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Evansville Women’s Basketball Team Picked Sixth in MVC Preseason Poll
The University of Evansville women’s basketball team was selected sixth in the 2015-2016 Missouri Valley Conference Preseason Poll on Tuesday. Junior guard Sara Dickey, who was named to the MVC Postseason All-Conference team each of the last two seasons, was selected to the MVC Preseason All-Conference for the second consecutive time.
“We are excited that Sara was recognized for her efforts over the past two years,†said Evansville head women’s basketball coach Oties Epps. “We thought we would be picked somewhere between sixth and seventh so we were not surprised. However, preseason predictions are not something that we talk about in our program. We like to see how well our program has competed after the 18 game conference season.â€
Last year, Evansville won 13 games including a pair of victories in the MVC Tournament. The Purple Aces’ run to the MVC Semifinals was the deepest run for the program since the 2008-09 season.
Coach Epps returns for his fifth season at the helm of the UE women’s basketball team. Epps and the Aces are looking to record double digit wins for the third consecutive season.
Evansville also has three returning seniors including Dickey, sophomore guard Taloni Reese and junior forward Sasha Robinson. Additionally, the Aces bring back sophomore forward Peyton Langston, sophomore forward Kenyia Johnson, and senior guard Laura Friday.
UE has six newcomers to the roster (freshman forward Jordan Campbell, freshman guard Camille Coleman, freshman forward Kerri Gasper, freshman forward Tattenai Hall, freshman forward Erin Sinnott, and junior guard Camary Williams). UE will also benefit from having sophomore guard Aaliyah Gaines and junior forward Ashley Hawkins eligible after their redshirt seasons.
The Aces will have an exhibition game against Eureka College on Monday, Nov. 2. The game will be held at the Ford Center and begin at 7:00 p.m.
The regular season opener will be at Xavier (Nov. 14). UE’s home opener will be against Murray State on Saturday, Dec. 5 at 1:00 p.m.
INFO: For all of the latest information on University of Evansville athletics, log on to the sport page on GoPurpleAces.com or follow the program on Twitter via @UEAthletics.
DONATE: For information on giving to UE Athletics or its individual athletics programs, visit the DONATE tab on the top of GoPurpleAces.com.
TICKETS: To purchase tickets for University of Evansville athletics events, log on to GoPurpleAces.com and click on the TICKETS tab on top of the page.
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Luttrull joins USI as media relations specialist
Ben Luttrull has joined the University of Southern Indiana as media relations specialist in University Communications. In the position, he will be responsible for media relations, copywriting and editing, and overseeing the University’s social media presence.
With experience in strategic communication, digital marketing and social media strategy, Luttrull has provided consultation and support to a diverse and distinguished range of clients, both locally and nationally.
Prior to joining USI, Luttrull served as a digital marketing specialist for Lieberman Technologies, and as the director of marketing and social media for Bob’s Gym. He is a member of the board of directors for the American Advertising Federation – Greater Evansville Chapter, and has provided social media and public relations consultation for community organizations including 4C of Southwestern Indiana, Drums on the Ohio, and TEDxEvansville.
“I am humbled and excited to be able to represent USI in this position,†said Luttrull. “This University produces so many amazing stories worth sharing. I’m looking forward to sharing those stories and showing the world all of the things that are growing and changing on campus and through USI’s students, faculty and alumni.â€
Luttrull holds a bachelor’s degree in public relations from Ball State University.
University Communications is a department within University Relations and part of Marketing and Communications at USI. The office is responsible for media relations; copy and publications about the University, including the USI Magazine and college newsletters; Photography and Multimedia; internal communications; and managing the University’s social media presence.
UE Men’s Basketball picked second in Preseason MVC Poll
Fresh off of a championship in the CollegeInsider.com Tournament, the University of Evansville men’s basketball team has been picked to finish second in the Missouri Valley Conference this season.
“This is a great recognition for our program. Being picked that high in such a competitive league is a testament to the guys on the floor,†head coach Marty Simmons said. “This gives us a lot of confidence to start the season and we hope to be at the top of the league in March.â€
Evansville also has two players on the pre-season unit. The reigning CIT Tournament post-season champs, the Aces return all five starters and match their highest-ever pre-season position (1999-00 and 2000-01 pre-season polls) as an MVC member.
