EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Women’s Soccer sophomore goalkeeper Anna Markland (Hoover, Alabama) has been named Ohio Valley Conference co-Goalkeeper of the Week. The OVC’s weekly accolades are voted upon by the league’s communications directors.
Markland claims USI’s first OVC weekly honor of the season. In two home matches last week, Markland continued her strong debut season in goal for the Screaming Eagles. Markland earned her first career win and shutout in Southern Indiana’s 2-0 victory against Austin Peay State University last Thursday. In Sunday’s 1-1 tie against Northern Illinois University, Markland made key punch-away saves for USI, including one in the final seconds to keep the match level. Overall, for the week, Markland totaled six saves.
Starting all eight matches for Southern Indiana this season, Markland has posted a 1.30 goals-against average with 27 saves. Her GAA ranks second in the OVC while her 27 saves are sixth in the league.
Markland and the Screaming Eagles (1-5-2) will next travel to the University of Kansas City on Thursday for a 7 p.m. kickoff against the Roos. The match begins a season-long three-game road swing for Southern Indiana and is the non-conference finale before OVC play starts next week.
The matchup in Kansas City on Thursday can be seen on the Summit League Network. Additional coverage links are on the USI Women’s Soccer schedule page on usiscreamingeagles.com.
A Personal Message from Evansville At-Large City Councilman Ron Beane
September 13, 2023
As you may know, I am running for reelection as an At-Large member of the Evansville City Council. I have been honored to serve you as a member of the City Council for the past four years and hope to have the opportunity to be your representative for another term.
I am writing to share the news I was recently diagnosed with cancer and will be undergoing treatment in the coming weeks. Thankfully, the form of cancer I have is quite treatable, and I am under the care of highly qualified health professionals. I am very optimistic I will achieve a full recovery and am determined to continue my career of service to the citizens of Evansville.
I know many of my fellow Evansville residents have faced similar circumstances, either personally or through the experience of family, friends, or neighbors. I expect there will be times in the days ahead when I will need to focus on my health and well-being.
Having attended every one of the 88 regularly scheduled meetings during my term thus far, my goal is to finish this next four months and serve you for another 4-years.
It is so gratifying to have a strong support system, including my wife and family, personal friends, colleagues, and citizens throughout the city of Evansville, and beyond. I ask for your prayers and support during this time.
With sincere appreciation,
Ron Beane
FOOTNOTE: We ask you to join us in praying for Ron’s quick recovery. Â We consider Ron to be an open. honest, friendly, and effective public servant.
U.S. Sen. Young speaks at Franklin College ahead of Constitution Day
By Sydney Byerly, TheStatehouseFile.com
FRANKLIN, Ind.—U.S. Sen. Todd Young, R-Indiana, really admires Benjamin Franklin’s humility and hope for the future of America. He said so himself.
Franklin College, named for Benjamin Franklin when it was founded just 44 years after his death, hosted the senator for its opening convocation lecture to talk with students, faculty and community members about how they can look to the founding father as an example of an exemplary citizen. The event also was an early commemoration of Constitution Day, the national observance of the anniversary of the signing of the U.S. Constitution on September 17, 1787.
U.S. Sen. Todd Young, R-Indiana, spoke about Ben Franklin’s legacy Monday at Franklin College, located just south of Indianapolis.“We need more Americans to innovate. The traits and practices that lead to these discoveries, the ones Franklin lived out and left behind for us, these are: reason, pragmatism, humility, selflessness, faith in the future, sometimes against all odds,†Young said. “These aren’t just part of Benjamin Franklin’s character, they’ve become part of our nation. We inherited these from Franklin. … We need more Franklin spirit in our nation.â€
Young used the time to highlight Franklin’s character, citing how much the founding fathers invested and believed in the future of the nation. He said Franklin’s humility misled people to believe he did less than he truly did.
“Franklin used his precious time and talents to shape the course of his own era and to shape the very course of human history. He left a model for all of us to do the same in ways big and small,†he said.
“Similarly, I know that you, each and every one of you will do your part in your own way to ensure that our nation and its Constitution will stand and inspire long after we’re all gone.â€
After his speech, Young answered questions from political science students that touched on bipartisan efforts in Supreme Court nominations, the foreign relations committee, and small businesses and entrepreneurship, among other things.
