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(04/24/12 3:08am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Wearing a green and navy-blue kilt, Darin Bagley stood on the balcony of Victoria Towers, juggling three homemade chainmail balls. As he juggled Saturday, he whistled to Flogging Molly blaring from his iPhone stereo. On his left hip was a sheath containing one of his favorite knives -- the Knight's Dagger.From East Kirkwood Avenue below, passersby stared with curiosity. Occasionally, Bagley would stop juggling to wave at the onlookers.Bagley, 40, wanted the people below to notice. If he caught their attention, he thought, they would visit his new store, Medieval Metal. Medieval Metal, a specialty store focusing primarily on novelty knives and swords, along with Bagley’s homemade chainmail trinkets, opened for business three weeks ago.Inside the store, located in a small upstairs room in Victoria Towers at 221 E. Kirkwood Ave., the walls are lined with various medieval swords. In one case is the “Dragon’s Toothbrush” — a medieval-themed toilet scrubber — and a skull candle. Another wall displays Bagley’s chainmail items, which he made with his hands, two pairs of pliers and much patience. Sitting on a stool in the corner, Bagley’s 8-year-old son Claude — the “assistant” and “apprentice” — played “The Legend of Zelda” on a Nintendo DS. Beyond opening day business has been a little slow, Bagley said. From past experiences, however, he knows there is a market in Bloomington for his company. For now, it is about making first impressions. ***When Bagley was in high school in Anderson, Ind., he played in the marching band, members of which wore kilts during performances. Through this exposure, he said, he fell in love with bagpipe music and Celtic culture. He dreamed of becoming an astronaut but chose to pursue a career as a mathematics teacher. He moved to Bloomington and sought an education degree from IU. He never graduated.In 1995, Bagley said he met several friends who were members of the Society for Creative Anachronism in town who started traveling to various medieval-themed events, comic book conventions and sci-fi conventions. To pay their way to the events, Bagley said his friends packed the back of a pickup truck with knives and swords, selling the items once they arrived. On one occasion, Bagley tagged along. Because he had loved reading medieval books for years — specifically the “Lord of the Rings” series — he already had basic knowledge about the various weapons.Eventually, two of his friends, Cindy and Shawn Haverfield, decided to open a sword shop in College Mall in 1996, titled the Dragon’s Claw. The Haverfield’s brought Bagley along as a part-time employee. During the following few years, the Dragon’s Claw moved several times, eventually into the back of Victoria Towers. Acting as the store’s manager, Bagley said he essentially ran the business as Cindy and Shawn went through a divorce. Bagley said he established his own collection of knives and swords, while working at the Dragon’s Claw. But when the Dragons’ Claw closed its doors in 2003, his interest in medieval weaponry faded. He stored his blades in a box in his closet.After going through several jobs, Bagley eventually landed a position as Best Buy’s “video game guru.” But last May, he said, he made a mistake.“I feel like they kind of overreacted to the situation, but I got fired,” Bagley said. “I was able to win my unemployment case on appeal, but before that happened, I had no idea what I was going to do for money.”Ever since the Dragon’s Claw closed, he said he aspired to open his own business. He said his girlfriend of 20 years, Sheryl Mitchell, was supportive of the idea.Purchasing products from the same suppliers as the Dragon’s Claw, Bagley established a small inventory. Also similar to the Dragon’s Claw, he started small.During the Monroe County Fair last August, he sold his merchandise from a booth. But with part of their tax return, they took a leap. When he learned Victoria Towers was under new management and looking for businesses to rent the upstairs rooms, he found something within his budget.“From the minute I saw this room, I absolutely fell in love with it,” Bagley said. “It was something I could really work with.”***“Dad, I want a knife, I’m old enough,” 8-year-old Claude said.“You are old enough to have a knife, in my opinion,” Bagley responded. “However, you spend most of your life in school or at home where you don’t really need one. We’ll talk to your mother about that at some point.”“Maybe my mother will make me wait until I’m 18, dad.”“That’s what mothers are for, you know,” Bagley said, “but I think you’re more likely to get a cell phone than a knife.”Claude has picked out several of his favorite blades, including a replica from the movie “The Dark Knight.” Claude said he enjoys spending time in Medieval Metal with his father. He has even learned how to run the cash register. But without adequate arm strength, he is unable to make his own chainmail. Bagley’s other son, 19-year-old Wesley, is most interested in the different swords. But unlike his father, he is not interested in the chainmail. Bagley loves solving puzzles. And to him, he said, making chainmail is like solving a puzzle. To his surprise, his chainmail has sold better than any other item in the last three weeks.“The chainmail items that I like to make are smaller, unusual, generally more affordable,” Bagley said. “I can make a full shirt, people come in here and ask me that all the time. The one that I have done for someone cost them $500, and it did take me about three months to make. But the downside for me to make something like that — it’s boring.”But Medieval Metal’s most impressive item, he said, is a $250 Roman Gladius, which is considered “battle ready.”“You could actually kill somebody with this,” Bagley said. “Many swords that are sold, in fact at least half of these on the wall right now, are basically wall hangers. You could hit somebody with it and it would hurt, but it’s not something you would take into a medieval- style sword fight, and most people are OK with that.”
