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February 28
This is the kind of weather that makes the sugar maple sap run -- night temps below freezing and daytime temps in the 40's! Too bad it did not arrive in time for the Vigo County annual Pancake Breakfast with homemade maple syrup. Most of the syrup used this year had to be imported from Michigan! This taste of winter weather is not going to give up easily to spring. A weather advisory indicates that an area of low pressure is expected to track across the state Friday night and Saturday. This weather system...combined with lingering cold air...may bring significant winter weather to parts of central Indiana beginning Friday night and lasting into Saturday. Present indications are that the best chance of significant snowfall will be northwest of a Danville Illinois to Kokomo line with more of a rain and snow mix farther southeast. However, there is still uncertainty as to how much snow will fall or exactly where the rain/snow line will set up, so stay tuned to local media and NOAA Weather Radio for further statements and forecasts regarding this winter weather event.
None of the tickets sold for last night's Hoosier Lotto game matched all six numbers drawn. The jackpot for Saturday's game moves to an estimated $2-million. The Powerball jackpot will also grow after going unclaimed last night. Saturday's Powerball jackpot grows to an estimated $14-million.
Motorists in Indiana may eventually pay 7 cents more in state taxes per gallon of gasoline under legislation approved by the Senate on Wednesday. The bill, approved 38-10, is likely headed to a conference committee where differences between it and a 2-cent increase passed by the House will be sought. All revenue from a gas tax increase would be spent on state and local road projects. Under the bill passed Thursday, the gas tax would increase from 15 cents to 18 cents per gallon in 2003 and would go up another 2 cents the next year and another 2 cents in 2005. The revenue would be divided equally between state and local road projects, but one penny of the increase would be used to fund about $350 million worth of bonded construction during the first year of the increase.
February 27
In first round action of the 2002 IHSAA Boys Basketball Tournament, Brownstown won their game with Southwestern, 67- 36, and the Seymour Owls lost to Jeffersonville, 58-50.
Yesterday the Indiana House voted for legislation that could delay closing of the Muscatatuck State Developmental Center past a current July 2003 deadline. The bill would prohibit the state from transferring residents to other settings, at least through July 2005, unless those settings are acceptable to them or their legal guardians. The bill is now headed to a conference committee where final compromises between the chambers will be sought.
Also on Tuesday the Indiana House voted to expand legalized gambling by authorizing a casino for the economically depressed West Baden Springs and nearby French Lick in south-central Indiana, and with profits being used to restore and renovate two the areas historic resort hotels.. Among other provisions, the legislation also would allow electronic pull-tabs -- similar to slot machines -- at the pari-mutuel horse racing track in Anderson and at another track being built near Shelbyville. The bill now goes to a conference committee to work out compromises. Critics of the bill said it would create more gambling addicts and make the state's economy more dependent on casinos.
Police could ticket people who flick cigarettes or other burning materials out the window of a moving vehicle under a bill headed to the governor's desk. The Senate gave final legislative approval to the bill making this offense a Class A infraction, which carries a max of $10,000 fine. Next they will need a way to enforce it!
February 26
That is snow in the air, folks, and we're experiencing a little winter this year after all! That is not good news for the budding daffodils and trees in the area. We are expecting an inch or less of snow accumulation, with breezy conditions. Temperatures will fall steadily into the mid 20's today with low tonight in the upper teens. That should feel cold with a west wind from 10-20 mph. The chance of snow continues throughout the weekend, and the colder temperatures are assured.
The 2002 IHSAA boys' basketball tournament gets underway tonight. In game one of the Seymour sectional, Seymour will play Jeffersonville, and game two will see Floyd Central playing Bedford North Lawrence. The winners of those two games will meet in game 3. Brownstown will play in the Southwestern (Hanover) sectional. Game 1 pits South Ripley against Switzerland County, and in game 2, Brownstown plays Southwestern (Hanover). The winners of the first two games will play each other in game 3.
The parents of a central Indiana boy killed in a hunting accident say they received a disturbing letter. The unsigned note said the boy's death was punishment for killing animals. The Jackson County Sheriff's Department ruled the February 17th death of 8-year-old Cody Ogle an accident.
Until a court provides a definitive answer on the matter, State Representative Jerry Denbo of French Lick says he believes Orange County and other local units in Indiana can continue to show the Ten Commandments on government property. The U.S Supreme Court refused to hear an appeal from Indiana Governor Frank O'Bannon on a plan to locate a monument containing the Commandments at the Statehouse. But, Denbo says the court did not prohibit local units from having similar displays.
More than 120 bills face deadline today. The Indiana
House could act on more than 120 bills today, the final
deadline for the Democrat-controlled chamber to approve legislation that
started last month in the GOP-dominated Senate. To keep up with the
action check out Indiana
General Assembly Bill Watch
February 22
An Indiana engine maker got plenty of attention during President Bush's visit to China. In Beijing yesterday, the president got to see a fleet of Chinese buses with natural gas engines produced by Columbus-based Cummins Incorporated.
