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.
Men’s Swim and Dive voted seventh in preseason poll
Projected to finish first in the poll is back-to-back-to-back champion University of Denver accumulating 36 total votes and six first-place votes. South Dakota State University finished second at 31 votes, failing to receive any first-place votes. Rounding out the poll is South Dakota University (30, one first-place vote), University of Nebraska Omaha (20), St. Thomas University (13), Eastern Illinois University (9), and USI (7).
The two Screaming Eagles representatives to the 2024-25 Preseason Conference Swimmers and Divers to Watch list are junior diver Lane Pollock and freshman backstroke/butterfly Jude Winnington. Pollock is coming off an impressive 2024 season earning scores of 250.25 in the one-meter and 258.75 in the three-meter at the Summit League Championships. Pollock earned a career best three-meter score against University of Evansville with a score of 256.06. “I am very excited to see Lane compete this year after two years under his belt. He worked very hard in the off season on some little things which will show in the way he competes this year,” says diving coach Andy Brown.
Winnington joins the Eagles from Middletown High School in Middletown, Delaware where he earned First-Team all-state swimmer four times while winning eight conference championships. He finished his high school career holding eight Middletown High School records. “Jude’s became a spark plug for our men’s program always excited to be on deck and practicing hard along with being versatile in a lot of different events,” says Kainer.
The Eagles kick off their 2024-25 campaign on October 5 in Indianapolis, Indiana competing against Indiana University Indianapolis and Northern Kentucky University. USI will make its home debut against Valparaiso University on October 10 at the USI Aquatic Center.
Women’s Swim and Dive predicted to finish sixth in preseason poll
EVANSVILLE, Ind.– University of Southern Indiana Women’s Swimming and Diving is predicted to finish sixth in the Summit League following a vote submitted by conference coaches. Screaming Eagles freshman diver Anna Bunnell and sophomore breaststroke and individual medley specialist Hayden Shurtz were named to the preseason watch conference watch list.
“The team understands what it takes to move up in our conference and what it takes to score,” says head coach Cameron Kainer. “We had those conversations after season two with the team on what we are looking to do now that we are going into season three.”
The University of Denver tops the conference in the preseason poll with 36 total votes and six first-place selections after repeating a 11th consecutive Summit League Championship. South Dakota University came in second with 31 votes and one first-place nod.
Rounding out the rest of the standings were South Dakota State University (26), University of Nebraska Omaha (24), St. Thomas University (12), USI (10), and Eastern Illinois University (7).
Shurtz is coming off a freshman season highlighted by a women’s Summit League Peak Swimmer of the Week honor in October and setting three individual school records in the 100-yard Breaststroke, 200-yard Breaststroke, and 200-yard Individual Medley.
Bunnell joins the Screaming Eagles from Evansville North High School where she lettered all four years. Bunnell earned first-team all-conference along with becoming a city, conference, and sectional champion.
“As a top five finalist in the Indiana High School State Meet, Anna will make a huge impact right away for our team,” says diving coach Andy Brown. “I am excited to see her use some of the big meet experience she has gained over the last year transition into her college career.”
The Eagles begin their 2024-25 campaign on October 5 in Indianapolis, Indiana competing against Indiana University Indianapolis and Northern Kentucky University. USI will make their home debut against Valparaiso on October 10 at the USI Aquatic Center.
Volleyball travels to Belmont and Murray State
Aces split opening MVC weekend
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Picking up a split in the opening Missouri Valley Conference weekend, the University of Evansville volleyball team takes to the road this weekend to play Belmont and Murray State. UE faces the Bruins on Friday at 6 p.m. while Saturday’s match versus the Racers is at 5 p.m. with both contests on ESPN+.
Last Time Out
– Scoring the final nine points of the MVC opener against Valpo, the Purple Aces overcame an 11-6 deficit to take the 5th set
– Giulia Cardona had 29 kills in the contest while Angelica Gonzalez added a career-high of 14
– Cardona broke the program kills record on Saturday against UIC, finishing with 21 kills as the Aces fell by a 3-1 final
Another Week, Another Record
– One week after breaking the UE all-time mark for aces, Giulia Cardona surpassed Alondra Vazquez’ UE mark of 1,911 kills
– With 21 versus the Flames, Cardona now has 1,917 in her illustrious career as she opened the weekend with 29 in the win over the Beacons
– One week prior, she broke Evansville mark for service aces and now has 209; the previous record of 205 was set by Kim Seib in 1984
– Cardona holds the NCAA lead in total kills (283), total points (328.0), total attacks (823) and attacks per set (14.70)
– Her season average of 5.05 kills per frame paces the MVC and ranks 3rd nationally
Career Mark
– Highlighted by a carer-high 14 kills against Valparaiso, Angelica Gonzalez is on the top streak of her UE career
– Gonzalez set career marks in kills (14) and attempts (35) in the win over the Beacons
– She had 8 kills in both matches of the USI Invitational and is averaging 1.9 kills/set over the last four outings
– In the season opener against Akron, Gonzalez had 13 kills
Midseason Form
– Despite missing the opening part of the season, Ainoah Cruz has quickly reached peak form with 23 digs in two of her four matches
– Cruz picked up 23 in her first contest of the season at USI before matching that tally in the win over Valpo
– Through her four matches, Cruz is averaging 3.65 digs per set
Scouting the Opposition
– Friday’s weekend opener has the Aces visiting Belmont, who is 5-9 overall and 0-2 in the MVC
– The Bruins put up strong efforts last weekend at Illinois State and Bradley, falling to both in five sets
– Brooke Gilleland has averaged a team-best 3.58 kills
– Murray State opens the weekend with a record of 6-5 after splitting last weekend’s road trip
– The Racers earned a 3-1 win at ISU before falling in five sets to Bradley
– Ella Vogel paces the Racer offense with 4.35 kills per game
METS to Adopt New Transit App and Bus Tracking System
The Board of Public Works today approved a new transit app and bus tracking system for Metropolitan Evansville Transit System (METS).
