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Archived NewsBytes located at the bottom of the page
March 30
Another Detroit man convicted of aiding in dealing crack cocaine was handed a 14-year sentence Thursday. 34-year-old Rizzo Crawford was convicted Feb. 28 (the eighth person from Detroit to be found guilty of dealing crack in Bloomington in the last year) of aiding in dealing crack, a class B felony.
A judge has sided with Indiana University in the first round of a lawsuit over the school's firing of Bob Knight. Clark Superior Court Judge Cecile Blau sharply curtailed that access in her ruling, denying the depositions and limiting access to the documents.
Bob Knight could be back in Bloomington late next year. IU's athletic director says a game with Texas Tech is scheduled for the first part of the 2002-2003 season (an exact date has not been set yet). The agreement for the game was made in 1999, long before Knight was canned from IU and before he became the new coach of the Red Raiders last week.
The Jeffersonville skyline may change if talk of a possible 20-story, condominium tower translates to reality close to the former Big Four railroad bridge. The 115 condos, with restaurants and shops on lower levels, would be priced from approximately $200,000 to $1 million. The tallest building currently on the Jeffersonville shore is the 11-story Harbors building. Some Louisville officials are concerned about the developer's desire to also become part of Louisville's plans to turn the bridge into an elevated promenade and share in the revenue from large events in Louisville. Some Louisville officials are concerned
March 29
It's settled! Gene Keady likely will will finish his coaching career at Purdue since reportedly there has been agreement on a contract extension and will be announced later today. Although Keady says he was never personally contacted by UNLV about their vacancy, the Las Vegas newpaper reported yesterday that he was still one of the top candidates for the position. This year was the first time in the past 9 years that Purdue did not make it into the NCAA tournament, although they did participate in the NIT, losing in the quarterfinals to Alabama.
There has been more than the usual amount of interest this year in passing the 0.08 standard for drunk driving in Indiana, with both a House bill and a senate bill addressing the subject and disagreement between the two bills concerning the consequences of such an act, with the House bill being the more lenient. Yesterday the main backer of the Senate bill said that as a result of the amendments added to his bill by the House, he will not call for a vote on the House bill in the Senate, nor will he support the amendments added to his Senate bill by the House. Rep. Peggy Welch, D-Bloomington, authored the House version of the 0.08 legislation and has not abandoned hope for it yet. The state has already lost $10 million in federal incentives and stand to lose considerably more if the legislation is not in place by 2003. The legislators have heard experts who have shown alcohol impairment ranging from 0.04 to 0.08, but there are those legislators that still argue that the bill restricts personal freedoms in exchange for federal funds. the Restaurant & Hospitality Association of Indiana has been an outspoken critic of lowering the 0.10 limit.
An inmate remains at large this morning after escaping from a state prison in Westville. Prison officials say 27-year-old Fred Bishop fled the kitchen building yesterday, stole a van and drove it through a fence.
An Indiana University economist says a drop in the state's unemployment rate last month shows the area economy remains strong. Figures released this week show the jobless rate dropping to three percent in February from three-point-two percent in January.
Indiana farmers can save $ 20-$ 30/acre in production costs by using no-till farming. That's according to Purdue Natural Resource specialist Dan Towery. No-till farming involves planting into last year's crop residue without tilling the soil. It's a method that reduces soil erosion and improves water quality. Purdue conservation specialist Mark Evans says Indiana remains a no-till leader in the corn belt. Last year, 60 percent of the state's soybeans were no-till. Because of the savings in production costs, Towery expects the number of no-till acres to increase this year.
Sleep deprivation has been a major news topic lately. The Indianapolis Public Schools have recently had a request from parents to start to the school day later because their children aren't getting enough sleep! School districts in Arlington, Va., Lexington, Ky., and Minneapolis have adjusted their school starting times, and some think it results in better grades. A Representative from California is proposing an award of $25,000 for every high school that opens after 9 a.m. It has been suggested that schools might be defeating academic efforts by starting the day too early for middle and high school students. The news has stated recently that teen-agers have about seven hours of sleep a night, but studies indicate that they need more than nine. Teachers complain about children falling asleep in class and coming to school late and tired. IPS says this will not happen soon in Indianapolis because of the logistics of transporting the students.
