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Governor Braun Positions Indiana as a Leader on Rare Earth Elements, Manage Water Resources Responsibly

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mike braun
mike Braun

Ahead of Earth Day, Governor Mike Braun signed executive orders to position Indiana as a national leader in rare earth element recovery and launch a statewide plan for responsible and transparent water resource management.

Executive Order 25-62: Supporting Environmental Health and Economic Leadership Through Recovery of Rare Earth Metals and Critical Materials from Indiana Coal Sites

“American advanced manufacturing can’t be dependent on China for rare earth elements. Indiana is stepping up with our new Rare Earth Recovery Council to leverage our coal sites to build an American domestic supply chain for these critical materials that power the modern economy.” – Governor Mike Braun

Rare earth elements and critical minerals are the foundation of modern technology. China dominates production of these rare earth minerals. The US is fully dependent on foreign imports for 12 of the 50 minerals classified as critical.

It’s possible to recover rare earth elements and critical minerals from coal and coal byproducts. Indiana, as a national leader in coal production and in restoring abandoned mine lands, is in a great position to lead exploration for an American domestic supply of rare earth minerals and critical materials.

Indiana has vast, underutilized reserves of legacy coal byproducts which could serve as a valuable domestic source for producing critical materials.

With this executive order, Indiana will create the Indiana Rare Earth Recovery Council to spearhead efforts to reclaim rare earth elements and critical materials from legacy coal byproducts.

The Council will work with industry partners and educational institutions to deploy innovative technologies, evaluate opportunities for localized refining, and build a new supply chain.

Indiana will not only lead in cleaning up abandoned mine lands but will also position itself as a strategic source of rare earth elements, making American advanced manufacturing less dependent on the Chinese Communist Party.

Executive Order 25-63: Ensuring Future Economic Prosperity and Opportunity for Hoosiers by the Development of a Statewide Water Inventory and Management Plan

“Proper water management is essential to growing our economy without compromising on Hoosiers’ resource needs in their communities. This new thorough inventory and water planning framework will ensure Indiana is ready to support new jobs and growing communities, with full transparency for the public built into the new system.” — Governor Braun

Indiana is blessed with an abundant water supply, but it’s not spread evenly across the state. We need a tailored approach to water resource planning and management to make sure we can meet water demands for future economic development.

Under this executive order, the Secretary of Energy and Natural Resources will lead the first statewide inventory of Indiana’s water resources. This thorough inventory will assess current usage, availability, and future demand, paying close attention to regional disparities.

A statewide water planning framework will be developed to align utilities, industries, municipalities, and other users to ensure transparent regional cooperation.

This process will also include recommendations to enhance Indiana’s water monitoring networks.

The Secretary will create a centralized, publicly accessible online platform to consolidate and share real-time data on water resources, like water availability, usage trends, and infrastructure status for maximum transparency.

AJ Casey joins UE men’s basketball program

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Casey spent last season at Saint Louise

 EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Evansville head men’s basketball coach David Ragland has announced the addition of AJ Casey to the Purple Aces squad for the 2025-26 campaign.

Casey brings a wealth of experience to the UE program after spending his first two seasons at the University of Miami before joining Saint Louis last season.  He was part of the Hurricanes team that advanced to the Final Four in 2023.

“We welcome AJ and his family to our Evansville family with extreme enthusiasm.  AJ is a versatile wing/forward that has yet to display his full potential at the collegiate level,” Ragland exclaimed.  “He is skilled with the ability to dribble, pass and shoot.  Along with strength and athleticism to finish plays above the rim.”

Last season, Casey was limited to three games with the Billikens due to injury.  His top performance came against Avila where he went 2-for-2 from the field while adding a pair of blocks.  In two seasons at Miami, Casey appeared in 53 games.  As a freshman in the 2022-23 campaign, Casey led all freshmen on the squad with floor time in 29 games.

He appeared in the NCAA Tournament wins over Indiana and Texas while also seeing the floor in the Final Four contest against UConn.  His sophomore year at Miami saw him play in 24 games while averaging 1.9 points and 2.0 rebounds per game.

A consensus four-star recruit out of Whitney M. Young Magnet High School in Chicago, Casey was ranked as the No. 60 recruit in ESPN’s Top 100 rankings in 2022.  He was nominated to play in the McDonald’s All-American Game following a senior season that saw him finish with 19.0 points, 10.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 3.0 steals, and 3.0 blocks per game.

Casey led his high school team to a city title along with a berth in the state finals as a senior.