The convenient new app will allow residents to see new information about their route. Within the app, passengers can see which connecting stops they need to take and monitor how busy their bus will be.
Like the current system, which is being sunset by the owner at the end of 2024, the new system also will let passengers see real time information regarding the bus system, including updates on closures, detours, and bus arrival times.
“This new system will offer a huge upgrade for our riders,” said Todd Robertson, Executive Director of Transportation & Services. “Passengers will no longer have to take risks guessing their stops, and we will be able to be more efficient in building routes we know are the ones people need.
“This technology will make commuting more efficient and accessible for all Evansville residents.”
The bus system is an important tool for residents of Evansville to thrive. A successful bus ride for passengers means a successful day at work, school, or any other activity residents may be commuting to.
Along with the new app, the new system also includes audio and visual announcements on each bus. New speakers and scrolling screens on each bus will announce what the next stop location will be.
In addition to these announcements, passengers can enable notifications on their phone that will tell them when their bus stop is nearing.
The new system will launch on January 2, 2025. For questions regarding the system please contact Evansville METS at (812) 435-6166.
USI falls 2-0 in homestand finale Screaming Eagles play at SIUE Saturday
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Men’s Soccer stumbled in the homestand finale to Lindenwood University, 2-0, Thursday afternoon at Strassweg Field. The Screaming Eagles, who are 2-3-0 during the homestand, are 2-8-0 overall and 1-1-0 in the OVC, while the Lions go to 5-4-1, 1-1-0 OVC.
Lindenwood took the lead in the opening half, 1-0, after finding the back of the USI goal at 8:26. The score would remain 1-0 through the intermission with Lindenwood leading in shots, 7-3, in shots and corners, 3-0.
In the second half, USI and Lindenwood battled back and forth through the first 30 minutes before the Lions sealed the match with their second goal and the eventual 2-0 decision. Lindenwood also had a second half advantage in shots, 10-6, and corner kicks, 4-2.
USI had a pair of opportunities in the second half, but could not convert. Freshman forward David Davilla had shot inside the box at 61:42, while sophomore midfielder Will Kirchhofer had a blast on goal at 85:37.
USI sophomore goalkeeper Andrew Klott faced 17 shots in the match, allowing two goals and making five saves.
NEXT UP FOR USI:
The Eagles are on the road for a quick one-match trip this weekend when they visit Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Saturday in Edwardsville, Illinois. Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m.
The Cougars are 3-3-2 overall and 1-0-0 in the OVC after the season’s first month. SIUE, which hosts Eastern Illinois University this evening, won its OVC season opener, 2-0, at home versus Lindenwood September 28.
The USI-SIUE series has been dominated by the Cougars, who lead the series, 15-3-1, since the 1970s. The Cougars took both matches last season, winning at USI, 6-0, and home, 4-0
E-REP BLAMES COUNTY COMMISSION FOR LACK OF BUILDING SITES
E-REP BLAMES COUNTY COMMISSION FOR LACK OF BUILDING SITES
BY JAY YOUNG-CCO
NOVEMBER 4, 2024
No large-scale industrial businesses relocated to Vanderburgh County in the past year because the county lacks necessary building sites, the Evansville Regional Economic Partnership told county officials in a letter sent Friday.
The letter from E-REP’s Patrick Hickey stems from the County Commissioners meeting Aug. 13. When E-REP staff struggled with questions while E-REP management watched from the audience.
E-REP sent the letter Friday in response to correspondence from the county also sent last week. Vanderburgh County pays $300,000 annually to E-REP for services related to economic development activities.
Hickey was questioned on Aug. 13 about the number of businesses that relocated to Vanderburgh County in the last year. He responded, “None.”
This is his complete statement in the letter about that answer: He wrote “The question regarding new businesses was misunderstood, leading to the response that no new large-scale industrial businesses have relocated to the county in the past 12 months. This lack of activity is mainly due to a shortage of available sites over 50 acres with utility services available or nearby. For example, while the University Parkway Corridor has water, wastewater, broadband, and power utilities, the lack of appropriately scaled, relatively level sites near the Parkway but not abutting residential parcels has limited demand by the industrial development community.
