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HOT JOBS
Lea Earns All-Conference Honors, Cruse Named Freshman of the Year at MVC Championships
Men finish sixth for best finish since 2011, women finish 10th
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Evansville junior Samuel Lea (Worcester, United Kingdom/Worcester Sixth Form College) became the first Purple Aces men’s runner since 2006 to earn All-Conference honors, finishing eighth in the 8k at the MVC Championships on Friday morning. James Cruse (Melbourne, Australia) also made history, finishing 21st for the top finish of all freshmen to earn Evansville’s first-ever MVC Freshman of the Year award.
The sixth place finish by the men’s team is the best finish by an Evansville men’s squad since 2011, when the Aces finished sixth of nine teams. The Purple Aces women’s team placed 10th, led by freshman Kyleigh Wolf (Columbus, Ind./Columbus North), who posted the 11th-best 6k time in program history at 22:23.2.
Lea landed 12th on the program’s all-time 8k list with his time of 24:41.65 to pace the Aces. Rafael Rodriguez (Segovia, Spain/Colegio Claret) turned in a strong performance, finishing 17th overall and second on the team with a time of 25:06.32, followed by Cruse in 21st overall at 25:14.34. Woody Burrell (Cedarburg, Wis./Cedarburg) also came in with a time under 26 minutes, placing 51st with a time of 25:55.37.
On the women’s side, Wolf led the way, placing 41st and notching a personal best time. Avery Stephens (Newburgh, Ind./Castle) finished second for the Purple Aces, placing 50th and coming up one second short of a personal best. Josie Lynch (Brazil, Ind./Northview) and Veronica Wilgocki (Chesterton, Ind./Chesterton) posted personal bests with times of 23:51.56 and 25:09.51, respectively.
The Aces cross country teams return to Angel Mounds on November 14 for the NCAA Great Lakes Regional.
| MVC Championships (October 31) | |||||
| Women’s 6K | Men’s 8K | ||||
| 41 | Kyleigh Wolf | 21:53.41 | 8 | Samuel Lea | 24:41.65 |
| 50 | Avery Stephens | 22:45.76 | 17 | Rafael Rodriguez | 25:06.32 |
| 69 | Josie Lynch | 23:51.56 | 21 | James Cruse | 25:14.34 |
| 71 | Lauren Bradley | 24:05.23 | 51 | Woody Burrell | 25:55.37 |
| 79 | Veronica Wilgocki | 25:09.51 | 60 | Cedrik Flipo | 26:07.96 |
| 83 | Rebekah Sachs | 25:42.88 | 74 | Tanner Spence | 26:29.53 |
| DNF | Chase Hayes | 84 | Nathan Campbell | 27:24.01 | |
| DNF | Kyndall Anthis | 91 | Oliver Wilgocki | 27:54.53 | |
| DNF | Nathan Whitehead | ||||
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.
USI Women’s Soccer earns first OVC Tournament win, advances to face Eastern Illinois
CHARLESTON, Ill. – University of Southern Indiana Women’s Soccer made program history on Thursday afternoon by earning its first-ever Ohio Valley Conference Tournament win with a 2-0 first-round triumph over Southeast Missouri State University.
The fifth-seeded Screaming Eagles (8-7-4, 4-2-3 OVC) are making their fourth consecutive OVC Tournament appearance but were still searching for the first postseason win of the D-I era entering Thursday’s contest. The first-round clash against the eighth-seeded Redhawks (2-15-2, 2-5-2 OVC) was a rematch from USI’s Senior Day game back on September 28, which USI won 2-1.
After a 0-0 match past the 75-minute mark, the Screaming Eagles struck twice inside the final 15 minutes. Senior defender Charli Grafton scored the first and, ultimately, the game-winning goal in the 79th minute. Sophomore defender Emma Schut netted the Eagles’ second goal with under six minutes left to play.