D.J. Balentine enters his senior year with a chance to leave as the top scorer in program history. He begins the season with 1,766 points and is on pace to break Colt Ryan’s program record of 2,279, which was set in 2013. Mockevicius had 20 double-doubles last year, a tally that was 4th in the NCAA. He finished in the top 20 in the country in rebounds, defensive rebounds and shooting percentage.
Both Balentine and Mockevicius were named to the All-Conference First Team a season ago.
“We are very excited and humbled to be picked second, but in our minds, it does not mean much right now,†Balentine said. “It is just preseason expectations, but it does give us motivation going forward to finish first.â€
The pick also shows just how far the program has come under the leadership of Coach Simmons. From 2001 through 2008, the Purple Aces finished in the top six in the conference just once. Since the 2008-09 campaign, UE has five top six finishes, including a tie for third place in 2011-12.
Preseason Poll:
- Wichita State (42 first place votes) 429
- Evansville 350
- UNI 336
- Illinois State 323
- Loyola (1) 267
- Indiana State 218
- Drake 165
- Missouri State 127
- Southern Illinois 101
- Bradley 49
Governor Pence Names Appointments to Various Boards and Commissions
Governor Mike Pence recently made appointments to the following boards and commissions.
State Board of Animal Health
William A. Doig [Shelby County], appointed to complete a vacant four-year term through 31-March-2018
State Board of Cosmetology & Barber ExaminersÂ
Diana L. Bonn [Delaware County], reappointed to serve a three-year term through October 31, 2018
Rebecca L. Bushong [Marion County], reappointed to serve a three-year term through October 31, 2018
State Board of Dentistry
Dr. Ted M. Reese [Morgan County], appointed to serve a three-year term through October 31, 2018
Dr. Jeffrey L. Snoddy [Vigo County], appointed to serve a three-year term through October 31, 2018
Early Learning Advisory Committee
Robin R.H. Atkins [Hendricks County], appointed to serve a two-year term through October 31, 2017
Melanie R. Brizzi [Marion County], reappointed to serve a two-year term through October 31, 2017
- Cindy Frey [Bartholomew County], appointed to serve a two-year term through October 31, 2017
Emergency Medical Services Commission Technical Advisory Committee
Michael W. Cole II [Jennings County], appointed to serve at the pleasure of the Governor
State Board of Health Facility Administrators
Jennifer J. Gappa [Starke County], reappointed to serve a four-year term through October 31, 2019
Mark A. Wolfschlag [Tippecanoe County], reappointed to serve a four-year term through October 31, 2019
Homeland Security Foundation Board
Robert V. Kittle [Bartholomew County], appointed to serve a four-year term through October 31, 2019
Indiana Housing & Community Development Authority Board of Directors
Scenario B. Adebesin [Hamilton County], appointed to complete and unexpired four-year term through November 30, 2017
Andrew W. Place, Sr. [St. Joseph County], appointed to complete and unexpired four-year term through November 30, 2017
Indiana Commission on Ports
Miriam E. Robeson [Carroll County], appointed to serve a four-year term through October 31, 2019
Indiana State Psychology Board
Tyler James Kalachnik [Marion County], appointed to serve a three-year term through October 31, 2018
State Fair Board
Julia A. Wickard [Hancock County], appointed to serve a four-year term through September 30, 2019
Indiana Board of Tax Review
Jonathan R. Elrod [Marion County], reappointed to serve a four-year term through January 1, 2019
Veterans Affairs Commission
Gregory L. Baker [Johnson County], reappointed to serve a one-year term through October 31, 2016
Charles A. Haislip [Marion County], reappointed to serve a one-year term through October 31, 2016
Richard A. Jewell [Franklin County], reappointed to serve a one-year term through October 31, 2016
Obadiah Smith, Jr. [Madison County], reappointed to serve a one-year term through October 31, 2016
White River State Park Development Commission
William A. Browne, Jr. [Marion County], reappointed to serve a four-year term through October 31, 2019
Rep. Sean Eberhart [Shelby County], appointed to serve a four-year term through September 30, 2019
Sen. James Merritt [Marion County], appointed to serve a four-year term through September 30, 2019
Rep. Justin Moed [Marion County], appointed to serve a four-year term through September 30, 2019
Sen. Greg Taylor [Marion County], appointed to serve a four-year term through September 30, 2019