“That said, the County and regional economy continues to grow. In 2023, Vanderburgh County saw a continued rise in Employer Identification Number (EIN) applications meaning a growth in new businesses domiciled within the County. According to the Business Formation Statistics via Census.gov, the county registered 2,090 EINs, marking a 9.7% increase from 2022. This marked continued growth as there has been an 85.8% rise from 2019 to 2023, indicative of a growing and healthy business environment, which E-REP and its predecessor organizations have worked for decades to enhance. In terms of job growth
(70% of new jobs are in ongoing entities), our efforts at creating a strong regional economic environment are showing dividends: during E-REP’s 2023-24 Business Retention & Expansion visits, 32 out of 35 surveyed companies in the county reported growth, two remained stable, and only one is experiencing decline. There are currently numerous expansion projects occurring in unincorporated parts of the County. Despite the lack of site inventory, E-REP proactively engages with site selectors by responding to RFPs with appropriate Vanderburgh County sites whenever possible. Additionally, we connect with site selectors and brokers – providing information and marketing material to keep our region top-of-mind when looking for sites. Lastly, E-REP is working on-site development through the I-69 Corridor Study and having advanced conversations on funding opportunities with federal partners to enhance the appeal of available inventory to potential new businesses.”
EREP letter to Vanderburgh County
Vanderburgh letter to EREP
USI rallies to beat EIU for first time in program history
EVANSVILLE, Ind.- University of Southern Indiana Volleyball (7-9, 2-2 OVC) flips the script from Tuesday, winning a riveting five-set match against Eastern Illinois University (4-9, 0-3 OVC) on Thursday night (25-22,19-25, 23-25, 25-16,15-12). The win marks the Screaming Eagles first victory over the Panthers in program history.
Set 1: USI 25, EIU 21
Graduate senior Jasmine Green helped the Eagles gain an early 6-3 lead with two powerful kills. The Panthers erupted on a nine-point run forcing the Eagles to call a timeout to regroup falling behind 15-11. Following the timeout, USI mounted their own 11-6 run as sophomore Ashby Willis tallied her fifth kill along with a huge block assist with senior Paris Downing forcing the Panthers to call a timeout with a one-point lead. Sophomore Leah Coleman smashed a kill past the Panther defense to clinch set one. The Eagles finished set one on a 14-7 run. Freshman Kerigan Fehr had an exceptional first set with five digs limiting the Panthers to a .048 hitting percentage.
Set 2: USI 19, EIU 25
Junior Keira Moore placed her team leading 16th service ace of the season perfectly between the Panther defense for a 4-2 lead. Coleman elevated for four kills to keep the Eagles within one at 12-13. However, EIU surged on a late 12-7 run evening the match at one. Eight USI attacking errors stuck out on the stat sheet along with an efficient .250 hitting percentage from the Panthers.
Set 3: USI 23, EIU 25
EIU jumped out to an early 6-2 lead, but Fehr continued her special night with a service ace to draw within one point. Both teams traded points as senior Abby Weber evened the match at ten with a kill from the back row. EIU used a 12-6 run to gain a 22-16 lead late. Senior Carly Sobieralski caught the defense off guard with a kill and Willis finished two consecutive kills from the left side to inch within two points of the Panthers at 22-24. After four straight Eagles points, EIU finished the set with a kill. Willis continued to be the relied upon offensively as an outside target with 13 kills as senior Bianca Anderson contributed nine kills on a .474 attacking percentage up the middle.
Set 4: USI 25, EIU 16
USI led early as Green used a unique second contact kick save and kill on the same rally. Sobieralski dished out her 43nd assist to Willis making it 11-7 Eagles. Coleman added two consecutive kills from Sobieralski to gain the six-point lead. The USI defense dominated set four as EIU struggled with a .026 hitting percentage. Four different Eagles finished set four with double digit digs and the Eagles also out blocked the Panthers.
Set 5: USI 15, EIU 13
The Eagles were tested early in set five falling behind 4-1. However, Fehr tallied her career high third service ace in the clutch to even the match at four. The Eagles leaned on Willis for two huge kills to give the Eagles a 12-9 lead. Another sophomore standout, Coleman closed the door with two emphatic kills to clinch the match.
After the demoralizing five-set loss to University of Tennessee at Martin on Tuesday, USI desperately needed this victory to stay near the top of the Ohio Valley Conference standings. The Eagles are now 2-2 in five set matches.
Willis had a monster night leading the Eagles offensively tying a career high of 19 kills. Sobieralski earned her third 50+ assist game in the last six matches with 54. Sobieralski is averaging an insane 48 assists per game in the past seven matches. Moore (22), Sobieralski (16), Weber (14), Willis (12) and Fehr (10) all totaled double digit digs. Downing swatted a team leading six blocks, while Fehr finished with three service aces.
As a team, USI finished with 62 kills, 61 assists, 82 digs, eight aces, ten blocks, and a .200 attacking percentage. The Panthers earned 55 kills, 51 assists, 73 digs, nine aces, six blocks, and a .140 hitting percentage.
Next up for the Eagles
USI is back in Charleston tomorrow looking to sweep the Panthers at 4 p.m.