The tax restructuring proposal written by Senate Finance Chairman Larry Borst cleared his committee Thursday and advanced to the full Senate. Borst said Indiana has waited too long to revamp its tax system, and lawmakers should act now because Lt. Gov. Kernan and Gov. Frank O'Bannon and so many lobbying groups have provided momentum. The proposal was approved by the Senate Finance Committee on a 13-2 vote, even though it had no formal endorsement from Republicans who control the Senate and is opposed by their longtime leader, Senate President Pro Tem Robert Garton, R-Columbus. Garton and some GOP colleagues argue that tax restructuring should wait beyond this session when more is known about the effects of the unfolding property tax reassessment. There is no guarantee the Borst plan will pass the Senate, but Senate Budget Subcommittee Chairman Robert Meeks, who voted against the plan Thursday, said Democrats could lend enough support to get it through next week and keep the issue alive for late-session negotiations. Borst's proposal would not use revenue from any tax increases to help shore up the state's budget deficit. Republicans say O'Bannon can manage that problem on his own by making spending cuts and using reserves, although Democrats disagree The session deadline is March 14. Borst's plan would raise sales taxes from 5 percent to 6 percent, individual income taxes from 3.4 percent to 3.6 percent, increase wagering and admissions taxes on riverboat casinos and increase taxes on cigarettes by 39.5 cents per pack. Revenue from those increases would be used to shield homeowners from much higher property tax bills expected under reassessment and decrease their property taxes by an average of 25 percent statewide. That would be done in part by shifting school operating costs from property tax rolls to the state. The plan would create a new franchise tax on businesses and subject them to a new 1.3-percent tax on their payrolls. Some of that revenue would be used to effectively eliminate property taxes on business inventory and equipment.
Good news for bees. Indiana honeybees are recovering from a 1990s infestation of foreign parasites that decimated the state's bee population. Beekeepers registered 10,000 hives with the state in 2000, up from a low of 8,000 in 1997, according to the Indiana Department of Natural Resources. The number still is less than half of the 28,000 hives listed in 1988, before an invasion of varroa mites from Asia and tracheal mites from Britain all but wiped out domestic honeybees in the mid-1990s. Honeybees play a critical role in pollinating fruit crops ranging from apples to melons. And if there aren't enough bees in the neighborhood, fruit farmers have to bring them in by renting hives in April and early May. According to statistics, Indiana has nearly a dozen beekeeping groups, nearly triple the number in 1995.
On the loose in Indiana? A convicted killer who escaped Sunday from a Texas prison was tracked Thursday to a store in this west-central Indiana city, authorities in both states said. A credit card belonging to a guard John William Roland III overpowered in his escape was used Thursday afternoon at a Terre Haute Super Kmart, where he was sighted, but police missed him by about 5 minutes. Roland was serving a life sentence for capital murder when he escaped Sunday morning from the maximum security prison west of Dallas. The nationally syndicated TV show "America's Most Wanted" will feature a report on Roland's escape on Saturday night.
February 21
A 116-year-old covered bridge that was recently restored has been closed due to damage caused when floorboards and two underlying support beams were broken last week by one or more oversized vehicles crossing the structure.. The Scipio Covered Bridge, which traverses Sand Creek, was closed Tuesday and will remain closed for about another week as crews await the arrival of special-order supplies. Built for $600 in 1886, the 156-foot-long bridge was restored recently with stronger trusses and floor beams.
The 500 Festival needs more than 5,000 volunteers for this year's events. Volunteer opportunities include the Mini-Marathon on May 4, the Rookie Run and Kids' Day on May 18, Honor Students Recognition Day on May 22 and the 500 Festival Parade. Those interested can visit www.500festival.com or call the 500 Festival office at 1-317-614-6140 to sign up. The festival was created in 1957 to organize civic events celebrating the Indianapolis 500. It is a not-for-profit organization supported by corporate sponsorships, memberships and ticket sales.
No one won the Hoosier Lotto drawing for last night but one ticket did match all of the numbers in the Powerball game. The Hoosier Lotto jackpot moves to 1.5 million for Saturday. The Powerball jackpot returns to the 10 million dollar starting point for Saturday. FYI--the winning ticket was sold in New Mexico.
A poll in a new study measuring "Web rage," or violence caused by Internet-related frustration by U.K.-based polling firm Market & Opinion Research International indicates that more than half of all Internet users experience Net frustration on a weekly basis, and one out of 10 users deals with it daily. When people get mad at the Internet, they take out their anger in the real world. Seven percent of respondents say they hit their equipment. Four percent pound on their desks. Surfers say that slow-loading Web sites are the biggest cause of irritation, followed by unhelpful help buttons and sites that require users to enter personal details before gaining access. Raging websurfers should take some time away from the keyboard. Get up and walk around for a while!