“I chose UE because it offers the opportunity for me to grow personally and professionally,” Casey said.  “It is ap lace where I can challenge myself and build lasting connections that will shape my future.”

Men’s golf completes opening two rounds of MVC Championship

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Final 18 holes set for Tuesday

 WEST DES MOINES, Iowa – With two rounds complete at the 2025 Missouri Valley Conference Men’s Golf Championship, Masatoyo Kato leads the University of Evansville men’s golf team at Des Moines Golf and Country Club.

Kato is in tie for 19th place at 3-over-par.  He opened the day with an even score of 72 before carding a 3-over 75 in the second 18 holes on Monday.  Kato completed the day with a 147.

Five behind Kato is the trio of Jamison Ousley, Andres Rodriguez, and Daniil Romashkin.  All three registered 2-round tallies of 152.  Ousley checked in with rounds of 73 and 79 while Rodriguez notched a 74 and 78.  Romashkin posted rounds of 77 and 75.  Each are 8-over and tied for 31st heading into the final day.

Omar Khalid is fifth on the team and tied for 44th with a score of 156.  He shot a 76 to open play before finishing the second 18 with an 80.

Evansville is in 9th place with a total of 602.  The Purple Aces are six shots behind Bradley for 8th place.  Murray State holds the team lead with a 570 while Illinois State is close behind with a 571.  Trey Wall of the Racers leads the individuals with a 137.  He is one ahead of Belmont’s Foster Wood.

Tuesday will mark the third and final round of the championship.

Can lawmakers cut $2B from the state budget before the session must end?

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Dollars background
  • By Kate Breeden, TheStatehouseFile.com

  • The state’s revenue forecast revealed last week that Indiana’s projected revenue for the next budget cycle fell by a staggering $2.4 billion. 

    The Indiana General Assembly will have to determine where they plan to make these $2.4 billion in cuts and finalize the budget with less than one week until the April 29 deadline.

    The General Assembly is one of 46 state legislatures that meets annually and one of the 16 states that uses a biennial budget,  according to Dr. Elizabeth A. Bennion, the chancellor’s professor of political science and director of community engagement at Indiana University South Bend.

    She explained to TheStatehouseFile.com that Indiana operates on a biennial budget, which means it covers a two-year period.

    “Studies do not consistently document clear advantages of either an annual or biennial state budget. A good system of executive and legislative fiscal and program planning can work under either an annual or biennial budget,” Dr. Bennion said. “The success of a budget cycle seems to depend on the commitment of state officials to good implementation rather than on the length of the budget cycle.”

    If a solution to the multi-billion dollar budget deficit cannot be reached within the next week, a special session may be called that will require lawmakers to m

    over the summer.

    In 2009, the Indiana General Assembly called a special session due to a $763 million deficit resulting from the Great Recession. Sen. Jim Buck, R-Kokomo was a legislator during this session but declined to comment on the current state of the legislature. 

    Rep. Gregory Porter, D-Indianapolis, believes that the budget will be finished by Friday but that “there are a lot of hours out there. 

    “People knew the 2009 recession was coming back thanks to Trump’s tariffs, but this is a reality shock,” Porter said. “Federal actions could completely change our trajectory. We’re one of the most intense manufacturing states in the nation, so we could get hit hard. When the U.S. gets a cold, Indiana gets pneumonia.”

    Indiana is ranked eighth in the nation in manufacturing, bringing in approximately $104 billion to the state and employing over 500,000 Hoosiers. 

    In a press release,Rep. Jeffrey Thompson, R-Lizton, stated that, “Our latest revenue forecast shows economic growth, but at a slower pace than was expected last December.

    “Indiana is in a strong position to overcome budget challenges because of our commitment to living within our means and maintaining prudent reserves,” Thompson said. “I will continue to work with my fellow lawmakers and the governor on how we can look at ways to run state government more efficiently while ensuring Hoosiers continue to receive the services they need.”

    Bennion believes that potential cuts will include “non-essential government services, public safety, health care, and social services.”

    “Stricter requirements to obtain government services, including Medicaid, is another approach the legislature is taking to cost cutting,” she said. “There is strong advocacy to protect funding for K-12 education, but any increases are unlikely to keep pace with the inflation rate, and higher education institutions are likely to see a flat budget and to see their capital expense budgets zeroed out for the next biennium.”

    Rep. Philip GiaQuinta, D-Fort Wayne, claims that irresponsible spending over the last few years is what led to the deficit. 

  • “I don’t really see this as any sort of new news,” House minority leader GiaQuinta said. “I think a lot of us saw this coming months ago with the tariff issue, really with what President Trump was saying.