(04/16/12 2:24am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>In Bloomington, 39 percent of residents live below the poverty line, according to U.S. Census statistics. Entering the 2011-12 school year, 228 of Bloomington’s youth were reportedly homeless, a 29-percent increase from two years ago, according to the McKinney-Vento Homeless Questionnaire distributed throughout the Monroe County Community School Corporation. “A lot of people dealing with homeless and poverty, they do have a tendency not to turn that kind of information in, so that number could be even higher,” said Kathy Mayer, the chairperson for Homeward Bound.In an effort to combat homelessness and poverty in the area, Homeward Bound had its 10th annual 5K walk Sunday to raise funds for 12 local nonprofits geared toward ending homelessness in the community. Homeward Bound, which is an effort of the Indiana Association for Community Economic Development, was sponsored by the City of Bloomington’s Community and Family Resources Department and served as the community’s link to the statewide effort to assist those in need. Prior to the start of the walk, the Vallures performed onstage at the Waldron, Hill and Buskirk Park. Then, at 1 p.m., a sea of orange T-shirts marched away from the park and began the walk. As it is the walk’s 10-year anniversary, Mayer said they set a goal of 1,000 participants, hoping to raise at least $100,000. “The goal is really a stretch, but because we feel so good about what we’re doing, we felt really good about our goals,” Mayer said. Although she did not have an official count, she estimated about 800 people supported the event. With more than $30,500 raised so far, Mayer said, individuals can donate for the next 30 days, Mayer said. Last year, $66,000 was raised. More than $500,000 has been raised in the last 10 years. She credited the decrease in involvement to competition from other local organizations asking for donations. But still, she said, local homelessness and poverty in Monroe County is increasing. “We are considered one of the highest in the state of Indiana, I think, generally due to the lack of industrial jobs,” Mayer said. “Monroe County is more of a retail service and caters to that demographic more so than it might to a business.”Before the event, Bloomington City Council President Tim Mayer took the stage, presenting a proclamation to Bloomington resident Crystal Harris from Mayor Mark Kruzan.Harris has experienced homelessness firsthand. After her husband was laid off from his job, Harris and her family were evicted from their home in 2011. After calling the organization Centerstone, she said, her family was placed in the New Hope Family Shelter. Currently, she said, her family lives in a home through the Bridges Program. “That was a true blessing,” Harris told the audience in the park. “If you are in need and you are homeless or cannot make ends meet, there is help out there for you.” Throughout Indiana, Homeward Bound sponsors 11 walks to end homelessness. “It’s not just about the homeless person and the stereotypes you might see about that,” Mayer said. “It is neighbor helping neighbor.”
(04/11/12 4:19am)
Police arrived at about 9 p.m. to the scene of an occupation staged by
about 30 members of the Occupy IU movement in Fine Arts Building 015,
the auditorium. No arrests were made as of midnight.