February 20
Want to be a candidate for the May primary? If so, hurry. The deadline for filing as a candidate is this Friday at 12-noon. To file the needed paperwork or answers to any questions, contact the County Clerk's office.
IU vs Ohio State. Tonight's game has a lot on the line. The teams will be battling for sole possession of the Big Ten conference lead. Both teams come in with 9-3 records in conference play.
Jalen Rose and Travis Best Bulls? Yep! The Indiana Pacers and Chicago bulls have pulled off a seven-player deal involving Jalen Rose. The Bulls get Rose, Travis Best, rookie Norman Richardson and a second-round draft pick in exchange for Ron Artest, Ron Mercer, Brad Miller and Kevin Ollie.
February 18-28 is Spay Week. Please help save the lives of cats and dogs. Many cats or dogs are killed every simply because they do not have homes. Celebrate Spay Week February 18-28 by having your own pets altered or by making a donation to the Jackson County Humane Society....
February 19
Boys' basketball tournament play begins Tuesday, February 26. In game one of the Seymour sectional, Seymour will play Jeffersonville, and game two will see Floyd Central playing Bedford North Lawrence. The winners of those two games will meet in game 3. Brownstown will play in the Southwestern (Hanover) sectional. Game 1 pits South Ripley against Switzerland County, and in game 2, Brownstown plays Southwestern (Hanover). The winners of the first two games will play each other in game 3.
Thirty years ago Bedford's General Motors Powertrain plant discharged PCBs into a nearby stream that runs into Pleasant Run Creek, but according to company records, the company stopped suing PCBs in 1972, several years before they were banned. Last March the EPA examined the PCB contamination on and near the BM property, and concentrations as high as 2,100 parts per million were found in soil near the plant, and chemicals have also migrated into fish and birds in the area. In fact, a fish caught last year in Pleasant Run Creek contained one of the highest levels of PCBs recorded in Indiana fish. More tests are now being done on streams, soil, and wells near the plant, but the plant does not believe the PCBs pose a threat to its neighbors. However, the Environmental Protection Agency may have a different opinion on that matter, since they have given GM Powertrain until the end of 2007 to propose final measures for protecting the area from futher PCB exposure. PCBs are believed to cause problems ranging from rashes to cancer.
Governor O'Bannon had announced a $109 million budget reduction, and yesterday he announced just where those reductions would be -- health care and recreation. The governor's cuts announced Monday trimmed $780,000 from the School for the Blind's budget, slashed $6.5 million from the CHOICE health care assistance program, and eliminated $5 million in state funding for the Hoosier State Games athletic events. Also eliminated will be be 400 state jobs, most of which will be positions that simply remain unfilled, but it could include as many as 40 people simply laid off, and that number that might grow as future budget cuts are made. Indiana's smallest state park, Bass Lake State Beach near Knox, will close entirely, along with six campgrounds throughout the state; 12 boat ramps at four parks; and the pool at Wyandotte State Recreation Area. Other pools will close Aug. 12, several days before the big Labor Day weekend. The cuts announced yesterday will take effect July 1st. The governor has asked lawmakers to pass a tax restructuring plan, as well as cigarette and gambling tax increases. House Bill 1004 made it out of the House by only one vote and is now being rewritten by the Senate. That plan is to be announced today.
February 18
Today is President's Day. There will be no mail delivery today and some businesses will be closed.
An 8-year-old Martinsville boys was killed during a hunting trip in south-central Indiana. Jackson County Sheriff's officials say Cody J. Ogle stumbled into the line of fire while his father shot at a coyote yesterday morning near Medora. The death has been ruled an accident.
High school boys basketball teams wrap up the regular season this week. The IHSAA will hold the draw for the 2002 tournament tonight starting at 6 p.m. Sectional action will begin next Tuesday, February 26.
February 15
The American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators is working on a proposal to standardize driver's licenses throughout the United States.
The case of two Chinese men recently convicted in a phony-document scam in
Indiana also drew attention to the ease by which someone can
obtain a state photo identity card in Indiana. State and federal officials fear Indiana's relatively relaxed standards for
issuing the cards is providing an open door for illegal aliens to skirt immigration
laws. Indiana is reportedly on of the easiest states in which to get
state-issued photo identity cards, and illegal immigrants apparently have been flocking to local license branches
to do just that. With the cards they can then more easily enter the job market, open bank accounts, board airplanes and move quietly into
American society. Some northern Indiana counties around the Chicago
region have experienced the problem first hand as they have discovered some
have bogus immigration papers and residency cards. In Illinois, a
person wanting an identification card must provide a Social Security card
and proof of legal residency in Illinois, an original birth certificate ora
current passport. Indiana, on the other hand, does not require proof
of residency and the cards are issued on a "point" system.
so an alien can actually secure an ID card with only two documents (if they
are the ones with the most number of points), even though they might
actually be forged. Indiana has not changed its procedures for obtaining a driver's license since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, but state officials say they are reviewing the recommendations of
the AAMV to close loopholes for unscrupulous individual to exploit. One solution
being considered is using computer software to verify addresses and Social Security numbers. Another solution is to use biometrics -- recording physical
characteristics such as facial images, fingerprints or retina scans -- to verify information. Nine states, including Illinois and Kentucky,
already have such systems in place.
