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.
USI tees off fall season next week
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Women’s Golf tees the 2025-26 campaign and the fall portion of the season at the MSU Payne Stewart Memorial in Springfield, Missouri, Monday and Tuesday. The Payne Stewart Memorial is hosted by Missouri State University at the Twin Oaks Country Club in Springfield.
USI starts the season with five players (Junior Alexis Wymer and sophomores Jade Blakeley, Brianna Kirsch, Camryn Luthy, and Fernanda Vera) from last season and three new players (graduate student Valeria Lopez de Haro Juste, junior Tora Timinsky, and freshman McKenna Lowe). Kirsch led the Eagles last season with an 80.8 strokes per round average (spra) in 23 rounds and was followed by Vera, who posted an 81.3 spra in 23 rounds.
The Screaming Eagles, as a team, averaged 327 spra in the nine tournaments of 2024-25. USI’s best finish a year ago was sixth at the Alabama State Spring Classic.
The Payne Stewart Memorial is a 54-hole tournament with 36-holes on Monday and a final round of 18 on Tuesday. USI was 12th a year ago with a three-round 967 (319-322-326) and was led by Kirsch, who tied for 26th with a 230 (76-77-77).
Following next week’s tournament, USI continues its six-tournament fall schedule by playing in The Velvet, hosted by Murray State University. The Velvet will be played at the Country Club of Paducah September 15-16 in Paducah, Kentucky.
Volleyball opens weekend with two victories
UE defeats Florida A&M and Queens
ATLANTA – Friday’s opening day of the GSU Invitational was a successful one for the University of Evansville volleyball team who defeated Florida A&M to open the tournament before completing the day with a 3-1 triumph over Queens.
“Today wasn’t always our cleanest day, but we’ll always be happy with two wins! I’m so proud of how we persevered and adapted throughout the day; both FAMU and Queens put systematic pressure that we haven’t seen yet in this young season, and while it took us a minute to adapt, everyone rose to the challenge,” UE head volleyball coach Zach Weinberg said. “Our grit and defensive effort continues to impress me. It’s a great day to be an Ace!”
MATCH 1 – UE 3, Florida A&M 2
Josdarilee Caraballo and Chloe Cline led UE with 11 kills apiece as UE opened the day with a victory. Kora Ruff and Lexi Owen wrapped up the match with 24 and 23 assists, respectively. Ainoah Cruz led all players with 28 digs while Caraballo registered 19.
Set 1 – UE 25, FAMU 21
Florida A&M jumped out to a 5-1 lead to open the match. Hinsley Everett got UE back on track with an ace before Ryan Scheu picked up back-to-back kills to tie the set at 7-7. A bad set by the Rattlers gave Evansville its first lead at 9-8. The teams swapped the lead on multiple occasions but it was the Aces who were able pull away in the late stages. Up 19-18, Evansville outscored FAMU by a 6-2 score to close out a 25-21 win. Ainoah Cruz picked up an ace during the late rally.
Set 2 – FAMU 25, UE 20
Another big start saw the Rattlers jump out to a 10-5 advantage but unlike the first set, FAMU held the lead for the duration of the frame. UE cut the deficit to three at 10-7, but Florida A&M countered to go up 17-10 before tying the match with a 25-20 victory.
Set 3 – FAMU 25, UE 23
Once again, it was Florida A&M taking control in the early moments as they went up 11-6. Lexi Owen and Sabrina ripple assisted on a block that cut the deficit to 11-8, however, the Rattlers pushed the lead to seven points at 16-9. Evansville never gave up as they chipped away at the FAMU advantage. McKenzie Laubach picked up a kill that made it a 21-18 game before UE got within one at 23-22 on a bad set by FAMU. The Rattlers overcame the late rally by UE to take a 2-1 match lead.
Set 4 – UE 25, FAMU 23
Consecutive aces by Caraballo set the Aces up with an early 3-1 lead before the Rattlers utilized an 8-3 stretch to go up 9-6. Both squads assumed the lead during the middle portion of the set, but it was a late run by the Aces that sent the game to a fifth set. Trailing 21-20, Laubach and Brooke Herdes picked up kills to open a 4-0 run. After two quick points by FAMU, Cline and Laubach combined on a block to seal a 25-23 win.
Set 5 – UE 15, FAMU 13
After opening the set with a 3-1 lead, the Aces sealed the match with a 15-13 decision in the fifth set. While UE allowed the Rattlers to tie the set on a few occasions, FAMU never took the lead. Following the quick start by Evansville, Florida A&M tied it up at 4-4 before Laubach put her squad back in front. Caraballo added a pair of kills that gave UE a 10-7 edge, but once again the Rattlers battled back to tie the score at 11-11. Another kill by Laubach gave UE the
lead for good as the Aces won by a 15-13 final.
