EVANSVILLE, Ind. – In its first home game of the New Year, the University of Evansville men’s basketball team welcomes Murray State to the Ford Center on Saturday afternoon. Tip is set for 1 p.m. CT with ESPN+ and the Purple Aces Radio Network having the coverage.
Last Time Out
– Indiana State scored the first eight points on Wednesday and would take the victory by a final of 87-73
– Trailing by as many as 25 points in the second half, the Purple Aces utilized a 19-2 run to cut the deficit to just eight with two minutes remaining
– Yacine Toumi led all players with 19 points and 10 rebounds while Kenny Strawbridge Jr. scored 15
– Cam Haffner tallied a season-high of 11 points and Antonio Thomas wrapped up the game with 10
Another Double-Double
– Yacine Toumi has been on an absolute roll over the last five games, averaging 15.0 points and 8.6 rebounds
– He has two double-doubles in the last three games, including a 19-point, 10-rebound performance at Indiana State
– Toumi was 9-for-13 from the field against the Sycamores and has converted 22 of his last 33 attempts over the last three games, an astonishing 66.7%
– His current double-figure streak has reached six games with an average of 14.7 PPG over that span; in the five games prior, he posted just 5.4 PPG
– Toumi continues to lead the team with an average of 6.6 boards while his 11.3 points per game is second for the Aces
Big-Time Honor for Coach Rag
– UE head coach David Ragland was the recipient of the Ben Jobe Award Mid-Season Honors on January 3
– The Ben Jobe Award is presented annually to the top minority Division I head coach with the presentation taking place at the Final Four
– Ragland was the mid-season honoree following an impressive start to the season
Season-High
– Cam Haffner put together his top game of the season at Indiana State, registering 11 points while connecting on three of his six attempts from long range
– Increased playing time benefited Haffner, who saw a season-high 29:05 of floor time in Terre Haute
– Prior to the game, Haffner missed 13 triples in a row over a 5-game stretch
– His previous season mark of 10 points came in the road win at SEMO where he shot 4-of-9 from the field and 2-4 from outside
– Haffner has started all 14 games for UE
Scouting the Opponent
– Murray State enters Saturday’s game with a 5-9 record and have picked wins on two of their three MVC contests thus far
– The Racers dealt Bradley its first loss of the year in December and most recently defeated UIC by an 75-83 final on Tuesday
– All five of their wins have come at home
– Five players average double figures with Rob Perry leading the squad with 14.0 points per game
– JaCobi Wood and Brian Moore Jr. averaged 12.7 and 12.2 PPG respectively
– Nick Ellington checks in with 10.3 PPG and a team-high 6.5 boards per contest
 The Board of School Trustees of the Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation will meet for the regularly scheduled Board meeting Monday, January 8, 2024 at 5:30 PM in the Board Room of the EVSC Administration Building located at 951 Walnut Street, Evansville, IN. Board meetings can also be observed by tuning to EVSC’s radio station, 90.7 WPSR or live streamed online at https://www.wpsrhd.com/.Â
As published previously, the Board of School Trustees will also hold a Public Hearing to take public testimony from Vanderburgh County residents regarding the preliminary determination to issue bonds.Â
Prior to the regularly scheduled Board meeting, three members of the Board, along with district administrators, will hold a Town Hall beginning at 5:00 PM. This Town Hall is for Vanderburgh County residents to speak directly with Board members in attendance about issues involving EVSC schools. The Town Hall will be held in the Technology and Innovation Center located at 951 Walnut Street, Evansville, IN. Members of the public who would like to attend the Town Hall should register by completing the Town Hall Registration Form located on our website at district.evscschools.com.Â
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Women’s Basketball seized its fourth consecutive victory Thursday night with a 78-57 home win against Tennessee State University.
