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(11/09/12 5:13pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Bloomington police arrested former IU football wide receiver Damarlo Belcher, 24, Friday morning.In the course of investigating a robbery-homicide that occurred Nov. 3, police were informed of another robbery that happened Oct. 30, which Belcher has now admitted to, Bloomington Police Department Detective Sgt. John Kovach said.That day, Oct. 30, Belcher met another man outside his Bloomington apartment to exchange money for a quarter of a pound of marijuana. When the two went to exchange, Belcher reportedly pulled a gun on the man and took off with the drugs and money, Kovach said.A warrant for Belcher's arrest was issued Nov. 7. Police located him at his grandfather's house in Fort Wayne at about 10:15 this morning and took him in for questioning. Fort Wayne police assisted BPD in the arrest, Kovach said.Upon questioning, 12 grams of the quarter of a pound of marijuana as wells as $795 in cash were recovered.Although no definitive connection with the robbery-homicide has been drawn yet, Bloomigton police continue to investigate the case. Belcher now a suspect.This story will be updated.
(11/07/12 5:21am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>INDIANAPOLIS — His handlebar mustache scrunched as he began to address the sea of supporters standing below him.By the shouts sounded, the tears wept and the cheers emitted, the supporters made it clear — this was Democratic gubernatorial candidate John Gregg’s night.Chatter erupted as a mustache illustration stretched across an overhead projection screen above the stage.“Indiana is making a huge mistake,” a woman said from the crowd. “They’re going to pay for it.”Victory or not, Gregg took the stage.“My name is John Gregg, I have two first names and I almost became governor of Indiana,” he said with a smile on his face.The crowed grew quiet.“I’m sorry to all of those we failed,” Gregg said. The crowd interjected. “No! Stop! We love you,” many reassured him.Gregg bowed his head and stared into the lector. “But the sun will come up tomorrow,” Gregg said. “We are truly all in it together.”Gregg’s two sons, John and Hunter, stood behind their father as he made his concession speech, teary eyed as they watched their father conclude his speech.“I’ve always believed life’s a journey, and there’s been a lot of joy in this journey,” he said.His two boys wiped their eyes. ***Before the concession, handlebar mustaches stuck out on pins and caps as Gregg supporters walked in and out of the ballroom where an empty stage would soon welcome the candidate — hopefully, the governor-elect.Supporters and associates gathered Tuesday inside the second-floor ballroom at the Indianapolis Marriott Downtown in hopes of celebrating a “blue” victory.Gregg’s parents, Don and June, stood at the back of the room as supporters scrambled between the open bar and appetizers. Don held June close in a single-arm embrace. In more than one way, this night was reminiscent of their son’s upbringing, June said.As John grew up, Don said, a run for governor was always in the playing cards, his parents agreed.Prior to the announcement and regardless of the stacked odds, June remained adamant that her son, who she said has always had a passion for politics, would emerge victorious.“It’s quite an experience,” She said. “He’s going to win. We’re behind him 100 percent. If he doesn’t win, it won’t cost his life anything undone.” ***The most recent polls leading into the election projected Gov.-elect Mike Pence as the winner.As time drew on, the continuous results made it clear this was not going to be a quick race.By 8:40 p.m., Gregg trailed Pence by a mere 2 percentage points with 35 percent of all precincts reporting.About an hour later, Pence’s lead became more definitive and led Gregg by about 6 percent. At this point, 63 percent of precincts had reported.By 10:50 p.m., Pence was officially declared the winner with the majority at 49.6 percent with 93 percent of precincts reporting. Gregg received 46.4 percent of the votes.Before Gregg could walk onto the stage, his running mate, Ind. Sen. Vi Simpson, D-Ellettsville, prefaced his appearance with a humbling introduction.“I wouldn’t be here tonight without the faith and friendship of John Gregg,” she said.Then, a Betty White reference.“Politics ain’t no place for sissies.”
(11/04/12 4:00am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>It’s all fun and games until somebody lands a city noise ordinance.Regarding all reported incidents, the Bloomington Police Department abides by a triage system, meaning noise violations are prioritized by the number of officers available to respond as they come through to dispatch.BPD Lt. Faron Lake said noise violations fall somewhere near the bottom of the priority chain.“Keep it small, keep it inside,” Lake said regarding house parties. “It’s a rarity that we have to knock on a door and someone answers.”Concerning noise violations, BPD operates on a two strikes, you’re out policy. The first time an ordinance is cited, a $50 fine and a written warning might come into the picture. The second time, more expensive fees and jail time are within the realm of further consequences, Lake said.Lt. Faron Lake’s tips for party-throwers– Most complaints stem from an overpowering stereo system. Enjoy the music, but ease up on the bass.– Keep the invite list small. The smaller the list, the easier it is to take control of the situation, if necessary.– No wandering about outside or on porch areas. If a neighbor’s party is out of hand, stick to calling the non-emergency number. Leave the 911 line open for priority calls and those who need more immediate assistance.Increasing offenses means increasing fines1st offense– Each person who occupies or controls the residence is subject to a $50 fine.2nd offense– If this offense occurs within 12 months of the first, fines are raised to $100.3rd offense– A third offense within 12 months is subject to a fine of $500.
