IU prepares for playoff matchup against Purdue
After finishing the regular season with a 12-11-4 record, the IU Division III hockey team will play its first playoff game against Purdue at 3:45 p.m. Saturday at The Forum in Fishers, Ind.
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After finishing the regular season with a 12-11-4 record, the IU Division III hockey team will play its first playoff game against Purdue at 3:45 p.m. Saturday at The Forum in Fishers, Ind.
In just one year, IU’s Division 3 hockey team has made improvements both on and off the ice.
American college students could soon be eligible for free education. President Barack Obama has proposed a plan that would provide two free years of community college to students who meet certain requirements.
Santa Claus was in town the weekend of Dec. 12 at the Monroe County Fairgrounds, a treat from the Monroe County 4-H Beef Club.
Every year, 3 to 4 million stray dogs, cats and other domestic animals are euthanized in the United States due to shelters reaching over capacity and being under stocked on supplies, according to the National Council on Pet Population Study and Policy.
As the leaves change and familiar faces return to town, it is the time of year when we recall the qualities of IU that make Bloomington so unique. Although Homecoming traditions have come and gone throughout the last several decades, there is one aspect that has never disappeared. IU's strong alumni support.
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Fraternity hockey teams faced off and local Hoosiers learned to ice skate at the third annual Dropping the Puck on Cancer event Saturday afternoon at Frank Southern Ice Arena.Sponsored by Collegiate Charities, this year’s event featured additional sponsorships from the Bloomington Blades Hockey Association and the Foundation for Monroe County Community Schools.Local attorney Carl Lamb, president of the board of directors and CEO of Collegiate Charities, said the event has grown in popularity every year, especially from the support of the IU campus.“This is the first year we’ve actually reached out to the local community,” Lamb said. “I really see this as something eventually going to monumental proportions.”In the event’s first year, Lamb said it took 60 hours for tickets to sell out for the fraternity hockey games. This year, tickets sold out in an hour and a half. Kappa Sigma and Delta Tau Delta hockey teams competed Friday night, while Sigma Chi and Beta Theta Pi competed Saturday. Ticket sales from each game will make up a majority of the funds donated to help aid cancer research, Lamb said. Money from the event will also be used to provide youth fitness and wellness initiatives to local community and schools.To add more variety this year, the event offered ice skating lessons and entertainment consisting of figure skaters, ice dancers and speed skaters.In addition, IU alumna Kayla Wood from the Discovery Channel’s reality television show “Porter Ridge” performed at this year’s event.Although the event is only sponsored locally, Lamb said he has plans to reach out to the Big Ten Conference in order to increase fundraising totals. Last year, the event raised up to $25,000, and Lamb said he is hopeful this year’s fundraising total will be even more.After another successful year, Lamb said he is hopeful the event will have more national sponsors in the years to come, including reaching out to the National Hockey League.Lamb said he has already talked with representatives from the University of Minnesota to spread awareness about the event.“This is a very special event, because you don’t see as much hockey in Bloomington, since Indiana is a basketball state,” Lamb said.Kathleen Oliver, president of the Bloomington Blades Hockey Association Board, said this year’s event was a great opportunity to involve more community outreach.“We think it’s important for kids to stay in shape and thought this event would be a great idea to fundraise for,” Oliver said.Besides ticket sales, the event also raised money through auctions and raffles, which Oliver said included gift cards and an autographed IU hockey jersey.Oliver said the event also featured Bloomington High School South student athlete Cameron Bland, who currently is battling kidney cancer. Bland is an inspiration to others and served as a good representation of what Dropping the Puck on Cancer is all about, Oliver said.“Cancer is everywhere around us and everybody to some degree, I believe, has been affected by it,” Lamb said. “And while we never may beat the cause, that doesn’t mean we can’t try and spread the awareness. I am very pleased from the amount of student support this year.”