(04/11/12 12:57am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The Indiana Attorney General’s Office has filed a lawsuit in Monroe County Circuit Court seeking more than $47,000 from a former trustee and two former employees of Richland Township in Ellettsville, Ind. Former township Office Manager Bonnie Lake Justice of Ellettsville and former Investigator Le Anne Freeman of Stanford, Ind., were overpaid or incorrectly paid for hundreds of hours of leave time without proper documentation to explain the payments, according to a news release from the Attorney General’s Office. Former Trustee William Evans of Bloomington was also named a defendant.“It violates the public trust when government employees spend tax dollars without providing adequate documentation to justify their actions,” Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller said in the release.The civil suit is a response to the State Board of Accounts’ certified audit report from last September, which intends to recover $47,313.02 for the Richland Township public fund. The lawsuit also seeks triple damages and attorneys’ fees. “We have brought this necessary lawsuit to make these defendants reimburse the township treasury what they owe according to the audit,” Zoeller said.When the State Board of Accounts audits a local government office and certifies an audit, the attorney general is authorized to collect from the defendants on behalf of the state. Such audits on local municipalities are common, said Bryan Corbin, public information officer for the Office of the Secretary of State. The objective is to recover public funds but not to pursue criminal cases.According to court documents, Justice and Freeman requested and received payment for hundreds of hours of unused sick time and personal time accumulated prior to February 2009. Justice was paid $26,030.40 in township funds for “grandfathered leave time,” and Freeman was paid $9,448.72. Those amounts, according to the press release, could not be sufficiently verified, as they lacked proper documentation for the expenses. The audit revealed that Justice also received an overpayment of $1,496 in November 2009 without proper documentation.Despite the township board changing its policy, saying personal and sick days could no longer be cashed in, Justice and Freeman allegedly submitted payroll vouchers for additional hours accumulated for February 2009. Although the vouchers violated the new policy and were not approved by the township board, Evans signed the checks to the two employees. Merchants Bonding Company of Des Moines, Iowa, was also named as a defendant in the case. The company had a $50,000 bond on Evans as an insurance policy against misappropriation, diversion or misapplication of public funds. The lawsuit seeks to redeem the bond to cover the amounts and reimburse the township treasury. Any portion not covered by the bond would be the company’s personal responsibility, according to the Attorney General’s Office. Corbin said the Attorney General’s Office can pursue collections against defendants using the same legal tools that a creditor uses to collect debts, including garnishing wages and seizing money from bank accounts. Corbin said the Attorney General’s Office has handled 42 similar cases since January 2009. Typically, he said, defendants make arrangements to pay the money they owe. A hearing date in the Monroe County Circuit Court has not yet been set.“Most government employees are honest, but sadly, from time to time people make mistakes and they claim money that does not belong to them,” Corbin said. “It belongs to the public. If you’re misusing the public’s money, then you have to pay it back.”