(11/03/12 5:34pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>A former Bloomington city official facing felony theft charges turned himself in at the Monroe County Correctional Center after a warrant for his arrest was issued last week.Former Director of Street Operations Derek Neff, 38, turned himself in at about 6:30 p.m. Friday and was later released after posting a $5,000 surety and $8,300 cash bond, according to jail officials.Neff is also facing a felony charge of official misconduct. As a public servant, he committed offenses while performing official duties, according to a probable cause affidavit. In addition to the official misconduct charge, Neff faces seven counts of felony theft.The Monroe County Prosecutor’s Office is attempting to present evidence in the case in a more chronological fashion. Neff reportedly made more than $8,000 from scrapping metal and other materials belonging to the city at a local scrap metal recycling company. According to the probable cause affidavit, Neff reportedly committed the offenses between March 14 and Oct. 3 of this year. A total of 19 transactions were recorded in logs maintained by JB Salvage, 1803 W. Vernal Pike. Neff was the recipient of all payments, totaling $8,296.55.In order to appropriately charge Neff, the 52,770 pounds of scrapped aluminum, tin, steel and iron has been divvied up by month, going as far back as July of this year, as opposed to each time a transaction was made. Chief Deputy Prosecutor Bob Miller said this is in an effort to make the evidence easier to present to a potential jury. “It’s more chronological than episodic,” he said. Neff was questioned by investigators in late October. In the interview, Neff told Bloomington police the money gained from scrapping the metal items belonging to the city was used to establish credit with various city vendors. He reportedly failed to produce any documentation to corroborate his claim.
(10/31/12 4:13am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Marylee Daniel Mitcham’s stare was blank.A smile crept across her face behind the dry blood that was now beginning to form into a thin, crusty-like residue.She didn’t yell for help. She didn’t run away. It didn’t matter.She was already a zombie.***On Tuesday, as clouds crept across the moonlit sky, zombies stormed West Kirkwood Avenue. Some dressed in street clothes, others in costume, but they all were bludgeoned up and bloody nonetheless.The patriarch of the zombies — that’s how Mitcham referred to herself among the group of the undead.“I don’t know what zombies say,” Mitcham said. “I don’t know if they say anything. They move inexorably toward their victims.”A group of about 19 others joined Mitcham. It was tradition, after all, the members of the zombie raid said. For the past five years, on Oct. 30, dozens of the undead walk among the living, Mitcham said.This year, men, women, children and even a dog walked. First meeting at the Sample Gates, the group congregated for a moment before they took to the streets.Mitcham’s daughter, Anna Lynch, who brought her two daughters along for the night prowl, stood beside her mother. The two crept at the back of the group, approaching street-walkers, cars and people walking in and out of the businesses along Kirkwood Avenue.“Oh, please let me have my self-esteem when we’re done with this,” a boy said from the crowd.It didn’t matter. Arms up. Stiff pose. Eyes locked. Like a cheetah pursuing pray, the boy-zombie walked steadfast down the street next to the other children.“No laughing,” Mitcham said. The group of children formed a mob. They scratched on windows, groaned at spectators and limped along the streets.In the middle of the pack was William Putt, Lynch’s husband. This year, he said, was a bit of a let-down.In previous years, the number of zombies peaked at about 200. Last year, he said, there were about 100.“I don’t know if it’s the weather or what,” Putt said. “Not only were there zombies last year, but anti-zombies. There were people in hazmat suits.”We have to keep the flame alive, he said. Putt said there is no brain behind the operation. Each year, the zombie-impostors assemble. In years to come, members of the group said they can only hope for a better turnout.“A lot of towns have this,” Putt said. “Bloomington deserves this.”
(10/16/12 5:43am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>It was the last sunset of a lingering summer. That evening — Friday, Sept. 14 — started out unseasonably warm, but a chill trailed close behind. Anything was possible. Midterms were far away. IU’s football team was still 2-0. The sun fell, and the city came to life. Freshmen pulling strings for alcohol. A boy and a girl surrendering to lust. A convert to Islam seeking solace in prayer. An opera singer discovering herself, and her dreams, under the stage lights. A violent drunk pursuing a trio of unsuspecting students. Just another night in Bloomington.6:01 p.m.At dusk, the restless freshman hurries into her dorm room at Wright Quad, drops her bag, and announces her intention to get wasted.“I’m so ready to rage right now, you don’t even understand,” the blond-haired 18-year-old tells some friends, already gathered for the pregame. “Guys, I plan on being belligerent tonight.”She peels off the shirt she wore to class and stands in her brown lace bra, staring into the closet. Who does she want to be tonight? Opting for temptress, she pulls out a black bandeau, a hot-pink crop-top with dangling fringe, and a pair of jeans with strategically placed rips and tears that offer glimpses of her upper thighs. Her roommate, also half-dressed, changes beside her. Neither of them care that guys are in the room watching or that the window blinds are up. Modesty is not an issue.“We’d probably make someone’s day,” says the roommate. “But no one looks, your loss.” From a nearby laptop, Lil Jon shouts the pulsing opening to “Turbulence.”Ladies and gentlemenWelcome to Flight 909Taking you on a journeyAll around the worldBoth the freshman and her roommate dance as they dress, spinning and swaying.Are you ready? Are you ready? Ready for takeoffSome of their friends are ready to go to the tailgate fields for GLOWfest. But the restless freshman has other plans. As the music plays, she texts a guy who lives in Briscoe Quad. They met one night a few weeks back while both prowled for parties. She calls him her “slam piece.”“He doesn’t want a girlfriend. I don’t want a boyfriend,” she explains. “We’ve hooked up sober five times in a row now. That’s a big deal.”Before they take off into the night, she and her friends want to get a head start on their drinking. But there’s a problem. All of them are underage, and even though they’ve recruited an older student to go out and buy the alcohol, he has yet to deliver. In fact, he and the rum are three hours late. The restless freshman is tired of being sober. Having waited long enough, she and a few of her girlfriends decide to ditch the original plan and head to Briscoe. Her slam piece has already secured enough alcohol to begin the pregame.He meets the group in the Briscoe lobby and escorts them into the elevator. Even though it’s dusk, he’s wearing sunglasses. He takes the group into his room and grabs a handle of Gran Legacy rum. A bottle of Kamchatka vodka already waits on the table. Twenty minutes later and four shots in, the freshman sits on the bed beside her boy toy, sifting through a bowl of vodka-soaked Gummi Bears. “Play one of our songs,” he tells her. She cues Mumford & Sons’ cover of “Wagon Wheel” on a nearby laptop. Rum bottle in hand, she gazes toward her slam piece. The two slow dance. They stare into each other’s eyes, and he holds her by the waist to pull her closer. They laugh. They kiss. Mouths open, no tongue. Simple.The other girls are too busy downing more shots to take much notice of the intimacy unfolding in front of them. GLOWfest beckons and the group is antsy; White Panda is taking the stage. They scurry out of the room in a cluster. The door shuts. At last, the freshman and her slam piece are alone.9:12 p.m.The mosque glimmers in the darkness. Silver light pours from keyhole-shaped windows. Abdur-Rahman, 20, sits inside the Islamic Center of Bloomington in a carpeted room upstairs filled with dozens of men he has come to call his brothers. The Center is his refuge. This evening, he is teaching a 12-year-old boy how to recite from the Quran.