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 Can you resist a little Godiva? This pretty brown & white tabby is a female, about 7 years old! She’s only $30 to adopt. Call (812) 426-2563 or visit www.vhslifesaver.org for adoption information!
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Both teams to face Salukis on Saturday
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Fresh off of victories last weekend, the Purple Aces swimming and diving teams will complete the regular season on Saturday with a trip to Carbondale, Ill. to face Southern Illinois.
Set for a 10 a.m. start, the meet will feature events that will be just a bit shorter than usual with conference championships right around the corner.
Last weekend, the men’s team earned wins over Ball State and Valparaiso while the women completed their home slate versus the Crusaders with a 184-74 win.
In the final home meet, Michaela Kent had a stellar day for UE. She took top honors in the 50 free race with a time of 24.36 to finish ahead of teammate Abby Smith. Kent picked up another victory in the 100 free as her time of 53.70 was over a second ahead of teammates Mackenzie Harris and Kristen Myers.
Kent also helped the Aces to a pair of relay victories. Kent, Smith and Harris joined up with Charlotte Lechner to win the 200 medley relay in 1:51.50, over two seconds ahead of second place. Smith, Harris and Kent joined Madi Jones in the 200 free relay, winning my nearly five seconds with their effort of 1:39.75.
Lechner also had a nice day of her own, posting a 1:01.29 in the 100 fly to edge out teammate Kasey Rein. She also picked up two more victories. In the 50 fly, her 28.49 was almost a second ahead of the competition while her time of 2:15.11 was over six seconds ahead of Valparaiso in the 200 IM.
Freshman Amy Smith brought home a pair of victories for the Purple Aces. In the 50 breaststroke, her 32.72 edged out Valpo by 0.36 seconds while her time of 1:10.73 in the 100 breaststroke helped her edge out the competition.
Madi Jones picked up a win over her on in the 200 free. Her 1:59.59 was over four seconds ahead of Valparaiso. Taylor Davidson also picked up a win, taking top honors in the 100 backstroke, posting a 1:01.84 while Kristen Myers led a trifecta for UE as they swept the top three spots in the 50 back.
The men had a stellar day of their own. Several Aces picked up victories, beginning with the 200 medley relay. Ethan O’Rourke, Everett Plocek, Matt Duke and Matt Childress won by over three seconds with their time of 1:34.99. In the 200 free relay, O’Rourke, Duke and Childress teamed up with Everett Plocek to win by almost three seconds, finishing with a time of 1:26.49.
O’Rourke picked up a nice win in the 50 backstroke. His 24.34 was 1.36 ahead of second-place Reid Mobley. He also grabbed the win in the 100 back as his 52.00 was 3.01 ahead of the rest. Childress came home victorious in the 50 free, running a quick 22.19.
Dan O’Brien came home with a pair of victories on Saturday. In the 50 fly, he won with his 23.39 while he took top honors in the 100 fly, finishing in 52.01. Three others picked up wins on Saturday, including Plocke. He swam a 48.49 in the 100 free. Troy Burger won the 200 IM in 2:01.76 while Jared Sutphin posted a 4:58.90 to defeat teammate Andrew Cotton.
In diving, Courtney Coverdale took the win in both the 1 and 3-meter dives. Her score in the 1m was a 277.87 while her 3-meter final was a 245.70. Miguel Marcano won the 1-meter men’s dive with his effort of 234.97 while Cory Barnes won the 3-meter dive with a 268.65.
Game set for 11 a.m.
 An early-morning game is on tap for the University of Evansville men’s basketball team as the Purple Aces welcome Missouri State to the Ford Center for an 11 a.m. game.
The Missouri Valley Conference TV Network will broadcast the game. It will be carried live on Fox Sports Network in the Evansville area.
Sixteen lead changes took place as the Purple Aces fell by a final of 57-54 to UNI on Wednesday night. Trailing by as many as 11 in the first half, Evansville rallied back to go up by as many as four points in the second half. Egidijus Mockevicius recorded his 19th double-double of the season, which is tied for the most in the NCAA; he finished with 14 points and 13 rebounds, both game highs. Adam Wing finished the night with ten points, hitting 4 of his 6 attempts.