MATCH 2 – UE 3, Queens 1
McKenzie Laubach registered a match-high 24 kills while hitting an efficient .409 to lift the Aces to a 3-1 win over Queens. Chloe Cline had 10 kills and Hinsley Everett added nine. Kora Ruff had 35 assists and 14 digs with Ainoah Cruz tying for the top dig tally in the match with 20. Sabrina Ripple notched five block assists.
Set 1 – Queens 25, UE 18
Queens opened the match on a 4-1 stretch to grab the early momentum before the Aces responded to tie the game at 5-5 when Kora Ruff picked up a kill. Later, it was Chloe Cline giving UE its first lead at 9-8 while McKenzie Laubach solidified a 14-11 advantage. The Royals scored three in a row to tie the score and the teams battled to a 17-17 tie. Queens took control, posting four in a row while completing the set on an 8-1 run to take the match lead.
Set 2 – UE 25, Queens 21
After the Royals scored the first two points, Evansville took a 3-2 lead on a Laubach kill and would hold the advantage for the duration of the frame. Sabrina Ripple added a kill to extend the lead to 10-7 while an error by Queens gave the Aces their largest lead at 18-12. Looking for a late rally, the Royals cut the UE lead to just two at 19-17. Another Ripple kill pushed the edge back to three and the Aces would knot the match with a 25-21 win.
Set 3 – UE 25, Queens 21
Game three was a battle from start to finish. Five early ties led to a 5-5 score before a kill from Hinsley Everett put UE in front at 7-5. After a Laubach kill made it a 10-7 game, Queens rallied to tie the score at 13-13 before jumping in front at 20-19. A pivotal stretch followed for UE as they scored the next four points to retake control while Laubach capped off the set with a kill and a 25-21 victory.
Set 4 – UE 25, Queens 20
Looking to send the match to a fifth set, Queens gained the early lead in the fourth set, opening on a 7-2 run. The lead for the Royals reached as many as seven points at 13-6 before UE changed course with a huge rally. An 8-1 stretch by the Aces tied the score at 14-14 with Cline notching three kills to bring her team back into the game.
After Queens retook a 15-14 lead, the Aces continued to roll. Three in a row by Evansville was the start of an 11-5 run that ended the match and sealed a 3-1 victory. The Aces look to complete a perfect weekend on Saturday against Georgia State at 1 p.m. CST.
Aces Take Men’s and Women’s Titles at Panther Prowl
OWENSBORO, Ky. – The University of Evansville men’s and women’s cross country teams took dominant victories on Friday night, sweeping the women’s 5K and men’s 6K events at the Panther Prowl.
Evansville’s women’s team took the title with the top four individual finishers and seven of the top 10. Chase Hayes (Noblesville, Ind./Western) cruised to the individual title, finishing at 18:03.9. Avery Stephens (Newburgh, Ind./Castle) finished second at 18:49.9, followed by freshmen Kyleigh Wolf (Columbus, Ind./Columbus North) with a time of 19:04.5 and Josie Lynch (Brazil, Ind./Northview) at 19.26.9. Kyndall Anthis (Patoka, Ind./Princeton Community), Lauren Bradley (Russiaville, Ind./Western) and Veronica Wilgocki (Chesteron, Ind./Chesterton) secured top ten finishes as well with times of 19:55.1, 20:05.6, and 20:25.7 respectively.
On the men’s side, freshman James Cruse (Melbourne, Australia) finished second overall and was the Aces’ top finisher with a time of 18:48.3. Nathan Whitehead (Vincennes, Ind./South Knox) also placed in the top five, finishing fourth at 19:14.7. Tanner Spence (Carmi, Ill./Carmi) and Nathan Campbell (Bloomington, Ind./Bloomington North) also placed inside the top ten with times of 19:26.5 and 19:37.7, respectively. Evansville took the team title with a score of 26, a margin of victory of 47 ahead of the second place squad.