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Lack of community support and insufficient funds may cause the Downtown Bloomington Recycling Center to close as early as July.The center reopened in October after being closed for a few months in order to improve efficiency, labor costs and problems with shipping. Adjustments included reducing the number of hours per week the center was open and cost-saving tactics in sorting glass, cardboard and plastics the center receives.Though these improvements provided a temporary fix, center manager Chad Roeder said it will take outside help to stay open.“This project, through its service to the public and improving quality of life in Bloomington, has generated a lot of scrutiny from both public and private sector interests,” Roeder said. “Because we help to divert material from the landfills, we are taking a chunk of market share from the large waste haulers, who also have a lot of influence over city and county policies.”Location, infrastructure, economics and politics have all affected the recycling center’s uncertain future, Roeder said.Currently, the center is located on city-owned property slated for development under the Master Plan of the Certified Technology Park.A city-based project, the master plan would use multiple acres downtown to support the attraction and growth of high-technology business and promote technology transfer opportunities.This could be a potential threat for the center’s location, Roeder said, but there has been no indication the center’s land is under immediate threat of evacuation.Roeder said he has been in communication with city officials from the departments of Public Works and Sustainability in order to resolve the issue.The main disadvantage of the center is the lack of baling and compacting equipment in order to improve efficiency, Roeder said. Roeder said the center has made significant progress toward lowering shipping costs and increasing revenue for recyclable materials.However, they would not be able to fully control the destiny of the recyclables and receive the maximum market value unless they can get the materials into a market-ready state.“With a few modifications to our existing location and an increase in space, we could help to serve a much larger population,” he said.The projected revenue from recyclable materials for 2014 after shipping, maintenance and other costs is slated to be about $11,000.This amount is not enough to sustain the center year after year, Roeder said. Roeder has investigated some options for retail as well as other ways to increase the profitability of the center. In addition, the center might consider establishing nonprofit status or reaching out to IU for more community support.Josh Jackson, a volunteer at the recycling center, said it was difficult to keep the center going with the funds available to the owners.Despite the lack of resources, the community has shown support for the center, Jackson said. “So far, the response from the community has been strong,” Jackson said. “People are showing they want to keep the recycling center in town.”Roeder said one idea they’ve considered is establishing the center as part of a curriculum on waste management for students in the School of Public and Environmental Affairs.For now, the center will keep working toward these improvements and plans in hopes to stay open past July — but it may need help from local residents. “I believe that we can keep the project viable in the coming years, but it will have to be more of a community effort,” Roeder said. “The responsibility for continued maintenance and planning for its long-term viability is too much responsibility for a small business owner to handle alone.”Follow reporter Brett Frieman on Twitter @brttfrmn.
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>In a continuing effort to improve the quality of the state education system, the Indiana Coalition for Public Education of Monroe County organized a meeting at City Hall Thursday night with state senator Mark Stoops and local blogger Steve Hinnefeld to discuss issues and upcoming changes recently set forth by Gov. Mike Pence.The ICPE is a new bipartisan, non-profit organization. Its mission is to focus public tax dollars on the K-12 education of public school students by opposing legislation in the Indiana General Assembly that would fund private school vouchers, expand private school tax credits, privatize charter schools by allowing private colleges and agencies to be authorizers, put for-profit managers in place to take a profit from operating public schools and privatize public schools through any other means, according to the ICPE website.Hinnefeld is a local writer who created his own blog called School Matters, which posts information and topics about K-12 education. He said the topic of improving the quality of early education is an ongoing topic around the country. However, the difference of education quality in public and charter schools is due to various factors.“Generally charter schools pay their staff less because they hire less experienced teachers,” Hinnefeld said. “It’s not clear that there’s a definite need to provide an incentive for a need of teachers in charter schools.”ICPE board president Vic Smith, who was unable to attend the meeting, drafted a testimony for those in attendance in order to inform the public about the methods ICPE members believe the state should use to improve its early education system, primarily HB-1004, which was signed into law May 2013.“Indiana is way behind other states in making quality preschool experiences available to young Hoosiers,” Smith said. “We are one of only a handful of states that does not commit significant state dollars for preschool education. Clearly, we need to do better.”Smith said the bill has two elements that prevent the ICPE from currently being able to support it.Smith said he thinks preschool should be linked with education and included in the Indiana Department of Education.Secondly, Smith said he thinks section 10 of the bill, which allows all students to be eligible for a voucher in K-12 education, should be excluded. “The Indiana Coalition for Public Education deeply opposes any expansion of Choice Scholarships because as the K-12 voucher program grows, public school students get fewer resources,” he said.State senator Mark Stoops provided an overview of Gov. Pence’s recent state of the state address regarding how Indiana will not proceed with national Common Core standards but will create its own education standards instead. According to Stoops, Pence wants to expand the availability of public charter schools, create teacher innovation funds and offer $10,000 to any public school teacher who’s willing to transfer to a lower charter school.“Indiana has the money to expand preschool education through universal programming,” Stoops said. “We have the money to invest in our pre-K aged kids. All four-year-olds should have the benefit to have access to high quality preschools.”Follow reporter Brett Frieman on Twitter @brttfrmn.
