BREAKING NEWS: ACES SUPER REGIONAL BOUND!!!
JUNE 04, 2024The University of Evansville baseball team became just the ninth No. 4 seed to win an NCAA Tournament Regional on Monday afternoon, as the fourth-seeded Purple Aces outlasted the host and #16 national seed East Carolina Pirates, 6-5, at Clark-LeClair Stadium in Greenville, North Carolina.
“What a tremendous moment for our program!” said UE head coach Wes Carroll. “I thought that Nick Smith did a tremendous job of setting the tone for us today, and then what Max Hansmann and Shane Harris was able to do out of the pen was really special. Offensively, we had guys step up once again, and what a great bounce-back performance from last night. Our guys never wavered this weekend, and they represented the University and this program so well, and I couldn’t be more proud of them for that.
“I also want to thank the people at East Carolina and their fans for a tremendous environment and regional experience. The environment was special, and the fans were in to every game, and it made it a very special weekend of baseball.”
Senior starter Nick Smith kept East Carolina scoreless for the first two innings on Monday, and his teammates helped give him an early lead with single runs in the first and second innings. Senior designated hitter Kip Fougerousse continued his torrid stretch with a long solo home run to dead center field in the first inning to not only give UE the lead, but also tie the Evansville single-season home run record with his 21st home run of the year. Fougerousse has now homered in six-straight games and in eight of nine games overall.
A walk, a wild pitch, an infield single and a throwing error by ECU helped UE plate its second run of the contest in the second inning. The Pirates would rebound with two runs in the third inning to tie the game, but Smith kept the score tied at 2-2 until the fifth inning with four strong innings of work on the mound.
The Pirates would rally for three runs in the fifth inning on just one base hit, before sophomore reliever Max Hansmann (2-1) would come on to shut down the inning with ECU leading 5-2. Evansville would immediately respond with a run in the bottom of the fifth inning on a lead-off double by senior shortstop Simon Scherry, a single by graduate outfielder Mark Shallenberger, and an RBI ground out by Fougerousse to trim the deficit to 5-3.
Shallenberger would then launch one of the most important home runs in UE history in the sixth inning with a three-run blast to right-center field to give UE a 6-5 lead. From there, Hansmann would retire six of the next eight ECU batters to keep the score at 6-5 going into the ninth inning. Senior reliever Shane Harris then came out of the UE bullpen and set down the Pirates in order to earn his third save of the year and help UE secure its first Regional Tournament championship in program history.
Shallenberger went 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBI to help lead the UE offense. Fougerousse also went 1-for-3 with his fourth home run of the Regional Tournament on his way to earning the Greenville (N.C.) Regional Tournament Most Outstanding Player honor. Scherry and Widder also had two hits each for UE, which improves to 38-24 overall with the victory and advances on to the Super Regional round to face national No. 1 seed, Tennessee.
Fougerousse earned Regional Tournament Most Outstanding Player honors, while Shallenberger, Scherry and freshman pitcher Kenton Deverman were all named to the Greenville (N.C.) All-Regional Tournament team.
The NCAA will announce the dates and start times for the Super Regional match-up between Evansville and Tennessee on Tuesday morning via social media. UE and Tennessee have never met in the sport of baseball before.
THREE DULY ELECTED MEMBERS OF THE LOCAL GOP BANNED FROM GOP FOR OVER 5 YEARS
THREE DULY ELECTED MEMBERS OF THE LOCAL GOP BANNED FROM GOP FOR OVER 5 YEARS
BY JOHNNY KINCAID
JUNE 4, 2024
After closed-door hearings last night, the 8th District GOP Committee handed down a decision that will prevent three recently elected Precinct Committee members (PCs) from participating in any party activities until December 31, 2029.
After leaving his hearing, Michael Daugherty said that it appears that party officials “can remove anyone from office for any reason.” The complaint against Daugherty stemmed from last year’s run for mayor on the Libertarian ticket and his criticism of Vanderburgh County GOP Chair Michael Duckworth. Former Republican mayoral candidate Natalie Rascher was the sole witness testifying against Daugherty. Podcaster and CCO reporter Johnny Kincaid and Alice Work from RAINS testified on Daugherty’s behalf.
State Senator Vanetta Becker testified that Ken Colbert posted negative comments about her on social media. The case against him was based on 17 social media posts made before he was elected as PC.
