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 Track & Field opens outdoor schedule Thursday
USI Track & Field opens outdoor schedule Thursday
EVANSVILLE, Ind.—University of Southern Indiana Men’s and Women’s Track & Field opens its 2025 outdoor season Thursday and Friday at the WashU Distance Carnival in St. Louis, Missouri.
This weekend’s meet is one of seven meets on the docket for the Screaming Eagles during the outdoor season, which culminates with the Ohio Valley Conference Outdoor Championships May 15-17 in Cape Girardeau, Missouri.
USI’s women are coming off a strong performance at the OVC Indoor Championships last month in Indianapolis. Freshman Hadessah Austin won championships in the 3,000 and 5,000 meters and the Eagles captured gold in the distance medley relay as USI finished fourth with 60 team points.
The Eagles were fifth in the men’s standings at the OVC Indoor Championships as sophomore Alex Nolan accounted for 18 of USI’s 38 points thanks to a win in the 5,000 meters and a second-place finish in the 3,000 meters.
Following this week’s meet, USI continues the outdoor schedule with the Joey Haines Invitational April 4-5 in Cape Girardeau; the Cougar Classic April 12 in Edwardsville, Illinois; the Bryan Clay Invitational April 16-18 in Azusa, California; the Clark Wood Invitational April 25-26 in Louisville, Kentucky; and the Billy Hayes Invitational May 9 in Bloomington, Indiana.
Live results for the WashU Distance Carnival can be accessed at USIScreamingEagles.com. USI will have student-athletes competing in 24 different events during the two-day meet.
MEET JOE KIEFER “A TRUE PUBLIC SERVANT”
MEET JOE KIEFER, “A TRUE PUBLIC SERVANT”
written by ERIC BYFORD
APRIL 26, 2025
A true native of Evansville, Joe Kiefer is a man built from the ground up on a strong foundation of faith and family. As a community leader, Mr. Keifer traces his success back to his upbringing’s emphasis of serving God, loving family and living with a servant’s heart. He states growing up in a big family blessed him with the necessary communication skills and understanding of how to work with others.
Mr. Keifer took his interest in construction and real estate to college, graduating from Indiana State University with B.S. degree in Construction Management, a Master’s in Public Administration, and a Master’s in Arts & Liberals Studies from the University of Southern Indiana. Stepping out of college into the public workforce, he joined Regency in the early 2000s, then Gene Hahn at Haun Realty Corporation in 2008 as a general partner, ultimately buying the business in 2014 creating Hahn Keifer Real Estates Services. HKRES has built a reputation as a leader in the Indiana real industry, winning several awards including Small Business of the Year by the Chamber of Commerce.
Following his servant’s heart, Mr. Keifer joined the Evansville City Council as an Elected Official for twenty-four years. He says he loved giving back to his community and being available to mentor others. His favorite memory from serving the city for all those years, “was helping an elderly woman getting a dead tree cut down” and “telling me Thank You, I can sleep better now knowing it won’t fall on my house.”
“It really is the small things that make the world go round”, says Keifer.
Mr Keifer is a devoted husband to Jo Ann and proud father of 4 adult children and a ‘tickled to death’ grandfather of nine. He says his favorite times are spent on the lake with his family. Mr. Keifer is a faithful member of St. Benedict Cathedral.
Mr Keifer states he loves witnessing Evansville continue to grow, build on its successes and embrace all the future holds for the city. Coming from humble beginnings to helping navigate the city’s growth, I don’t know if you will meet a prouder man to call Evansville home.
If you see him out and the opportunity presents itself, chocolate ice cream is his all-time favorite.
TO THE CCO EDITOR “We Must Do Better in City Animal Control”
LETTER TO THE CITY COUNTY OBSERVER
By Joseph Kratochvil
March 26, 2025
Situation at Evansville Animal Control Center: Evansville can—and must—do better.
On March 11th, I was informed that the washing machine at the Evansville Animal Control Center had been broken for nearly three weeks. That same day, volunteers asked for blanket donations so the animals would have something clean and warm to rest on. While the reason wasn’t publicly connected to the broken washer, the circumstances speak clearly.
Today is March 25th—and it still hasn’t been fixed.
This is more than a facilities issue. This is about the well-being of animals who depend entirely on our care, and it reflects a deeper failure in how we respond to the most basic needs in our community.
I’ve seen firsthand how hard the staff and Animal Control Officers work. These are people who show up every day—not for the paycheck, but because they care. They’re stretched thin, and yet they continue to serve with heart, professionalism, and compassion. Their work is vital—not only for animal welfare, but for public safety and community health.
What’s happening right now is unacceptable.
City leadership has a responsibility to act swiftly when essential services break down. It should not take public outcry to trigger a response. And it should never take weeks to resolve something as simple—and essential—as a broken washer in a facility that cares for living beings.
