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(12/16/13 5:39am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Brown County Prosecutor Jim Oliver said Friday that police officers acted in self-defense when they shot Troy Harden, 44, in Nashville, Ind., Nov. 28.Oliver said criminal charges will not be pursued against the officers involved, according to a press release from Curt Durnil, Indiana State Police Bloomington Post Public Information Officer.Officers arrived at a residence on Annandale Drive to serve an arrest warrant for Harden. He was wanted for probation violations out of Monroe County.Before 9 p.m., Nov. 28, the renter of the residence allowed Brown County and Nashville law enforcement into the house to serve the arrest warrant. The officers said when they located Harden, he resisted arrest and told police to “kill him.”Officers saw Harden was carrying a handgun and an officer deployed his taser, but Harden escaped through a window.Officers chased Harden through the woods and on Annandale Drive. Officers tased Harden again. He then pointed his gun at officers after he fell to the ground, according to the release. Officers fired their guns, striking Harden twice. Harden was transported to Columbus Regional Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.Bartholomew County Coroner Larry Fisher said in a previous Indiana Daily Student article Harden died from the loss of blood as the result of two gunshot wounds to the abdomen.Harden was previously arrested for witnessing the murders of two men in 2007.According to court documents, Harden said he helped Jerry Pelfree place the bodies of Douglas Brown and Everett Shaw in barrels and concealed the barrels inside a box truck. Harden said he was present during the murders and destroyed evidence by helping Pelfree burn the couch on which Brown was shot. Harden pled guilty to assisting a criminal.Witnesses told ISP detectives that Harden knew there was a warrant for his arrest, and he was afraid of going to prison, according to the release. “Mr. Harden chose his life to end this way,” Oliver said in the release. “Mr. Harden had told friends he wasn’t going to prison, and he took deliberate actions that forced officers to react the way they did.”Oliver said the Brown County Sheriff’s Office and the Nashville Police Department acted appropriately by asking the ISP to conduct the investigation of the shooting.“The officers showed great restraint,” Oliver said. “They attempted non-lethal force several times when they were threatened with a gun and responded with lethal force only when Mr. Harden aimed his weapon directly at them.”Follow reporter Matt Stefanski on Twitter @stefanskimatt.
(12/03/13 4:53am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>A Nashville, Ind., man pointed a gun at police officers before police shot and killed him Thursday evening, according to the findings of an Indiana State Police investigation.The Brown County Sheriff’s Office received a tip that Troy Harden, 44, was at a residence on Annandale Drive, and there were warrants for his arrest, according to a press release from ISP Bloomington Public Information Officer Curt Durnil. Harden was wanted for probation violations out of Monroe County. Harden was previously arrested for witnessing the murders of two men in 2007. According to court documents, Harden said he helped Jerry Pelfree place the bodies of Douglas Brown, 35, and Everett Shaw, 23, in barrels and concealed the barrels inside a box truck. Harden said he was present during the murders and destroyed evidence by helping Pelfree burn the couch that Brown was shot on. Harden pled guilty to assisting a criminal. Pelfree was sentenced to 130 years in prison for the murders. Harden was also previously charged with resisting law enforcement and battery, among other crimes. Before 9 p.m. on Thursday, the renter of the residence allowed Brown County and Nashville law enforcement into the house to serve the arrest warrants. The officers said when they located Harden, he resisted arrest and told police to “kill him.” Officers saw Harden was carrying a handgun and an officer deployed his taser, but Harden escaped through a window. Officers chased Harden through the woods and on Annandale Drive. Officers tased Harden again. He then pointed his gun at officers when he fell to the ground, according to the release.Officers fired their guns, striking Harden twice. Harden was transported to Columbus Regional Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.Bartholomew County Coroner Larry Fisher said Harden died from the loss of blood as the result of two gunshot wounds to the abdomen. ISP investigators located Harden’s handgun at the scene Friday and located parts of a methamphetamine lab in his truck. The investigation is ongoing. Follow reporter Matt Stefanski on Twitter @stefanskimatt.
(10/24/13 4:18am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>David Lincicome finished watching a movie early Wednesday morning and was about to head to bed at his home in New Unionville, Ind. Then, he heard a boom.“It definitely didn’t sound like a normal train coming through,” Lincicome said. The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office received the first call at 1:43 a.m. Officers arrived to find a derailed train in the 6100 block of Indiana State Road 45 in New Unionville, Ind., about 15 minutes northeast of Bloomington. Fourteen of the 101 cars on the train, which were carrying coal, derailed. No injuries were reported. “We knew it was a mess just from the sound of it,” Lincicome said. Michael Pershing, chief deputy for the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, said the Indiana Railroad Company is investigating the incident because the derailment occurred on its right-of-way. Eric Powell, manager of economic development for the Indiana Railroad Company, said the preliminary cause of the derailment is mechanical failure of a wheel bearing. Pershing said a portion of East Indiana 45 was closed while Duke Energy replaced fallen power lines. Surrounding roads were also closed as a result of the derailment. Justin Landon, spokesman for Duke Energy, said 157 customers lost power as a result of the derailment. Landon said four power poles were damaged as a result, and power had been restored by 3:30 p.m. Wednesday.Powell said crews are working to remove the cars and repair the tracks. He estimated the tracks would be reopened by Thursday afternoon. Powell said about six trains travel on the tracks each day. “This is like Grand Central Station,” Lincicome said. Follow reporter Matt Stefanski on Twitter @stefanskimatt.