Thursday’s win gave Southern Indiana, who moved to 8-5 overall, its third Ohio Valley Conference win in three conference games played. Through Thursday’s action around the OVC, USI is currently the only team with a 3-0 start. Eastern Illinois University sits right behind USI with a 2-0 mark to begin league play. The Screaming Eagles’ 3-0 start to the OVC slate is USI’s first 3-0 start in conference play since the 2021-22 season in the Great Lakes Valley Conference. Additionally, Thursday’s victory also gave the Eagles their first four-game winning streak since near the tail end of the 2021-22 season.
Southern Indiana took advantage of its first three possessions at Screaming Eagles Arena on Thursday, scoring on two triples and one basket in the paint to grab an early 8-0 lead on Tennessee State. USI also connected on its first three attempts from beyond the arc. Graduate guard Tori Handley (Jeffersonville, Indiana) jumped out with five quick points, helping USI take a 20-9 lead by the first media timeout at the 3:34 mark of the first quarter. In the last 90 seconds of the opening period, senior forward Meredith Raley (Haubstadt, Indiana) drilled two three-pointers as part of an 11-0 USI run. The Screaming Eagles led 31-11 going into the second quarter, as Southern Indiana went 11-15 from the field and forced the Tigers to cough up seven turnovers in the first.
Early in the second period, Tennessee State made a push to cut USI’s lead down to 13. Junior guard Vanessa Shafford (Linton, Indiana) slowed down the Tigers’ momentum by swishing in a three. Following a defensive stretch in the middle of the frame, Southern Indiana led by 15, 39-24, with 3:25 remaining in the first half. As part of another 11-0 run by the Eagles, Shafford cashed in two more treys. Raley and Shafford had a dozen first-half points each, as USI went into the locker room ahead 50-24 after holding the Tigers scoreless for the last 3:25 of the first half.
In a gradual start out of halftime, Southern Indiana doubled up Tennessee State, 52-26, before redshirt senior guard Addy Blackwell (Bloomington, Indiana) knocked down USI’s eighth three of the contest at the 7:26 mark in the third. In the middle of the third, the Eagles led by as many as 31 points, 59-28. Then Tennessee State tightened up defensively and capitalized on the offensive end with a 10-0 run to close the gap down to 19, 61-42, by the end of the third quarter.
Southern Indiana began the fourth quarter with a long-range make by Shafford, giving USI a 64-42 advantage. As the two sides continued to battle, Shafford canned her fifth triple of the game to hit the 20-point plateau and put USI up 67-46 with 6:43 remaining. Despite some fightback by the Tigers, USI went on a 9-0 run later in the period, highlighted by a three from Blackwell and Shafford. The late run gave Southern Indiana the necessary cushion to seal the win.
For the game, the Screaming Eagles were 28-57 for 49 percent shooting, featuring a season-high 12 three-pointers made. USI also connected on 10 free throws and won the rebounding battle, 41-26. Individually, Shafford poured in a career-high 26 points on 9-15 shooting and drained six of her 10 attempts from beyond the arc. Shafford also added nine rebounds. The junior guard has scored double figures in 11 consecutive games following Thursday night. Raley posted 12 points, her fourth straight outing with double digits, while freshman forward Chloe Gannon (Manchester, Tennessee) tallied 10 points.
Tennessee State (4-9, 1-2) shot just over 39 percent (21-53) from the floor with 13 made foul shots. The Tigers were held to two made threes. Junior forward Lyric Cole was the only Tiger in double figures with 10 points.
The Screaming Eagles conclude this week’s home pair of games on Saturday at 5 p.m. against Tennessee Tech University from Screaming Eagles Arena. Tickets are available for purchase online at usiscreamingeagles.com.
Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation  3.7  – Evansville, IN
$13.14 – $17.35 an hour
The EVSC works diligently to ensure employees maintain the position that they are hired for but in some cases, transfers may occur in order to effectively serve…
GIAQUINTA: HATFIELD HAS BEEN A GREAT PUBLIC SERVANT FOR EVANSVILLE, AND WILL BE GREATLY MISSED IN OUR CAUCUS
JANUARY 5, 2024
INDIANAPOLIS – Indiana House Democratic Caucus Leader Phil GiaQuinta (D-Fort Wayne) issued the following statement regarding State Rep. Ryan Hatfield (D-Evansville) not seeking re-election:
“Since his election in 2016, Rep. Hatfield has used his extensive legal expertise to serve the people of Evansville and Hoosiers throughout the state. As Assistant Democratic Leader, he has been a trusted adviser and friend to myself and the rest of House Democrats. From working to eliminate school textbook fees to improving healthcare outcomes for Hoosiers, he always strove to make life better for his constituents.
“Ryan’s ability to break down and analyze pending legislation always helped our caucus and the full House better understand the implications of a bill. The loss of Ryan Hatfield as a state representative is a loss for Evansville, the Indiana House of Representatives and all Hoosiers.
“We all wish Ryan the best of luck in his future endeavors and send our best wishes and gratitude to his wife Kendra and three children.â€
FOOTNOTE: Â Currently, Hatfield serves as ranking Democrat on the House Employment, Labor and Pensions and Judiciary Committees and as a member of the House Public Health and Utilities, Energy and Telecommunications Committees.
As we begin the new year, we at the Office of Attorney General are emboldened by our strong record of success in 2023.Â
We are more dedicated than ever to our ongoing quest to protecting your individual liberties, safeguarding your rights and upholding the rule of law. Â
For us, 2023 was literally a record-setting year. We returned more than $80 million in unclaimed property to hard-working Hoosiers — decimating the previous record of $66.9 million set in 2014.Â
We continued our record of success holding criminals accountable – upholding convictions of child abusers, murderers and rapists to keep Hoosier families safe. Our amazing litigation team also won 100% of jury trials in which it defended the state’s interests.
We protected consumers from illicit business practices, data privacy violations and ID theft, obtaining nearly $1 billion in settlements for Hoosiers — including hundreds of thousands from annoying and illegal robocallers.Â
We stood up to Big Tech for deceptive practices and abusive violations of Hoosiers’ privacy – most recently announcing a $700 million settlement with Google.Â
We resisted woke “environmental, social and governance†(ESG) policies designed to misspend Hoosiers’ hard-earned retirement investments.Â
We fought back against federal government overreach to protect your Second Amendment rights, defend women under attack in the name of diversity, and safeguard hard working Hoosier’s jobs threatened by the EPA’s out of control “green†energy policies. Â
And we distinguished our office as a strong advocate and ally for the rights and well-being of tenants living in properties not adequately maintained by corporate landlords.Â
As the top legal officer for the State of Indiana, we successfully defended the historic new pro-life law passed by the Indiana General Assembly — a statute designed to save the lives of more than 90 percent of the babies who previously could have been aborted prior to the law’s enactment.Â
And, of course, we continued our staunch support for parents’ rights to oversee the education and upbringing of their children. Â
This year, you can rest assured that our hard work on your behalf will continue unabated. Stay tuned for our 2023 annual report in February.Â
After 30 years with the University of Southern Indiana, 18 years as President of the USI Foundation and seven years as Vice President for Development, David Bower has announced plans to retire effective June 30, 2024, including leave with pay from July 1, 2024, to December 31, 2024. His official date of retirement will be January 1, 2025.
“President Rochon and I talked about the need for a capital campaign which would end June 30, 2024. He approved that plan and I thought that would be the perfect date to retire,†said Bower. “Although it has not worked out in exactly the way we thought, because of COVID and other factors, we have a great Foundation and Alumni team, an engaged and generous Board of Foundation Directors, and a wise and involved University Board of Trustees. Dr. Rochon will champion all aspects of ensuring private investment as the University continues to flourish. I leave my work content I have done my best, but with a deep sadness to no longer serve with all my colleagues and donors who make USI the great University it is.â€
The University plans to launch a national search to fill the Vice President position this spring. The Vice President for Development and Alumni Engagement is responsible for leading the efforts of the Foundation and Alumni Office with the goal of attracting, acquiring and managing donors’ charitable gifts to support and sustain the goals of the University and to create lasting ties with its alumni.
