Photo of Penelope and Darrell Pennington at the Into The Grave festival provided by Penelope Pennington
Darrell and Penelope Pennington made good on their goal to travel the world, as detailed in the July/August 2024 issue. Since listing their home and selling most of their belongings, the couple has visited a dozen countries. In this monthly series, Penelope — who quips she’s “a broad abroad” — shares missives from the road. Read the inaugural column here.
Hello, Evansville Living readers! Thanks for joining us, and I hope that you enjoy our stories. In this column, we’re taking you on Europe’s festival circuit.
Woodstock, held in upstate New York in August 1969, is arguably the most famous multi-day music festival of all time. That said, the European Continent perfected and popularized the concept with the Glastonbury Festival (originally called the Pilton Pop, Folk and Blues Festival) in September 1970 near Somerset, England. Festivals exploded across the continent after that, becoming an annual right of passage for hard rock and heavy metal fans when Monsters of Rock debuted in 1980 at Castle Donington in Leicestershire, England.
When we made the decision to travel the world, we selected Europe as our initial destination for 13 months. Darrell immediately started researching festivals that would occur during our time there, and we ended up routing our travels around two festivals he selected for us to attend.
Darrell, being primarily a heavy music fan, focused on festivals of that genre that highlighted bands he loves and had not yet seen live. After hours of research, he decided that we should attend the Into The Grave Festival in Leeuwarden, Netherlands, and Rockstadt Extreme Fest in Brașov, Romania. While we have attended single-day music fests in America, European festivals really take it up a notch and are something to behold.
Photo of Penelope Pennington wearing her cigarette festival earrings at Rockstadt Extreme provided by Penelope Pennington
Into The Grave was held over three days in mid-June, essentially in the center of Leeuwarden, a city in the northern Netherlands dating back to the 10th century. Music fans rocked and headbanged to 26 bands set up on two stages for up to 12 hours each day. In addition to the music, food, drink, and merchandise vendors, fans enjoyed impeccable weather and hospitable festival hosts for 33 hours of flawless organization and nothing but fun and friendly interactions. We did not witness a single negative confrontation over our three days there and enjoyed fantastic music and unparalleled people watching.
Heavy metal fans, especially in Europe, are a tribe of sorts, who typically observe a dress code: lots of black concert shirts, of course, with an incredible display of “battle vests” – sleeveless jean jackets covered in rock band patches. They are unique pieces of wearable art on display, and the level of pride held by the wearers is evident. Darrell has his own. Vests were pretty unique to see at American concerts, so he has stood out there for years, but his vest was just one of thousands in Leeuwarden. The music was incredible and not as loud and overbearing as I feared it might be. Thirty-six bands over three days sounds like a lot, and this was only a precursor to our festival July 30-Aug. 3 in Romania.
Rockstadt Extreme Fest is held over five days and features music played at a centuries-old military fortress on a mountaintop near Transylvania. This year’s lineup included a salute to Black Sabbath singer Ozzy Osbourne, who died eight days before the festival. Rockstadt Extreme has a cap of 13,000 attendees, and the smell of a moldy odor, cigarettes, beer, and Romanian meats was a powerful fragrance that wafted across the outdoor festival air, which ranged in temperature from 65 to 80 degrees. Stage-side buffets offered Eastern European dishes like hummus, chickpeas in curry with rice, and shawarma. I wore my favorite concert/festival earrings, which look like I have cigarettes dangling from my ears. A woman walked up to me and, in Romanian, asked if I had a light. She had a hand-rolled cigarette in her hand and motioned the universal sign for a lighter. I understood, but said that I don’t smoke. Fashion is not always representative of lifestyle — follow us on our travels and see for yourself!
Follow the Penningtons on YouTube, TikTok, and Facebook @penelopepennington. In their fourth column, the Penningtons detail the friendly welcomes they’ve received as Americans traveling abroad.
Photo of Lilly King and fiancé James Wells during an August vacation in Maine provided by Lilly King
Lilly King isn’t swimming a lot these days. After years in the spotlight and with her time in constant demand, the six-time Olympic medalist retired after her last race Aug. 3 at the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore. Now, “I’m going to be bored for a while,” she says from her home in Bloomington, Indiana. Back from a recent Maine vacation with her fiancé James Wells, King tells Evansville Living what she misses most — and least — about swimming, her proudest achievements, and what’s next down the lane.
Editor’s note: This Q&A is an expanded version of the interview with Lilly King appearing in the September/October 2025 issue.
How is your body adjusting to not training now? I’ve just started my running journey. I’m walking my dogs and going for casual runs. I’m not terribly sore right now. I’ve got about two months until our wedding, so I need to stay in shape. [laughs] But finding the new normal, that’s been the theme.
To become what many consider the greatest female breaststroker in history, what gave you that extra edge? Was it technique, practice, or simply outworking your competitors? It was a little bit of everything. Maybe this is more typical of American athletes than European athletes, but I never pigeonholed myself into one event. Originally, I was a sprint breaststroker. When I came up in the NCAA, my 200 got better, and that became my signature event. But I never wanted to be just one thing. I trained too hard to be just a sprinter! And the work I put in practice was reflected in my races.
When you were 12, you won your first individual state championship. How did that compare, at the time, with later winning your first individual Olympic medal? It was a pretty similar reaction and feelings. I’d been swimming for five years — almost half my life — and I’d never really won anything big, and that was the first time I felt that I’d accomplished what I thought I could do. That was a life-changing swim for me. For 4-5 years, I’d practiced and worked and worked. Winning the state title was the coolest thing that had ever happened to me. I walked into the pool thinking I was the best thing on planet earth. The Olympic win was life-changing in a different way. At that point, especially that year, I was on a roll. Every time I hit the water, I did something incredible, and what a blessing that was. After that, my lifestyle changed. I had money; I hadn’t had sponsorships before. I had people who wanted to talk to me every moment of every day. I was giving interviews 4-5 times a week and making appearances every weekend. I was still going to school. Instead of being the one chasing, I was the one being chased.
Is there one moment in your career that stands out as your greatest moment, and is there one moment that stands out as the most disappointing? Greatest … it’s hard to nail down just one that’s my favorite. Winning in Rio was amazing — my first Olympic win was cool. Setting the world record in Budapest is up there, too. The most disappointing was getting the bronze medal in Tokyo. That kind of broke me for a while. But then I came back three days later and won silver in one of the best races in my career.
How much did you enjoy sharing your career and success with your parents and brother? We’re not a very sentimental family. We just go through life and take everything in stride. But at my last race at Nationals in Indianapolis, they were all there: my aunt and uncle, my grandmother, my friends. We all went out to dinner after my race, and it was such a cool moment having all the people I love together. Having them there celebrating me was really special. They’ve 100 percent been part of my journey.
How did you like competing as a team member for Indiana University vs. as a team member for the USA? What was alike? What was different? I was a Junior Team USA member before college, so it was less of a transition. That’s what I was used to. Going pro was very different and not my favorite thing. I was used to racing and competing a lot with a team. The fall after my senior year of college, we had the International Swimming League, so I did kind of have an outlet immediately after college that was similar to collegiate swimming. After ISL went under, it wasn’t fun because there are not many swim meets throughout the year. There are hardly any racing opportunities until maybe January or March. I’m wanting to find more options for pro swimmers to compete.
What will you miss the most and the least about staring at lane lines? I’ll miss the people, especially my coaches at IU and the staff and teammates with Team USA. I have been through a lot of things with them in the last 10-12 years. What I’ll miss the least is my body hurting all the time! I get to do whatever I want now. I’m not on the clock 24/7. Recently, I got to drive up to Indianapolis to have dinner and drinks with a friend, and I couldn’t do that before because I always had to practice.
How long do you think it will be until you want to do just fitness laps? Oh, geez. It’s going to be a while. I want to miss it for a little while. I haven’t touched a pool since Aug. 3. Before, I had nine swims a week at two hours each. Every day but Sunday. My fiancé is a retired swimmer and only swims in the summer outside. He calls himself a fair-weather athlete, so maybe some of that will rub off on me! [laughs]
What are your next career steps? What are you looking forward to in your next chapter: marriage, where you’ll live, how you’ll make a living? I don’t really know! That’s kind of the beauty in this. I’m going to be bored for a while. Lots of people figure out what they want to do when they’re 18-23. Now, I’m going to figure out what I like to do. I’m doing weekend swim clinics for club teams, doing some public speaking. I’ve been very fortunate making a living swimming, so I’m good for a bit. I’ll live in Bloomington for the next year. My fiancé is applying for an astrophysics fellowship program, so wherever he’s accepted, that’s where we’ll go next!
Have you accomplished what you wanted to in swimming? I definitely accomplished everything several years ago. All T’s are crossed and I’s are dotted.
If you’d not been a swimmer and had pursued another sport, what would it have been? If you could do it all over again, would you still choose swimming? I did every other sport growing up, and I just didn’t like them much! The only thing that would have given me the satisfaction of walking into a stadium with 20,000 people screaming my name would be if I were a pop star. I did want to be Hannah Montana for a while. But I can’t sing! But it took me 12 years to get where I am in swimming, so maybe in another 12 years, I can be a pop star!
Photo of construction on the Section 3 Indiana I-69 Ohio River Bridge approach as of August 2025 courtesy of I-69 Ohio River Crossing.
Decades in the making, the Interstate 69 bridge project is drawing closer to reality, with current projections showing a completed, tolled span above the Ohio River in about seven years.
The bridge will be about 1.5 miles east of the U.S. 41 Bi-State Vietnam Gold Star Twin Bridges, with construction cost estimates in the $1 billion range. Transportation officials from Indiana and Kentucky spoke about the massive project during an Aug. 21 event hosted by the Evansville Regional Economic Partnership at Bally’s Evansville.
The audience learned about cooperation between the states, funding challenges, and an update on where construction stands on both sides of the river, which was reported in August/September 2025 Evansville Business.
Drivers in Henderson, Kentucky, have navigated major construction since 2022, when $158
million in road and bridge work related to I-69 got underway. The list has included six miles of new road, nine new bridges (seven of which are completed), seven rehabilitated bridges (all done), and new interchanges at U.S. 60 and U.S. 41, as well as roundabouts on Kentucky 351. All of the work in Henderson will be finished by the end of 2025, says Mindy Peterson, spokesperson for the Ohio River Crossing (ORX) project.
Photo of work on the U.S. 60 interchange as of July 2025 courtesy of I-69 Ohio River Crossing
In Indiana, ground was broken in fall 2024 in a cornfield just north of the river, signaling the start of $202 million on a road extension and bridges approaching the future I-69 span. Peterson says construction crews are working in a floodplain that’s been submerged twice this year. Officials expect to complete about 60 percent of the Indiana work this year, wrapping it up by the end of 2026.
The current schedule calls for a contract to build the I-69 bridge to be awarded in late 2026 and construction to start in early 2027, with completion planned for 2031 — though officials hope work is completed sooner. Peterson says the bridge’s cost is to come from “a combination of state and federal dollars. We do have alternative funding, and part of that equation is tolls on the I-69 bridge.”
Toll Talk
During remarks at the Aug. 21 luncheon, Kentucky Secretary of Transportation Jim Gray and Indiana Secretary of Transportation and Infrastructure Matthew Ubelhor spoke about the issue of tolls.
Uebelhor pointed to declines in fuel tax revenues brought on by vehicles that are more efficient, as well as hybrid and electric models. He also noted that I-69 will connect the Canadian and Mexican borders, “and I’m not sure (the bridge) should be supported totally by the taxpayers of Indiana and Kenutcky and when the world and all of the United States are using that corridor.”
Gray agreed, and he also cited growing construction costs. “We are all dealing with where we are having to do more with less,” he said. “Our gasoline tax in Kentucky has declined, and it’s at the same level it was in 2011. So these are significant challenges … that alternative revenue source [toll revenue] has got to be part of the future.”
What about the Twin Bridges?
Peterson addressed the future of the Twin Bridges. The I-69 Ohio River Crossing project’s
Record of Decision calls for the southbound U.S. 41 bridge, built in 1965, to be removed from service once the I-69 bridge is open to vehicles. The northbound bridge, built in 1932, will remain in use with two-way traffic.
That has not changed, Peterson said, but she added that transportation officials are well-aware of the local community’s desire to keep both U.S. 41 bridges in service.
“We know how important those bridges are to both Henderson and Evansville,” Peterson told reporters after the E-REP event. “We have a tremendous amount of time between now and that new I-69 bridge opening to traffic in 2031. Nothing is happening to those (U.S. 41) Twin Bridges until the new bridge opens, and we have a lot of discussions continuing. It will be up to policymakers, funding, and what’s possible. We know the community sentiment.”
Photo by Richard Hicks from the Dec. 8, 1991, issue of Evansville Courier from Newspapers.com
Editor’s note: This story first published Aug. 20, 2025, on www.evansvilleliving.com and is an extended version of the story appearing in November/December 2025 Evansville Living.
Evansville is a second home to ESPN reporter, commentator, and host Harry Lyles Jr., and he was eager to take on a story about the city’s brush with Madonna way back during the filming of “A League of Their Own.”
Let’s set the scene: In the Nov. 23, 1991, issue of TV Guide, the singer spoke with MTV anchor Kurt Loder about her time in Evansville the previous summer, when baseball scenes in the 1992 movie were shot at Bosse Field. The piece’s incriminating line was Madonna’s summation of her time in the River City: “I may as well have been in Prague,” Loder quoted the Material Girl as saying.
The ensuing eruption in Evansville included anti-Madonna letters to the city’s two daily newspapers, waves of hostile on-air conversation, and — perhaps most famously — a human billboard protest Dec. 7, 1991, when about 300 city defenders spelled out “Madonna” with a circle/slash through her name in the Roberts Municipal Stadium parking lot. The resulting aerial photograph was seen nationally.
Photo of Harry Lyles Jr. courtesy of ESPN Images
Why would this interest an ESPN reporter in 2025? Lyles was born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, but is well-versed in Evansville and all its lore. His father graduated from F.J. Reitz High School and the University of Southern Indiana, and his grandfather was the first Black member of the Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation board. Lyles also is a direct descendant of Joshua Lyles, who in the late 1840s established Lyles Station, the Gibson County community that was one of Indiana’s early Black rural settlements.
“Naturally, I have spent a lot of time in Evansville, so much that when friends and family are like, ‘When are you coming back?’ they say, ‘When are you coming home?’” Lyles says.
He thought the Madonna-Evansville brouhaha was a story worth revisiting — “I’ve been wanting to do it for years,” Lyles, 33, told Evansville Living. His ESPN editors agreed. Lyles says that the more calls he made and research he did on the 1991 events, the more convinced he became about the story’s merit. His retrospective appeared Aug. 18 on ESPN.com; he dove into the piece before his fall schedule has him covering college football for the network.
His piece recalls some of the local histrionics stemming from Madonna’s attributed comments to Loder. In addition to the parking lot protest organized by longtime radio station WSTO Hot 96, it mentions a July 1992 fundraising picnic at Burdette Park to benefit the Special Olympics. Cheekily dubbed the “Evansville-Prague Summer Olympics,” the picnic sent invites to the Czech embassy in Washington, D.C., and Madonna. The singer didn’t reply, but Lyles noted the embassy sent regrets on behalf of then-Czechoslovakian President Václav Havel.
Photo of Madonna and Justin Scheller during filming of “A League of Their Own” provided by Scheller, a Wadesville, Indiana, native who played Stilwell in the film.
Lyles’ piece describes some of the local reaction to Madonna’s published TV Guide comment as “manufactured outrage that turned into national press.” It points out that the singer “got along fine” with people in Evansville during her time here, including then-USI baseball coach Gary Redman, who taught baseball fundamentals to her and the other Hollywood stars in “A League of Their Own.” Madonna, Redman told Lyles, “couldn’t have been any sweeter” to him and his family.
“She wasn’t as unpleasant as people made her out to be,” Lyles adds. “She donated to the local AIDS group. Different things like that. She had an experience with a blind fan and went out of his way to make him comfortable.”
To Lyles, the episode was an example of how “unfairly Madonna was covered at her peak. It was filled with misogyny and sexism. To me, the story shows how poorly we can treat female celebrities at times,” he says. “That’s not to say she’s beyond criticism. But I went through every Evansville Courier and Evansville Press story at the time, and there were a lot of articles that were about dragging her name into something that had nothing to do with her. If you took offense at what she said, OK, but there is a line, and that line was often crossed.”
Longtime Evansville sports reporter and current Evansville Living contributor Gordon Engelhardt told Lyles that, looking back, the controversy stemming from Madonna’s comments was “overdone” and “overblown.” Bill Bussing, owner of the Evansville Otters Frontier League baseball team that’s played in Bosse Field since 1995, says Madonna would be welcomed back to Evansville and “we don’t bear grudges here.”
Photo provided by Harry Lyles Jr.
Lyles, who says his must-visit list on trips to Evansville includes Lic’s Deli & Ice Cream and Steve’s Una Pizza on Washington Avenue, concludes his ESPN piece by saying “opportunity” was at the root of the Madonna-Evansville story.
“A local radio station saw an opportunity to take advantage of its proximity to the biggest star on the planet,” he writes. “National media did the same after the parking lot stunt. But most importantly, Evansville got the opportunity to mix with Hollywood, and that’s how many residents remember the experience. It’s one more thing the town can be proud of.”
Lyles notes to Evansville Living that the rise of his own journalism career is tied to Evansville — specifically, the University of Evansville men’s basketball team’s upset of then-No. 1 Kentucky on Nov. 12, 2019, on the Wildcats’ home court at Rupp Arena in Lexington. Lyles, working for SB Nation at the time, was at UE’s practices prior to the game, and he rode with the Aces to and from Rupp Arena. Lyles says his coverage of the game, which included viral celebration footage in UE’s locker room, led to his hire by ESPN.
“It was life-changing,” Lyles says. He has a framed UE jersey and the Courier & Press front page from the morning after the game hanging in his home.
Photo by Jodi Keen. Newburgh Police Department Officer Mallory Ladd received an AED from HeartSaver on Aug. 14 for St. John the Baptist Catholic School.
When a cardiac crisis occurs, seconds matter. That’s why HeartSaver exists.
The 11-year-old program funds and distributes automated external defibrillators to organizations in a 13-county area of Southwestern Indiana, Western Kentucky, and Southeastern Illinois. At $1,650, AEDs are no small purchase, but the shocks they administer to people experiencing a heart emergency often can save lives. The most recent donation on Aug. 14 placed another 50 AEDs into local hands, bringing the total of awarded devices to 988.
“When we began this effort in 2014, we thought if we placed 50 AEDs, we would have enough in the community. Imagine our shock when we learned that figure barely scratched the surface of the need,” HeartSaver committee chair Kirsten Wagmeister told Evansville Living in the January/February 2025 issue.
Photo by Marisa Patwa, Deaconess Health System. More than 30 regional agencies received AEDs from HeartSaver on Aug. 14.
More than thirty agencies — from attractions like Mesker Park Zoo & Botanic Garden and nonprofits like SWIRCA & More, to sports groups like the Youth Soccer Leagues in Huntingburg, Indiana — were handed AEDs on Aug. 14, plus complimentary training by Deaconess Health System. Devices are equipped with clear instructions and system-based checks, so anyone — trained or not — can safely use them. Due to a long battery life, AEDs can administer up to 300 shocks.
Mallory Ladd was one recipient of this HeartSaver donation cycle. The Newburgh Police Department officer was picking up her second AED, this time through her work as the school resource officer for St. John the Baptist Catholic School.
“I’m all about safety, whether it’s medical, fire or the police world of crime,” she says. “I was so proud to see everybody here from all different types of organizations. I can tell you firsthand that this is self-explanatory and you’ll be able to use it under pressure.”
Ladd’s determination is influenced by her own medical emergency. Five years ago, she unexpectedly suffered a cardiac incident at a wedding in Spencer County, Indiana. First responders who were also guests treated her and got her to the hospital. While she survived without an AED, she acknowledges that having a device can mean the difference between life and death. “So, I take this baby everywhere, even inside my house,” Ladd says. “This whole thing is dear to my heart, literally.”
Wagmeister agrees, saying the advanced technology so that anyone can use an AED makes it a worthwhile investment. “AEDs are more expensive now, but how do you put a price tag on a life?” she says. “You can’t — it’s priceless. This is a miracle in a box.”
Photo of Wild Summer Lights entrance at Mesker Park Zoo & Botanic Garden by Laura Mathis
Mesker Park Zoo & Botanic Garden is about to become an even brighter attraction.
From Aug. 14 until early October, the zoo hosts Wild Summer Lights, a Chinese lantern festival featuring more than 40 different displays in a mile-long lighted attraction. Chicago, Illinois-based Tianyu Arts & Culture, Inc. — a subsidiary of Sichuan Tianyu Culture Communication Co., Ltd., headquartered in Zigong, China — set up the lighted displays featured in 78 cities throughout the U.S., including the Saint Louis Zoo in Missouri, Louisville Zoo in Kentucky, and Cleveland Metroparks Zoo in Ohio. The Powatami Zoo in South Bend, Indiana, hosted Zoo Luminate from March through June.