D.J. Balentine now stands at 2,262 career points jumped past Larry Humes into second place on the all-time Aces scoring list with his 18-point effort versus Wichita State. Balentine is also just 18 away from breaking Colt Ryan’s program mark of 2,279.
Egidijus Mockevicius is also within shouting distance of the top spot on the Aces’ all-time rebounding list. The senior has 1,122 boards in his career and is 88 behind Dale Wise’s mark of 1,197, which was set in 1961.
Missouri State comes to the Ford Center with a 10-13 mark, but are over .500 in the Valley, standing at 6-5. The Bears have won their last two games, both at home, defeating Illinois State and Bradley.
Three players average double figures, led by Dequon Miller, who stands with 12.7 points per game and will be one of the major favorites to be the MVC Newcomer of the Year. Camyn Boone checks in with 11.4 PPG, he also leads the squad with 6.3 rebounds per contest; Boone notched 18 points and 8 rebounds in the victory over the Braves. Chris Kendrix was the top scorer for MSU last time out, notching 21 points in a 77-71 triumph over the Braves on Tuesday evening.
The Bears hold a slight 33-30 edge in the all-time series against the Purple Aces, but UE has won three in a row. Evansville has been victorious in eight of the last 11 games against MSU and is 19-10 in home contests.
Indiana State Police Reminds Drivers to Celebrate Responsibly this Super Bowl
The Indiana State Police, in partnership with the Governor’s Council on Impaired & Dangerous Driving and the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute (ICJI), would like to remind all Indiana motorists to celebrate this year’s Super Bowl responsibly, by driving sober and safe.
“Whether it’s the Super Bowl or any other event, please remember that alcohol, drugs and driving aren’t in the athlete’s playbook and it shouldn’t be in yours’ either,†said Indiana State Police Superintendent Doug Carter. “Alcohol drugs and driving are a deadly combination to be avoided regardless of the occasion, so do your part to keep Indiana roads safe and have a designated driver.â€
During the 2015 Super Bowl weekend (6:00 p.m. Jan 30 through 5:59 a.m. Feb. 2), there were nearly 740 traffic collisions in Indiana. Of those, 45 were alcohol-related, with 60 percent involving a driver with a blood alcohol content of 0.08 or greater. In total, there were 14 injuries and 0 deaths as a result of alcohol-related accidents.
“Accidents involving impaired drivers is something we can all prevent,†said Council Chairman, Todd Meyer. “Together, we can work to keep each and every motorist safe during Super Bowl weekend.â€
The Indiana State Police, the Governor’s Council, and ICJI would like to remind motorists that accidents and deaths resulting from impaired driving can be prevented with the following precautions:
BEFORE THE CELEBRATION BEGINS
      plan a safe way home
Do not drive impaired Â
If you do drink, use a taxi, public transportation, ridesharing service or designate a sober friend or family member, and give them your keys
If you see a drunk driver on the road, call 911
If you know someone who is about to drive or ride impaired, take their keys and help make arrangements to get them home safely
Sara Dickey and the University of Evansville women’s basketball team got off to a quick start on Friday night at Renaissance Coliseum, but unfortunately for the Purple Aces, host Bradley was able to weather the storm and pull away with the 66-52 victory.
Dickey, who hit her first three shots from distance on the night, was held to just four points after the opening 10 minutes as she went on to lead the Aces with 13. The Montezuma, Ind., native has 1,494 points for her career, which ranks third all-time in the Aces history books.
Dickey’s hot start helped the Aces (2-19, 1-9 Missouri Valley) grab a 16-4 lead midway through opening quarter, but turnovers ultimately proved deadly as Braves defense buckled down and forced 27 miscues in the contest.
Camille Coleman was the only other player in double figures for UE, coming off the bench to score 11 on 4-for-8 shooting. Meanwhile, Jordan Campbell made the most of her second career start, ending the night with eight points.
The Braves (6-15, 2-8 MVC) were led by the reserve duo of Leti Lerma and Tamya Sims, who came off the bench to score 16 and 12 points, respectively. Anneke Schlueter chipped in another 13 to go along with four steals, and Sameia Kendall added five points and five steals.