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Ivy Tech Community College-Bloomington organized a meeting Thursday at Bloomington High School South to inform current students and parents about financial aid.Presented by the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators, the presentation focused on the fundamentals of financial aid, the average cost of attendance for colleges and the categories and types of financial aid.Patt McCafferty, director of financial aid at Ivy Tech, spoke at the event about the importance financial aid has for providing funds to students and families in order to help pay for postsecondary educational expenses.McCafferty also talked about the average expenses college brings and additional costs to consider, including costs such as tuition, fees, books and personal expenses.Different types of financial aid can be separated into two categories, McCafferty explained to the crowd of students and parents. Gift aid consists of opportunities from colleges like scholarships and grants, while loans and employment qualify as self-help options. McCafferty explained how scholarships, however, are usually awarded only on the basis of merit, skill or a distinct characteristic.McCafferty also explained the different criteria students must meet in order to be considered financially independent from their parents.“The way I’ve explained this to students is that for financial aid, independent is specifically defined,” McCafferty said. “The whole basis of financial aid is that the government is thinking families are responsible for college.”The speaker also provided information regarding the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. FAFSA is a standard form that collects demographic and financial information about the student and family and can be filed electronically or in paper form.McCafferty said this form is important because colleges often use the information to calculate the amount of money a student’s family may reasonably be expected to contribute toward the cost of school. The most important qualification McCafferty spoke about, however, was the necessity of completing high school in order to qualify for financial aid from the start.“It used to be they would have students take a test to see if they met qualifications to take college courses,” McCafferty said. “They can’t do that anymore. They actually have to have a high school diploma or GED.”
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>In order to provide resources to Latinos in Monroe County, the Monroe County Community School Corporation organized their fourth annual Latino family night Monday.MCCSC collaborated with Latino Outreach, IU La Casa and Latino Cultural Center, El Centro Comunal Latino and Indiana Minority Health Coalition for the event, which featured interactive activities and presentations specifically tailored to the Latino community.The event at Summit Elementary School was composed of four different sections — education, health, civic engagement and culture.Interactive activities, such as games and safety awareness information from the Bloomington Fire Department, were organized for children, while parents were given two separate presentations.One presenter talked about ways to learn the English language, as some Latino families in Bloomington struggle with a language barrier. In addition, another presenter talked about the process of gaining admission into college and explained the steps necessary in order to ensure children are prepared to start applying once they reach high school.Daniel Soto, an assistant at Latino Outreach, said the goal of the event is for Latino families with children to come out and learn more about the agencies available to help them in Monroe County.Currently, more than three percent of residents in Monroe County identify themselves as Latino.“A lot of different agencies came together with the idea to help Latino families know what is available for them and help those who are in need,” Soto said. “We want to make it much easier for them and their children.”Soto said the biggest struggle for Latino families with children is the English language barrier, primarily in the school system. By exposing families to the necessary information needed to follow the path of secondary education, Soto hopes parents can take advantage and start early for their kids. “Many parents, because they don’t speak English, don’t always know how to access grades for their kids,” Soto said. “We want to help them learn so when they grow up they can look to a higher education.”Larry Gonzalez, a representative from the IU Office of Admissions, provided information to families at the event about the admission requirements for IU as well as the numerous scholarship opportunities that exist.Gonzalez said families can benefit from receiving this type of information early, even before high school, in order to start preparing for the future.“We lay it out for people so they know what they have to do to get into IU. It’s important to start the process early,” Gonzalez said. “We also provide information about scholarship opportunities, and for those applying with a dual citizenship.”Follow reporter Brett Frieman on Twitter @brttfrmn.