February 14
An Indiana House committee has endorsed legislation that could extend the deadline for closing the Muscatatuck State Developmental Center. The House Agriculture Committee voted unanimously Wednesday to approve the bill, which was designed to prevent the center for the developmentally disabled from being closed until January 2005, instead of July 2003 as mandated by current law. The Senate passed the legislation last month. It is now eligible for consideration by the full House. The bill would prohibit the state, at least through January 2005, from transferring Muscatatuck residents elsewhere unless the placements were acceptable to the individuals or their families.
Beware! Bloomington police are warning people about a scam that has already cost an older woman nearly $5,000. In the scam, the man calls the "victim" claiming to be investigating money missing from an account. The man dupes the person into giving him the amount in their account and asks them to give him some money which he will deposit. He says if the money is not deposited into their account, he will know who took it and will retrieve it. Anyone with any information or having received a similar call should contact Bloomington police at 339-4477.
It's only February, but the temperatures feel more like late March. If the current balmy winter causes trees and plants to bud early, they could be in trouble when a cold wave moves in again. Not only is this a concern for fruit tree growers, but the warm winter also will result in more insects, such as ticks, mosquitoes, and yellow jackets, that are usually killed by normal winter temperatures. The National Weather Service has reported that the average temperature from November through February in Indianapolis was 40.2 degrees, tying this winter as the third warmest on record in the Hoosier capital with the winter of 1931-32. This really cannot be blamed on "global warming" since it has been seventy years since we had a winter this warm -- and there were two other winters before 1931-32 that were actually warmer!
Check your Hoosier Lotto and Powerball tickets. While there were no jackpot winners Wednesday's games,
there were secondary winners in each contest. The Hoosier Lotto jackpot moves to
$1.5 million while the Powerball jackpot climbs to $27 million.
February 13
Monroe County Council member Jeff Ellington is seeking the republican nomination for the Ninth District Congressional seat. Ellington announced his candidacy yesterday. He became the third potential challenger for the seat held by Baron Hill, a democrat elected in 1998.
Indiana Senate Finance Chairman Larry Borst, R-Greenwood, is drafting a tax-restructuring plan that he hopes would essentially eliminate business property taxes on inventory and equipment in Indiana. He believes it would be a great economic development tool for the state. Borst's draft is the version that is expected to come from the Senate later this month. The tax issues are expected to end up in a joint House-Senate conference committee.
The deer haven't learned well in the past, so now we're going to focus on the drivers! Indiana Toll Road managers are paying $200,000 to install six sets of infrared sensors along a six-mile long test site of the Toll Road in northeastern Indiana, a stretch where cars frequently collide with deer. This warning system will detect movement in the roadway and use flashing to alert drivers when animals, especially deer, are on or in the road ahead, allowing time for drivers to slow down and avoid a potential crash. The system of solar-powered detectors, which are supposed to be able to run for ten days without any sunshine, .is expected to be operational sometime in March. Warning systems in the past have be designed to scare the deer away from the area, but this design takes a different tack by alerting the drivers. Perhaps the DNR should reconsider the wisdom of its deer hunting season, rules, and limits and work toward a goal of drastically reducing the deer population in the state.
PayPal Inc., the online payments provider, is having some problems caused by a general backlash against them by the banking industry. New York and Louisiana had written PayPal to warn them that the company constituted an unauthorized baking business and have imposed large daily penalties on the company. Authorities in Louisiana have shut down PayPal's service, and more states could follow. Meanwhile, PayPal has filed documents with the Securities and Exchange Commission in which they stated they do not believe that bank licensing regulations established by federal and state agencies apply to its service. PayPal has applied for money-services business licenses in 15 states and the District of Columbia; and already has licenses in Oregon and West Virginia. According to one analyst backlash against them by the banking industry lies with the high fees charged to merchants for credit card processing on the Internet and the lack of a flexible method for electronic payments. PayPal has addressed these problems.
The Federal Trade Commission launched a crackdown on junk E-
mail Tuesday, promising to go after people who send deceptive spam and to
prosecute those who engage in illegal scams via E-mail. The FTC says
it has settled charges against seven spammers who participated in a pyramid
scheme, sending out unsolicited E-mail promising riches to anyone who sent
in $5. Each of the defendants has agreed to drop out of the schemes, return
any future money they receive, and submit to FTC oversight. The spammers
were identified through the agency's unsolicited commercial E-mail database,
which contains more than 8 million spam messages sent since 1998. Consumers
forward more than 15,000 junk E-mail messages a day to the FTC database at uce@ftc.gov.
