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A Message from Comptroller Nieshalla: Year-End Reflections
First Ivy Tech Students in US Department of Labor’s Apprenticeship Building America Program Graduate
TELL CITY, IN – On Dec. 16, the first three students in the newly formed U.S. Department of Labor’s Apprenticeship Program with Commonwealth Rolled Products in Lewisport, KY, graduated with an interdisciplinary technical certificate from Ivy Tech Community College. The program included a mix of courses, selected by the employer, to give the students the skills the employer wanted them to have.
Graduates include: Brian McBride, Chris Meadows, and Mike Owens, all employees at Commonwealth Rolled Products.
Commonwealth Rolled Products and Ivy Tech were able to develop this program through grant funding provided by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Apprenticeship Building America program.
Ivy Tech Community College is providing the related training required by the U.S. Department of Labor for registered apprenticeship programs. Each program is supported with an interdisciplinary industrial workforce technical certificate which is customized to the specific needs of a company. Commonwealth’s training was developed through a collaboration with the Ivy+ Career Link team, the School of Advanced Manufacturing, Engineering and Applied Science, and Katie King, site director of Ivy Tech’s Tell City location.
Evansville campus Chancellor Daniela Vidal urges any company interested in partnering to develop an apprenticeship program to reach out. “Giving employers the ability to skill up their workforce, and provide meaningful training and skills to their employees, is one of the things Ivy Tech does best.” Employers may partner with Ivy Tech by contacting Ivy+ Career Link at 812-492-0269.
The Apprenticeship Building America grant program is designed to expand and modernize registered apprenticeship by increasing the number of programs and apprentices, diversifying the industries that use registered apprenticeships and improving the access to and performance of registered apprenticeship programs for underrepresented and underserved communities.
EPD DAILY ACTIVITY REPORT
FOOTNOTE: EPD DAILY ACTIVITY REPORT information was provided by the EPD and posted by the City-County-County Observer without opinion, bias, or editing.
Aces’ Hard-Fought Effort Falls Short in Non-Con Finale at Dayton
DAYTON, Ohio – The University of Evansville women’s basketball team wrapped up the non-conference portion of their schedule with a hard-fought effort at Dayton on Sunday afternoon, but fell short with a 75-66 defeat to the Flyers.
Camryn Runner (Cicero, Ind./Hamilton Heights) posted her third 20-plus point performance of the season with 22 to lead the Aces. Runner shot 12-for-13 from the charity stripe and added a team-high six rebounds and six assists. Elle Snyder (Latrobe, Penn./Greater Latrobe) added a season-high 10 points, seven of which came in the first quarter, while Logan Luebbers Palmer (Union, Ky./Randall K. Cooper) scored 10 points and played all 40 minutes.
Evansville came out of the gates hot, with a three-pointer by Snyder and layups by Mustaros and Snyder gave the Aces a 7-1 lead. Dayton would battle back to tie the score at 11 at the 2:41 mark in the quarter before taking the lead, but a pair of and-ones from Runner and Georgia Ferguson (Waterloo, Ontario/Cairine Wilson Secondary School) helped the Aces regain the lead at 20-18. However, the Flyers beat the first quarter buzzer with a three-pointer to take a 21-20 lead into the second period.
Dayton began the second quarter on a run, outscoring the Aces 9-2 in the first four minutes. Evansville would battle back, though, as layups from Lubbers Palmer and Runner made it 30-26 in favor of the Flyers. The Aces’ duo continued to help the team battled back, knocking down a pair of jumpers to tie the score at 32, before Lubbers Palmer gave the Aces the lead at 34-32 with 2:21 to play in the half. However, Dayton would go on another run to end the quarter, scoring eight unanswered points to take a 40-34 at halftime.
Dayton began to pull away midway through the third quarter, taking a 53-38 advantage with 5:30 to go. The Flyers would extend the lead to 18, but the Aces chipped away in the final two minutes of the quarter, with Runner outscoring the Flyers 8-2 to make it 60-48 heading into the fourth.
