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Trailblazers take two match split to open 2024 Showdown on the Wabash

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VINCENNES, Ind. – The Vincennes University volleyball team opened another tough weekend of competition with the first day of the 2024 Showdown on the Wabash tournament at VU.

The Blazers began the weekend slate with a split of their Friday matches, winning a Region 24 clash over Southwestern Illinois College 25-22, 21-25, 25-20, 25-15 and falling to Wallace State C.C. 23-25, 18-25, 25-19, 25-8, 14-16.

Vincennes began the day with a Region 24 contest against Southwestern Illinois College from Belleville.

The Blazers broke away in the opening set to take an early 9-6 lead before the Blue Storm battled back to regain the lead at 17-16.

Vincennes would answer back late in the first set and close the set by outscoring SWIC 7-2 to take set one 25-22.

Set two was another back-and-forth battle, with neither team able to get a solid lead until the Blue Storm used four unanswered points to close out the set and even the match with a 25-21 victory.

Vincennes looked determined to take the pivotal third set but again had an early lead erased.

VU would again look to gain firm control of the match at 22-16 before the Blue Storm rallied back with four straight points.

This would be as close as SWIC would get however as Vincennes picked up three straight points to close out the third set 25-20 and take a 2-1 match lead.

Wanting to avoid a fifth set, Vincennes again got off to a quick start in set four, building an early 7-2 lead, which SWIC again erased to tie the set at 7-7.

Vincennes would get the lead back with three straight points and continue to build on this lead with a 5-0 run later in the set as VU pulled away late to take set four and the match 25-15.

“SWIC was the hottest team in the Region coming into today,” VUVB Head Coach Gary Sien said. “They were on a 10 game winning streak before today and a couple of those wins were against some of the other top teams in the Region. We knew we were going to have a tough game, plus they had two players back that didn’t play the first time we played them.”

“Having those two back for them will add fire power and blocking to any team,” Sien added. “We had a hard time stopping No. 13 early in the match. We had to really adjust our blocking, getting in front of her hitting arm and were able to get more touches from that which helped us get some more digs that we didn’t get early in the match.”

“There were a couple of SWIC hitters that we were able to help control with our blocking and defense, which was the difference in the match,” Sien said. “Looking at our kill numbers, we were able to transition pretty well too.”

The VU offense was again led by the sophomore tandem of Laura Tavares (Merida, Venezuela) and Isadora Dias (Rio Grande de Norte, Brazil), who each finished with 14 kills.

Tavares would add a pair of blocks, one dig and one set assist and Dias would also record three blocks and one dig.

Sophomore Elisa Dalla Pozza (Vincenza, Italy) also had a big game, finishing with 11 kills, two blocks, two digs and one ace.

Freshman Martyna Sadowska (Pila, Poland) was the fourth VU hitter to reach double-digit kills, coming away with 10 kills, three blocks and a pair of set assists.

Freshman Paulina Fister (Tuszyn, Poland) had a good all-around game with four kills, 12 digs, two blocks and two set assists, while sophomore Allison Czyzewski (Louisville, Ill.) came away with a monster game at the net with two kills, a team-high seven blocks and one set assist.

The VU offense was run by sophomore setter Libby Mehringer (Jasper, Ind.) who finished with a team-high 26 set assists, two digs, one kill and one ace.

Freshman setter Rylee Edwards (Fairfield, Ill.) also helped spread the ball around, picking up a double-double with 21 set assists, 11 digs and two aces.

Sophomore libero Grace Flexter (Oblong, Ill.) and freshman Julianna Rettig (Antioch, Ill.) helped control the back row defense for the Trailblazers, with Flexter finishing the match with 13 digs, one set assist and one ace, while Rettig picked up a team-high 16 digs and one ace.

The Trailblazers then looked to close out the first day strong with another tough test, this time against Wallace State Community College.

The Lions came out of the gates strong in set one, building an early 8-3 lead and later held a 13-7 advantage over the Blazers.

The Wallace State lead would grow to eight before Vincennes began to chip away with a 7-2 scoring run to cut the deficit to 23-21.

Facing set point, Vincennes would continue to battle, getting within a single point of the Lion lead before Wallace State closed out the opening set 25-23 to gain the early 1-0 match lead.

Set two was more of the same from Wallace State, using an early 6-0 run to build a quick lead, which would grow to 18-11 before the Blazers rallied off three straight points.