Despite a scoreless first half on Thursday, the game ultimately became a tale of two halves, statistically. After SEMO had the shooting advantage, 7-2, at halftime, USI controlled the shooting numbers in the second stanza, 11-4. Overall, USI outshot Southeast Missouri, 13-11, including a 7-5 advantage in shots on goal. Schut led USI with three shots. Redshirt sophomore forward Eva Boer, sophomore forward Josie Pochocki, and redshirt junior forward Emma Thurston each had two shots.
In net, redshirt junior goalkeeper Anna Markland, who missed USI’s regular-season finale at Western Illinois University due to injury, returned to action Thursday with a strong presence. Markland collected five saves, including a crucial penalty-kick save in the second half. Thursday was Markland’s seventh clean sheet and the team’s eighth shutout of the season.
Neither side could find a lot of quality opportunities in the first half, as both defenses were strong. Pochocki registered the only shot on goal in the opening 45 minutes for USI, charging forward in a one-on-one situation that was saved by SEMO’s goalkeeper. Markland made a pair of saves later in the first half, as the game went into halftime deadlocked.
In the second half, a few minutes passed before the momentum swayed heavily in USI’s favor. Around the 60-minute mark of the second half, Boer had a couple of shooting chances within a minute of action. However, just a few minutes later, Southeast Missouri was awarded a penalty kick, looking to claim the lead from the spot. That is when Markland delivered and denied the penalty shot with a diving save to swing the energy and momentum heavily toward the Screaming Eagles.
In the minutes that followed Markland’s penalty save, USI put the pressure on in the attacking half and fired away a handful of shots. With under 12 minutes to play in regulation, the Eagles earned a corner kick. Thurston served the corner into the box, where a header by senior forward Peyton Murphy was directed and put away into the net by Grafton to give USI the 1-0 lead. The goal was Grafton’s first of the season, becoming the 13th different Screaming Eagle to net a goal this season.
Nearly six minutes later, USI was awarded a free kick from 30-plus yards out in the 85th minute. Schut booted a strong kick toward the right side of the goal. The ball found its way into the netting after a short-hop and misplay by the Redhawks’ goalkeeper. The late insurance goal by Schut sealed the historic team win for the Screaming Eagles.
With Thursday’s victory, USI Women’s Soccer advanced to Sunday’s quarterfinals, where the Screaming Eagles will take on the site host and No. 4 seed Eastern Illinois University (8-7-3, 5-3-1 OVC). The Panthers earned a first-round bye and the right to host as the fourth seed. Kickoff on Sunday from Lakeside Field in Charleston, Illinois, is set for 11:30 a.m. The winner will advance to next Thursday’s semifinal round and face top-seeded Tennessee Tech University, which gets to host the semifinals and championship rounds next week as the OVC’s regular season champions.
Men’s Soccer keeps postseason hopes alive with 2-2 draw
SAN ANTONIO, Texas– University of Southern Indiana Men’s Soccer earns a 2-2 draw following a tough battle with the University of the Incarnate Word.
The Screaming Eagles keep their Ohio Valley Conference tournament hopes alive with tonight’s result. The team currently sits in seventh place. USI can jump into sixth with a win and a Western Illinois University loss on Sunday.
USI opened the match on its back foot. Incarnate Word scored in the 19th minute, taking an early 1-0 lead. The Eagles battled back late in the first half. Freshman Oliver Church scored the first goal of his collegiate career at 35:26. He was assisted by freshman Tony Murphy and junior Will Kirchhofer.
The Eagles entered that half even at one, despite USI getting outshot 4-2 and 2-1 on goal. Outside of Church’s goal, sophomore Pablo Juan recorded the second shot for USI.
USI came out of the break strong, taking a 2-1 lead at 58:44 as freshman Ian Graham put one past the goalkeeper off a pass from freshman Edin Cvorovic. The lead did not last long, as the Cardinals evened the match again in the 66th minute.
