FOOTNOTE: EPD DAILY ACTIVITY REPORT information was provided by the EPD and posted by the City-County-County Observer without opinion, bias, or editing.
Hazelton Father Arrested for OWI while Transporting Two Children
|
Knox County – Tuesday evening, December 2, at approximately 5:08 p.m., Knox County Sheriff’s Deputies and Indiana State Police stopped a vehicle on US 50 near Gray Barn Road for speeding and for nearly striking two other vehicles. The driver was identified as Jaret VanPatten, 27, of Hazelton. While talking to the driver, officers detected an odor of an alcoholic beverage. VanPatten also displayed signs of impairment. VanPatten’s four-year-old daughter and six-year-old son were also in the vehicle. VanPatten was transported to Good Samaritan Hospital in Vincennes where officers continued their investigation and determined VanPatten was impaired. He was arrested for several criminal charges and transported to the Knox County Jail where he is currently being held on bond. While at the hospital, VanPatten was also arrested for disorderly conduct. Toxicology is pending.
VanPatten’s two children were released to a relative. Arrested and Charges:
Arresting Officer: Trooper Tanner Hurley, Indiana State Police |
USI visits Western Michigan, Indiana State this week
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Men’s Basketball is back on the road to start December, visiting Western Michigan University Wednesday and Indiana State University Sunday. Tipoff at WMU is set for 6 p.m. (CST), while ISU is set for noon (CST).
All of the Eagles’ action is being streamed on ESPN+ and aired live on ESPN 97.7FM and The Spin 95.7FM (Saturday only).
The Screaming Eagles (3-5) are starting to roll, winning three of the last five games after starting the year 0-3. USI picked up its first road win of the year at Valparaiso University, 64-56, before coming home to defeat Kentucky State University, 93-56, last week.
USI senior guard Ismail Habib led the Eagles with 21.0 points per game last week, including a 25-point performance in the Valparaiso win. He was followed by junior guard Kaden Brown, who had 17.5 points per contest after scoring a team-best 20 points in the win over Kentucky State.
For the season, Habib has been posting 19.0 points per game since the start of the year. Brown follows with 12.6 per outing, while senior guard Cardell Bailey is posting 11.9 points per contest.
WMU is 3-5 overall after falling to Valparaiso, 84-55, Saturday and has lost three of the last four. USI leads the all-time series with WMU, 1-0, after winning the first meeting in 1982-83, 101-99, in a four-overtime contest.
ISU, which hosts Eureka College Tuesday at home before hosting USI, is 4-4 after losing two games in the Louisiana Tech MTE last week. USI leads the all-time series, 2-1, after taking last year’s meeting at Liberty University, 87-77.
Following the road swing, USI returns to Liberty Arena December 15 to play East/West University. Game time is set for 7 p.
Loden earns OVC Player of the Week honors
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Women’s Basketball junior guard Sophia Loden was named Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Week on Tuesday. The honor is Loden’s first career OVC award.
Loden averaged a double-double in USI’s two games last week, posting 18.5 points and 11.5 rebounds per game. The junior shot for 57 percent overall on 16 made field goals and over 55 percent on five makes from three-point range. Loden also dished out five assists and had two steals.
Loden began the week with a career game in USI’s dominant 95-18 home win against Fisk University. Loden dropped a career-high 22 points on 10-14 shooting and hauled in 10 rebounds in only 19 minutes of action for her second double-double of the season. On Sunday, Loden ended the week with her second consecutive double-double, logging 15 points and a career-best 13 rebounds on the road against Northern Kentucky. Three of Loden’s six made field goals in the game came from beyond the arc. Loden also notched four assists against the Norse.
This season, Loden tops the squad with 15 points per game on 44 percent shooting from the floor and has grabbed a team-best 8.3 rebounds per contest. Loden is also averaging over two assists and 1.5 steals per outing. Loden has started all six games this season for the Screaming Eagles.