Robert F. Wagner [Marion County], reappointed to serve a four-year term through October 31, 2019
State Workforce Innovation Council
Kay E. Kuenker [Marion County], appointed to serve a two-year term through October 31, 2017
Blair E. Milo [LaPorte County], appointed to serve a two-year term through October 31, 2017
IS IT TRUE OCTOBER 28. 2015
IS IT TRUE that Evansville City Council approved the 2015 City budget?  …that Mayor Winnecke and the leadership of Council met a numbers of times to craft the 2015 budget?  …after all said and done the 2015 City budget was agreed upon by both parties?  …after the 2015 City budget was approved the Mayor and his Controller decided how to spend the monies on that was approved by City Council?  …during the 2015 calendar year the Mayors directed his Controller to write checks to pay for all operational expenses in running city government for 2015?  …during the 9th month of the budget year the Mayor informed the leadership of Council they have a $8 million dollar budget shortfall and need to borrow $8 million dollars from the Riverboat and Rainey Day funds in order to pay employee wages and other bills?  …that Council  loaned the City the $8 million the Mayor requested?  …we would like for you to explain why the Mayor is publicly stating that City Council was at fault concerning the major budget shortfall crisis now facing the City of Evansville?
IS IT TRUE that yesterday the Evansville Courier and Press didn’t endorsed Alex Burton for an At Large City Council seat? … because Alex Burton didn’t have a history of being a womanizing and late night party animal may have been held against him?  …do you think that Alex Burton being an outstanding  and highly respected person that have earned many impressive educational and professional honors at a ripe young age was held against him concerning the Courier and Press political endorsement?
IS IT TRUE at Mondays City Council meeting 4th Ward City Councilwomen Connie Robinson received a picture of the Fire Chief dressed like a black man holding a liquor bottle at a social event?  … this picture offended Mrs, Robinson and she openly bashed Chief Connelly for betraying a drunk black man?  …its obvious that Evansville Fire Chief Connelly should consider giving Mrs. Robinson a public apology for betraying himself as drunk black man ?  …we thought that this type of racial stereotyping stopped in the late 1980’s?
IS IT TRUE we are told that Evansville Fire Chief Connelly has become a major political liabilities for the Mayor in the 4th Ward? Â … Mayor Winnecke has publicly stated that Chief Connelly shall be retained if he’s re-elected Mayor of Evansville? Â …we predict that Chief Connelly will costs the Mayor many votes in the 4th ward because of his racial stereotyping of a person of color?
IS IT TRUE our most recent “READERS POLL” ask the question; “Do you think the recently called meeting by the Mayor to discuss the impact of the 2016 budget cuts was political in nature”?
IS IT TRUE every time City Controller Russ Lloyd Jr speaks about the excellent financial condition of Evansville we have flashbacks? Â …wasn’t this guy the past Mayor of Evansville who spent our surplus Rainey Day funds down to almost nothing before he was voted out of office by an extremely large margin? …is this the same guy that spent almost $2 million dollars of taxpayers money to develop a new Downtown baseball stadium but pulled the plug on the project at the last minute? Â …is this the same guy that recently announced that he overspent about $8 million dollars in the 2015 City budget and needed a bailout loan from City Council to make payroll and pay daily bills? Â …its obvious that City Controller Russ Lloyds shouldn’t be considered a conservative watchdog because of his poor track record of handling our tax dollars?
Please take time and vote in today’s “Readers Poll”. Don’t miss reading today’s Feature articles because they are always an interesting read. Please scroll at the bottom of our paper so you can enjoy our creative political cartoons. Copyright 2015 City County Observer. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without our permission.
Detective’s testimony on drug buy inadmissible, but harmless error
Jennifer Nelson for www.the. indianalawyeer.com
The Indiana Supreme Court ruled the admission of a detective’s statement regarding a controlled drug buy should not have been admitted because it resolved the issue of the defendant’s guilt, but that admission into evidence was a harmless error.