(10/17/13 5:06am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Furloughed federal employees are back on the job.Following a 16-day government shutdown and gridlock Congressional debates, Congress passed legislation to end the government shutdown by temporarily raising the nation’s debt limit, avoiding the first default in American history.President Obama signed the legislation at about 12:30 a.m. Thursday. The Office of Management and Budget for the White House announced furloughed federal employees will return to their jobs Thursday.As a result of the first government shutdown in 17 years, an estimated 800,000 federal workers were furloughed and about 12,000 of Indiana’s 23,000 employees were placed on unpaid leave, according to the Washington Post.Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., revealed a bipartisan proposal to raise the debt limit and end the shutdown shortly after the Senate session began Wednesday, according to McClatchy Tribune Information Services.The agreement will allow the government to continue borrowing to pay its bills through Feb. 7 and would provide funding to reopen the government and keep it running through Jan. 15.The Senate voted 81 to 18 to approve the proposal. The House then approved the Senate proposal 285 to 144, according to the Associated Press.Rep. Todd Young, R-9th District, voted for the plan to avoid default on the national debt and to end the shutdown, he said in a Facebook post.“But this is only the beginning: Under this plan, government funding will again run out in just three months, and we’ll be up against our borrowing limit in a mere four months,” Young said.Willard Witte, professor emeritus of economics at IU, said the general uncertainty about whether or not Congress would reach a deal by the midnight deadline has affected household consumption spending and business confidence and investments.“In the financial markets there has been some increase in interest rates, which can also have a negative effect on spending,” Witte said.Witte said the economic effects will become more severe each time an extension runs out.“An actual default would be far more serious, but since it would be totally unprecedented, exactly how it would play out is hard to predict,” Witte said. “There would certainly be strong reaction in financial markets — higher interest rates, a drop in the stock market, etc.”Lee Hamilton, director of the Center on Congress at IU and former U.S. representative from Indiana’s 9th District, said the recent agreement doesn’t solve anything, it just creates another timeline.“They seem to be unable to deal with these fundamental problems and not solve them,” Hamilton said.Hamilton said the really serious problem is the government isn’t confronting the core problems, because they were overwhelmed with trying to keep the government open and get through the debt ceiling crisis.Hamilton said the government should be dealing with some of the country’s fundamental problems, such as creating jobs and putting the federal budget on a more sustainable path.“The country just looks bad in eyes of much of the world,” Hamilton said. “We’ve become an object of some ridicule. It’s a very serious matter.”Hamilton said the record of recent months is not encouraging.“There is a lot of doubt now about the United States leadership and disappointment with not dealing more effectively with our problems,” Hamilton said.Follow reporter Matt Stefanski on Twitter @stefanskimatt.
(09/17/13 5:00am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>At least 13 people are dead following a mass shooting at the Navy Yard in Washington, D.C., Monday morning. District of Columbia Police Chief Cathy Lanier said police identified the gunman as a civilian naval contractor, Aaron Alexis, 34, of Fort Worth, Texas, who was identified by fingerprints, according to reports by the McClatchy-Tribune Washington Bureau. Alexis reportedly used a friend’s identification to get into a building at the Washington Navy Yard and engaged in multiple shootouts with police before being fatally shot.The neighborhood near the naval facility remained sealed off, with residents locked out and nearby schools locked down six hours after the first reports of the violence came in at 8:20 a.m. The U.S. Senate was placed on a preventive lockdown early Monday afternoon, with votes postponed.The lockdown was later partly lifted. Because the attack happened at a military facility in the capital, there were immediate fears that terrorism might be involved. D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray told reporters there was no evidence one way or another suggesting terrorism, and he confirmed there was uncertainty about reports of additional gunmen.“We don’t know for certain if there were other shooters,” Gray said.At an earlier news conference, Lanier said two men, one white and one black, between 40 and 50 years old, were sought for questioning. The white male was said to have been dressed in a tan military-style uniform with a beret-like hat, the black male wearing an olive-colored military-style uniform.Later in the afternoon, police confirmed that the man in the tan outfit had contacted authorities and was cleared.The mass shooting also had an effect on IU students and alumni working and living in the nation’s capital. Jim Trilling, president of the Washington, D.C. Chapter of the IU Alumni Association, said he was on his way to work at about 8:30 a.m. when he heard initial reports of the shooting. Trilling said he had no idea it was a mass shooting until the afternoon. “Of course my initial reaction was one of sadness and concern,” Trilling said. John Glennon, an IU senior and intern with the U.S. Senate Committee for Environmental and Public Works, said he was on his way to work when the shooting occurred, but heard about it when he got into the office. Glennon said people were unable to enter or leave the Senate building for a few hours. However, the U.S. House of Representatives was not placed on lockdown. “It’s like a big bunker,” he said. “You feel pretty safe once you’re in the building.” Vince Zito, a deputy press secretary for a United States senator and former managing editor for the Indiana Daily Student, said he lives in the Navy Yard district of Washington D.C., about two blocks from the Washington Navy Yard where the shooting occurred. “Today’s incident is not representative of Navy Yard,” Zito said, in reference to the neighborhood. “Since I’ve lived here, it’s been an extremely safe place.” Zito said he thinks his parents were probably more concerned than he was. “Since I’ve lived in the Navy Yard neighborhood, I’ve felt as safe here as I do on Capitol Hill, partly because of the police presence, but also because of the adjacent Marine barracks here,” Zito said. Trilling said his thoughts and prayers go out to those affected.“These events, when they occur, are as heartbreaking regardless of where they occur,” Trilling said. The FBI will take control of the investigation, Lanier said during a press conference, according to McClatchy-Tribune. Three victims, including a police officer, were transported to MedStar Washington Hospital Center.Dr. Janis Orlowski, the center’s chief medical officer, said during a press conference all three victims have a good chance of survival. Lanier credited D.C. police and the U.S. Park Police for preventing even more bloodshed in the morning rampage.“I think the actions by the police officers, without question, helped to reduce the numbers of lives lost,” Lanier said, calling the actions of first responders “nothing short of heroic.”Follow reporter Matt Stefanski on Twitter @stefanskimatt.