“You have to do it beautifully for it to enter your heart,” he explains to the boy. “When you do it fast, your heart is hard.” Speaking slowly and with more confidence, the boy begins to recite in Arabic Al-Fatihah, the first seven verses in the Quran.In The Name of Allah, The Beneficent, The MercifulAll praise is only Allah’s, the Lord of the WorldsThe Beneficent, The MercifulMaster of the Day of Judgment.Abdur-Rahman nods.After the two finish, the boy joins other children at the front of the mosque before the prayer of Isha; the last prayer of the day. Abdur-Rahman, dressed in a turban and long white garment, stares ahead. Thinking. Reflecting. He wasn’t always a Muslim. His name wasn’t always Abdur-Rahman. Three years ago, Denzel Draughn, as his parents call him, reverted to Islam. That’s the word he uses: “reverted.” In keeping with the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad, he believes everyone is born Muslim, no matter what faith they’re raised.As a teenager, he was troubled by his Protestant upbringing. Holding hands and singing in church on Sundays reminded him of a séance. He refused to believe in the Immaculate Conception and was not convinced Jesus was the son of God. He wanted out.When he turned to Islam and took his new name, his parents moved him to Zanesville, Ohio, a small, mostly Christian town northeast of Cincinnati, in an attempt to quarantine their son from Islam. During his stay, Abdur-Rahman visited with scholars, local Islamic centers and celebrated the faith his family scowled upon.Today, things are different. Now fully immersed in Islam, Abdur-Rahman has moved to Bloomington to care for his mother who suffers from an enlarged heart. He helps her with day-to-day tasks and washes dishes with her at the Scholars Inn Bakehouse.“Caring for your kinship,” he says, “is the second-best deed one can do to enter paradise.” The first is to consistently abide by the daily prayer times.At the front of the mosque, the muezzin, the man who makes the call to prayer, attaches a lavaliere microphone to his shirt.Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar . . .God is the greatest, God is the greatest...Abdur-Rahman makes his way to the front of the mosque, faces eastward toward Mecca, and raises his hands, his elbows bent at a 90-degree angle. The other men beside him face the same direction, already in prayer.“Allahu Akbar,” Abdur-Rahman murmurs.In silence, he bows, dropping to his knees and pressing his forehead to the carpet as he whispers the prayer in Arabic. Now is the time when he may ask anything of Allah. Inside his head, Abdur-Rahman is talking to his god. He prays for his mother. He prays for his family’s acceptance. 11:02 p.m.Deep into the second act of “Don Giovanni,” the spurned lover stands backstage, awaiting her next entrance.It’s the opening night of the season at the IU Musical Arts Center, and the house is packed. Kelly Glyptis, a 23-year-old soprano in the Jacobs School of Music’s masters voice program, is fighting the usual fluttering inside her stomach. She is playing Donna Elvira, a character who loves Giovanni but discovers that he is a legendary womanizer. In the upcoming scene, singing an aria known as “Mi Tradi,” she is torn between hating Giovanni and forgiving him. Kelly has been performing on stage since she was a little girl. But still she fights the butterflies every time. “Everyone gets nervous,” she says. “Anyone who tells you they don’t is either lying or an idiot.”Like many performers, Kelly is accustomed to small catastrophes. During dress rehearsals, she broke something every time — a fan, a pair of earrings — and tonight, another cast member is holding a clump of grapes when one breaks off the stem and jumps into Kelly’s emerald gown, lodging deep within her cleavage. She is still on stage when she feels it squish.When Kelly graduates from Jacobs, she wants to pursue opera, but also sees herself on Broadway. Opera is completely different from singing in a musical, but the training expands her range. When she auditions, she wants to stand out. For her, Mozart is always a challenge. She has a big voice, and her teachers have cautioned her not to let it overpower the delicacy of the composer’s intentions.“Mozart,” she says, “is very simple but very hard. You have to hit a high note and make it come out of nowhere.”“Mi Tradi” is particularly difficult — so difficult that it’s often cut from the opera. It’s both dramatically and vocally taxing. It requires physical endurance, a combination of buoyancy and anguish. Almost time for her entrance. The audience awaits. Kelly stands in the darkness, gazing toward the stage, visualizing what’s about to happen, like a slugger stepping up to the plate hoping for a home run. In her head, she fast-forwards through the upcoming scene. She imagines it going flawlessly; she hears her voice striking every note. She has prepared for this role for seven months, rehearsing and reading multiple scripts, books, and interpretations of “Don Giovanni,” in addition to compiling a two-page character analysis. She has learned to disappear inside her character. Many critics think Elvira is crazy. Kelly sees it differently.“I think she’s just misunderstood.”Kelly waits for her cue from the assistant stage manager. He hands her a bottle of apple juice. She takes a swig and watches his raised hand. Standby. The assistant stage manager’s hand drops.“Go.”She steps out into the amber light. From on stage, the audience is draped in a blanket of darkness, but she can feel their eyes upon her. Kelly looks to the conductor, standing before her in the orchestra pit. It’s just me and maestro, she tells herself. Halfway through the aria, she sinks to her knees. The music shifts to a minor key.Quando sento il mio tormentoDi vendetta il cor favelaWhen I feel my sufferingMy heart speaks of vengeance.When she’s done, the applause washes over her in waves. She can’t smile; her character, after all, is in misery. But inside, she knows she has nailed it.Ecstasy.1:37 a.m.The night has turned brisk. In front of Dunnkirk, a man slumps on a bench, a river of vomit spilling out of his mouth as the woman next to him rubs his back in support. People continue to walk past, not paying attention to the man. He stares into the puddle of regurgitated liquor, now shimmering in the soft glow of the street lamp above.The bars are crowded and people spill outside the doors and onto the sidewalk. Three students, two men and a woman, walk beneath the underpass of The Upstairs Pub and head to their car, leaving the raucousness of the bar scene and stepping into the quiet parking lot behind the building.Without warning, a drunken older man, maybe in his 50s, staggers toward the three. They hear the man shouting to his companion and hurry to their car. Having never seen the man before, the students are confused. Frantically, the woman tugs at the door handle, waiting for the driver to unlock it. As she swings the door open, the drunk charges toward the woman, knocking her into the interior of the car, hitting her chin and left knee.