As someone who’s spent my life solving problems, building teams, and leading organizations—I know we can do better. And as someone deeply committed to the future of this city, I believe Evansville deserves leadership that treats even the smallest problems as opportunities to serve with urgency, compassion, and common sense.
The people—and the animals—of Evansville are counting on us.
-Joseph Kratochvil
Evansville
Bill requiring jails to report potential immigration violations has passed
Bill requiring jails to report potential immigration violations has passed
The Indiana Senate covered a total of 49 bills and 12 amendments on Monday. Eighteen bills passed their third reading, and 17 bills on their second reading were engrossed. All other bills were passed upon.
House Bill 1393
The most controversial bill was House Bill 1393 regarding state immigration policy. HB 1393 states that after an arrest has been made, if there is probable cause, a jail or detention facility must reach out to the county sheriff to notify immigration customs enforcement or any other proper authority.
The bill passed 37-10 after a lengthy discussion among Sen. Aaron Freeman, R-Indianapolis, Sen. Greg Taylor, D-Indianapolis, and Sen. Fady Qaddoura, D-Indianapolis.
Taylor debated with Freeman about the specific language “probable cause” found in the bill and claimed that law enforcement does not want this bill to pass.
“This bill is not even supported by the people who will have to implement it,” Taylor said. “Why would you pursue a piece of legislation that the people you are asking to implement the policy don’t want to enforce?”
Taylor also expressed concerns about racial profiling within the 30-40 minute discourse.
Taylor and Qaddoura said the bill could have unintended effects on minorities.
“There is a fear that a victim of a crime might not even call IMPD because they are afraid that some family members, or themselves, will go down the path of being questioned about their immigration status,” Qaddoura said.
Freeman responded by stating the bill only affects those who cannot present any sort of legal documentation identifying themselves as American citizens.
“Look, I amended the bill because I didn’t want to put law enforcement in the position of even being able to pull somebody over or to detain somebody just because somebody may not be here illegally,” Freeman said.
HB 1393 was amended on March 20 to delete language that would empower an officer to pull someone over on the basis of citizenship status.
Caleb Crockett is a reporter for TheStatehouseFile.com, a news site powered by Franklin College journalism students.
Governor Braun Signs Freedom & Opportunity Bill
Governor Braun Signs Freedom & Opportunity Bill
INDIANAPOLIS – Today, Governor Mike Braun signed House Enrolled Act 1149 into law. This bill helps Hoosier farmers by creating a new online portal, giving them a one-stop shop for tools to communicate with the state government and get the information they need to be successful.
“This new online portal was part of my Freedom and Opportunity agriculture agenda and is a win for Hoosier farmers. It’s a one-stop-shop to help Hoosier farmers navigate state and federal agencies, avoid red tape, and communicate with the state government what we can do better to help them be successful.” — Governor Mike Braun
HEA 1149 was authored by Rep. Kendell Culp, and co-authored by Rep. Mike Aylesworth, Rep. Dave Heine, Rep. Justin Moed. The bill was sponsored by Sen. Jean Leising, Sen. Daryl Schmitt, Sen. Gary Byrne, Sen. Susan Glick, and Sen. Shelli Yoder.
The Indiana State Department of Agriculture will create and maintain this new online portal, with features like:
- Helping Hoosier farmers navigate agriculture-related issues across state and federal agencies.
- Centralizing funding information, including a searchable database of grants with deadlines and eligibility.
- Offering regulatory checklists to help farmers avoid violations when entering new markets.
- Connecting users to tools like data visualizations and technical support.
- Tracking lost farmland.
- Collecting public comments on federal regulations affecting Indiana’s rural economy.
- Gathering user feedback from farmers to improve the portal and government services.
Bipartisan bill gets a late one word change and a heated debate in Senate committee
Bipartisan bill gets a late one word change and a heated debate in Senate committee
-
- By Anna Cecil, TheStatehouseFile.com
A bipartisan bill that passed unanimously in the House received a single word change that may have upended its original intent in Tuesday’s Senate Corrections and Criminal Law Committee meeting.
Before it was amended by committee Chair Sen. Aaron Freeman, R-Indianapolis, House Bill 1416 required gas stations, rest stops and welcome centers to display human trafficking awareness signs in their bathrooms, including law enforcement and hotline phone numbers. It also required human trafficking training courses for employees of food and lodging businesses.
In 2023, the national Human Trafficking Hotline was contacted 30,162 times. Of those pings, 7,380 were from victims or survivors of human trafficking. In 2021, nearly 180 victims were identified in Indiana because of the hotline.
Freeman warned supporters that his amendment would perhaps make them want to kill the bill altogether.
Freeman’s amendment changed HB 1416 from requiring those types of businesses to display the posters to saying that they “may” display them. It still requires state rest stops to have them.