(04/09/12 1:38am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Thomas Buhls, the only participant in Saturday’s Confederate Heritage Rally, stood on the Monroe County Courthouse Square and wielded a cardboard sign reading, “Celebrate your white heritage. Be proud of your white identity.” But Buhls was not alone.A mob of counter-protesters surrounded Buhls, shouting, “Fascist scumbag, go home. Bloomington doesn’t want you. Get the fuck out of our town.”Bloomington, IU and Monroe County police officers surrounded the crowd, demanding they stay on the sidewalk and off the street.“Very un-American scum that is right here,” said counter-protester Ed Vazquez inches from Buhls’ face. “What are you going to do? Are you going to bomb a building? Are you going to kill children?”Despite Vasquez’s direct questions, Buhls remained silent, wearing a tan overcoat, black Oakley sunglasses and a fedora.Most of the counter-protesters were dressed in black, several with bandanas pulled over their faces. One counter-protester carried a sign mounted to a black baseball bat that read, “celebrate punch a racist day.”As the mob tightened around Buhls, several counter-protesters tried pulling Buhls’ sign from his grip. One counter-protester scribbled on his sign with a black marker. “I’m half Jewish,” one counter-protester said. “What do you think of that?”Buhls didn’t respond.“That’s an interesting point you bring up,” said counter-protester Jerry Bellow, who was also rubbing up against Buhls. “I want you to explain to this man why you want to put him in an oven. We’ll all be quiet. I want you to explain to him why he belongs in an oven.”Still, Buhls remained silent. “My mother married a Jew,” Bellow continued. “This is your chance to tell me why the world is a better place with my mother in an oven. Come on. You can do it, articulate.”“That’s not what I’m here to talk about today,” Buhls replied. “I came here to celebrate.”“To celebrate what,” Bellow said, “the loss of the Confederacy? The Confederacy lost.”The crowd directly surrounding Buhls multiplied. Several pushed Buhls, reaching for his sign. Buhls tried pushing his way through the crowd to a different location on the square, telling counter-protesters not to block his path.“Excuse me, you cannot confine him,” BPD Sgt. Jeff Canada said.But the mob did not cease, with one protester eventually grabbing the fedora from his head and throwing it onto the courthouse lawn. The hat was never returned. Sunlight reflected off Buhls’ bald head. Canada talked to Buhls and said the crowd was becoming angrier at his presence. Buhls replied, saying he would continue his celebration until 1 p.m. as planned. Buhls said he was demonstrating Saturday to celebrate his white heritage because “I love who I am.” “I see a lot of people who came out here to show support, not necessarily for my celebration, but to be perfectly honest, I didn’t invite them,” Buhls said. “They’re welcome to come and go as they please, and in fact I think it’s great they’re out here. They are exercising freedom of speech. I know a lot of people don’t appreciate this message, but if you’re an American or claim to be, the Civil War is a big part of your heritage and history.”The protest was not about white supremacy, Buhls said, it was about respecting himself and his identity. He said he was alone because of his impromptu organization. Although he originally advertised the event on Facebook, he said he did not realize the Facebook event was open for everybody to view. “But it’s great so many people showed up and they are so adamant about what they believe in,” Buhls said. “But we’re all Americans. We have that right to believe in what we want.”IU student Fred Haley was one of the few African-Americans walking around the square. He said he heard about the rally and decided to check it out.“I almost feel bad for him,” Haley said of Buhls. “It’s kind of pathetic. This is just embarrassing.”Although Haley said he does not know for sure, he assumes his ancestors were first brought to North America on a slave ship. But he said he did not feel offended or threatened by Buhls. “He is just dumb,” Haley said. “What did he think was going to happen? It wasn’t the best spot. Not here, maybe a little farther out, but definitely not in the middle of downtown. It’s a college town, everybody’s liberal.”Buhls declined to comment on his affiliation with white supremacist organizations. Court records do not show Buhls has a criminal record in Indiana. However, he was arrested in Martinsville in 2011. After Buhls left copies of a Ku Klux Klan publication at a Martinsville appliance store and the owner complained to police, Buhls was arrested, according to the Associated Press. But a Martinsville City Court judge found Buhls not guilty because the law allows people to hand out material regardless of whether others agree with it, the AP article said. Still, counter-protesters said they felt threatened by Buhls’ presence in Bloomington.“I do not like this guy because he represents genocide and terrorism,” Vasquez said. “That (Confederate) flag was used during church bombings. It was used in the 1950s. It was used during slavery. He wants to bring back the Confederacy, he wants to bring back slavery, he wants to enslave people. The way his demeanor is going, he may just bring a gun some time and just start shooting up people because this is what they do.”Jonathan Taylor grew up in Bloomington but moved away 25 years ago. Although he is now a geography professor at California State University, Fullerton, he visited Bloomington last weekend. Originally downtown to shop at a used bookstore, he said the commotion made him curious. Although he said he shares similar views with the counter-protesters, he said he thought they should have shown more class.