(09/12/13 3:43am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Two Monroe County employers announced about 200 employee-layoffs Monday because of economic pressures.General Electric Appliances announced they will eliminate 160 jobs from its Bloomington production facility, while Smithville, a telecommunications company based in Ellettsville, eliminated 45 jobs. GE cited a decline in consumer demand for their side-by-side refrigerators, which are made at the Bloomington plant, as the reason for their staff reduction, according to a press release from GE appliances. Smithville Spokesman Michael Snyder said Smithville’s company-wide workforce reductions began Monday.By Oct. 31, about 160 of the 492 production positions in the GE plant will be effected by layoffs or early retirement options, according to the release.“We are the last manufacturer still producing side-by-side refrigerators in the U.S. for the mass market, which tells you how incredibly competitive the side-by-side product category is today,” Bloomington Plant Operations Manager Frank Scheffel said in the release. “The reduced manufacturing schedule we have been operating under the last few years is not sustainable. We had to make some hard decisions to keep the remaining jobs and create an environment that will allow us to compete.”About 35 percent of the employees at GE will accept the early retirement option, with the rest eliminated by layoffs, according to the release. Demand for the refrigerators has declined more than 30 percent since 2010, and the plant has been idle for 20 weeks a year with an annual loss of millions of dollars, according to the release.“We have to change to compete,” Scheffel said in the release. “We are appreciative of the employees who have been with us through all the good years and, more recently, through some of the more challenging years. We will do our best to help the employees who are impacted by this action.” Likewise, Smithville has seen industry changes in recent years. Snyder said the layoffs are the result of declines in the use of landline telephones and industry uncertainty created by the Federal Communications Commission. “Significant consumer market changes and expected changes in federal regulatory issues have led Smithville to realize that it must strategically change before market dynamics force uncontrolled change,” Smithville CEO Darby McCarty said in a press release from Smithville. Jeb Conrad, president and CEO of the Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce, said in the short term, it’s a challenge for the laid off workers, because the layoffs will have an effect on their disposable income, spending and the local economy.“There are resources out there — probably the most effective is the state’s Work One program,” Conrad said. Work One, a division of the Indiana Department of Workforce Development, helps match businesses with prospective employees.Conrad said, as a result of the layoff, potential employers will have access to some well-trained workers. Conrad also said major shifts are typically seen when there is a complete close of a business. “It’s always disappointing to see any employee or a percentage of employees be laid off; however, the changes in business models for these employers at the end of the day put them at the top position to make that choice,” Conrad said. Dana Palazzo, project manager for the Bloomington Economic Development Corporation, said local companies have contacted BEDC about looking to hire laid-off employees. “We have a strong economic base, and many local economic manufacturers are hiring often,” Palazzo said. Palazzo said the local community cares about the laid-off workers, and as many local companies continue to improve, they will be able to hire more employees. “It is important for economic development organizations to continue to do what we do and keep the economy vibrant and help the local businesses grow and support that growth,” Palazzo said. Follow reporter Matt Stefanski on Twitter @stefanskimatt.
(08/26/13 9:58pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Disciplinary charges were filed against a Marion County judge Monday. The Indiana Commission on Judicial Qualifications alleges 45 counts of misconduct against Marion Superior Court Judge Kimberly Brown, including that her conduct led to defendants being incarcerated beyond their release dates, according to a press release. Judge Brown may file a formal response to the charges within 20 days of the notification that she is facing misconduct charges.The Commission alleges, “defendants suffered detrimental consequences due to the judge’s failure to rule on motions in a timely fashion,” within the period between January 2009 and July 2013, according to the release. She allegedly fired a staff member who she believed complained about her, according to a press release. Judge Brown is also accused of continuing bench trials another day if she did not think they could be finished by 4 p.m. Other allegations include that she failed to complete necessary paperwork, failed to train and supervise court staff and delayed in the release of incarceration of at least nine defendants, according to a press release. The judge’s case will be heard by the Indiana Supreme Court. — Matt Stefanski
(08/26/13 2:28am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Sen. Joe Donnelly, D-Ind., discussed issues concerning health care, defense and education with local business leaders Friday. Donnelly spoke and answered questions at a Federal Focus Breakfast, organized by the Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce.“When the voices of those businesses come together, the issues that matter most are better heard at local, state and federal levels,” said Mike Gentile, chair of the board of directors for the Chamber. Donnelly was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2012 and was previously the U.S. Representative for Indiana’s Second District. Donnelly currently serves on the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry , Committee on Armed Services and Special Committee on Aging. Gentile said those in the community have a vested interest in promoting defense issues throughout Indiana due to the close proximity of Naval Surface Warfare Center Crane, about 30 miles from Bloomington.“It’s such a wonderful place, wonderful county, such a wonderful home for students, not only from Indiana, but all over the world,” Donnelly said about Monroe County and Bloomington.Donnelly, a co-sponsor of a bill to repeal the Medical Device Tax, said he thinks it’s important to avoid roadblocks in the way of Cook Group of Bloomington, which produces medical devices to allow for more research. “I think Bloomington is a center of growth and opportunity,” he said.Donnelly said he is working with Rep. Todd Young, R-9th District, to fix a particular portion of the Affordable Care Act, which for health insurance purposes states 30 hours is considered full time.Donnelly said he thinks in Indiana and the rest of the country, full time is known as 40 hours, so they are trying to fix that particular portion of the Act.“Then we look at the financial situation — if we had followed basic principles all along, we wouldn’t have gotten into as much trouble,” Donnelly said.Donnelly also said it’s a special responsibility to serve in the seat of former Sen. Richard Lugar, R-Ind.“I try to work hard to live up to it every day,” he said. Donnelly said public education is a tremendous value, but every family needs to have the chance to obtain it.“We want to lower the cost of student loans, first and foremost,” he said. Donnelly also said NSWC Crane is involved in some of the most technical work the U.S. Navy is doing. “They are doing some of the most advanced technical work so that our missiles work better, our drone systems work better,” Donnelly said. “Our soldiers, service members are safer because of what they do.”Donnelly also discussed differences between serving in the U.S. House and U.S. Senate. “In the Senate, it is so much based on relationships,” he said. Donnelly said his view about the future of the U.S. is very positive.“It shouldn’t be about Democrat or Republican, it should be about ‘how do we make our country stronger?’” Donnelly said. Follow reporter Matt Stefanski on Twitter @stefanskimatt.