“Hey, you don’t fucking touch her! Help!” yells one of her friends. The attacker falls into the back seat, flailing. Panicked, the woman looks at him. So overwhelmed, her mind goes blank.3:14 a.m.The lobby of the emergency room at IU Health Bloomington Hospital is still. A fish tank bubbles and the television babbles above.A nurse pokes her head in and calls out, “Stephanie?”A heavy-set woman wrapped in a neon green blanket slowly rises from her chair. She holds the blanket and pulls it toward her chest tight. She turns to the man sitting to her right and attempts to mutter something, but her words are overcome by wheezing and gasping. She follows the nurse, and the door closes behind her.Her companion watches her go, waits a minute, and grabs the TV’s remote. He begins to flip the channels and comes upon a reality show about street racing. His face breaks into a near-toothless grin.For a moment he lowers himself to sit cross-legged on the carpeted floor, even though a mass of chairs surround him. Then he returns to his feet. Refusing to stay in place, he walks in circles. Perhaps he’s uncomfortable. Perhaps he’s anxious. Perhaps both.Finally he settles in a row of chairs, lying down as though he’s home in his bed. 4:04 a.m.In front of Showalter Fountain, four students waltz beneath the stars. From the center of the darkened fountain, the statue of Venus lies in her bed of water, watching as one of the men takes his lady by the hand. The fountain is not running and the water is still. Tyler leads the ballroom-style dance as his lady, Emily, stares straight into his eyes. The two dance slowly, conscious of their steps, giggling.“You’re the man,” Emily says. “You lead.”“I’ve never danced outside a fountain before,” Tyler says. Audra and Jordan, the other couple, are caught up in their own steps. Tyler nibbles at Emily’s neck. She pulls him in for a kiss.The four freshmen are together. Secure. Safe. But barely sticking out of the women’s jeans are pocketknives — each carrying her own. Just in case.“We never know when we’re going to have to walk home alone,” Audra says.7 a.m.Back at Briscoe, the restless freshman rests at last. Nestled in bed against her slam piece, the friends with benefits sleep off the vodka-soaked Gummi Bears.It was a busy night. The two drank, attended GLOWfest, danced and walked back to Briscoe. Once the two were back, they drank some more, watched a movie and had sex. At some point, for reasons she doesn’t understand, she sat up in bed and cried. Hours later, the scent of rum, sweat, and stale pizza linger. The window in the room faces east. The restless freshman and her slam piece sleep on as the rays of the rising sun seep through the edges of the blinds. Dawn.Editor’s NoteThe author, accompanied by Editor-in-Chief Michela Tindera and Photo Editor Rabi Abonour, reported this story between 6 p.m. Friday Sept. 14 and 7 a.m. Saturday Sept. 15. The on-stage opera scene and morning at Briscoe were based on later interviews with sources. The group spent their night in search of compelling stories. They even found themselves in the middle of one. The scene at 1:37 a.m. refers to them as they were attacked by a drunken man. Initially, this scene was to be left out. It may have distracted you, the reader, from the story. But soon they realized this was part of the story they were searching for. Crime happens. This was just another night in Bloomington.
(10/02/12 4:16am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Rain or shine, Janice Grubb and her family were going to walk.Showers spilled from the sky as family, friends and supporters gathered at Peoples Park on Monday evening for a walk to raise awareness for Crystal Grubb.Grubb was murdered in 2010, her body discovered in a cornfield just outside town. An autopsy revealed she was strangled. The case has since gone cold.Although police have identified at least three persons of interest in the case, nobody has been charged or convicted for the woman’s murder.The investigation is active, but Crystal’s family isn’t convinced. The way they see it, police are not doing enough.Janice, Crystal’s mother, spearheaded the event with the cooperation of the mayor’s office and a former mentor of Crystal’s.Crystal left behind two young daughters who don’t know how their mother died. As far as they know, Crystal died of a heart attack, Janice said. One day, she said, at the right time, they’ll know.“(We want) to try to get justice done for my daughter and her girls,” Janice said. “It’s been two years since they found her, and there still ain’t justice done. We need justice, and that’s what we’re working on right now.”The answer is clear to Janice. Her daughter was last seen alive with three men, one of them her boyfriend, as they walked along Bean Blossom Creek. They were cooking methamphetamine. If four people walked into the woods and only three come back, something was wrong, Janice said. Someone isn’t talking, she said.Janice stood behind a folding table as people arrived. Trays filled with red plastic bags stuffed with hot dogs and chips were scattered across the table. To Janice’s right was her niece Kelsey Crank — at least, that’s how Crank described their relationship. There is no blood relation, but Crank, 17, considers herself part of the family. She used to visit Crystal and her girls. “We was really close,” Crank said.Between handing the snack bags to the crowd, Crank paused and looked at Janice.“Maybe, eventually, we’ll have justice for her,” she said. “Just think, she wouldn’t want us crying over her.”“I know,” Janice said as she nodded. “We don’t know much at all right now.”Crystal’s two little girls had returned to the car. It was cold and wet outside. Just before the walk began, they returned.Janice walked to the front of the crowd. The daughters, one on each side of Janice, had to be at the front of the line. After all, this was for them, Janice said.Armed with posters, picture boards and hope, the crowd of about 40 walked west down Kirkwood Avenue toward the courthouse.“I think it went pretty well, considering the rain and stuff,” Janice said. “We hoped for a bigger crowd.”Being at the front of the line was serious business. The two sisters shared a poster, each girl supporting a side.“We love Crystal Grubb and we miss hre.” The letters had been stenciled in marker, the “e” and the “r” flipped around.A group of men edged their way in front of the girls.“Hey, you cutted!” one of the girls said. “You hear that, Boo? We cutted,” one of the men snickered.“Get back!” Janice said, “This is for the girls!”The men obeyed.The two girls reclaimed their spot at the front of the line.The mass of supporters made it to the front of the courthouse and began their descent back to People’s Park.Crystal’s ex-boyfriend, Tony Williams, the father of her children, walked closely behind his daughters.“Remember, walk!” he said as he carried a poster and walked eastbound down Kirkwood Avenue.The group arrived back at the park. Janice walked to the front of the group and called attention to herself. She passed a piece of notebook paper to another woman who, began to read it aloud.It was a letter to Crystal’s family and friends from Crystal.Crystal didn’t personally write the letter, but it was spoken on her behalf as if she were speaking to everyone gathered in her remembrance.The letter detailed life on Earth, a place where there was still work to be done, according to the letter.“You will rest in God’s own land when that work is all completed,” the woman read. “He will gently call you home. Oh, the rapture of that meeting. Oh, the joy to see you come.”“Amen,” members from the crowd responded.
