Thomas’s career-high double-double leads Trailblazers to win over No. 17 Triton

12/07/2024

VINCENNES, Ind. – VU sophomore and 2024 NJCAA All-American Lebron Thomas (Bishopville, S.C.) stepped up in a big way Saturday night, guiding the Trailblazers to a big 85-71 victory over No. 17-ranked Triton College.

Thomas got going early and helped the Blazers to victory with a career-high 39 points, 10 rebounds and six assists.

Vincennes got off to an excellent start Saturday night, opening the game with an 11-2 run over the visiting Trojans.

Triton would answer back and cut the VU lead back down to one at 19-18 before the Blazers responded with nine straight points to get the advantage back to double digits.

The two teams battled throughout the opening 20 minutes with Triton chipping away at the Vincennes lead before the break, with the Trailblazers heading into the locker room holding a 34-30 lead over Triton College.

Vincennes came out of the locker room firing early in the second half, outscoring Triton 15-7 early in the final half of play to get the lead back to 49-37.

Triton again came answering back with a 13-3 scoring run to cut the VU lead to two but again were unable to erase the Trailblazers lead as VU got the lead back to 12 at 65-53.

The Trojans continued to fight and cut the lead down to five but Vincennes responded with five straight points to get a 70-60 lead.

VU was able to hold on to this lead down the stretch as Vincennes put the game away late at the free throw line to close out a big 85-71 wire-to-wire victory over the Trojans.

“I thought tonight was another step forward for us,” VU Hall of Fame Head Coach Todd Franklin said. “We’re still not a finished product at all and we’re not going to be for a little while. We just want to keep getting better and get more competitive and I thought we did both of those tonight.”

“I think we’ve had a pretty good week,” Franklin added. “Mineral Area on Sunday, I think Mineral Area is good. It was a really good ball game that could have gone either way. I thought we played better in that game then we have. I thought it was a step up and I think they are right there in that top 20 to 25. Then after a little bit of a slow start, I thought we handled Schoolcraft the way you hoped we would moving forward. Then tonight we took on another top 20 team and I thought we took another step forward. It’s a 2-1 week record wise, but it’s still a good week. That’s just part of our team right now.”

“We’re playing good teams every night and our team isn’t all the way there yet, but we are where we are,” Franklin said. “We’re probably a top 25 to 30 team legitimately and we can play with anybody. And we will see if we can get good enough over the next month or two where we separate from everybody. We’re in that pool. Southeastern Iowa is top five in the country, we’ve been on the floor with them. We’ve felt the levels and our opponent Wednesday night has done the same.”

“Logan has played good people,” Franklin added. “They are going to be talented and they’ve gotten better. They have improved. They are much like us, they have gotten better over the last month playing in these games. They’ve lost some games and won some games. They’ve been competitive in most all of the games. That’s just the nature of this year. There’s no dominant team to start out and there are some of us that I think can be pretty good that are in a race to see how far we can get and I thought we got better tonight.”

The Trailblazers were led offensively by sophomore and 2024 NJCAA All-American Lebron Thomas who came through with 39 points, 10 rebounds and a team-high six assists, while hitting 15 of 15 shots from the free throw line.

Sophomore Michael Cooper (Minneapolis, Minn.) closed out his night with 15 points, six rebounds and three assists.

Freshman Kenaz Ochogwu (E. Providence, R.I.) was the third VU scorer in double figures, ending his night with 11 points and five rebounds.

Freshman Dayton Williams (Louisville, Ky.) added eight points, three assists, three rebounds and a pair of steals and freshman Jalen Calloway (Chicago, Ill.) finished seven points, three rebounds and three assists off the bench.

“We keep telling Kenaz that the difference between him and Lony Francis, they are a little different players but they are in the same type of role,” Franklin said. “In their freshman year, Lony ended up being an All-American because we had a really good team and he got to be a guy that could score inside. Really the only difference is that Lony listened to what we said, mastered those simple things and then he went out there like a killer. ‘You’re going to have to stop me and I don’t think you can’ kind of thing. If Kenaz has that same attitude, he can do those same types of things. You saw that in the second half where he got a little bit of that. His ceiling is every bit as high as Lony’s was. Now will he do that? We’ll see. But you can see glimpses of that in the second half tonight.”