This time however the Lions were determined to put the set away as the two teams traded points with Wallace State grabbing set two 25-18 to take a 2-0 match lead.

Looking to avoid the sweep, the Trailblazers showed some determination of their own in set three, gaining a lead midway through the set and later using a 7-1 scoring run to build a 24-15 advantage.

Wallace State found themselves trying to climb back and were able to put four straight points together but were unable to overcome the deficit as VU took set three 25-19, with Wallace State now leading the match 2-1.

VU used this late momentum from set three into set four, riding a massive 9-0 scoring run by Libby Mehringer to grab the early advantage.

Vanderburgh County Recent Booking Records

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Booked Last 24 Hours-Public

BRIAN HOLTZ SPEAKS ABOUT PROPOSED 24 MILLION DOLLAR BOND

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 Former Parks Director Speaks Out AboutThe Proposed  $24 Million Bond for Parks

OCTOBER 5, 2024

You will be asked to approve a $24 million dollar Parks bond resolution in the coming weeks.  Before moving forward, I urge you to consider holding an open and transparent discussion on the council floor, a discussion that not only serves the best interests of our community but also addresses the future needs of the City of Evansville Department of Parks and Recreation.

Here are some key points to consider during your deliberations:

1.  Financial Sustainability: How much additional financial burden can the Parks Department and its budget realistically sustain?  In 2022, the department issued a bond of up to $10,000,000 for various new and ongoing maintenance projects.  Approving the new proposal would increase the total bonded amount of the department to $34 million dollars.  Any future bond should include a restricted fund dedicated solely to maintenance, not new projects, to ensure fiscal responsibility.

2.  Current Bond Payments:  As of now, without a new bond of $24,000,000, the annual payment on existing bonds is approaching $5,000,000.  Regardless of the source of these funds,  this represents a significant financial commitment that can heavily impact any budget.  Adding to this burden without careful consideration could jeopardize the department’s ability to meet other essential needs.

3.  Strategic Planning:  Before approving another bond, it would be wise to establish a process to identify the current and future needs of the Parks Department.  This should not be another study or plan conducted by an outside consultant but rather a community-driven initiative leveraging local expertise.  The goal should be to develop a sustainable plan that preserves our community’s green spaces while enhancing the quality of life for all residents.

4.  Maintenance Priorities:  According to the National Parks and Recreation Association (May2024), a city the size of Evansville, with its number of parks (46), should allocate 38% of its yearly budget to maintenance and operating expenses.   Over each of the past five years, however, less than 10% has been allocated for these purposes.  This discrepancy must be addressed to ensure that our parks are properly maintained and continue to be a source of pride for our community.

As a community, our primary focus should be on developing a clear and actionable vision for the future of our parks, one that prioritizes sustainability over accumulating more debt.  I hope you will consider these considerations and advocate for a thoughtful, strategic approach that benefits the entire community.

by Brian Holtz, Evansville

 Brian Holtz is the former executive director of the Evansville Parks and Recreation Department.

FOOTNOTE:  The City-County Observer posted this article without bias, opinion or editing.

UE cross country travels to Louisville for Live in Lou

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LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The University of Evansville cross country teams head to one of the largest meets in the nation over the weekend.

The Purple Aces return to Live in Lou hosted by the Louisville Sports Commission at E.P. “Tom” Sawyer State Park on Saturday morning for the fourth straight season. UE will compete in the blue men’s and the silver women’s races at 9:45 a.m. and 11:45 a.m. respectively. Evansville will race against 38 other teams while racing with 13 other Division I schools including fellow MVC member Murray State in the men’s race.

The last time the Aces raced was up in Terre Haute at the John McNichols Invitational hosted by Indiana State. Sophomore runners Samuel Lea (Worchester, England) and Rafael Rodriguez (Segovia, Spain) set two Top 15 program times in the men’s 8K with personal bests. Lea led all UE runners with a time of 25:02.5 for sixth overall among Division I runners in Terre Haute. While Rodriguez finished eighth among Division I runners with a time of 25:07.1. The two times were good for 12th and 14th in program history in the men’s 8K. 