(10/01/12 7:51pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>After residing in a house for nine days upon being released on parole, convicted murderer Robert E. Lee, 57, no longer lives at the initial address in Jennings County.The convicted killer was rooming with a man classified as a violent sexual predator after being convicted for deviate sexual conduct.With the help of parole officers, Lee packed and moved his belongings in boxes as he prepared to leave the residence. Officials report that Lee is heading westbound, but were unsure as to a specific location.Prior to his release, inquiries were made to various Bloomington locations in search of housing for Lee, all of which were rejected or left unanswered. Lee’s parole period will span one year and he will be monitored with a GPS ankle bracelet.Lee was released from prison Sept. 22 after serving 25 years in prison for the murder and dismemberment of a Bloomington woman in 1986.Although Lee’s specific destination is not yet known, his parole stipulations require that his new address must be listed in the Indiana Sex and Violent Offender Registry within 72 hours of his arrival. The offender registry can be viewed here.
(09/29/12 7:00pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>A husband and wife are facing criminal charges after threatening a woman at knife-point and ravaging her tent behind a department store.The female victim, 44, made the 911 call from the parking lot of K-Mart, located at 3175 W. Third St. When Bloomington police arrived on the scene, she reported a man and a woman had approached her, the woman eventually pulling out a pocket knife with a three-inch blade, Bloomington Police Department Detective Sgt. John Kovach said.Samantha Sue Lindsey, 27, and her husband Tommy Sheldan, 30, began to argue with the victim after they accused her of stealing tobacco from their camp site.The argument escalated and reportedly lead to Lindsey pulling out her knife, although she never used it, as Sheldan tore apart the victim's tent and beat on it with a stick. Kovach said the report did not specifically indicate those involved were homeless, although that appears to be the case.Lindsey was charged with intimidation with a deadly weapon and resisting law enforcement. Sheldan faces preliminary charges of intimidation with a deadly weapon and criminal mischief, Kovach said.Although he did not display his knife at any point, police uncovered a three-to-four-inch blade with a wooden handle in his possession, Kovach said.Following the incident, the couple fled west. Bloomington police discovered the two suspects in a wooded area behind the K-Mart store when they attempted to flee, Kovach said. Police apprehended and jailed both suspects.
(09/29/12 6:56pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The mother of a seven-year-old girl reported to the Bloomington Police Department that her daughter may have been molested five years ago.BPD Detective Sgt. John Kovach said the woman reported the girl had been seeing a counselor ever since she began "acting out."The counselor disclosed to the mother that the child displayed signs of having been molested, though it is not clear to the mother or police what those signs are, he said. The suspect in mind may have been an acquaintance of the mother's.The department forwarded the case to Department of Child Services.The case is actively being investigated by BPD and forensic interviews are in the process of being arranged, Kovach said.
