Indiana
Former Indiana Pacers forward Chase Budinger playing in the 2024 Olympics as a volleyball player
Former Indiana Pacers forward Chase Budinger is an Olympian. The seven-year NBA veteran is representing Team USA in Paris this week and looking for a gold medal.
However, despite being a pro basketball player for nearly a decade, Budinger isn’t competing on the hardwood. Instead, he’s on sand. The six-foot-seven-inch athlete is playing beach volleyball for the United States in the Olympics.
His partner is Miles Evans, and they already won once. They play again tomorrow against a Spanish duo.
Budinger played for the Pacers during the 2015-16 season. He appeared in 49 games before a buyout later in the campaign allowed him to land with the Phoenix Suns. The California native averaged 4.4 points and 2.5 rebounds per game with the blue and gold.
A few years later, he talked with Dana Hunsinger Benbow of the Indianapolis Star about his move from basketball to volleyball. “That was always the plan,” Budinger said. “To play beach volleyball when basketball was over.”
According to Hunsinger Benbow’s story, Budinger won three high school state championships in volleyball. He had the choice to play either basketball or volleyball in college — and per ESPN, some California schools offered him the chance to play both — and he decided to play basketball at Arizona.
After he retired from basketball, Budinger got a call from Sean Rosenthal about playing volleyball. Rosenthal is one of the greatest American players ever. “One of the best asked if I wanted to join him,” Budinger told the Indianapolis Star. “I couldn’t resist that offer.”
The ex-Pacers player told Hunsinger Benbow that he hoped to represent Team USA in the Olympics one day. That was in 2019. Now, five years later, he’s an Olympian.
“I can’t really explain how much relief and excitement and just all the emotions just really poured out of me in that moment of just like, man, we freaking did it,” Budinger said to ESPN of reaching the Olympics. “We finally made it.”
In Budinger’s best game for Indiana, he had 15 points and six rebounds in a win over the Philadelphia 76ers.
Indiana
Indiana Fever President Addresses Player Safety After Alyssa Thomas' Suspension
Indiana
New law allows alcohol at participating county fairs in Indiana
KOSCIUSKO COUNTY, Ind. (WSBT) — It’s fair season and a new law uncorks adult beverage sales!
The new Indiana law will go into effect July 1st, making it legal to sell alcohol at county fairs.
The Kosciusko County Fair is set to kick off in just a few weeks and Indiana is officially allowing alcohol to be sold.
The law is bringing back something that’s not necessarily new to this fair.
Here’s what you need to know
The new law will go into effect on July 1st. It officially allows county fairs to apply for fee-free permits to sell alcohol.
Officials with the Kosciusko County Fair say they are participating this year. They are implementing the same guidelines they used when they sold alcohol just at grandstand events.
The difference now is, you can walk around the grounds with your drink. But strict guidelines will be in place for purchasing a drink.
“Actually, we’ve never had any issues. Because we card everybody, so we take that seriously. We also got the ID guides so we can identify the different types of IDs,” said Sheal Dirck, Treasurer of Kosciusko County Fair.
The Kosciusko County Fair already have guidelines in place, so this was an easy transition for the fair.
They will be the only vendors selling alcohol, which will make it easier to control distribution.
The sales will also bring in more revenue.
“Hopefully it allows to keep our ticket prices where they are because right now, insurance, utilities and everything else is going sky high and it’s hard to make ends meet,” said Dirck.
However, some fairs cannot participate because of the July 1st start date, like the Pulaski County Fair, which is going on right now. Pulaski County officials said it is on the agenda for next year. Whereas other fairs are choosing to sit this year out.
“We wanted not spend some time to, to see what that really means for us. It was not a decision we wanted to rush into. But we are happy for the option of it,” said Shelly Steury, GM of Elkhart County 4H Fairgrounds.
Leaders at the St. Joseph County and Elkhart County Fairs said neither of them are selling alcohol.
The Kosciusko County Fair is the only fair that will sell alcohol in our area this year.
Indiana
‘Foul play’ suspected in death investigation on Indiana-Ohio state line, Wayne County officials say
WAYNE COUNTY, Ind. (WISH) — Police are investigating the death of a person who died in the emergency department of Reid Health in Richmond.
Wayne County Coroner Brent Meadows was notified of the death Wednesday evening, according to a media release. Evidence has reportedly indicated that foul play is involved.
Officials believe the incident may have occurred in the area of the Petro Travel Center in New Paris, Ohio, just across the Indiana-Ohio state line.
The coroner’s office said the deceased person has been transported to the Miami Valley Regional Crime Laboratory in Dayton, Ohio, for a forensic autopsy and identification.
The office is still working the locate and identify the victim’s family.
This remains an active investigation.
News 8’s Michaela Springer contributed to this report.
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