The amendment passed 6-3. Sen. Rodney Pol, D-Chesterton, Sen. Greg Taylor, D-Indianapolis, and Sen. Sue Glick, R-LaGrange, voted no.
“I think one sheet of paper isn’t going to break the bank for gas stations in Indiana,” Glick, the sole Republican critic, said while explaining her vote. “If it saves one human life, I think it’s more than worthy.”
Freeman’s reasoning was that he thinks gas stations and convenience stores already have the information on their premises, so they do not need to be required by the government to post it.
“A lot of businesses and their associations have come to see me and explain to me why this isn’t workable, and I’m trying to find a solution to keep it moving,” he said.
Right after Freeman introduced his amendment, Taylor said he had several issues with it.
“We’re talking about putting up a piece of paper, a notice,” he said. “I actually am sick to my stomach that people would actually say, ‘I don’t want to do this.’”
Sen. Liz Brown, R-Fort Wayne, said she was invited to speak to convenience stores and gas stations and learned that they were already being proactive about putting up human trafficking awareness signs in their restrooms.
“Our communities, our businesses within our communities, they have the eyes on the ground and they see what’s going on, and they will address it,” Brown said. “They don’t need us telling (them) that this is the best way to address it.”
Matt Norris, a spokesman with the Indiana Food and Fuel Association, said his organization supports the amendment because its members participate in the In Our Backyard campaign. The initiative provides stickers with a hotline number that may be posted in a convenience store or gas station.
Norris said Food and Fuel Association members don’t want to be required to add posters with additional information on human trafficking since they are already taking action.
He said the vast majority of members utilize the stickers but not all of them.
“The idea that … not all of your members are participating, that’s what concerns me,” Pol said.
Brown commended Norris and the members of his organization for the work they are doing voluntarily and asked the committee why they think this type of action isn’t sufficient.
“The fact of the matter is, everyone is trying to get the awareness out there, and the fact that they’re doing it in this method, and now we’re going to say they’re not doing enough,” Brown said.
Jess Kern, the founder of Raindrops Rising, a support and advocacy organization for the survivors of human trafficking, told the committee she was trafficked for 14 years. She said the few times she was alone were while she was using the restroom during transport. When Kern was being trafficked in the 1980s, there were no signs on the stalls with help hotlines.
Kern said that victims of trafficking are programmed to memorize things like walls, badges and numbers, so if they saw a hotline number on a bathroom stall, they would memorize it immediately. This would allow them to call for help the next time they could access a phone.
Taylor asked Kern if she thought the state of Indiana was doing enough to help victims of human trafficking.
“Honestly, no,” she said. “I think that we try every day to chip away at the glass ceiling, so there’s a lot of change that needs to be made.”
Kern referenced legislation in Texas, a red state like Indiana, which has caused a significant increase in trafficking-related arrests and convictions.
Evan Weimer, an advocate with Raindrops Rising, said only one out of 100 human trafficking victims survives.
“How many more might make it out if they knew they had a choice, if they saw a flyer in a bathroom stall and memorized the phone number?” she asked the committee. “I know systems are in place, and it’s hard to breaHB k out of what we’ve always done, but we’re talking about life-saving steps toward lowering human trafficking fatalities.”
At the end of the meeting, the bill passed 12-0.
Before he voted, Taylor shared some final concerns.
“All I did is listen to the facts,” he said. “This is not political. This is about children, who are the majority of people trafficked in this situation.”
Anna Cecil is a reporter for TheStatehouseFile.com, a news site powered by Franklin College journalism students.
RESCHEDULED – USI Communication and Media Department to host annual Social Media Symposium April 10
RESCHEDULED – USI Communication and Media Department to host annual Social Media Symposium April 10
The University of Southern Indiana College of Liberal Arts and the Communication and Media Department is excited to announce the annual Social Media Symposium, happening at 6 p.m. Thursday, April 10 in Carter Hall, located in University Center West. The event is open to the public at no charge and will be available virtually through Zoom as well. Registration is required through Zoom for virtual viewing.
Kaylee Johnson, Media Relations Specialist for USI, will present Behind the Screens: The Strategy, Wins and Chaos of Managing USI’s Socials. Learn about the organized chaos of the social media management world from one of our own USI alumnae.
Johnson is a communications specialist with experience in media relations, social media management and content creation. In her role at USI, she manages the University’s social media platforms, creates engaging content and works to enhance the University’s visibility through media outreach. She is also a member of the University’s Crisis Communications Team. Previously, she served as a University Strategic Communication Graduate Assistant, writing for internal University audiences and maintaining web content. She also worked in multiple student workers roles during her time as a student at USI.
Johnson is a 2020 graduate of public relations and advertising at USI and a 2022 graduate of USI’s Master of Communication program.
For more information, contact Mary Beth Reese, USI Instructor in Communication, at mereese@usi.edu or visit the Social Media Symposium webpage.