(04/22/13 1:15am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Heavy rains fell in central Indiana on Thursday and Friday, causing extensive flooding. Communities north of Indianapolis such as Kokomo, Lebanon and Tipton experienced more than four inches of rain within a 24-hour period, in addition to large amounts of rain from previous days. Various rivers and streams flooded, some of which reached record levels, causing road closures.As of Sunday afternoon, two people died as a result of the flooding. Robert Morgan, 64, of Arcadia, Ind., died Friday night after he attempted to cross high water that was moving swiftly across the roadway, while driving, according to a press release from the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office. His vehicle traveled approximately 100 yards downstream where it was found submerged to the top. Water rescue teams were able to pull him out, but efforts to revive him were unsuccessful.David Baker, 42, also of Arcadia, called 911 at about 1 a.m. Saturday morning and reported his vehicle was sinking in the water of Cicero Creek near Arcadia. Officers responding to the scene heard a yell for help, but were unable to locate the vehicle. His truck was located in the water on Saturday, and his dog, who was riding in the vehicle with him, was rescued. However, Baker was not located at that time. His body was found by Hamilton County officials just before 10 a.m. Sunday, according to a press release. During the weekend, Gov. Mike Pence visited flood-damaged areas of Elwood, Kokomo and Tipton. “We have begun the process of assessing the damage so we can offer guidance to our Indiana Department of Homeland Security,” Pence said in a press release. “While we must wait until damage assessments are complete to determine eligibility for disaster loans, our administration will do all we can to support the victims of flooding in their time of need.”Sawyer Lightsey, a sophomore at IU Kokomo, said it was raining a lot when he went to bed around 11 p.m. on Thursday.“My parents woke me up, and we were getting a lot of water in the basement,” Lightsey said. “We were starting to pull up everything. There’s nothing we could do to hold it (the water) back. It was getting worse and worse from there.”Lightsey, whose bedroom is in the basement, said since he had just woke up, he was a little confused when the water started coming in.“I just got right up and started helping out any way I could,” Lightsey said. “We were up until four in the morning trying to pull stuff out any way we could. It was pretty stressful.”Lightsey said not many things were damaged, except for furniture which got water damage. “All of the water is gone out of our basement,” Lightsey said. “We’re just trying to get everything put back together.” Lightsey said businesses and homes around Foster Park in Kokomo were completely flooded. However, as of Sunday, the water has receded.He said Saint Andrew Episcopal Church, where his father is the rector, also experienced flooding. “We had four feet of water in the church,” Lightsey said. “It completely spilled over in certain spots.”The church had a restoration company out over the weekend, which was running five pumps to keep up with the water intake, Lightsey said.Instead of the regularly scheduled three services, he said the church only had one this Sunday. “When the water being pumped out hit the street, they had to stop pumping it,” he said. “We also had no power, because the breaker was lost out there.” Marc Dahmer, meteorologist for the Indianapolis office of the National Weather Service, said the Kokomo area is now without floods. “The waters have receded and it’s now under flood stage,” Dahmer said, discussing water in the Kokomo area. “It’s still near flood stage and there’s still standing water up there.” However, flood warnings are in effect until Monday, April 29, for portions of rivers in western and southern Indiana, including the Wabash River and White River. According to the NWS website, the Wabash River at Montezuma reached its highest level in 55 years on Sunday morning. Lightsey said, since the water was high already, many people said the City of Kokomo could not keep up with it. “There’s nothing we really could have done,” he said. “Apparently what everyone said it was a failure on the City’s water system. Sewers and drains were backing up all over town.”However, Lightsey said his family is just in the process of cleaning up. “I am a 20-year-old having to share a room with a younger brother,” he said. “It might be awkward at first. We’re doing the best we can to do with what we have right now.”
(04/18/13 4:15am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>As many alumni and tourists flock to Bloomington during Little 500, restaurants, hotels and bars are gearing up for one of the busiest times of the year.Jillian Prall, manager for Kilroy’s on Kirkwood, said they are fully staffed every night and have amped up security. “It’s our favorite time of the year.” Prall said. “We get a lot of excited people. A lot of alumni come back. A lot of students come in from other universities. We just try to throw some great shows and show everybody a great time.” Prall said Little 500 makes Kilroy’s a hot spot for tourists. “It brings a lot of the people to the bar, and different artists are coming down for that week that wouldn’t be interested coming down a random Monday in Bloomington,” she said. However, Troy Donovan, co-owner of Macri’s at the Depot, said his business actually hurt in sales from Little 500 last year. “Last year my business was half of what it would be on a weekend,” Donovan said. “We were simply so new that students didn’t know about us. This year it’s the exact opposite.” This year Donovan said he expects 50-percent more in sales than he would on a normal weekend. He also said he plans to have 20-percent more staff working during the week. “Different parties come to our restaurant and our bar upstairs,” Donovan said. “We always try to accommodate them. We always have people that want to have come back and have the same experience.”Mike McAfee, executive director for Visit Bloomington, said Little 500 is a lot different than it used to be.“Years ago, the market would be sold out for hotels rooms for this weekend,” McAfee said. “Younger alumni are coming back and staying with their friends on campus. I know there are hundreds of hotel rooms available. It’s still significant on the economy as far as people going out to dinner and enjoying everything Bloomington has to offer.” McAfee said it’s a long-standing, traditional event because it has the power to bring people to Bloomington on its own. “People are out in the restaurants and bars more than usual,” he said. “Certainly you feel the impact of that all week long and more money being spent.” Rachel Weigler, director of sales for Hampton Inn Bloomington, said, as of Wednesday evening, there were still rooms available for this weekend. She said most of the check-ins are expected on Friday and the hotel is preparing for a very busy weekend by adding extra staff, especially on Friday and Saturday.Weigler said many people are geared to Bloomington during Little 500 as a result of the event’s national recognition.“It’s the fact that IU alumni are around the country at this point,” Weigler said. “I think they want to come back and experience that all over again. It’s nostalgia.”
(04/15/13 3:07am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Some medical device manufacturing companies risk losing substantial portions of their income and might have to shift operations overseas as a result of the medical device tax portion of the Affordable Care Act. Cook Medical of Bloomington, which produces devices like stints and catheters, is one of them. The Medical Device tax adds a 2.3-percent surcharge on devices such as pacemakers and surgical tools. The tax is expected to increase by $30 billion in the next 10 years.The tax, which took effect in January, is expected to cost manufacturers approximately $194 million per month, risking 43,000 jobs, according to a press release from the Advanced Medical Technology Association. The repeal of the tax has seen recent bipartisan support in the Senate. In late March, 79 United States senators passed a non-binding resolution in support of its repeal. “The medical device tax in the president’s health care law jeopardizes Hoosier jobs, increases costs on costumers and impedes critical innovation,” Sen. Dan Coats, R-Ind., said in a press release. Steve Ferguson, chairman of Cook Medical, said the medical device tax is a big expense, which is used to gain revenue for the federal government.“I think they studied this, realized the impact and consequences of it,” he said. Ferguson said it seems that senators and representatives who have large manufacturers in their districts are in support of the repeal. “I think the impact is more on the employees and patients,” Ferguson said. “Companies can make adjustments and move overseas. The impact is on employment and industry. Taxes have consequences, and that’s where the consequences will fall.” Medical devices, except those which are sold in retail, are subject to the tax, Ferguson said. “All our devices are sold to hospitals and particular provides of health care, so they are all taxed,” he said. Ferguson pointed to a situation of a non-profit orthopedic company in Warsaw, Ind., which builds pediatrics for kids who had to hold two projects as the result of the Medical Device Excise Tax. That tax is paid by the company every two weeks in its estimated sales, he said. “When you get paid by the hospitals, they make an adjustment,” Ferguson said. “If you make the device in January, you might not get paid ’til March. Companies that don’t have tax goals are hard on that.”Ferguson said the average profit is about 6 percent for a medical device company, while the average profit for drug companies is much higher. He said Cook Medical has been actively campaigning for the repeal, because they want keep manufacturing in the U.S.“If you have an expense like that, you have to go to Ireland where their tax rate is 12.5 percent,” Ferguson said. “Those countries are actively recruiting companies.” Ferguson also said 2.3-percent increases of the medical device sales tax raises the federal tax rate for devices to 29 percent.“For some companies, it’s going to delay devices in getting to places,” he said. “It’s going to result in employment changes. In our case, it’s expansions that won’t take place in the United States.”