Photo of lantern display at Mesker Park Zoo & Botanic Garden’s Wild Summer Lights by Laura Mathis
Mesker reached out about hosting back in December 2024 as Tianyu began expanding its reach into secondary and tertiary markets. According to Kristin Comer, the zoo’s director of institutional advancement, initial conversations included collecting data on yearly visitors — the zoo welcomed around 196,000 in 2024 — and a proposal from Tianyu. “The proposal really captured everything we wanted for this show. The team from Tianyu Arts & Culture, Inc. has been great to work with,” Comer says.
Next came a site visit by Tianyu, along with a theme for the lantern attraction that tells the zoo’s 97-year-old story and mission. It’s taken three weeks and nine semitrailers worth of materials to set up the festival. “Watching it go up during the last three weeks has been a lot of fun for us as well as guests,” Comer says.
Photo of lantern display at Mesker Park Zoo & Botanic Garden’s Wild Summer Lights by Laura Mathis
Not only is Mesker a zoo focused on animal conservation, its conservation efforts also extend to its botanic garden filled with native plants and pollinators. Playing to that theme, a large glowing green archway with butterflies and caterpillars welcomes guests to the zoo entrance.
The attraction also features food trucks, acoustic music, and a walk-through, light-up tunnel with glowing floors. A giant glowing macaw records guest comments and repeats them back.
Photo of Macaw lantern display at Mesker Park Zoo & Botanic Garden’s Wild Summer Lights by Laura Mathis
“There really hasn’t been a festival like this in Evansville,” Comer says, adding that even though school is back in session, “It’s a great way to extend our summer.”
As far as animal welfare is concerned, that is the zoo’s number one priority, above attractions. Executive Director Erik Beck says this festival should not disturb any of the animal residents. “They are used to seeing lots of people,” Beck says.
Comer shares that the zoo has worked with Tianyu to create a marketing plan involving billboards, radio, TV, social media, and Evansville Living ads. The festival is a revenue-sharing partnership between Mesker and Tianyu. The company has brought seven million visitors to its various attractions.
“We expect a huge turnout. I hope it reignites more excitement about the zoo,” Comer says.
“I’m so excited for this and can’t wait to get my family out there,” Danielle Crook, executive director of the Evansville Parks and Recreation Department, said during an Aug. 6 Board of Park Commissioners meeting where the festival was discussed.
Wild Summer Lights runs 5:30-9:30 p.m. Thursday-Sunday through Oct. 5. While animal interactions will be limited during festival hours, guests can access Mesker’s gift shop and carousel. Purchase tickets — $18 for adults, $16 for children, and $13 for members — online or call the zoo for assistance.
Signature, Please Hope Jordan’s mobile notary service makes signing documents a breeze
by Maggie Valenti
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Hope Jordan noticed a gap: the lack of an easy way to get documents certified. After a 20-year career in the health care sector, she started Greater Evansville Mobile Notary, a bi-state service that allows people to get their important documents notarized from any location.
“I just thought about what would happen if this [mass business closings] were to happen again, and what could I do that would be needed by people despite there being a pandemic,” she says.
Certain documents cannot be signed remotely, and sometimes the onus is on customers to locate a notary public to verify their signatures. Online databases can aid the search — the National Notary Association recommends FindaNotary.com — and several Evansville Vanderburgh Public Library branches, as well as the UPS store on East Indiana Street, offer limited in-person services. In contrast, Jordan provides an essential service to people with mobility or transportation challenges.
The bulk of her business is derived from documents related to real estate closings, powers of attorney, trusts, living wills, advanced health care directives, and estate planning. As a notary public, verifying signatories’ identities and witnessing them penning their sig- natures are her top priorities. She has established relationships with Deaconess Health System social workers and Solarbron senior living facility, but says she can meet anyone, anywhere they would like.
“I’m always glad that I could help someone with their need…They are so appreciative and just so grateful,” she says.
New Hires/Promotions
Nathan D. Charnes has been elected Vice President of the Professional Golfers’ Association of America. The 2001 University of Evansville graduate, who played NCAA Division I golf while attending UE, is general manager and director of golf for WingHaven Country Club in O’Fallon, Missouri.
Timothy M. Burke Jr. has joined Old National Bancorp as president and chief operating officer, taking the role of Mark Sander, who earlier this year announced his retirement. Burke will oversee Old National’s Commercial, Community and Wealth segments, and Credit and Marketing teams. He and his family will reside in Evansville, and he will maintain offices in Evansville and Chicago. Burke has been in banking for nearly 30 years and most recently served as Executive Vice President of the Central Region and Field Enablement for the Commercial Bank for a large Midwestern super-regional bank, where he was responsible for the full range of commercial banking in 12 markets, including those in Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan.
Hafer has made three hires, all of whom are University of Southern Indiana alumni. The architec-tural firm hired Jasper, Indiana, native and electrical engineering graduate Benjamin Hochgesang as an electrical engineer. Former Hafer intern Cedric Schleiss also joined the company as an electrical engineer, while Jillian Sorensen, an Evansville native, will use her public relations and advertising background as a marketing assistant.
The Evansville Fire Department promoted Mike Kane to deputy chief of EMS, Matt Agan to lieutenant, Eric Jamison to battalion chief, and Chad Beckham to captain.
Jagoe Homes has promoted former vice president of operations, Brad Jagoe, to chief executive officer. During his time with the company, Jagoe has led advancements in operational efficiency, construction quality, and customer experience while introducing new home technology platforms and strengthening the company’s builder warranty and EnergySmart initiatives. Jagoe also expanded the company’s presence in the Kentucky and Indiana markets. As CEO, Brad Jagoe intends to enhance the homebuyer experience, expand digital innovation, and reinforce energy-efficient, move-in-ready homebuilding.
Intelity Wealth, a financial advisory practice of Ameriprise Financial Services, announced the promotion of Nathan Taylor to Financial Advisor at its Evansville office. Taylor joined Intelity Wealth in March 2024 after working previously at Kaiser Aluminum, RJ Corman Railroad, PFL Logistics, and CSX.
University of Southern Indiana named Jenn Horn the director of its Honors Program and Themed Learning Communities. She had been the interim director of those programs since May 2024 and began working at USI in 2012 as an instructor in English and liberal arts. USI also named Abeer Mustafa its vice president for Student Affairs. She comes from the University of Tennessee Southern in Pulaski, where she was senior advisor to the chancellor. Governor Mike Braun appointed Michael Solliday as a student trustee for a two-year term, succeeding Fouad Hamami. The Switz City, Indiana, native is a computer science major with a minor in computer information systems and will serve through June 30, 2027. Mike Mikulski has been named interim director of Technical Services and Information Technology and will provide strategic leadership and oversee operations and service management for the service desk and Tier One support for USI technology and at the USI IT Help Desk, plus manage technical operations.
Kara Yates has been named the executive director of Talent EVV, a talent attraction and economic development initiative under the umbrella of the Evansville Regional Economic Partnership. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in secondary education and teaching and Master of Science in educational administration, both from Indiana’s Oakland City University. Yates also recently was accepted to Cohort 12 of the Business Leads Fellowship Program, a six-month U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation to develop business leaders to be education and workforce champions in their community.
William “Bill” Johnson has replaced Bob Jones, former CEO of Old National Bank, as the chairman of the University of Evansville Board of Trustees following the completion of Jones’ four-year term. A UE alumnus, Johnson currently serves as a professor of leadership and practice at Lipscomb University’s College of Leadership and Public Service in Nashville, Tennessee, and previously was the president and CEO of Farm Credit Mid-America.
University of Evansville extended the contract of Director of Athletics Kenneth “Ziggy” Siegfried through 2030. Siegfried came to UE in spring 2022. UE also has appointed Yolanda Obaze, associate professor of supply chain management, to be associate dean of the Schroeder Family School of Business Administration, and Jared Fulcher, associate professor of mechanical engineering, as associate dean of the School of Engineering and Computer Science. UE also welcomed a new head softball coach, Bailey Dillender, who
held the same job at the University of the Cumberlands in Williamsburg, Kentucky, since 2017, leading the team to appearances inthe NAIA World Series the past three seasons. She previously was an assistant coach at Tennessee Tech University in Cookeville as well as at her alma mater, Campbellsville University in Kentucky. She was one of the top players in Campbellsville history, earning Mid-South Conference 1st Team All-Conference accolades in each of her four years and also serving as team captain.
First Bank has hired Denise Utley as a mortgage specialist. The Mater Dei High School and University of Evansville graduate has 25 years of experience in the banking sector and serves as a Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Ohio Valley board member and Board Development Committee member.
The Reitz Home Board of Trustees has appointed Joseph Lutz as the Reitz Home Museum’s executive director, succeeding Natalie Singer, who filled the role starting June 2024 and has since joined Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation as director of sponsorships and giving. Lutz was the museum’s curator since being hired in June 2024 and previously was a part of the Peace Corps in Moldova, where he was the community and organizational development advisor and provided technical assistance to the Jewish History Museum of Moldova.
Orthopaedic Associates has added Dr. Anson Chu to its team as a fellowship-trained foot and ankle surgeon. A Plano, Texas, native, Chu earned a bachelor of arts in biology from the University of Texas, then attended Rosalind Franklin University in North Chicago, Illinois, for medical training before his residency at OhioHealth Grant Medical Center in Columbus as chief resident. He completed his fellowship at Coordinated Health-Lehigh Valley Orthopedics in Pennsylvania.
Mayor Stephanie Terry has appointed Kyle Fields, co-founder and managing partner of Bridge Alternatives, to the Evansville-Vanderburgh Airport Authority District board of directors. The Evansville native fills the vacancy left by Pete Paradossi and joins board president Rev. Adrian Brooks and members Paul Green, Kimberly Redding, and Paul Saunders.
Departures
Albion Fellows Bacon Center announced the departure of Executive Director Gina Gist, who had held the position since 2022, and the appointment of Julia Kathary as interim chief executive officer. Kathary has been with the agency for a decade, most recently as chief advancement officer. She also served as interim executive director in 2021.
Awards/Recognitions
Zach Mathis, direc-tor of marketing for Azzip Pizza, has been named to Network Media Group’s Top 35 Movers & Shakers: Marketing list, citing his work launching Azzip Pizza’s first rewards program in 2024, as well as his growth of the chain’s Pizza of the Month Club by 4 percent year over year. Mathis started at the Evansville-based franchise in 2014.
University of Southern Indiana’s appeal to shorten the school’s transition period to NCAA Division I athletics was approved June 23 by the NCAA’s Division I board of direc- tors. The NCAA’s decision shaves the final year off a four-year reclassification process and makes all USI athletic programs eligible to qualify for and compete in Division I championships. USI, which joined the Ohio Valley Conference in the 2022-23 season and began competing in Division I athletics that academic year, is the Hoosier State’s 11th Division I athletic program.
Lana Burton was the honoree at YWCA Evansville’s 2025 Tribute to Achievement dinner. Burton spent 40 years as a teacher, assistant principal and principal in the Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation’s Benjamin Bosse High School district.
Architecture firm Hafer was ranked 27th on Modern Healthcare’s list of Top Architecture Firms for total construction cost of health care projects completed in 2024.
The Kentucky Chamber of Commerce named Matthew 25 AIDS Service third on its Annual Best Places to Work in Kentucky list in the small-sized company category, which includes companies with 15 to 149 employees. One hundred companies were recognized at this year’s annual awards.
Deaconess Health System’s Emergency Medical Services is one of 34 medical service agencies recognized through the Voluntary EMS Pediatric Recognition Program for 2024, awarded by the Kentucky EMS for Children Advisory Committee on May 21 as part of EMS
for Children Day. The statewide initiative encourages EMS providers to adopt paediatric emergency readiness best practices, including specialized training, equipment availability, and quality improvement to pediatric care. This is the third consecutive recognition for Deaconess EMS by the KYEMSC Advisory Committee.
University of Southern Indiana and Ivy Tech Community College Evansville received the inaugural Collegiate Purple Star of Indiana, awarded by the Indiana Commission for Higher Education and Indiana Department of Veterans Affairs. The award recognizes postsecondary institutions providing sup- port to students with U.S. military affiliations, including veterans and active duty service members, as well as their families. CPSI is awarded across three achievement tiers based on 37 standards across eight categories such as core institutional policies, financial and student support services, and career/community engagement. USI’s award is in the Tier 2 level of institutions; Ivy Tech’s award is in Tier 3.
Indiana Members Credit Union’s charitable arm, Indiana Members Foundation, hosted a charity golf scramble to benefit Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation Foundation at the Evansville Country Club with 100 golfers. The event has raised more than $140,000 since 2021.
The Old National Bank Foundation donated $15,000 to Community One, Inc., to support the nonprofit’s work to transform neglected properties into safe homes.
The Deaconess Henderson Hospital Advisory Board, through the Deaconess Henderson Hospital Community Program Fund, presented $70,000 in grants on June 18. Organizations receiving funding included Audubon Kids Zone, Daniel Pitino Shelter, Father Bradley Shelter for Women & Children, Henderson Christian Community Outreach, Recovery Resource Club of Henderson, St. Anthony’s Hospice, and The Gathering Place.
USI graduate Eli Berger, a former engineering student, was selected as a fellow of the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program. This program recognizes and supports students pursuing full-time research-based master’s and doctoral degrees in STEM fields, providing three years of support over the five-year fellowship period. Berger will attend the University of Illinois (Urbana-Champaign) to complete his graduate research. USI Professor of English Amy Montz received a Fulbright U.S. Scholar Award to conduct research during the 2025-26 academic year in Manchester, England, United Kingdom, with a focus on nineteenth-century author Elizabeth Gaskell. During her six-month residency, Montz will affiliate with the University of Manchester, home of John Rylands Library, which houses the Elizabeth Gaskell Collection. Montz’s research will dive into Gaskell’s novels, short stories, letters, papers, Victorian textiles, fashions, and ephemera, emphasizing her perspective on gender, class, and nationalism and she will write “Two Lived Lives: An Autobiographical Survey of Elizabeth Gaskell and Her Works.”
The D-Patrick family of auto dealerships announced another round of charitable donations. D-Patrick Honda donated $1,500 to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southwestern Indiana and the Evansville Junior Football League. D-Patrick Motoplex donated $1,000 to the Evansville Wartime Museum.D-Patrick Nissan donated $1,000 to Young & Established. D-Patrick Boonville-Ford gave $1,000 each to Impact Ministries, Southern Indiana Resource Solutions, and Warrick County CASA.D-Patrick Ford/ Lincoln donated $2,500 each to Colon Screening for Life and Evansville Christian School. D-Patrick Nissan awarded $1,000 to the Highland Baseball Challenger League.
United Way of Southwestern Indiana has donated $1.1 million to six non-profits. Evansville Christian Life Center was awarded $250,000; Dream Center Evansville was given $246,000; Community One, Inc., received $224,300; Habitat for Humanity of Evansville was awarded $192,749; Catholic Charities’ Neighbor to Neighbor Program received $94,000; and Hospitality & Outreach for Latin Americans (HOLA) was given $90,000.
The Henderson Chamber of Commerce awarded its 2025 Educator of the Year Awards. Jeremy Shultz of South Middle School was named Rookie of the Year; Courtney Welte of Bend Gate Elementary School earned Veteran of the Year; Jo Preston of A.B. Chandler was named Volunteer of the year; Mallory Bumb of Thelma B. Johnson Early Learning Center was honored as Education Supporter of the Year; and Laura Winstead of Henderson Community College was named Post-Secondary Educator of the Year.
USI’s Solar Splash team took home several honors at the World Championship of Collegiate Solar Boating competition in June in Springfield, Ohio. The seven-member team of engineering students earned first place in the sprint and slalom events and second place overall. Students designed and built a solar-powered craft from scratch using resources from across campus.
The Dollar General Literacy Foundation supported Ivy Tech Community College Evansville’s Ivy+ Career Link’s Adult Basic Education and English Language Learners programs with a $7,200 award to fund High School Equivalency testing for up to an additional 50 students. Ivy Tech Evansville was one of 14 Indiana institutions awarded a grant for 2025.
Diamond Valley Federal Credit Union has awarded $10,000 in college scholarships to local high school students through its 2025 Diamond Valley Scholarship. Scholarships were awarded to Chace Harmes of Signature School; Chase Griese of Mater Dei High School; Danika Dix of Central High School; Dawson Price of F.J. Reitz High School; David Walling of F.J. Reitz High School; Jaley Hamilton of Mount Vernon High School; Jessica Sisson of North High School; Jenna Smith of Castle High School; Ka’Liyah Naylor of Benjamin Bosse High School; and Olivia Deken of New Tech High School.
Growth/Development
The University of Evansville and Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation broke ground on the Innovation Center for Science and Health at the former Welborn Clinic in Downtown Evansville on June 9. The facility will expand opportunities
for local high school and college students in science, healthcare, and medical fields. The private university also received $33,000 in grants from the Efroymson Family Fund. The funds will support the Efroymson Emerging Contemporary Artist Lecture Series ($9,000), a marketing intern ($2,000), a Bridge Year Fellowship ($10,000), a permanent collections
intern ($2,000), and the acquisition and exhibition of urban street art ($10,000). Lily Endowment, Inc., also awarded a $500,000 grant — part of Indiana Youth Programs on Campus Round II — to UE to expand its youth programming, including the Jr. TASL (Think. Act. Serve. Live.) Scholars Program, a year-round program that provides academic support, leadership development, and encourages parent engagement while serving as a pipeline to the UE TASL scholarship program for undergraduate students. This additional funding also will allow UE to further improve its STEM offerings, expand its arts curriculum, and provide more experiential learning through the We Grow Aces! vertical container farm, as well as parent and child workshops and leadership nights. UE also has rejoined the New American College and Universities network, a consortium that fosters collaboration, innovation, and student success among small, mission-oriented institutions. The university also received an estate gift of $100,000 from James and Marianna Vogel, establishing the James and Marianna Vogel Endowed Scholarship, providing financial assistance to undergraduates with demonstrated need.
YMCA of Southwestern Indiana is a recipient of the Paul Purcell “Kids Win!” Annual Baird Education grant. The $50,000 grant will support science, technology, engineering, and math programming at the CenterPoint YMCA on Evansville’s South Side.
Evansville Day School has received a $20,000 grant from the Efroymson Family Fund, which will be used to add new cameras and video equipment, a school-wide public address system, and a student creative suite subscription.
Orthopaedic Associates and Deaconess Health System broke ground on the new OA Surgery Hospital on July 16. The two-story facility on Deaconess’ Gateway Campus. will include five dedicated advanced operat- ing rooms, pre- and post-operative recovery areas tailored to orthopedic patients, and a pre-surgery optimization clinic. In a separate development, OA also launched an Advanced Foot & Ankle Fellowship Program on Aug. 1, with the goal of positioning Evansville as a regional hub for advanced orthopaedic training.
The Newburgh Town Council voted on July 9 to reject the proposed fire contract presented by the Ohio Township Trustee.The Town of Newburgh and Newburgh Volunteer Fire Department have provided fire protection to the unincorporated parts of Ohio Township since 2008. Newburgh officials say the change stems from the number of runs, which increased over the years from 50 runs to 648 in 2024, despite the affected Ohio Township residents not being charged more. The decision does not affect fire, EMS, or emergency service coverage or the unincorporated areas of Ohio Township, which will be serviced by the area’s combination of paid staff and volunteers. Mutual aid agreements between the Newburgh and Ohio Township fire departments remain in place and fully active.
Regional News
Ground was broken June 3 for the Bloomington Convention Center. The 100,000-square-foot center in the Southern Indiana city includes more than 70,000 square feet of meeting and event space and is intended to host conventions, conferences, trade shows, concerts, meetings, sporting events, and more. Completion is expected in 2027.
Photos of Steve Loehr, Charlie Wyatt, and Brad Statton provided by the source
Steve Loehr
How did your professional background help prepare you for being mayor?
I spent zero time in a political office before being elected. Being green, you tend to ask the questions that either need to be asked or haven’t been asked for some time. I spent 42 years working for GE/SABIC in manufacturing and in technology, which taught me to expect the unexpected and to think outside the box.
What have you accomplished as mayor, and what are your next goals?
I ran on making Mount Vernon a better place for the current citizens and for all future citizens as well. We have a great start, from privatizing trash service pickup to enforcing ordinances, and from revitalizing the riverfront with new activities to creating a new city app called CONNECT for better communications.
What is Mount Vernon’s greatest asset?
That is easy, THE PEOPLE!
Share some advice for those considering running for elected office.
Do it for the right reasons, not for political gain. Remember that some elected offices are not just 8-5 jobs; be available for your constituents. Decisions that you make will make some people happy, some not, so take all decisions very seriously.
Charlie Wyatt
How did your professional background help prepare you for being mayor?
During my tenure at Alcoa, I was an active member of the former Aluminum Workers International Union, (which) led me to lobby at the Indiana State House and to serve as a vice president of the Indiana State AFL-CIO. Addressing the diverse issues faced by union members equipped me to effectively handle the daily concerns of Boonville’s citizens.
What have you accomplished as mayor, and what are your next goals?
The Boonville Square’s revitalization project has instilled a renewed sense of pride. We now boast a beautiful city square with very few vacant buildings. We have successfully demolished more than 50 blighted buildings and completed almost $9.5 million in street projects. Overall, we have undertaken $70 million worth of projects. Our key goal is expansion. We are hoping to build a new sewer plant to ensure we can meet growth opportunities.
What is Boonville’s greatest asset?
Undoubtedly its citizens.
Share some advice for those considering running for elected office.
It’s impossible to please everyone. My guiding principle is to treat everyone who comes into City Hall with the same respect and care that I would wish to receive.
Brad Staton
How did your professional background help prepare you for being mayor?
I am a financial advisor. I’ve helped people achieve short-, medium-, and long-term goals by situating their money and investments in specific ways to produce desired outcomes. These skills translate nicely when dissecting a budget, prioritizing expenditures, and producing the best possible results for our city.
What have you accomplished as mayor, and what are your next goals?
We have such a great group of people holding influential positions throughout the city. Together, we’ve been able to accomplish many things: hundreds of new, high-paying jobs, a significant housing development well ahead of schedule, the grand opening of a sports complex, the beginnings of a conference center project, and dozens of huge and impactful projects from the Inner City Improvement Plan.
What is Henderson’s greatest asset?
Our people.
Share some advice for those considering running for elected office.
If you have a heart for serving in elected capacity and truly care about what happens to your city, county, state, or country, please run. Be honest, transparent, and empathetic, for goodness’ sake. Be professional and gracious. Be firm in your decisions but be a sponge while making your way toward them.
The Evansville region is home to numerous family-run enterprises that have thrived across generations. Smooth transitions are critical to keeping companies churning forward in ever-changing environments, and it’s not as simple as passing a baton — next-generation leaders must pay their dues and hone their own experiences, interests, and skill sets. Evansville Business spoke to four regional businesses about their strategies, the keys to succession planning — it can be many years in the making, they say — and what it takes to keep a company on top through succeeding generations. Click the links below to read their stories.
Andy Martin, Steve Martin, John Martin, Anne Martin, and Alex Martin photo by Zach Straw
Major players in real estate development for many years, SVN | The Martin Group and The Martin Group, Inc. bring a depth of expertise to their work locally and nationally. It all started with company and family patriarch John N. Martin, who continues to share his wellspring of knowledge to this day.
At 93, John is retired but remains involved with the enterprises now overseen by his son, Steve, with Steve’s sons Andy and Alex on board in key roles. John maintains a keen eye on things as a senior advisor, joining video conferences and visiting the company’s home office in Evansville now and then.
“He still keeps after us. Even today,” Steve says.
John’s climb in business started after serving in the U.S. Army during the Korean conflict and using the GI Bill to attend Indiana Business College in Indianapolis. He started with Firestone as a branch salesman while going to school, and after earning a degree in accounting, he worked for Cummins Engines in Columbus, Indiana, then branch manager for a Kimball subsidiary, Evansville Veneer Company and ultimately moved to Huntingburg, Indiana, to become National Finance Manager for Kimball Piano & Organ (now Kimball International).
He was elected four times as clerk-treasurer of the City of Huntingburg and started a public accounting firm at the same time. While doing this, he built the first Section 8 housing property in Indiana. When Steve joined in 1977, a year after Steve’s graduation from the University of Evansville, they formed what was then called Pleasant View Management Company (now The Martin Group, Inc.) Their initial focus was on affordable housing.
Back row: Chris Stuard, Kirk Mann, Randall Forster, Corine Kluemper, Anne Martin, and Shirley Fitzsimmons Front row: John Martin and Steve Martin, circa 2009. Photo provided by SVN | The Martin Group.
“I enticed him to come into the family business and manage, develop, and build apartment properties,” John recalls. “He said, ‘Well, let’s try it for a year.’ He’s still here 48 years later.”
“He told me I was young and cheap,” recalls Steve with a laugh.
Over the years, The Martin Group’s enterprises oversaw the development, consulting, management, and asset management of more than 12,000 apartments across 18 states. In 1987, the company did Indiana’s first Section 42 Low Income Housing Tax Credit project.
The family company continued to grow. It was associated with RE/MAX commercial for five years before affiliating with the SVN Network and taking on its current name 22 years ago.
SVN | The Martin Group operates in Evansville and Indianapolis as well as Louisville, Kentucky. The full-service commercial real estate brokerage firm serves large, medium, and small businesses, plus individual entrepreneurs. It also provides services for the sales, leasing, and management of commercial properties locally and in other states.
The company might be best known for managing the development of the 215-acre, mixed-use Promenade project on the East Side, where Costco Wholesale and other major retailers have located, as well as the apartment complex Promenade Flats.
Photo of John Martin, David Martin, and Steve Martin, circa 1998 provided by SVN | The Martin Group
It’s truly a family affair — Steve’s brother, David, was in the family business for 18 years before leaving to work in medical office development. Steve’s wife, Anne, remains as Director of Accounting. And Steve’s and Anne’s sons, Alex, 39, and Andy, 35, represent the third generation. Alex is Managing Director and Vice President of Property Management, while Andy’s title is Managing Director and Vice President of Brokerage and Development.
Andy’s fascination with real estate started early: He remembers building Lego cities while growing up. “It was just always in the blood,” says Andy, a graduate of Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana. “I went to school for business administration, and I transitioned my minor to real estate development. I knew all the way through school that something was in the cards. We talked about the Indianapolis office opening, and I decided to join the company right out of school.”
Alex studied business at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, but always was drawn to real estate appraisal. “As time went on, I decided I would come into the company and the rest is history so far,” he says.
Photo of the Promenade Flats sign by Laura Mathis
Andy and Alex say their backgrounds and skill sets complement one another, and Steve adds that he and his brother David had a similar relationship during their years working side by side.
Steve, Anne, Alex, and Andy point to John’s longstanding stewardship of the family company, establishing a legacy of having success and having fun along the way.
“One of the greatest pieces is being able to have that generational experience, and being able to easily tap into it,” Andy says.
Photo of Charlotte Stevens, Vernon “Drew” Stevens III, Dawn Stevens, Vernon “Andy” Stevens II, Vernon Stevens, and Jennifer Stevens by Zach Straw
Despite having no plans to succeed his parents, Vernon “Andy” Stevens II and his wife, Dawn, have slowly filled leadership roles at Southern Business Machines, Inc. As the family tells it, a succession plan for the business occurred naturally but wasn’t initially expected. “When I was very young, I looked at what my parents did, and I never saw that 24 years later, the job that I do is what I would be doing next,” Andy says of his parents, Vernon and Jennifer Stevens.
The couple landed in Evansville when Vernon, then working for shipping software provider Pitney Bowes, was transferred to Evansville from Lexington, Kentucky, in 1987. Two years later, he went solo and launched Southern Business Machines, Inc., a Mailing System Dealer, with 127 customers, two employees, and only a sliver of a regional market dominated by now-competitor Pitney Bowes. Thirty-six years later, SBM has diversified services to carry shredders, copiers, printers, and other paper handling equipment. Its client list sits in the thousands, and the Stevenses report that the company controls more than 65 percent of its 52-county market in Indiana, Kentucky, and Illinois.
Photo of Vernon Stevens circa 2001 provided by Southern Business Machines, Inc.
In the beginning, Vernon worked in sales, while Jennifer’s role has remained handling administrative tasks. The key to SBM’s success, Vernon says, is “I never crossed over into her job. And she didn’t cross into mine.” Neither parent thought about a succession plan nor made any assumption that SBM would become a family business. “Andy’s summers were spent traveling the road with me. So, he was around it at a very early age,” says Jennifer, who still serves as SBM’s president. “But we really did not look 20 years down the road, 25 years down the road. … We just got into it, made it happen.”
Andy, a Reitz Memorial High School graduate, followed in his father’s footsteps when he became an account representative in May 2002 after performing deliveries for Working Distributors and Anheuser-Busch. “I was a 21-year-old kid getting to work in the beer industry. It was fun until it wasn’t. We were having a dinner conversation, and it led to, ‘Well, hey, come help.’ Then I just stayed,” Andy recalls. “It was easy for me because when the business started, my parents were building something, and I was the kid who tagged along. When I officially started, I was under my dad’s wing for eight years to learn not only the products, but the services and scope of where and how we sold things. I worked up to where I finally had my own area and went out to make sales calls and talk to customers.”
“Early on, we weren’t sure how Andy would adapt, but he’s a salesperson and he took to it very easily,” Jennifer says. “I’ve seen it since its infancy, so by the time I got to doing it on my own, I didn’t have to ask, ‘What would he say?’ or ‘What would she do?’” Andy adds.
Dawn, a William Henry Harrison High School graduate and former manager of the since-shuttered Savvi Formalwear, joined the company as a sales manager in 2008 while she and Andy were dating. They married in 2009. “The owner of Savvi actually wanted me to buy it from him. But Vernon said, ‘I’d rather you run my company,’” Dawn says.
Photo of Vernon “Andy” Stevens II circa 2003 provided by Southern Business Machines, Inc.
As senior vice president alongside his wife, Andy runs daily operations, makes sales calls, oversees equipment servicing and repairs, and stays abreast of industry trends. Dawn has taken on more responsibility as general manager, overseeing company policy while managing equipment supply and customer relations. “It just happened so naturally, especially when Vernon retired and as Jennifer’s taken a little more of a step back,” she says. “Since I’ve been in the picture, there’s never been any doubt that Andy was planning to be in the role that he’s in. … It’s very rewarding to work with the people who are important to you.”
Vernon retired six years ago, and Jennifer spends most of her time working from home, solely on finances and paying bills. “Over the years, we have been accosted by several people to sell. But by that time, Andy and Dawn had already transitioned very strongly into the business, and we never even considered selling because we did assume that they would just take our places and continue with the business,” Jennifer says. “We feel very confident in their abilities. They have really stepped in and have done a good job, and they get better every day. And I step a little further away every day.”
“Andy and Dawn are a great team together,” Vernon adds. “What I had to do was let them take their ownership. It was always my plan that if they’re going to run it, I can’t be there, because people are going to come to me. And they’re going to make mistakes. I’ve made monumental ones, but never think of making mistakes as a problem. It’s a solution that you have to come up with on your own. And that’s where their strength is today. They know how to do this by themselves.”
Will Andy and Dawn’s children — Charlotte, 10, and Vernon III (known as Drew) 13 — carry Southern Business Machines, Inc. forward? They’ll make that call. “They’ve been part of the business from the time they were born,” Jennifer says. Vernon adds, “I wouldn’t put any pressure on them. But they know the availability. They’re always welcome.”
Photo of Leah Koch-Blumhardt and Lauren Koch-Crosby by Zach Straw
When Will and Lori Koch were raising their three children in the early 2000s, the couple didn’t want to pressure them into joining the family business. So, they emphasized: Develop your own passions, and come back only if you really want to.
“I think our dad was so focused on not pressuring us that we almost felt like we weren’t allowed to come back,” laughs daughter Leah Koch-Blumhardt. Will knew what running the family business took: As the third generation of the Koch family to lead Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari, he had added the 40-acre water park to the site’s attractions; developed the parks’ signature offers of free soft drinks, sunscreen, and parking; and taken it to new heights with The Raven wooden roller coaster in 1995.
Each sibling took their dad’s advice to heart. Leah aimed to join the family business and studied communications and public relations at Indiana University in Bloomington. Eldest daughter Lauren Koch-Crosby and younger brother William Koch pursued other interests. Then, their father died, and the trio received a crash course in succession planning.
Upon Will’s sudden death by drowning at age 48 in 2010, his brother and minority owner, Dan, became president of the parks and CEO of Koch Development Corp., their parent company. A well-documented three-year court dispute over ownership developed between Dan and Lori, Will’s widow, who challenged that her late husband — who did not leave a will — had intended his children to have the option to succeed him as owners. Will’s children — ages 21, 19, and 16 — had to make a crucial decision about their futures.
Photo of Will, William, Lori, Lauren, and Leah Koch provided by Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari
“It was one thing to process the death of our dad, and it was another to make a huge choice on whether or not we wanted to take this on,” Leah says. “I remember (our mom) coming to us and saying, ‘I will fight if that’s what the three of you want.’ And we collectively decided that we all wanted to fight.”
Lori filed suit as a representative of the family. An appeals court upheld a Vanderburgh County judge’s original ruling in 2013, and Lori and her children retained their 60 percent stake. Koch Development Corp. later bought Dan’s shares; an attorney in Florida, he is no longer involved in the business founded as Santa Claus Land in 1946 by his grandfather, Evansville industrialist Louis J. Koch. Now, Lori owns around 40 percent of the company and serves on the board of directors, while her three children share a 60 percent ownership stake. President and CEO Matt Eckert has led the parks since 2013. Lauren, Leah, and William joined the board of directors the same year.
The experience made a lasting impression on the siblings. A key takeaway: “Have a will,” Lauren says. “Estate planning is very important. Do not sidestep that. Do it just even in simple terms — whatever wishes you have, write them down somewhere.”
Will Koch as an infant with his grandparents Isabella “Bella” Yellig and Santa Jim Yellig
Their father’s death changed the siblings’ trajectories. Leah began working as the director of research and development in 2014 and has served as director of communications since 2019. Lauren, studying retail management and product development at Florida State University at the time of her father’s death, felt the pull to come home. “To have to say goodbye to our dad and Holiday World … that was going to be too much,” she says. “It was time to prove ourselves.”
As Holiday World’s Director of Entertainment and Events since 2015, Lauren develops visuals and activities to engage visitors, like revamping the portals visitors pass beneath between themed parks and designing the “grandmother’s house”- themed set for Good Gravy!, a family roller coaster that debuted in 2024.
Along the way, the family business added Leah’s husband, Matthew Blumhardt, as Chief Operating Officer and Lauren’s husband, Michael Crosby, as Director of Hospitality. Brother William works outside the family business and just started as the head of sound for Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast The Musical” national tour.
Mid-century image of the Santa Claus Land entrance provided by Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari
The sisters’ thumbprints are on events and attractions across the parks. In August, they’re launching live music and drink specials during Friday Night Live, as well as the Summer Wine’d Down Culinary Festival offering 30 event-specific menu items with recommended wine pairings. As members of the parks’ board of directors, Lauren and Leah also help shape the company’s culture. “It’s taken us over a decade, but we’ve gotten a lot of work-life balance adjusted. We’re trying to make this a place that people want to work long term. We want this to be a job that everybody enjoys, and we don’t want burnout,” Leah says.
Employee happiness is especially important as Holiday World expands its season to 132 days in 2025. Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari attracts nearly 1 million visitors annually and racks up awards for its efforts: In 2025, Holiday World ranked ninth on USA Today’s top 10 readers’ choice picks for best theme park, and Splashin’ Safari took the fourth-place award for best outdoor water park. That said, “Holiday World will never build its last roller coaster. There’s always a new project,” Leah says, pointing to the company’s recent purchase of the nearby Santa’s Cottages to begin offering overnight accommodations. “Holiday World has a ton of potential, and I feel like we’re really figuring out our formula right now,” she says.
Photo of Brad Mogavero, Christen Mogavero, and Pete Mogavero by Zach Straw
Seamless leadership transitions have been the name of the game for decades at Anchor Industries, Inc. Founded in 1892 with three facilities here and one in Miami, Florida, five generations of the same family have guided the company into being a worldwide leader in manufacturing high-quality tent and pergola products.
“We have the unique honor and privilege of being part of life’s funnest, most magical moments — weddings, corporate events, anniversaries, PGA events, Formula 1 events,” says Chairman and President Pete Mogavero. But he points out that the products have other uses, too: “The fires that you see in Los Angeles (California), they’re using our forest fire shelter here made in Evansville. We’re really proud of the stuff that we do.”
At 70, Mogavero has been with Anchor Industries for about 40 years. His wife, Carrie, is the great-granddaughter of Anchor Industries founder Louis Daus. “I came to the attention of executive management when I married the boss’ daughter,” Mogavero says with a laugh. His children represent the company’s fifth generation: Christen Mogavero, 41, is vice president of sales, while Brad Mogavero, 29, is a buyer in the purchasing department.
Pete says last names never represent a free pass, and keeping a company strong requires tutelage and skill development. He offers his own background as proof — before joining Anchor Industries, he received a Master of Business Administration from Indiana University in Bloomington and worked for the Bank of Detroit and Ford Motor Company in Michigan.
Anchor Supply Co. building photo provided by Anchor Industries, Inc.
“My father-in-law (the late John Daus) was one of the best bosses I’ve ever had. … He was a real good coach,” Pete says. “I’m very grateful for his leadership, and I’m also thankful that along the way in my maturation, he would tell me where the bodies were buried and say, ‘Hey, we’ve done something like that several years ago. You should know that this is what didn’t go well, and this is what went well.’ So it’s nice to be able to bounce an idea off a coach and have them say, ‘Good idea, but here’s a pitfall for you. Here’s something you should be aware of. If you try it this particular way, you may have more success than what you’re thinking about.’”
Pete, in turn, has tried to be the same type of coach to Christen and Brad, who both graduated from Reitz Memorial High School. In Christen’s case, coming home represented a 180-degree career turn. The alumna of Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, previously worked in Washington, D.C., in political campaign fundraising and also for the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Arriving at Anchor Industries nine years ago, she held a variety of roles before escalating to vice president of sales.
Outside of her family, Christen says her life influences include former U.S. Sen. Bob Corker of Tennessee, who encouraged her to consider joining the family company. “I have a lot of really great mentors, both in D.C. and now in the company,” she says.
Brad, a graduate of Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina, worked in manufacturing at Anchor Industries before moving to the purchasing department. “I’ve got thousands and thousands of little things to buy, anything from grommets to buckles, you name it,” he says. “After getting my hands dirty on the floor for two years, now I’m finally in the office and just kind of starting the road, learning every day.”
Historic Anchor Industries, Inc., photo provided
Pete says he’s proud of what Anchor continues to accomplish — citing on-time delivery, the shortest lead times in its industry, high-quality products, and excellent customer service. “It’s a pretty high bar,” he explains, and maintaining that standard requires effective transitions in leadership.
“It can’t be the family welfare role,” Pete says. “Each succeeding generation has to bring something to the party. They’ve got to be skilled in some particular area. As people grow, the corporation grows. You want people in the organization, particularly family members, who have that lust for learning, that unquenchable thirst for getting better. As they get better, the company gets better.”
“We want to make sure that when you turn the reins over to a succeeding generation, that they have the right stuff,” he continues. “My wife and I are really blessed to have two kids in the business now. I think that they will be very successful at taking over the reins one day. Until that day comes, it’s an ongoing job of coaching and training and helping.”
EDUCATION North High School; Bachelor of Arts in political science, Indiana University, Bloomington (2004); juris doctor with a concentration in litigation, Western Michigan University’s Cooley School of Law, Lansing (2007)
HOMETOWN Evansville
RESUME Vanderburgh County Prosecutor (2023-present); section chief, Government Litigation Section, Indiana Attorney General’s Office, Indianapolis (2017-22); attorney, Paganelli Law Group, Indianapolis (2017); executive director and associate general counsel, Board of Depositories, Treasurer of State’s Office, Indianapolis (2015-17); prosecuting attorney, Prosecution Assistance Unit, Securities Division, Secretary of State’s Office, Indianapolis (2010-15); assistant attorney, Will County State’s Attorney’s Office, Joliet, Illinois (2008-10); associate attorney, Stavros Law Offices, P.C., Wheeling, Illinois (2007-08)
FAMILY Husband Kyhle; daughter Francesca, 5 months
Diana Moers was destined to come home. She built her legal career in the Chicago, Illinois, area, and then Indianapolis before returning to the River City to run for Vanderburgh County Prosecutor, believing the job needed to be done better. Winning election as a Republican in 2022 — a victory that included a primary upset over incumbent Nick Hermann — the county’s first woman prosecutor (and one of its youngest) manages a 72-person office, including 23 attorneys. “Seeking justice and keeping the community safe are why I do what I do — it’s the best job in the world,” she says.
HOW MANY CASES DO YOU TRY YOURSELF, AND HOW MANY DO YOU ASSIGN TO STAFF? We file about 9,000 new cases per year. Obviously, I am not trying all those myself! All my cases now are murder cases. I’ve tried two so far. … Typically, we have two attorneys at every trial. It’s a group effort, and unfortunately there are enough murder trials to go around.
WHAT ARE YOUR OFFICE’S OTHER RESPONSIBILITIES? Child support collection is a big operation. We also do tons of community outreach. Part of my job is to work toward not only holding people accountable, but crime prevention efforts as well. I work closely with the child advocacy center at Holly’s House. And if there’s legislation coming that’s going to adversely impact the office, I lobby against that. For example, we have a victim’s assistance unit, and the federal government was going to cut funding. So, I went to Washington, D.C., and I talked to our legislators about that. … Unfortunately, I don’t get to try more cases, but it’s awesome to be able to run the office and make sure everybody has everything they need. I really enjoy that part of it.