Collectively, the Aces actually outrebounded BU 35-24, but the Braves held the edge in turnovers (27-12) and field goal percentage (.463-.422)
UE will be back in action on Sunday as the team hits the road for Chicago for a 2 p.m. tipoff at Loyola.
Rapid City Rush (17-22-2-1) vs. Evansville IceMen (15-22-4-1)
Saturday, February 6th – 7:15pm (Capes and Crowns Night)
Ford Center – Evansville, IN
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PREVIOUS MEETINGS
This Season – Final meeting of two this season.
All Time – Second ECHL meeting: Evansville won 4-2 January 13.
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UPCOMING HOME GAMES
Sat. 2/6 – Rapid City at Evansville (7:15pm) – Ford Center
Capes and Crowns Night
Tues. 2/9 – Fort Wayne at Evansville (6:15pm) – Ford Center
Fat Tuesday – Mardi GrasÂ
Fri. 2/12 – Kalamazoo at Evansville (7:15pm) – Ford Center
Youth Backpack Giveaway, presented by Old National Bank
Sun. 2/14 – Cincinnati at Evansville (6:15pm) – Ford Center
Heart Night – Valentine’s Day
CAPES AND CROWNS NIGHT
Come to the Ford Center dressed as your favorite prince, princess, or superhero on Saturday! Capes and Crowns Night has been one of the most asked about promotions of the season, as the IceMen host the Rapid City Rush at 7:15pm. Tickets are available at the Ford Center Ticket Office or www.ticketmaster.com. For discounted group tickets, call an IceMen Account Executive at 812-421-GOAL (4625).
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LONG WINDING ROAD
The Evansville IceMen return home from their longest road trip of the season to take on the Rapid City Rush Saturday at 7:15pm at the Ford Center. The IceMen traveled over 2,600 miles over 11 days and played six games with stops in five cities. Evansville started off the trip with wins over Greenville and Atlanta January 22-23, before falling in overtime 6-5 in Missouri January 26. The IceMen finished off the journey with an injury-plagued roster and dropped the last three games, January 27 in Wichita and January 29-30 in Indianapolis.
JANUARY TO REMEMBER
Defenseman Chris Rumble turned January into his best month as a pro. The Buffalo, NY native compiled eight points (four goals, four assists) in nine games for the IceMen, including six of those points on Evansville’s recent road trip. With several injuries to the team’s group of forwards, Rumble was called upon to play up on a wing in four of the nine games, and recorded his first career hat trick January 22 in Evansville’s 6-3 win at Greenville. He was nominated for CCM ECHL Rookie of the Month for the first time in his career.
WATCH OUT FOR HIM
Defenseman Andrew Himelson brings a career high four-game point streak with him back to Evansville. The Monroe, NY native recorded assists in each of the last three games, and scored his first IceMen goal January 26 at Missouri. Evansville acquired the third year pro from Greenville in a trade right before training camp and he has appeared in 41 of the team’s 42 games.
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ROUGH RAPIDS
Rapid City travels to Evansville riding an eight game losing streak, and have dropped nine of their last ten games since January 13, when the IceMen overcame a 2-0 deficit to defeat the Rush 4-2 at the Ford Center. Saturday will be just the second meeting between the two teams since Rapid City joined the ECHL last season. Their previous meeting was March 17, 2012 when both teams were members of the Central Hockey League.
DIEUDE-FAUVEL RETURNS WITH THE RUSH
Defenseman Benjamin Dieude-Fauvel returns to the Ford Center for the first time since the IceMen traded the veteran to Rapid City January 20. The Bordeaux, France native recorded one assist in four games for Evansville, but has two goals in his first six games with the Rush.
DOMINO’S 4-GAME HAT PACK
Choose any four IceMen home games and get a FREE limited edition IceMen hat and a large 1-topping Domino’s pizza, starting at only $17 per ticket. Call the IceMen front office at 812-421-GOAL (4625) for details.