March 28
One of the area needs identified by the Greater Seymour Chamber of Commerce is for an adult learning and training center for the city. They can now move ahead with their planning after receiving a $50,000 will help put them closer to that goal!
Again, the attempt to raise speed limits on Interstates and other rural Indiana highways seems to have hit a roadblock in the Senate. Is anyone really surprised? The speed limit issue was in the form of an amendment that had been tacked on to a bill increasing fines for speeding in work zones. Although the House voted 92-2 last month to pass the legislation, the Senate Transportation Committee removed the amendment from the proposal and endorsed only the fine increase. The insurance industry has lobbied heavily against raising the speed limit.
Two bills are being considered to lower the legal standard for drunk driving from the current 0.10 to 0.08, and there is a disagreement between the House proposal and the Senate proposal concerning the consequences of such the act, with the House bill being more lenient. It has been reported that the state has already lost $10 million in federal incentives and will lose considerably more if the legislation is not in place by 2003. The legislators have heard experts who have shown alcohol impairment ranging from 0.04 to 0.08, but there are those legislators that still argue that the bill restricts personal freedoms in exchange for federal funds. The proposal will likely end up in conference committee at the end of the session to try to resolve differences between the two versions.
March 27
No gambling in French Lick. At least not for now. Senate Republicans took steps yesterday to scale back legislation that would legalize dockside gambling and authorize a form of slot machines in three counties, including Orange County. The Senate Rules Committee erased the provision (among others) that included a proposed off-track betting parlor in French Lick.
Additional apartments and penthouses are on the agenda for downtown Indianapolis, this time in the former William H. Block building. By June 2002 the eight story building will contain 160 apartment and a new story will be added for 15 penthouses. The Indiana Blocks stores closed in 1988 when they were purchased by the Lazarus chain, Lazarus operated the downtown store until 1993. The upper floors have been vacant since that time.
Since last Thursday a 19 year-old Bloomington tree-sitter has been perching on a wooden platform 50 feet up a red oak tree to protest plans to build a 208-unit apartment complex in the wooded area of the city just east of SR 37. Tracy McNeely has been warned by Sheriff Sharp and Bill C. Brown, owner of the property. McNeely's supporters who are camping at the foot of the tree have been told they will have to leave. The woods contain a mix of hardwoods, such as oak, maple, and hickory, and according to Bloomington Plan Director Tom Micuda, it is not old-growth forest and has been zoned for residential development for at least 28 years.
Half the Final Four NCAA women's basketball tournament will be Indiana teams. The Purdue Boilermakers defeated Xavier, 88-78, to win the Mideast Regional. The Notre Dame Fighting Irish defeated Vanderbilt, 72-64. The Friday national semifinals in St. Louis will pit Purdue against Southwest Missouri State and Notre Dame will play Connecticut. This will be Purdue's third trip to the Final Four since 1994, winning the title in 1999. Notre Dame has been in the Final Four twice.
March 26
A one-vehicle crash left a Washington County man dead over the weekend. Shortly before 4 a.m. Saturday, 25-year-old Dallas Huff of Campbellsburg was heading south on West Washington School road when his pickup went off the road and struck two trees, flipping twice between hitting the two trees.
New Albany police are looking for a rapist who they think is responsible for three reported rapes this month in area parking lots. The latest occurred Saturday around 4 a.m. outside the Market Boy grocery store, while the earlier ones were outside a Walgreen Drug Store during daylight hours, and in front of a Kroger store around midnight. The man is white and is in his late 20's or 30's.
Is Indiana aging out? The census figures seem to indicate that as the ratio of children to adults has decreased. The state has 44,000 fewer children than it did in 1980, and the decline is most notable in rural areas. Is this a permanent trend? Could be, but not necessarily so, since this has happened in the past. But it may take a generation to rebound.
There are those in Louisville who want the city to have an NBA team. They courted the Grizzlies, but the lost the bid to Memphis.