Evansville continued to chip away in the fourth quarter, with BreAunna Ward (St. Louis, Mo./John Burroughs School) knocking down a jumper at the 8:48 mark to cut the deficit to single digits. Sydney Huber (Cedar Rapids, Iowa/Mount Vernon) got hot from three-point range as the Aces fought back, knocking down a transition three off a block from Mireia Mustaros (Barcelona, Spain/Odessa College) before drilling another three off a steal, making the Dayton lead four at 67-63 with 1:41 to play. However, that was as close as it would get, as Dayton hung on for a 75-66 win.
The Aces return home on December 29 to host Murray State for an MVC clash at Meeks Family Fieldhouse. Tip-off is set for 6 PM.
Rally falls short as Aces fall to Bulldogs
Drake takes 66-65 victory
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Trailing by as many was 14 points in the second half, the University of Evansville men’s basketball team staged a furious rally in the final minutes before coming up just one point short in a 66-65 setback to Drake on Sunday inside the Ford Center.
Connor Turnbull led all players with 20 points and a career-high 15 boards. He added three blocks in just over 28 minutes of action. AJ Casey had a solid 12-point, 4-rebounds effort while recording three steals. Alex Hemenway completed the day with 11 points. Jaeshon Thomas led the Bulldogs with 18 points.
“I just told our guys that it is hard to be in these games but it is even harder to finish them,” UE head coach David Ragland said. “We had opportunities to win both of our MVC games but came up just short. We have given ourselves a chance to win each game and need to learn from our mistakes and get better.”
Turnbull scored UE’s first six points of the day as the Aces took a 6-5 edge four minutes into the game. After the Bulldogs retook a 7-6 lead, Evansville bounced back with seven in a row to go up 13-7 at the 13:07 mark. AJ Casey scored four points while Leif Moeller finished the stretch with a triple.
Drake cut the deficit in half at 15-12 before the Aces hit consecutive triples to take their largest lead of the half at 21-12. Alex Hemenway hit a 3-pointer with nine minutes on the clock while Kaia Berridge connected from downtown 46 second later to give UE a commanding lead and force a time out by the Bulldogs.
Following the stoppage, Drake hit a triple that opened a 17-4 run over the next six minutes. They improved on both ends of the floor as they grabbed a 29-25 edge with just over a minute remaining in the period. Their defense heled UE to one mark in its next seven attempts while their offense seven of its 14 attempts. Turnbull drained two late free throws to grab a 29-27 lead at halftime.
Out of the break, the Bulldogs scored the first six points to take a 35-27 lead. Up 40-33, Drake scored seven in a row to open their largest lead of the afternoon at 47-33 with 13:04 left in the game. Trailing by a 54-42 margin just past the midway point of the latter half, the Aces made their run. A Trent Hundley triple was followed up two Casey baskets before Leif Moeller added a pair of free throws that chopped the DU lead to just three at 54-51 inside of eight minutes remaining.
The Bulldogs scored the next five to go back up by eight before another Hemenway triple made it a 5-point game entering the final four minutes. Drake answered with yet another 3-pointer to retake a 62-54 edge, but UE answered once again scoring five in a row to get back within three. Hemenway converted a free throw before missing the second. Turnbull grabbed the board and turned it into a layup. Following a miss by Drake on the other end, Casey was fouled and knocked down both free throws to make it a 62-59 game with 2:45 left.
On their next possession, Drake hit a basket while Hemenway’s third triple made it a 2-point game at 64-62. Heading into the final minute of play, Drake held a 66-64 advantage. After missing two free throw tries, Hemenway hit one of his two free throw tries to get his squad all the way back within a tally – 66-65. Unfortunately, the comeback fell short as the Aces missed their final three free throw tries while a triple inside the final 10 seconds fell short giving the Bulldogs the win.
Evansville shot 39.6% in the game while the Bulldogs hit 45.6% of their attempts. The Aces completed the game with a 35-34 effort on the boards.
Following the break for Christmas, the Aces will be back on the floor on Monday, Dec. 29 at Bradley.
Gov. Braun Honors Life of Forrest Lucas with Sachem Award
INDIANAPOLIS – Governor Mike Braun on Thursday honored Lucas Oil founder Forrest Lucas with the 2025 Sachem Award, Indiana’s highest honor.