“We gave Dayton the defensive assignment of Anderson,” Franklin added. “We thought his length could bother him and it did. He’s their man guy and main scorer and Dayton bothered him and that’s a big part of the game. Dayton might have only had eight points but that’s a big part of the ball game taking him and neutralizing him.”

“We got contributions from everybody that played I thought,” Franklin said. “It’s a night where Lebron puts up big numbers but I still thought it was a good team effort across the board. Again, we’re not going to be perfect. I’m literally teaching this team how to compete and the intensity level. We’re getting closer and I thought this week we were closer and by the end of the week we are a better team than we were even on Sunday.”

The Trailblazers will look to keep this momentum going as they get set to start Region 24 play next week when VU hosts John A. Logan College Wednesday, Dec. 11 at 7 p.m. eastern inside the Physical Education Complex.

Vincennes will then hit the road next weekend to face Lincoln Trail College Saturday, Dec. 14 in Robinson, Ill. That game will tip-off at 4 p.m. eastern.

“It’s a tough time, playing a game right in the middle of finals week,” Franklin said. “There are a lot of factors that go into this game. But it’s a big game. Both of us will be very different by March when it really counts. I think both of us are going to evolve a lot. But it’s still going to count as the first game in the District standings and it’s our time and we’ve got them at home.”

“Hopefully we can get a bunch of people out here next week and help us out with it,” Franklin added. “And hopefully we evolve one more step from tonight and we can get even better at the things that we improved on this week. As I’ve said many times, it’s about the individual players evolving into their roles and taking that on and getting better. That’s what you saw this week. We’ve kind of got it now where we’ve got a good idea of what we are supposed to do to function. We’ll keep tweaking but we’ve got an idea now, so now it should just be about going out there and playing. Now it’s really about perfecting your craft, learning how to really compete, learning how to play with that right kind of intensity for the whole two-hour period. Those are the things I thought we got better at.”

“Things like playing against a zone,” Franklin said. “We’ve had time to prepare and work on it. You see they played a zone in the second half and we were able to do some things to be able to pick it apart at times and they’ve got more weapons to use against that now. So all of those things have added up and we’ll see where we are on Wednesday. I like where we are trending but we’ve got to get hungry for it. We’ve got to say, we see where this is going and now when I see them again Monday morning in the weight room, we want more of it. If we have that, now we really are going somewhere. So we’ll know Monday when we get back to work if they want more.”

VINCENNES BOX SCORE

VINCENNES (85): Bryan Akanmu 2-6 1-3 5, Michael Cooper 3-9 9-11 15, Kenaz Ochogwu 5-6 1-2 11, Lebron Thomas 12-22 15-15 39, Dayton Williams 4-8 0-0 8, Christian Andrews 0-2 0-0 0, Jalen Calloway 2-3 2-4 7, Ali Sakho 0-0 0-0 0, Team 28-56 28-35 85.

Triton – 30 41 – 75

VU (8-3) – 34 51 – 85

Three-point goals: VU 1 (Calloway). Rebounds: VU 38 (Thomas 10). Assists: VU 17 (Thomas 6). Steals: VU 5 (Williams 2). Blocked Shots: VU 4 (Ochogwu, Thomas, Williams, Andrews). Turnovers: VU 15. Personal Fouls: VU 18. Fouled out: None. Technical Fouls: Akanmu (1st – 0:17).

MYLES ABBATE SCORES TWICE IN 4-3 LOSS TO HAVOC

12/07/2024

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MYLES ABBATE SCORES TWICE IN 4-3 LOSS TO HAVOC

Evansville, In.: It was a big bounce-back weekend for Myles Abbate, scoring once on Friday and twice on Saturday, however it wasn’t enough as the Thunderbolts fell 4-3 to the Havoc on Saturday night at Ford Center. The Thunderbolts’ next home game will be on Saturday, December 14th against the Birmingham Bulls at 7:05pm CT.