Some area spring breaks are over while some have just begun. Spring weather itself is taking a break as snow flurries occurred and colder temperatures arrived last night. However, warmer temperatures should be back again by the end of the week--in time for school to start again!
March 23
Property reassessment is now on its way. The new assessment manual is ready for Gov. O'Bannon's and Attorney General Stephen Carter's signatures. Local assessors will begin using the manual by next March, and the first tax bills under the system will be due in May 2003. The bottom line is that property owners, farmers, and businesses will be paying more property taxes. Although many groups opposed Gov. O'Bannon's plan, the Governor succeeded in delaying the new system until after his re-election last November!
Everything seems to be coming together in the world of college basketball coaching. Davis is now the coach at I.U., and Rick Pitino is moving to the University of Louisville. Texas Tech officials have called a news conference for this evening and are expected to name Bob Knight their 12th coach. Knight can keep the red sweaters. Tech is known at the "Red Raiders". Meanwhile, back at the ranch, the varsity coach of the Seymour Owls resigned this week, ending his 8-year tenure with the Owls.
Indiana taxpayers are filing few returns on paper and more via the Internet. The largest increase in alternative filing methods has occurred with bar-coded returns, which has increased 258 percent over last year. The number of paper returns filed has dropped more than 14 percent.
March 22
It's official! On Wednesday Mike Davis was hired as IU's 25th head basketball coach after serving as interim coach this past season and taking I.U. to the NCAA.. He becomes the first black head coach in any sport in IU history. His four-year contract has a base salary of $175,000. Another $525,000 is guaranteed from radio and television shows, basketball camps and a shoe contract, and discussion is continuing about more incentives.
The bill to regulate merchant power plants is in the Senate Rules Committee, which yesterday removed a provision that to require that construction and operation of the plants be performed by skilled workers. The bill has yet to pass through the Senate Energy and Economic Committee, and additional attempts for amendments are expected. For example, members of the Citizens Action Coalition wants to see language requiring that a need for a plant be shown before it is approved, as well as a provision that would give the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission the same emergency powers over such plants that it has over regulated utility power plants. Eleven such plants have already been approved, and over 20 other groups have applied for permits. These merchant plants will sell their power on the wholesale market.
The Senate Finance Committee is expected to approve the Senate GOP budget on Thursday and send it to the full Senate, where it is almost guaranteed to pass since Republicans control the chamber 32-18. It will then go to a conference committee which will try to work on a compromise.
March 21
House Bill 1170 calls for the Bureau of Motor Vehicles commission to be abolished and end the bipartisan nature of the Bureau which has been in effect for the past twelve years. The bill was advanced by the Senate Transportation Committee on Tuesday. Although, there was an effort to ease concerns about political patronage by adding an amendment to the bill, the effort was thwarted by a tie vote along party lines, and the bill passed by a 5-1. Approval of the bill will result in higher salaries and fringe benefits as the 1700 employees would become unionized. Some legislators are concerned about the cost of the program at a time of budget shortfalls and a sagging economy, although there are parts of the legislation that have bipartisan support for perceived improvements in the BMV services, such as improved technology which would allow more online transactions, ability to renew plates and licenses at any branch, and the ability to renew drivers licenses by mail. The bill now goes to the Senate Financial Committee.
Mike Davis will no longer be "interim" coach at IU. At least that's what some inside information and various news sources are saying. Reports say Davis will meet with the committee to select a permanent coach today to be offered a four-year contract. The other top candidate for the job, Steve Alford, has (or is close to) signed a contract extension with Iowa.
It's official. Well, almost. Ohio University provost Sharon Brehm was officially named the official nominee for chancellor for the Bloomington campus. Brehm will be officially appointed when the IU Board of Trustees meet April 6th.
March 20
The Indiana House has passed a proposal to increase the interstate speed limit to 70 mph, but the Senate is not likely to let it happen. The attempt is not new. It currently rests with the Senate Transportation Committee and will be considered sometime in the next two weeks, and if it does get out of the committee, lobbyists for police, the insurance industry and traffic-safety groups are ready to fight it. In 1974 the Feds established the 55 mph as a national speed limit, and in 1987 they allowed states to raise the limit to 65. States again had the freedom to set their own speed limits in 1995.