Franklin College juniors and political science majors Amy Garrido Portillo and Cara Mullens said having the senator speak on campus added to what they’ve been learning in their classes and gives them another point of reference in discussions.
“It also just humanizes [politicians] because I think it’s really easy for us to study these people and see how they vote on the bills they create and kind of desensitize ourselves to the fact that they are people, this is their career. So I think just seeing him in person and getting to hear from him was a beneficial experience overall,†Mullens said.
Mullens and Garrido Portillo both felt Young “danced around†some of the questions.
“I think it highlighted the line that politicians do have to walk,†Mullens said. “He’s very clearly walking a fine line because he knows that if he says something just a little bit distasteful and not on that line, I mean, he’s risking losing reelection. I just feel like he dodged a lot.â€
Agreeing with her classmate, Garrido Portillo said, “[Politicians] just have to be careful with what they’re saying, how they’re going about it, but he did a very good job of keeping us engaged. He was very personable.â€
Franklin College President Kerry Prather said the event was a success in his book.
“I think it’s important for us to celebrate Constitution Day. I thought today was great, and I think that was really inspiring for students to hear that the spirit of innovation that we’re trying to foster on campus is really what has kind of driven this country since its founding days, so good for him for tying into our innovation concept.â€
Prather said conversations like this will help the college’s students to keep an open mind and give people with differing opinions their time and ears.
“I think the whole idea of bringing different perspectives to campus, I think this company, this year’s convocation series, is a really good one. Not all of the scholars we bring to campus are household names like this one. But they all have really great perspectives to share with the students,†Prather said.
The next lecture in the series will be on Oct. 3, when animal conservationist Pablo Borboroglu, Ph.d., will talk about the challenges of conservation work and how we can protect penguins.
FOOTNOTE: Sydney Byerly is a reporter for TheStatehouseFile.com, a news website powered by Franklin College journalism students.
On September 14, 5-6:30 pm, at Old National Events Plaza, Leadership Everyone (LE)Â will reveal the data from their Regional VOICE sessions that show what participants want for a preferred future.
Since 2020, LE has hosted 73 Regional VOICE visioning sessions in Gibson, Posey, Vanderburgh, and Warrick Counties, Indiana; and Henderson County, Kentucky. In these meetings, over 2000 diverse participants shared their hopes and dreams for the Region’s future.
The open-source data dashboard will be demonstrated and launched that evening so that anyone can use the VOICE data to inform decisions. Leadership Everyone will highlight some of the ways the data have already been used in the Region, such as for the READI Grant, Promise Neighborhood, and Talent EVV. The dashboard will also be integrated into GROW, the regional data system powered by SAVI.
In addition, Leadership Everyone will announce project areas based on the findings and invite the public to join project teams. LE will supply project leads for each group. Success stories will be shared from early projects stemming from VOICE data, such as a partnership with Bosse High School.
LE plans to continue hosting vision sessions beginning in 2024 to maintain an active data repository for the Region to learn from and use.
“Regional VOICE sessions have been extraordinarily inclusive—all people’s voices are represented in our data,†says Lynn Miller Pease, CEO of Leadership Everyone. “We now want to make sure even more people are a part of the work based on those visions. We welcome everyone to join us in continuing to transform our community through Regional VOICE.â€
EVANSVILLE, IND. (09/12/2023) Earning a college degree in just three years has become more attainable, thanks to the introduction of Degrees in 3 at the University of Evansville (UE).
Degrees in 3 offers accelerated degree plans designed to empower students to complete a bachelor’s degree in just three years, save both time and money without sacrificing the quality of the educational experience. Degrees in 3 plans are available for all areas of Business, including Accounting, Finance, Global Business, Management, Marketing, and Logistics and Supply Chain Management. Other majors that have three-year plans include Nursing, Exercise Science, Archaeology, Elementary Education, and Secondary Education.
Degrees in 3Â places a strong emphasis on career preparation, ensuring that graduates are well-equipped with the skills and knowledge needed to excel in their chosen professions.
Each three-year program is designed to allow students to earn a degree sooner without sacrificing the quality education and experiential opportunities that UE is known for. Students will also have access to some opportunities for study abroad and internships, depending on the program. The degree plans vary by major and may require students to bring in college or AP credit, to take summer courses, and/or to take full course loads each semester.
UE understands the challenges that college students face in today’s changing world, and Degrees in 3 will work to reduce the financial burden on those attending college.