Cheryl Battieger Smith stated that her complaint stemmed from referring to local political parties becoming a “uni-party.”
Daugherty, Colbert, and Smith asked for a ten-day extension for the hearing because their attorney was unavailable, but their requests went unanswered.
A group of 60 protesters gathered outside Vanderburgh County GOP headquarters carrying signs saying, “Duckworth must go!”
State Senator Vanetta Becker testified that Ken Colbert posted negative comments about her on social media. The case against him was based on 17 social media posts made before he was elected as PC.
Cheryl Battieger Smith stated that her complaint stemmed from referring to local political parties becoming a “uni-party.”
Daugherty, Colbert, and Smith asked for a ten-day extension for the hearing because their attorney was unavailable, but their requests went unanswered.
FOOTNOTE: THIS IS A DEVELOPING ST0RY.
DECISION OF OFFICERS OF THE 8th GOP DISTRICT COMMITTEE CONCERNING MICHAEL DAUGHERTY
REPUBLICAN PARTY OF THE STATE OF INDIANA
THE EIGHTH DISTRICT REPUBLICAN CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEE
Michael Duckworth, Sr.
8309 Larch Lane
Evansville, IN 47710
Complainant
vs.
Michael Daugherty
953 Pfeiffer Road
Evansville, IN 47710
Respondent
DECISION OF OFFICERS OF THE 8th GOP DISTRICT COMMITTEE CONCERNIN MICHAEL DAUGHERTY
Hearing of the Eighth District Republican Congressional Committee (“District Committee”) on the Complaint of the Complainant. The complainant appears in person; the Respondent appears in person.
Whereas, Complainant filed a Complaint under Rules 1-29 of the Rules of the Indiana Republican Party State Committee (“Rules”) against Respondent regarding a dispute arising at the county committee level; and
Whereas, Respondent did file an Answer or Response to the Complaint; and
Whereas, original jurisdiction for the complaint is with the officers of the District Committee in which the complaint took place, under Rule 1-33(b); and
Whereas, the officers of the District Committee timely determined that the complaint was properly filed and stated a sufficient cause of action, pursuant to Rule 1-33(c); and
Whereas, the District Committee set a hearing for June 3, 2024, at 5:15 p.m. Central Time, at The Foundry, located at 101 N. Main Street, Evansville, IN 47710, pursuant to Rule 1-33(d); and
Whereas, the District Committee gave proper and timely Notice of the hearing, pursuant to Rule 1-33(d); and
Whereas, the hearing was held at the set time and place and followed the basic structure of the sample hearing guidelines found in Appendix C of the Rules, under Rule 1-33(e); and
Whereas, the District Committee having received the documents of Complainant, and having heard the testimony and evidence and arguments of Complainant, and having given due consideration to it; and
Whereas, the District Committee having received documents having received documents and heard testimony to rebut the Complaint; The District Committee makes the following FINDINGS OF FACT:
- The current Rules define “Republican in Good Standing” Rule 1-25. And “Cause” Rule 1-13, (2)
- The documents and testimony presented evidence of violation of Rule 1-25 and Rule 1-13, (2)
- Under Rule 1-33(f), the Complaint shall be decided by a Majority Vote of the officers of the District Committee.
NOW THEREFORE, after discussion, consideration, and evaluation, the District Committee has determined that Respondent is not a Republican in Good Standing for all Republican Party matters until December 31, 2029.
SO DECIDED.
For the District Committee
Mike Myers
Eighth District Committee Secretary
copy: – Complainant, Michael Duckworth, Sr. mduckworthsr@gmail.com
-
- Respondent, Michael Daugherty, michaeldaugherty@gmail.com
Secretary, Indiana Republican State Committee – Mary Martin mary2526@live.com; secretary@indiana.gop
Assistant Secretary, Indiana Republican State Committee – Aaron Minnich aminnich@indiana.gop
Chair, Indiana Republican State Committee – Anne Hathaway anne@afhathaway.com; info@indiana.gop
Chair, Eighth District Republican Congressional Committee – Brenda Goff goff.swi@gmail.com
Vice Chairwoman, Eighth District Republican Congressional Committee – Jon Winkler jon.winkler@spencercountygop.com
Treasurer, Eighth District Republican Congressional Committee – Linda Painter, lpainter.gop@gmail.com
Secretary, Eighth District Republican Congressional Committee – Mike Myers. Mmyers1967@gmail.com
First-class UPS mail:
Michael Duckworth, Sr.