“I earlier saw the quote anarchists, whom I normally support, punching and beating one of these KKK guys,” Taylor said. “I think anarchists are generally advocating free speech, freedom of the press, freedom of the assembly, and it’s really hypocritical for them to prevent someone from exercising their right to free speech. I think they should tone it down.”He said the best approach would have been to pass out literature about the KKK and inform the public of the KKK’s history of violence and crime.Ned Powell agreed. Standing among the crowd while wearing a red clown wig and a black robe, Powell held a wooden cross with a roll of toilet paper on the top. “Wipe Power. Ku Klux Klowns,” his signs read.“I don’t particularly care for this style of confrontation that’s going on,” Powell said. “When you get down in the mud with pigs, everybody gets dirty.”Eventually, Buhls’ sign was completely shredded by counter-protesters. Chants against him continued.“No Nazis, no KKK, no racist USA.”“Terrorist, get the fuck out of here. He supports a terrorist organization. Go the fuck home,” one protester screamed as Buhls pushed through the crowd toward the intersection of South Walnut Street and East Kirkwood Avenue. Without his fedora or sign, he casually walked east on Kirkwood with his hands in his pockets. Counter-protesters followed. Some blocked him from walking, others continued chants of “Go home!”Once Buhls reached the corner of Kirkwood Avenue and North Lincoln Street, he began to panic. He told Sgt. Canada he needed help.“Get a car to Kirkwood and Lincoln right now,” Canada said into his radio.“They’re fucking sending a car for him,” one protester yelled, followed by laughter. Again, chants against Buhls intensified.“I don’t care what car, just bring something,” Canada said into his radio.“The cops are protecting the KKK,” another protester said.A black-and-white squad car pulled up on Lincoln. Buhls opened the back door and hopped inside, and the car drove away, 40 minutes earlier than he had hoped, as he had planned to protest until 1 p.m.After a brief cheer, the crowd of counter-protesters quickly dispersed.“Let’s declare victory and get some Chinese food,” Bellow said.
(04/08/12 11:22pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Early voting begins today for residents unable to vote on primary Election Day, May 8. The polling site in the Curry Building at 214 W. Seventh St. will be open from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m.The Monroe County Election Board also voted to allow satellite voting during the upcoming election, which will provide five additional voting locations throughout Monroe County during the two weeks before the primary election.“It gives voters another opportunity to exercise their right to vote,” said Lorraine Farrell, the Election Board’s Democratic member. “My honest opinion about that is that we should do whatever we can to make voting accessible to as many people in our community as possible.”The Indiana legislature first passed a bill allowing satellite voting across the state in 2008. Although the Monroe County Election Board arranged satellite voting sites during the 2008 elections, satellite voting sites were not offered in 2010.The reason, Election Board Chair and Republican member Judith Smith-Ille said, was because it was a smaller election. “In 2010, I didn’t think we would have the turnout to warrant the expense,” Smith-Ille said. “All the presidential elections are much bigger turnout from both parties.”During each shift, 10 people will operate satellite voting operations, five from the Democratic Party and five from the Republican Party. To allow satellite voting, the three-member board must vote unanimously on the locations.Although the board reached consensus on the need for satellite voting, agreeing on a location was not easy. Particularly, board members disagreed about a voting location near the IU campus. On April 23 and 24, satellite voting will take place from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the South lobby of Assembly Hall.“(Assembly Hall) will service more voters, both residents and students, in the north section of town,” Smith-Ille said. “It was literally picked for location and HAVA compliancy. If you can’t get adequate parking there, you might as well forget it.”Under the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Help Americans Vote Act, all voting sites must be easily accessible to those with disabilities.Assembly Hall, Smith-Ille said, was chosen for its easy accessibility.Although concern exists surrounding HAVA noncompliance of several polling sites on Election Day, Farrell said each satellite site is easily accessible for those with disabilities. While the Election Board votes on sites for satellite voting, the Monroe County Commissioners select the sites on Election Day. But Farrell said she was in favor of a location closer to the heart of the IU campus. Campus and the surrounding area, she said, have the highest population density in Monroe County.“IU has a huge population of students and faculty and staff, and many of them want to vote,” Farrell said. “A break between classes is not going to give them time to get downtown, get to their car, drive to Assembly Hall or walk to Assembly Hall and get back to class.”Although Farrell agreed that satellite polling sites need to be distributed geographically throughout the county — north, south, east and west— she also said it is important to look at population densities. But satellite voting sites on campus, Smith-Ille argued, have not been successful in the past. In 2008, Smith-Ille said the Election Board ran a polling site inside the Indiana Memorial Union. But the site, she said, was unpopular because it was hard to get to. “Every voting site should be accessible to anybody in the community, whether they’re in Salt Creek Township or whether they are on campus, or no matter where they are,” Smith-Ille said. “I don’t think the one they put in the back of the student union building was too successful.”