(09/25/12 4:33am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Allie Vollmer slept as her workplace was transformed into an inferno.Vollmer was hired at the Japanee Japanese restaurant and sushi bar five months ago. The restaurant went up in flames in the early hours of Monday morning, and a cause of the fire has yet to be determined.Vollmer walked out of Japanee after finishing her five-to-nine shift Sunday evening.“I had a job less than 12 hours ago, and 7:30 (Monday) morning, I didn’t,” Vollmer said. “None of us really know what to do.”The three-alarm fire shut down Walnut and Eighth streets early Monday morning.The Bloomington Fire Department responded to the fire at the restaurant at 320 N. Walnut St., across the street from Kilroy’s Sports Bar.Traffic was redirected to Seventh Street until the road was reopened again at about 10 a.m.The blaze, which consumed the back and left sides of the restaurant and front portion of the roof, was reported at about 7 a.m. Monday, BFD Chief Roger Kerr said.There were no flames visible as smoke continued to rise from all sides of the restaurant at about 10 a.m. Nobody was in the restaurant at the time of the call.Kerr said conditions worsened, and firefighters had to retreat and adopt a defensive strategy.Firefighters worked throughout the morning to ensure all hot spots of the blaze were extinguished. Now preliminary efforts of the investigation can begin.Vollmer was scheduled to return to work at 3 p.m. Monday.At about 8 a.m. Monday, a Facebook notification to the IU senior’s phone changed her outlook for the next few months. The notification sounded, and Vollmer rolled over, still half asleep, to check her phone. A friend had posted to Vollmer’s page inquiring about the blaze that was burning only blocks away. Vollmer pulled up a search engine and attempted to find whatever she could.She was in utter shock.Having confirmed the fire, Vollmer sent a concerned text to her boss, offering support and her assistance wherever it could be used.Her text was the first time Vollmer’s boss had been informed of the incident.Her boss called her in response to the text message, frantically revisiting every motion of the previous night while she worked at the restaurant.It didn’t make sense. Everything had been done accordingly, she said.“I think the last thing I did was say bye to everyone, told some friends we needed to go out this week,” she recalled. “I told them I’d see you tomorrow, same ol’ same ol’, and maybe a drink after.”Vollmer said she is optimistic for the restaurant’s second comeback. It recently reopened after a remodeling job this summer.“I guess that you don’t know what a good opportunity you have until it’s gone,” Vollmer said. “It’s good to build those relationships and have those times and memories with those people while you can.”Jordan Littman contributed to this report
(09/24/12 2:00pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>A three-alarm fire shut down Walnut and Eighth streets early Monday morning.The Bloomington Fire Department responded to a fire at Japanee Japanese restaurant and sushi bar, located at 320 N. Walnut St., across the street from Kilroy's Sports.Traffic was redirected to Seventh Street until the road was reopened again at about 10 a.m.The blaze, which consumed the back and left sides of the restaurant and front side of the roof, was reported at about 7 a.m. this morning, BFD Chief Roger Kerr, said.There were no flames visible as smoke continued to rise from all sides of the restaurant at about 10 a.m..Nobody was in the restaurant at the time of the call.Kerr said conditions worsened to the point where firefighters retreated and adopted a defensive strategy.A cause of the fire has yet to be determined, he said.As of 10 a.m., firefighters were working to ensure all hotspots of the blaze were extinguished before preliminary efforts of the investigation can begin.An expert in fire restoration said the building is severely damaged with repair costs likely exceeding $100,000. The restaurant had recently reopened following the completion a renovation earlier this summer.
(09/19/12 4:23am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>A Bloomington physician is facing a federal prison sentence and was ordered to pay a restitution fee surpassing $1 million for health care fraud and unlawful drug distribution he admittedly committed in March.Dr. Kamal Tiwari, 60, was convicted Tuesday, according to a press release by the United States Attorney’s Office. District Court Judge Sarah Evans Barker sentenced Tiwari to 42 months in federal prison and ordered he pay a restitution fee of $1,299,866.54.“Today’s sentencing holds accountable someone who betrayed both his profession and the trust of his patients, endangering lives and defrauding taxpayers of more than a million dollars,” U.S. Attorney Joseph Hogsett said in the release. “While we argued this morning in favor of sentence that we believe was befitting of the crimes committed, we respect Judge Barker’s decision and will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to make whole the victims of Mr. Tiwari’s actions.”Tiwari’s practice specialized in interventional pain management. He admitted to officials he engaged in a scheme from January to December 2007 to defraud Medicaid, Medicare and Anthem by performing unnecessary medical procedures on patients, including injection procedures such as facet blocks, epidurals and radio frequency ablations, according to the release.His practices exceeded the standard of care in interventional pain medicine practice, which can carry risks, among other side effects, of serious infection due to the excess steroids. Tiwari admitted to overprescribing the substances in order to increase revenue of his medical practice, according to the release.He prescribed substances such as Percocet, Oxycontin, oxycodone and methadone. These substances exceeded legitimate medicinal purposes and caused several patients serious bodily injury.“The epidemic problem of prescription drug abuse begins with overprescribing and ends by exacting a huge toll on our society,” said Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller, whose Medicaid Fraud Control Unit participated with federal authorities in the investigation of Tiwari, according to the release. “Actions against physicians who abuse their position of trust are part of the solution to this problem, along with public education and treatment of drug addiction.”Dr. Tiwari practiced out of both the Pain Management Center of Southern Indiana and the Pain Management and Surgery Center of Southern Indiana. The businesses share an office suite.He specialized in anesthesiology in Bloomington and was licensed by the Drug Enforcement Administration to prescribe controlled substances, according to the release.
(09/12/12 4:27am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>An arrest was made Tuesday evening following a fatal hit-and-run accident that killed a motorcyclist.Bloomington police arrested Steven Finch, 27, of Bloomington, after he admitted his involvement in the incident.Finch was charged with leaving the scene of an accident involving death, a Class C felony, according to a press release issued by Bloomington Police Department Capt. Joe Qualters.Finch admitted to being distracted by an electronic device and saw a man on a motorcycle traveling the same direction in front of him. Finch’s vehicle and the motorcycle were traveling east on Moores Pike near the intersection of Olcott Boulevard.Finch was unable to avoid the motorcyclist, later identified as Johnny Shane Harden, 37, of Bloomington. Finch struck the 2007 Suzuki GXS on the passenger side of his 1998 Pontiac Sunfire, according to the release.The accident occurred at about 7:52 a.m. Tuesday.Finch initially stopped his vehicle after the collision and attempted to reverse his car closer to the scene of the accident. Upon doing so, Finch backed over and dragged the body lying in the street.After the body was detached from underneath the vehicle, Finch made a U-turn and fled the scene heading west on Moores Pike, according to the release.Following Finch leaving the scene of the accident, police said he made a stop at a convenience store in Ellettsville, Ind., purchased tobacco and proceeded to a car wash to remove evidence of involvement in the crash.Finch drove to his parents’ residence.Finch turned himself in and was questioned by BPD, where he was later transported to the Monroe County Jail.State law requires all persons involved in an accident that yields fatal or serious bodily injury to submit to a blood test. The test will determine whether or not Finch was under the influence of alcohol or drugs at the time of the accident.The cause of death has yet to be determined pending autopsy results Wednesday morning, according to the Monroe County Coroner’s office.The autopsy will be conducted in Terre Haute.
(09/11/12 5:07pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Just remember: yes, it could be better, but be glad it’s not worse.