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Nearly 100-year-old Christmas cards, handmade knitted sweaters and classic holiday candles representing ordinary 20th century life in Bloomington are present at the Farmer House Museum.This winter the museum is featuring a collection of historical holiday-related items dating back to the early 1900s, and the exhibit will run until Jan. 30.The museum, founded by Bloomington natives Ed and Mary Ellen Farmer, is located in the couple’s former home.It showcases the contents of their home in order to promote historic preservation and cultural memory primarily from the 1900s.The Farmers’ house dates back to 1869, when it was originally built at 529 N. College Ave., which remains its current location.Paul Kane, a member of the museum’s board of directors, said that before she died in 1999, Mary Ellen kept many of her belongings with the uncertainty of which contents would be considered historically important.Upon her passing, she left her property and possessions to the community of Bloomington as a museum of living history.“We tend to think of history as more of a river,” Kane said. “She really had this idea it was important to collect everything so it could pass unedited to the nextgeneration.”In addition, Kane said Mary Ellen also inherited many items from her mother. These items also reflect and preserve a historical presence from an earlier time period.Visitors are allowed to touch the items in the exhibit in order to gain a closer insight and feel for life in the 20th century.Admission is free of charge and open to anyone in the community.“We get people who pop in off the street and people who are new to town, especially if they are shopping nearby,” Kane said. “I think we provide a good introduction to Bloomington for people.”Throughout the year, the museum features different exhibits, all of which change in the configuration of their display.Even though a majority of the museum’s artifacts were left behind from the Farmers, the museum accepts donations or loans of collections from people who are interested in sharing a collection or item to help enhance the museum’s environment.One room of the museum features musical posters, tie-dyed clothes and vintage household items from the 1960s.All the museum’s contents are authentic and from their original time period.The museum’s director, Emily Purcell, said the Farmer House is a great opportunity for people to become more informed and educated about life in Bloomington from a different perspective.“We’re trying to evoke memories of Christmas past and traditional holidays in general,” Purcell said. “The museum is a place for exploring history, especially the cultural history of the 20th century.”Follow reporter Brett Frieman on Twitter @brttfrmn.
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Bloomington City Council members passed a marriage equality resolution opposing a proposed Indiana constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage during a council meeting at City Hall Wednesday night.Resolution 13-15, originally brought forward by Democrat council members Susan Sandberg, Tim Mayer and Darryl Neher, was presented at the meeting illustrating the detriment of House Joint Resolution 6, which would put a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage and restrict benefits for same-sex couples on the ballot during the next election cycle. All council members in attendance voted in favor of the resolution. Many community members present at the meeting also voiced their concern for the repercussions of HJR 6 as well as their support for the city’s resolution. No one in attendance demonstrated an opposition.The Council will have the resolution sent by City Clerk Regina Moore to the Indiana General Assembly in order to clarify Bloomington’s opposition of HJR 6.“HJR 6 purports to define legal marriage as between one man and one woman,” according to the resolution. “This subjects same-sex couples to unequal treatment. While HJR 6 would prohibit civil unions, it may also impair the ability of unmarried couples to enter into legal agreements and may threaten the ability of the City of Bloomington and other employers to extend domestic partner benefits to employees.”HJR 6 has been an ongoing debate throughout the state for the last several months and is expected to be voted on by state lawmakers in the upcoming legislative session. Mayer classified the rules and regulations of HJR 6 as “discriminatory” and “dangerously unclear.”“I think it’s pure politics in the purest form. It’s very mean-spirited,” Mayer said. “I’m a firm believer that government should not meddle in peoples’ personal lives.”In addition to the City Council, other organizations have also voiced their opinion against HJR 6, including IU, Butler University and Ball State University.“Every community that makes their voice heard helps put a barrier against HJR 6,” Neher said. “It’s not too late for voices to be heard. It takes the effort of the entire city for Bloomington to be heard,” Neher said.Sandberg said retirees might look to other states that recognize same-sex marriage, potentially creating a loss for Bloomington as well as the rest of the state. Sandberg also said HJR 6 would also void same-sex marriages from other states for people who may move to Indiana.“This is the right thing to do at the right time in our history,” Sandberg said. “We need to keep the ball rolling. This would be a huge loss.”Dave Rollo, district IV council member, said he is hopeful the legalization of same-sex marriage will eventually come to Indiana, whether it is sooner or later.“This will take awhile,” Rollo said. “Unfortunately, it may take longer for Indiana than other states.”