Live in Lou is one of the largest meets in the United States as according to a Louisville Sports Commission press release, approximately 2,100 athletes are expected to compete over the six separate races (two Gold, two Blue, two Silver). The tristate area will be well represented at the meet along with Evansville as 15 other schools from Indiana, Illinois, and Kentucky will compete across the six races. The course of E.P. “Tom” Sawyer State Park has played host to six NCAA Southeast Regionals along with hosting three NCAA DI National Championships in 2012, 2015, and 2017.

Following the Live in Lou meet on Saturday the Aces will host their final regular season meet of the year. UE will welcome several schools to the Angel Mounds Cross Country course for the Angel Mounds Meet on Friday, October 18th. 

UE women head to Coyote Creek Classic

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EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Next up for the University of Evansville women’s golf team is a trip to Bartonville, Ill. for the Coyote Creek Classic.

Coyote Creek Golf Club is the host fort the event, which will be hosted by Bradley.  Aside from the Braves, the playing field includes Green Bay, Lindenwood, Oakland, Northern Iowa, Southern Indiana, and Western Illinois.  Par is 72 and the yardage is 6,019.  Teams will play two rounds on Sunday with the final 18 set for Monday.

Last time out, the Purple Aces earned a 10th place finish at The Velvet Championship in Paducah, Ky.  Evansville was led by Louise Standtke who tied for 17th in the finishing order.  She posted a 6-over 78 in the final round.

Second on the UE squad was Mallory Russell.  Her 3-round tally of 236 tied her for 21st.  She was followed by Elizabeth Mercer. The freshman registered a 245 and tied for 47th.

Eagles sweep Panthers leaving Charleston with an OVC winning record

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EVANSVILLE, Ind.- University of Southern Indiana Volleyball (8-9, 3-2 OVC) brought the energy on Friday afternoon completing the two-game sweep of Eastern Illinois University (4-10, 0-4 OVC) in three sets (25-23, 25-20, 25-16). USI finished with a season high .310 attacking percentage with 12 service aces as ten different Eagles contributed points on only 14 errors.
 
Set 1: USI 25, EIU 23
Graduate senior Jasmine Green, senior Carly Sobieralski, junior Bianca Anderson, and sophomore Leah Coleman all tallied kills giving the Eagles an early 7-5 lead. More Eagles got involved as senior Abby Weber, junior Keira Moore, sophomore Ashby Willis, freshman Kerigan Fehr manufactured five service aces as USI led 20-18. Coleman finished her third kill to extend the lead to 23-20 and Willis finished the job with an emphatic cross court kill to clinch the set. USI used their depth once again to tame the Panthers in set one as eight different Eagles earned points.
 
Set 2: USI 25, EIU 20
The Eagles forced EIU into calling two early timeouts leading 10-5. Green added another kill giving the Eagles a six-point lead after Moore recorded a highlight reel dig. Willis fired home her sixth kill hitting .500 along with another service ace to make it 21-16. Willis helped clinch the set as she continued her outstanding weekend leaving the Panthers with no answer leading the Eagles with nine kills.

Set 3: USI 25, EIU 16
USI’s energy was electric on Friday as Anderson fired a kill through the middle as the Eagles continued to beat the Panthers to the net at 5-2. Willis converted her ninth kill from only 19 attempts expanding the Eagles lead to 12-8. Coleman was also extremely efficient swatting a cross court kill for her ninth kill and a three-point USI lead. Anderson was determined to finish this match in three sets with two straight kills making it 22-16. USI was relentless finishing the Panthers on a five-point run to clinch the weekend sweep.
 
The win marks the fifth Ohio Valley Conference sweep for the Eagles in the past two years and the first against the Panthers. The Eagles are now back in the thick of things in the OVC regular season race at 3-2. 

Willis finished with a signature weekend as a Screaming Eagle leading both nights as she finished with 11 kills on Saturday. Sobieralski set up 34 Eagles finishing the three-game week with 134 assists. Moore led in digs all week as well with 15 on Friday afternoon. Weber finished a season high four service aces, while Green and Anderson both swatted three blocks.

As a team, USI finished with 45 kills, 41 assists, 35 digs, 12 aces, five blocks, and a .310 attacking percentage. The Panthers earned 35 kills, 31 assists, 34 digs, three aces, seven blocks, and a .261 hitting percentage.
 
Next up for the Eagles
USI is back on the road next weekend at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.

Volleyball falls in weekend opener

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Cardona had 23 kills in three sets

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Senior Giulia Cardona recorded 23 kills in just three sets as the University of Evansville volleyball team fell in the weekend opener at Belmont.

