Hoosier Happenings

Natural causes blamed for day care death

Authorities said a 4-month-old southern Indiana boy found dead in a bassinet at a home day care apparently died from natural causes.

Monroe County Chief Deputy Prosecutor Bob Miller said an autopsy and toxicology tests were not able to determine what caused Judah Welk’s Jan. 14 death. Miller said the pathologist suspected the baby died of sudden infant death syndrome and that there weren’t any signs of mistreatment.

The operator of the day care was away from her Bloomington home when Welk died, but her two adult sons were caring for the five children there while she ran errands.


Feds offer Ind. $767K for state’s organic farms

Indiana’s organic farmers can compete for nearly $767,000 in federal funds under a new push to encourage conservation on the state’s organic farms.

The funding is part of the USDA’s Environmental Quality Incentives Program. State Conservationist Jane Hardisty said helping the nation’s organic farmers is one of the priorities of the 2008 Farm Bill.

Eligible organic producers can compete for the funding, which can go toward conservation crop rotation, planting filter strips along waterways to filter out sediments and other uses.

The Natural Resources Conservation Service will accept applications from organic producers or producers in transition to organic farming until April 1.


— AP Reports