February/March 2026

A Nov. 25, 2025, media event at the Warrick County Museum pulsed with pre-holiday excitement. Standing onstage with Christmas trees in the background and television cameras rolling, Boonville, Indiana, resident Teresa Shanks, among others, announced that the EDGE of the

Sandy Ford’s life has bustled with activity. The retired nurse has enjoyed a 37-year career caring for patients at Evansville State Hospital, raised her son, R.J., and, today, plays with her grandchildren. Such an active life may have seemed impossible

On a recent Friday afternoon, my wife, Kristen, and I were going to lunch and asked our younger son, Jackson — home from college on winter break — if he wanted to join us. Of course, he did; he knew

 BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT  'Never-Ending Energy' With retirement coming, Ray Simmons is honored by his peers. By John Martin Ray Simmons has been with the University of Southern Indiana for 37 of the institution’s 61 years, working in sports information and communications

Beautifying a community doesn’t happen in one fell swoop, as discussed in June/July 2025 Evansville Business, but measures passed by city officials strive for long-term positive impacts. One ordinance passed in July 2025 expands the Building Commission’s authority to collect

 Education  Bachelor of Science in journalism, University of New Mexico (1994)  Hometown  Evansville  Resume  President, Junior Achievement of Southwestern Indiana (November 2025-present); executive director, Ark Crisis Children’s Center (2011-25); director of development, St. Vincent Early Learning Center (2009-11); morning and

Baseballs, dragons, a stuffed lion sporting an Evansville Aces T-shirt — the themed pediatric care rooms at Ascension St. Vincent Evansville’s Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital are decked out to cheer up young patients. “We were looking for a healing and

For nearly half a century, architects at Hafer have shaped regional structures such as Deaconess Aquatic Center, United Companies Air Center, and Wesselman Woods’ Arwood Family Treehouse. But a recent project turned the firm’s design focus on itself. Eric Rang,

Mesker Park Zoo & Botanic Garden celebrated a banner year in 2025. Not only did the winner of Evansville Living’s Best Family Attraction award welcome a record-setting 229,278 visitors, it also savored success with Wild Summer Lights, an eight-week light

Tackling the opioid crisis is a massive undertaking, but local groups are making big strides. After the state of Indiana received approximately $508 million of 2021’s $26 billion federal settlement with opioid manufacturers and pharmaceutical distributors, $3.4 million initially was

By the volume of buildings named for him, Francis Joseph Reitz clearly left his mark on Evansville. One of 10 children in the prosperous German family, he accumulated wealth on his own and ended up giving away half. Ninety-five years

Remember those weather siren tests that blared across town each Friday at noon? They are a thing of the past. Through system upgrades a few years ago, “we can individually and electronically quiz each unit and make sure they are ready,”

Launching Your Own Business 3-5 p.m. March 10, Innovation Pointe, 318 Main St., Fourth Floor Ready to be your own boss? Southwest Indiana Small Business Development Center advisers help you assess your business’ readiness at this free seminar. AI and

TaylorMade Golf Co. is expanding its Vanderburgh County presence, adding up to 50 new jobs by the end of 2031, Gov. Mike Braun said in a Feb. 25 news release issued by the Evansville Regional Economic Partnership. The company moved

The Evansville Regional Economic Partnership and its Boston, Massachusetts-based engineering partner Sasaki have released updated renderings of a long-term vision to overhaul Evansville’s Ohio River shoreline Downtown. Designs shared Feb. 11 show sports courts and townhouses near Sunset Skatepark and

In  the “City of Brotherly Love,” it's a family affair — with a twist. Hired as bench coach for the Philadelphia Phillies, Don Mattingly is working for his son, Preston, the club's general manager. “He is my boss,” says Don,

A familiar sound has returned to Downtown Evansville: the chime of the Old Vanderburgh County Courthouse bell. It had been silent for six months after an undetected microcrack in the 100-pound-plus drop hammer formed into a full crack, necessitating repairs.