Abbate opened the scoring on a rebound 2:18 into the game, assisted by Nolan McElhaney and Benjamin Lindberg to set off the Teddy Bear Toss. Over 2,200 stuffed animals were tossed onto the Ford Center ice following Abbate’s goal, breaking the record of around 2,100 thrown onto the ice in last year’s event, with all stuffed animals going to charities around the Tri-State to bring smiles to those in need this Holiday season. The Havoc tied the game at 9:41, as Jack Jaunich scored on a net-front scramble to make it a 1-1 game going into the first intermission. The Thunderbolts got into penalty trouble late in the second period, and the Havoc converted on the final opportunity, as Buster Larsson scored to give Huntsville a 2-1 lead at 17:01.

In a back-and-forth third period, Vili Vesalainen tied the game for Evansville at 4:33, off a precision passing play from Derek Contessa and Benjamin Lindberg. The tie would not last long however, as Austin Alger deflected a shot at 6:15 to give the Havoc a 3-2 lead. At 15:59, a net-front deflection by Cole Reginato extended the lead to 4-2. In the fading minutes, Evansville made things interesting, as Abbate scored on a power play with 1:49 remaining to trim the Havoc lead to 4-3. Unfortunately, excellent scoring chances in the final minute were kept out of the net, with the Thunderbolts coming up short 4-3.

Abbate finished with two goals, and Vesalainen finished with one goal. In goal, Cole Ceci finished with 29 saves on 33 shots. The Thunderbolts and Havoc meet once again on Tuesday, December 31st at Ford Center.

Individual game tickets, group packages, and season tickets are on sale for the 2024-25 season. Call 812-422-BOLT or visit our all-new website (www.evansvillethunderbolts.com) for details.

About Evansville Thunderbolts: The Evansville Thunderbolts is the area’s only professional hockey team. The Thunderbolts are a proud member of the SPHL. The team is owned and operated by VW Sports, L.L.C, a subsidiary of VenuWorks, Inc. www.evansvillethunderbolts.com

Vanderburgh County Recent Booking Records

12/07/2024

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Booked Last 24 Hours-Public

BREAKING NEWS: Fire at Berry Plastics

12/07/2024

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A fire was reported at Berry Global’s facility near Highway 57 and Kansas Road on Friday afternoon at around 4:30. Fire officials say the three-alarm blaze was out an hour later.

Thick black smoke filled the skies as firefighters from five departments fought the blaze.

Even though the facility employs about 250 people, no injuries were associated with the fire.

Berry officials say they plan to return to normal operations as soon as possible.

911 Gives Hope For the Holidays Toy Drive This Weekend

12/07/2024

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The 911 Gives Hope for the Holidays toy drive is taking place this weekend in the parking lot of the east side Walmart. All weekend local first responders and the radio personalities from Townsquare Media will be on hand to accept your toy donations.

In addition, first responders will be collecting at the Henderson Wal-Mart from 8am – 6:00pm Saturday and Nellis Lawn & Landscape will be at Evansville Wal-Mart West from 7a – 9p Saturday and 7a – 5p on Sunday.

All locations will be collecting new toys, stuffed animals and games. You can also donate gift cards or cash. The donations will be distributed to the local hospitals, Ronald McDonald Houses, Evansville Psychiatric Children’s Center and ECHO healthcare.

Event info: https://www.facebook.com/events/592600476638764

𝑨 𝑳𝒊𝒕𝒕𝒍𝒆 𝑯𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒚

911 Gives Hope for the Holidays has been making Christmas brighter for children who are spending the holidays in local hospitals since 2009. Throughout the years, the kind and generous spirit of Tri-State residents has filled semi-trailer trucks that are then distributed to local hospitals, bringing comfort and joy to those who need it the most.

911 Gives Hope for the Holidays Toy Drive was directly inspired by Mykenna “Mickey” Phernetton. Mickey had spent a lot of time in hospitals outside of Evansville and would always receive toys from the hospital staff while she was there. When Townsquare Media – Evansville/Owensboro approached 911 Gives Hope about doing a toy drive, it was easy to figure out who they wanted the beneficiaries to be – kids in local hospitals.

Jim Redwine Gavel Gamut 70 X 7

12/07/2024

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GAVEL GAMUT
By Jim Redwine
www.jamesmredwine.com
(Week of 09 December 2024)
70 X 7

Peter eventually made it to the rank of saint; although he may have paid a heavy price for
it. Peter was uncouth but Jesus stated he was the foundation of Jesus’ church. According to the New Testament, Jesus and Peter had many one-on-one conversations about theological matters, including forgiveness. In Matthew, Ch. 18, vs. 15-21, Peter asked Jesus, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?”

Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven.”

In other words, both Donald Trump and Hunter Biden are clothed with a robe of get out
of jail free cards based on our Constitution’s Presidential Pardon Power. Oklahoma’s State
Superintendent of Public Instruction, Ryan Walters, is not correct; America was not founded on Biblical principles but on principles of the European Enlightenment. Its army was led by George Washington who owned slaves and its Constitution was drafted by fellow slave owner James Madison who was Washington’s staunchest supporter. Washington’s physical presence and Madison’s great mental prowess were two of the main building blocks of our country. The President’s Pardon Power was inserted into the Constitution, probably, because most of the founding Fathers who had a foundation in the history of the monarchies of Europe expected George Washington to become America’s first king and the Pardon Power was most likely a vestige of the European “Divine Right of Kings” to have the “Final Say” in matters calling for mercy. Instead, we might seek guidance from our Founding Fathers and such other secular authorities as Professor Joseph Campbell who taught mythology and literature at Sarah Lawrence College for many years. Unfortunately, Professor Campbell passed away in 1987, but in his 1972 book Myths to Live By at pages 188-189 Campbell wrote:

…. “The modern Western concept of a legal code is not of a list of unassailable divine edicts {such as the Code of Hammurabi or the Ten Commandments for examples} but of a rationally contrived,evolving compilation of statutes, shaped by fallible human beings
in council, to realize rationally recognized social (and therefore temporal) aims. We understand that our laws are not divinely ordained; and we know also that no laws of any people on earth ever were.”

Both Joe Biden and Donald Trump must navigate America’s Constitution where Article
II, §2, clause 1 provides, “The President shall have Power to grant Reprieves and Pardons for Offences against the United States, except in cases of Impeachment.”

Pardons are granted by democratically elected Presidents. Over the years thousands of
pardons have been granted. President Biden has pardoned his own son after repeatedly and publicly stating he would not. Donald Trump may pardon numerous January 06, 2020 defendants after repeatedly and publicly stating he would. Some people find both Presidents’ actions repugnant. If so, they may work to change the people-made Constitution or work to elect somebody else or impeach whomever the country has elected. After all, our Founding Fathers bequeathed to us a democracy based on free will.

Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Office Raises $3,000 for Charities

12/07/2024

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The Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Office presented a check donation that was funded by the Deputies and Confinement Officers who contributed to the No-Shave November campaign.

Participants voluntarily refrained from shaving to promote discussions and raise awareness about men’s health issues, such as cancer and suicide.

Through their efforts, they raised $3,000 to benefit three organizations, Cancer Pathways Midwest, Chemo Buddies and Oliver’s Heroes K9’s.

Local Students Invited to Page at the Senate

12/07/2024

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Local Students Invited to Page at the Senate

The Indiana Senate is accepting applications for the 2025 Senate Page Program.

Why it matters: Young Hoosiers are the future leaders of our state, and the Senate Page Program is a unique and exciting way for students to get a real-life civics lesson.

Through the full-day program, students in grades six through 12 have the opportunity to:

Tour Indiana’s Statehouse, including an executive branch office;
Listen to debates from the Senate floor;
Help staff with age-appropriate tasks; and
Meet their state senator.

The Senate Page Program begins in January and will run through early April. Pages are scheduled for Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays during the legislative session. Positions fill quickly, so it’s important to apply early.

For more information or to submit an application, click here.

Scholarships for Aspiring Hoosier Teachers

Indiana is accepting applications for the Next Generation Hoosier Educators Scholarship, which gives future teachers a chance to earn up to $40,000 in financial aid.

The program is open to current high school seniors and college students who plan to teach in Indiana for at least five years after graduating from college.

The scholarship requires applicants to be in the top 20% of their high school class, have a top 20% SAT or ACT score or a GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.

To learn more about this scholarship, click here.

Applications must be submitted online by Jan. 31, 2025.

Operation Holiday Helps Veterans Experiencing Financial Hardship

The MFRF Operation Holiday Program is designed to assist veterans and their families who are experiencing financial hardship.