    “Why don’t we get back to basics around here of funding public education?” he said. “Ninety-five-percent-plus of our students get a public education. Instead, we have almost a billion dollars now going to fund private schools.”

    K-12 education is the largest expenditure in the state, taking up 47% of the budget. 

    GiaQuinta explained that he is “very concerned” about the shortfall in the budget and its potential to cause Hoosiers to lose services they are currently relying on.

    “It’s unfortunate because I do think these types of things do need a really good study and vetting through committees, and now we’re at a week to go and it’s going to be difficult to get some of these things done,” he said.

    The General Assembly is required to complete work no later than April 29, but many believe the session will end on Thursday. 

    The budget will go into effect on July 1, 2025.

Closing ‘Delta’ legal loopholes: Attorney General Todd Rokita provides clarity to legislators over unregulated THC bill

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Women’s Golf concludes season with seventh place finish at OVC Championshi

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MUSCLE SHOALS, Ala. – University of Southern Indiana Women’s Golf concluded the 2024-25 season with a seventh place finish among nine teams at the 54-hole Ohio Valley Conference Championship in Muscle Shoals, Alabama.
 
The young Screaming Eagles squad improved their placement from the 2024 squad who finished in eighth. USI finished with a team score of 1,008 (330, 336, 342), ahead of Easten Illinois University and Tennessee State University.
 
The trio of freshman Zhana Navato (249), freshman Brianna Kirsch (250) and senior Baileigh Schneider (251), led the Eagles with similar tournaments finishing 25th, 26th, and 27th.
 
Morehead State University were crowned OVC champions with an impressive score of 900 (291, 297, 312). The following eight schools were University of Arkansas at Little Rock, Tennessee Tech University, Lindenwood University, Western Illinois University, Bryant University, USI, Eastern Illinois, and Tennessee State.
 
Round 1
The Eagles shot their best score in round one with a 330. Sophomore Alexis Wymer and Schneider were the lone Eagles who had competed in the high stakes event before. Schneider delivered a veteran performance in round one, scoring her lowest 18 of the spring with a 79 (+7). The score also marked her best round in her three years of competing at the OVC Championships.
 
Newly awarded All-OVC Newcomer, Kirsch, turned in a strong start to her championships career with an 82. Navato followed behind with an 83, while freshman Fernanda Vera rounded out the scoring with an 86. USI finished day one in eighth place, right behind EIU and Bryant.
 
Round 2
The Eagles jumped into seventh place after day two with a team score of 336. However, Kirsch was the lone Eagle who improved on the second day with an 81. The freshman jumped into 25th overall with a chance to slide into the top 20.
 
Navato continued to supply USI with consistency, posting an 83. The freshman avoided disastrous holes and executed six pars and one birdie. Schneider posted an 84, while freshman Jade Blakeley subbed into the tournament and scored an 88.
 
Round 3
USI concluded the tournament in seventh place as the entire field struggled on the final day. The Eagles scored a 342, seven strokes behind Bryant in sixth place and four ahead of Eastern Illinois.
 
Navato jumped two spots into 25th with another 83, earning the best USI score of 249. Kirsch and Schneider finished directly behind Navato in the rankings. Kirsch totaled a 250 (82, 81, 87), while Schneider finished her career with a 251 (79, 84, 88).
 
Vera battled on the final day as one of the few competitors in the field with her top score in the final round at 84. The four USI freshmen competing this week gained valuable experience contributing valiant performances and will return for years to come with added confidence and motivation.
 
Schneider concludes her career at USI with her lowest total score at the championships with a 251. The senior excelled as a leader for an extremely young 2024-25 squad. The USI community congratulates Baileigh on a fantastic career.

USI Volleyball officially announces recruiting class of 2025

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EVANSVILLE, Ind.- University of Southern Indiana Volleyball announced the signing of seven new recruits to be added to the 2025 fall roster. The class consists of five freshman, one sophomore already enrolled in spring classes, and a junior from the JUCO ranks for the upcoming season.

“We’re thrilled to welcome the newest members of the USI Volleyball family,” says head coach Jeffrey Aucoin. “These outstanding student-athletes believe in the vision of our program and are ready to contribute to its bright future. This class represents a pivotal moment in our journey, joining a group that has already laid a strong foundation for success. Each new addition brings something unique to the table and will leave a lasting impact on our program. More importantly, they’ll be exceptional ambassadors for USI Volleyball, our athletic department, and our university as a whole. We can’t wait to have them on campus this August!”

