, Te’Ayla 13-1-3; Coleman, Elexis 12-0-1; Jung, Amanda 9-0-2; Yochum, Alyssa 8-0-0; Stose, Lindsey 3-0-0; Cepicky, Casey 3-0-2; Gardner, Lizzy 2-0-0; Lee, Jessica 1-0-0; Farrell, Shannon 1-1-0; Humphrey, Mikaila 1-0-0; Totals 53-2-4.0. (Assists) – Cepicky, Casey 46. (Dig leaders) – Farrell, Shannon 25; Gardner, Lizzy 14; Cepicky, Casey 8
Wisconsin-Parkside (13-17, 8-10 GLVC) (Kills-aces-blocks) – Hedman, Rachel 15-0-0; Turek, Lexi 14-0-4; Calloway, Lexie 11-0-0; Fenske, Leah 7-3-3; Mavis, Elizabeth 3-0-1; Adams, Katie 3-0-2; Anders, Lyndsie 1-0-0; Leo, Annie 0-1-0; Totals 54-4-6.0. (Assists) – Adams, Katie 43. (Dig leaders) – Leo, Annie 21; Calloway, Lexie 14; Ysteboe, Maleia 9
Site: Somers, WI (DeSimone Gym)
Date: Nov 11, 2017Â Â Attend: 152Â Â Time: 1:51
Referees: Jim Momsen, Bill Petersen
Hoosier Veterans Effected By Federal Grant Money Cuts
Channel 44 News: Hoosier Veterans Effected By Federal Grant Money Cuts
by Tyrone Morris for Channel 44 News
NOVEMBER 10TH, 2017Â 
TYRONE MORRISÂ INDIANA
 As we honor our veterans this weekend there are some Hoosier heroes who face life on the streets of Indiana. In Indianapolis, nearly 1,100 veterans were homeless in 2016.
Now there are fewer beds for them in transitional housing. Organizations like the Hoosier veterans assistance foundation are seeing the effects of cuts to federal grant money.
While volunteers say there’s some relief on the way from the state their current reality means a stricter limit on how many people they can each night.
“Our wait list has gotten bigger as our availability of beds has gotten lower. It is going to take some time for the resources to catch up with the requirement, the pent-up demand that`s out there,†says Brian Copes.
Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett said creating permanent supportive housing for 400 homeless residents is a priority this year.
Drug Commission Echoes Governor’s Anti-Marijuana Position
By Makenna Mays
TheStatehouseFile.com
INDIANAPOLIS – The Indiana Commission to Combat Drug Abuse voted overwhelmingly Thursday to oppose efforts to decriminalize marijuana for medical or recreational use.
The 11-3 vote, with two abstentions, was taken at the commission’s regular meeting, echoing Gov. Eric Holcomb’s opposition to legislative efforts to relax Indiana’s marijuana laws.
“I think it’s really important that we’re talking about the most vulnerable population in this state, that we’re doing what we can to make sure that our young children are not taking edible marijuana and ending up in our emergency rooms and our hospitals,†said Dr. Kristina Box, the state’s health commissioner, after she made the motion.
Dr. Kristina Box, Indiana’s Department of Health commissioner
However, not everyone on the committee agreed that the commission should vote on this issue.
“When I signed up for this commission, I signed up for a particular reason and that was to address the opioid epidemic,†said Sen. Gregory Taylor, D-Indianapolis. “This commission was never tasked with taking a position on marijuana, marijuana is not an opioid.†He was one of the no votes.
The commission took the vote a day after Holcomb was asked whether he would support efforts to relax the state’s marijuana laws. At least one lawmaker has said he will introduce legislation in 2018 to make it legal for medical use while a national veterans’ group is pushing for a study of the issue.
“The FDA is the organization that approves drugs in this country, and they’ve not yet, and so we’re not there in this state,†Holcomb said. “At this time right now, I’m trying to get drugs off the street, not add more into the mix. So, I’m just not supportive of that.â€
Meanwhile, state Rep. Jim Lucas, R-Seymour, has said he will introduce legislation that would legalize marijuana for medical purposes. Several medical marijuana bills were filed in the last legislative session and all failed.
Organizations such as the American Legion believe that there is some merit into researching the medicinal value of the drug. Many veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and chronic pain have told the Veteran’s Administration that their health has improved by using medicinal cannabis.
“We have never endorsed the use of marijuana for recreational or even medicinal purposes,†said John Raughter, communications director at the American Legion. “All we’re saying is we want the VA to do research into the area.â€
Currently, marijuana is listed as a Schedule I drug, which says it has no medicinal value. Other Schedule I drugs include heroin, ecstasy and LSD.
“We are saying that we want it to be removed as a Schedule I and be reclassified because we want the VA to study whether or not it has potential medicinal value,†Raughter said.
An independent public opinion research company recently released the results of a nationwide survey of veterans about the use of medical cannabis:
- 83 percent believe the federal government should legalize medical cannabis nationwide,
- 82 percent said they would want to have medical cannabis as a federally-legal treatment option,
- 92 percent support medical research,
- 100 percent aged 18-30 support federally legalized medical cannabis, and
- 79 percent age 60-plus support federally legalized medical cannabis.
At the last American Legion national convention in August, the organization passed a resolution proposing that VA doctors should be able to discuss with veterans the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes and recommend it in those states where medical marijuana is legal.
“If a doctor can provide it to a non-veteran outside the VA system in the state because of their state laws, we’re basically saying, you know, that’s something the VA should be able to do as well in cases that’s appropriate,†Raughter said.
The debate over medical marijuana comes as others states have legalized the drug for either medical or recreational use. California, Massachusetts, Maine and Nevada have already all passed measures legalizing recreational marijuana. It is also legal in Oregon and Colorado.
The debate is also taking place as communities across the state grapple with opioid addiction. State Sen. Jim Merritt, R-Indianapolis, is proposing bills for the 2018 legislation that would impose tougher penalties on some drug crimes.
FOOTNOTE: Makenna Mays is a reporter for TheStatehouseFile.com, a news website powered by Franklin College journalism students.
