Posey County Radio News and Sports
News:
An Indiana State Police trooper is safe after his vehicle was struck by a semi during a traffic stop on Interstate 64 near Poseyville Thursday morning. Police say Sergeant Russ Werkmeister was conducting a vehicle inspection when his semi-marked Indiana State Police Commission vehicle was hit by a passing semi-tractor trailer. Authorities identified the driver as 55-year-old Randal Boring of Potosi, Missouri. According to police, Werkmeister was able to stop the semi after the crash and was not injured. Boring was not arrested, but he was cited for failure to yield to an emergency vehicle and operating a commercial motor vehicle while ill or fatigued. Indiana State Police are reminding drivers to move over for emergency vehicles and avoid driving while tired. Under Indiana’s “Move Over or Slow Down” law, motorists approaching a stopped vehicle with flashing or hazard lights must change lanes when it is safe to do so. If drivers cannot safely move over, they are required to slow down to at least 10 miles per hour below the posted speed limit. Federal regulations also prohibit commercial drivers from operating a vehicle if illness or fatigue affects their ability to drive safely.
This week, the MSD of Mt. Vernon has started free grab-and-go lunches for the summer. The lunches are for kids under 18 and are available on weekdays throughout the summer. It’s a part of the “Feed Our Future” program and will provide children under the age of 18 a free sack lunch Monday through Friday through July 31st. No registration is required and no child under the age of 18 will be turned away. Lunches may be picked up at 424 Vine Street and 816 East Third Street in Mt. Vernon. Other locations include Twin Lake Mobile Home Park Community Center, Mt. Vernon Mobile Home Park, and Southwind Apartments. Additional information will be made available on the Point Township Church of the Nazarene Facebook page.
Authorities in Posey County are warning residents about a phone scam making the rounds. The Posey County Sheriff’s Office says a man has been calling residents using a spoofed phone number while pretending to be Chief Deputy Jeremy Fortune. According to deputies, the caller tells victims they have a bench warrant and threatens arrest if they don’t immediately pay a bond. Sheriff’s officials stress the calls are fraudulent and say the department will never contact citizens by phone about warrants or demand payment. Anyone receiving one of these calls is urged to hang up immediately and avoid sharing personal or financial information.
Indiana drivers are seeing some relief at the pump, with the Hoosier State now reporting the lowest average gas prices in the country, according to AAA. In Evansville, drivers are paying about $3.89 a gallon. That’s even cheaper than neighboring Kentucky, where gas prices in Henderson are hovering around $4 a gallon. The lower prices are largely tied to Governor Mike Braun’s decision to suspend Indiana’s gas and excise taxes, cutting nearly 59 cents off the price of a gallon of gas. Braun says the state is financially stable enough to pause the tax without impacting Indiana’s infrastructure budget, which is normally funded through those revenues. Drivers say they’re happy to see some relief, especially after higher prices earlier this year, even if they know prices can change quickly. The governor has already extended the tax suspension through June 7th and says it could remain in place for up to 60 additional days if necessary. A decision on another extension is expected sometime in June.
In local high school sports tonight, Mt. Vernon Baseball plays in the semi-finals of the Class 3A Sectional 32 vs Heritage Hills at 5:00 PM. The game is at the University of Evansville. The Wildcats went 12-12 in the regular season and lost to Heritage Hills 19-3 back on April 23rd. The Patriots are 22-4 on the year.
Tomorrow evening, North Posey Baseball plays in the semi-finals of the Class 2A Sectional 48 at South Spencer. The Vikings will take on Perry Central on Friday night at 5:00 PM.
Also tomorrow night, North Posey Softball plays in the championship game of the Class 3A Sectional 32 vs Memorial at 6:00 PM. The Vikings defeated Boonville on Tuesday night, 11-8 and they will battle Memorial, who won 2-1 vs Mt. Vernon on Tuesday.
From Major League Baseball on Wednesday, the St. Louis Cardinals got swept in Milwaukee by the Brewers, 2-1. The Cardinals led 1-0 entering the 8th inning, but the Brewers scored two runs in the 8th inning to take the lead and eventually win. St. Louis has lost 4-straight games and are 29-25 on the season. They are off today, before returning home on Friday to begin a 3-game series with the Chicago Cubs.
The Chicago Cubs were able to snap a 10-game losing streak with a 10-4 win at the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Cubs broke a 4-4 tie with a 6-run 7th inning. Ian Happ had a 5-RBI game for Chicago. They improve to 30-26 on the year and conclude their 4-game series at the Pirates tonight at 5:40 PM.
The Cincinnati Reds saw their 3-game winning streak end as they lost their series finale at the New York Mets, 4-2. The Reds are 29-26 overall. They have today off and are at home on Friday for a 3-game set vs the Atlanta Braves.
In Chicago, the White Sox clobbered the Minnesota Twins, 15-2. The White Sox move to 28-27 and wrap up their 4-game series at home vs the Twins this afternoon at 1:10 PM.