McKenzie Murphy | 6’0 | Middle Blocker/Hitter | Fort Scott, Kansas
The native of Fort Scott transferred to USI after two years at Hutchinson Community College. As a freshman and sophomore, Murphy totaled 349 kills (177 in 2024, 172 in 2023) and 297 blocks. The middle blocker brings experience and a proven track record as the Eagles lost two important middles to graduation. She also earned a spot on the presidential honor roll in the summer of 2023 and the vice president’s honor roll in the fall of 2023. At Fort Scott Murphy was named to the 2022 Southeast Kansas League First Team unanimously after a SEK League Second Team placement in 2021.

Grace Bach | 6’1 | Middle Blocker/Hitter | South Elgin, Illinois
Bach joins USI after a three-year varsity career at South Elgin High School in South Elgin, Illinois. During her high school career, Bach made the Upstate 8 All-Conference squad in her senior year along with being named team MVP. She led her team in kills (114) and blocks (51) in her final year. The upstate Illinois native was named to the top 20 players to watch in the Fox Valley Area. She played with Club Fusion Volleyball and Pipeline Volleyball Club. Bach chose USI for the team aspect, campus, facilities, and coaches.

Mackenzie Nettles | 5’10 | Pin | Wheaton, Illinois
Nettles heads to Southern Indiana after a four-year varsity career at Wheaton North High School in Wheaton, Illinois. Nettles was named to the Dukane Conference All-Academic team and All-Conference Athletic Team during her playing career. Nettles was quotes saying, “I chose USI because of the culture I felt as soon as I walked on campus. I felt a sense of ease and happiness on campus and knew I would be able to succeed here as an athlete and as a student.” Nettles also played for Club Fusion Volleyball.

Ava Carpenter | 6’0 | Outside Hitter | Sycamore, Illinois
Carpenter will join USI next fall as a freshman after earning multiple high school accolades in her senior season. At Sycamore High School, Carpenter was named conference MVP in 2024, Daily Chronicle Player of the Year, and First Team All-Conference. The outside hitters dominate presence will be on full display this fall at Liberty Arena. Carpenter also played for Club Fusion.

Carly Wright | 6’0 | Outside Hitter | North Richland Hills, Texas
Wright travels the farthest among the 2025 class, joining the Eagles from North Richland Hilla High School just outside of Dallas and Fort Worth. The incoming freshman and the rest of the class looks to fill an outside hitting void following the departure of graduate senior Jasmine Green. Wright posted an impressive high school career, earning First Team All-District in 2022, 2023, and 2024. She also earned All-State in 2022, along with being named team MVP in 2023 and 2024. Wright excelled in the classroom as an Academic All-District member in 2021-25.

Audrey Small | 5’5 | Libero | O’Fallon, Missouri
Small has already joined the Eagles enrolled in spring classes after a stellar freshman season transferring in from University of North Alabama. Small will enter her sophomore season next year as a defensive specialist or libero. The O’Fallon native earned an Atlantic Sun Conference All-Freshman Team selection, racking up 506 digs (4.36 DPS). The transfer also totaled 114 assists and 20 service aces. Small posted two 30 dig performances and looks to continue denying attackers this fall.

Aysa Thomas | 5’9 | Setter | Brownsburg, Indiana
Thomas joins the Eagles as an incoming freshman from Brownsburg High School where she helped her team win four sectional championships, along with an elite eight appearance in 2022. Individually, Thomas was an IHSVCA All District selection in 2024. She also earned First Team All-Conference in 2023 and 2024. She also excels in the classroom achieving 2024 Academic All State and Brownsburg Honor Roll.  She finished high school with a monstrous 3,763 career assists and 1,276 career digs. Thomas explained “I choose USI because of the coaching staff, players, amazing facilities, and support system.”

Joint Local Emergency Proclamation

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 Joint Local Emergency Proclamation

Late rally leads Trailblazers to win over Olney Central College

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VINCENNES, Ind. – The Vincennes University baseball team opened another busy week at Jerry Blemker Field Monday afternoon by hosting the Blue Knights from Olney Central College.

The Trailblazers fell behind early but were able to get the offense going late to pull away and pick up the 9-4 victory over Olney Central.

Vincennes got off to a slow start Monday afternoon, with Olney Central breaking onto the scoreboard with a run in the first and another run in the second to take a quick 2-0 lead.

VU would get a run back in the third after a leadoff single by sophomore Brody Fessel (DePauw, Ind.), who came around to score on an RBI single by freshman Evan Doran (Indianapolis, Ind.), cutting the deficit in half at 2-1.

Olney Central would get another run on the board in the fifth to increase their lead to 3-1 before the Blazers came firing back in the sixth inning.