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>For local residents who might be experiencing setbacks from unemployment, financial losses or battling addictions and mental disorders, Martha’s House Inc. is available to help.In 2002, the agency was founded as a year-round emergency shelter for residents of Bloomington, Monroe County and surrounding communities, and recently underwent an expansion at its main location. In the last nine years, Martha’s House has reportedly provided shelter, food, clothing and personal hygiene products to 1,392 unduplicated residents and provided 36,748 nights of stay.Earlier this week the agency celebrated an expansion of their main location, which Martha’s House President Bob Miller said is a major improvement for the amount of clients the shelter can house at one time.Miller said the shelter expanded from 28 to 40 beds, doubling their capacity for women to 12. Last year the agency provided services to 407 different individuals, 70 percent of which were Monroe County residents.Since this renovation and expansion, which was funded by a partnership with Perry Township and the City of Bloomington, Miller said the agency will continue to raise funds in order to keep Martha’s House operational.“Grant funds and government funding sources are cutting back,” Miller said. “We’ve already seen it. Looking to the future, it has become increasingly clear that our community is going to have to take care of our own, on our own.”Residents from Monroe, Lawrence and Owen counties can stay at the shelter for up to 90 days while they work to stabilize their lives. Likewise, the agency provides programs and services for their clients that include a job-training seminar, transportation services, a healthy living on budget program and a graduate self-sufficiency program.In addition to these optional programs, the agency also provides weekly case management to help individuals gain or improve employment, find stable housing and access and navigate mainstream services.Miller said last year 53 percent of their clients found or improved their employment, while 62 percent secured stable long-term housing. Today, the organization is staging a fundraiser at 4:30 p.m. at Crazy Horse Food and Drink Emporium.“The fundraiser is to help with the modest increase in our operating costs from the expansion,” Miller said. “We are simply asking people to make a contribution at the event.”Adam Wason, communications director for the City of Bloomington, said the newest additions to Martha’s House will benefit the entire city.“Bloomington is fortunate to have local social service agencies that do great work with little fanfare,” Wason said. Wason said Martha’s House is an agency that does great work with little fanfare and assists those in need of temporary housing.“The City of Bloomington congratulates Martha’s House in their efforts to expand their facility to serve more individuals experiencing homelessness," Wason said. Follow reporter Brett Frieman on Twitter @brttfrmn.
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>At Harmony School in Bloomington, forgoing letter grades and bells between classes is standard practice.The school organized its fifth annual open house Monday night to offer families an internal view of how the school operates as well as help expand its student body.Founded in 1974, Harmony School is an independent school composed of early childhood, elementary, middle school and high school education programs with students 3 to 18-years-old.Unlike typical schools, Harmony’s curriculum is broad liberal arts-based that includes personalized instruction with an emphasis on both academic rigor and cooperative learning.Harmony is dedicated to the development of the heart, mind and voice of every child.This work uses critical thinking skills, appropriate academic engagement, self-reflection, and a sense of humor to promote social, emotional, physical and creative growth, according to the school’s website.Many of the students currently enrolled are legacies to parents, and even grandparents, who once attended the school.Sallyann Murphey, Harmony’s high school coordinator, said the goal of Monday night’s open house was to create a community-gathering experience and to reach out to people who were less familiar with the school and its features. Parents with kids already enrolled in Harmony were encouraged to bring someone with them who had never heard of the school.Murphey said a common stereotype people assume about independent schools is that tuition is expensive. However, 80 percent of Harmony’s student body currently receives subsidies from a fund generated by grants and contributions.This type of information about the school is what Murphey said she hopes people can take away from the Harmony, especially those who might not be familiar with the institution’s different approach to education, which is more project-based learning.Harmony students are required to take core classes, similar to those of the Monroe County Community School Corporation, in order to graduate. Additionally, students are also taught at their own level and can choose a curriculum tailored just for them depending on the level of classes they want to take.The school also incorporates projects into a large part of their teaching and learning process. Murphey said seniors finish their required credits by December in order to spend the spring semester working on a collaborative project before graduating.“This is highly individualized education,” Murphey said. “People don’t necessarily think about independent, individualized education and rigorous academics together, but in our case we combine both.”Murphey said 80 percent of the school’s graduating class go on to continue learning at a higher education, while 95 percent of those students get accepted into the first college of their choice.One of the biggest elements that separates Harmony from other schools is the wide range of enrollment the school has from pre-kindergarten to 12th grade.High school science teacher Emily Sprowls said the wide range of enrollment helps keep Harmony well rounded and provides a better environment for all students, regardless of their age or grade level.“It really changes the atmosphere compared to other schools,” Sprowls said. “Older kids have more of a responsibility to set a good example for younger students and have more of an awareness of being role models.”