8309 Larch Lane
Evansville, IN 47710
VS.
Michael Daugherty
953 Pfeiffer Road
Evansville, IN 47710
LETTER TO EDITOR: Want a “Good Republican?” Vote Libertarian.
LETTER TO EDITOR: Want a “Good Republican?” Vote Libertarian.
by Andrew Horning
June 4, 2042
Everyone has at one point said, “Follow the money.” But who does that? We sure don’t vote like we follow the money. And the media sure haven’t been any help following the threads of PACS and “bundlers” to the donor class of military, monetary, industrial and foreign nationals who invest heavily in our politicians.
As a Libertarian, I’m often told I don’t raise enough money to be ‘viable,’” as if “viable” means fully owned by the Donor Class who control our media (even most of new media), information, education, entertainment, industrial, Big Ag, Big Pharma and political systems. I’m also no part of the Hatfield/McCoy, Republican v Democrat, divide-and-conquer puppet show we’ve played since WWII, or the Power For Sale political primaries we’ve had since the 1970’s.
So I’m free to say that, even here in Indiana, where Republicans are increasingly indistinguishable from Democrats, there are still good Republicans, and good Democrats. Of course, none of them are in federal office. We have nobody like Thomas Massie or Rand Paul of KY, or Justin Amash of MI. Why? Because through the last several Indiana GOP primaries, all the best GOP candidates (you know, the ones not called RINOs), lose in our embarrassingly expensive, corrupting and pre-scripted primary elections, to candidates approved by their Donor Class puppet masters. I’ve won a GOP primary election for US House, and I’ve seen the backstage. The unconstitutional, inherently divisive and corrupt Two Party System our founders warned against cannot be fixed. It must be ended to let better people have a shot.
For example, promising newcomers like Charles Bookwalter, a strong constitutionalist, so good he could even be a Libertarian, lost to the crony establishment. The only constitutionalist federal officeholder Indiana has had in a hundred years, John Hostettler, also lost to the status quo. Numerous other, superb candidates over the years, like nationally-known economist Dr. Eric Schansberg, have been brushed away by rules changes and smoky room shenanigans. In other words, our best and brightest lose Primary Elections to the so-called “lesser evil” (but still genuinely evil) politics all voters claim to hate, but keep reelecting nonetheless.
So now, every single member of Indiana’s delegation to DC has voted against individual rights, domestic prosperity and sovereignty, privacy, sane economics, and national security. They’ve instead voted to fund, train and arm every side of every conflict on the planet; voted to destabilize foreign governments and create enemies everywhere; and voted to increase the size and cost and Big Brother powers of their military, monetary, NGO, corporate and intelligence agency puppet masters. They’ve voted to fund the literal invasion of our country with foreigners who’re even allowed to vote in our elections. They’ve lined their own pockets with insider trading as they wipe out the middle class and push too many into intractable debt. They’ve voted us onto the edge of simultaneous societal, economic and moral collapse, as well as the very real potential for WWIII. Every one of them. No exceptions.
While my book, “Relighting the Torch” goes into much more detail on the problems, and offers the proven solutions that have always been ours for the taking, the short answer is that We The People have all the power to fix all of this. But we have to want to. When we really want to, we will change how we’ve been wielding our weapons of peaceful revolution – our votes. …If we still have elections.
The most important, actionable words in our once-cherished Declaration of Independence are, “…that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.”
I hope we have suffered enough of our government’s long train of abuses and usurpations that we’re ready to invoke our right, and duty, to throw off such ungoverned, sold-out “government.”
After the judicial travesty in NYC, I understand why so many, even Libertarians, now see Donald Trump as the “Protest Vote” for USA President. Even though he still surrounds himself with Deep State apparatchiks, and has endorsed sold-out politicians, I will no longer try to talk people away from him.
