ST. LOUIS – Following a season that saw the program clinch a share of the conference regular season title for the first time in 34 years, earn the number one seed in the MVC Tournament for the first time in program history, and reach the MVC Tournament final for the fourth time in the last five years, three University of Evansville men’s soccer players have been selected to the MVC Scholar-Athlete Team, the league office announced on Tuesday morning.
Hakon Edstrom (Baerum, Norway/Norges Toppidrettsgymnas) earns a spot on the league’s Scholar-Athlete Team after serving as one of Evansville’s most consistent performers this season. The sophomore started 19 games while logging 1,557 minutes, the fourth-highest total on the team. Edstrom played the full 90 minutes on 11 occasions, including in each of the last five matches. Majoring in Finance, Edstrom holds a 3.75 GPA.
Will Bencic (Cincinnati, Ohio/Lakota East) lands on the MVC Scholar-Athlete Team after serving as a mainstay on the pitch this season, playing in 19 games with 15 starts, totaling 1,043 minutes. Bencic tallied two assists on the year and played 80-plus minutes on four occasions, including playing the full 90 at Drake. The junior boasts a 3.87 GPA at UE while majoring in Marketing.
Nacho-Diaz Caneja (Coruña, Spain/Oregon State) earns Scholar-Athlete Team honors for the second time in his career after landing on the Scholar-Athlete First Team last season. Diaz-Caneja started 18 games this season for the Aces and was one of the team’s most consistent performers, playing 1,477 minutes while anchoring the Valley’s top defense in conference play and tallying two assists. The senior has maintained a 3/58 GPA in Management.
FOOTNOTE: EPD DAILY ACTIVITY REPORT information was provided by the EPD and posted by the City-County-County Observer without opinion, bias, or editing.
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Coming off a road win last week, University of Southern Indiana Women’s Basketball returned home to Liberty Arena Monday night and recorded a dominant victory over Indiana University East, 87-32.
USI Women’s Basketball (3-1) looked for back-to-back victories on Monday night after last week’s road triumph at Saint Louis University. USI’s solid defense from that road game carried over into Monday night against IU East (1-4).
While the Screaming Eagles shot efficiently for 45 percent (34-75) overall, the defense held the Red Wolves to below 28 percent (12-43) from the floor. USI knocked down nine threes compared to four by IU East. On the glass, the Eagles outrebounded the Red Wolves, 49-28, as USI pulled down 21 offensive boards that led to 23 second-chance points. USI’s defense had 17 steals and forced 28 turnovers, leading to 39 points for the Screaming Eagles.
All 11 active Screaming Eagles saw the floor and scored on Monday night. Junior forward Chloe Gannon led four Eagles in double figures with 16 points on 6-10 shooting with a game-high eight rebounds. Sophomore guard Lexi Sepulveda and redshirt sophomore guard Kylee Dennis each posted career highs with 13 and 10 points, respectively. Sepulveda hit a team-best three makes from beyond the arc. Senior guard Ali Saunders dropped 12 points while adding four assists and three steals.
After each squad scored on their first possessions of the game, USI went on a 16-3 run to open a wide margin early. The Screaming Eagles spread out the scoring out of the gates in the first quarter, with seven different Eagles tallying points in the opening frame. USI shot over 57 percent overall and outscored IU East 18-0 in the paint in the first quarter, leading to a 27-8 Eagles lead after 10 minutes of action.
The Screaming Eagles widened their lead in a big way in the second quarter. As the Red Wolves scored two baskets in the first two minutes of the second period, USI’s defense took control and held IU East scoreless for the rest of the first half. Gannon scored eight points in the second to total 14 points in the first half. Saunders connected on one of USI’s four triples in the quarter right before the halftime horn to reach double figures for the game. USI capitalized on 19 points off turnovers in the second quarter to help produce a 54-12 lead going into halftime.
IU East came out with a flurry to start the second half, outscoring USI 10-6 in the first four minutes of the third quarter. The Screaming Eagles started to find their rhythm again in the middle of the period. After a dry spell in the game for a little over two minutes, Sepulveda drained a three and scored a layup to pass her previous career high. A last-second layup by Gannon to end the third pushed USI’s lead to 71-26 heading into the fourth quarter.