(04/14/13 7:23pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Some medical device manufacturing companies risk losing substantial portions of their income and may have to shift operations overseas as a result of the medical device tax portion of the Affordable Care Act. Cook Medical of Bloomington, which produces devices like stents and catheters, is one of them. The Medical Device tax adds a 2.3 percent surcharge on devices such as pacemakers and surgical tools. The tax is expected to increase by $30 billion in the next 10 years.The tax, which took effect in January, is expected to cost manufacturers approximately $194 million per month, risking 43,000 jobs, according to a press release from the Advanced Medical Technology Association. The repeal of the tax has seen recent bipartisan support in the Senate. In late March, 79 U.S. senators passed a non-binding resolution in support of its repeal. “The medical device tax in the president’s health care law jeopardizes Hoosier jobs, increases costs on costumers and impedes critical innovation,” Sen. Dan Coats, R-Ind., said in a press release. Steve Ferguson, chairman of Cook Medical, said the medical device tax is a big expense, which is used to gain revenue for the federal government.“I think they studied this, realized the impact and consequences of it,” he said in regard to the repeal. Ferguson said it seems that senators and representatives who have large manufacturers in their districts are in support of the repeal. “I think the impact is more on the employees and patients,” Ferguson said. “Companies can make adjustments and move overseas. The impact is on employment and industry. Taxes have consequences, and that’s where the consequences will fall.” Medical devices, except those which are sold in retail, are subject to the tax, Ferguson said. “All our devices are sold to hospitals and particular provides of healthcare, so they are all taxed,” he said. Ferguson pointed to a situation of a non-profit orthopedic company in Warsaw, Ind., which builds pediatrics for kids who had to hold two projects as the result of the Medical Device Excise Tax. That tax is paid by the company every two weeks in their estimated sales, he said. “When you get paid by the hospitals, they make an adjustment,” Ferguson said. “If you make the device in January, you might not get paid till March. Companies that don’t have tax goals are hard on that.”Ferguson said the average profit is about 6 percent for a medical device company, while the average profit for drug companies is much higher. He said Cook Medical has been actively campaigning for the repeal, because they want keep manufacturing in the United States.“If you have an expense like that, you have to go to Ireland where their tax rate is 12.5 percent,” Ferguson said. “Those countries are actively recruiting companies.” Ferguson also said 2.3 percent increases of the medical device sales tax raises the federal tax rate for devices to 29 percent.“For some companies, it’s going to delay devices in getting to places, it’s going to result in employment changes,” he said. “In our case, it’s expansions that won’t take place in the United States.”
(04/10/13 4:21am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU on Strike activists have been preparing for this week for months.The group, which prides itself on a lack of leadership hierarchy, is planning a campus-wide strike Thursday and Friday that will include students, faculty and staff.Participants in the strike said they are hoping their actions will raise awareness of their demands. “For me, the strike is a lot more about calling attention to these demands and letting the administration know we’re not OK with this...than a dialogue with the administration about how exactly they should go about doing these things,” IU on Strike representative Kelly Thomas said.Here is a list of IU on Strike’s demands and administrative reaction.Immediately reduce tuition and eliminate feesTuition is set by the state every two years when the Indiana General Assembly allocates funding to public universities. Once the budget is passed, President Michael McRobbie makes a tuition recommendation to the Board of Trustees and the Board sets tuition.IU on Strike representative Karissa McKelvey said she feels that presenting their concerns to campus administrators and the Board of Trustees is also a chance for IU on Strike to influence state legislators. She said she feels the administrators themselves are partially responsible for tuition hikes.“If you think about it, the state does cut funding, but the administrators have choices on how they’re going to make that up,” McKelvey said.Stop privatization and outsourcingIU’s mission is to provide an education for students, not necessarily to operate certain services, Trustee William Strong said in an interview with The Herald-Times.Strong said IU trustees are investigating possibilities for “public-private partnership” such as outsourcing parking operations. This is based on an initiative adopted by Ohio State University, which earned almost $500 million in revenue after leasing university parking spaces to a private company.The revenue from privatizing parking or textbook sales would go to the University, and in theory could lower tuition. However, McKelvey said the total cost of attendance would increase because for-profit businesses, such as Barnes and Noble — which runs the IU Bookstore — would charge more than campus services would. End the wage freezeMcKelvey said wages are rising below the rate of inflation, which decreases the spending power of faculty and staff at IU.“The administration doesn’t call it a wage freeze, but in reality it acts like one,” she said.State budget cuts in 2009-10 led to a wage freeze at IU for that school year. In conjunction with other cuts, this wage freeze allowed administrators to increase financial aid by almost $20 million, prevented layoffs and allowed for the hiring of 129 additional faculty, according to McRobbie’s 2009 budget plan.Vice President of University Communications Mark Land said state funding and, by extension, the IU budget is a legislative issue and is too complex to be solved at the campus level.The University must honor its promise to double the enrollment of minority students to 8 percentIn May 2006, trustees pledged to double the enrollment of minority students by 2013. In 2006, minority students made up 10.2 percent of campus. They now make up 14.4 percent of campus. Since 1975, the number of African-American students has fluctuated around 4 percent.Thomas said IU on Strike included this demand to express solidarity for student groups advocating for diversity on IU’s campus.Land said he did not want to speculate on exact numbers at this time. He said the University has recently dedicated more money to programs to attract minority students to campus.Abolish both HB1402 and SB590House Bill 1402 and Senate Bill 590 prohibit universities from granting residential tuition to undocumented immigrants.Thomas said the protesters recognize this as a state issue rather than a campus issue. She said this demand was included intentionally to show that they recognize issues such as tuition costs and immigration policy as statewide and sometimes nationwide problems.Administrators agree that HB1402 and SB590 are state issues that cannot be solved at the University level. No retaliation for participating in or organizing the strikeLand said the administration will respect protesters’ rights to express their opinions.“As long as everyone is protesting peacefully, there’s going to be no issue,” Land said. “That kind of debate on a college campus is part of what the experience is all about.”Indiana Law states that public employees are not permitted to strike. Faculty and staff at IU are considered public employees because they work for a state university and could suffer penalties for participating in the strike. Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences Larry Singell sent an email to faculty and staff members that stated that according to University policy, they are not allowed to use IU’s email services to promote the student strike. He later rescinded the statement.Acting Chief of IU Police Department Laury Flint said IUPD has planned for the strike and are prepared to ensure the safety of the protesters as well as the faculty, staff and students who are not involved.