HOW SAFE WOULD YOU SAY EVANSVILLE IS? Generally, I think Evansville is a safe place to live and work. But my opinion is going to be skewed because I see every single crime that happens. Our murder rate is down so far. The police, the sheriff, and I all work hard on that. What I can control is how we’re charging cases and taking them to trial. … We do a lot of work on training and collaborating to make sure the trial attorneys are up on the law. It’s also our duty to make sure the police department knows about that. July 1 is always a big date, because the laws change. We do training during roll call with the police department — that’s another thing that I do personally. Those are always grueling days, because I want to hit every roll call myself and give the motor patrol a chance to talk to me and ask questions.
DO YOU MEET WITH CRIME VICTIMS? HOW DO YOU NAVIGATE THOSE SITUATIONS? It’s both rewarding and difficult. One of the best parts of the job is that we get to step up and find justice for a family. … Justice isn’t ever going to bring anyone back. But I do think it’s an important part of the healing process for a lot of families. … To be sure, a lot of them have been through something terrible, and they’re coming to my office in the middle of that. … From what I’ve seen, they just want their loved one’s story to be told, and someone to fight for them.
Tom White touts connections, experience in new role leading Explore Evansville
New Explore Evansville President and CEO Tom White is approaching the agency’s top job with one keyword — growth — in mind for strengthening the city’s portfolio of tourism-related event offerings.
White’s most recent career stop was with Visit Mobile, Alabama’s northernmost Gulf inlet. Drawing connections to the boost in meetings, conventions, and sports tourism that the Southern city of 201,367 has seen, White says Evansville is capable of the same.
“I do feel like we can have some immediate success here but also sustain that growth over the next five, 10 years,” says White, who spent two years as Visit Mobile’s vice president of leisure and convention sales. He started at Explore Evansville on March 3.
White vows to maintain the city’s focus on youth sports tourism and up the ante in supporting the Evansville Regional Sports Commission’s mission to attract high-profile sports events. The city also has room to increase its convention and meeting business, White says. “We have a quality convention center with the Old National Events Plaza, and our Ford Center is incredible,” he says. “Plus, we have meeting spaces throughout the community, and some of them are historic, unique spots.”
How to accomplish that? White explains that it comes down to connecting with event planners, asking what they’re looking for, and selling what Evansville provides. In a market of Evansville’s size, “your dollar goes farther,” White says. “Convention attendees would spend a lot less.”
White brings plenty of tourism industry connections to the River City. Before joining Visit Mobile, he spent more than 20 years in Huntsville, Alabama. Most of that time, he served as director of sales and outreach with the U.S. Space & Rocket Center, and he also was the marketing director for Yedla Management Company, a Huntsville-based manager of hotels.
Earlier in his career, White worked as a general sales manager for Shoe Carnival, which was founded in Evansville. He was born in Nuremberg, Germany, while his father was stationed there with the U.S. Army. He considers the Savannah, Georgia, area his home.
White succeeded Alexis Berggren, who left in December to become general manager of the Charlotte (North Carolina) Convention Center. “Alexis and the team have done a tremendous job of really paving the foundation of what we’re doing,” White says. “I think I can bring a lot of experience and connections within the sale of tourism and marketing, and we can start a sustained steady growth over the next several years, in all categories.”
As the last phase of Interstate 69’s Evansville-Indianapolis connection concluded last year, roadwork returned to the River City — this time, headed the other direction.
Since breaking ground on the Indiana approach to a still-to-come bridge in September 2024, Evansville-based Traylor Bros, Inc. and Chicago, Illinois-based Walsh have altered farmland, built substructures, and laid foundations for three connections to a four-lane approach to the bridge. Known as Section 3 of the Ohio River Crossing (ORX), the project draws heavy traffic away from U.S. 41’s Bi-State Vietnam Gold Star Memorial Bridges and off the stoplight-laden strip through Henderson, Kentucky. “The work now will provide all-weather construction access to the river to build the future I-69 bridge,” says I-69 ORX spokesperson Mindy Peterson.
Photo provided by I-69 Ohio River Crossing
The north-south construction site in Indiana spurs off an east-west stretch of I-69 south of the city between Weinbach Avenue and Green River Road. Crews spent the spring driving steel piles into the ground to stabilize the piers that will support the bridge approach. Next, construction crews will form two embankments to aid with moving equipment to take beams and bridge decks to their install spots. Drivers will experience 10- to 15-minute rolling closures three days a week through September on U.S. 41 while crews transport beams to the site.
“As the beams are set, drivers will see the three overpass bridges taking shape as they drive by the worksite,” Peterson says. The public will not use the three approach connections until Section 2 construction on the bridge concludes in 2031. Neighboring residents and businesses have grappled with construction noise and thousands of tons of materials being stored and transported nearby. “There’s been a tremendous amount of outreach,” Peterson adds, including meetings with advisory committees, public meetings and hearings, and coordination with local, state, and federal agencies as well as stakeholders. The I-69 ORX team also updates the public via social media channels and newsletters.
Officials predict Section 3 will be 60 percent completed by late 2025 and fully completed by 2026, with four years of bridge construction starting in 2027. Meanwhile, Section 1 construction in Henderson should finish this year, with drivers already navigating three roundabouts at the new interchange at U.S. 60 and I-69.
“We’ve been talking about this bridge for so many years now,” Peterson says. “It’s a super interesting project to see unfold and see all of the progress being made.”
After hopes of revitalizing the former Old National Bank tower imploded along with the skyscraper in 2021, a new development is rising.
The Vault, a four-story, 250,000-square-foot mixed-use complex, will occupy three-fourths of the site bordered by Northwest Fourth and Fifth streets and Main and Sycamore streets. Since breaking ground on May 28, 2024, construction has stayed on schedule, says Ross Merder, director of development for CRG Residential, the project’s Carmel, Indiana-based developer. Construction on the $60 million project is expected to finish by mid-2026. “By and large, there have been no changes to the planned use or the structure,” Merder says.
Commercial space will cover 4,500 square feet on the ground floor, but there is no information available yet about who or what will occupy that space. Merder says efforts to market the commercial space will begin later this summer. As reported in June/July 2024 Evansville Business, Mayor Stephanie Terry expressed hopes for a grocery store or pharmacy — essentials lacking Downtown.
The 161-unit apartment complex includes a fitness room, delivery room for packages, gathering area, coworking rooms, 183-space underground parking garage, makerspace for hands-on projects, heated outdoor swimming pool, and fire pit. Also in the works: a park occupying the corner of Fourth and Main streets being designed and constructed by the Evansville Parks and Recreation Department. “I think it’s an opportunity to live on Main Street … in a highly amenitized project right in Downtown,” Merder says.
Photos of Todd Tucker provided by Brodie Curtsinger
In July, the city and Board of Park Commissioners approved accepting proposals to lease Mesker Amphitheatre. Opened in 1951, the much-loved venue was a crown jewel in Evansville’s musical and cultural attractions. While I would love to see this project come to fruition, and this is certainly a positive step forward, the requirements are daunting.
Parties interested in the rehabilitation effort would need to meet 16 criteria to help choose a willing bidder. The day after the Parks Board meeting on July 16, a six-page document was uploaded to the local government’s online document center. It spells out 32 additional requirements for leasing the facility.
Mesker Amphitheatre photo by Zach Straw
The issues? It will take either an organization or someone with a strong balance sheet to meet the financial prerequisites put forth in the proposal. Mesker Park Zoo & Botanic Garden’s animals have to be protected from the noise, and that will require a very large and expensive sound wall. Then there is the lack of parking and ADA compliance, horrible graffiti, and the flooding-prone nature of the facility. I toured it several years ago…it was not good.
The owner of The Mill Amphitheatre in Terre Haute, Indiana, is said to be putting in a proposal. My limited research shows they have had success in Terre Haute, but renovation is quite a bit different than new construction. I just don’t believe it will end up making financial sense to overcome the many significant obstacles; the estimate was $12 million in 2012. I sure would love to be wrong. It’s happened before.
Tess Grimm photo by Zach Straw
One of my favorite Evansvillians passed away on June 4. Tess Grimm, longtime Reitz Home Museum executive director, was a force of nature and someone whose friendship I enjoyed a great deal. I always joked with her that I could never say no to her, and she knew it. She was warm, witty, and charming, and I will miss her smile and grace.
I try to pay attention to things going on in our community, which is a good idea in my business, but something got past me (well, probably many things), and I was just as happy to learn late.
The wiffleball field at Haynie’s Corner Arts District, where the Haynie’s Corner Wiffleball League plays, is the Doug Annakin Memorial Field — Doug passed away in May 2020. I think if you knew Doug, and certainly many in our community did, this simple act would make him very happy. I miss him and the laughter that always ensued when he was with … well just about anyone.
Rotary Club photo by Brodie Curtsinger
Kristen and I had the pleasure of speaking to the Rotary Club of Evansville in June regarding Evansville Living’s 25th anniversary. There is just something inherently good about local civic organizations. As I watched members file in and greet one another, say the Pledge of Allegiance, recite the Rotary Pledge or (the 4-way test), and partake in a meal together while accomplishing charitable work, it just reminded me of all that is still good in the world, which is why I still love “The Andy Griffith Show.”
Big congratulations to four area athletes with some major happenings. Tyler Ruxer from Heritage Hills High School in Lincoln City, Indiana, has signed to play football at the University of Oklahoma. His fellow Patriot Jett Goldsberry has signed to play at the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss). Jett’s father, Jon, who I remember playing many years back, was an outstanding player at Purdue University. Certainly, we should all be proud of Reitz Memorial High School Tiger Matthew Fisher, drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies in the second round of the Major League Baseball Draft, as well as former Castle High School standout and Auburn University Tiger Cam Tilly, drafted by the New York Mets in round seven. If you are a sports fan, it will surely be fun to watch their progress.
As always, I look forward to hearing from most of you.
Photo of the Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba, Spain, courtesy of the Cathedral Chapter of Córdoba
Darrell and Penelope Pennington made good on their goal to travel the world, as detailed in the July/August 2024 issue. Since listing their home and selling most of their belongings, the couple has visited a dozen countries. In this monthly series, Penelope — who quips she’s “a broad abroad” — shares missives from the road. Read the inaugural column here.
Photo of Penelope and Darrell Pennington in Ibiza, Spain, provided by Penelope Pennington
Hello, Evansville Living readers! Thanks for joining us, and I hope that you enjoy our stories. Among the amazing experiences we’ve had is enjoying a Latin Mass in one of the most beautiful cathedrals in the world — a place that has held a Mass for more than 288,000 consecutive days.
Córdoba, Spain, is unquestionably one of the most beautiful cities we have visited, and in a country filled with historical significance, it contains some of the most impressive and important architecture in the country. In the city’s Historic Centre — itself a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1984 — is the Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba, officially known as Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption, is the most gorgeous, astounding, and overwhelming building — both visually and emotionally — I have ever stepped foot in. The current structure was first constructed circa 786 as a mosque after the destruction of the existing Visigothic Basilica of San Vincente that was shared simultaneously as a place of worship by both Muslims and Christians. The original structure was demolished and rebuilt within two years (it is amazing that they completed this in that time) as a dedicated mosque. The mosque existed in this capacity and underwent multiple additions for the next 400-plus years until the structure was claimed in the conquest of Córdoba by King Ferdinand III in 1236. The first Christian mass was performed there on June 29, 1236, and one has occurred EVERY SINGLE DAY since then, no exceptions.
The interior of the cathedral sits inside the still-standing mosque, and it literally took our breath away as we stepped into its space for the first time. The incredible choir loft must be seen in person to be believed. The choir stalls were built by Pedro Duque Cornejo, who died 10 days prior to the initial Mass following the completion of the project and is buried in the floor of the choir loft he built. I can’t recommend this experience highly enough — if you get the chance to visit and attend a mass, take advantage!
Follow us on our adventure online, and feel free to reach out and ask questions or just say Hi. See you next time!
Follow the Penningtons on YouTube, TikTok, and Facebook @penelopepennington. In their third column, the couple — who are big live music fans — discuss their new love of European music festivals.
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Photo of the interior of the Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba, Spain, courtesy of the Cathedral Chapter of Córdoba
Photo of the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption at the Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba, Spain, provided by Penelope Pennington
Photo of the Tabernacle Chapel inside the Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba, Spain, courtesy of the Cathedral Chapter of Córdoba
Photo of the Moorish architecture inside the Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba, Spain, courtesy of the Cathedral Chapter of Córdoba
Photo provided by Andrea Tilly. Cam Tilly and Matthew Fisher have been friends since their days playing baseball for the Southern Indiana Outlaws as children and dreaming of making the major leagues.
Growing up as childhood friends playing baseball in Newburgh, Matthew Fisher and Cam Tilly actually built mounds to pitch from, dreaming of one day playing professional baseball.
“We would go back and forth,” says Tilly, who lived in Downtown Newburgh by the Ohio River, while Fisher grew up off Epworth Road. “Matthew and I would build mounds at my house in the side yard. Whenever we hung out, his house or mine, we would make do with what we had to imagine playing in MLB one day.”
Now, the friends, who are both right-handed pitchers with successful quarterback careers playing high school football, are realizing their pro ball dreams together and may even be future rivals in the National League East — the stuff dreams are made of. Fisher, a 2025 graduate of Evansville’s Reitz Memorial High School, signed on July 22 with the Philadelphia Phillies for $1.25 million, a record for a seventh-round draft choice and far above the slot value of $257,700. Tilly, a 2023 grad of Newburgh’s Castle High School, signed with the New York Mets on July 19 for $397,500, above the slot value of $254,000. Fisher was the No. 221 pick overall, two ahead of his boyhood pal, who was also chosen in the seventh round of the MLB draft July 14 in Atlanta, Georgia.
“Cam and I have been really good friends ever since we were little,” says Fisher, who chose playing pro ball with the Phillies over continuing his career at Indiana University. “We always played together and would even play our own games in the backyard while both having the dream of someday being big leaguers. Fast forward to now and see that happen. It is truly incredible, and I am really happy for him to get this opportunity.” Tilly adds, “To get to experience this with him is indescribable.”
Photo of Matthew Fisher pitching for Reitz Memorial High School against F.J. Reitz High School on 2025’s Senior Night by Randy Mathis
Fisher’s bonus, in line with a late second-round pick, more than made up for the disappointment of slipping from a projected early second-round pick to the seventh round. He was projected the No. 46 pick by MLB.com, which would’ve landed him early in the second round.
“Obviously I was disappointed to not see my name come off the board on the first day,” Fisher says. “But at the end of the day, the draft is a crazy event and anything can happen. I think my family, adviser, and I regrouped after the first day and went about the second day with a similar mindset. … After it’s said and done, I couldn’t be happier to hear my name called and to have the opportunity to be a part of such an amazing organization.”
“I’m really excited to be with a great organization like the Phillies,” he adds. “And I am really excited to get to work.”
Fisher is working out at the Phillies’ minor league complex in Clearwater, Florida; he has not yet been assigned to a minor league team. Named Indiana Gatorade Player of the Year, Fisher is well-acquainted with Phillies General Manager Preston Mattingly, a Central High School grad and the son of Toronto Blue Jays coach and former New York Yankees first baseman Don Mattingly. “I have been fortunate enough to meet (Preston) several times through several conversations over the phone as well as in Phoenix during the (MLB draft) combine,” Fisher says.
Similarly, Tilly is working out at the Mets’ minor league complex in Port St. Lucie, Florida. “Emotions are high: new environment, new teammates, new coaches, so a lot to be excited about,” says Tilly, who wrapped his second season at Auburn University this spring. “It feels surreal, to finally be at this point in my career, because it’s something I’ve always dreamed of. We haven’t been assigned to teams yet, but I’m slowly ramping back up for the upcoming season.” Tilly says he will remain in Port St. Lucie until early September.
Fisher, whose high-spin fastball touches 95 mph and has a feel for four pitches, also impressed scouts with his athletic 6-foot-3, 208-pound frame. He posted a 6-0 record with a 0.76 earned run average with 61 strikeouts and 11 walks in 362/3 innings this past spring. He is the highest draft pick from Memorial chosen since Steve Obenchain was selected out of the University of Evansville in the supplemental section of the first round, No. 37 overall, by the then-Oakland A’s in 2002. Fisher, who is the ninth Memorial grad to be picked in the MLB draft, was a high school teammate of Ryan Obenchain, Steve’s son, at Memorial. Ryan will be a senior this fall.
“It’s a humbling and rewarding feeling,” Fisher says. “There are a lot of incredible people (and) players who have come out of Memorial. There is such a rich history and to now be a part of that is incredible. I’m really thankful to all the people who have supported me.”
Photo of Cam Tilly pitching for Auburn University in 2025 courtesy of Auburn University
Originally projected to be chosen from the third through seventh rounds out of Castle in 2023, Tilly went undrafted that year. “The numbers didn’t meet with my numbers,” he says. Once again draft eligible in 2025, Tilly had a 3-3 record with a 5.48 ERA in his sophomore season for Auburn, striking out 58 and walking 28 in 46 innings. His fastball tops out at 97 mph, but his slider and splitter are regarded as his best pitches. “The Mets will tap into my fastball and make it better,” he says. Although Tilly started only six games among 18 appearances for the Tigers, he is projected to be a starter in the minors. “Everybody wants to be a starter,” says the 6-2, 207-pounder.
He sought advice coming out of high school about whether to sign a pro contract or not from Zach Messinger, a Castle grad who was selected in the 13th round of the 2021 draft by the New York Yankees after helping lead the University of Virginia to the College World Series. Messinger is pitching for the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, the Yankees’ Triple-A affiliate in Pennsylvania. Tilly is proud of Castle’s tradition: He and Messinger are among eight Castle graduates who have been drafted. “Castle baseball is pretty deep,” he says.
Tilly, who was a member of the 2022 USA Baseball 18U national team that competed in the Baseball World Cup, was 11-0 with an 0.66 ERA his senior season at Castle with 118 strikeouts with 15 walks in 64 innings. He noted that four Southern Indiana Athletic Conference players have been drafted in the past few years, and 2021 Southridge High grad Colson Montgomery is thriving as a rookie shortstop/third baseman for the Chicago White Sox after being called up July 4. As of Aug. 4, he had hit seven home runs and had 16 runs batted in, all in his most recent 11 games with the White Sox. Additionally, Cameron Decker was chosen in the 18th round of the 2022 draft out of North High School by the Los Angeles Dodgers. He plays first base and left and right field for the Great Lakes Loons, the Dodgers’ High-A affiliate.
Justin Griner, Amanda Kruse Corlett, and Sarah Maria photographed by Zach Straw
For 110 of Mead Johnson Nutrition’s 120 years in existence, it has cast a massive presence on Evansville’s West Side. The local site employs nearly 800 people, all of whom are dedicated to giving children across the globe the best possible start in life.
Borrowing a bit of sports terminology, Sarah Maria says MJN’s Evansville facility possesses a “deep bench” of talent. She’s proud to be a key part of it, as senior manager for Early Innovation Analytical Research and Science Translation. For much of Maria’s 16 years with the company, she has researched human milk, including samples from mothers in China, Mexico, and the U.S. Results of MJN’s Global Exploration of Human Milk Study are used in the development of nutrition products the company strives daily to perfect.
“We have about 30,000 vials of this milk from around the world, and it’s given us this incredible insight into the complexity and diversity of milk,” Maria says. “We increased a level of a nutrient that we know is really important to start building connections in the brain. We were able to do this research about how much is in milk, and then we were able to integrate that into our formula.”
Maria describes her work as “beautifully complex,” and it’s an example of what MJN does in Evansville. In a competitive marketplace, the company for decades has stayed at the forefront of pediatric nutrition.
Edward Mead Johnson Sr. photo provided by Mead Johnson Nutrition
Mead Johnson’s story dates to 1905, and it involves a father. Edward Mead Johnson Sr. founded the company in Jersey City, New Jersey, because his son suffered serious feeding problems, and he wanted to create products to help people live healthier lives. He was also a co-founder of Johnson & Johnson with his brothers Robert and James.
MJN’s Evansville start was in 1915; for the sake of perspective, Bosse Field hosted its first baseball game that year. At the time, Europe was in the throes of World War I, and MJN’s supplies of potato starch — a key ingredient in the company’s first infant feeding product, Dextri-Maltose — were cut off from Germany. Relocating the firm to Evansville moved operations closer to a source of corn, which was used to replace potato starch.
The company has since been an innovator in infant nutrition, with its Evansville facility being a vital part: Its global headquarters for Research and Development is based here.
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Photo of Mead Johnson Nutrition manufacturing facility in 1915. Photo provided by Mead Johnson Nutrition
Photo of Mead Johnson train car. Photo provided by Mead Johnson Nutrition
It was Mead Johnson that, in 2002, introduced DHA to infant formulas in the United States. The Omega 3 fatty acid is critical to brain and eye development and now is a widely recognized standard of care in infant nutrition. But it’s not just about product development: MJN also is a leader in volume. The company produces more than 170 different product formats, including Enfamil powder formula and Nutramigen liquid formula found on store shelves across the U.S.