“I am both honored and humbled to thank David for his service to USI and to our Foundation,†said Dr. Ronald S. Rochon, USI President. “David’s unwavering dedication and profound impact will forever remain ingrained in our institution’s legacy. As he embarks on this new chapter, we celebrate his immense contributions and I extend my heartfelt gratitude for his invaluable service.”
Bower was first hired by USI’s Founding President David L. Rice as a Gift Officer in 1994. He later served as both Assistant and Associate Director of Development. In 2006, he became President of the USI Foundation and Director of University Development. He was promoted to Vice President for Development and President of the USI Foundation in 2017. In 2022, the position was realigned as Vice President for Development and Alumni Engagement and President of the USI Foundation.
During his time at USI, Bower established Reflections, the Planned Giving Society of the USI Foundation. In 1998, he earned the prestigious Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE) designation and, that same year, formed a committee of development officers in the Evansville region. Bower was the first and founding president of the Evansville Area Fundraising Council; a local affiliate of Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP); and a member of the National Association of Charitable Gift Planners (CGB) for which he served two years on the Board of Directors.
The year before Bower began his tenure, the USI Foundation celebrated its 25th anniversary and reported $1.48 million in gifts and assets of $3.8 million. As of September 2023, total assets for the Foundation were $158 million, and it recorded an endowment of $141 million.
Bower was instrumental in USI’s first capital campaign, “USI: Education Taken Higher,†from 1996-98, leading the alumni giving efforts of the campaign which raised more than $24 million. From 2011-16, he led the Foundation’s second campaign, “Campaign USI: Elevating Excellence,†which raised $58.1 million in conjunction with the University’s 50th anniversary. Currently, a feasibility study has been completed in anticipation of a third capital campaign for the University.
During his time at USI, Bower has also led a number of University efforts outside of his role with the Foundation, including the inauguration planning for the University’s fourth president Dr. Ronald S. Rochon; funeral planning for the University’s Founding President Dr. David L. Rice, which was held on the USI campus; and heading up the University’s COVID-19 Task Force during the pandemic.
A new crop of Statehouse File reporters readies for the 2024 session
By Kyra Howard and Ashlyn Myers, TheStatehouseFile.com
INDIANAPOLIS—After a long year running between committee meetings, searching for sources, and even catching an interview with Gov. Eric Holcomb, TheStatehouseFile.com is back at Indiana’s capitol building this January with 12 student journalists, both new and returning.
From left, Statehouse File reporters Mia Frankenfield, Arianna Hunt, Kyra Howard, Ashlyn Myers, Bessie Kerr, Jaelyn Allen, John Asplund, Sanjida Tanim, Sam Maurer, Schyler Altherr and DeMarion Newell, in the Indiana House Chamber this week.
While TheStatehouseFile.com publishes daily throughout the year, Franklin College’s Pulliam School of Journalism offers a unique month-long reporting opportunity in January, allowing students to step away from their regular studies to report on an Indiana legislative session.
Franklin College journalism students working with TheStatehouseFile.com have been covering the legislative session every January since 2006. John Krull, publisher of The Statehouse File and director of the Pulliam School of Journalism at Franklin College, created the program to get more students hands-on experience with reporting and state politics.
“I’m proud that we are the longest-standing not-for-profit Statehouse news service in the state,†said Krull, “and that it has been Franklin College journalism students who have provided that service for nearly 20 years.â€
This year’s group offers a unique blend of talents and backgrounds, with new faces from Taylor University and even New York City.