In an effort to find and stop spammers, the FTC says it will mail warning
letters to more than 2,000 individuals still propagating scams and will
prosecute if necessary. The agency also says it will launch an
educational effort in concert with various Internet service providers, the
Washington Association of ISPs, and the Texas ISP Association, wherein they
will produce brochures and Web pages to warn consumers about the
illegal schemes. The effort is a step in the right direction, says
Jason Catlett, president and founder of anti-spam group Junkbusters, but the
FTC could do more to stop the many other kinds of spammers. "They
should support legislation that requires E-mail marketers to get permission
before sending solicitations, or they could go after fake return addresses
and nonworking opt-out instructions," he says. "But I think that's
probably in the
works." Catlett says the FTC crackdown should prompt companies to look
at their own marketing practices and adopt E-mail best-practices rules to
avoid producing spam. - David M. Ewalt, Information Week Daily
Every year our beautiful monarch butterflies fly up to 3,000 miles to winter in Mexico However, last month there was a freak snowstorm in their pine forest haven west of Mexico City and researchers have reported that there were as many as 270 million frozen butterfly bodies littering the ground. The annual flight of the monarchs from as far north of Canada is regarded as one of the great migrations of the natural world. Read more about the monarch catastrophe.
February 12
Yesterday the Senate Rules Committee of the Republican controlled Indiana Senate began its work on the tax and budget plan sent to them last week by the Democrat controlled House. Their first action was to gut the bill by removing the tax increase and tax restructuring provisions of the bill, which essentially gives the Senate Finance Committee a blank slate to work with. Although some Democrats believe the move was political, the bill can advance without initially voting on any tax increase provisions and the tax restructuring plan will be rewritten, a la Senate version. Many Republicans believe that tax increases are not needed to prop up the budget deficit.
Afghan officials are meeting this week with Purdue University officials to work on drafting plans to rebuild Kabul University, considered to be critical to improving the quality of Life in the country and preventing terrorism. During the summer, Purdue plans to submit a formal assistance proposal to USAID, a federal agency that aids nations recovering from war. Purdue has ties to Kabul University in that Purdue faculty helped develop Kabul University's engineering program in the 1960s and 1970s, and Kabul's last dean of engineering, Zarjon Baha, is now a professor at Purdue. He left Afghanistan in 1982.
February 11
Former Indiana University basketball coach Jim Izard has received a $76,000 settlement from IU. Izard accused the university of firing him as women's basketball coach to hire a woman. IU has denied Izard's accusations.
The governors of Kentucky and Indiana said they are still committed to building two bridges connecting Louisville and southern Indiana. The final decision on what and where to build rests now with the respective state departments of transportation. The state DOT commissioners say they will consider conclusions of the environmental impact study and recent testimony from the public before reaching a decision sometime this summer. Supporters of two bridges believe the project would ease traffic congestion, reduce travel time, improve the regional transportation network and divert tractor-trailers from downtown Louisville and Jeffersonville. Opponents of an eastern bridge, however, argue the project is unnecessary, would drain jobs and people from the urban core and would encourage sprawling If and when construction starts, the project is expected to take eight to ten years and nd cost up to $2 billion.
The case of two Chinese men convicted in a phony-document scam has drawn attention to the ease by which someone can obtain a state photo identity card. State and federal officials fear Indiana's relatively relaxed standards for issuing the cards is providing an open door for illegal aliens to skirt immigration laws. Indiana is reportedly on of the easiest states in which to get state-issued photo identity cards, and illegal immigrants apparently have been flocking to local license branches to do just that. With the cards they can then more easily enter the job market, open bank accounts, board airplanes and move quietly into American society. Some northern Indiana counties around the Chicago region have experienced the problem first hand as they have discovered some have bogus immigration papers and residency cards. In Illinois, a person wanting an identification card must provide a Social Security card and proof of legal residency in Illinois, an original birth certificate ora current passport. Indiana, on the other hand, does not require proof of residency and the cards are issued on a "point" system. so an alien can actually secure an ID card with only two documents (if they are the ones with the most number of points), even though they might actually be forged. The Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles reports that the state's requirements were toughened in July after state officials agreed the standards in place then were too lax. They are currently in an evaluation mode to see how well the new regulations work.
February 8
Enjoy! More sweater weather is on tap for today and tomorrow as the daytime temperature will be in the 50's, but there may be rain Saturday night and Sunday.