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Photo of Enfamil provided by Mead Johnson Nutrition
Photo of Dextri-Maltose provided by Mead Johnson Nutrition
Photo of Enfamil provided by Mead Johnson Nutrition
In 2023, the site churned nearly a half-billion bottle servings. The year prior, MJN stepped up to support U.S. families experiencing an unprecedented infant formula shortage after another manufacturer shut down its factory following a product recall. MJN officials cite extraordinary measures such as around-the-clock operations and increasing speed to market by 40 percent, all the while remaining committed to the highest infant nutrition quality and safety standards.
By May 2022, MJN was supplying 30 percent more formula to market than during the same time in 2021 and providing essential nutrition to more than 50 percent of all formula-fed infants in America. Company officials say the swift response from Evansville’s team played a significant role in closing the national supply gap, ensuring that families across the U.S. once again had reliable access.
Photo of antique brass and copper still taken by Zach Straw
“We learned from the 2022 infant formula shortage that supply is also vital,” says Justin Griner, MJN’s North America legal director and Evansville site lead. “When there are advancements in technology that allow us to make products safer or to make them more efficiently, we invest there.”
In all, Mead Johnson Nutrition has 25 departments on its 44-acre campus at Lloyd Expressway, St. Joseph Avenue, Ohio Street, and Ray Becker Parkway. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the company allowed more work-from-home hours; some employees now have hybrid schedules. Evansville-based Mead Johnson workers collaborate with colleagues at their sister manufacturing facility in Zeeland, Michigan, as well as other teammates across the globe.
The company has since been an innovator in infant nutrition, with its Evansville facility being a vital part: Its global headquarters for Research and Development is based here.
Mead Johnson boasts ample experience across its workforce and often promotes from within. About 20 percent of Evansville team members have been with the company for at least 15 years. However, “that’s not to say that we don’t have a young workforce as well,” says Amanda Kruse Corlett, senior medical marketing manager. “Forty percent of our employees are under 40. So, it’s a good mix.”
Kruse Corlett, a Michigan native, came to Mead Johnson in 2020 after living in Indianapolis for the better part of a decade, drawn to MJN because of its culture. “It’s a local company, but it is on a global scale so you have different opportunities as your career progresses or as your interests change,” she says. “You definitely have room to grow professionally without having to find a new company.”
Photo of GEMS (Girls in Engineering, Math, and Science) provided by Mead Johnson Nutrition
MJN takes pride in being a community partner, and given its mission, one outreach involves connecting youths with science. GEMS (Girls in Engineering, Math, and Science) has been a company-led program for 15 years; it brings hands-on activities to area fifth-grade classrooms.
The company’s philanthropy includes participation in the United Way of Southwestern Indiana’s annual Day of Caring, as well as boosting Little Lambs of Evansville, which provides supplies and other forms of assistance to young children and families.
“We support them through giving trees annually, but also with direct monetary donations to help support their diaper drive,” Griner says. “Anybody that we can partner with that is also mission aligned is extremely important to us.”
Significant changes have come Mead Johnson’s way in recent times. MJN was part of Bristol-Myers Squibb from 1967 to 2009. It functioned as an independent company until 2017, when it was acquired by Reckitt Benckiser Group for $16.6 billion.
Even more change is on the horizon: Executives with Reckitt (as the company is now branded) have publicly stated their intent to divest Mead Johnson because nutrition is now considered a “non-core” part of Reckitt’s business. The Wall Street Journal reported in its July 19-20 edition that Reckitt is “looking at options for its baby-formula making Mead Johnson Nutrition, which is facing legal issues in the U.S. that have weighed on the group’s stock price.” (Reckitt, ticker RKT, is primarily listed and traded on the London Stock Exchange.)
But Griner, who has been with the company since 2012, says Mead Johnson’s Evansville operations continue as normal: The company has had celebrations marking its 120th anniversary and remains as committed as ever to its worldwide mission.
“We’re a purpose-driven company,” Griner says. “Every company has their mission statements. Everybody talks about it, but here, we really live it. … It really is a destination place. And I think it’s because when you’re here, you feel moved by the purpose and the people you work with. You just develop a tremendous amount of respect for their skills, knowledge, expertise, and passion for what we do. And you kind of feed into that.”
“Regardless of the ownership structure,” Griner adds, “we stay focused on creating high quality infant nutrition that families can depend on.”
During training July 2 at Deaconess Sports Park, Lt. Chris Reiter and firefighter Alex Nally assist Capt. Adam Brock with his diving gear photographed by Brodie Curtsinger
When danger occurs in the bodies of water around Evansville, a special group of first responders is called. Armed with scuba equipment and three boats, Evansville Fire Department’s dive team pulls people from submerged watercraft to safety onshore.
The unit formed in the late 1980s and early ‘90s to provide water assistance as Indiana’s first riverboat casino docked in Evansville and the city hosted hydroplane races. Since then, it’s grown to 30 active divers, plus support and shore personnel, spread across three shifts.
The team deploys when swimmers, vehicles, or watercraft are stranded or submerged in area waters. EFD typically responds to around 16 incidents a year. Because of heavy rain in 2025, EFD already had hit that number by June 30 — eight incidents alone when Evansville received a record-setting 3.93 inches June 13. Capt. Adam Brock, an EFD firefighter since 2011 and a dive team member for nine years, refers to those responses as “high-risk, low-frequency runs.”
“They’re high-risk when they do happen,” Brock says. “That’s what we spend the majority of our time training, and it really pays off when the call comes in and we’re able to make a successful rescue.”
Capt. Tony Kirsch connects the comms line that lets firefighter Josh Utley communicate and stay tethered to his line tender photographed by Brodie Curtsinger
Each 24-hour shift’s water rescue team is made up of EFD firefighters who are certified through Dive Rescue International. They train at least once a month for different response scenarios, such as search patterns, swift water, ice rescue, boat operations, and potential hazards. In early January, rescuers took advantage of a rare ice storm to practice water rescues in the lake at Garvin Park. Brock says divers enjoy training on the sandy beach resulting from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers dredging the Ohio River in late summer because it offers the clearest water.
Each member has a speciality, from administering medical aid, operating sonar equipment, and driving the boats to tending lines and keeping submerged divers from entanglement — a critical need, since underwater visibility is 3-4 feet. Divers slip on dry suits, buoyancy compensators, scuba regulators, air tanks, and full face masks with microphones to communicate with team members on shore. Active divers must complete a watermanship test and demonstrate scuba skills each year and recertify every three years.
All that training pays off, Brock says. Several years ago, he was part of a crew responding to a capsized canoe on Pigeon Creek. Rescuers found the caller in high, rapid water, clinging to a tree. “His canoe was completely sunk,” Brock says. “We used the Zodiac to get up to him, got a life jacket on him, and got him into our boat safely.”
GRO employees Chelsea Russelburg, Ashby Henning, Lauren Wineman, Jordan Huneycutt, Brevin Snellenberger, Niklas Andersson, Lance Gardner, and Kayla LeBarron photographed by Zach Straw
When Jordan Huneycutt first toured Suite 608 in the Curtis Building in May 2023, he was captivated by the exposed brick, view of Downtown Evansville from the top-floor windows, and ceilings up to 15 feet. Today, GRO, a boutique marketing firm founded by Huneycutt in June 2022, calls the space home.
“I wanted character. … Once I saw this place, my mind was made up. That was it,” recalls Huneycutt, a Harrison High School and University of Southern Indiana graduate. “I like to see something for what it could be, not what it is.”
Photo of GRO’s office by Zach Straw
Huneycutt began revamping Suite 608 for GRO. He started by painting the walls shades to match the company’s desert-themed brand, using a ladder to reach the ceilings. He added rugs, decor, plants, and furniture purchased from resellers and interior decorating boutiques in Nashville, Tennessee, and Bloomington, Indiana. The result is a space that Huneycutt believes demonstrates the capabilities of GRO’s creative team, which includes eight employees here and four remote workers across the U.S. Ten percent of the company’s business is local clients, including Wolfe’s Auto Auction, Young & Established, and even Stacy Stevens, owner of the Curtis Building.
“Look the part, be the part,” Huneycutt says. “I had to have the ‘wow’ factor. … I wanted vibes — plants, lights — for people to feel comfortable and come up with a million-dollar idea.”
Photo of Lance Gardner in GRO’s office by Zach Straw
Motivational signs giving a neon glow sling slogans like “Ready, Set, Gro,” Everyday I’m Hustlin,’” and “Keep it Juicy” — the latter once hung in Soul Juice, a former juice bar and smoothie cafe Huneycutt co-owned in Bloomington. Inside Huneycutt’s office, the sports fan displays autographed memorabilia purchased at charity auctions, including a photo of Tiger Woods, Mike Tyson’s boxing gloves, and a basketball with Larry Bird’s name scrawled on it.
Office decor surprises at every turn. A bull skull and a neon cactus adorn the black brick wall in the office of director of client success Chelsea Russelburg. A disco ball doubles as a hanging plant vase in the conference room. A projector plays music video “vibes” in the common room, which includes an NBA Jam arcade game, putting green, and 1978 Miller Lite sign that Huneycutt discovered at Wolfe’s. Strands of globe lights lace across the ceiling, where the exposed ductwork is a nod to the Curtis Building’s origins as a wholesale grocery warehouse.
Still, his favorite part of the workspace is the natural light, especially during what Huneycutt calls the day’s “golden hour.”
“The afternoon sun makes the space pop,” he says. “… I have the most beautiful sunsets.”
Jim Huebner, Dean Beckman, Mathew Gaug, Lori Persohn, Keith Miller, Nancy Eckerle, Bishop Joseph M. Siegel, Sister Renee Cunningham, and Shawn McCoy participate in the Deaconess Memorial Medical Center ribbon cutting on Aug. 1 in Jasper, Indiana. The longtime health care facility became affiliated with the Deaconess Health System in 2023 and officially unveiled its new name at the ceremony. Photo by Grace Pritchett/Deaconess Health System
The name of Jasper, Indiana’s largest medical facility has changed, but its commitment to quality, faith-centered health care remains steadfast under its new affiliation with Evansville-based Deaconess Health System, officials said Aug. 1 during a ribbon cutting ceremony in Dubois County.
Known for nearly 75 years as Memorial Hospital and Health Care Center, the facility now is rebranded as Deaconess Memorial Medical Center. Deaconess officials say the collaboration, which began two years ago, brings patients a broader spectrum of medical specialties and services.
Staff, leadership, and supporters gather Aug. 1 in Jasper, Indiana, to celebrate the former Memorial Hospital and Health Care Center’s name change to Deaconess Memorial Medical Center. Photo by Grace Pritchett/Deaconess Health System
The new name reflects the partnership, in effect since Feb. 1, 2024, and honors the Jasper facility’s longstanding traditions, according to Deaconess CEO Shawn McCoy. He noted the Sisters of the Little Company of Mary supported the hospital’s opening in 1951 as a 75-bed acute care facility.
“The Memorial name is extremely important to this community,” McCoy says. “It represents the Little Company of Mary (Sisters) coming in to run this, it represents the people who put their money toward this hospital to get it built, and it’s in honor of war veterans. It’s amazing to me how many people in the community knew that history.”
The phrase “medical center” was chosen over the word “hospital” because it better reflects the range of care that is available, according to Deaconess officials. The Deaconess Memorial Medical Center name was shaped with input from more than 800 employees of the facility and Jasper community members. While rooted in Evansville, Deaconess has expanded its footprint to include 20 hospitals and many other medical facilities in Southwestern Indiana, Western Kentucky and Southern Illinois.
Deaconess CEO Shawn McCoy speaks at the Aug. 1 ceremony. Photo by Grace Pritchett/Deaconess Health System
Because of Memorial Hospital’s Catholic history and affiliation, approval from The Vatican was required for the facility to join Deaconess Health System. That occurred under the late Pope Francis, who died April 21. The agreement allows the Jasper facility to maintain its Catholic identity, and it will continue to adhere to the church’s ethical and religious directives. “We take that seriously and it’s at the core of what we do, ” says Keith Miller, who in July 2024 was named the facility’s chief administrative officer.
The relationship’s framework is dynamic but not unusual, Miller adds. “With mergers and acquisitions being very popular in health care, it’s becoming more common. We’re certainly not the first ones to have this type of relationship.”
Since joining forces with Deaconess in 2023, the facility has expanded its services to include inpatient nephrology, pain management, more surgical offerings, and advanced technologies like the ROSA robotic surgical system and OrthoGrid.
Bishop Joseph Siegel of the Catholic Diocese of Evansville offers a blessing at the Aug. 1 ceremony. Grace Pritchett/Deaconess Health System
Bishop Joseph Siegel of the Catholic Diocese of Evansville offered a blessing at the Aug. 1 ceremony. “I’m looking forward to walking with and working with the Medical Center … to ensure that the Catholic identity and mission continue to endure and deepen in the years to come,” Siegel says. “The name may change, but the Catholic healing ministry here will remain deeply rooted and, with the help of God’s grace, will touch the lives of countless people.”
If the forecast is to be believed, the extreme heat will end late on July 30, just in time to say “Ein Prosit!” at the 63rd annual Volksfest.
The celebration of German heritage runs from 11 a.m. to midnight July 31, Aug. 1, and Aug. 2 at Germania Maennerchor, 916 N. Fulton Ave. The club, which was founded by German immigrants in 1900, promises fun for all.
Here’s a glimpse at what Volksfest attendees can expect this year:
The festival is open to people of all ages daily until 2 p.m. After 2 p.m., it becomes an event only for those 21 and older, and beyond 4 p.m., a $5 cash cover charge is required for entry. Those entering after 4 p.m. must do so at Germania Maennerchor’s Fulton Avenue entrance, and those aged 21-25 and under should have two forms of government ID with one having a photo.
While the cover charge must be cash, food and drinks may be bought with cards or cash. Menu items include bratwurst, pig knuckle, and side choices are mashed potatoes, German potato salad, kraut, and beans. There are also bratwurst, German bologna, and turkey sandwiches. Kraut balls are available too (you can get four for $7), and those are always a hit: Club publicity chair Jody Wassmer says 25,000 of them are made from scratch for Volksfest.
Wassmer says nine German beers, a record for the event, will be available, as well as domestic choices, wine, and soft drinks. Non-alcoholic beer is free for designated drivers. Last call is nightly at 11:30 p.m.
Two bands will make their Volkfest debut — The River City Polkatz of Louisville, Kentucky, will perform from 4 to 7:30 p.m. Aug. 2 in the Bier Garten, while Polka Cola from Cincinnati, Ohio, is scheduled to play in the same location from 6:15 to 10:30 p.m. July 31 and will return Aug. 2 from 8 to 11:30 p.m. “We have people who have heard them and seen them and say they will bring a lot of excitement,” says Wassmer.
Photo by Brodie Curtsinger
Other bands scheduled to perform are the popular Rhien Valley Brass (7:15 to 9:15 p.m. daily in Fest Halle), Rathskeller Trio (5 to 7 p.m. daily in Fest Halle and various other times in the Rathskeller hall), and Haywire (8 to 11:30 p.m. Aug. 1 in the Bier Garten).
Volksfest also will have a half pot drawing at 8 p.m. all three nights. One ticket may be bought for $5, three tickets cost $10, and seven tickets are $20. Ticket sales will be downstairs in the Rathskeller hall. Proceeds benefit Germania Maennerchor’s events and charitable activities.
Germania Maennerchor doesn’t leave out the kids: a Back to School Bash for children 12 and under is 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Aug. 2 with free food and free backpacks with school supplies for the first 200 kids, as well as a bounce house, an Evansville Fire Department truck, and more.
Runners and walkers can sign up for The Wurst Race, a 5K event starting at 8 a.m. Aug. 2, and there’s a beer and brat for all finishers. Registration is open until race day.
Opening ceremonies for the 63rd Volkfest are at 6 p.m. July 31 in the Bier Garten, with Mayor Stephanie Terry tapping the first keg, and Germania Maennerchor invites all to attend the festival.
“It’s a chance to enjoy German food, German music, adult beverages, and be a part of something that’s unique in Evansville,” Wassmer says.
Editor’s note: An abbreviated version of this story was published in May/June 2026 Evansville Living. The original story published online in July 2025.
Driving slowly to scan the fields and farms along Volkman Road, Bonnie MacArthur comments, “That’s it.” The avid gardener has spied The Zinnia Meadow, an eye-popping palette of brilliant colors in the beds along the road. In patches among the zinnias grow stands of sunflowers and bursts of cosmos, irresistible to the bees and butterflies that lilt through the rows of stems and branches to the hum of cicadas.
Photo by Brodie Curtsinger
The Zinnia Meadow sits on the 10-acre homestead Ellie Ziliak shares with her husband, Austin, not far from his family’s farm. Two years ago, Ellie started tilling rows of zinnias and sold customers the opportunity to snip and pay. “I stopped at a U-pick while visiting my grandparents in Wabash and thought, ‘I can do this,’” she says.
So, she did, and her garden grew. Customers returned and spread the word. The field of blooms multiplied as Ellie sprinkled variety among the rows of zinnias with bursts of cosmos and stalks of sunflowers. “The more flowers, the less moving,” she says, smiling.
Wandering the rows, Newburgh, Indiana, resident and visiting gardener DeeDee Shoemaker gazes around in awe at the panoply of plants as Ellie approaches her. “Beautiful. And bountiful. And big,” DeeDee says to Ellie. “You have zinnias galore and more.”
Farming is in Ellie’s family’s legacy. She studied agribusiness management, farm management, and crop science at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, to prepare to continue the tradition of growing corn and soybeans in her north central Indiana hometown of Wabash. In class at Purdue, she met Austin, and blooms of love flowered. After graduation in May 2022 and marriage the following year, Ellie’s plans were rerouted south to her husband’s family’s rich farmland in Vanderburgh County, where Ellie works as a real estate agent for CENTURY 21 Scheetz.
The Zinnia Meadow takes time and effort, but Ellie’s farmer focus is efficiency. “Harvesting is easy if the heads are left on the stems to dry after the last bloom in October,” she shares. After harvest, she breaks the heads into seeds and lets them dry over the winter, then scatters them back into the flower beds in the spring.
Photo by Brodie Curtsinger
Simplicity is key and extends to watering. “We actually don’t water the flowers at all and just rely on rainfall, because for water for our house, we rely on a cistern. We don’t have wells because the water table is too deep,” she says.
In the coming years, besides the zinnias and sunflowers and cosmos, Ellie is considering adding other seasonal flowers — perhaps tulips, she says — and, later, even expanding her garden’s variety of flowers via a greenhouse. But baby comes first: Ellie and Austin are expecting their first child in October.
Because its namesake floral enjoys a long flowering season, The Zinnia Meadow is open from early July through October. Customers can stop and snip flowers 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday-Saturday and 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Sunday at 2440 Volkman Road.
The City of Evansville’s mission to identify and remove vacant and blighted structures from city neighborhoods received some outside help this summer.
Savalee Tikle, a 26-year-old student in Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design, spent 10 weeks with the Evansville Department of Metropolitan Development, building a digital database of properties meeting criteria for demolition. Her fellowship was through Mayor Stephanie Terry’s participation in the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative, which fully funded Tikle’s fellowship.
Tikle’s professional and academic work has focused on planning, data analysis, and climate-resistant design. She’s well-versed in mapping, and she put her skills to use at DMD, working with Executive Director Kolbi Jackson, who collaborated with City of Evansville Communications Director Joe Atkinson on the application to the Harvard fellowship program.
“The mayor’s Flight Blight program was in the works when we were working on the application, and we were aware that when it came to our ability to identify how many blighted spaces and structures, we weren’t going to find everything by asking the public. To get a handle on the issue, we needed to find another avenue,” Atkinson says.
The avenue has been paved by Tikle, who tailored a mapping plan specific to Evansville. “The primary goal was to map blighted and vacant properties within the Center City — essentially building a foundational inventory that could guide future redevelopment and revitalization efforts,” says Tikle, a native of Mumbai, India. “This was meant to serve as a pilot that the city could eventually scale to other neighborhoods.”
Not only was that goal achieved, but Tikle says her work went beyond its original scope. It wasn’t just about collecting data, she explains, but about deeper looks at property condition, ownership patterns, and development potential.
“I’m an architect by profession, an urban designer and planner in the making. I’m not a data analyst, so I’m looking at data through the lens of an architect: That’s not a vacant parcel of land, it’s something that has so much potential as housing or an economic driver. We’re changing the perception of what we think blight and vacancy could be,” she says.
Tikle says her process across her 10-week fellowship was broken into three stages: mapping, analyzing, and ideation. The first two weeks, she spoke to stakeholders in local government and in the neighborhoods themselves “to understand the landscape of vacancy and blight, past efforts to address it, and how policies and capital are currently aligned,” she says.