The Sachem is reserved for individuals who have profoundly shaped Indiana through character, leadership, and service. Only one award is presented per year, chosen by Indiana’s Governor.
The posthumous award was received by Lucas’s wife Charlotte, son and current Lucas Oil CEO, Morgan Lucas, and his wife Katie Lucas, president of Lucas Oil.
“Forrest Lucas exemplified what it means to be a Hoosier. As a self-made entrepreneur, Lucas applied the work ethic he learned on the family farm to build an iconic American company, and left an indelible mark on the state of Indiana through his passion for sports and racing, philanthropy, and moral character. Today, we celebrate his legacy with Indiana’s highest award.” — Governor Mike Braun
About 2025 Sachem, Forrest Lucas
Raised on a small family farm in Elkinsville in 1942, Forrest Lucas pursued the American dream right here in Indiana.
He started his career as a truck driver, buying his first semi-truck at age 21. As an owner-operator, he began to build a fleet of trucks, ultimately becoming the first American to obtain full 48-state operating authority to haul anything anywhere in the country.
In 1989, Forrest and his wife Charlotte founded Lucas Oil, inspired by necessity and an entrepreneurial spirit to create a better oil for his trucks. Lucas Oil now sells more than 100 lubricants and has grown into an iconic international company.
Forrest Lucas also made his mark in Indiana racing, helping to cement Indiana as the Racing Capital of the World. Forrest Lucas was a major contributor to the development of the Indianapolis Colts’ stadium, which today bears his company’s name. As a philanthropist, Forrest Lucas distinguished himself as a major force for positive change in Indiana.
Lucas was a major supporter of local charities. Today, Lucas Oil carries on his legacy, supporting charities and initiatives such as Project Harvest, Wheeler Mission Drumstick Dash, the Central Indiana Police Foundation, the Colts’ Horseshoe Helpings events, Grit & Grace to encourage young female leaders, as well as hosting the Eric Medlen Memorial Golf Tournament, raising over $1.4 million for Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital.
As a job creator, innovator, entrepreneur, philanthropist, and community leader, Forrest Lucas exemplified the traits that all Hoosiers can aspire to emulate.
Lt. Governor Beckwith, OCRA announce 11 communities to receive more than $2.6 million in federal funding
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DDARS Advisory Council Family Member Opening and Application
The Division of Disability, Aging, and Rehabilitative Services is excited to announce the DDARS Advisory Council is recruiting a new member to serve in the immediate or extended family member of an individual with an intellectual or other developmental disability role. Membership representation of this Advisory Council is established in Indiana Code.
General Overview of the Council’s Purpose
The DDARS Advisory Council was established under Indiana Code Section 12-9-4 to advise and assist DDARS in its effort to develop and sustain a system of supports and services for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The Council provides expertise, lived experiences, and advice on specific areas such as: technology; health; policy; law; marketing; public relations; provider services; and advocacy. The Council is individual and family-driven and helps carry out DDRS’ mission to support a wide variety of Hoosiers with disabilities to create a vision for their future that uses paid and natural supports to build on and enhance their personal strengths and assets.
General Membership Overview
Membership is established through Indiana Code Section 12-9-4-3. This particular position is appointed by the DDARS Director and will serve a two-year term, beginning in February, 2026.
General Meeting Information
The DDARS Council meetings are held six months throughout the year on the third Wednesday of the month from 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. The majority of the meetings are held in-person at the Indiana Government Center, Indianapolis, Indiana.
Support for Participation
The Family Member appointed to the Council in this role is provided with reimbursement for parking expenses, as needed. Additionally, DDARS will provide reasonable accommodations in connection with the member’s duties as provided in state policies and procedures.
Application Link
Please use this LINK to complete the Family Member Application online. Please ensure that you click or tap the word “submit” at the end of the application. Additionally, you will have the option of saving your response. Instead of the online application, if you would like to request a different format, please email BDS.Help@fssa.in.gov or call 317-234-1147. The application will be open until January 13, 2026.