This special program can assist with essential holiday expenses for dependent children that reside in the veteran’s home and a holiday meal for qualified veterans.

When you apply and qualify, the Operation Holiday Program can offer $200 for holiday meal plus $300 per dependent child from the Military Family Relief Fund.

To learn more or apply, click here.

Indiana SANE Training Project receives federal funding

12/07/2024

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Indiana SANE Training Project receives federal funding

The Southwest Indiana Area Health Education Center (AHEC) has received $1.49 million in federal funding to continue the Indiana SANE Training Project. The project helps more Hoosiers earn advanced nursing degrees to increase the number of forensic nurses known as a sexual assault nurse examiners (SANE).

These nurses are trained to give specialized medical care to survivors of sexual assault or abuse to ensure any potential data or specimens are categorized appropriately. They provide examinations that include a forensic medical history review of systems and full body physical assessments. They also collect specimens that may be evidence and plan patient care. Medical forensic issues can occur when medical care intersects with the legal system. Common issues are sexual assault, interpersonal violence and child abuse.

The Indiana SANE Training Project looks to provide specialized care to Hoosiers across the state, especially those in rural and underserved communities. The project has four main goals:

Increase the number of trained and certified SANEs, especially in underserved areas;

Increase the number of available SANE trainings;

Expand access to sexual assault forensic examinations; and

Foster an environment that supports SANE training, practice and retention.

As chair of the House Courts and Criminal Code Committee, I know that we have a need for more of these nurses. Since the project started, there has been a 37% increase in adult/adolescent SANE services and a 65% increase in pediatric SANE services across Indiana.

News From Indiana Housing & Community Development Authority

12/07/2024

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Point-IN-Time Count Volunteers Needed

The Point-IN-Time (PIT) Count is an annual count of sheltered and unsheltered individuals and families experiencing homelessness in a single night of the year, usually during the last 10 days of January. The 2025 PIT Count will occur on January 29th and preparations are already underway. This tremendous effort brings together homeless service providers, community partners, and volunteers across 91 of Indiana’s 92 counties in partnership with IHCDA. You can get involved, too!

To learn more about the count and how you can be part of this important endeavor, join us on December 17th at 2 p.m. Eastern Standard Time for our PIT Kickoff Webinar. Simply register HERE; after you register, you’ll receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

We hope we can count on your support!

9% Tax Credit Awards

At our November Board of Directors meeting, we announced recipients of the 2025 Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) program and Multifamily Bonds with the Indiana Affordable and Workforce Housing Tax Credit (AWHTC). These programs use federal and state tax credits and tax-exempt bond financing to incentivize private developers to fund the construction, acquisition and rehabilitation of affordable housing communities throughout Indiana.

More than $20 million in 9% LIHTC was awarded to 16 developments to create or preserve 761 affordable units that will serve individuals, families, seniors, individuals with disabilities and individuals experiencing homelessness. Please see the table below for the selected developments:

IHCDA received 37 LIHTC applications requesting 2025 9% LIHTC under the 2025 Qualified Allocation Plan (QAP) The QAP, which is unique to each participating state, details selection criteria and application requirements for the LIHTC program, Multifamily Bonds, AWHTC, HOME funds, Development Fund and the Housing Trust Fund.

IHCDA incentivizes developments that will be in proximity and accessible to desirable facilities tailored to the need of the tenants, including access to services, retail, healthcare and transit. IHCDA prioritizes developments that will be in communities with nearby access to employment, access to post-secondary education and access to primary care.

For more information regarding the LIHTC program and 2025 funding, visit our website.

IHCDA’s December Board Meeting: On The Road

Our Board of Directors meeting is hitting the road this month! Throughout 2024 we have visited affordable housing developments across Indiana for these meetings. We look forward to these opportunities to meet with developers, property managers, and community partners who share our mission to make housing more affordable, accessible, and equitable throughout our state.

The next IHCDA Board of Directors’ Meeting – our final meeting with Lt. Governor Suzanne Crouch as IHCDA Board Chair – will take place on Thursday, December 19, 2024 at 10 a.m. CT, at Volunteers of America Fresh Start Recovery Center in Evansville, Indiana. There is also a virtual option for the public to watch remotely.