At 9:30 this morning, IU will name a new chancellor of the Bloomington campus. Inside sources at IU say 54-year-old Sharon Brehm, provost at Ohio University, will be named to replace Kenneth Gros Louis who retires June 30th after 21 years as the top administrator for the main campus.
The Brown County jail is still in limbo. Yesterday a judge ruled
that the Brown County auditor made a
mistake in denying a petition by opponents of a new $6.7 million
jail, so there may be a petition race to see which side (for or against the
jail) can collect the most signatures of local property owners. Opponents say the new jail will harm the county's tourism industry because it is located
about a mile from the main gate of Brown County State Park. There is
some thought that the county will have trouble getting support because
construction bids for the project are considerably over budget. The
group opposing the project are confident they can collect enough signatures to kill the
project and force consideration of other alternatives.
Steve Alford at I.U.? There is a rumor, but Alford says that he has not been contacted by the university concerning the coaching position. There was no news from the hiring committee, which met for two hours yesterday. Meanwhile, Davis would like to become the coach.
Daylight Saving Time is likely a dead issue for this legislative session. On Monday the Indiana House approved a resolution that sends the proposal to a summer study committee. It now goes to the Senate for consideration. This issue has failed several times during the last thirty years, and some legislators don't even want to spend time discussing it. The Daylight Coalition (a group of Indiana businesses) has lobbied heavily for Daylight Saving Time, and they promise to continue their push to require 77 counties in the Eastern time zone to begin observing daylight time.
March 19
There will be an Academy Day on March 31st from 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. at the American Legion in Scottsburg. U.S. Rep.of the 9th Congressional District Baron Hill has invited area high school students to meet with representatives of the military service academies. Candidates must be single, 17-21 years of age before July 1st of the year in which they seek admission, as well as meeting other requirements. They will be screened for intelligence, leadership, moral character, preparation, and desire to attend the academies.
Bob Knight met with the press last week as he was visiting Texas Tech in Lubbock, TX. It was an amiable meeting and he stated that he has had a change of heart about the media. However, several faculty members have signed a petition against the hiring of Knight.
The spring peepers are chirping, and this week will see the arrival of spring with the appropriate spring weather. Can the morels be far behind?
March 16
Foot-and-mouth disease in Indiana? Not likely, many say, but still there is an awareness campaign starting. The United States has stepped up efforts to guard against an outbreak in this country. Indiana is also stepping up its effort through various e-mail advisories, letters, posters, fact sheets to veterinarians in the state, cooperative extension offices, sale barns, and livestock markets. There are fines of up to $1,000 for not revealing to inspectors travel to foreign farms or animal products brought into the United States. You can expect to hear and see ads. The prevention effort "is going to be a long, protracted project." Although some airports are taking steps to prevent the disease slipping into the country, no unusual steps are being taken at Indianapolis International Airport because international passenger inspections take place at other, larger airports.
The Internet realty company, iProperty.com, is ceasing most of its local operations which allowed real estate agents and customers to conduct much of the home-buying process on the Web. About 50 iProperty employees in Indianapolis and Bloomington lost their jobs this week.
The Indiana General Assembly will go hi-tech if a new bill becomes law. It would provide video, audio and Internet coverage of legislative proceedings. House Bill 1100 has been approved by the House, and Thursday it won the approval of the Senate Rules Committee, as well as the support of Senate President Pro Tempore Robert D. Garton.
March 15
IU has announced the three finalists to replace Kenneth Gros Louis as Chancellor of the Bloomington campus. The finalists are: Sharon Stephens Brehm (Ohio University), Richard Edwards (University of Nebraska), and Cora Bagley Marrett (University of Massachusetts). The three finalists will be interviews tomorrow in Indianapolis.
House Bill 1892, which passed the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday, makes the punishment for possessing and dealing methamphetamine the same as for crack cocaine. It will attempt to establish penalties for the possession of anhydrous ammonia as well as allow judges alternatives to prison when sentencing convicted users and dealers.