Schyler Altherr, 19, and Sanjida Tanim, 21, are bringing political science backgrounds to The Statehouse File’s newsroom. Altherr hails from Pendleton and said he’s excited to help inform the public about issues and changes facing Hoosiers today. In turn, Altherr also wants to become more informed about state government, growing his own understanding of politics.
Tanim brings big-city experience to the newsroom, coming from the Big Apple to report on the 2024 legislative session. Before graduating this spring from Franklin College, Tanim hopes to learn more about what goes on behind the scenes at the Indiana Statehouse.
“I’m excited to see lawmakers try to push their bills and how they go about the process in real-time,†Tanim said.
Hopeful social media strategist and returning student journalist Bessie Kerr, 21, is coming from Wilkinson to help grow her communication skills. The Franklin College senior said she also wants to become more confident in making cold calls.
“My goal by the end of the month is to be able to communicate better with people and to have a better understanding of the Indiana session,†Kerr said.
From just 20 minutes south of the Statehouse, Greenwood native Mia Frankenfield, 19, hopes to write accessible stories that people of various experiences can understand. Frankenfield said her goal for the month is to expand her understanding of Indiana law.
Fresh face Samuel Maurer, 21, calls Kingsville, Ohio, home but is bringing his Taylor University education to help cover Indiana’s 2024 session. While he said he’s had plenty of experiences as a student journalist, his time at the Indiana Statehouse will be brand new.
“I’m excited to be here this month because it will be really interesting to see the ins and outs of the Statehouse during a legislative session,†Maurer said. “I’m just excited for this experience as I believe it will be valuable as I continue to grow as a journalist.â€
DeMarion Newell, 21, from Gary, said he’s looking forward to growing his understanding of how government works. Jaelyn Allen, 19, from Lowell, said she’s eager to get started and ready to improve her writing skills.
Repeat reporter Arianna Hunt comes from Morgantown ready to report with The Statehouse File for another session. Hunt said her biggest goal is to increase her writing speed.
“I want to get better at how fast I can get stories done. A lot of the time, I freeze up or don’t have a streamlined enough process, so I want to get into the rhythm of creating stories consistently,†Hunt said.
Returning reporter John Asplund, 21, from Bloomington, is excited to earn more knowledge in his favorite sector of journalism, videography. He said he wants to continue to produce more content and challenge himself to create more multi-source video packages to show Hoosiers what’s happening at the Statehouse effectively.
Coming back to experience another session, Shelbyville’s Xain Ballenger, 23, is challenging himself to become less introverted. Ballenger also said he plans on trying to find common ground on divisive political topics.
Franklin native Ashlyn Myers, 19, is working with the team for the fifth time since starting at Franklin College. Myers said walking into the Statehouse still feels as exciting as it did when she started.
“I’ve had a ton of different experiences with The Statehouse File, and I’m so excited to keep that trend going this January,†Myers said.
“My goal is to find a specific issue or two to focus on and follow them to the end of the session this March. I’ve written about so many different issues, but I’d like to flex that investigative journalism muscle next.â€
Senior Kyra Howard, 22, began reporting for The Statehouse File on Election Day 2018. She was a senior at Plainfield High School at the time and later committed to Franklin College. This is her last session with TSF before she graduates in May with her psychology and multimedia journalism degree.
“After working with the Statehouse team, I knew Franklin was the right choice for me,†said Howard. “The program allowed me to be a journalist and gain real-world experience from Day 1.â€
​​What can you expect from 2024’s repertoire of students? Krull says the future of the program is bright.
“You know, the cliche I have always used with this is that we seek to tear down the walls and make the world a classroom,†said Krull. “And this is the best example of that.
“In [the] nearly 20 years we’ve been doing this, I’m not sure many students have emerged with more confidence in the processes of government, but almost all of them have emerged with far greater confidence in their own abilities and their own capacities. And that’s what we seek.â€
FOOTNOTE: Â Kyra Howard and Ashlyn Myers are reporters for TheStatehouseFile.com, a news website powered by Franklin College journalism students.Â
 
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