Look at recent Indiana deaths \nduring Iraqi war\nSince February 2003, 38 Indiana military personnel have died after being sent to the Mideast for the war in Iraq. Recent deaths include:\nJan. 4 -- Army Pvt. Cory R. Depew, 21, Indianapolis, died in Mosul when a rocket-propelled grenade struck the military vehicle in which he was riding.\nJan. 21 -- Army Sgt. Kyle William Childress, 29, of Terre Haute, died in Balad from wounds he received when his unit was attacked with small arms fire in Ad Duluiyah, Iraq.
40,000 steakburgers donated to Hoosier Hills food bank\nBLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Move over canned peas and carrots because people who come to a city food bank not only will get fruits and vegetables, but Steakburgers provided by Steak 'N Shake.\nAs part of a national campaign, the Indianapolis-based restaurant chain donated 6,048 of its signature Steakburgers to the Hoosier Hills Food Bank Monday\nSteak 'N Shake has given away more than 400,000 patties during the past two years to food banks across the country. The charitable organization America's Second Harvest coordinated the drive with the restaurant chain.\n"I'm pretty excited about this because ground beef is not an item we normally get," said Dan Taylor, Hoosier Hills assistant director.\nThis is the first time Hoosier Hills or any other Bloomington food bank has received the meat.\nTaylor said the food bank will be dispensing burgers to several agencies that feed the poor.\nMichael Halligan of America's Second Harvest credited the increased success to MasterCard absorbing part of the campaign costs and to customer familiarity with the program.\nThis year, the restaurant chain donated a Steakburger for every $5 in restaurant gift card purchases.\nLast year, four burgers were donated for every $25 in gift card purchases up to 25 for $100.
Elementary school coach charged with battery for padding players\nGARY, Ind. -- An elementary school basketball coach faces battery charges for allegedly paddling several of his 13-year-old players for poor shooting after a loss.\nThayer L. Williamson, 31, was charged with three counts of felony battery alleging that he used a wooden paddle as punishment for the boy's poor performance.\nThe alleged corporal punishment came to light after several of the boys told their parents. A school nurse told police she examined every boy on the team and 11 of the 12 players had bruises, welts or swelling on their buttocks the day after the paddling.\nLake County prosecutors said Williamson was upset about his Melton Elementary School team losing badly in a Nov. 16 game. The next day, he allegedly brought a duct-tape wrapped wooden paddle to practice, according to the affidavit.\nHe held the paddle in his hand and as each player stepped to the free throw line, he asked them "Why did I lose?" the affidavit said.\n"I'm going to motivate you all," Williamson reportedly told the boys. "Shoot free throws and for every one you miss, you're getting beat."\nThe 13-year-olds got from five to 20 swats, the report said.\nWilliamson told the students they could leave if they wanted to, but warned them "you won't be on another basketball team in your life," the affidavit said.\nOne boy told police Williamson had him up against the gym wall as he hit him. During one of the swats, the boy hit his head on the wall, the affidavit said.\nThe coach called the player's mother after he told Williamson he had a headache.\nWhen she arrived, Williamson allegedly told her he had to paddle the boys.\n"I am not teaching no ladies," the affidavit said Williamson told her. "I am showing them how to be men. I put the paddle to them for losing."
Man accused in 2003 murder will face \ntrial in March\nANGOLA, Ind. -- A man accused of hitting a drinking buddy in the face with a wood-splitting tool, killing him, will go to trial in March, authorities said.\nJerry Lee Earles, 45, of Angola, is charged with murder and has been held without bond in the Steuben County Jail for more than a year. Attorneys met Monday in a pretrial conference in Steuben Superior Court and agreed that the trial would begin March 9.\nEarles and the victim, Keith Grant, 54, of Angola, had been friends for about 20 years, police said.\nPolice discovered Grant's body on Oct. 16, 2003, under yard debris outside Earles' rural home south of Fox Lake, which lies between Interstate 69 and the south side of Angola in northeastern Indiana.\nGrant died of blunt trauma to the head, Steuben County Coroner Barb Julian ruled.\nPolice said Grant's wounds were consistent with what could be expected from a woodcutting device such as an ax, hatchet or maul, which is used to split wood.\nGrant died the day before his body was found, authorities said.\nBlood was found inside Earles' home, police said.\nEarles had been out of jail on bond after being arrested in late September 2003 on a felony charge of driving while intoxicated.
Parents given reading alternatives to controversial novel\nCOLUMBUS, Ind. -- Sexual references in a novel on a seventh-grade reading list have led educators to allow parents to choose two other books as alternatives.\nParents of students in an advanced literature class at Northside Middle School told Principal Charles McCoy this month that they were angered over the choice of the novel, "Shabanu: Daughter of the Wind."\nSome objected to the content for its effect on young readers, who they said are not ready for its metaphors, erotic images and language, The Republic reported Tuesday.\nEducators will give parents the option of choosing two other books, and "Shabanu," by Suzanne F. Staples will be kept as a third option.\n"I didn't come here with the thought that we'll use this one book no matter what," McCoy told a group of parents recently. "Our job is to educate; your job is to protect."\nThe book, intended for children ages 9-12, is about an 11-year-old girl who comes of age in Pakistan. Its awards include the Newberry in 1990 and the Notable Book in Social Studies honor in 1992.\nThe accolades contributed to school administrators choosing the book in the 2001-02 school year for the advanced seventh-grade literature class, taught by Sarah Gentry at the school in the city about 40 miles south of Indianapolis.\nHowever, a few weeks ago, some parents heard about the details after the students began reading. Gentry received six complaint e-mails and forwarded them to McCoy.\nIn a school-organized forum, parents debated the book's appropriateness for a seventh-grade audience.\nOne parent said her daughter did not know about sex, and the parent did not want a class to dictate the girl's educational timeline.\nShe said the problems with "Shabanu" far outweighed the benefits.\nAnother parent said boys in particular are curious at that age, so even though the book is about something else, boys focus on the sexual imagery.\nSchool personnel defended the book.\n"I feel the book presents an educational value in giving the maturing adolescent reader a greater understanding of the challenges faced by youth in other cultures, as well as insight to the culture itself," said social studies teacher Tim Lax in a letter.\nHe said the book is appropriate for the students because the girl character is their own age.\n"Culture can be difficult to teach without the student being immersed in it some way."\nOne parent said children of that age already are having the kinds of thoughts expressed in the book, and another said parents are naive to think their children are not ready for the material.