THUNDERBOLTS RETURN HOME FOR TEDDY BEAR TOSS, MICKEY & FRIENDS NIGHTS
Evansville, In.: After a week on the road, the Thunderbolts return to Ford Center this coming weekend as they host the Macon Mayhem this Friday for Teddy Bear Toss Night, and the Birmingham Bulls this Saturday for Mickey & Friends Night.
Week In Review:
The Thunderbolts rallied from a 3-0 deficit in Macon on Wednesday with goals from Matt Hobbs, Keanan Stewart and Myles Abbate, but fell 4-3 in a shootout. On Friday in Peoria, Evansville scored four unanswered goals, two by Scott Kirton and the others from Aidan Litke and Connor Federkow, to defeat the Rivermen 4-1. Evansville was unable to pull off the weekend sweep, falling just short by a 4-3 score to the Rivermen on Saturday, with two goals from Abbate and one from Stewart.
Governor Braun Announces “Family First Workplace” Policy to Support Working Families
INDIANAPOLIS – Today, Indiana Governor Mike Braun announced the launch of Family First Workplace initiative, a new family-focused program that allows eligible state employees to bring their infants to work during the first six months of life.
The Family First Workplace program will begin as a pilot in the Governor’s Office, the Indiana Department of Health, and the State Personnel Department.
This program builds on Governor Braun’s parental leave policy for state employees, which expanded paid parental leave for new parents, provided paid childbirth leave for women recovering from giving birth, as well as paid leave for those grieving from the tragedy of losing a baby.
Governor Braun said the initiative reflects Indiana’s commitment to strengthening families, supporting parents in the workforce, and promoting healthy early childhood development.
“Indiana is going to lead the nation in pro-family policy. The parental bonding that happens in the first months of a child’s life are irreplaceable, and our new Family First Workplace pilot program helps parents stay connected to their newborns while continuing their careers. Indiana is building a culture that puts families first.” — Governor Mike Braun
The pilot program’s policy, developed with the State Personnel Department, outlines clear safeguards to ensure safety, productivity, and operational continuity.
Part of Governor Braun’s “Family First Indiana” Agenda
The new initiative builds on a series of steps the Braun Administration has taken in 2025 to reinforce Indiana’s commitment to families.
Governor Braun previously signed an executive order to strengthen paid parental leave for state employees. The executive order provided paid childbirth leave for women recovering from giving birth, as well as paid leave for those grieving from the tragedy of losing a baby.
The Braun administration has lead on pro-life and pro-family policies, standing up for the unborn and ensuring Indiana’s pro-life laws defending the unborn are followed by providers.
Next Steps
The pilot program will begin immediately, with agencies implementing the standardized procedures issued by SPD.
If successful, the state may expand the Infants-at-Work Initiative to additional agencies.
Aces host Ball State on Wednesday at Ford Center
Game time set for 7 p.m.
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Following a trip to the Paradise Jam, the University of Evansville men’s basketball team returns to the Ford Center on Wednesday for a 7 p.m. game against Ball State. ESPN+ and the Purple Aces Radio Network will have the broadcast.