March 14
The state's license branches have been under control of a bipartisan
commission for the past twelve years. Gov. O'Bannon who was a state
senator at that time actively supported the legislation that created the
commission. However, in what is now being called "the biggest
power grab by the governor" during this session, O'Bannon has made a
180 degree turn by supporting a proposal to abolish that commission and
return the license branches to political patronage. The House has
already passed the bill (House Bill 1170), but it has been tabled by the
Senate Transportation Committee. The bill also will be heard by the Senate Finance Committee, which
is chaired by Borst chairs, and he can kill it by refusing to hear it in his committee.
There is a bill before the General Assembly to pay Miss Indianas $40,000/year for expenses incurred as they travel around the state visiting schools and serving as a role model by requiring the Indiana Department of Education to contract with the pageant. The House has already passed the bill and now a member of the House Ways and Means Committee, is trying to get the amount budgeted. If that happens, Miss Indiana would make close to the $41,850 average salary for public school teachers in Indiana.
Former IU coach Bob Knight will speak April 19th at Ball State University. The program is called "A Night with Bob Knight". Ticket prices and date of sale have not yet been established.
March 13
The IU Board of Trustees will be in executive session Friday to interview finalists for the job of Bloomington chancellor. The new chancellor will replace Kenneth Gros Louis who will retire at the end of June.
Bob Knight's attorney wants the "noncompetitive" clause eliminated from any agreement between IU and Knight. The clause keeps Knight from coaching in a Division one school in Indiana, Kentucky or the Big Ten for eight years or forfeit deferred compensation. Russell Yates said he would prefer an out-of-court settlement with the university rather than proceeding with the lawsuit.
More about Bobby! He was hired by sandbox.com to complete an NCAA tournament bracket on the website as part of a free Internet contest offering a $10 million prize for the winner. The NCAA does not approve of such activity, but since he is not coaching in the NCAA at this time, they cannot do anything about it. In case you are wondering, his Final Four consists of Stanford, Florida, Boston College and Arizona!
Remember the USS Indianapolis -- the ship that delivered components for the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima. On July 30, 1945, it was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine in the Philippine Sea and sank within minutes. Although an estimated several hundred men of the crew of 1,196 survived the sinking, only 316 actually survived the four days in the water. In 1995 a memorial to the crew was placed on the Downtown Canal in Indianapolis. This August in Indianapolis there will be a reunion of the approximately 70 survivors of the disaster, all now in their 70's and 80's. Some Red Lobster restaurants are participating in a program to help raise money to pay for plane tickets and other reunion expenses by raffling off lobsters each week to $10,000.
March 12
Forecast: Conditions favorable for a shift in the the mood of the Indiana General Assembly. Until now there has been a bipartisan activity in the State Legislature, but that could change soon as many important, and potentially divisive, issues remain on the agendas. These issues concern the budget, taxes, and regulation of utilities.
Another round of layoffs at Otis Elevator in Bloomington. Company officials say 35 workers will be let go March 30th because of slower-than-anticipated sales.
Basketball, both high school and collegiate, will be a major topic of conversation during the next few weeks. Indiana University, Butler, Notre Dame, and Indiana State will begin play in the NCAA, and Purdue will play in the NIT. High School basketball will continue with BNL the winner in an exciting overtime in the Seymour sectional.
Don't forget that tomorrow is the date when SICA will begin accepting registration for their Summer Art Camp. The camp is for children age 7-13, and the tuition is $20 for SICA members, $30 for non-members.
March 9
The Community Concert Association concert will be this Sunday, March 11th, at 2 p.m. in the Seymour High School Auditorium. See the complete list of concerts on the new SICCA website!
SICA has announced that registration for their Summer Art Camp will start Tuesday, Mar. 13. The camp is for children age 7-13, and the tuition is $20 for SICA members, $30 for non-members.
Seymour will see action tonight when they play New Albany at 7:30 p.m. At 6 p.m. BNL will meet Jeffersonville in the Seymour High School Gymnasium.
The Bob Knight-Indiana University saga continues! The latest Knight news is that his attorney has notified I.U. that Knight may sue the university for several million dollars for wrongful firing him and damaging his reputation. This is causing a variety of reaction among university officials, alums, Knight friends, and community.