Cardona hit .300 and had nine digs and an ace to go along with her 23 kills.  Three Purple Aces finished the night with four kills.  Making her first appearance since the first weekend of the season, Kora Ruff picked up 28 assists and five digs.  Ainoah Cruz led all players with 18 digs.  Lucy Kay led the Bruins with 12 kills.

Game 1 – Belmont 25, UE 18

Kora Ruff opened the match with an ace before setting up Giulia Cardona for the kill.  Belmont responded with four in a row to take their first lead.

With the Bruins up 9-8, they went on a run to push the lead to 14-10.  UE rallied once again, cutting the deficit in half as a kill by Angelica Gonzalez helped her team make it a 19-17 game.  Belmont had the response, completing the set on a 6-1 run to take a 1-0 lead.

Game 2 – Belmont 25, UE 21

Both teams had the lead in the early moments of the second frame, but with the score tied at 7-7, Belmont scored three in a row to take the lead for good.  The 3-0 spurt was the start of a 10-3 run that put them in front by a 17-10 score.

Despite the deficit, the Aces kept fighting.  Trailing 22-14, UE outscored the Bruins by a 6-1 margin to cut the deficit to 23-20.  Madisyn Steele had a kill during the stretch before the Bruins regrouped to take a 2-0 match lead.

Game 3 – Belmont 25, UE 14

Another close game ensued as the squads dueled to a 6-6 score.  Four in a row by the Bruins set them up with another lead they would not relinquish.  They clinched the match with a 25-14 decision.

UE will look for the weekend split on Saturday with a 6 p.m. match at Murray State.

Todd Rokita raises awareness for consumers of harmful household products recalled in September

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Attorney General Todd Rokita is alerting Hoosiers of important consumer protection concerns for products recalled in September. The office encourages consumers to take advantage of opportunities available for those who purchase recalled items that could be harmful to their families.    

“Hoosiers deserve protection from products that don’t work and should not have to tolerate them,” Attorney General Todd Rokita said. “If you purchased an item in September that has been recalled, you should immediately stop using the product and see what forms of reimbursement the company that sold or manufactured the product is offering.”

According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, the following consumer products were recalled in September:  

If you believe you recently purchased a recalled product, stop using it, and check its recall notice (linked above for all products). Then follow the notice’s instructions, including where to return the product, how to get the product fixed, how to dispose of the product, how to receive a refund for the product, or what steps must be taken to receive a replacement product.   

To view recalls issued prior to September visit the Consumer Protection Safety Commission website.    

A headshot of Attorney General Rokita is available for download.

Swimming and diving completes match-up at Centre College

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DANVILLE, Ky. – Friday evening’s contest against Centre College saw the University of Evansville swimming and diving teams split its match-up.  The Purple Aces men earned a 189-105 win while the women dropped a 162-132 decision.

Men’s Recap

Patrik Vilbergsson, Carlos Souto Vilas, Daniel Santos Lopez, and Sammy McCall opened the night with a win in the 200-medley relay with a time of 1:34.29.  After recording a pair of top three finishes last weekend, Joseph Capo started his competition on Friday with a victory in the 200-free.  His 1:45.69 edge teammate Grady Whitson’s 1:47.59.

ilbergsson took the win in the 100-backstroke.  Swimming a 52.04, he defeated fellow Ace Boris Tavrosky, who posted a 53.55.  He added a win in the 200-yard backstroke, besting Logan Tenison and Tavrosky.  His time finished at 1:52.81.  Souto Vilas was victorious in the 100 and 200-yard breaststroke.  His winning time in the 100 was a 58.50 with the runner-up finishing in 59.93.  In the 200, a 2:12.75 defeated teammate Joao Guiherme.

Adam Pawlak was victorious in the 200-fly with a time of 2:00.14 while Michael Pruett led an Evansville sweep of the top four in the 100-yard free.  Pruett’s 47.86 led Ben Morse, Jakob Grundbacher, and Mohammed Rashed.

Santos Lopez edge Brendan Ulewicz in the 100-fly.  He posted a 51.39.  In the 200-yard IM, it was Grady Whitson completing the race in 2:00.70 with Titus Jabedo coming in second with his time of 2:03.63.  The men wrapped up competition with a win in the 200 medley relay.  Pruett, McCall, Tenison, and Santos Lopez finished in 1:25.38.