(04/10/13 3:46am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The Indiana Senate unveiled a two-year $29.5 billion budget that would include a small income tax cut and guarantee funding for roads and education.The proposed two-year state budget was passed by the Senate Appropriations Committee by a vote of 9-4 Thursday and now heads to the full Senate. At a press briefing, Gov. Mike Pence said the latest version of the budget is a good start.“From the outset of this administration, we have been clear about our expectations for this budget: Hoosiers expect to have an honestly balanced budget that holds the line on spending that funds our priorities, that protects our fiscal strength,” Pence said in the briefing. The budget includes an individual tax reduction worth approximately $25 per resident, which amounts to a $150 million tax reduction statewide. It cuts income tax rates from 3.4 percent to 3.3 percent and eliminates the state inheritance tax. However, Pence is continuing to push for a deeper cut that would reduce the income tax rate to 3.06 percent.“I’m pleased that this budget provides permanent income tax relief for every Hoosier,” Pence said. “I’m also pleased to see the inheritance tax phase out more quickly.”Sen. Mark Stoops, D-Bloomington, said the tax cut proposed by the Senate only benefits the wealthy. “Most people, especially low income people, will see no money at all,” he said. The budget proposes more than $300 million to increase K-12 funding, which is a 3-percent increase throughout the next two years. It also increases infrastructure and road funding by $600 million in two years.Stoops said the budget fails on multiple levels. “For one thing, there is very little increase in funding for public education,” Stoops said. “There’s no money for preschools, which was a bipartisan priority in the legislature last year.”He said omitting the inheritance tax cut only benefits the wealthy. “There’s a proposal for only part of that income tax,” Stoops said. “That’s at a time when the cuts in public schools have a very devastating impact, yet they haven’t restored funding for schools anywhere near the levels it was cut from two or three years ago.”The budget also fully funds the Medicaid forecast and creates a $600 million Healthy Indiana Plan savings account to cover costs of the Affordable Care Act.Senate Democrats offered four amendments Monday to the budget, all of which were rejected. In one amendment, Democrats offered a proposal to expand health care coverage to 400,000 workers and offered to separate funding allocated for the state’s voucher program. Stoops said there’s been a battle trying to obtain a mechanism which expands Medicaid under the Affordable Care act. “It appears that there is money in the budget to set aside,” Stoops said. “If the state of Indiana decides to expand Medicaid, we can do it. I think that’s some good news in the budget.” Other aspects of the budget proposal include increasing funding for the Department of Child Services by $30 million per year and increasing student aid by $43 million in fiscal year 2014 and by $28 million in fiscal year 2015.Pence said the latest version of the budget signals there is a pathway to creating a successful budget that will meet the objectives of his administration. “Now that as we enter the final phase of this year’s session of the General Assembly, I believe that we are getting on the same page,” Pence said. “But let me be clear, there are still details and differences of levels of spending and priorities.”However, Stoops said he doesn’t see any real changes to the proposed budget outside of a few minor corrections.“This budget is all about transferring more money into the hands of the wealthy and the state and nothing for jobs and nothing for education,” he said.
(04/05/13 2:54am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Indiana might soon have its own bourbon trail. The Indiana Senate passed House Bill 1293, which allows for craft micro-distilleries to operate and sell liquor on location. The bill, which passed 38-9, will now move to Gov. Mike Pence’s desk to be signed into law. The bill creates a distiller’s permit for a person who decides to commercially manufacture a maximum of 10,000 gallons of liquor in a year. Neighboring states, including Illinois, Michigan and Ohio allow distilleries to sell alcohol on-site, and Kentucky includes the bourbon trail. Distilleries in Indiana can only produce hard alcohol for wholesale distribution. Huber’s Orchard, Winery and Vineyards in Starlight, Ind., and Sun King Brewing in Indianapolis both plan to open micro-distilleries. The Senate revised the bill to allow start-up distilleries to avoid the three-year waiting period for a permit.Rep. Ed Clere, R-New Albany, author of HB 1293, said the bill came from Huber’s, which is located just outside of his district.“They have not been able to offer tasting or offer sale by the bottle or any other distilled spirit,” Clare said. “They saw this as an opportunity to grow their business by allowing for tasting and sales of other types of distilled spirits other than brandy.” Ted Huber, owner of Huber’s, said he has been advocating allowing micro-distilling of grain-based products since 1998.“This will allow us to get grain spirits,” Huber said. “It’s a great way for us to naturally expand our product portfolio in an existing distillery.” Huber said, in 2001, Farm Winery Brandy Distiller’s Permits were established in Indiana. As a result, Huber opened Starlight Distillery, a brandy-based micro-distillery.“The little craft spirits I started in 2001 gives a lot of people at the Statehouse that little Starlight Distillery can be a tourist attraction without providing access to minors,” he said. Clere said the industry has been held back by the inability to offer tastings, which promotes tourism. Nominally, it’s an alcohol bill,” Clere said. “It’s really an economic development and jobs bill. It’s all about tourism and small business and value-added agriculture and finding a new way to support and promote all three of those objectives.”Omar Robinson, president and owner of Sun King Brewing, said adding a micro-distillery is a natural adjunct to his business. “It’s outstanding for our business,” Robinson said. “We’ve been hoping and planning on distilling now for a couple of years, and now we have the ability to do it.”Robinson said his brewery plans on offering homemade bourbons, vodkas, whiskeys and various house items. He also said a micro-distillery would benefit his brewery because Easley Winery is in close proximity.“If we can put a distillery in the same neighborhood, then we have the possibility of advertising for tourism as a fermentation district,” Robinson said. “It makes a nice neighborhood of things for people to see and do.” Robinson said micro-distilling is a natural extension of craft brewing. “It will make a whole separate clientele,” Robinson said. “This will just give us another avenue to reach the public in Indiana. We are dedicated to selling our product in Indiana and not reaching into other states.” Clere said Indiana is in a good position geographically by being close to a well-established connection such as the bourbon trail.“I think there’s an opportunity to capture some of that traffic, as folks who are interested in the bourbon trail may decide to cross the river and see what’s going on in Indiana,” Clere said. The tourism business, he said, will grow up around distilling in Indiana in the same way tourism has followed the wineries and breweries.“It’s an incremental process to change things,” Clere said. “It happens with wine, then it happens with beer and now it happens with distilled spirits. Some would say it’s overdue. I’m just glad it’s happening now.”