Vincennes opened an action packed sixth inning with a double by Evan Doran, which was immediately answered by an RBI single by sophomore Nate Montgomery (Lexington, Ind.) and an RBI double by freshman Carter Gricius (Scottsburg, Ind.) to even the score at 3-3.

VU would get their first lead of the day on an RBI single later in the inning by sophomore Yancey Edlin (Pekin, Ind.) to put the Blazers on top 4-3.

Vincennes would get another run in the seventh after a leadoff walk by Brody Fessel, who advanced on a sacrifice bunt by sophomore Bryce Gross (Bridgeport, Ill.) and continued around the bases on a pair of wild pitches to put the VU lead at 5-3.

Olney Central would answer back with a run in the eighth before the Blazers broke the game open with four big runs in the bottom of the eighth.

Vincennes opened the eighth inning with the first five batters reaching base safely.

Nate Montgomery got things started with a single, followed by an RBI double by Carter Gricius, his second of the day.

Sophomore Corbin Napier (Indianapolis, Ind.) reached on a hit by pitch, Edlin reached on a fielder’s choice and a single by freshman Jevan Andrews (Hobart, Ind.) loaded the bases for the Blazers.

Bryce Gross came up and cleared the bases with a two-RBI single, with Andrews scoring on the play on a fielding error to give the Blazers a 9-4 lead going into the ninth.

Olney Central looked to rally late in the ninth and were able to get the bases loaded with one out before Vincennes was able to get the Blue Knights to ground into a double play to end the game and give the Blazers the 9-4 victory.

Freshman Jacob Allen (Vincennes, Ind.) got the start on the mound for the Trailblazers and threw four and two-thirds solid innings, allowing three runs, two earned runs on five hits and four strikeouts.

Sophomore Colton Okes (Evansville, Ind.) was the first out of the pen for the Trailblazers, throwing three innings, allowing one run on one hit and striking out two.

Freshman Ty Stultz (Terre Haute, Ind.) came in to pick up the four-out save for the Blazers, throwing the final one and one-third innings, allowing two hits and striking out one.

“We got it done because our pitchers did a great job with Jacob Allen starting, Colton Okes and Ty Stultz coming in at the end keeping the damage minimal and holding them to a run here and there and kept us within striking distance,” VU Head Baseball Coach Chris Barney said. “They didn’t give up a big inning and the good thing that happened for us was that we were able to take advantage of their mistakes and stepped up in some key situations to put some crooked numbers on the board.”

“Nate Montgomery comes through at the plate with a big RBI,” Barney added. “Then Gricius, who has been doing it all year, has two doubles for two RBIs. Yancey Edlin got an RBI and then obviously Bryce Gross getting two RBIs in the eighth. We got production throughout the order. The middle of the lineup did a good job. Guys did a good job of getting on base. Evan Doran had an RBI and was two for four with a double and barreled up his last at bat with a line drive to center field. So the guys were swinging it well today.”

The busy week continues for the Trailblazers as Vincennes will look to pick up another mid-week win over an NJCAA Division I opponent Wednesday, April 23 when VU hosts Volunteer State Community College from Gallatin, Tenn. First pitch Wednesday is set for 2 p.m. eastern.

The Blazers will then return to Jerry Blemker Field this weekend as VU hosts Spoon River College for a Mid-West Athletic Conference (MWAC) series Saturday, April 26 and Sunday, April 27. First pitch both days is set for 12 p.m. eastern.

 

EVV Board Meeting.

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NOTICE OF EXECUTIVE SESSION

Notice is hereby given that the Evansville-Vanderburgh Airport Authority District Board’s Executive Session will be:

DATE: Monday, April 28, 2025

TIME: 3:00 pm, Local Time

PLACE:    Evansville Regional Airport                                                   7801 Bussing Drive

 Evansville, IN 47725

Purpose: To discuss personnel matters as permitted under IC 5-                                  

                    14-1.5-6.1 (b)(9).

NOTICE OF REGULAR BOARD MEETING

Notice is hereby given that the Evansville-Vanderburgh Airport Authority District Board’s Regular Board Meeting will be:

DATE:  Monday, April 28, 2025

TIME: 4:00 pm, Local Time

PLACE: Evansville Regional Airport

                                      7801 Bussing Drive

                                      Evansville, IN  47725

Rev. Adrian Brooks,  President

Evansville–Vanderburgh Airport Authority District

7801 Bussing Drive Evansville, IN 47725 • Phone: 812.421.4401 Fax: 812.421.4412 • www.flyevv.com

 

 

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