Another target! The ICLU has filed a complaint in U.S. District Court in behalf of a Richmond man seeking removal of the Ten Commandments monument from the Wayne County courthouse lawn. The suit charges that posting the Ten Commandments on public property violates the constitutional separation of church and state. The county has until March 14th to file a response. The president of the Wayne County Commissioners said the county does not plan to do anything until there is a final decision on the state's appeal to the Supreme Court about the display on the Statehouse lawn.
The Opening Ceremonies of the Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City is tonight. The world famous Mormon Tabernacle Choir will sing the national anthem (as it really should be sung!) as the tattered flag that flew over the WTC is carried into the stadium. Although the chorus was formed just days after the first settlers arrived in Salt Lake City -- two decades before completion of the Tabernacle, the choir didn't become well-known until 1929, when it began its first network radio program with the organ, choir and announcer sharing a microphone. The weekly broadcast is now the nation's longest-running network broadcast. In preparation for the Olympics, they have been rehearsing an Olympic theme written especially for them by composer John Williams, as well as the patriotic standards, including their most-requested tune, "The Battle Hymn of the Republic."
February 7
Check your lottery tickets! One ticket sold for last night's Hoosier Lotto drawing matched all six numbers. That ticket is worth an estimated $ 8-million. There were no big winners in the Powerball drawing. That jackpot grows to an estimated $18-million.
A Crane employee was bitten by a coyote while jogging Wednesday morning on the navy base. Crane officials say the man was jogging alone near the base's administrative center about 5 a.m. when he was bitten. The man, who was not identified by officials, suffered a puncture wound to his calf.
Did you know? Sap will not flow from tapped maple trees unless nighttime temperatures are in the 20's and daytime temps are in the 30's. The Indiana weather has not been cooperating this year and is causing a problem for Vigo County as they prepare for their annual two-day "Pancake, Maple Syrup, and Sausage Breakfast" held in Fowler Park and featuring homemade maple syrup. Organizers say they need at least 20 gallons of syrup, and it takes thirty to fifty gallons of sap to make one gallon of maple syrup. They have had 1,654 taps since January, but the trees are producing only a trickle compared to a normal year. After looking at the weather projections for the next week, park officials say they may be forced to go to Michigan to get the syrup. The breakfast is scheduled for February 16-17.
February 6
The basketball season is over for the Seymour Lady Owls. Last night they lost, 56-45, to the BNL Lady Stars in the opening game of the News Albany sectional.
Some people just never learn! Indiana University police say they found nearly 1,000 cans of beer and other alcohol at a fraternity party. The fraternity's president was arrested along with four other students at a party last weekend. Police estimate the party drew 300-400 people. The fraternity, Sigma Alpha Epsilon, has been placed on suspension by its national organization pending an investigation it is conducting.
There was a frenzy of activity yesterday in the Indiana General Assembly as the clock ticked away toward the midnight deadline for bills to pass from one chamber to the other. The House sent to the Senate legislation which would raise the gas tax, currently 15 cents per gallon, by one cent in 2003 and by another cent in 2004, hoping to generate new money for state and local road projects. The chamber also voted 51-46 to raise maximum allowable speed limits on interstates and state highways. The House unanimously approved legislation that is designed to enhance the state's ability to prevent or respond to terrorist acts. The Senate will send to the House a bill that would require schools to post the national motto, "In God We Trust", the official motto of the greatest country in the world." Senate Bill 33 would allow Vincennes University and Ivy Tech State College to raise tuition and restore the authority of the Indiana Commission for Higher Education, adding four lawmakers to serve as non-voting members. To follow the progress of these bills and many others, log into the Indiana General Assembly Bill Watch website.
February 5
Tonight is the start of the 2002 girl's high school basketball tournament. The Lady Owls have a rematch with BNL Lady Stars at 6 p.m. in the New Albany sectional.
A proposal calling for a biblical creationism course to be offered to local high school students was presented last week to the Bartholomew Consolidated School Corp.'s school board after nearly 1,300 students and adults signed petitions seeking the course. The committee looking into the request originally formed last fall after an evolution exhibit was shown in a local park. Superintendent Michael Cooper said the district is not opposed to looking at an elective course for creationism, but said course curriculum and other issues would have to be examined. A certified teacher would have to teach the course.
The Herald-Times of Bloomington is hearing plenty about its story on a sighting of a shaggy five-foot-tall animal that left unusual footprints. Last week's story has prompted a barrage of phone calls and e-mails from around the country offering often bizarre theories on the creature's origins.
The Indiana Senate has revised a bill aimed at the state's community college partnership between Ivy Tech and Vincennes University. Lawmakers yesterday removed language that would have given Ivy Tech almost complete control of the system and limited the powers of the Higher Education Commission.
So what do you do when a newborn dolphin fails to nurse? Perhaps you could bring in a wet nurse. That's the problem faced by Indianapolis Zoo officials over the weekend after their newest dolphin was born Saturday and that is the solution they chose! They put the calf in a tank with a more experienced mother and her 14-month old daughter. The staff will monitor the newborn carefully, but so far the the wet nurse is working. Meanwhile, the new mom is swimming in a nearby pool and can see her baby, and the two may be reunited in a few days. The upper-level performance pool is off limits to zoo visitors, and dolphin demonstrations are suspended, at least for a few days.