Gavel Gamut
By Jim Redwine
(Week of 02 February 2016)
TWO HUNDRED YEARS IN 60 SECONDS
My friend Mike Webster is developing a tourism website for Posey County, Indiana. Mike is a fine photographer, writer and web designer. His goal is to alert tourists to the numerous interesting and unique features of our fair corner at the confluence of the Ohio and Wabash rivers. He will be showcasing some of Posey County’s many contemporary attractions. Of course, it is our rich history that has attracted poets, philosophers and scientists here since 1795. Often they have come to observe and stayed to enrich our culture. This mixture of past accomplishments infused with bright new energy makes Posey County a special place. Those of us privileged to live here recognize our good fortune. Those of you who may be searching for an experience both unexpected and inspiring may find it in Posey County, Indiana.
As part of his website development Mike asked me to write a few short, internet type, history vignettes. One should not rely on these stories as if written by Edward Gibbons. First of all, Posey County is not in decline. Perhaps an attitude of browsing through the musings of a weekly newspaper columnist would be appropriate. Regardless, I hope they and Posey County appeal to your road trip state of mind.
THE FOOTPRINTS OF HISTORY
Are you searching for the tread of history? Stop! You have found it. In 1819 Father Johann George Rapp convinced his flock of Harmonists to build the Granary by showing them the stone footprints of the Archangel Gabriel in his backyard. Come see them for yourself in New Harmony, Indiana.
Now there are cynics who claim Father Rapp engaged in myopia, hyperbole and, God forbid, even Oral Robertsism, by claiming God was threatening to call him home if the Granary were not built. But you, Gentle Tourist, could not be so unkind.
THE GRANDFATHER OF OUR COUNTY
George Washington may be the Father of Our Country, but, if one believes the rumors, he was also the Father of the Father of Posey County. Thomas Posey, for whom our fair county is named, was born on George’s farm at a time when eighteen year old George was paying an inordinate amount of attention to the young widow Posey. And while it may be true there is a striking resemblance between George and Tom, only a purveyor of salacious gossip would cite George’s intense interest in Tom’s military and political careers as evidence of anything but friendship.
Oh, by the way, there were those fans of both George Washington and Thomas Posey who changed the name of our county seat from McFaddens Bluff to Mt. Vernon to honor Washington. I submit this is pure correlation.
THE PAINTED COURTHOUSE
Posey County’s current courthouse was dedicated on July 04, 1876. You are invited to visit this working museum. However, the only existing image of the courthouse that was standing on the same location from 1825 – 1876 is a painting by the famous painter Karl Bodmer. In 1834 Bodmer was touring America, perhaps much as you are now, when he and his companion, Prince Philipp Maximilian of Neuwied in Prussia, stopped for six months in Posey County.
New Harmony has an ongoing exhibit of Bodmer’s wonderful paintings, including our old courthouse. You can see America as it was at the beginning through the eyes of a great artist. While there you may also want to visit The Workingman’s Institute that remains a repository of rare artifacts from a time Posey County hosted two famous experiments in communal living.
HALF-HORSE, HALF-ALLIGATOR, ALL MAN
Gentle Tourist, you may relax in any part of Posey County without concern for your safety. However, there was a time our river community held a reputation for willing consorts and willing brawlers. Boatmen knew of Posey County from Pittsburg to New Orleans. One such benighted knights of the flatboat era was Mike Fink. Davy Crockett described Mr. Fink as a six-foot, three inch, one-hundred-eighty pounder who was half horse and half alligator. Fink wore a red ribbon in his hat as an invitation to all comers to knock it off. In one of Mt. Vernon’s early watering holes boatmen would test their eye gouging, biting and drinking skills. There was a massive set of antlers hanging from the ceiling. When Fink issued his challenge to all in attendance, the antlers fell and cold-cocked him. The Posey County stalwarts carried Fink to his boat and set him adrift not to be heard from again, at least here.
Now, as for you, Gentle Tourist, you may visit the Ohio Riverfront where Fink met his demise without fear of running into anything but beautiful vistas and maybe an ice cream sundae.
MARK TWAIN KNEW POSEY COUNTY
Samuel Clemens was a riverboat pilot on the Mississippi. The Mississippi and Ohio rivers meet at Cairo, Illinois just south of Posey County. Clemens traded stories up and down the river. One of Posey County’s early murder cases had to be his inspiration for the grave robbing case at the center of Tom Sawyer.