Dennis had a strong showing for USI in the fourth quarter. Dennis drained three jumpers, including one trey, to reach double digits for the first time in her career. Defensively, USI turned back up the intensity and held the Red Wolves to only six points with only two made field goals, as the Eagles closed out the big win.
USI will be back at Liberty Arena to continue its homestand next Tuesday, November 25, at 6 p.m. against Fisk University.
Leading up to next Tuesday’s tipoff, USI Public Safety is hosting a Stuff the Cruiser initiative to collect non-perishable items for Archie’s Food Closet. A Public Safety cruiser will be parked in front of Liberty Arena during all home USI Basketball games from Sunday, November 16, through Sunday, November 30. Those wishing to donate can give items directly to the Public Safety employee or student worker stationed at the cruiser. Donations can also be dropped off at the Public Safety Office, located on the first floor of the Recreation, Fitness and Wellness Center.
By Leslie Bonilla Muñiz, Indiana Capital Chronicle
Hoosiers with farmland, rental properties and vacation homes won new benefits under recent law, tax expert says.
Recent changes to Indiana’s property tax system will likely cut bills for most Hoosier homeowners, a new analysis has found.
But owners of pricey houses are expected to get bigger breaks, while those with low-valued dwellings may pay more, according to an Indiana Fiscal Policy Institute report released Friday.
Its author, Indiana tax expert Larry DeBoer, said Gov. Mike Braun’s hallmark tax law may squash growth in assessed value statewide through 2031, when key changes take full effect.
Chief among them is the homestead standard deduction, which Senate Enrolled Act 1 phases out by 2031. The fixed deduction lops $48,000 off the taxable value of a primary residence.
“If you’ve got a half-million-dollar house — you got a million-dollar house — $48,000 is nothing,” DeBoer said. “If you’ve got an $80,000 house, $48,000 is very significant.”
DeBoer, an emeritus agricultural economics professor at Purdue University, presented his results Friday at the Indiana Farm Bureau’s headquarters in Indianapolis.
The supplemental deduction, however, will rise from its current 37.5% to a whopping 66.7% by 2031. Because it’s a percentage, homeowners will save less on cheap homes than pricey ones.
The breakeven point — at which the two policies yield the same taxable value — is a home worth $102,740, per DeBoer. He estimated the average in Indiana at $234,500.
Counties with high homestead values, particularly Boone and Hamilton, will take harder hits to their tax bases, he said.
If Senate Enrolled Act 1 restricts assessed value growth but levies — the total governments can collect — rise, tax rates will also creep higher. DeBoer calculated that most property will hit the property tax caps at a rate of $3 per $100 in assessed value.
Homestead property owners get a circuit breaker credit on the amount of property taxes over 1% of assessed value. Many primary residences will likely reach the caps by 2031, according to the analysis. Property tax bills for those houses will be higher than now, but lower than they would’ve been without the law.
A graph of Indiana’s average property tax rate statewide, extrapolating into 2032. Assuming an annual 4% increase in the levy — which tax expert Larry DeBoer dubbed “conservative” considering big levy jumps in recent years — the average rate is expected to rise. (Screenshot from presentation)
DoBoer joked that when Hoosiers complain bills went up, local officials can reply, “‘Ah, had we not changed the policy, it would have gone up even more!’ And the taxpayer will be satisfied.”
“Rueful laughter, right?” DeBoer said. Under his projections, it “really is a tax reduction … for the average homeowner, but the average homeowner is not going to believe it!”
But, for those not at the caps? Pricey homes are expected to carry smaller increases in their bills — or even slight drops. Low-value homes could see double-digit percentage hikes, per the report.
Also, beginning in 2026, a new supplemental tax credit will apply after the caps, taking off 10%, or up to $300.
More changes
Property types that hit the caps at 2% of assessed value get new breaks under Senate Enrolled Act 1 — “the first deduction that those folks have ever really gotten,” DeBoer said.
Non-homestead residential, like apartment buildings or vacation houses, falls under that category. So does farmland.
The new deduction phases into 33.4% by 2031.
DeBoer estimated that, if gross assessed value for non-homestead residential rises 5% annually through 2031, the net assessed value would fall each year over that time period.
Farmland net assessed value is also projected to fall most years, and. Under DeBoer’s assumptions, the net would be 33.4% lower in 2031 than it is in 2025.
Senate Enrolled Act 1 also raised the business personal property exemption from $80,000 to $2 million. DeBoer said that will impact small and medium-sized firms more, since larger ones with more property will continue paying as before.
Counties with a high share of business personal property will see lower losses from the exemption, like rural counties hosting large electric utility installations, according to the analysis.
Estimated loss of net assessed value due to changes in Senate Enrolled Act 1, by 2031, according to an Indiana Fiscal Policy report released Nov. 14, 2025. (Screenshot from presentation)
The law also ditches a 30% floor on those property assessments after 2025. DeBoer predicted little effect in the short term, higher assessed values in the medium term and lower assessed values in the long run, once the business personal property purchased before 2026 has been retired.
But there could be loopholes.
One attendee asked what happens if, when a company purchases $2 million worth of equipment, it does so under a new entity.
“One of the goals of property tax policies is to create a neutral system that does not influence business decision-making,” DeBoer replied, to laughter. “And I suspect they’ve created something that (could) …”
“Obviously, the big ones aren’t going to be able to divide themselves up into little, $2 million segments, but a medium-sized business, one could manage it,” he continued. “… Accountants and lawyers are going to earn their money.”
Business real property gets no new deductions.
“Taxes in SEA 1 are shifting to big businesses with lots of personal property, and to rural homeowners with very low value homes,” DeBoer said. “It’s an interesting policy mix.”
Evansville, IN — Not only is the West Side Nut Club Fall Festival the best fall festival in the country for the third straight year—the numbers prove it’s one of the premier community festivals in America, no matter the season.
Through the use of cell phone data and work by Digital Upgrade, the West Side Nut Club was able to estimate visitor attendance and engagement from Monday through Saturday of the 2025 Fall Festival. This marks the third consecutive year the organization has tracked and compared attendance data through data allowing for a deeper understanding of the festival’s reach and impact.
Through the use of Placer.ai cell phone data and work by Digital Upgrade, the West Side Nut Club was able to estimate visitor attendance and engagement from Monday through Saturday of the 2025 Fall Festival. This marks the third consecutive year the organization has tracked and compared attendance data through Placer.ai, allowing for a deeper understanding of the festival’s reach and impact.
This year’s festival welcomed over 280,000 visitors, comparable to 2024 numbers—an impressive figure given the weather challenges early in the week. Wednesday alone set a new record, with more than 47,000 visitors enjoying the festival.
On average, attendees spent just under two hours per visit, an increase from last year. Data also showed that 35% of visitors spent time in the rides area, underscoring the continued popularity of that portion of the event.
The West Side Nut Club compiled additional data from food booths, rides, streets, half pot sales, and parking, resulting in a comprehensive economic impact report. The findings revealed a total economic impact of $8.3 million across six days. Yes, read that again… $8.3 million dollars in our community across the first full week of October.
That total includes $3.8 million in food booth sales—all benefiting the non-profit organizations that operate them.
“The Fall Festival having an economic impact of $8.3 million dollars is a phenomenal stat,” said Brandon McClish, WSNC Board Member. “Obviously the nation’s largest half pot helps with that, but having $3.8 million that goes directly to our non-profit organizations through their booths is something to showcase. The half pot will continue to grow with new advancements thanks to the WSNC team behind it, but we’ll always highlight our non-profit food booths as the heart of the festival. The same year we broke our record with a $2.6 million half pot, 28 organizations also broke their own records with booth sales.”
Digital and Social Reach
The Fall Festival’s impact wasn’t limited to Franklin Street. The official festival website received over 210,000 new visitors during the first full week of October, with an impressive 44% engagement rate.
Social media activity was equally strong, powered by the enthusiasm of the West Side Nut Club community. Across the Club’s social media platforms, content generated more than 5.6 million views, 64,000 interactions, and over 8,000 comments, with a 25% click-through rate.
By the Numbers:
280,000+ total visitors (Monday–Saturday)
47,000 visitors on Wednesday — a single-day record
2 hours average visit duration (up from 2024)
35% of attendees visited the rides area
$8.3 million total economic impact
$3.8 million in food booth sales benefiting local non-profits
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Midseason meets promise fast swimming and high-level diving, and Indiana will look to present that this week, Tuesday through Friday (Nov. 18-21), at the Ohio State Invitational inside the McCorkle Aquatic Pavilion.