House Bill 1004, the one that raises sales, cigarette, and gambling taxes, squeaked out of the Democrat-controlled Indiana House yesterday (50 Democrats and 1 lone Republican voted for it, 3 Democrats and the remaining Republicans voted against it) and now faces an overhaul in the Republican-dominated Senate. The lone Republican voting for the bill explained that he did so to keep the debate alive and believes the bill in its present form has absolutely no chance of becoming law. The Senate Finance Chairman Lawrence M. Borst, R-Greenwood, has promised to transform the bill in the next couple of weeks. He states that the Senate will focus first on economic development and secondly on the effects of the court-ordered reassessment. Fixing the budget is the lowest of priorities. Borst continues to argue that the governor has enough money and can balance the budget without any new taxes.
February 4
Have you forwarded any of your spam e-mail to the FTC yet? It is time for action! The FTC needs to see what kind of spam is flooding the Internet and determine where it is coming from. The FTC is asking you to forward the unsolicited commercial e-mail directly to UCE@FTC.GOV
It's still on! After Bank One pulled its sponsorship of the Derby Festival Pegasus Parade because of the slumping economy, Derby Festival officials were concerned about securing sponsors for the biggest fireworks show in the country -- Thunder Over Louisville -- and there were rumors that it might have to be canceled. However, the committee announced last Friday that five corporations have come forward to save the event, which is an opening ceremony to kick off two weeks worth or events leading up to Derby Day. Thornton Oil Corporation has become a major sponsor, along with Caesars Indiana, UPS, Ford, and Radio One. Thunder Over Louisville draws more than 700,000 to the Ohio River and will be April 20th this year.
Time is getting short! Bills must be passed in the originating legislative chamber of the Indiana General Assembly by midnight tomorrow night in order for the bill to move on to the other chamber. March 1 marks the deadline for bills to pass through the opposite chamber and return across the hall for final approval or more debate. By law, the short session must end by March 14. As of last Friday the Governor's tax restructuring plan, HB 1004, still did not have the votes it needed to pass the House. Other legislation awaiting approval in both chambers includes proposals to raise speed limits and regulate pet stores.
After winning $7,000 on the Hoosier Millionaire game show in 1994, Rick Hawkins of Lawrence County took home $76,000 on his return trip last week. The show Hawkins appeared on aired Saturday night.
February 1
Do you receive a lot of unsolicited e-mail, otherwise known as spam? If so, the FTC is willing to receive it. Simply forward the unsolicited commercial e-mail directly to UCE@FTC.GOV
In girls' high school basketball action last night, the Lady Owls lost to the Lady Stars from BNL.. The Lady Stars will meet Seymour again in the first game of next week's sectional.
A creature sighting in the Hoosier National Forest has wildlife officials puzzled. The ape-like creature has been seen at least three times in the last several months, the latest on Wednesday, and this time footprints were found also. The Indiana Fish and Wildlife Division said they could not discount the possibility that a non-native animal is in the remote area. The four people reporting the latest sighting described a creature with long, nearly black fur or hair, and they estimated the creature's weight at 200 pounds. The Wednesday afternoon sighting was along a remote road west of the entrance to the Hoosier National Forest's Hardin Ridge Recreation Area, south of Lake Monroe.
Legislation that would raise speed limits on interstates and highways cleared a key stage without any changes in the Indiana House on Thursday, making it eligible for passage next week. This is the first time in years speed limit legislation had a chance to clear the House without amendments, and will be the focus of an up-or-down vote standing on its own, which is expected to take place next week.
A bill that would raise the state's gasoline tax by two cents per gallong to pay for road construction was endorsed by an Indiana House committee and now goes next to the full House for consideration. The bill would phase in a 2-cent increase in the 15-cents-per-gallon tax over a two-year period, starting next year. Extra money generated by the tax would be shared between state and local governments to pay for road construction and repairs.
The Indiana Senate passed legislation Thursday that would legalize dockside gambling, authorize a casino in economically distressed Orange County and allow gambling devices similar to slot machines at pari-mutuel horse tracks. Although the House now has to formally weigh in on pro-gambling legislation, it should be noted that the House passed dockside gambling legislation last year, which was then killed in the Senate. Those favoring such legislation are hopeful for passage this year.
Still trying and hoping for strength in numbers, the Alabama Attorney General Bill Pryor filed a brief with the U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday advocating the legality of a Ten Commandments' display at the Indiana Statehouse. Other states joining in the brief are Texas, Mississippi, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Utah and Virginia. They argue that the separation of church and state shouldn't include historical documents like the Commandments that played a fundamental role in the nation's founding. In the case, Indiana Gov. Frank) O'Bannon v. Indiana Civil Liberties Union, the court has to decide whether a monument depicting the Ten Commandments, the Bill of Rights and the preamble to the Indiana Constitution may be displayed on Statehouse grounds.