Last Time Out
– UE wrapped up the Paradise Jam on Nov. 24 falling to College of Charleston by a final score of 78-59
– Connor Turnbull led the Purple Aces with 14 points while Keishon Porter scored 11
– Over the three games in St. Thomas, Por5ter led UE with 11.3 points per game while Turnbull and Bryce Quinet averaged 9.3 PPG
Another Double-Double
– Two of Josh Hughes’ three career double-doubles have come in the first six games of the 2025-26 campaign
– After opening the season with 115 points and 11 boards at #1 Purdue, Hughes recorded 16 points and a career-best 12 boards in the win over Oregon State
– Hughes leads the team with 5.3 rebounds per game is second on the team with 11.0 points per game and has reached double figures in six out of eight contests
– He is fourth in the MVC with 2.63 offensive boards per game and is tied for 17th with 5.25 toal rebounds per game
On a Roll
– Evansville’s leading scorer at the Paradise Jam was Keishon Porter who finished UE’s three games with 11.3 PPG
– His top effort in the Virgin Islands was a 14-point game against Charleston
– Porter set his season mark with 18 points in the home contest versus UT Arlington
– Following a tough start to the season where he averaged 3.33 PPG in the first three games, Porter has turned things around averaging 13.2 PPG in the last five
– After hitting just four of his 19 shot attempts to start the year, Porter has converted 22 of his last 44 attempts
Sharpshooter
– Alex Hemenway looks to regain the outside shooting edge he had against Calumet where he went a perfect 5-for-5 on his way to a career-best 21 points
– Hemenway is shooting 29.0% (9-for-31) from 3-point range on the year, but is 4-for-26 (15.4%) when you factor out the Calumet performance
– He had a solid 13-point game against Charleston on a perfect 6-6 effort from the line
– He has hit all nine free throw tries in 2025
Scouting the Opponent
– Ball State enters Wednesday’s game with a 3-5 record while falling in their first three contests away from home
– The Cardinals ended a 5-game skid on Sunday with a 96-85 win over Le Moyne to complete the Lafayette Classic
– Davion Hill paces the Cardinals with 13.1 points and 5.1 rebounds per contest
– Just behind him is Armoni Zeigler who has averaged 10.8 PPG through the first eight games
– In the win over Le Moyne, Juwan Maxey scored 27 points while Hill tallied 24
Applications open for Indiana Senate Page Program
STATEHOUSE (Dec. 1, 2025) — The Indiana Senate is accepting applications for the 2026 Senate Page Program, said State Sen. Vaneta Becker (R-Evansville).
Through the full-day program, students in grades six through 12 tour Indiana’s Statehouse, listen to debates from the Senate floor and help staff with age-appropriate tasks. Students also have the opportunity to meet their state senator.
“Meeting students from my district who made the long trip up to Indianapolis is always a highlight of session,” Becker said. “The Senate Page Program is such a valuable and unique opportunity to experience state government up close, and I highly encourage interested young Hoosiers to participate.”
The Senate Page Program will begin in January and continue throughout the legislative session. Pages are scheduled for Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. They begin their day at 8:30 a.m. and are dismissed at 3:30 p.m. Groups serve together on Wednesdays. Indiana law permits eligible students to serve as a Senate Page one day per legislative session and receive an excused absence from school for their participation. Positions fill quickly, so it is important to apply early.
Students or parents should submit an application corresponding with the date they would like to page. Once the application is submitted, the Senate Page Office will reach out to confirm the paging date and ensure all required participation forms are signed.
Services Planned for 48th Anniversary Commemoration of 1977 UE Plane Crash
EVANSVILLE, IND. (12/02/2025) On December 13, 1977, a chartered DC-3 crashed just 90 seconds after takeoff from Evansville’s Dress Regional Airport. News quickly spread across the University of Evansville community that the plane carried men’s basketball Coach Bobby Watson, 14 players, 11 friends of the team, and a crew of five. For those who lived through that night, it will forever be remembered as “the night it rained tears.”
The crash was a staggering loss. At a memorial service held days later, Dr. Philip Ott, professor of philosophy and religion, reminded the community that “we do not choose to live. We do not choose to die. Life is a gift.” Former UE President Wallace Graves offered words of resolve, urging, “Out of the agony of this hour we will rise.”
Though the tragedy remains etched in UE’s history, the University came together with strength and unity, carrying forward in tribute to the 29 lives taken far too soon.
To commemorate the 48th anniversary, UE will hold a memorial service at 12 p.m. on Friday, December 12, open to the campus community and the public. The service is being held one day early this year, as December 13 falls on a Saturday.
The gathering will take place at Memorial Plaza, located behind Olmsted Hall. It will feature an invocation and message from Reverend Andy Payton, remarks from President Pietruszkiewicz, the reading of all 29 names, and a moment of silence.
Forty-eight years later, we honor each life taken too soon and remember the legacy they entrusted to us.