The meet will follow a format similar to championship meets, running four days with relays on the opening night. Fans can stream the meet via the B1G+ digital platform.
Indiana swimming and diving won all five duals meets during the two-day USC Invitational October 10-11.
The Hoosiers swept the four relays and won 18 individual events. Three IU swimmers – freshman Liberty Clark, junior Miranda Grana and senior Zalán Sárkány – won all three of their individual events. Twelve Hoosiers captured NCAA qualifying times and seven IU divers picked up NCAA zone qualifying scores on the springboards. The Indiana men won 15 of 17 swimming events while holding No. 14 Texas A&M and No. 17 USC to double-digit team scores.
IU captured four of the six available conference weekly awards, sweeping the Big Ten Swimmer of the Week and Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors for the cycle.
HOOSIERS FILL U.S. NATIONAL TEAMS
A total of 21 Americans with ties to the Indiana swimming and diving program have qualified for their respective national teams.
Twelve Hoosiers feature in USA Swimming’s 2025-26 national team, including Alexei Avakov, Brian Benzing, Mariah Denigan, Travis Gulledge, Lilly King, Matt King, Josh Matheny, Van Mathias, Owen McDonald, Anna Peplowski, Aaron Shackell and Jassen Yep. Avakov, Gulledge, McDonald and Shackell will compete for Indiana during the 2025-26 NCAA season.
Nine more Hoosiers earned selections to USA Diving’s High Performance Squads in May: Andrew Capobianco, Josh Hedberg, Quinn Henninger, Carson Tyler (Tier 1), Lily Witte (Tier 2) as well as Dash Glasberg, Ella Roselli, Joshua Sollenberger and Maxwell Weinrich (Tier 3). Hedberg, Witte, Glasberg, Roselli, Sollenberger and Witte are all members of the NCAA roster.
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – On Tuesday, the University of Evansville men’s basketball team completes a 4-game homestand with a 7 p.m. game against UT Arlington at the Ford Center.
Last Time Out
– Trailing by as many as 22 points in the second half, the Purple Aces cut the deficit to two points in the final minute before dropping a 77-72 decision to MTSU on Nov. 12
– Five UE players scored in double figures with Connor Turnbull leading the way with 16 points while Bryce Quinet and Keishon Porter scored 14 apiece
Excellent Start
– Josh Hughes is putting together the top streak of his career through four games of his junior season
– Hughes leads the team with 13.0 points per game and has reached double figures in each contest
– His top performance came at #1 Purdue where he totaled 15 points and 11 boards on the way to his second career double-double
– Hughes is all over the MVC stat rankings including:
– Scoring T-17th 13.0 PPG
– Rebounding 7th 6.50 RPG
– FG% 11th 56.8%
– 3PT% 7th 41.2%
– 3PT FG/GM T-13th 1.75/game
– Offensive RBs T-3rd 3.00/game
3-for-4
– For the third time in four games, AJ Casey scored in double figures finishing with 12 points against MTSU
– Casey was on the floor for 36:42, the highest minutes tally of his career
– He is averaging 10.0 PPG on the season with his top effort coming at #1 Purdue
– Against the Boilermakers, Casey set career marks in points (14), FG (6), attempts (13), and rebounds (9)
Finding His Groove
– Connor Turnbull has improved his scoring output in each of his three games
– After scoring six against Calumet, he posted 12 versus Oakland City before setting his season mark with 16 against MTSU
– He was 6-for-9 from the field against the Blue Raiders while going 4-of-4 from the line
– Turnbull is second in the MVC with 2.00 blocks per game and had four in the victory over Oakland City
Scouting the Opponent
– UT Arlington makes its first-ever trip to Evansville with a 3-1 record following a 67-49 victory over Missouri State on Saturday
– The lone loss for UTA was a 74-56 decision at New Mexico
– Raysean Seamster is the top threat for the Mavericks as he leads the team in scoring (17.5 PPG), rebounding (7.3 RPG), FG (30), blocks (7), and steals (11)
– Casmir Chavis and Bahsil Laster both come into Tuesday’s game with an average of 10.8 PPG
– Cameron Jackson registered 15 rebounds in the win over Missouri State; he is second on the team with a season average of 7.0 per contest