March 8
Bob Knight talking to Texas Tech. Although the current coach has not yet been fired, rumor has is that it is very likely to happen and that Knight already has a staff in place, including a position for his son, Pat.
Crunch time is here. Although the House passed a budget, the Indiana Senate is now working on their budget in view of a year-to-date revenue shortfall of $153 million. The 2001 regular session of the Legislature must adjourn by April 29, but if the budget is not finished by then, the governor will call them back for a special session. A new budget must be in place by July 1.
Big Bird is back home. The large black ostrich that was wandering around a southern Lawrence County neighborhood last weekend has been claimed. He had escaped from his pen on Woodsferry Road (or someone had let him out), but he is now back home with other ostriches and emus on the farm.
March 7
Jennings County's basketball play is over for the season. Last night they played BNL in the Seymour sectional and lost 68-59. It was Southwestern over Brownstown 43-28 and Columbus North fell to Center Grove 59-44. Friday night BNL will Jeffersonville at 6 p.m.. Seymour will meet New Albany in the second game at 7:30.
FOUND: One large male black ostrich - 8 feet tall! Imagine suddenly seeing this bird peering in your kitchen window! Well, this Big Bird showed up on a Bedford patio last Saturday. George Gilstrap tossed carrots and apples to the bird and it eventually left. However, on Monday Big Bird returned, so the Gilstraps called Bob Hudelson from Lost River Game Farm in nearby Orleans. He reported that the ostrich appears to be around 2 years old and in great shape. The Hudelsons are experienced with ostriches, having raised several, and he reports they don't make good pets because they typically are territorial, usually not very friendly, and can become dangerous. They can use their powerful legs as defense; one kick can kill. No one knows where the ostrich came from, but it is living on Huddelsons farm for the present.
I.U. basketball player Rachael Honegger is no longer a member of the Indiana University women's basketball team. She is now in Monroe County Jail awaiting a court date on charges that she violated terms of her probation. To recap, In October she was convicted on forgery charges. However, Honneger had been allowed to play and travel with the team as long as she kept the court informed. Last weekend, though, she violated her probation by not telling the court of her whereabouts for a period of 24 hours and admitted later that she had gone to Robinson, IL, visit her fiance. Her probation officer reportedly is requesting that the court sentence her to spend the remaining time of the sentence in jail.
March 6
McDonald's Corp. has recalled around 234,000 "Scooter Bug" toys because they can become a choking hazard to young children. The toys were distributed from November 2000 through February 2001 in Canada and the United States with the Happy Meals for children under three years of age. The "Scooter Bug" is about 3 inches long and its legs move back and forth when rolled. It has a yellow face with red antennas, orange feet and a purple body with green spots. The words "Fisher Price" are on the top of the toy with "MFG.FOR MCD CORP. CHINA" are on the rear of the toy. Parents are advised to take the toy away from children immediately and take the "Scooter Bug" to any McDonald's restaurant for a replacement toy. For more information, call the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission at 800-638-2772 or visit McDonald's Web site at http://www.mcdonalds.com.
Landfill problems are lurking just ahead! At the current rate of use, the Jackson County Landfill will last only another four and one half years. Recycle! Recycle! Recycle!
Boy's basketball tournament play starts tonight. In the Seymour Sectional Tuesday evening games Jennings County will play Bedford North Lawrence at 6 p.m. In the Silver Creek Sectional on Tuesday at 6 p.m. it will be Brownstown vs. Southwestern (Jefferson). Seymour does not play until 7:30 Friday night when they meet New Albany.
March 5
If you are planning to drive to Louisville on I 65, plan to encounter some traffic delays! The Indiana Department of Transportation has announced a five year project called "Revive 65" in which they plan to widen and improve the highway between Sellersburg exit and the Ohio River. Work will begin Monday on the stretch of I-65 between the Stansifer Avenue exit and the inter-city highway in Clark County. According to the project manager, some entrance ramps will have to be closed during construction. If you are headed to Louisville and are wondering about the construction sites, log on to http://www.revive65.com/home.html for the latest updates.