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Ed Mauritson was only 20 years old when he enlisted in the United States Air Force in 1950. Sixty-three years later, he and veterans across Monroe County celebrated Veterans Day on Monday morning at the Monroe County Courthouse.A ceremony was organized as a tribute to all those enlisted in the five branches of the U.S. military who have dedicated their lives to serving and protecting the country.Mauritson, who came to Indiana in 1972, served in the Air Force for 22 years. After retiring from IU, he joined the Monroe County Honor Guard where he was appointed as commander in 1995.The Monroe County Honor Guard is an organization of military veterans who aim to raise awareness of veteran’s issues.“We do military honors and sometimes go to nursing homes to give veterans a Christmas greeting,” Mauritson said. “We’re on the go all the time.”Richard Dunbar, commander of American Legion Post 18, opened the ceremony by reflecting on why the country gathers every year on Nov. 11 to celebrate and honor those who have protected the United States.“It is recognized that Veterans Day honors all American military men and women, living and deceased,” Dunbar said. “It is a day to show them we deeply appreciate the sacrifice they have made with their lives to keep our country free.”The guest speaker was Lt. Colonel Jason Turner, professor of Aerospace Studies at IU. “For me, Veteran’s Day is not about solely looking back but also about embracing the nation for all of those who call themselves Americans,” Turner said. “I believe the best way to honor our nation’s veterans is not just by thanking them for their service. I believe we can best honor our veterans by living up to the ideals of service and dedication and embody the best of what it means to be a United States citizen.”Afterward, Tom Triplett, service to armed forces coordinator for American Red Cross, advocated his project, the Our Heroes Tree.Triplett came up with the idea four years ago as an opportunity to honor veterans retired and currently serving. Before concluding the ceremony with a classic performance of Taps from the Monroe County Honor Guard, James May, adjutant of American Legion Post 18, read the 114 names of veterans who lost their lives within the last year to honor and remember their legacies.Follow reporter Brett Frieman on Twitter @brttfrmn.
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Linda Shanahan said she has always enjoyed helping foster children, and after 10 years she has finally created her own way to give back to them.This year Shanahan, along with her husband Hugh Shanahan, established their own Bloomington-based project called Kids Do Matter, a nonprofit organization that focuses on providing care for foster children in the Bloomington area with events specifically designed for them.Before moving to Bloomington seven years ago to retire, the couple had been working since 2003 to create the program when they lived in southeast Georgia.After moving to Bloomington, Linda said she began working with child organizations, primarily the Boys and Girls Club, where she was provided with help and insight to continue her plans to aid foster children.Linda said this year the organization finally got all its necessary approvals and paperwork completed in order to be fully operational.Next month, the group will organize a Christmas holiday party designed specifically for children in foster care. “This will give something for foster children that they can feel like is their own,” Linda said. “It’s real rewarding.”Linda said the organization connects with the children through the Indiana Department of Child Services. Many of the children are young and come from homes with traumatic backgrounds. She said this is why her organization aims to provide them with a happy and memorable holiday experience like everyone should have. “We have done this in other states, but I am most impressed with the foster parents in this area,” Linda said. “It has really been a great experience talking with them. You can tell they care.”In the last few months, Kids Do Matter has worked locally with Longhorn Steakhouse to organize dining events to raise money for next month’s event. Saturday was the organization’s final fundraising event — a pancake breakfast — before December. All the proceeds from the fundraisers will be used to provide holiday gifts for the children.Longhorn Steakhouse Manager Dwight Hollinsworth said his restaurant became involved with the organization after the organization provided his single-family staff members with holiday gift bags. “Linda came to us and talked about what she wanted to do to help the community, and we were on board,” Hollinsworth said. “It’s a great cause and organization, and we’re happy to help.”Follow reporter Brett Frieman on Twitter @brttfrmn.