Consider the following hypothetical and reflect on how good your day
actually is — maybe.If you’re reading this, you’re alive. Congratulations.
(09/11/12 4:19pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>An arrest was made Tuesday evening following a fatal hit-and-run accident that killed a motorcyclist.Bloomington police arrested Steven Finch, 27, of Bloomington, after he admitted his involvement in the incident.Finch was charged with leaving the scene of an accident involving death, a Class C felony, according to a press release issued by Bloomington Police Department Capt. Joe Qualters.Finch admitted being distracted by an electronic device and realized a man on a motorcycle traveling the same direction in front of him. Finch’s vehicle and the motorcycle were traveling east on Moores Pike near the intersection of Olcott Boulevard.Finch was unable to avoid the motorcyclist, later identified as Johnny Shane Harden, 37, of Bloomington. Finch struck the 2007 Suzuki GXS on the passenger side of his 1998 Pontiac Sunfire, according to the release.The accident occurred at about 7:52 a.m. Tuesday.Finch initially stopped his vehicle after the collision and attempted to reverse his car closer to the scene of the accident. Upon doing so, Finch backed over and dragged the body lying in the street.After the body was detached from underneath the vehicle, Finch made a U-turn and fled the scene heading west on Moores Pike, according to the release.Following Finch leaving the scene of the accident, police said he made a stop at a convenience store in Ellettsville, Ind., purchased tobacco and proceeded to a car wash to remove evidence of involvement in the crash.Finch drove to his parents’ residence.Finch turned himself in and was questioned by BPD, where he was later transported to the Monroe County Jail.State law requires all persons involved in an accident that yields fatal or serious bodily injury to submit to a blood test. The test will determine whether or not Finch was under the influence of alcohol or drugs at the time of the accident.The cause of death has yet to be determined pending autopsy results Wednesday morning, according to the Monroe County Coroner’s office.The autopsy is being conducted in Terre Haute, Ind.
(09/06/12 4:32am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>An Indianapolis man might regain possession of his 40 confiscated firearms, pending the ruling of his Wednesday hearing.Monroe Circuit Judge Mary Ellen Diekhoff, who issued a search warrant for Robert Redington’s Indianapolis residence in August, presided at the hearing. A ruling has yet to be issued as of 2:30 p.m. Wednesday. The search warrant was issued after Redington, 56, was discovered in the parking garage across the street from Kilroy’s Sports Bar with two loaded semi-automatic handguns and a range finder.Redington sat in the courtroom jotting notes in silence, at times a half-smile coming across his face, as his defense argued his case before Judge Diekhoff.The hearing was scheduled to begin at 9:30 a.m. and lasted until about 1:30 p.m. Officers discovered 40 guns in Redington’s residence when they searched the premises on the warrant.Multiple witnesses took the stand at the hearing, including Bloomington Police Department Detective Randy Gehlhausen. Gehlhausen shed light on the findings within Redington’s residence.Many of the 40 guns were located in Redington’s bedroom between his bed and frame, 12 underneath sheets, some tucked under pillows and others stacked behind doors, baskets and drawers.“(It was) as if he was sleeping with them,” Gehlhausen said.Redington’s wife, Penny, also helped investigators gain access to her husband’s safe, which contained several more guns.Penny said that although she does not sleep in the same bedroom as her husband, she is aware he keeps guns there and near the bed — more specifically, a rifle at the foot of the bed and pistols under the mattress.She said she is not concerned for her well being given the placement of the guns.“He’s upset,” she said. “He doesn’t understand why he is being singled out.”Later during the hearing, when Redington was on stand, he was asked why he kept guns near and on his mattress.“I got these cats, and if you leave the guns on the floor, the cats will urinate on them, which will ruin the barrel,” he said.He then said it was a coincidence the bed sheets happened to drape over the guns on his bed. He also said the guns usually lean against a wall when he goes to sleep.When Bloomington police approached Redington in August inside the parking garage, he struck conversation related to firearms and the Spierer investigation.Gehlhausen, an investigator involved in the ongoing police investigation of missing IU student Lauren Spierer, interviewed Redington at the time of the initial incident and determined Redington had no new knowledge regarding the case.He discussed his guns and also brought up case details in regard to Spierer.Redington repeatedly reminded his defense, Judge Diekhoff and the state’s counsel that he might have had an encounter with Spierer two or three years ago — he said he was unsure as to the exact timeline.Roy Graham, Redington’s lawyer, attempted to verify with his client the alleged encounter with Spierer and a male associate who was with her. He ended the question with the phrase “before she died.”The quiet courtroom grew even quieter.Light has yet to be shed on what happened to the then-20-year-old IU junior, though her parents have acknowledged the unlikelihood of discovering their daughter alive at this point in the ongoing police investigation.Redington confirmed the alleged encounter and also told the courtroom he had been searching for possible clues related to the case the night he was interviewed and underwent a mental evaluation.Among the witnesses who were questioned at the stand was Dr. Carey Mayer, a licensed psychiatrist with IU Health Bloomington Hospital who spoke about Redington’s perceived condition at the time of the evaluation.“Everyone can be potentially dangerous,” Mayer said. “It shows a difficulty in exercising good judgment. The difficulty in making rational and good decisions seems to be distorted.”Mayer said Redington is “suspicious by nature.”“I say, regretfully, that I do have concerns with him having guns,” Mayer said.Redington told officers and a parking attendant the night of the August incident that “death follows” him, according to the testimony during the hearing. He also mentioned throughout the hearing that he believes he has premonitions.His wife said he reported visions of the neighbor children running throughout their Indianapolis residence, as well as visions of his deceased father standing next to the television.Redington said he often dreams of death and knew several victims of suicide.Diekhoff will determine whether Redington will be a threat to himself or others when and if his guns are returned to his possession.A ruling is expected sometime this week.