January 31
The temperature continues to be unreal for the last day of January, and lawns are starting to look like early March. This problem is even causing sleeping problems for this reporter, in that I dreamed I was desperately trying to get the lawn tractor out to mow my knee-high grass, but the tractor wouldn't start. Perhaps it was my subconscious telling me to get the mowers to the shop for their tune-ups!?
An Indiana Senate committee has endorsed legislation requiring public schools to post the national motto "In God We Trust" in every classroom and has sent it to the full Senate for a vote. The legislation requires the posted motto be at least 11 inches by 14 inches and framed, but prohibits schools from using taxpayer money to pay for them. No doubt the ICLU is sharpening its pencils even as we speak!
Indiana Rep. Terry Goodin, D-Crothersville, has withdrawn legislation that would have required schools to display U.S. flags in every classroom and allow teachers to lead the Pledge of Allegiance and offer a moment of silence. He told the House Education Committee that he was concerned that too many amendments might be added to the bill that would "water down" its provisions. The committee already had removed language mandating the pledge and a moment of silence and made them only options instead. Instead he now plans to offer a resolution that encourages schools to display the flag in every classroom and have teachers lead the pledge and offer a moment of silence. A similar resolution already has been adopted by the Senate. Goodin is superintendent of the Crothersville Community Schools, and said he sponsored the original bill because many teachers and administrators are unsure ed about whether or not state and federal law allows the pledge or a moment of silence.
Last week the proposal proposal to raise speed limits was heard in an Indiana House committee and cleared for consideration by the full House. Now the sponsor of the bill is trying to keep other House members from loading it with additional traffic safety matters that could hurt its chances of support in the Senate. Time is running short for the proposal because all bills that originated in the House must be passed by Feb. 5 to advance to the Senate. Efforts to increase speed limits above 65 mph have failed repeatedly in the General Assembly since Congress repealed the national maximum limit of 65 mph in 1995. The House approved higher limits last year, but the legislation was not taken up in the Senate. It has been debated on the Senate floor only once in the past six years -- in 1999 -- and it was soundly rejected.
Help is on the way! Recent data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that Indiana is the 13th-fattest state in the nation, so a group of Indianapolis doctors, called The Care Group, and the Marsh supermarket chain have announced a statewide campaign called "lighten Up Indiana". The goal is to get overweight Hoosiers to drop 10 percent of their weight during the next six months. People may sign up for the weight-loss classes, collect information on obesity, and get help tracking weight-loss progress on the website http://www.lightenupindiana.com . Other organizations, including the Indiana Department of Health and the National Institute of Fitness and Sport are also backing the campaign. Thinner translates into improved health and reduced medical costs. So give up those muchies, get up off the couch and get physical!
January 30
Attorneys for Bob Knight and for Ron Felling are supposed to meet in Indianapolis and that could result in a settlement between the two. Felling claims he was wrongfully fired in 1999 and is suing both Knight and Indiana University. He seeks damages against his former boss for assault, battery and other alleged conduct. Today's session may be postponed, however, because Knight may not be available to give a deposition until March after the Texas Tech season has ended.
A new E-mail worm is spreading quickly across the globe. Structurally similar to the Nimda and Sircam viruses, this bug is tricking users into infecting themselves by posing as a Web link. The W32.Myparty@mm worm arrives as an E-mail message, with the subject line "new photos from my party!" In the body of the message, it carries what appears to be a link to Web portal Yahoo, but which in fact is an executable file. Upon clicking the link, the virus infects the computer. After the computer is infected, the worm sends itself to all addresses in the user's copy of Microsoft Outlook, Outlook Express, or in his Windows Address Book. Computers running Windows NT, 2000, or XP are also infected with a spy program, which can allow the machine to be remotely controlled. Antivirus companies Symantec, Trend Micro, and McAffee have all rated the worm a "medium" threat. Patches to remove or inoculate your system against the bug are available for download.
Hoosier Lottery officials want the General Assembly to amend the state gaming statues to allow Indiana to participate in multijurisdictional lotteries, meaning more than one country. The state currently is allowed to participate only in games within the U.S. Mexico wants to join the multistate Powerball, and if that happens it would become multijurisdictional. Powerball is played in 22 states and the District of Columbia. Revenue from tickets sold in Indiana amounts to $30 million to $35 million -- about 20 percent of the state's annual lottery revenue. Mexico's request is scheduled to be considered when lottery directors from the Powerball states meet Sunday, and it is probable that the request will be granted since more players translate into bigger jackpots. The bill has been approved in the Senate committee and now goes to the full Senate for a vote..
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