An elderly Campbellsburg man and his son died in a fire Saturday afternoon. 73-year-old Cecil Nicholson and 38-year-old Norman Nicholson were pronounced dead at the scene. Officials say the two men died of smoke inhalation. No word yet on what sparked the blaze.
Police are investigating two armed robberies early Sunday on the IU campus. The first occurred just before 5 a.m. The second one occurred just after 5 a.m. Police say they are investigating the robberies as two separate investigations because each victim described the suspect a little differently. A small amount of cash and credit cards were taken from each victim.
Bob Knight...Nice? Two phrases that tend not to be linked together. According to an executive at Chicago Ad Agency says Knight is a "funny guy" who didn't mind a laugh at his own expense. A commercial debuts today showing the former IU coach shedding his famous temper after a few sips of Minute Maid Orange Juice.
March 2
IU has announced its new athletics director. Michael McNeely has been named to succeed retiring Clarence Doninger. He has the right credentials, having served as athletics director at the University of the Pacific in Stockton, Calif., and 10 years with the National Collegiate Athletic Association, or which seven were as its director of operations. One of his big responsibilities will be to help in the selection of a permanent basketball coach after the current season is over.
Head it off at the pass! Sue Ann Gilroy has asked the Senate Finance Committee to spend $6 million.
to help assure that Indiana has accurate voter lists which is the beginning
to creating fraud-free elections.
Thursday, the finance committee agreed, voting 12-0 to pass Senate Bill 267, which calls
for the state to appropriate $6 million to create a computerized, statewide voter registration
system that would automatically eliminate duplications and non-eligible voters.
Under the provisions of the bill, which is sponsored by Sen. Becky Skillman, R-Bedford,
counties and state agencies would be allowed to share voter registration
information and duplications would be eliminated. The counties would
have until 2004 to begin using the system, which would be in time for the
next presidential and gubernatorial elections. Sen. Lawrence Borst, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee and a key legislative budget
leader, said it state funding of the bill would be considered in budget negotiations at
end of this session and that lottery funds might provide the revenue source.
Nashville, IN is currently a divided community, and the problem is the proposed Brown County jail to be built near the entrance gate to Brown County State Park. It is also directly across the highway from the town's elementary school. The need for the new jail is evident as one examines the current jail behind the Brown County Courthouse. It is a small house with yellow brick building attached to it, all deteriorating. The inside is reportedly as bad as the outside and extremely crowded. The controversy has ended up in court because there is a group of residents who claim that their petition to forego the project was illegally blocked by county officials who have been planning the project for three years. Many residents feel the location will impact their tourism efforts in a negative way. Still developing ...!
March 1
IU officials say they take responsibility for a security lapse that allowed a hacker in Sweden to download more than 3,000 students' names and social security numbers. But, students say they are angry because their information was not protected better.
Hoosier hospitality may be real. A recent study by Harvard University, the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University and the Indiana Grantmakers Alliance found Indiana residents are above the national average on such things as how much residents trusted one another, socialized together and joined with others in organizations, and in activism. As a group, the 1,000 Hoosiers polled ranked significantly higher than the national average in trust, socialization, and religion. They were on a par in the area of civic leadership and participation in clubs and associations, but they were somewhat below the rest of the country in the areas of giving, volunteering, and being involved in political activism.
Marion County is
implementing a new R.O.A.D. (Rub Out Aggressive Driving) program which will
start Friday and work toward the goal to reduce accidents in Marion County by 5 percent by early September.
They will be looking for looking for drivers who are tailgating; who don't signal lane changes and turns;
who make improper lane changes; or who are trying to get around because traffic is moving too
slow for them. Effort will concentrate on morning and evening rush
hours. The first targeted areas include: I-465 from Washington Street to Mann Road, 38th
Street from I-65 to Lafayette Road, Keystone Avenue from Kessler Boulevard to 38th Street
and the I-65/I-70 corridor.