(04/06/12 1:46am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The Bloomington City Council voted unanimously Wednesday to change the name of the Community and Family Resources Commission to the Commission on the Status of Children and Youth. But the vote was for more than just a new identity, said Pete Giordano, director of the Community and Family Resources Department. It will restructure the commission’s work altogether.During the council meeting, Councilwoman Susan Sandberg said she has worked closely with the commission and said it has struggled to find a clear mission for several years. “They have had kind of a generalized focus over the years, and I think they will be more productive and contribute more to the community by taking a narrow focus that they can achieve more within that narrower range,” Giordano said. “This process has been kind of a long time coming in terms of having the need to refocus this commission in a way that allows it to function like the other commissions we have here.”The Community and Family Resources Commission was established in 1983 under the name “Human Resources Commission.” At that time, only a handful of social service agencies existed in Bloomington, according to the council’s legislative packet. The Commission was established to help increase the capacity of local social service agencies. It was renamed the Community and Family Resources Commission in 1997, but the mission remained largely unchanged. But now, the city has an increased number of social service agencies. Seven agencies exist within the Community and Family Resources Department, focusing on topics from homelessness to the Latino community. This new direction, Giordano said, will bring the Commission on the Status of Children and Youth in line with other city commissions by focusing on a specific sector of the population. “We will move from a generalized focus to one focusing specifically on youth and children,” Giordano said. For the last several months, Giordano said the commission has been focusing primarily on its restructuring, but its main focus will be to identify and assess needs relating to resources and services provided to area children and youth; to encourage collaboration between local agencies, schools, businesses and individuals; to monitor legislative developments; to advocate for local, state and federal legislation aimed to improve the lives of children; and to empower children to reach their full potential. Nine members are currently appointed to the commission, with five appointed by the mayor and four by the City Council. Despite changes in the overall focus, Giordano said representation will continue unchanged.
(04/03/12 3:50am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Following the request of 20 Indiana state senators, the Bureau of Motor Vehicles has rescinded specialty license plates from a gay youth support group, along with two other organizations, citing a contract violation. But the GLBT youth group, Indiana Youth Group, will now try to file a lawsuit.Ten weeks after the plates became available, IYG received a letter from the BMV rescinding its specialty plates. During the brief time the plates were offered, IYG was using its low-numbered plates as “thank you” gifts to individuals offering donations to the nonprofit organization. IYG’s specialty plate was the second plate in the country supporting gay youth. In Indiana, more than 85 specialty plates exist. “The Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles has reviewed allegations that the Indiana Youth Group violated the professional services contract executed on Oct. 26, 2011, between BMV and IGY, by offering low-digit license plates for unauthorized monetary contributions,” according to a letter sent from BMV to IGY on March 16. The issue came to the attention of the BMV during the final day of the Indiana General Assembly’s legislative session March 9. During the final days of the legislative session, IYG Executive Director Mary Byrne said conference committees tried passing several amendments barring the group from continuing to issue its specialty plates. But when the amendments did not pass, senators found another route.After browsing IYG’s website, senators determined IYG violated its contract with the BMV because IYG offered the plates in exchange for monetary donations.