Gentle Tourist, you will remember that in Tom Sawyer, young doctor Robinson, “so young and promisingâ€, paid Injun Joe and Muff Potter to rob the grave of Hoss Williams. At the cemetery Injun Joe killed Dr. Robinson with Muff Potter’s knife. Muff was so drunk he believed it when Joe told him Potter had done the deed.
In the March 29, 1818 Posey County case, Dr. Thomas Moore Parke, “a young physician of much promiseâ€, robbed the fresh grave of Peter Hendricks with the assistance of a drunken brawler named George Gibbons A/K/A Givens. Gibbons killed Dr. Parke. Rachel Givens A/K/A Gibbons was arrested as an accessory. She helped George Gibbons escape from jail, furnished him with a jug of poisoned whiskey and set him afloat on the Ohio River where he died. Rachel’s charges were dropped.
Mark wain, as all writers, had to borrow from a lot of sources. Come visit Posey County and see one of Twain’s sites of inspiration.
THE HAUNTED COURTHOUSE
In 1878 three hundred white men murdered five Black men on the campus of the Posey County courthouse. At that time the jail was on the southeast corner of the courthouse lawn. The white men broke into the jail and cut a middle-aged Black man to pieces then dumped him in the jailhouse privy. The mob then hanged four young Black men from trees next to the courthouse.
The legal and law enforcement communities with the complicity of the newspapers covered up the murders. No one was ever charged or punished.
Today many people believe the ghosts of the murdered men still cry out for justice from the bowels of the old courthouse. People who enter the basement try not to do so alone.
As for you, Gentle Tourist, we invite you to visit our historic courthouse. Perhaps daytime would be best.
– 30 –
Evansville Police were called to 700 N Bell at 11:00pm on Thursday for an assault in progress.
Officers arrived and found the victim suffering from at least two stab wounds. One of the wounds had severed an artery in his arm. An officer applied a tourniquet to stop the bleeding and called for an ambulance.
Officers determined the stabbing was the result of an ongoing dispute between several individuals who knew each other prior to the incident. Police arrested 33 year old BROOKE HUNTER on a Misdemeanor Battery charge.
Officers have identified the stabbing suspect at 32 year old SHANE HUNTER. He is the husband of Brooke Hunter. Shane Hunter is wanted for Aggravated Battery with a Knife, Intimidation, and Battery resulting in Serious Bodily Injury.
Anyone with information about Shane Hunter is asked to call WeTip or EPD at 1-812-436-7979.
  The University of Evansville women’s basketball team will hit the road once again this weekend, beginning Friday night at Bradley and concluding on Sunday with a trip to Loyola.
The Purple Aces (2-18, 1-8 Missouri Valley) are looking to repeat the success of the first Bradley showdown, which saw UE hold the Braves to 30% shooting en route to a coast-to-coast 62-46 victory at the Ford Center. Sara Dickey enjoyed one of her most efficient outings of the season in the contest, going 8-for-14 for 23 points while Sasha Robinson scored 10 points and pulled down 14 rebounds for her first double-double of the year.
Both Dickey and Robinson enter the week looking to continue etching their names in the Aces history books. Dickey, a junior out of Montezuma, Ind., ranks third all-time on UE’s scoring list with 1,481 points, and Robinson stands just 17 boards away from entering the school’s top 10 in the category.
Meanwhile, Bradley (5-15, 1-8 MVC) is aiming to halt a four-game losing streak after falling Illinois State, Indiana State, Drake and Northern Iowa over the past two weeks. The lone conference win of the season for the Braves came on Jan. 17 in 50-44 fashion over Wichita State.
Loyola (10-10, 6-3 MVC), which will face Southern Illinois on Friday night before taking on UE on Sunday, is looking to solidify its position in the MVC race. Two of the Ramblers three losses this season are to league leaders Missouri State and Drake, and the team will be looking to bounce back after dropping a meeting with the latter last weekend. Earlier this season, the Aces fell 63-49 to LU at the Ford Center.
Tipoff on Friday is slated for 7 p.m., and Sunday’s contest will begin at 2 p.m.