February 28
In 1995 Congress repealed the national 65 mph maximum speed limit. Other states have followed suit, but the effort increase the limits above 65 mph have failed in the Indiana House. However, Tuesday the Indiana House has approved legislation (92-2) that would allow an increase in maximum speed limits on rural sections of interstates and state highways by allowing the Indiana Department of Transportation to raise limits from 65 mph to 70 mph on interstates outside of urban areas with populations of at least 50,000 and rural areas of state highways could be raised from 55 mph to 60 mph.. The higher limits would not apply to semis, which are limited to 55 mph on rural state highways and 60 mph on interstates. The bill will now go to the Senate, which rejected it in 1999.
Last fall school officials in Edinburg planned to start drug testing its coaches because of a concern over student safety. Edinburg has experienced a significant increase in the number of coaches who are not teachers, and some of those coaches drive students in buses to events. However, a federal judge has issued an order which stops Edinburgh schools from requiring its coaches to undergo drug testing, so the testing will not be resumed for now.
February 27
The sectional pairings were drawn Monday night by the Indiana High School Athletic Association. The field of 381 teams will be whittled to the 64 sectional champions -- 16 in each of the four classes -- by Saturday, March 10. Those teams will compete at 32 regionals on Tuesday, March 13, or Wednesday, March 14, followed by the eight semistates on Saturday, March 17. The two semistate winners in each class will play at Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis on Saturday, March 24.. In the Seymour Sectional Tuesday evening games on March 5th Jennings County will play Bedford North Lawrence at 6 p.m. Friday night at 6 p.m. the winner of that game will play either Jeffersonville or Floyd Central. At 7:30 Friday night Seymour will play New Albany. In the Silver Creek Sectional on Tuesday, March 6th, at 6 p.m. it will be Brownstown vs. Southwestern (Jefferson). Friday night the winner of that game will play either Clarksville or Pekin Eastern.
The House has approved, 69-27, a pay raise for legislators and judges, the legislators' first pay increase in 16 years and judges and prosecutors their first pay hike in four years. The bill now goes to the Senate, where President Pro Tempore Robert Garton, R-Columbus, will likely support it. Legislators' base pay would rise from $11,600 a year to $19,000 annually, and would take effect in 2003. Legislators' per diems would rise to $44.80 (from the current $25) per day when the legislature is not in session. Pay of trial judges and full-time prosecutors would rise from the current $90,000 to $99,000 a year. Pay of Indiana Supreme Court justices would increase from the current $115,000 to $124,000 a year, and salaries of Indiana Court of Appeals judges would go from $110,000 to $119,000. The higher judicial salaries would take effect Jan. 1, 2002. The plan is for the higher salaries to be funded by higher court fees that go into effect July 1.
February 26
State Senator Becky Skillman's bill to repeal the tire tax recently passed the Senate by a 49-0 vote. The bill would end the 25-cent tax on each new tire sold. The bill would repeal a tax that goes into the Waste Tire Management Fund. With most of the waste tire clean up complete and an 8-million dollar balance in the fund, Skillman says the tax has served the purpose for which it was created.
The names and social security numbers of about 3000 Indiana University students were downloaded by a hacker this month. The University says the information was taken from a vulnerable computer server.
Are you using Outlook or Outlook Express E-mail? A security flaw has been discovered within Microsoft's Outlook and Outlook Express E-mail applications, specifically with the use of Outlook's vCards, or virtual business cards. VCards can be created with malicious code that can either cause Outlook to crash, or even allow the E-mail application to run damaging code on a victim's system. In Microsoft Security Bulletin MS01-012, posted Thursday, the company admitted that the flaw is potentially devastating. "In the more serious case, the attacker could cause the mail client to run code of her choice on the user's machine. Such code could take any desired action, limited only by the permissions of the recipient on the machine," the bulletin states. This means that if a user opens the malicious vCard, virtually anything can happen, including reforming the disk drive or adding or deleting files. There is a patch that will protect users, but users should ALWAYS BE CAREFUL about what they are downloading, even if it looks OK. Microsoft recommends all Outlook users should update their browser with the security patch. Since the flawed software component ships with Internet Explorer, users are recommended to download the Internet Explorer patch at http://update.informationweek.com/cgi-bin4/flo?y=eChQ0BdPvZ0V20Dj1J
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