The Aces cross country teams will be back in action on September 20 for the John McNichols Invitational in Terre Haute, Ind., hosted by Indiana State.
| Panther Prowl Cross Country Classic (September 5) | |||||
| Women’s 5K | Men’s 6K | ||||
| 1 | Chase Hayes | 18.03.9 | 2 | James Cruse | 18:48.3 |
| 2 | Avery Stephens | 18:49.9 | 4 | Nathan Whitehead | 19:14.7 |
| 3 | Kyleigh Wolf | 19:04.5 | 7 | Tanner Spence | 19:26.5 |
| 4 | Josie Lynch | 19:26.9 | 9 | Nathan Campbell | 19:37.7 |
| 7 | Kyndall Anthis | 19:55.1 | 12 | Nicholas Hirsch | 20:12.7 |
| 8 | Lauren Bradley | 20:05.6 | 14 | Aiden Nord | 20:28.4 |
| 10 | Veronica Wilgocki | 20:25.7 | 16 | Thomas Wamser | 20:32.2 |
| 13 | Sidney Charles | 21:09.3 | 19 | Jake Antibus | 20:36.9 |
| 16 | Rebekah Sachs | 21:19.6 | 26 | Hayden Wannemuehler | 20:46.9 |
| 29 | Ella Sinn | 22:31.3 | |||
USI Board of Trustees approve rates for 2026-27 housing and meal plans
At its regular meeting on Thursday, September 4, the University of Southern Indiana Board of Trustees approved housing and meal plan rates for the 2026-27 academic year.
Housing and meal plan options were evaluated with student preferences and national trends in mind, and the approved rates balance affordability with flexibility to meet the varied needs of students.
The Board also heard an update on current campus construction projects.
Women’s golf opens 2025-26 season
Aces set for Redbird Invitational
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – This weekend, the University of Evansville women’s golf team opens the 2025-26 campaign with a trip to Normal, Ill. for the Redbird Invitational.
Play opens on Sunday with 36 holes before Monday features the final 18. Weibring Golf Club will be the host for the event with par set for 72 and the yardage measuring 6,093.
A field of 16 squads will be on hand including Bowling Green, Butler, Dayton, Drake, Eastern Kentucky, Evansville, Illinois State, Illinois Wesleyan, Indiana State, IU Indianapolis, Loyola Chicago, Northern Illinois, Northern Iowa, South Dakota, South Dakota State, and Valparaiso.
Three of the Purple Aces top four golfers from last season return led by Kate Petrova. The 2-time Missouri Valley Conference Champion led UE with a season stroke average of 75.29. She earned two victories in the spring including the ASU Spring Classic and Golfweek/Stifel Challenge.
Louise Standtke completed the year with an average of 76.41. In her freshman campaign, Standtke had a stretch of four top five finishes in five events. She capped that off with a win at the ISU Spring Invitational. Elizabeth Mercer is also coming off a strong year. Posting an average of 78.56, Mercer recorded four top-20 finishes in five spring events.
Governor Braun Announces Early Completion of Executive Order 25-45: Report Confirms READI Regions As Indiana’s Economic Planning Framework
INDIANAPOLIS – Governor Mike Braun today announced the release of a new independent study from the Indiana Business Research Center (IBRC) at the IU Kelley School of Business that validates the state’s 15 READI regions as Indiana’s official economic and workforce planning framework.
The analysis, The Case for READI Regions as Official Economic Planning Regions, was commissioned under Executive Order 25-45, which directed the Secretary of Commerce to recommend by year-end 2025 a unified set of regional boundaries. Today’s report delivers on that order ahead of schedule.
Governor Braun said the findings affirm the strength of Indiana’s regional approach:
“This report proves what we’ve seen on the ground: Indiana’s regions are strong, well-defined, and ready to lead. The 15 READI regions were built by local leaders, tested through real collaboration, and now validated by independent research. By aligning the state around this framework, we remove confusion, cut costs, and give Hoosiers one clear plan forward.”
The IBRC study compared READI regions with state-defined Economic Growth Regions and federally defined Metropolitan Statistical Areas. It found that:
- READI regions emerged voluntarily from local governments in 2021 with READI 1.0 and align with real labor markets.
- They demonstrate nearly the same commuting “tightness” (a measure of economic cohesion) as state-drawn regions, at lower implementation cost.
- They have already proven their effectiveness through READI and READI 2.0, where regional strategic plans leveraged billions in investment.
Dr. Phil Powell, Executive Director of the IBRC and co-author of the report, noted the significance of the findings:
“Our analysis shows that READI regions provide a socially efficient and empirically sound foundation for Indiana’s regional policy. They capture economic activity nearly as effectively as state-drawn regions, but with the added advantage of trust and collaboration already built among local leaders. That gives Indiana a durable framework to deliver economic and workforce development.” – Dr. Phil Powell, Executive Director, Indiana Business Research Center
Secretary of Commerce David Adams said the adoption of the READI framework will ensure clarity and accountability moving forward:
“This report confirms that Indiana’s regional approach is working. With READI regions now validated as the economic planning framework, we can focus on strategy—empowering regions grow population, wages, and opportunity with one clear map.”