(04/04/13 2:15am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Sen. Dan Coats, R-Ind., and C.J. Bundy became “brothers” more than 45 years ago.Coats and Bundy were paired up for a mentorship through the Big Brothers Big Sisters program. Now, the same organization that Coats said benefited him is facing the possible elimination of federal funding. Coats met with local business leaders at Chapman’s restaurant as part of a Federal Focus event presented by the Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday, where he discussed topics including job growth and health care and answered questions from attendees.He said the federal government is currently experiencing a surplus, which is a better problem to have than a deficit. “We are in a situation where our budget is being ever squeezed through a number of factors,” Coats said. “One of the challenges we have is to make our government at the federal level more effective.” Coats said there is not a future to base decisions on because there are trillions of dollars sitting on the sideline. “Any entity that is operating on a $3.7 trillion budget could use a haircut,” Coats said.Coats said one of the ways he’s trying to make it more effective is by trying to speak to the president every day from the Senate floor.“This sequester needs to be replaced by a long-term plan to deal with our deficit problem, and in that plan we ought to be able to give the agencies the discretion to eliminate the essential and nonessential,” Coats said.Tom Saccone, executive director of Big Brothers Big Sisters of South Central Indiana, asked Coats to comment on the future of federal funding, because his organization faces losing 15 to 20 percent of it’s operating revenue with the elimination of a grant. “It’s OK to qualify for the possible federal support that’s available, but we shouldn’t let the organization become dependent on it,” Coats said. Coats joined forces on a plan that has been embedded through businesses and other entities.“It gets our industries and companies in line with role in terms of tax rates,” Coats said. “It’s one that has bipartisan support, because comprehensive tax reform has to be a part of this.” Coats also addressed the current state of health care. “What we see is a lot of extensive spending on procedures and tests that are not necessary,” Coats said. He said he believes they need to open the health care plan back up. “There’s a lot of innovation and change going on in health care right now. We need to look at the practices that are working right now and saving money,” he said.Coats said if he had a single message to the president, it’s that he’s concerned about the future. “We told them, Mr. President, we’ll join you,” Coats said. “We know there are tough decisions here, but you have to take the lead. Everyone has come up short, because we haven’t had the person at the top. You.”
(04/03/13 3:58am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Sen. Dan Coats, R-Ind., will meet with Bloomington business leaders today and discuss the current economic state and provide ways to encourage job creation. The 1:30 p.m. meeting at Chapman’s Restaurant is presented by the Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce. Matt Lahr, press secretary for Coats, said the senator will meet with business leaders to talk about what he thinks needs to be done to improve the economy and encourage job creation. Liz Irwin, public policy coordinator for the Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce, said about 30 to 50 chamber members will be in attendance. “It’s going to be a general brief overview, an update from Washington, and he’s going to be taking questions from attendees,” Irwin said. “The Chamber loves to be able to provide opportunities for members to have access to elected officials,” Irwin said. “It’s always important, from our member’s perspective, to share their concerns and interests at a local, state and national level.” In an email, Lahr said Coats has worked on a comprehensive tax reform plan that will make the tax system simpler, fairer and more competitive while spurring economic growth. “Coats has said we need to go through each program and every agency to determine where we can do more with less,” Lahr said in an email.Coats said he believes it is essential to restructure mandatory spending programs in order to preserve much-needed benefits for current and future generations, according to the email.“Not only will the uncontrollable growth of mandatory spending squeeze out funding for all other programs or priorities in our country, but with 10,000 baby boomers retiring each day, we simply will not be able to cover our commitments to seniors if we remain on this current course,” Lahr said in the email. “And if we don’t act, the result will be either cutting benefits by half or imposing massive tax increases on the next generation.” Lahr said Coats will be hearing primarily from the local community. “It’s very important for Senator Coats to be accessible and to hear from his constituents, so he can take their views back to Washington and best represent them in Congress,” Lahr said.
(04/02/13 2:39am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Monroe County residents voiced their concerns about current transportation conditions and shared ideas for improvement at a public workshop for the Bloomington and Monroe County Metropolitan Transit Plan.The workshop, presented at Bloomington City Hall on Monday evening, was put on by the Bloomington and Monroe County Metropolitan Planning Organization to formulate ideas for the 2035 MTP. Members of the community collaborated into groups where they shared concerns, talked about ideas to improve transit in the future and drew lines representing possible bus routes. Josh Desmond, director of the Bloomington and Monroe County MPO, said urban areas with a population of more than 50,000 are required to have an MPO. “What that plans does, it lays out sort of a menu of roadway bicycle and transit programs that would have ideally been implemented throughout of the course of time leading up to 2030,” Desmond said. “Now we’re taking that and shifting it over. We’re sort of reevaluating everything at this point and taking a look.”Desmond said the MPO is allocated approximately $2.5 million to $3 million a year. “Any federal money we get from government for those transportation needs has to be consistent with those transportation plans,” Desmond said. “It helps us prioritize our transportation improvements.” Desmond said the transportation works better when the citizens plan for it together. “You’re either making small improvements here and there or saving it up over time to make one huge investment,” he said. Desmond said the MPO is required by law to have a plan 20 years ahead of time. “Even though we are looking at everything, the money ... is looking to be spent in the urbanized area,” Desmond said. Kyle Chapman, Dedaimia Whitney and Richard Martin discussed transportation for aging populations and ways for transportation to be environmentally efficient in their group discussion. “We need to stop using our cars as much as we can,” Whitney said. “For me, that means using public transportation.”Martin, a member of the plan commission for the MPO, said the area needs a frequent, reliable transportation system to serve the needs of the county. “I think if they can bring it from Hamilton County down into Indianapolis, there’s no reason we can’t go north,” Martin said. “We can take the Indiana railroad right up to Indianapolis.”All three participants said the absence of an east and thoroughfare throughout Bloomington is a problem. They also drew on a map possible areas for residents to park and ride public transportation into the city.Chapman said the current roads which go east and west throughout the city are congested. “You cannot make the east-west corridors go through campus,” Chapman said. “You can’t make it a major corridor. A major corridor has got to be four full functioning lanes with a center turn lane. It just doesn’t exist.”Whitney said parts of downtown Bloomington should be closed for automobile traffic. “Our group focused on public transportation in the form of buses,” Whitney said. “We identified five or six places where we thought transportation parking could be established. We spent some time mapping out rural transit routes.”Desmond said the next step is for the MPO to continue working on the model and having some discussions with the stakeholders and task force.“It’s important that we plan with the community and not plan for the community,” he said. “People need to feel that they have a stake and a say in the projects we invest in.”