“We are thrilled to introduce Degrees in 3, which represents a major milestone in our commitment to providing accessible, affordable, and high-quality education,” said Kenton Hargis, Senior Director of Admission. “This innovative approach will empower students in some majors to fast-track their education and launch successful careers through a carefully structured curriculum that ultimately saves them time and money.”
Prospective students, parents, and educators are encouraged to visit evansville.edu/Degreesin3 to learn more about Degrees in 3.
WASHINGTON (Sept. 12, 2023) – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released a new report that finds that President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act – the largest climate investment ever – spurs major carbon dioxide (CO2) emission reductions from the U.S. electricity sector and across the economy. The report, “Electricity Sector Emissions Impacts of the Inflation Reduction Act: Assessment of projected CO2 emissions reductions from changes in electricity generation and use,†relies upon results from state-of-the-art models to assess how the Inflation Reduction Act’s investments in clean electricity and other climate solutions across sectors will reduce emissions. Since taking office, the Biden-Harris Administration has delivered on the most ambitious climate agenda in history, which is lowering energy costs for families, creating jobs across the country, and protecting lands and waters for future generations.
EPA’s analysis finds that the Inflation Reduction Act:
•  Lowers economy-wide CO2 emissions, which include electricity generation and use, by 35 to 43% below 2005 levels in 2030.
•  Spurs CO2 emissions reductions from the electric power sector of 49 to 83% below 2005 levels in 2030.
•  Reduces CO2 emissions in all end-use sectors, most significantly in residential and commercial buildings followed by industry and transportation.
“The Inflation Reduction Act is transforming energy production and consumption in dramatic ways, paving the way towards a clean energy future,â€Â said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “This report shows robust evidence that America’s clean energy transformation is driving significant reductions in CO2 emissions, putting us on a clear path to achieve President Biden’s bold climate goals.â€
“EPA’s report confirms that the Inflation Reduction Act has supercharged climate action in the United States,â€Â said John Podesta, Senior Advisor to the President for Clean Energy Innovation and Implementation. “This transformational law is enabling America to reach our climate goals by building a clean energy economy across every sector—power, transportation, buildings, and industry.â€
On August 16, 2022, President Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act into law, marking the most significant policy action on clean energy and climate change in history. This report was written to satisfy the requirement in section 60107(5) of the Inflation Reduction Act that directs EPA to assess the reductions in greenhouse gas emissions that result from changes in domestic electricity generation and use through 2031.
The report finds that the Inflation Reduction Act has greatly accelerated efforts to lower economy-wide CO2 emissions. The results from EPA’s analysis of an array of multi-sector and electric sector modeling efforts show that a wide range of emissions reductions are possible. This finding reflects diversity in how the models represent the Inflation Reduction Act, the assumptions the models use, and fundamental differences in model structures. The analysis also explores sensitivity cases that vary assumptions about IRA implementation, technology costs, and deployment constraints – finding electric sector emissions reductions of up to 91% below 2005 levels in 2030 under advanced technology assumptions.
This report does not reflect rules and regulations that are currently in the process of being developed or finalized. Nor does it analyze non-CO2 emissions or land-sink carbon removals.
This report is consistent with, and incorporates results from, recent reports issued by the Department of Energy and National Renewable Energy Laboratory, as well as results from a peer-reviewed analysis conducted by external, independent, energy and emissions modeling experts. The reports all show accelerated and significant reductions in U.S. carbon dioxide emissions with the implementation of the Inflation Reduction Act.
The University of Southern Indiana Multicultural Center is excited to present Rhythm Fest 2023, featuring live music performances, dancing and food, at 6 p.m. Thursday, September 21 in the USI Performance Center. Doors will open at 5:30 p.m., and the event is open to the public at no charge.
Rhythm Fest will feature Dekar Justus and the Bodyguards, OBootney Lee, JustBrandon, Eli Youngblood and DJ Elo. Refreshments will also be available.
“The Multicultural Center is looking forward to Rhythm Fest this year,†says Deonte Turnley, Program Advisor for the Multicultural Center. “The performers are good at engaging and entertaining a crowd, and it will be a good opportunity for these local artists to showcase their talents to not only USI, but the Evansville community, too.â€
Quebec City, Quebec – The Evansville Otters hit three home runs in the last two innings but a three-run walk-off home run gave the Quebec Capitales a 7-6 win in the first game of the Frontier League Championship Series on Tuesday night at the Stade Canac.