She and Jackson spent three weeks touring Evansville’s Center City, looking at the issues first-hand, conducting a block-by-block window survey, and inputting data in their database. They developed five stages of blight — low, medium, and high levels, with transitional stages between — to help categorize properties’ needs and recommended priority.
The database, she says, “goes beyond simple mapping — it’s a decision-making tool that helps the DMD identify where to direct resources, plan targeted redevelopment, and reframe vacant land as opportunity zones for future housing and economic growth across the city.”
Next came two weeks of major analysis of the data collected and researching potentials leading up to a week of ideation and case-study comparisons with blight projects in cities like Charlottesville, Virginia.
“We’ve also worked to make these strategies replicable and prototypal for other neighborhoods, so the city can use this as a toolkit for long-term equitable revitalization and reuse of underutilized land,” she says. She cited the Jacobsville neighborhood and the South Kentucky Avenue area as places where the model could be replicated.
Along the way, Tikle took note of potential in Evansville’s Center City neighborhoods. “They’re close to Downtown, have so much character, and you can really feel the community roots. It made me realize these aren’t just problem areas, they’re prime spaces for community-driven growth and reinvestment,” she says.
Results of the blight study still are being finalized, but “the number was larger than I anticipated,” Atkinson says. “It showed me there’s tremendous value in what Savalee’s doing and the importance of scaling up the plan. If there’s enough of a gap in data in that section of the city, there’s more out there.”
As Tikle’s 10-week fellowship reaches its conclusion in late July, she is finalizing reports and holding final meetings to hand the reins over to stakeholders and government officials.
“We want them to understand what we’ve done, because these people will be the ones to take it further through capital investment and planning strategies,” Tikle says. “Ideation is like outreach: This is what the city is really investing time and effort in. If you take part in an action plan, we can make better use of the data we already have. There’s vacant land just waiting to be converted.”
Tikle, who is to receive her Master of Architecture in Urban Design from Harvard in 2026, enjoyed her time in Evansville, residing near the Haynie’s Corner Arts District and exploring the city. “I didn’t expect such a rich blend of history and creativity in a city this size,” she says. “It was a very cool discovery.”
Photo courtesy of TaylorMade.com and SundayRed.com
TaylorMade Golf, the worldwide equipment manufacturer that has had a distribution center in Evansville since 2019, is hosting a warehouse sale with deep discounts.
The sale is underway July 18-19 at TaylorMade Golf’s facility at 4400 Garrison Ave. on the city’s North Side. The hours are 10 a.m.-6 p.m. July 18 and 9 a.m.-noon July 19.
Items available are from TaylorMade as well as Sun Day Red, an apparel brand affiliated with TaylorMade that was launched in 2024 by golf great Tiger Woods. According to TaylorMade, the deals include TP5 and TP5x golf balls for $12 per dozen; select Sun Day Red polos for $20 each; and discounts on clubs, apparel, accessories, and more.
It’s the first such event since TaylorMade arrived in Evansville six years ago. The sale is intended as a thank you to the local community and part of a broader effort to connect with area residents, Jessica Delgado, associate director of project management for North American operations, said in a press release.
The company’s Evansville distribution center covers 300,000 square feet and employs more than 150 full-time staff, plus 150 seasonal workers. The facility “plays a huge part in getting TaylorMade gear into the hands of golfers across the country,” Delgado said in the press release.
According to TaylorMade, no bags or backpacks are allowed at the sale. Only credit card transactions are available, and all sales are final.
Based in Carlsbad, California, TaylorMade Golf was founded in 1979 in McHenry, Illinois. In addition to Woods, the company has endorsement deals with many top players, including Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler.
Photo of Gabriel Cole-Brant, Katrina Zahradka, and Keenan Lampe by Brodie Curtsinger
Think your hand-eye coordination is solid? You may fit in this week at the International Jugglers’ Association’s 78th annual convention, which is in Evansville for the first time.
Roughly 600 enthusiasts from around the world are sharing their love of juggling with one another, as well as with the host community. The convention has a lot of balls in the air, literally and figuratively.
Photo of Keenan Lampe by Brodie Curtsinger
The IJA staged a program July 15 for the Boys and Girls Club of Evansville, and public performances are scheduled at Downtown venues through Saturday. Capping the festivities July 19 is the Cascade of Stars, a family-friendly event at the Victory Theatre. According to IJA, it’s regarded as the best juggling show in the U.S.
The IJA enjoyed a Downtown walking tour and pub crawl after arriving Monday. Afton Benson, IJA treasurer and festival co-director, says the group typically eschews larger cities for its convention, preferring to do their juggling in medium-sized markets such as Evansville.
“They meet our needs, we meet their needs, and it works,” says Benson, who is from Saint Paul, Minnesota.
The group’s nods to Evansville also include reflecting on the life of Joe Cook, a native of the city and one of the biggest vaudeville stars of the 1920s and ‘30s. According to the IJA, films of Cook juggling five clubs and bounce juggling five balls are the earliest existing examples of such tricks, and the Museum of Juggling History in Middletown, Ohio, owns several of Cook’s props. Cook was the subject of a seminar during this week’s convention.
Jugglers in town for the IJA convention run the gamut, from touring show performers to novices, Benson says. Vendors also are onsite, selling juggling props and gear of all kinds.
Photo of Bruce Manners by Brodie Curtsinger
A large exhibit floor at Old National Events Plaza is available 24/7 for conventioneers — the space was packed
with jugglers when Evansville Living stopped by July 15. Keenan Lampe of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, was among those tossing clubs. The 32-year-old started juggling at age 12.
“My brother was learning, so I decided to copy him,” Lampe says. “For about a decade, it was me juggling solo and teaching friends. And in college, I met other jugglers, and they taught me more fun new trucks, like how to pass clubs, which is now my favorite thing to do. And then I started coming to festivals and met the community.”
Katrina Zahradka and Gabriel Cole-Brant tossed clubs back and forth while seated on unicycles. Cole-Brant first juggled at age 9, but the now-29-year-old says he rediscovered it in earnest during the COVID-19 pandemic. Today, he’s an independent performer who performs as a clown at Renaissance festivals under the name Gabs the Fool.
Photo of Ted Lam by Brodie Curtsinger
In addition to performing, Zahradka has an Etsy shop called Toss-Up Textiles, where she sells colorful, fun, juggling balls, and more. She and Cole-Brant are Minnesota residents.
“The circus community is one of the most accepting and exuberant groups you can participate in, with lots of diverse disciplines that all fit under the circus arts umbrella,” Zahradka says. “It’s a great way to meet people from different states and nations and immediately have a common language. To me circus is a passion, a career, an adventure and a family.”
Adds Cole-Brant: “Juggling and circus is one of the most welcoming and open communities I’ve ever had the pleasure to be a part of. I recommend anyone to join their local juggling club. They’re always a space for people to come together and share their weird and wacky habits.”
Photo of American Heritage paddlewheeler provided by American Cruise Lines. The vessel is known for its iconic red paddlewheeler, which — thanks to the advent of steam engines — is purely decorative on modern ships.
After welcoming Ohio River cruise ships back to Evansville in 2023 for the first time in decades, the city’s tourism agency decided this year to cancel three previously scheduled stops. Those cruises — often aboard American Cruise Lines’ iconic red paddlewheeler — instead are docking in Henderson, Kentucky.
The reason, according to Explore Evansville CEO Tom White, came down to dollars and cents.
“Unfortunately, the financial cost of hosting the boats at Inland Marina just weren’t an effective use of our funds for return on investment,” says White, adding that the issue was one of the first things to confront him after starting the job in March 2025.
Having Inland Marina as a port of call was costing Explore Evansville about $90,000 per year to lease, and the economic benefit of the three scheduled cruises was about $5,000 to $7,000 per cruise, White says.
The cost vs. benefit ratio led White to suggest that the operator, American Cruise Lines, replace Inland Marina with Henderson. But there’s a silver lining, White adds: Passengers still are offered transportation from Henderson to Evansville attractions such as Evansville Wartime Museum, Old Vanderburgh County Courthouse, and a “local loop” that includes Main Street, Reitz Home Museum, the USS LST-325 Ship Memorial, and the Evansville Museum of Arts, History & Science. Passengers also have the freedom to head out on their own and visit attractions of their choice.
White says he favors a more economically favorable solution that would again make Evansville a port of call for cruise lines, but it’s not yet clear what that would involve. He notes Inland Marina’s remote location, downriver and disconnected from Evansville’s Downtown, as a hurdle.
“We would like to figure out a way to do it differently, maybe somewhere closer to Downtown, but the challenges of the Ohio River are something we’ve got to figure out,” he says.
White adds that Evansville maintains a good relationship with American Cruise Lines. “They really like Evansville, and we hope to expand that and continue to work closely with them. We just have to have a dock that’s more ideal for them and us,” he says.
The 2023 return of riverboat stops in Evansville was celebrated after their lengthy absence. According to Explore Evansville records, the Delta Queen stopped in the city in 2008, but before that, Evansville hadn’t seen significant riverboat activity since the 1970s.
White street name signs sporting a purple-and-orange “UE” emblem were installed July 11 at Lincoln Avenue’s intersection with Weinbach Avenue and where Frederick Street meets Lincoln, as well as where Weinbach and Walnut Street cross. The emblem puts a stamp of school pride on the streets surrounding campus.
“We are in the heart of the city of Evansville, and we wanted to bolster our visibility. When you see one of those signs, you know you’re on our campus,” says UE Chief Communications Officer Noah Alatza.
Modifying city-owned infrastructure wasn’t a quick process. After its resolution to spruce up the traditional green street name signs received unanimous approval from the Evansville City Council in June 2024, UE worked with the city’s Boards of Public Works and Public Safety to make sure the new signs complied with state and federal regulations. The Indiana Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices follows the federal MUTCD’s Rule 2D.43, which limits street name sign backgrounds to blue, green, or brown. That threw off UE’s plan, which originally called for a hue paying homage to the school’s Purple Aces.
The MUTCD also restricts emblems to institutional seals, and the letters “UE” were not an official university seal. Guided by legal counsel from attorneys Mike Schopmeyer and Joshua “J.R.” Trockman at Kahn, Dees, Donovan & Kahn, LLP, UE’s Board of Trustees approved the letters “UE” as a secondary seal, which met Public Works requirements. Once given the green light, Hummel Electric fabricated and installed the new signs.
“We have a lot of infrastructure upgrades we’ve invested in in the last few years, like Lincoln Commons, the Mental Health and Wellness Clinic & Emily M. Young Assessment Center, and a generous gift from UE alums Kyle and Ashley Freeland for the addition of the Freeland Clubhouse. This is the cherry on top of those upgrades,” Alatza says. “We want to be good stewards of the area around the institution and to the community that gave us a university.”
We like sharing Things We Learned while producing our magazines! While reporting this story, we learned the specific shade of purple used in UE’s logo is Pantone 2617.
Ready to own summer, but don’t know where to start? Evansville Living’s staff has some thoughts, and they dig deep into Southwestern Indiana culture. Why just go to the movies when you can fill up on chili dogs and take in a double feature at the drive-in? Why settle for store-bought produce when Hoosier-grown sweet corn and watermelon are ripe for the picking? Living in this corner of Indiana, every summer day can feel like a John Mellencamp song. Here are some of our favorite ways to make your Indiana summer the best one yet.
Photo of the Holiday Drive-In by Zach Straw
Make an Experience Out of Going to the Movies
In Southwestern Indiana, we don’t just go to the movies — we treat ourselves to an open-air feature at the six-screen Holiday Drive-In about 30 miles east of town in Spencer County. And because we’re Hoosiers, we celebrate an Indiana summer by first swinging by the TF Ice Cream in Boonville. Order a foot-long chili cheese hot dog with a walking taco, pair it with a cherry malt (or a float featuring Derr’s soda, another Boonville landmark), then head for the night’s first shows at the Holiday; films typically begin between 8 and 9 p.m., but the exact start time aligns with when the sun dips below the horizon. Open nightly through July and offering a double feature Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, it’s a quintessential step back in time. On the drive home, take it a step further: Roll down your car windows and crank up the volume to John Mellencamp’s 1982 classic “Jack & Diane.” Cliche? Sure, but also timeless to anyone who appreciates Indiana culture.
Place Your Bet at the Racetrack — and Not Just on a Horse
Riders up! You’ll find the Bluegrass State’s passion for thoroughbred racing starting in July at Ellis Park Racing & Gaming (which may be on the north side of the Ohio River, but it’s still across the Kentucky state line). Its annual live horse racing meet runs through Aug. 24, allowing fans to see “The Sport of Kings” up close and place bets on national and international contests. Since its centennial season in 2022, the racetrack has sat under the umbrella of the owner of Louisville’s Churchill Downs, home of the Kentucky Derby. Ellis Park’s calendar isn’t limited to just horse racing. Special events include contests starring dachshunds and corgis hoofing it across the dirt track. This year’s canine competitors take the track July 19 for qualifying races, and then the fur flies Aug. 16 when the top six of each breed face off in the finals. If you’re hungry before, during, or after the races, visit Dade Park Grill, a nod to the facility’s original name from the ’20s. After Ellis’ season ends in late summer, horse racing slot machines are open to gamers 365 days a year.
Photo of Evansville Living advertising intern Kendyl Brown at Evansville State Hospital grounds by Zach Straw
Catch Up on Your Summer Reading List
We’re not going to tell you what to read — we hear the latest issue of Evansville Living is a great place to start — but we’ll share our secret to finding the focus to make a dent in your summer reading list. First, grab a book: Find one penned by a local author at Your Brother’s Bookstore, try a blind date with a novel sporting a camouflaged cover from Bluestocking Social, or pick up a new release at Barnes & Noble. Then, throw out a blanket underneath a tree at the Evansville State Hospital Park, but don’t pick any ol’ canopy. Spread out beneath the 100-foot canopy of the 220-year-old cherrybark oak, proudly the state champion for its species. Toss some eclectic goodies into your basket, such as Bungeo–ppang or plantain chips from Aihua International Market, or Dorilocos (a Doritos-pork rinds match made in heaven) from Helados Ice Cream, Antojitos, and Snacks.
Catch a wiffleball game — or join in!
Wiffleball is a perfect summer sport for the simple reason that it’s both fun and forgiving if you’re not an MLB All Star. Can’t haul it around the bases? That’s OK — the distance of your hit determines what base you get, anyway. Don’t have a power swing? Just roll with it. Don’t have a team? No worries. You can form one, sub in, or cheer on your favorites at Haynie’s Corner Wiffleball League games on Monday and Tuesday evenings at the Doug Annakin Memorial Field next to the Alhambra Theatre. Relaxed bouts of ball — with a hot dog chaser, of course — take the edge off the early workweek and culminate with the playoffs and championship in early autumn. August’s Bellemeade Park Wiffleball Bash adds a philanthropic element to the casual sport by making its round-robin style play double as a benefit for the Boys & Girls Club of Evansville. Games start Aug. 23 and feature a single elimination bracket and a home run derby between games. Marking the end of the season is the River City Wiffleball Classic, a fundraiser for homeless nonprofit Aurora that’s held at the decidedly not-casual Bosse Field. This year’s tournament is Sept. 27.
The giraffes at Mesker Park Zoo & Botanic Garden. Photo by Brodie Curtsinger
While Away An Entire Day at Mesker Park Zoo & Botanic Garden
Need to fill a full day’s itinerary? Head to the historic West Side zoo and botanic garden. Flora lovers will fall for the tropical blooms, especially orchids, throughout the balmy 75-degree rainforest setting in Amazonia. Meanwhile, Monarch butterfly fans will want to pause at the pollinator garden stretching across the hillside by the Kley Memorial Building — also home to the zoo’s new rhinoceros. With more than 700 animals taking residence at the zoo, it’s easy to make new friends. At the Discovery Center, catch a glimpse at the zoo’s newest residents: Francois’ langurs named Kimly and Tashi, who relocated from the Los Angeles Zoo in March and joined Badu and Kiki, another pair of the black leaf monkeys. There are chances to learn something new around every corner — did you know that Berta, a 58-year-old Bornean gibbon who lives in the Asia section and has called Mesker home for 23 years, is the oldest known member of her endangered species in the world? Stop for lunch at Rainforest Grille, then trade your tokens for a tram tour or paddleboat ride on Lake Victoria. Get up close with friendly wildlife by feeding fronds to giraffes Clementine and Kijana in the African Rift or fish to one of the 14 Humboldt penguins in the Penguins of Patagonia exhibit. Listen to the vocal styles of chirping birds as you feed seeds to warbling budgies in the Amazonia section’s enclosed outdoor walk-through. No visit to the zoo is complete without saying hello to Beliza, a 19-year-old female jaguar, who is healthy and thriving since being diagnosed with and treated for cancer in 2019. And starting in August is Wild Summer Lights, a massive custom light display from the company that produced recent lantern exhibits at the zoos in Louisville, Kentucky, and St. Louis, Missouri.
Make Any Summer Day a ‘Holiday’
What was that you said? We couldn’t hear you over the sound of screaming passengers as the 163-foot-tall Voyage careened by. The jaw-dropping wooden roller coaster has been a hit with thrill-seekers since opening in 2006 at Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari, but the nearly 79-year-old amusement park in Santa Claus, Indiana, has much more to offer. Through Aug. 3, enjoy Holidays in the Sky, a nightly show of 500 synchronized drones. Until Sept. 1, check out the Nerveless Nocks stunt team’s aerobatics on jet skis and motorcycles. The water park’s slides, wave pools, and lazy rivers are ideal for cooling off, and don’t just take our word for it: USA Today named Splashin’ Safari the country’s No. 4 best outdoor water park this year. Don’t skimp when applying sunscreen — the park offers it for free.
Zesto photo by Zach Straw
Make Your Meal Alfresco
Several restaurants have porches or patios for outdoor dining, but those aren’t the only ways to take your meal outside this summer. Food trucks are out in force at seasonal events like the Old Courthouse’s Lunch on the Lawn. For some of the biggest burgers in town, cruise into Zesto’s locations on Riverside Drive or West Franklin Street, or Big Top on Maryland Street, and pair double-stacked patties with a butterscotch dipped ice cream cone. Speaking of burgers and ice cream, how’s this for a summer scenario: Drive through one of Lic’s Deli & Ice Cream’s seven locations for a tower of soft-serve sweet scoops in 20 flavors. How about an old-fashioned picnic in Garvin Park or Wesselman Park? Or a pie-eating contest at the Vanderburgh County Fair? As long as there’s food and summer, the possibilities are endless — and delicious.
Fill Up on Fresh Food Straight From Hoosier Fields
Do you take your sweet corn Sugar & Cream or Silver Queen? In the toe of the Hoosier State, we have a choice. Southwestern Indiana farmland — more than 556,000 acres combined in Vanderburgh, Posey, and Gibson counties, by a 2022 USDA count — yields thousands of bushels of fresh food each harvest, from backyard cucumbers and heirloom beefsteak tomatoes to crunchy bell peppers and juicy peaches and nectarines. Even the well-drained, sandy loam soils along the Wabash River are perfect grounds to grow seeded cantaloupe and red amber and sugar baby watermelon — in fact, the dual-state Illiana Watermelon Association triangulates most of its annual melon crop to a 50-mile corridor running along U.S. 41 in Posey, Gibson, and Knox counties. Summer wraps up with harvests of apples, corn, zucchini, and those aforementioned varietals of corn. Did your family gather each year to handle crop yields themselves? You may share some sticky summer memories with Managing Editor Jodi Keen; read more from Final Detail, “Swapping Corn Husks for Stories.”
Photo of Paige Musgrove, Eleanor Daywalt, and Ethan Hills at the 29th annual summer LemonAid Stand for Easterseals fundraiser on June 26, 2025, by Brodie Curtsinger
Commit to Having Pocket Change
It’s the season of neighborhood lemonade stands run by budding young entrepreneurs, and you don’t want to disappoint them by having only a card to pay for a cup of that fresh-squeezed goodness. Before leaving the house for a walk with your dog or an energizing bike ride, slip a few small bills and quarters into your pocket so you’re not caught unarmed when placing an order at tabletop homemade drink stations — or pop-up stands selling everything from friendship bracelets to impromptu glitter portraits — that don’t accept Venmo. For kids, cash is king!
Discover Your New Favorite Band
There’s nothing quite like the sounds of summer, and plenty of music-centric events
know how to carry a tune. Get in the groove at WNIN Jazz Fest, headlined this year by multi-instrumentalist Monte Skelton. Food Trucks at the Farm mixes weekly live music sets by acoustic musicians like Cynthia Murray and Lindsey Williams in a food truck-laden festival atmosphere at Farm 57. Eleven years running, Front Porch Fest in Haynie’s Corner Arts District closes out summer with sets by more than 50 acts like punk rockers The Chugs, singer-pianist Kelsey Ellen, rock ‘n’ rollers Atlas of The Dogs, and skiffle band The Old Goat Show strewn across the front lawns of the neighborhood’s historic homes. Feeling inspired? Craft your own tune at the Sandy Lee Watkins Songwriters Festival, held mid-July in Henderson, Kentucky, and drawing Nashville, Tennessee-based singer-songwriters to share their talent and tips.
