Evansville, IN

The Chamber of Commerce of Southwest Indiana and the 2009 ATHENA Award Committee announced the 11 ATHENA finalists on Tuesday, August 4 at The Chamber of Commerce on the fourth floor of Innovation Pointe. They are as follows:

· Nancy Bizal, Instructor of Business Communication & Coordinator of External Relations for the University of Southern Indiana College of Business

· Barb Butler, Chief Executive Officer for HealthSouth Deaconess Rehabilitation Hospital

· Janie Chappell, Manager of Community Services & Business Development for Deaconness Cross Pointe

· Nadine Coudret, Interim Provost & Vice President of Academic Affairs at the University of Southern Indiana

· Carrie Ellsperman, President for Wealth Management at Old National Bank

· Susan Hardwick, Vice President, Controller & Assistant Treasurer for Vectren Corporation

· Holly Dunn Pendleton, Executive Director for Holly's House, Inc.

· Karen Ragland, Teacher at Joshua Academy and also a member of the Evansville-Vanderburgh School Board

· Maura Robinson, President, Owner & Founder of MG Robinson, Inc.

· Lisa Seif, Director, Warrick County Drunk Driving & Drug Court Program and the Substance Abuse Services

· Ann Whitty, Vice President & General Manager of the Rigid Packaging Division for Alcoa Inc.

The 2009 ATHENA Award recipient will be announced at the ATHENA Award Luncheon that will take place on Thursday, October 22 at noon at The Centre. The ATHENA Award program promotes women's leadership and honors outstanding leaders. By recognizing exceptional individuals, the award program seeks to inspire others to achieve excellence. The ATHENA Award presentation is a celebration of excellence and a premiere community event.

Source: http://tristatehomepage.com/content/fulltext/?cid=85872

The University of Evansville's civil engineering program has been named recipient of the American Society of Civil Engineers' Walter LeFevre Award for 2009.

The award is given each year to the nation's top large civil engineering program and also to the nation's top small civil engineering program.

It was created in 2008 to recognize accredited civil engineering programs "that promote professional licensure, ethics and professionalism."

UE earned the 2009 award for the top small program, beating out last year's winner, the University of Idaho, and last year's runner-up, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology.

UE's civil engineering graduates in 2008 helped the university win the award by achieving a 100 percent passing rate on a national engineering fundamentals exam, said Brian Swenty, chair of UE's Mechanical and Civil Engineering Department.

"Without their amazing accomplishment, the university would not have won this award," Swenty said.

UE's curriculum requires students to take the Fundamentals of Engineering exam. Civil Engineering students also are encouraged to spend a semester studying abroad.

UE will receive the award at an October conference in Kansas City, Mo.

- John Martin

Source: http://www.courierpress.com/news/2009/aug/04/no-headline---05a03ue-brf/

Here we have the information on the Evansville Home & Garden Show.

August 7-9. The Centre, 715 Locust St. Learn about the latest trends by browsing nearly 300 displays of home furnishings, accessories, remodeling ideas, and more.

This year's show features a "Smart Home" section, which includes environmentally friendly options for homes. 3-9 p.m. Fri., 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Sat., 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Sun. Free.

(800) 876-8063 or http://www.evansvillehomeshow.com.

As far as Jerry Hopp is concerned, Grand Prix unlimited hydroplanes will bring the thunder back to Thunder on the Ohio on Aug. 21-23.

"We are supercharged 468 ccs, and we'll bring all kinds of noise," said Hopp, Graham Trucking's Grand Prix driver and a former unlimited driver.

The American Boat Racing Association announced Wednesday that the Grand Prix boats will complement the larger unlimiteds.

"Our top speeds are 160 to 165 mph," Hopp said. "We'll bring seven boats to Evansville and run on a 12/3-mile course. Our boats are 24 to 26 feet long and generate 1,300 horsepower. Most Most are Chevy motors." By comparison, unlimiteds are 28-foot, 6,800-pound crafts that run primarily T-55, L7C jet turbine military helicopter engines and can reach speeds of 200 mph on the straightaways.

For years, unlimited hydroplane fans have bemoaned the absence of thunder at Thunder, with the exception of Posey County resident Ed Cooper Jr.'s piston-powered U-3 Master Tire. Jimmy King drove Cooper's U-3 to a second-place finish Sunday at Seattle's Seafair.

"I think the unlimiteds are the fastest, biggest, meanest things on water," Hopp said.

"But the turbines don't make the noise the (old piston-powered) Allisons and Merlins made. I think that has been missed. When the Grand Prix boats stand next to each other, four or five deep, you can feel the power. The noise will knock you over."

Sam Cole, American Boat Racing Association chairman, said 11 unlimiteds are expected to compete at the 31st annual Thunder, the final unlimited race of the season before the boats are shipped to Doha, Qatar, for the world championship Nov. 12-14.

In addition to the Rib America Festival, the Evansville Road Knights classic car show and the boats, two concerts are planned for Thunder weekend at Sunset Park.

The Thunder on the Ohio Concert Bowl will open at 5 p.m. on Aug. 21. Jason Clutter and the Dirty South Band will perform at 7, with the Marshall Tucker Band to follow at 8:15. New addition Tara McCormick will open the Aug. 22 concert at 6 p.m., followed by Jack Ingram at 7 and Travis Tritt at 8:30.

For information, log on to www.thunderontheohio.net. Tickets for Thunder, which give holders admission to all events, are $15 in advance and $20 at the gate. Advance tickets are available at area banks and grocery stores.

Thunder on the Ohio Inc. consultant Ken Deans was not certain how many tickets have been sold.

"The initial interest has been very positive," Deans said.

Source: http://www.courierpress.com/news/2009/aug/05/grand-prix-boats-bring-thunder-back-thunder/

EVANSVILLE - It wasn't quite the same as sitting in the Hofbrauhaus, the famous beer hall in Munich.

But eating at the tent set up for Germania Maennerchor's Volksfest on Thursday was about as close as a Tri-State resident could come without getting on a plane. By noon of the first day of the annual festival, a solid number of people had ventured out to enjoy the food, beer, music and camaraderie.

Scott Lantaff was fortunate to have the day off from his job at SABIC-Innovative Plastics in Mount Vernon, Ind. Lunchtime found him at the Volksfest.

RIGHT: Jeff Westfall of Evansville smiles after singing "Ein Prosit" with a stein full of beer in hand at the opening of the annual Volksfest.

Lantaff said he comes to the event as often as he can.

"Every once in a while, it's nice to get some good German food," he said.

Another draw was good weather. Temperatures in the 80s made for another beautiful day in a summer distinguished for its mildness.

Yet organizers doubted the usual heat would remain absent for the rest of the event. According to the National Weather Service, thermometers were to register in the 90s by Saturday. Still, at least 11,000 people were expected to attend the Volksfest.

Germania Maennerchor, a social and singing club, has held the festival in many of the 109 years of its existence. The biggest exception came between the late 1930s and early 1960s, when patriotic feelings stirred by World War II turned public opinion against anything smacking of German culture.

Earl Young, the chairman of the Volksfest, said this year's event features many of the attractions popular in the past - polka bands and a "kinderfest" for children, among others.

There was a special ceremony in honor veterans Thursday night. Members of a group gathered in Evansville for LST Week were expected to attend.

Mike Forcum, the vice president of Germania Maennerchor, said their attendance is significant because the LST was used in World War II. Many of the veterans in town fought in that war and still might bear hard feelings toward Germany.

For others, the night was not so much an opportunity to bury historical animosity, but an excuse to go out and have fun. Young described the festival as "the biggest reunion in town."

For Ann Austin and her husband, Larry, Thursday was their first visit to the Volksfest, even though they have lived in Evansville since 1961. Not surprisingly, the bratwurst and potatoes met their approval.

Also attractive was the architecture of the Maenner-chor's building on Fulton Avenue.

"We were just commenting that everything looks antique," Austin said. "They were telling us that a lot of it is original."

Source: http://www.courierpress.com/news/2009/aug/06/german-heritage-on-display/