But let’s be serious about the real power in our government. It’s the NGOs, corporations and absurdly wealthy Malthusian eugenicists behind the curtain who’re pulling the strings, such that nothing works the way it’s supposed to. Today, most laws are written, judged and executed by unelected bureaucrats in executive agencies. And many of those laws come from other nations, with military actions that cause our own nation real harm. Congress hasn’t constitutionally declared a war since WWII, yet we’ve had scarcely a year’s peace since. Truman, Eisenhower and JFK warned us against our spies, military-industrialists and “scientific-technological elites” decades ago, and we should’ve been concerned when the warnings stopped. Now we’re in actual existential trouble…and not the fearmongering that’s inundated us every election season. No, we’re in real trouble now.
It’s time for Hoosiers to vote the way we talk. That means that anti-war, pro-individual liberty Democrats, as well as sound money, sound economy, and small-government Republicans, need to vote Libertarian.
FOOTNOTE: Andrew Horning is the Libertarian Party of Indiana’s candidate for Indiana’s US Senate seat in 2024.
USI Nursing first in Indiana and nation for NCLEX pass rates
Acording to the newest 2023-24 National Council for State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) report, the University of Southern Indiana is tied for first in pass rates for the National Council Licensure Exam (NCLEX®) out of 52 registered nurse (RN) programs in Indiana having at least 10 graduates take the exam during the reporting period and tied for first nationally in terms of pass rates out of 2,226 RN programs. Two USI BSN cohorts were included in the data, and both achieved a 100% pass rate on the first attempt when taking the NCLEX in 2023: 29 graduated in Fall 2022, and 78 graduated in Spring 2023 also received a 100% pass rate.
One of those USI Nursing grads is Jaden Fleetwood ’23. “Being a part of the cohort that achieved a 100% pass rate on the NCLEX gives me a feeling of astonishment to say the least. It’s such an amazing accomplishment for our University, and I’m so glad to have been a part of that,” he says. “Being ranked among the number one nursing schools at both the state and national levels for NCLEX pass rates proves that USI’s nursing faculty strive to provide the highest of quality education and experiences for their students.”
When Jaden was in the fourth grade, his mother had an aneurysm on her brain stem that ruptured. “When I went to see her in the emergency room at St. Mary’s (now Ascension St. Vincent) before they life-flighted her to Vanderbilt, some of the nurses who were working on her were men,” he says. “I didn’t realize that men could be nurses, and they were performing procedures that I thought only doctors could do. I didn’t realize what all nurses could do at that time. It was both an eye-opening and life-changing experience, to say the least.”
The Fort Branch native and Gibson Southern High School graduate chose to attend USI because of its reputation for historically having “very good” pass rates for the NCLEX. He says that USI faculty prepared him and the other nursing students by constantly emphasizing critical thinking and adding NCLEX clinical decision making as part of their daily classroom activities, exam questions, discussion boards and study sessions.
“USI also always made sure that we put patient safety at the forefront of everything in and out of the classroom,” he says. “After I took the NCLEX, I was a bit nervous, but this is a very normal feeling after taking a life-changing exam. After taking it, I kept telling myself, ‘If I pass this, I will have achieved my dream of becoming a registered nurse!’”
He is currently working as a registered nurse on the Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit (CVICU) at The Heart Hospital at Deaconess Gateway in Evansville.
“To be a USI nursing alumnus gives me a strong sense of pride,” he says. “It’s an incredible program for so many reasons, and these new rankings prove that. I recommend USI to anyone and everyone who is contemplating going to nursing school.”
Dr. Jennifer Evans, Assistant Dean for Nursing in the USI College of Nursing and Health Professions, echoed her former student’s praise for the USI Nursing Program and faculty. “Consistently over the past three years, we have increased our rankings, both in the state and nationally,” she says. “Amid all of the challenges we are facing in healthcare and higher education today, the fact that we have continued to improve our NCLEX pass rates and program outcomes demonstrates USI’s commitment to excellence in preparing nurses for the workforce.”
In addition to the BSN program, USI offers a 100% online RN to BSN option for working professionals to earn a bachelor’s degree, the ASN to BSN dual enrollment program with Ivy Tech, and several graduate nursing programs for nurses to pursue advance practice nursing, leadership and education roles.