Photo of Kristi and Tim Schulz of Evansville Countryside Orchard by Zach Straw
Pick Your Own Adventure
This isn’t life advice, just practical advice. Get out of the grocery store by picking your own produce at area farms, including peaches at Evansville Countryside Orchard. You also can find fresh, from-the-farm produce at Mayse Farm Market, where you also can pet the farm’s miniature donkeys. If your path calls for flowers, Timberview Flower Farm offers U-pick opportunities on select summer dates on its 20-acre farm, or schedule a private visit to make your own bouquet. Sunflower lovers stop by The Red Barn Farm off Libbert and Oak Grove Roads in Newburgh not just for a clutch of the yellow-petal plants but also to grab a photo among the fields.
Don a Faux Sumo Costume for a Sparring Contest
Who says Otters games are solely about baseball? Sure, there are nine innings of ball playing, but the fan contests between innings offer classic games that have become synonymous with minor league matches. On your next outing to see the boys of summer face a Frontier League foe at Bosse Field, sign up to slip into an inflatable suit and live out your deepest sumo wrestler dreams, or spin yourself dizzy around a bat, forehead down, before — and we can’t stress this enough — attempting to dash off to a nearby finish line. Think foot races are too easy? Think again when you’re balancing a bobble head of F.J. Reitz while sprinting all but blindly from third to first base. Is it silly? Of course. But that’s part of the fun! And what better way to work off those peanuts and Cracker Jack?
Photo of Rayelle Milan at the Holy Rosary Summer Social on May 31, 2025, by Brodie Curtsinger
Attend Church Summer Socials
Food and fellowship are the top — but not the only — draws at the outdoor socials held by Catholic parishes, with crafts, carnival rides, and car shows all part of the fun. At St. Wendel just west of the Posey County line, more than 100 goodie-stuffed baskets are raffled off; some top $150 in value. The lawn around St. Bernard in Rockport, Indiana, is covered in cool autos for a classic car show each summer. Find big-ticket items (like a Big Green Egg grill) at St. Philip in Mount Vernon, Indiana, and don’t miss the half-pot raffle: Last year’s winner took home $2,284! Then, there’s the food. St. Bernard goes through 600 gallons of turtle soup (made today with pork instead of reptile meat), and St. James in Haubstadt, Indiana, dishes out bowls and to-go tubs of burgoo meat stew. Fried chicken dinners are on most parish menus, too.
Go For a Hole-in-One
You don’t have to be a pro to enjoy a game of golf. A mere 18 holes isn’t enough at Walther’s Golf & Fun, which offers two miniature golf courses where casual fans can play outside or dodge the heat in the comfort of an air-conditioned indoor course. Add lazer tag to the mix — a 15-minute game can accommodate up to 25 players. If you prefer discs to golf balls, connect with the Ace Eagle Disc Golf Club for a game of disc golf. The nonprofit provides clinics for the public and supports a number of competitions and special events in the summer and year-round. Those who crave a traditional game of golf can hit the links at a trio of municipal courses — Helfrich, Fendrich, and the nine-hole McDonald — plus The Farm (formerly Thunderbolt Pass), now managed by former PGA Tour golfer Dylan Meyer. Swing not ready for the public? Make a game of practicing on the simulators at Club 18 at Mister B’s or Birdie’s. Another spot for beginners or putt-putters to enjoy the game is Howell Par 3 and Miniature Golf. The nine-hole Par 3 course is open to players of all skill levels, while the mini-golf course promises fun for all ages.
Stay Cool
Summers can get pretty hot and humid around here. To beat the heat, make a splash at Burdette Park, which boasts Olympic, family, and kids’ pools as well as two slides and a spray park in one of the region’s largest aquatic centers. The indoor Deaconess Aquatic Center offers an outdoor splash pad, too, as do the city’s trio of municipal pools. No time to don your swimsuit and jump in the deep end? Stop by a seasonal pop-up shaved ice stand — Paradise Ice on Lincoln Avenue, Cochs Cones on Petersburg Road, and Roy Boy Shaved Ice at Pat Coslett’s Simplicity Furniture on North Green River Road are three favorites. And Newburgh, Indiana, residents have long loved Rivertown Ice Cream.
A cyclist on the Pigeon Creek Greenway Passage on the riverfront. Photo by Laura Mathis
Take a Spin on Two Wheels
Want to feel like a kid again? Get some fresh air atop that old summer standby: the bicycle. Instead of cruising to your friend’s house to see if they can come out and play, try taking in the summer scenery on a rural stretch of road. The villages of Saint Philip and Saint Wendel west of town, plus the North Side communities of McCutchanville and Darmstadt, offer picturesque routes and challenging hills — you won’t soon forget the incline on Little Schaefer Road as you pump your pedals toward Koring Road. Looking for something in town? Rent a pair of wheels from Evansville Trails Coalition’s Upgrade Bikeshare program at nine locations in Evansville and one in Henderson, and traverse an urban bike trail, like the High-Rail Trail running parallel to U.S. 41, around the lake at Garvin Park, or on the newly paved paths circling Deaconess Sports Park. If you want company, turn to the Evansville Bicycle Club, whose members are interested in everything from punishing treks to leisurely rides. Don’t forget about a different kind of wheels: Levy electric scooter rentals are especially popular with Downtown visitors. No matter your two-wheeled adventure, please don’t forget to wear a helmet.
Race an Amphibian at Frog Follies
Engines aren’t the only things revving at the E’ville Iron Street Rods’ three-day celebration each August. Introduced as a gimmick to make the first festival stand out in 1975, frogs have become the event’s mascot, and Saturday’s bullfrog race offers a break from browsing 3,000 pre-1949 street rods on the grounds of the Vanderburgh 4-H Center. Maneuvering on their hands and knees, human racers can use only a feather to tickle their amphibian sidekick and encourage them (we’ve also witnessed some begging and pleading) to move off the starting line and closer to the finish about 12 feet away. The winner takes home a plaque and bragging rights — sorry, not their froggy friend. Worried you won’t be in sync with your amphibian partner? Former WKDQ-99.5 FM radio personality Ryan O’Bryan scored back-to-back first-place finishes in the 2022 and ‘23 celebrity frog races and shares his top tips:
Dial up the noise: “Once they say ‘go,’ I start smacking my hands on the concrete behind my frog and yelling. It’s just noise and chaos — anything to get them to move.” Wield that feather: “I put the feather in my teeth. If the frog veers off course, cut it off with a flick of the feather. Basically, scare it a little so it jumps.” Invest in creative distractions: “If it’s a tight finish — like in 2022 against (Channel 25 WEHT meteorologist) Wayne Hart — just raise your arms and yell like you won, and hope that somebody didn’t see it another way. I’m not saying that I didn’t win in 2022, but I bet mine won by a toenail … if frogs have toenails.”
Daytrip to New Harmony
Serenity during summer is easy to find; all it takes is a short drive northwest to New Harmony, Indiana. Take a page from the residents of this former Utopian town — which offers such a relaxed atmosphere that you can expect a golf cart to cross your path — and slow down to enjoy a hike in Harmonie State Park, explore the charming, small-town architecture Downtown or stroll through the New Harmony Gallery of Contemporary Art. The University of Southern Indiana offers 45-minute tram tours giving an overview of historic sites and exhibits. Drop by the New Harmony Artists Guild, which serves as a hub for creativity of all kinds, or head to the Working Men’s Institute to check out its museum, library, and archive. Before sunset, wander through Harmonist Labyrinth. After dark, catch the glow of Say’s Firefly, a name tied to former resident and entomologist Thomas Say that honors Indiana’s official insect.
Evansville Living’s Top 10 Songs for an Indiana Summer Playlist
“Jack & Diane,” John Mellencamp — a quintessential Hoosier song for a lazy summer day “Goin’ Back to Indiana,” The Jackson 5
“Paradise City,” Guns N’ Roses (with Lafayette, Indiana, born and raised front man Axl Rose) — They meant the village in Warrick County, right? “Indiana,” Jon McLaughlin “Can’t Fight This Feeling,” REO Speedwagon — Must sing this at the top of your lungs “Back to Indiana,” The Elms “Hot in Herre,” Nelly — Saint Louis-based, but it definitely applies to Hoosier heat “Mary Jane’s Last Dance,” Tom Petty “Cool Jam,” Houndmouth — The New Albany band slows it down with a song about fading love “Small Town,” John Mellencamp
Clockwise from Top: Taft Museum photo provided by the Taft Museum. 1857 Hotel photo provided by the Paducah Convention & Visitors Bureau. Brown County, Indiana, misty landscape photo provided by the Nashville/Brown County Convention and Visitors Bureau. Peabody Duck March photo provided by The Peabody Memphis. Story Inn photo provided by the Story Inn. National Quilt Museum photo provided by the Paducah Convention & Visitors Bureau.
Your PTO was approved, your desk is clear, and your out-of-office message is set. You’re ready to fill your suitcases to the brim, pack your family in the car, and head out on a summer vacation. Where to? We have a few ideas that won’t take you far from home.
Discover a relaxed pace and a respite from city life in Brown County, Indiana; delightfully diverse riverfront attractions in Cincinnati, Ohio; the story behind Memphis, Tennessee’s modern music industry prowess — including a surprise connection to Evansville; and why Paducah, Kentucky’s vibrant arts culture is catching global attention.
Roughly the same population as Saint Louis, Missouri, and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Cincinnati, Ohio, is a Midwestern hidden gem of the architectural marvels, culinary delights, culture, and vibrancy that come with an urban setting.
Start immediately after crossing into Ohio via the John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge by exploring the 45-acre Smale Riverfront Park, which offers family-fun elements like a carousel and several playground areas, plus giant swings perched over the riverfront, walking paths, sculptural monuments, and the Black Music Walk of Fame. Just north is the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, devoted to telling the story of slavery in America and well worth a visit. Flanking the museum to the west is Paul Brown Stadium, home of the NFL’s Bengals; to the east is Great American Ball Park, home of the Cincinnati Reds, Major League Baseball’s first pro team.
Smale Riverfront Park photo courtesy of The Banks
A 17-minute walk from the park, the Taft Museum of Art is housed in a 200-year-old Federal-style wooden mansion — a piece of art itself. Inside, visitors can see Rembrandts and Turners, Italian majolica painted pottery, and Chinese porcelains, a rare and coveted collection. Stop by the café for afternoon tea or the garden with occasional flow yoga classes. When you work up an appetite, indulge in the city’s unique spin on chili — served over a bed of spaghetti — at Skyline Chili, or tuck into a towering strawberry shortcake sundae at Graeter’s, both with locations nearby and across the city.
For more greenery in the heart of the city, Eden Park is home to countless meandering trails, water features like Mirror Lake, a reflecting pool that features a huge fountain in the center and paved walking paths surrounding the lake frequented by walkers and runners. Krohn Conservatory, an indoor botanical garden within Eden, is designed in the Art Deco style. Inside the conservatory are 3,500 plants from across the globe, including bonsai, cacti, carnivorous pitcher plants, and rare orchids. The Krohn includes a live butterfly component during summer. Eden also boasts the Cincinnati Art Museum with its rich collection of nearly 70,000 pieces of artwork. It’s one of the oldest art museums in the country and has a significant number of Middle Eastern and ancient Roman works.
Krohn Conservatory photo by Gary Kessler
Wind down your visit at Over-the-Rhine, a hip neighborhood near Downtown full of restaurants, breweries, and shopping opportunities. Findlay Market, a collection of vendors, and Jungle Jim’s, a massive store selling grocery items and oddities from all over the world, will end your Cincinnati trip on a high note.
Photo of Wall to Wall Floodwall Murals provided by the Paducah Convention & Visitors Bureau
PADUCAH, KENTUCKY | 128 MILES | 2 HOURS
For a town with just shy of 27,000 residents — about the size of our Ohio River sister city, Henderson — Paducah, Kentucky, packs a big punch of creative culture. In fact, Quilt City USA’s reputation as a fiber arts capital has earned it a UNESCO Creative City designation, one of just nine such locations in the nation.
Sitting at the confluence of the Tennessee and Ohio rivers, Paducah calls to mind a smaller Savannah, Georgia, or perhaps a scaled-down Charleston, South Carolina, with a charming, walkable Downtown that boasts 19th-century brick buildings, tempting restaurants, shops, and arts venues.
“By centering Paducah as an arts city, we’re able to provide opportunities for artists to create and exhibit their work both here and abroad, while also making sure our local culture is preserved for future generations,” says Liz Hammonds, Marketing and Communications Director for the Paducah Convention & Visitors Bureau.
Muppin’s Quilting Emporium photo provided by the Paducah Convention & Visitors Bureau
Start at the National Quilt Museum, a mind-blowing must-see and a vibrant celebration of both traditional covers and striking modern masterpieces created by a global roster of artists. Feeling inspired? Pay a visit to one of Paducah’s 10-plus quilt/fabric shops for patterns, materials, and DIY instructions. One block to the northeast, the Wall to Wall Floodwall Murals by Robert Dafford offer a fascinating glimpse into Paducah’s colorful past and most significant moments on the protective barrier built after the Ohio River flood of 1937 devastated the area. If you work up an appetite strolling the floodwall’s three blocks, venture over to fifth-generation family-owned Kirchhoff ’s Bakery and Deli around lunchtime for a lineup of delicious sandwiches and cute cookies, or sample the signature hickory-smoked pulled pork on a sandwich with cole slaw at Starnes Bar-B-Q.
The city’s oldest neighborhood, the Lowertown Arts District, is just southwest of Downtown and is home to a deep collection of galleries, artisan maker shops, and studios situated in live/work properties thanks to an innovative artist relocation program launched in 2000. Another beloved landmark, the revitalized Art Deco Coca-Cola Bottling Plant, now is a buzzy multi-use development encompassing a brewery, a coffee shop, a pizzeria, and a yoga studio. Take dinner at Freight House, set in a former railroad depot where 2025 James Beard-nominated “Top Chef ” runner-up Sara Bradley cooks up elevated Southern-style fare like deviled eggs, butter bean hummus, and Asian carp.
Hotel Metropolitan photo provided by the Paducah Convention & Visitors Bureau
For overnight stays, the sleek loft-style 1857 Hotel feels like something dropped out of Midtown Manhattan, with an excellent cocktail bar for bourbon tasting. The Italianate-style Belle Louise Historic Guest House accommodates visitors with five luxury suites and plenty of gracious Southern hospitality. Although not a hotel anymore, Hotel Metropolitan — an African American history museum in a restored 1908 building — hosted an impressive roster of African American athletes and entertainers through the years.
“One of the many great things about Paducah is accessibility,” Hammonds says. “Where else can you spend a day visiting a restored Green Book hotel, a state-of- the-art performing arts center, a national arts museum, and a James Beard finalist chef ’s restaurant without having to visit a major city?”
If sound is the backbone of a city, Memphis, Tennessee, is all about the blues, greeting visitors with a Southern spirit that’s gritty yet genteel.
“Memphis is a city that’s constantly evolving. We’re a city for everyone with a lot of heart and authenticity,” says Lauren Berry, PR Director at Memphis Tourism.
Sept. 16 marks what would have been the 100th birthday of the “Beale Street Blues Boy.” B.B. King started as a disc jockey, later shifting into live performances and a Sun Studio recording career, although Stax Records is more often credited with creating the soulful “Memphis sound.” Both sites are open for tours. Another legendary Memphis king, the lasting allure of Elvis Presley still inspires pilgrimages to Graceland and Elvis Presley’s Memphis, where admirers — perhaps some of the 13,500 fans who saw The King in concert at Roberts Municipal Stadium on Oct. 24, 1976 — can view his classic cars, airplanes, gold records, and gold lamé jumpsuits at and around his former home and gravesite. Since its launch in 1991, more than one million visitors from around the world have paid their respects at the National Civil Rights Museum built around the historic Lorraine Motel where civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated April 4, 1968.
Photo of Charlie Vergos’ Rendezvous Pork Barbecue by Craig Thompson
You’ll smell Charlie Vergos’ Rendezvous before you see it. Spicy-sweet smoke wafts through the alley the landmark restaurant calls home, luring hungry guests for mouthwatering racks of dry-rubbed ribs. If crispy white and dark meat are more your jam, beeline to Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken, and be prepared to wait in line. Open 24/7, Gibson’s Donuts satisfies sugar cravings with its signature glazed confections, while nostalgia-tinged Arcade Restaurant honors Elvis by keeping his favorite fried-peanut-butter-and-banana sandwich on the menu and preserving a diner booth in his memory.
With luxurious trappings and National Register of Historic Places status, the Peabody Memphis Downtown isn’t called the “South’s Grand Hotel” for nothing. Even if you’re not an overnight guest, don’t miss the twice-daily March of the Ducks, a charming spectacle that ushers five resident Mallards from their rooftop roost to the majestic main lobby fountain and back again. The wilderness-themed Big Cypress Lodge fits right into its soaring, pyramid-shaped Bass Pro Shop confines on the Mississippi River, where rustic-chic accommodations include a treehouse, duck cabin, and fly-fishing lodge options. Sports fans will remember the pyramid as the former home court for the University of Memphis’ men’s basketball team and the NBA’s Grizzlies; it also hosted the Memphis Pharaohs of the Arena Football League in 1995-96 before they relocated to Oregon the following year.
To underscore the way Memphis continues to surprise, Berry draws a link to songwriter and Evansville native Philip Lawrence’s handiwork: “Ever heard of Bruno Mars’ ‘Uptown Funk’? That was recorded at Royal Studios,” she says. “You can come here to reflect on our legendary music history … but you can also learn and experience the new Memphis sound of hip hop and R&B that’s also making waves and putting Memphis on the map.”
Fun-filled family adventures, a relaxing getaway with girlfriends, or a romantic weekend for two — Brown County, Indiana, fits the bill for all with inns, Airbnbs, and cabins set against a rustic hilly backdrop.
“People come to Brown County to slow down and catch their breath,” says Cristina Villani, Marketing Director of the Nashville/Brown County Convention and Visitors Bureau. “It’s the kind of place where you can trade busy city life for quiet trails, cozy shops, and relaxing moments on a porch swing.”
Photo of Brown County Playhouse provided by Nashville/Brown County Convention and Visitors Bureau
County seat Nashville brims with art galleries, down-home eateries, and shops full of country-style décor for a little dose of civilization. But let’s be real. Visitors come here to slow down, by spending time in the great outdoors and appreciating the natural beauty of this unspoiled south-central Indiana haven. With nearly 16,000 acres to explore on foot, horse, or mountain bike, Brown County State Park is the region’s centerpiece, especially when the vibrant seasonal foliage peaks each fall. Scale the 90-foot fire tower for a spectacular bird’s-eye view of the rolling topography below. ATV tours are another fun way to get the lay of the land at the sprawling Hard Truth Distilling Co. campus, followed by a sampling of spirits produced by Evansville-native master distiller Bryan Smith. Music buffs should keep an eye on show schedules at the contemporary Brown County Music Center and the more intimate Brown County Playhouse.
With all this fresh air and activity, working up an appetite is a given. Start the day with old-fashioned biscuits and gravy at Hob Nob Corner or delectable hot apple dumplings at the Nashville General Store to accompany a hot or cold coffee from the Daily Grind. Pints of house-brewed craft beer are the perfect way to wash down slices of Big Woods Pizza, and some of Brown County’s most winding country roads lead to fine-dining rewards at the 1850s Story Inn, a quaint relic of the once-booming village of Story.
Photo of Hard Truth Distillery provided by Hard Truth Distilling Co. Master Distiller Bryan Smith (center) is a Harrison High School graduate.
There’s also no shortage of shopping in Nashville. With fragrant salts, soaps, and scrubs, Bathology carries everything needed for bespoke bathing. Browse the whimsical sock inventory at For Bare Feet and find treats for four-legged friends at Bone Appetit Bakery. Chocolates and licorice make sweet souvenirs at the Candy Emporium.
“Brown County is one of those places where you can feel how much people care. Whether it’s an artist, a shopkeeper, or someone pouring your coffee — everything’s done with heart. The hospitality here is real,” Villani says.
If you have kids along, book a room at the Abe Martin Lodge — or better yet, a family cabin — at the Brown County State Park. (Access to the indoor aquatic center is a bonus.) In Downtown Nashville, the elegant Artists Colony Inn maintains cozy accommodations with Shaker-style furnishings and private balconies. Among a dizzying selection of cabins, you’ll find pops of character at the 1891 Schoolhouse Inn and the uber-modern Plāhaus, built in a shipping container.
On the way, hidden treasures await within the vast confines of the Brown County Antique Mall on S.R. 46.
“Hypervigilant.” That word is emblazoned on a laminated card displayed above Kaman Hillenburg’s computer like a badge of honor. Not only for herself – the first Evansville Museum of Arts, History & Science Collections Manager – but for the entire institution.
It originated when the Alliance of American Museums (AAM) cited collections management in awarding the museum’s accreditation in 2022. “The Museum’s staff and Collections Manager are hypervigilant with regard to risk management of the collection while on exhibition and in storage,” the AAM report said. “That gives me a little boost every time I see it,” Hillenburg says.