Tied at 2-2 going to the eighth, Josh Allen hit a towering go-ahead two-run homer to left. Quebec hit back-to-back solo blasts in the bottom of the frame to tie the game.
Evansville responded in the top of the ninth with Gary Mattis hitting a go-ahead solo home run down the left field line. Jake Green followed later in the inning, blasting a solo long ball to left field to give the Otters a 6-4 lead.
In the bottom of the ninth, a strikeout started the inning. A Quebec batter was hit by a pitch on a full count and the next Capitales’ batter worked a full count walk.
Justin Gideon then blasted the walk-off three run homer over the left field wall.
Braden Scott was brilliant in a seven inning start for Evansville. He allowed just one earned run on five hits with eight strikeouts.
The two teams traded two runs in the fifth inning. For Evansville, Mattis notched a single in the fifth and Bryan Rosario followed with a bunt base hit.
Green then walked to load the bases. George Callil came in clutch by lining a ball up the middle to score the first two runs of the game on a two-RBI single.
Quebec used back to back doubles to score two runs in the fifth inning.
Evansville closer Jake Polancic suffered the loss in pitching the ninth. Frank Moscatiello pitched the top of the ninth for Quebec and earned the win.
Mattis led the Otters on offense with two hits, two runs and a walk. His go-ahead homer in the ninth was his first long ball of the season with Evansville.
Evansville and Quebec continue the best of five Frontier League Championship Series on Wednesday night at the Stade Canac. First pitch is slated for 7:05 p.m. ET from Quebec City, Quebec.
The Otters return home for game three of the Frontier League Championship Series on Friday night. Tickets at Bosse Field are still available for purchase here.
Tell me if you’ve seen this before: An ordinary young man somehow obtains superpowers—and good thing because there’s a bad guy (or gal in this case), so he has to learn to control his powers, there are epic fight scenes, and when it seems like our hero is about to lose, it’s the love of family that gives him strength to pull through. Oh, and he randomly meets a young woman with supermodel looks who happens to be connected to the conflict, and—don’t gasp now—there’s a spark between them.
Scott McDaniel, assistant professor of journalism at Franklin College.
That’s “Blue Beetleâ€â€”a new DC adventure that didn’t need to be made.
What I mean is—if you’ve seen superhero movies, and there are plenty of them, you’ve probably seen this story already.
Beyond its formulaic structure, the backstory also doesn’t make a lot of sense; an alien scarab device has come to earth, and when it chooses a host, it grants that person powers in what’s arguably the most frightening superhero transformation you’ll see. But why? Why choose him? Why is the scarab there to begin with? What’s its motivation?
The same goes for Victoria Kord, the villain played by Susan Sarandon. She’s the leader of yet another powerful corporation with seemingly infinite resources, wanting nothing but power and world domination, blah, blah, blah—but the award-winning actress feels wasted, the character so one-note, barely developed beyond that tired motive.
Speaking of the cast, our hero Jaime Reyes is played by Xolo Maridueña from “Cobra Kaiâ€â€”and from the start, he’s a wild overactor. Chill with the intense eye contact, bro.
There are legitimately funny parts in the movie, led by Uncle Rudy (George Lopez), whose one-liners and comedic timing are terrific. But he’s also one of the least believable characters, who conveniently has the random technical skills the writers needed to move the plot from point A to point B.
While my list of frustrations is long, what I do appreciate is that “Blue Beetle” is the first Latino superhero in a DC movie. I love that the story has a tight-knit Mexican-American family at its center. And while I’m happy to see more diversity in these blockbusters, it’s the only thing that makes “Blue Beetle†different from so many others like it. It doesn’t hold a candle to the “Spiderverse†movies, which have the Afro-Latino Miles Morales as their hero—but also stories that are uniquely amazing.
I love superhero movies, and it’s not that “Blue Beetle†is a bad one—to its credit, it pulls away from the source material that traces back to a 1939 comic, attempting to have a fresh start. The problem is, it doesn’t feel fresh because it’s the same recycled superhero plots and cliches, with a more diverse cast.
FOOTNOTE: Scott is an assistant professor of journalism at Franklin College. He lives in Bargersville with his wife and three kids.