(03/28/13 2:39am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>In the late 1800s, Indianapolis was referred to as the “Railroad City,” having an abundance of rail lines. More than 200 passenger trains traveled through the city during a given day. Since then, passenger rails have become close to non-existent in central Indiana, with the exception of an Amtrak line. A group of community members and legislators are trying to change that, along with implementing other mass transit improvements. Indiana House Bill 1011 would allow 10 counties in the Indianapolis metropolitan area to have a public referendum to let voters decide if they want to pay up to a 0.3-percent income tax, which would fund the local share of mass transit. The bill passed in the House 56-39 and moved to the Tax and Fiscal Committee before it can go to the rest of the Senate. IndyConnect, an initiative of the Central Indiana Regional Transportation Authority, IndyGo and the Metropolitan Development Organization, proposed a $1.3-billion expansion spanning 10 years. About $600 million of the project is expected to be federally funded. The IndyConnect plan includes adding a 22-mile rail line from Noblesville to downtown Indianapolis and adding bus rapid transit routes with limited stops from Cumberland, Ind.,to the Indianapolis International Airport, from Greenwood to Carmel and from the University of Indianapolis to Carmel. Ron Gifford, executive director of IndyConnect, said at least four of the five corridors would have bus rapid transit technology, dedicated lanes for buses and traffic signal prioritization. “In order to build and operate the Indy Connect Transit System as it is proposed, we need a new revenue source,” Gifford said. Gifford said he thinks the transit plan is important enough that local voters should weigh in on it. “HB 1011 is absolutely silent about the plan itself,” Gifford said. “We’re not asking the General Assembly to weigh in on the plan itself. We’re simply saying to give us the tools we need in order to be able to make these investments at the local level.” The transit agency would exist in 10 Indiana counties. There are no existing plans for the transit to expand to Monroe County. Sen. Mark Stoops, D-Bloomington, said he hopes Monroe County could eventually tag on to the plan. Stoops said he proposed a bill last session that would have expanded mass transit in Monroe County but never made it through. “I’ll try again next year until I get some type of expanded transit option to Monroe County,” Stoops said. Stoops said he thinks HB 1011 gives Hamilton and Marion County residents the ability to have a referendum on a ballot. “It gives them local control of what could happen with the mass transit system,” Stoops said. Stoops said Indiana has probably one of the most mass transit opportunity needs of cities its size and larger.“Expanding transit in our region would be important because Bloomington and Monroe County have 15,000 people that commute into Bloomington every day,” Stoops said. Tim Maloney, senior policy director for the Hoosier Environmental Council, said their public transportation will do more than transport.“We definitely think it has a variety of environmental and energy benefits, which is one of the main reasons we support it,” Maloney said. Maloney said that through public transit, citizens become less dependent on oil from other countries.“Transit represents a more efficient use of land, so that puts less development pressure on open spaces,” Maloney said. Maloney said the HEC strongly believes Indiana needs to diversify its transportation investments and invest in alternatives to highways for the surrounding residents.“It’s putting the future of transportation in the hands of the people that live there,” he said. Rep. Kreg Battles, D-Vincennes, said although he supports mass transit, HB 1011 is narrowly focused. “I’ve seen all too often that this isn’t a venue for expansion,” Battles said. “It becomes the end all be all and stops right there.” Battles said the legislature needs to come up with a list of mass transit needs across the state, whether it be bus, high speed or commuter rail. “I have significant concerns that this will be a one-time concern and will be pleased enough and that mass transit concerns across the state will be ignored,” Battles said. Gifford said if other communities have a consensus about improving their own transit systems, they should have the ability to improve the systems. That improvement, Gifford said, is sorely needed.“We have the 83rd largest bus system in America,” Gifford said. “For a city of our size, that is borderline insane.”
(03/26/13 1:44am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Twelve- and 13-year-olds will soon have the opportunity to work as referees and umpires at youth athletic events. Senate Bill 153, which was passed by the Indiana House on March 11, would allow children 12 years of age and older to work as referees, umpires or officials at athletic programs. Currently, Indiana Department of Labor laws prohibit children under 14 years old to work as athletic officials. The next step for SB 153 is to be signed into law by Gov. Mike Pence. Sen. Vaneta Becker, R-Evansville, author of the bill, said Newburgh, Ind., resident Matthew Burkart inspired the legislation. Burkart, a 13-year-old, was turned down for a job as a soccer referee because of his age. Becker said Burkart did a lot of research on the topic, such as about the rate of obesity in Indiana, and pointed out positive aspects for young people to be involved in sports. Becker also said Burkart approached her toward the end of the last session of the Senate, but it was too late to file a bill.“I told him I would look at the issue, make some inquiries,” Becker said. Becker said Burkart acquired support from his school superintendent, local mayors and the University of Evansville soccer coach. John Turnbull, sports director for the City of Bloomington Parks and Recreation, said the bill will not affect Bloomington Parks, because they require referees to be at least 18 years old. “There are some volunteer parent organizations which it would have an effect on,” Turnbull said. Turnbull said Bloomington Parks has a contract with some volunteer parent organizations to use their facilities.“It would allow some younger kids to start working on 5- and 6-year-old games,” he said. Becker said Burkart testified at the Statehouse twice.“I am here on behalf of 12- and 13-year-old Hoosier kids who would like the opportunity to be referees, umpires or officials,” Burkart said in a press release. “This bill will get kids off the couches and iPads and help teach us responsibility, commitment and confidence through a job that we can enjoy for much of our lives. It shows that Indiana is a place where leaders are working to help kids succeed and not holding them back.”Becker said Burkart not only represents himself but approximately 300 other children who expressed interest in being involved as officials. “I am very proud of him, because I think it’s a good thing for the kids and good for the state. It teaches them responsibility and commitment, and that is very positive as well,” Becker said.