Good morning, Evansville.

Online ticket sales for the Fall Festival Half Pot began at midnight and gathered almost $8K; drive-thru sales start at noon at the Mead Johnson lot.

Tickets by 7 p.m. Monday, Oct. 5 enter an Early Bird drawing and help reach a $3M goal that returns $1.5M+ to locals.

Evansville Animal Care & Control found a loose hog on Harmony Way and Detroy Road today after central dispatch reported the animal at 4 a.m., while the Vanderburgh County Sheriff's Office ensured its safety.

Mesker Park Zoo said its hornbill Carl advanced to the final round of the Battle of the Hornbills contest & voting is open through Oct.

5 as the AZA African Hornbill SAFE program gains local support.

A special celebration was held today for graduating Evansville Fire Department recruits — each received a badge and certificate after 18 weeks of academy training while family and friends cheered, and they will soon head to their next fire station assignment.

The Albion Fellows Bacon Center is hosting its first flying pig raffle fundraiser this Saturday, Oct.

3, from noon to 4 p.m. on Locust Street (downtown), with a plastic pig launch scheduled for 1 p.m. outside the Old National Events Plaza.

USA TODAY's poll ranked three local haunted spots among the best in the nation.

The Indiana State Sanatorium in Rockville ranked second while the Roads Hotel in Atlanta and the Randolph County Asylum in Winchester also made the top 10 and continue offering tours for paranormal fans.

Teachers across local public schools had the chance to apply for $20,000 in classroom funding from SONIC following successful DR PEPPER SONIC GAMES results — throughout September the SONIC Foundation distributed $500,000 to support educational projects via proposals on DonorsChoose.org/teachers.

Eligible customers can apply for LIHEAP to help with winter heating bills today.

CenterPoint Energy and CAPE provided in-person enrollment assistance at a Customer Connect event held on Sept. 30 at CenterPoint Energy Plaza (10:30 a.m.) to connect customers with additional affordability resources.

Gov. Mike Braun extended his gas tax suspension until Nov.

4 to help keep fuel affordable; AAA reported Indiana had the cheapest average gas price (about $3.80 regular in Evansville on Sept. 30).

The Indiana Department of Transportation will host a winter hiring event on October 6 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Evansville and Tell City Subdistrict Offices.

Seasonal jobs beginning in November pay $21 per hour full-time and $25 for on-call snowplow work (CDL required).

Brian Williams and his children held their 11th blood drive in memory of his late wife Abi on Wednesday in Posey County with the American Red Cross.

Donations so far reached over 1,800 units and each donation can save up to three lives.

Rental listing prices in Evansville have stayed near $1,000 since last month, with one-bedroom apartments rising 3% from $825 to $850 and two-bedroom apartments unchanged.

Local listings remain below state and national medians (about 23% lower than state rates).

Evansville Courier & Press staff shared their Week 7 high school football picks for key matchups in Southwestern Indiana as teams prepare for competitive games later this week — local fans can follow the anticipated action closely.