(08/31/12 3:20am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The U.S. Court of Appeals for the seventh circuit declared the public sex offender database “constitutionally insufficient” Tuesday.“Erroneously labeling an offender a sexually violent predator imposes unnecessary monitoring costs on state law enforcement and reduces the efficacy of the registry in providing accurate information to the public,” the ruling said.The consensus came after the court of appeals reversed a U.S. District Court ruling allowing the Indiana Department of Correction to run its sex offender database without minimal procedures that would challenge the database’s accuracy.“The court found that the only way to guard against stigmatizing errors is to afford minimal due process,” Ken Falk, legal director for the American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana, said in a press release.Falk argued the case before the Seventh Circuit.Kay Fleming, the Democratic candidate for Indiana attorney general, has an agenda of her own.Fleming said she is an advocate for child safety as well as modifying the Department of Child Services and that the program is in need of an “overhaul,” she said in a prepared statement.Although the DCS and Indiana Department of Corrections are not affiliated as far as the court case is concerned, Fleming said issues such as child abuse, which the DCS handles, needs to be dealt with on the local level.“The main thing we’re trying to propose is a better use of resources,” Fleming said. “They need someone to help with interpretation and that’s what we’re proposing.”Fleming said local resources and departments should be utilized on all levels. This provides a more efficient avenue to deal with cases that would stem from the DCS.
(08/28/12 4:54am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>A man was reportedly tackled off his bike and hit in the face and scrotum sometime before 9 p.m. Sunday near the Monroe County Public Library.James D. Washburn, 28, was riding his bike from Peoples Park, where he had been with his wife, when the wife followed and tackled him off his bike, Bloomington Police Department Lt. Bill Parker said.Washburn told his wife, Amber F. Richardson, 21, he had other business to attend to and left the park. An individual acquainted with the two told Richardson that Washburn was on his way to see another woman, Parker said.After being tackled off his bike, Washburn allegedly struck Richardson in the face. Parker said Richardson then struck Washburn back. The two fell to the ground in a brawl, Parker said.The blow to Washburn’s face broke his glasses and, at some point, Richardson forcefully gripped Washburn’s scrotum.As Richardson and Washburn continued to fight on the ground outside the back of the library, Washburn bit Richardson and Richardson responded by stimulating a pressure point in Washburn’s neck, Parker said.Bloomington police responded to the scene after the incident was reported from the Bloomington Fire Department, located at 300 E. Fourth St.Richardson, who told police she is pregnant, reported abdominal pain after the scuffle and Washburn denied ever striking the woman, Parker said. Washburn also told police the woman lied about the pregnancy.Both individuals face preliminary charges of domestic battery. Washburn faces a Class C felony assault charge for striking a pregnant woman.— Michael Majchrowicz
(08/27/12 4:04am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>WAPAKONETA, Ohio — Charlie Brading, a slender man in his late 70s, approached the front entrance of the Charmé Hair Salon. Sandra Brading, his wife of 50 years, followed close behind. The Bradings were the last owners of Rhine and Brading Drug Store before it closed and became the salon. In the 1940s, a young man named Neil Armstrong worked in the Rhine and Brading Drug Store, too.He was saving money for flying lessons.“Just the idea that I grew up here,” Charlie Brading said, wide-eyed as he reminisced of decades come and gone. “I don’t even want to look.”Armstrong died Friday from “complications from cardiovascular procedures,” his family said in a statement. He was 82.Long before Armstrong set foot on what fellow astronaut Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin would describe as the “magnificent desolation” of the moon, he walked the streets of Wapakoneta, Ohio. Armstrong was born outside Wapakoneta, but as a child his family moved often. They settled back in the area when Armstrong was in his early teens.Charlie Brading grew up a close family friend of Armstrong and his younger brother. He said though Neil came from humble beginnings working as a stock boy in the drug store, the space adventurer to be had a plan of his own.“He had other things on his mind,” Charlie Brading said with a smirk.Armstrong worked in the store before and after school for 40 cents an hour. He earned his pilot’s license at 15, before he learned to drive.Though the original facilities where Armstrong first learned to fly are no longer there, the county airport is now named for him.Armstrong graduated from Blume High School in Wapakoneta in 1947, but locals know the former high school building as Sunrise Apartments.Signs of Armstrong’s alma mater linger, though. The cement terrace that canopies the front of the complex still reads “Blume High School.” Upon graduation, he attended Purdue University, where he earned a degree in aeronautical engineering. He later completed graduate studies at the University of Southern California.Armstrong flew more than 200 different models of aircraft throughout his career, including gliders, helicopters, jets and rockets, according to NASA.Wapakoneta is forever bound with Armstrong’s “one small step for (a) man, one giant leap for mankind.”The Wapakoneta Area Chamber of Commerce features an image of Aldrin on the surface of the moon in its promotional material, and an astronaut defines the banner image of The Wapakoneta Daily News website.The majority of Armstrong’s professional accolades and accomplishments are highlighted and showcased at the Armstrong Air and Space Museum in Wapakoneta. Most of the features were dedicated by Armstrong and his family.Sandra Brading described Wapakoneta just before the lunar landing as a melting pot of residents, visitors and reporters from around the world.After returning to Earth, the astronauts of Apollo 11 pursued an international tour, visiting 24 countries and 27 cities in 45 days. Along the way, Armstrong stopped in Wapakoneta. Charlie Brading was appointed as the chair for Armstrong’s homecoming committee.“A very proud moment,” Charlie Brading said. “The greatest thing that had happened to Wapakoneta. The phone (at the shop) rang constantly for months. A lot of great memories. It was a thriving downtown at one point, years ago.”The Bradings mentioned they emailed Armstrong last week to touch base and were glad to hear of his seemingly good condition. Armstrong was in surgery for a blocked coronary artery earlier this month. The couple described Wapakoneta as the quintessential Midwestern town, a thriving and plentiful community ideal for raising children. In the case of the Armstrongs, an astronaut.“It was a great ride,” Charlie Brading said. “He took Wapakoneta with him, in a way,” Sandra Brading said.