For the game, the Eagles were outshot 14-4 and 7-4 on goal. USI had five individual players record a shot, with three tallying shots on goal. The Cardinals forced three corner kicks compared to the Eagles’ two, but the Cardinals were called for offsides four times to the Eagles’ zero. Freshman Jacob English nabbed a game-high five saves on the day.
In the regular season finale, the Eagles travel to Houston, Texas, for a rematch against Houston Christian University on Sunday afternoon. When the two teams met earlier this season, the Eagles came out on top 4-1, earning their first OVC victory on the season.
The Screaming Eagles keep their Ohio Valley Conference tournament hopes alive with tonight’s result. The team currently sits in seventh place. USI can jump into sixth with a win and a Western Illinois University loss on Sunday.
USI opened the match on its back foot. Incarnate Word scored in the 19th minute, taking an early 1-0 lead. The Eagles battled back late in the first half. Freshman Oliver Church scored the first goal of his collegiate career at 35:26. He was assisted by freshman Tony Murphy and junior Will Kirchhofer.
The Eagles entered that half even at one, despite USI getting outshot 4-2 and 2-1 on goal. Outside of Church’s goal, sophomore Pablo Juan recorded the second shot for USI.
USI came out of the break strong, taking a 2-1 lead at 58:44 as freshman Ian Graham put one past the goalkeeper off a pass from freshman Edin Cvorovic. The lead did not last long, as the Cardinals evened the match again in the 66th minute.
For the game, the Eagles were outshot 14-4 and 7-4 on goal. USI had five individual players record a shot, with three tallying shots on goal. The Cardinals forced three corner kicks compared to the Eagles’ two, but the Cardinals were called for offsides four times to the Eagles’ zero. Freshman Jacob English nabbed a game-high five saves on the day.
In the regular season finale, the Eagles travel to Houston, Texas, for a rematch against Houston Christian University on Sunday afternoon. When the two teams met earlier this season, the Eagles came out on top 4-1, earning their first OVC victory on the season.
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Trick-or-Treaters Welcome at the Governor’s Residence
INDIANAPOLIS – Indiana Governor Mike Braun will welcome trick-or-treaters to the Governor’s residence for sweet treats from 6-8 p.m. on Friday, October 31, 2025. Governor Braun and staff will hand out delicious Indiana-based treats donated by Albanese Confectionery, Zachary’s Confections, DeBrand Fine Chocolates, Schimpff’s Confectionery, Charlie’s Candy, and South Bend Chocolate Company.
The Governor’s residence is located at 4750 North Meridian Street, Indianapolis, IN 46208.
Join us for a night celebrating our Hoosier communities!
Gov. Mike Braun Positions Indiana as Leader in American Drone Dominance
Governor Mike Braun signed an executive order to position Indiana to lead in the federal government’s mission of American drone dominance.
The Indiana Initiative for Drone Dominance Task Force will develop a strategic plan for how the state can utilize our unique attributes to lead the nation in this important sector: our robust advanced manufacturing industry, expertise from NSWC Crane, restricted airspace over assets like Camp Atterbury and Muscatatuck Urban Training Center, strong policy framework, and universities with established programs to further drone research and development.
Governor Braun developed the executive order in collaboration with U.S. Senator Todd Young.
“Indiana has always stepped up to use our skills and labor to support America’s defense. Indiana’s advanced manufacturing capacity and our concentration of defense and research assets make us uniquely suited to lead in America’s pursuit of drone dominance, and this new Task Force will position Indiana as a national asset and drive innovation in this important sector.” – Governor Mike Braun.
“Drones are increasingly critical to our economy and national security, and as a leading manufacturing state, Indiana is positioned to help unleash American drone dominance,” said Senator Young. “Over the past several months, my team has worked hand in hand with Governor Braun’s team on developing this executive order. Governor Braun has been a great partner on this issue, and I look forward to continuing to work with the Governor and Hoosier stakeholders to support the President’s executive order and empower the U.S. drone industry.”
The new task force will coordinate efforts across government, academia, and industry to support President Trump’s Unleashing American Drone Dominance and Restoring American Airspace Sovereignty executive orders, which set a national goal for American leadership in drone technology and airspace security.