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>State education officials are currently deciding on a new grading system for Indiana schools for the third year in a row.After being approved by the bipartisan Accountability System Review Panel last week, an updated grading system formula for public schools will be voted on by the State Board of Education this Friday.The proposed system consists of using a 100-point scale to grade schools based on how well their students perform on standardized tests as well as provide an increased emphasis on graduation, college and career preparation.A report from the Accountability System released last month listed recommendations for the new system that included, “The grading scale for the A-F system, currently a 4-point scale, will be changed to a 100-point scale, the accountability system model will have different frameworks for grades 1-8 and grades 9-12 and, as required under state law, the performance of a school’s students on the ISTEP program test and other assessments recommended by the Education Roundtable and approved by the State Board are the primary and majority means of assessing a school’s improvement.”The state’s current A-F grading system has received widespread controversy during the last two years since it was passed by former Indiana Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Bennett in 2011. The Associated Press reported earlier this year Bennett altered the grade of an Indianapolis charter school to benefit one of his top campaign donors.Glenda Ritz, Indiana’s current Superintendent of Public Instruction, had campaigned against Bennett’s grading system after defeating him in November 2012.“I believe in a strong accountability system that is accurate, transparent and drives school improvement,” Ritz said in a statement. Ritz filed a lawsuit last month claiming the State Board of Education violated state law by privately asking lawmakers to have legislative analysts calculate grade ratings for schools instead of the Department of Education.The lawsuit alleges that 10 members of the Board violated Indiana’s Open Door Law when they conducted a private meeting and drafted a letter dated Oct. 16, 2013, to Senate President Pro Tempore David Long and House Speaker Brian Bosma requesting the Legislative Services Agency determine the grades for the 2012-2013 school year.In conjunction with Ritz’s lawsuit, Gov. Mike Pence issued a statement saying, “Governor Pence strongly supports the actions taken by the bipartisan membership of the State Board of Education to ensure the timely completion of last year’s A-F school accountability grades. The Governor is confident that all relevant Indiana laws were followed.”House Democratic Leader Scott Pelath, D-Michigan City, said the easiest solution would be for Indiana to strip its system of using letter grades to rate schools.“The fact is people will never fully trust grades doled out by politicians for political purposes,” Pelath said in a statement. “The grades are for rewarding friends and punishing the weak. That’s why some communities in Indiana are pledging to ignore them altogether.”Follow reporter Brett Frieman on Twitter @brttfrmn.