Attorney General Todd Rokita leads 22-state effort to support Trump administration’s elimination of DEI from federal contracting
Attorney General Todd Rokita is leading a 22-state effort in support of the U.S. Department of Labor’s proposed rule to rescind long-standing regulations that require discriminatory affirmative action plans for federal contractors.
In a letter sent this week, Attorney General Rokita argues that DOL’s current affirmative action requirements are clearly unconstitutional under the Fifth Amendment’s equal protection guarantee and in light of the United States Supreme Court’s decision inStudents for Fair Admissions v. Harvard.
“The federal government has no right to mandate affirmative action plans that prioritize ideology over merit,” said Attorney General Rokita. “These regulations promote unlawful discrimination, undermine true equal opportunity, and needlessly burden employers. Federal contractors should hire based on skill and experience, not political agendas.”
DOL’s proposed rule advances the objectives of President Trump’s executive order — titled “Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity” — in which he ordered the federal government to end discriminatory DEI practices, like affirmative action programs and arbitrary workforce balancing based on race and sex for federal contractors.
In addition to noting that these DEI practices being harmful to society and bad policy, the comment letter argues that the executive branch did not have the statutory authority under federal law to mandate affirmative action requirements on federal contractors in the first place.
“The Department of Labor’s move to eliminate these burdensome affirmative action mandates is a step toward fairness,” Attorney General Rokita added. “Thanks to President Trump’s leadership, we’re once again restoring common sense and ensuring federal contractors can focus on merit-based hiring, free from discriminatory practices based on race or sex.”
This effort builds on Indiana’s leadership. Last month, Attorney General Rokita, in coordination with Governor Mike Braun, announced that all state contracts now must include revised language that makes clear that contractors must not pursue DEI initiatives that treat people differently on the basis of race or sex.
Read the letter here.
Soil sampling program available for Hoosier farmers
| INDIANAPOLIS (Sept. 2, 2025) – The Indiana State Department of Agriculture (ISDA) and partners throughout the state have worked with the Gulf Hypoxia Program (GHP) to develop a no-cost program with a focus on increasing the knowledge and use of soil sampling as a nutrient management practice to benefit farm operations. The program, titled Indiana’s Mississippi River Basin Soil Sampling Program, is open now for applicants.
“This program is helpful and valuable for our Hoosier farmers,” Lieutenant Governor Beckwith, Indiana’s Secretary of Agriculture said. “By offering no-cost access to soil sampling, this initiative supports farmers with the tools and knowledge to make smarter nutrient management decisions. I encourage our farmers to apply!” ISDA promotes the importance of nutrient management and the principles of the 4R Nutrient Stewardship framework. The 4R framework incorporates using the “Right Source, Right Rate, Right Time, and Right Place” to achieve cropping system goals. This program focuses on soil sampling and testing as it is a key component, and first step, of developing a plan for nutrient management. Soil sampling provides an assessment of the soil’s fertility which can be used for making fertilizer application recommendations, assessing available nutrients over time, increase farmer profitability and enhance environmental protection by reducing the risk of nutrient loss. This project was developed to help further Indiana’s State Nutrient Reduction Strategy efforts. “A no-cost program for farmers to utilize for soil testing is a great tool in this farm economy,” said Don Lamb, director of the Indiana State Department of Agriculture. “Healthy soils are vital for crop health, animal health and conservation. I am very proud of our department for managing this crucial on farm program and we encourage both row crop farmers and pasture owners to apply!” This program includes row crop fields, pastures, hay and specialty crops located within Indiana’s portion of the Mississippi River Basin. Eligible landowners will be prioritized by acreage enrolled (i.e., 100 acres or less), fields that have never been soil sampled and fields that haven’t been sampled regularly (i.e., within the last four years). Further prioritization may be implemented based on ISDA’s workload capacity. This program excludes hobby gardens and private lawns. Interested landowners can sign-up online at ISDA’s website or by reaching out to Nutrient Stewardship Program Manager, Ophelia Norman at soilsampling@isda.in.gov. Sign-ups begin Tuesday, September 2, 2025, and ISDA is accepting registrations until Friday, October 17, 2025, or until funds are exhausted. This program was made possible thanks to ISDA, Indiana Soybean Alliance, Indiana Corn Marketing Council, Indiana Agriculture Nutrient Alliance (IANA), Indiana Conservation Partnership (ICP) members, farmers, and crop advisors. ###
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