Drones represent the next aviation revolution, with the North American drone market estimated to reach $59 billion by 2030.
Key priorities of the task force include:
- Developing a cross-sector aerial test corridor connecting sites such as Camp Atterbury, Muscatatuck Urban Training Center, and NSWC Crane.
- Expanding public safety applications of unmanned aircraft during major sporting and civic events.
- Strengthening Indiana’s drone manufacturing supply chain and encouraging growth among small and emerging firms.
- Exploring new infrastructure for detection, tracking, and neutralization of unauthorized drones.
- Supporting workforce training programs and partnerships with Indiana colleges and universities to prepare Hoosiers for high-tech drone careers.
- Preserving Indiana’s commitment to personal privacy and safety through all drone testing and policies
CenterPoint Energy Foundation Announces $5 Million Community Fund to Support Southwestern Indiana Customers and Local Economic Development
Community Energy Improvement Fund will invest $5 million in critical customer resources, including weatherization and energy efficiency programs, and economic development efforts over the next two years.
Working together with local elected leaders and nonprofit organizations, this fund is designed to help residential customers and small businesses.
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – As part of its commitment to southwestern Indiana customers, the CenterPoint Energy Foundation today announced the creation of a $5 million fund that will support weatherization, energy efficiency and cost-saving programs, as well as local economic and community development efforts across the Evansville region. The “Community Energy Improvement Fund” builds on a series of affordability actions announced last week. The Fund will directly invest in expanding energy efficiency and home weatherization programs that support lower- and middle-income customers, small businesses and renters by helping them save energy and money.
“All of us at CenterPoint, especially our local workforce that proudly calls southwestern Indiana home, are committed to supporting the communities where we live and work. The new Community Energy Improvement Fund will provide vital energy efficiency assistance and cost-saving resources for our customers, while also supporting greater economic development across the Evansville region. The new weatherization program will help residential and small commercial customers with improvements to the shells of their homes, insulation levels and HVAC system improvements and even lighting changes — all with the goal of lowering energy consumption,” said Mike Roeder, President of CenterPoint Energy Indiana.
Community Energy Improvement Fund
As part of its overall effort to prioritize affordability and help customers lower energy costs, CenterPoint’s Community Energy Improvement Fund represents a transformative investment into the Evansville region. Beginning early next year, the $5 million commitment from the Foundation will include:
- Helping Customers Save Energy: $4.5 million will go toward expanding home repair and weatherization programs to help customers improve energy efficiency and lower their monthly bills, including expanded access for lower- and middle-income households, small businesses and renters.
- Supporting Local Economic Growth: $500,000 will be dedicated toward economic development initiatives aimed at growing and improving the vitality of southwestern Indiana and the Evansville region.
- Raising Community Awareness: CenterPoint will work closely with the City of Evansville and local nonprofit organizations to help customers learn about and take advantage of important energy efficiency and cost-saving programs.
The new Fund is in addition to the suite of energy efficiency, financial assistance and other programs, tips and tools that already exist to help Indiana customers manage energy bills. To learn more about these programs and resources, customers are encouraged to visit CenterPointEnergy.com/ResourceHub.
Community Affordability Actions
The Community Energy Improvement Fund is the latest in a series of actions taken to support southwestern Indiana customers. Last week, CenterPoint announced an initial series of immediate and longer-term actions to prioritize affordability. The first phase of this effort included the following actions:
- Two-Year Rates Stability: Starting in the first quarter of 2026, stabilizing electricity bills by keeping any rate change below or near the rate of inflation for the next two years, an action that equates to future savings for residential customers of approximately $18/month of avoided costs through 2027. These avoided bill impacts were achieved by the cancellation of nearly $1 billion in non-economical generation projects.
- Offset October Rate Increase: Reducing bills for average residential customers by December 2025 through a combination of bill adjustments and credits, which will offset rate changes that took effect in October.