Women’s Recap

Things got off to a nice start for the ladies as they were victorious in the 200-medley relay.  Ane Garate, Rafaela Markarewicz, Sveva Brugnoli, and Rebecca Lago posted a 1:50.46 to win by just over a half second.  Garate followed her solid relay with a triumph in the 100-backstroke.  Her time checked in at 1:01.34.  She picked up another win in the 200-backstroke.  Her winning time was 2:13.12.

Markarewicz continued a strong performance with a win in the 100-breaststroke.  Her race finished in 1:08.52, topping the competition by just over a second.  In the 200-yard breaststroke, Markarewicz came in second with Mari Mueller picking up the win in 2:28.75.

Brugnoli and Mueller led the way in the 200-IM.  Completing the race in 2:10.23, Brugnoli came in just ahead of Mueller.  In the 200-fly, Brugnoli added another win, posting a 2:09.81.

Reigning Missouri Valley Conference Diver of the Week Maddie Rollett picked up right where she left off, sweeping the 1 and 3-meter dives for the second consecutive weekend.  Scoring a 273.45, Rollett bested Leah Gardner’s 206.48.  Rollett’s score in the 3-meter finished at 252.90.  Gardner was also second in that event with a 192.15.

Gov. Holcomb announces long-term plan to support children with high acuity needs

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Gov. Holcomb announces long-term plan to support children with high acuity needs

SEPTEMBER 5, 2024

INDIANAPOLIS — Governor Eric J. Holcomb announced a multi-agency effort to provide more support to children who have high acuity needs.

“Our agencies are working with a growing number of families who have children with significant and complex mental and behavioral needs,” Gov. Holcomb said. “These families need help navigating the supports available to them so children receive the right services in their individual communities, and we are committed to helping them.”

The plan is the result of a collaboration among the Family and Social Services Administration, Department of Correction, Department of Child Services, the Department of Education and the Governor’s Office to understand the needs of high acuity children and how to design programs to provide the best support in their communities whenever possible. Gov. Holcomb made the plan a priority in his 2024 legislative agenda announcement.

Children with high acuity needs often require more specialized care due to the complexity of their diagnoses and circumstances. This initiative focuses on ensuring they receive the necessary support for their overall well-being. Sometimes, the challenges extend beyond the child’s individual needs, influenced by the broader family context. By considering these factors – and enhancing coordination between the program and agencies involved – we can provide more effective support for both the children and families.

Already, a cross-agency rapid response team that was established to address emergency circumstances has assisted more than 20 children and their families with finding an appropriate placement and connecting to needed services, helping to stabilize crisis situations.

Through the work of the Children with High Acuity Needs Project, the group identified four areas of initial prioritization, including:

  • Cross-Agency Navigators. Cross-agency navigators with multi-agency expertise will enhance care coordination across state and local services such as education, mental health, intellectual and developmental disability, child welfare, juvenile justice, and physical health. This will begin as a pilot program focusing on engaging schools early to prevent children from being placed in more restrictive settings and helping those in a residential setting return home more quickly and sustainably.
  • Intensive Foster and Respite Care. New and existing foster care parents and kinship caregivers will receive intensive supports to help them manage the behaviors that children with high acuity needs may exhibit. These foster parents and kinship caregivers, who will also receive respite care, will help prevent crisis situations that result in children being placed in treatment settings not appropriate for their needs. Services will begin in November and a list of providers and the areas they serve can be found here.
  • Gatekeeper Process Review. Gatekeepers support children receiving services from the State Psychiatric Hospital Network, ensuring that they receive the most appropriate treatment in the least restrictive setting possible. The state will review the current pediatric gatekeeper process to identify operational, policy, and statutory changes needed to improve the state psychiatric hospital gatekeeping process. When the system is optimized, youth won’t remain in state hospitals for longer than medically necessary, allowing another youth in need to occupy the space.
  • Youth Transitional Homes and Caregiver Coaching. This program will offer an intermediary level of support for youth who are ready to return to their community following residential care or for youth to remain in the community, rather than being escalated to a more restrictive setting. Different from traditional group homes, Youth Transitional Homes are not long-term placements but are designed to help youth reconnect with their daily routines and communities. Families will also receive caregiver coaching to equip them with tools needed to support the child’s safe and successful return to their home environment.
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