Wenzel Williams appealed his two Class B felony convictions of dealing in cocaine, which stemmed from controlled drug buys with a confidential informant. Madison County Drug Task Force Detective Keith Gaskill, acting undercover, witnessed the drug buys. At Williams’ trial, he said “there’s zero doubt in my mind that that was a transaction for cocaine,†when testifying about the first controlled drug buy.
Indiana Evidence Rule 704(a) expressly prohibits in criminal cases witness opinions concerning the ultimate issue of guilt. Because this statement did not merely “embrace†an ultimate issue by implying Williams’ guilt, but was an outright opinion of guilt, it is inadmissible under the rule, Chief Justice Loretta Rush wrote. Its admission violated the jury’s right to determine the law and facts in criminal cases.
The state argued excluding Gaskill’s testimony would require overruling precedent allowing officers to testify to other facts like a defendant’s intoxication or identity, but the Supreme Court found those cases distinguishable because an opinion of intoxication or identity does not reach every element of the offense.
“Detective Gaskill’s statement that ‘there’s zero doubt in my mind that that was a transaction for cocaine’ crossed the line into declaring Williams’s guilt. In the context of this drug-dealing offense, Detective Gaskill’s testimony, unlike testimony of intoxication and identity, does not just describe or imply some elements of the offense, but all of them – including mens rea,†Rush wrote.
But, the admission was a harmless error because the jury had ample evidence to independently convict Williams on both charges, so his convictions are affirmed.
The case is Wenzel Williams v. State of Indiana, 48S05-1507-CR-424.
Press events during AG’s Rx Drug Abuse Symposium –
INDIANAPOLIS – Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller will host the sixth-annual Indiana Prescription Drug Abuse Symposium on Oct. 28 and 29 to focus on new challenges in the fight against prescription drug abuse, particularly in light of unprecedented HIV and Hepatitis C outbreaks this year triggered by intravenous abuse of diverted medications as well as rising heroin overdose rates.
This year’s symposium, titled “In the Trenches, A Community Approach,†is open to the media at no cost for those who request a press pass. A full agenda of the symposium is available here and a link to the press release with more information is available here.
Below are noteworthy events for media coverage:
Wednesday, Oct 28
- 8:45 a.m., Grand Ballroom – opening remarks from Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller
- 9-10 a.m., Grand Ballroom – Opioid Misuse and Addiction: National Priorities — keynote from Dr. Wilson Compton, deputy director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse [Dr. Compton and Zoeller will be available for media interviews immediately following his keynote outside the Grand Ballroom]
- 10:10 a.m., Capitol Room 1&2 – The Nose Knows: A Naloxone Train the Trainer Workshop — includes live mannequin demos
Thursday, Oct. 29
- 8:30 a.m., Grand Ballroom – opening remarks from Zoeller and Indiana State Health Commissioner Dr. Jerome Adams
- 8:50 a.m., Grand Ballroom – Prescription Drug Misuse and Heroin: The Federal Perspective — keynote from the nation’s “drug czar,†Michael Botticelli, director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy
- 2:15 p.m., Grand Ballroom – AG Zoeller will present six awards to law enforcement officers and medical professionals who have demonstrated excellence in training and saving lives with naloxone.
- 2:40 p.m., House Room – PRESS CONFERENCE – Attorney General Zoeller will announce a new initiative to equip more law enforcement officers and first responders with naloxone kits to help prevent opioid overdose deaths. Naloxone award recipients will also be present at the press conference.
The Prescription Drug Abuse Symposium is held at the Westin Hotel, 301 W. Washington St., Indianapolis, IN 46204.
Mannheim Steamroller Christmas by Chip Davis
Wednesday, November 18 at 7:30pm
MANNHEIM STEAMROLLER CHRISTMAS BY CHIP DAVIS
find tickets
Grammy Award winner Chip Davis has created a show that features the beloved Christmas music of Mannheim Steamroller along with dazzling multimedia effects performed in an intimate setting. Experience the magic as the spirit of the season comes alive with the signature sound of Mannheim Steamroller. Their holiday CDs have become synonymous with Christmas and continue to occupy top spots on Billboards’ Seasonal Charts every year!
More InformationPrice: $68, $58, $38, $28
There’s still have time to book a Dinner and Show before the Mannheim Steamroller Christmas concert! Call 812-435-5770 ext. 202 or ext. 302 for details!