Evansville Police Merit Commission Meeting
NOTICES FOR JUNE 5, 2024
SPECIAL MEETINGS AND EXECUTIVE SESSION
On June 5, 2024, at 4:30 p.m., the Evansville Police Merit Commission (the “Commission”) will conduct a special meeting concerning the pending discipline of Officer Michael Dockery, Badge Number 1473, Personnel Orders 24-PDO-01 and 24-PDO-01A. The meeting is open to the public and will take place in Room 307 of the Evansville Vanderburgh County Civic Center Complex, 1 N.W. Martin Luther King, Jr., Boulevard, Evansville, Indiana 47708.
Immediately following said special meeting, the Commission will conduct an executive session, which will be closed to the public pursuant to I.C. §5-14-1.5-6.1(b)(6)(A) and (B) (to receive information concerning Officer Dockery’s alleged misconduct and to discuss, before a determination, Officer Dockery’s status as an employee). The meeting will take place in Room 307 of the Evansville Vanderburgh County Civic Center Complex, 1 N.W. Martin Luther King, Jr., Boulevard, Evansville, Indiana 47708.
Immediately following said executive session, the Commission will conduct a special meeting to take final action on the pending discipline of Officer Dockery. The meeting is open to the public and will take place in Room 307 of the Evansville Vanderburgh County Civic Center Complex, 1 N.W. Martin Luther King, Jr., Boulevard, Evansville, Indiana 47708.
Trailblazers earn several Academic All-Conference honors
VINCENNES, Ind. – The Vincennes University baseball team earned some pretty special recognition Monday morning as 10 members of the VU club earned Academic All-Conference honors for the Mid-West Athletic Conference (MWAC).
These athletes finished the year with an overall GPA above 3.5 to be recognized for this honor.
The VU honorees are;
JD Bowser, Fr., RHP, Mt. Carmel, Ill.
JD had a good freshman season on the mound for the Trailblazers, pitching 33 and one-third innings in 25 appearances this season for VU and striking out 26 batters, earning him an average of just over seven strikeouts per nine innings.
Holden Clifton, R-Fr., RHP/INF, Louisville, Ill.
Holden appeared in 33 games this past season for the Trailblazers, slugging a .298 batting average with two home runs and 17 RBIs, while also taking the mound three times, pitching three and two-thirds innings and striking out seven for an outstanding 17.18 strikeouts per nine innings average.
Bradyn Douglas, Fr., IF, Frankton, Ind.
Bradyn was a day one starter for the Trailblazers at second base, finishing the season with a .288 batting average with eight doubles and a home run in 48 games. Douglas also came away with 17 stolen bases on the season.
Reed Drabant, Fr., OF, Columbia, Ill.
Reed had a solid freshman season for the Trailblazers, appearing in 26 games, recording four RBIs and coming away with four stolen bases.
Logan Edwards, Fr., C, Corydon, Ind.
Logan competed for time behind the plate for the Blazers, appearing in 18 games, getting one double and two RBIs while batting .267 on the season.
Bryce Gross, Fr., RHP/INF, Bridgeport, Ill.
Bryce had a good season both at the plate and on the mound as a two-way option for VU this past season. Hitting .271 for the year with five doubles, nine RBIs and three stolen bases, while becoming a consistent arm out of the bullpen to throw 20 and two-thirds innings with 21 strikeouts.
Bryton Griffy, So., LHP/OF, Louisville, Ill.
Bryton closed out his VU career with a strong sophomore season with a .256 batting average, seven RBIs and three stolen bases. Griffy also made one appearance on the mound this past season, throwing one-third of an inning.
Blake Heyerly, So., OF, Monroe, Ind.
Blake finished his VU career with a very strong year at the plate, clubbing a team-leading six home runs, finishing with eight doubles and 30 RBIs in 41 games. Heyerly closed out the year with a .287 batting average and a .519 slugging percentage.
Keegan Schlotterbeck, So., RHP/INF, Centerville, Ind.
Keegan was another two-way option for the Trailblazers, platooning in the infield to finish the season with nine RBIs and two stolen bases in 27 games at the plate, while also recording five innings on the mound with five strikeouts and a 3.60 earned run average.
Carter Whitehead, So., OF, Huntingburg, Ind.
Carter finished out his VU career with nine doubles, 10 RBIs, 11 stolen bases and a .263 batting average in 47 games for the Trailblazers this past season.
The Vincennes University Athletic Department would like to congratulate these student-athletes on this tremendous accomplishment and recognition.