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>After more than eight months of construction, the new Bloomington Transit bus transfer station is halfway complete and is anticipated for a 2014 spring opening.The station, being built on the corner of East Third and South Walnut streets, will replace the current station at East Fourth and Washington streets, which opened in 1987.Bloomington Transit general manager Lew May said the new station will feature more amenities to the public than Bloomington Transit’s current station.Because the original station was built more than 26 years ago, it has since become outdated due to lack of space for both passengers and buses.May said in 1987 only half a million riders were using the transit system every year, which has since accumulated to 3.5 million, and buses were only 30 feet in length. With modern buses now being 35 to 40 feet long, May said the new station will be able to accommodate for much more space with a capacity of 50 buses. The transit’s current station can hold only nine.Other improvements to the new station include public restrooms, air conditioning and Wi-Fi for customers. Passengers who also carry bikes will have space available for bike racks and storage areas.A new advanced feature will be a large screen monitor that will display bus route information for passengers at precise times and locations.“This is going to be a modern 21st century bus terminal,” May said. “It will be a big improvement over what we currently have.”The outside of the station will feature limestone walls and glass windows to compliment the traditional architectural style that most buildings around Bloomington feature.May said there will be lane closures on East Third Street over the next couple of months while workers use a crane to erect the station’s walls and roof.Once the outside of the building is established, May said they will then install plumbing and electricity.As of now, May said it will still be another six to seven months until the station will be open to the public, but that their working crew is so far on schedule.After the station is complete there are plans to make the building LEED certified, a certification program developed by the U.S. Green Building Council that would allow for the station to be more environmentally friendly.The certification process is composed of a point system that would determine the environmental merits of the building.Erin Erdmann, convention sales manager at Visit Bloomington, said that in addition to the building’s new technological features, the station’s efforts of providing a green-friendly atmosphere will be more efficient and appealing to people who visit the city.“We’re always excited about people finding eco-conscious and eco-friendly ways to travel here and any opportunity that comes in with ways to bring in visitors for the day or weekend,” Erdmann said.The station’s location of remaining in the downtown district was heavily influenced by the city.Adam Wason, communications director for the city of Bloomington, said Mayor Mark Kruzan was supportive in the effort of keeping the transit station in its centralized location that would make it easily accessible for Bloomington residents.Wason also said the city worked with the Bloomington Police Department to move the dispatch center for the entire emergency services of Monroe County to the new station’s second floor, though it is anticipated to not be up and running until a few months after the station opens.“The City of Bloomington has strongly supported keeping transit services in the core of the downtown and is pleased with the partnerships that have resulted achieving this goal” Wason said. “By co-locating the newly-constructed transit hub with emergency dispatch services into a modern dispatch facility, the community will benefit for decades to come from this collaborative approach.” Follow reporter Brett Frieman on Twitter @brttfrmn.
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The air was filled with bluegrass music and flying pumpkins Saturday during the Great Bloomington Pumpkin Launch at the Monroe County Fairgrounds.Coordinated by the Bloomington Parks and Recreation Department, the event featured five teams that competed to chuck a pumpkin the farthest and most accurately using homemade catapult and sling-launching devices.Participants were high-school aged to adults.It was the first time the event took place at the fairgrounds, which allowed for more space compared to past years at the Hilltop Garden and Nature Center. The event is in its ninth year.“With the first time having it out here, it went really, really well,” said Bill Ream, community events coordinator for the Bloomington Parks and Recreation Department. “The wind did pick up a little bit this year.”The vast fields at the fairgrounds allowed for both distance and accuracy competitions.Ream said the farthest pumpkin traveled 615 feet.“This type of event is always fun and a little unusual,” Ream said.Engineer Ric Franke-Polz and his team, Fahrfunflinger, set the launch record of 660 feet in the distance competition in 2008.The team finished second this year in the adult category.In addition to Monroe County’s rendition of the launch event, Ream said pumpkin launching is popular in Morton, Ill.Each year the city organizes a Punkin Chuckin similar to Monroe County’s in mid-October.Besides participating in Bloomington’s contest, Fahrfunflinger has also competed in Morton, receiving a combined total of four first-place finishes since 2005.The team’s launching machine, which took six months to build, is made primarily out of PVC pipe and is 18 feet long.Franke-Polz said the machine launches pumpkins at approximately 130 miles per hour and has also been used in watermelon launching competitions.“Every year there’s improvements,” Franke-Polz said. “This machine is the product of when engineers get bored over the winter.”An employee of U.S. Steele, Franke-Polz said he originally became interested in launching after going to a competition with his wife where he decided to build his own machine with his friends, who are also engineers.Franke-Polz said the best part of the competition is the crowds and teams’ willingness to assist opponents who sometimes may be in need.“It’s one of the few competitions you can be at where if someone breaks down, everybody up and down the line is there to help them get back into the game.” Franke-Polz said. “Everybody is always happy to help other teams and lend a hand when it’s needed.”Follow reporter Brett Frieman on Twitter @brttfrmn.