Caring for the museum’s artworks and objects, breathtaking or quirky, is a complex task. “To simplify it for field-trip students, I tell them I’m the one who gets to touch everything that we say they can’t,” Hillenburg says. “That’s always followed with a response of ‘woah!’”
Hillenburg’s colleagues appreciate the fire behind her meticulous approach. “Kaman is the consummate museum professional,” says Tom Lonnberg, Chief Curator & Curator of History. “She is passionate about the care, in all facets of the word, of our collection.”
Photo of gallery by Zach Straw.
At 45,000 objects, it is a lot to manage. “The museum’s collection is rich with artworks, historic artifacts, and objects in fields of science,” says Jennifer Evans Corn, the museum’s John Streetman Executive Director.
The collection’s origins can be traced to artifacts purchased from the 1904 Saint Louis World’s Fair by Evansville residents interested in starting a museum here. Today, some hitherto-unseen surprises for visitors remain boxed in storage, awaiting future endeavors.
Siegfried Weng, the executive director from 1950 to 1969, led a flurry of collection growth. “His friends from around the country donated objects to us, and that’s how Picasso’s ‘Seated Woman in Red Hat’ arrived,” Director Emerita Mary Bower says.
Photo of artifact by Brodie Curtsinger.
“Over the past century, we have collected pretty much everything under the sun,” Hillenburg says. “In the museum field, it is what we call a ‘general collection.’” Its broad array of art includes several gems, from Käthe Kollwitz prints to Gino Miles’ spherical, stainless-steel sculpture greeting visitors. History is equally important, with Lonnberg citing the 9,000 World War II-era photographs of landing ship-tank production at the Evansville Shipyard. The U.S. Navy donated them in 1948.Another mainstay is its purchase of Mid-States exhibition art over six decades. These 500 works trace the progress of contemporary regional art, with a selection on display in the Mid-States gallery.
Hillenburg, who was born in Hong Kong and grew up in northern California, found her passion for museums at an early age. “My middle-school teacher, Cassandra English, propelled my museum career,” she says. “She inspired me to volunteer at Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum in San Jose, and I fell in love with it.”
She got her foot in the door at the Evansville Museum while earning dual bachelor’s degrees in archaeology and art history from the University of Evansville. “Kaman knew she wanted to work at a museum, and we were thrilled to have her,” Bower says. “We just kept giving her more responsibility.” After working the front desk and helping stage exhibitions, Hillenburg pinch-hit when the registrar was on leave. That data and logistics work lit a fire for her.
When the museum established its collections manager role in 2017, Hillenburg had already shown she could manage the permanent collections’ art and artifacts, logistics, data, inventory, insurance, and storage.“She was ideal, really, and has done a tremendous job,” Bower, her hiring manager, says. “She’s organized, detail-oriented, and very tidy. She explains to staff her expectations for moving objects and maintaining order and cleanliness in the gallery, collection, and work areas. In the kindest way, mind you, but they know she means business.”
That discipline extends to the collections database. “Data entry is my jam,” Hillenburg says.That’s a good thing, since inventory management takes a village. She routinely leads and mentors university interns through the process, taking inventory of everything in storage and on display. The effort pays dividends in supporting the curatorial team. “In addition to making our collections more accessible, she produces big results by focusing on the details, minute or enormous,” says Cheyenne E. Miller, Virginia G. Schroeder Curator of Art. “She juggles endless tasks, switching between them seamlessly.”
Photo of doctor’s office by Zach Straw.
That ability goes beyond her work.In her spare time, she formed and led the Southwestern Indiana Collection Connection Association from 2014 to 2023. It enabled her to develop best practices with 100 peers from area museums and historical societies. She is now secretary and board member for the Association of Midwest Museums.“I’m also a true-crime fan and wanted to be a detective when I was growing up,” she says, laughing. “Museum work matches some of those skills without risking injury.”
What is next for Hillenburg and the museum?On the heels of last year’s Picasso unveiling, the museum has another surprise up its sleeve: sculpture. It will open a new gallery for that work later this year. Included will be “The Caryatids” by Abbott Pattison. He sculpted its female figures from Greek mythology in 8,000 pounds of Tuscan Carrara marble. His children donated this, his final work, following his death in 1999. Wrapped in storage for 15 years, these women soon will receive their due, under Hillenburg’s careful coordination.
“You can’t even tell these are mine,” she says, gesturing to paintings and pieces in her gallery: still lifes, landscapes, portraits, and abstracts, all featuring different techniques, colors, and styles. There is a through-line, though: a frenetic energy expressed through her brushstrokes and color.
Watson grew up in Indianapolis, where her grandmother would buy her paper and markers, and she later studied at Indiana University’s Herron School of Art and Design. Since 1983, she has lived in the Evansville area, where she raised three children. She works out of her studio and classroom in Welborn Plaza, a second-floor space filled with her paintings and works-in-progress, reference art books, and tubs and smatterings of art supplies.
Image of artwork provided by Julianna Clark
Before opening her studio, she left her mark as a sign painter and muralist. She painted an exterior sign (now obscured by ivy) at Gerst Bavarian Haus and most recently rendered a mural of the old Sterling Brewery inside Sterling United Federal Credit Union on West Franklin Street. The bank was where brewery employees would cash their paychecks, Watson says. The brewery at Fulton Avenue and Division Street was razed in 1998.
While she does like to capture real moments in time in her landscapes and portraits, she doesn’t adhere to hyperrealism. “I like to show the feelings,” Watson says. “I like to get emotion out of people or to show how I’m feeling by color.”
That philosophy is the core of her art classes, Art From the Heart. In her studio, she teaches weekly courses for children and adults. Her young students exhibit at Haynie’s Corner First Friday events, in Arts Council of Southwestern Indiana’s annual “Young at Art” installation, and at her studio. She gives lessons on several mediums — “everything but pastels,” she explains — but the main lesson is on individual expression and experimenting. “Kids are not scared,” she says. “Adults are scared. Everyone’s going to make a mistake, but the kids could not care less.”
Watson’s art explores emotions and also connects interior lives with nature. Through a recommendation from Jessica Inman, co-owner of Inman’s Picture Framing + Fine Art, Julianna Clark commissioned Watson to create artwork for her Newburgh, Indiana, home.
Watson completed a trio of watercolors capturing the tranquility along the banks of the nearby Ohio River. Since then, Clark has added seven pieces by Watson to her collection.
“I’m drawn to Cynthia because she brings the outside in,” Clark says.
See Watson’s art, along with pieces by painter Joey Luzar, at “Emotive Virtuoso,” a free exhibit of the Ohio Valley Art League on display Sept. 29-Jan. 9 at Henderson, Kentucky’s Gallery 101. Call Watson at 812-484-9459 for commissions and classes.
This year, the Garden Club of Henderson
hosted a plein air painting event with
club Easel Does It. Photo by Ginger Simpson.
For nearly half of Henderson, Kentucky’s 228-year history, members of the Garden Club have rolled up their sleeves and spruced up public spaces to create a visually vibrant community.
“Whatever the city needs and wants, we try to do it,” says Garden Club president Pam Johnson, a 12-year member. “Not everyone is an avid gardener, but they appreciate gardens.”
Most of the club’s work since its inception on May 1, 1925, is visible in planters and hanging baskets along Downtown streets, the redbud trees lining Elm Street, cherry trees in Central Park, and the stone gateway at Atkinson Park costing $1,500. Members have planted trees and perennials at Redbanks Nursing Home, Henderson Community College, Brain Injury Center, and Audubon Mill Park.
Not all of its projects involve greenery. In 2010, the club saw to the placement of two American flags, two Kentucky flags, and a stone planter with knockout roses and a sign that says “Welcome to Henderson” near the southbound intersection of U.S. 41 and Wolf Hills Road. Former club president Ardith Shannon also touts one of her favorite projects: the dedication of copper frog sculptures, created by South Carolina sculptor Beau Smith, in the Henderson County Public Library’s children’s playground and garden area in 2021.
Among the club’s most notable events are its annual Candlelight Christmas Tours and, this year, a Garden Tour hosting plein air painting club Easel Does It at local residences, with proceeds going toward beautification projects. However, the clubs 54 active members have scaled back other events and focus on promoting love of gardening, protecting native trees and flowers, and encouraging civil planting and beautification. The club also holds regular community events promoting education at the University of Kentucky Extension Office and Expo Center.
“We are a club of many past, present, and future members,” Johnson says.
“I’ve watched the club change,” Shannon adds. “Everything changes with time.”
If you think no one pays attention to what’s happening in your front yard, think again. Historic Newburgh, Inc. officials launched a “We Notice” campaign two years ago to recognize notable exteriors “where people take pride in their homes,” says HNI Executive Director Troy Wells. “Some people go above and beyond for their properties.”
To be considered, properties must be well-maintained and fit their neighborhood’s aesthetic. A committee regularly walks through Downtown and nominates selections to be voted on by the full board. The committee also welcomes recommendations from community members. A We Notice sign remains on the property’s lawn for a month until the next honoree is chosen. Eighteen homes — two per month — have been recognized so far, and at the end of the year, the home with the most likes on social media is named Home of the Year.
Becky and Steve Geis’ longtime State Street home received the We Notice award in May. Becky’s gardening — featuring hostas, hydrangeas, and perennials — has given the 125-year-old house a boost. “I garden for me, but I also want the house to look nice,” says Becky, who owned the former gift shop Heart of Newburgh. “If everyone else enjoys it, that’s fine too.”
We Notice has partnered with HNI nonprofit Newburgh Neighbors to assist residents in addressing exterior needs on their properties. “We are hoping to continue this program and make it even bigger,” Wells says. “We would love to see some blighted homes in Newburgh come alive.”
Photo of Susan and Patrick Tromley by Brodie Curtsinger.
The yard behind Susan and Patrick Tromley’s Tudor home on Bellemeade Avenue used to be mostly grass. A gift of saplings from Patrick’s brother-in-law, David Kolb, provided an opportunity to grow something unique, and those saplings, combined with more than 30 years of cultivation, transformed the backyard into an oasis.
Photo of Susan Tromley by Brodie Curtsinger.
“I planted what I thought looked pretty to my eye … I planted as native as I could, but … there are some non-native plants in here,” Susan explains. “In a shade garden, there’s not a lot of color. To add color interest with perennials, you do it with different shades of greens and also add some red or purple shades in there.”
That philosophy is evident when surveying the yard. The saplings grew into Kousa dogwood, redbud, sweet gum, tulip, oak, maple, and white pine trees. Interspersed are hostas in the aforementioned varying shades of green. Susan installed ferns to add structure and texture, but she didn’t stick with one kind: Her collection includes maidenhair, autumn, ostrich, royal, and Japanese painted ferns. She added splashes of color with palace purple coral bells, astilbe, cone flowers, Solomon’s seal, bleeding heart, brunnera, euonymus, impatiens, coleus, viburnum, lungwort, butterfly weed, spiderwort, trillium, bloodroot, and jack-in-the-pulpit.
Photo by Brodie Curtsinger.
During the design and planting process, Susan sourced ideas from books and took classes to become a master gardener. She learned fast, and her home oasis was featured on the Southwestern Indiana Master Gardener Association’s 2003 Garden Walk.
The Tromleys have added personal touches over the years. Patrick built winding stone paths and a wooden swing for Susan to sit and admire her outdoor space. A water feature adds a soothing trickling sound. Bird feeders hang from tree limbs and poles, and small statues of cats, turtles, and birds dot the landscaping. Decorative signs underscore the mood: “Nature touches every heart.” “Our main goal was to create a woods,” Susan says. “We started adding more areas where we put in stone and paths, (and) raised it up to tier it. It happened over time.”
Photo by Brodie Curtsinger.
Many of the bird statues depict owls, hinting at Susan’s hobby documenting one of the Dexter neighborhood’s nocturnal residents, which Evansville Living featured in a March/April 2021 story. In the back left corner of the Tromleys’ private “woods,” as they call it, is a small tree stump marking the former home of an owl named Eleanor, whom Susan named after former First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt. “She was the female matriarch. She nested in a tree for eight years, and they had to cut down the tree because it was about to fall,” Susan says. “It was really nice of the homeowner to let me have that.”
The garden’s diverse plants also attract migratory birds, including warblers, rose-breasted grosbeaks, thrashers, and thrushes, plus cardinals, blue jays, titmice, chickadees, nuthatches, woodpeckers, wrens, gold-finches, and sparrows. Another perk: During extreme heat and humidity, walking under the tree canopy is a fantastic way to cool off. Susan agrees: “It’s cooler back here in the summer.”
PHOTO OF OF BERTA PROVIDED BY MESKER PARK ZOO & BOTANICAL GARDEN
It’s always the perfect time to uncover treasures in our neck of the woods. In the feature story, we’re tipping our cap to Berta, a longtime resident of Mesker Park Zoo & Botanic Garden who, at 58, is the oldest known Bornean gibbon in the world!
The great interest that sprang from a story about eagles in the May/June issue led birder and photographer Charles Kiesel to ask if we’d heard of the 1930s oil “gusher” in Griffin, Indiana. We hadn’t! Now we know what launched the area’s oil industry.
Talk about valuable commodities: The Evansville Museum of Arts, History & Science contains a staggering 45,000-plus items in its permanent collection, with artifact origins dating back to the 1904 World’s Fair in Saint Louis, Missouri. Find an inside scoop on the museum’s next exhibit featuring previously unseen items in Timothy Weir’s story.
At Bob and Nikki Davis’ farm, we met the couple’s bevy of animals, including one-eyed calf Juney. It’s been quite a lifestyle change for the family, but there’s no turning back: “I am so grateful to be in this place,” Nikki says.
Summers were always special growing up in our house. With both of my parents being schoolteachers, the season took on a different rhythm — slower mornings, afternoons spent exploring, and a feeling that the world had exhaled just a bit. Without the structure of the school year, our days stretched wide with possibility, filled with impromptu road trips, long visits to the McCollough branch of the then-named Evansville Public Library system, and plenty of time outside. Those carefree summer months, free from bells and lesson plans (though my income from helping grade papers for my schoolteacher parents was lost in the summer), shaped my love for the season. The appeal of free summers was not enough to lead me down the paths chosen by my parents, and in the magazine publishing business, deadlines continue through these three months. But my childhood continues to color how I experience summertime in Evansville — where the days are long, the pace softens, and there is plenty to discover.
Cover illustration by the Wilkinson Brothers
That’s the feeling we strived to evoke with the “Summer’s Funner in Southern Indiana” feature story. (Credit for the catchy coverline goes to the talented Wilkinson Brothers, Evansville natives now living and working in Fishers and Carmel, Indiana, who completed the cover illustration.) You don’t have to have long stretches of free time to enjoy the 18 tips Evansville Living staff dreamed up for a fun Southern Indiana summer. Start by sequestering yourself with this issue on your porch or patio or under that favorite tree!
Of course, summer fun can be had around and outside of the Hoosier State. If you’re looking for a getaway that doesn’t involve boarding a plane, we have you covered with “Hit the Road.” Indiana-based writers Amy Lynch and Michelle Mastro take us to four regional destinations worth considering for easy, drivable getaways. My family understood the assignment: Recently, I was surprised with a birthday weekend trip to Brown County, Indiana. (I was especially surprised when my sons, Maxwell, living in Indianapolis, and Jackson, living in Louisville, showed up unexpectedly at the hotel door.) We stayed at the Abe Martin Lodge in the Brown County State Park, enjoyed a great dinner at the Nashville Chop House located in the Hotel Nashville, strolled the charming streets of Nashville and stopped in for a wine tasting at Brown County Winery Tasting Room, and topped off the weekend at Hard Truth Distilling Co. for a special event. The Charred Truth World Food Championships Live Fire Invitational brought together barbecue chefs from across the country for a fiery culinary competition featuring Indiana pork, Hard Truth spirits, tastings of both, and live music from Hard Truth’s On The Rocks stage in a natural amphitheater. Another benefit of summer, at least for me? A June birthday!
Many people can visualize their dream home, but how many have the ability to construct it with their own hands? Todd Kempf did just that. The one-of-a-kind property he shares with his wife, Sally, and their Aussie-doodles Archie and Addi is a product of creativity, skill, and a touch of irreverence.
Nestled in the woods just over the Vanderburgh-Posey County line, the Kempfs’ home is distinct for its silo-shaped master bedroom suite and open concept, complete with mezzanine.
And that’s just the inside. The outdoor environment is a paradise unto itself, tailor-made for playing children, family cookouts, and relishing nature.
Todd was an iron worker after high school and then co-owned the Kempf Group Real Estate & Development. Retired from that career for a decade, Todd these days sells classic cars and car parts — we’ll get to a discussion of his garage — and has time to admire
the living space he built. The frame was erected by Daviess County Metal Sales of Cannelburg, Indiana. For the most part, Todd took it from there. “I just helped with the decorating,” Sally says.
The entire job took about three years; the Kempfs lived with Sally’s sister and brother-in-law during much of that time. They moved into their new home four years ago, but the master bedroom suite took longer. Todd wrapped that up in August 2023. “I got so burned out that I kept putting it off. There was scaffolding in there for a couple of years. I told Sally I’d finish it by Christmas. But I didn’t say what year,” he laughs.
The bedroom has long vertical windows. Towering above are a ceiling and roof with 2-feet-thick foam insulation packed between them. Inspiration for the tall, circular design came from Todd’s heart. His father, the late Gregory Kempf, founded Empire Contractors (initially known as Empire Steel), but he also worked as a grain salesman. “I did that (the silo shape) to honor him,” Todd says.
Most of the Kempfs’ living space is unrestricted by walls — when you walk in the front door, you can see all the way to the back windows. Shiplap and some tongue and groove cover the walls. Befitting its setting outside, accents throughout are varying shades of green, from dining chairs to kitchen drawers to steps in the staircase. “I guess I’m a green freak,” Sally says. Kitchen cabinets were crafted by Allison Quality Woodworking; owner Clay Allison is a longtime friend of Todd.
The first floor contains a guest bedroom and Sally’s enclosed pottery room just off the rectangular dining room, which features a low ceiling to accommodate the walkway upstairs. The rest of the first floor gathering spaces are open with up to 16-foot ceilings. There is lots of roaming space, ideal for socializing or movie watching, whether from big comfy seats or beanbag chairs the Kempfs bought for their grandchildren. “We just wanted something really functional to hold everyone, the dogs and kids,” Sally says.
The second floor overlooks the first, the mezzanine hemmed in by a wrought iron railing. As with much of the rest of the house, it’s an open space, from their grandchildren’s play area to the sitting room. Additional bedrooms are tucked upstairs, and Sally, who works for Clarkston, Michigan-based Chase Plastic Services, has a second-floor office with windows overlooking their land. Todd says Sally wanted windows for her work area, and “I didn’t want her to feel like she was closed in.”
The Kempfs’ home is dotted with colorful objects and decor. They are fans of Evansville painter Michael Key, and many of Key’s abstract creations line the walls. A rendering of the Last Supper was painted by Sally’s niece, Whitney Oliver, who passed away more than two years ago at 36. “She worked in Chicago at Project Onward, which is a place for autistic artists,” Sally says. “They can sell their artwork. Half the proceeds go to Project Onward and half to the artist.”
Another artistic touch is a Mona Lisa created from Legos by the Kempfs’ grandson, Brooks Elfreich. “He was doing 18-year-old stuff at 6,” Todd says.
The Kempfs love their picturesque, natural setting, which abuts the surrounding forest-like area. They playfully call it Poison Ivy Park, but there really isn’t much poison ivy, they insist. “The kids call it Narnia,” Todd says. A large wrap-around porch is complete with a slide to the ground. On that level, there’s a large play structure and places to sit and eat or chat. Todd’s meat smoker, which he repurposed from a metal trash bin, stands ready for its next cookout. Sally added a creative flair by fashioning a sculpture with wine bottles and metal piping.
“We could come out here and had parties in the backyard area before we even had a house,” Sally says. “We enjoy the outdoor porch as much as we can. When it’s a little bit cool, we roast marshmallows.” Todd also made a hayride wagon to drive around the 10-acre property. The Kempfs’ five grandchildren “don’t want to leave when they are here,” he says.
The garages are all Todd’s and represent the home base for his classic car pursuits. Decorated with neon signs, an attached garage has a 1967 Shelby, a 1953 Ford pickup that was purchased new by his grandfather, and a 1966 Ford Bronco.
His unattached garage is a vintage gas station, with a welding shop that he uses frequently.
The Kempfs bought the 10 acres in 2009 after seeing an ad in the Tri-State Thrifty Nickel, and although it took time, they have since crafted it into their own slice of Southwest Indiana paradise.
Sally says she loves how the property can be enjoyed by friends and family all year long. There’s plenty of room inside when inclement weather hits, and the spacious porch has a roof.
The Kempfs are “super happy” with how all has turned out, Sally says — but she and Todd are leaving the door ajar to doing more.
“We feel like we nailed it,” Sally says, adding, “It’s always a work in progress. Who knows what the future brings?”