“This is a clear violation of the contract which by its terms requires automatic termination and elimination of the right to a specialty plate,” according to a letter sent by the senators to the BMV on March 9. “We hereby request you pursue immediate termination of this group’s specialty plate and respectfully request that you inform us as to the actions you have taken in regard to this request.”According to IYG’s website, certain low-digit specialty plates were offered to donors making specific monetary contributions to the organization. While the contract provides that IYG may assign low-digit specialty plates to registrants, the group’s contract prevented it from auctioning or selling the plates, according to the letter sent from the BMV to IYG. IYG was also prohibited from charging additional fees to receive a low-digit specialty plate.But Byrne believes the removal of the plates was not for a contract violation but because the organization supports gay youth in Indiana. Offering low-number specialty plates has been common practice among organizations and universities across the state, Byrne said.“It’s the targeting that I think bothers us,” Byrne said. “These people didn’t want a group that was helping gay kids to have a license plate.”However, it was IYG’s transparency that might have cost the group its plates, she continued. If an individual wants a low-number specialty plate from most organizations across the state, Byrne said they are required to call the organization’s development department. “Development directors handle donations,” Byrne said. “So, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that if you call the development director and want a low-number plate, they are going to ask you, ‘What kind of donation are you going to make?’”But because IYG does not have a development department, it included information on its website stating that, to receive a low-number specialty plate from IGY, a donation to the organization was required. “Had we been like everybody else and said, ‘If you want a low-number plate, call the executive director,’ we wouldn’t be in this mess,” Byrne said.During the 10 weeks the gay youth plates were offered, more than 600 were issued, Byrne said. While the organization is now barred from issuing any additional plates, people with the plates will be allowed to renew them for five years. Along with IYG, the 4-H Foundation and the Greenways Foundation also lost their specialty plates for similar violations. But Byrne called them “collateral damage.”Additional groups throughout the state still offer plates for monetary donations, Byrne said. But before BMV rescinded specialty plates from IGY, the 4-H Foundation and Greenways Foundation, Byrne said the bureau did not investigate other organizations.“The week before when this thing happened, we went online and found a half a dozen different organizations and universities that had this on their website,” Byrne said. “Had the BMV done any cursory investigation, they would have found many more.”Byrne also said there was no due process before the plates were removed from distribution. “They canceled our contract without any sort of hearing, any sort of due process,” Byrne said. “So, I would assume that is where we would start — to have a meeting with the BMV and discuss this.”IYG is still investigating potential legal representation to handle its case.The goal: reinstate the specialty license plates supporting Indiana’s gay youth.“All organizations in the specialty group plate program will receive notice from the BMV reminding them of the provisions of the Indiana Code and Indiana Administrative Code that prohibit the unauthorized sale of their low-digit plates,” according to a press release from the BMV. “If proof of similar activity by any other organization is brought to the BMV, the BMV staff will pursue and administer similar sanctions based on similar circumstances.”
(03/30/12 9:01pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>A Gosport, Ind., man is facing an attempted murder charge after he allegedly fired a sheriff deputy's handgun in an effort to flee following his arrest Thursday.Brandon Dale Helms, 27, was arrested for domestic disturbance on the 4000 block of W. Vernal Pike Thursday afternoon, said Lt. Bill Parker of the Bloomington Police Department.As Monroe County Sheriff Deputy Beverly McKnight was transporting Helms in a brown SUV toward the Monroe County Jail, Parker said Helms brought his handcuffed arms under his legs to his front. McKnight reported Helms then began choking her with the handcuffs, Parker said.While Parker said BPD's marked squad cars have Plexiglas screens separating the officer from the back seat, the SUV did not.While being choked, Parker said McKnight managed to stop the SUV and tried to force Helms from her neck near the intersection of Seventh and Adams streets at about 2:30 p.m.Helms then attempted to disarm McKnight, she reported. Parker said Helms was successful in partially removing McKnight's Glock 17 semiautomatic handgun from the holster on her right hip, just enough to get his finger on the trigger. Parker said Helms admitted to firing the gun, but nobody was shot.During the incident, McKnight reported that Helms said he was going to kill her, along with Deputy Troy Thomas, who also assisted in Helms' initial arrest. Thomas was not in the SUV during the altercation, Parker said.Following the shot, