Manager
will return for his third season at the helm of the Louisville Bats in 2017. He will once again be joined by pitching coach Jeff Fassero, hitting coach Jody Davis and trainer Steve Gober. Joining the staff is bench coach Darryl Brinkley and strength and conditioning coach Cole Durham.

DeShields, 48, will manage the Bats again in 2017 and has a 135-153 career record for Louisville. The Bats finished the 2016 season in second place in the International League West division at 71-73, their best finish in the division since they won the division back in 2010. The 2017 season will be his ninth overall in the Cincinnati Reds’ organization and eighth as a manager. DeShields has also managed at Double-A Pensacola (2013-2014), Class A Dayton (2011-2012) and Rookie Billings (2010). He began his tenure with the Reds as Billings’ hitting coach in 2009.

DeShields was the 12^th overall draft pick by the Montreal Expos in the 1987 June draft out of Seaford High School in Seaford, Del. He made his Major League debut in 1990 and went on to play in 1,615 games with the Expos, Dodgers, Cardinals, Orioles and Cubs through 2002, mostly at second base. He finished his big league career with a .268 batting average and his 463 career stolen bases currently rank him 50^th all-time.

Fassero, 54, returns as pitching coach after taking over for Ted Power on July 4 of last season following his promotion to Cincinnati. Fassero spent 16 years in the big leagues with nine different teams going 121-124 with a 4.11 ERA. He spent his longest tenure with the Montreal Expos from 1991-1996. Fassero was previously the roving pitching instructor (2016), and Pensacola pitching coach (2014-2015).

Davis, 60, returns to the Bats after his first season in the Reds organization in 2016. Davis previously spent time in the San Diego Padres’ organization as a hitting coach and in the Chicago Cubs’ system as a manager. Davis enjoyed a 10-year Major League career with the Cubs (1981-1988), where he was an All-Star in 1984 and 1986, and the Atlanta Braves (1988-1990). In 1986, he won a Rawlings Gold Glove and threw out a modern-day record 89 attempted base stealers. He recorded a .245 career average with 127 home runs and 490 RBI.

Brinkley, 48, joins the Bats as the bench coach in 2017 after spending the 2016 season with the Dominican Summer League Reds as their hitting coach. Brinkley has previously spent time as a hitting coach in the Los Angeles Dodgers’ system with the Ogden Raptors in 2015 and as a hitting coach in the summer and winter Mexican leagues. Brinkley enjoyed a 19-year professional playing career all over the globe racking up 1,970 hits and getting as high as Triple-A baseball.

Gober enters his second season in the Reds organization and second as Louisville’s trainer after working with the Washington Nationals since 2002, including the three most recent seasons as assistant athletic trainer on the big league staff. Gober played golf and baseball at Shenandoah University and earned a degree in kinesiology/sports medicine in 1998.

Cole Durham will begin his first season in the Reds organization in 2017 as Louisville strength and conditioning coach. Durham spent the previous four seasons in the Pittsburgh Pirates system as strength and conditioning coach at multiple levels.

The Bats open the season on Thursday, April 6 at home against the Columbus Clippers at 7:05 p.m.

The Bats have drawn over 10 million fans since Louisville Slugger Field opened in April, 2000. Tickets for all regular season games are available. The entire 2017 Bats schedule, including updated promotions and special events, can be found at batsbaseball.com. Single-game tickets may be purchased online, by calling 1-855-228-8497 or by visiting the Louisville Slugger Field box office. Full and partial season tickets, along with group outings and suite rentals are available by calling the Bats front office at 502-212-2287.

An Alabama man was arrested by Indiana State Police detectives on multiple sexual assault charges after allegedly raping a female me met online.

Jeffrey Scott Vanherreweghe, 23, of Crossville, AL was arrested and Charged with: 
– Rape, Level 3 Felony
– Criminal Confinement, Level 5 Felony
– Sexual Battery, Level 6 Felony
 

On Monday, January 16, Troopers with the Indiana State Police were contacted regarding a report of a female that had taken herself to an Evansville area hospital after being raped in Huntingburg. 

Investigators learned that, days earlier, the female had met Vanherreweghe, through the dating app “Tinder”. 

Vanherreweghe, who was working locally installing equipment at a facility for his company, met the female Monday evening at the Quality Inn in Huntingburg.
 
Investigators learned that after initially participating within a consensual relationship, Vanherreweghe allegedly became violent, performing multiple sexual acts on the female against her wishes, while she was attempting to scream for help and for him to stop.  Investigators learned that co-workers of Vanherreweghe knocked on the hotel door multiple times to intervene; Vanherreweghe allegedly told them to go away. 

Co-workers were able to use a key to the room from the front desk to attempt to enter; this allegedly allowed for the female to get free from Vanherreweghe long enough to unlock the deadbolt to the room. 

The female was able to retrieve her belongings and was escorted from the room by Vanherreweghe’s co-workers.
 
After speaking with witnesses and ISP Crime Scene Technicians collecting evidence from the hotel room, investigators interviewed Vanherreweghe and later placed him into custody, transporting him without incident to the Dubois County Security Center.
 

Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Troopers and Motor Carrier Inspectors from the Indiana State Police (ISP) are teaming up with officers from neighboring states to raise awareness of human trafficking Jan. 23 – 27, 2017.

The ISP, Ohio State Highway Patrol and Michigan State Police have once again partnered with Truckers Against Trafficking (TAT) to educate motorists about the signs of human trafficking and to enforce laws that crack down on traffickers.

“The goal of this week-long tristate human trafficking initiative is to raise awareness and educate those individuals in positions to observe human trafficking taking place, such as commercial motor vehicle drivers, public transportation companies, rest area attendants and truck stop employees,” stated Capt. Jon Smithers, Assistant Commander of the ISP Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division (CVED). “These individuals are a force multiplier that can act as the eyes and ears of Indiana’s highways.” 

ISP first partnered with TAT in 2016 and is working diligently to become to become a state that has fully implemented TAT’s awareness program.  Currently three states, including Michigan, have fully implemented the program.

To report trafficking, call the National Human Trafficking Resource Center (NHTRC) at 888-373-7888 or text BeFree to 233733.
As of October 31, 2016 the NHTRC had received 206 calls and reported 66 cases of suspected human trafficking in Indiana.
 
For more information about TAT, visit http://truckersagainsttrafficking.org

Tara Strong stood on State Road 39 this morning with a blanket wrapped around here, extremely thankful for being there. 

“I thank God I’m here,” said Strong, of Salem.

Her White Toyota Corolla left the road about 9:20a and slid into a ditch filled with about 2 feet of water.  

“When I called 911, I was screaming and a mess,” she said.

The sense of urgency could also be heard in the 911 dispatcher’s voice when she toned out the Washington County Sheriff’s Department and Gibson Township First Responders were toned out at 9:35a. 

According to Washington County Deputy Sheriff Brent Miller, the vehicle was traveling south on SR 39 when it left the road and drove into the ditch. 

Miller pointed out that the vehicle had drove up on the west bank of the ditch and then came to rest in the bottom of the ditch. 

He noted it was extremely lucky the vehicle did not flip over on its roof. 

Strong said she crawled out the window, past a Cross hanging on her rear view mirror.

One of the family members noted the Cross and said to Strong, “You know who was with you?!!” 

A Heart Savers CPR/First Aid Class will be held at St.Vincent Salem Hospital on Saturday, February 4, from 8 a.m. – 2 p.m. in the classroom.

This class is for non-healthcare workers and is open to the public. It covers the needed skills for foster parents, day care workers, teachers and the general public.

The cost for the course is $40, which includes materials and must be paid the day of class. For more information, or to register, call Shelley Fultz at 896-0110.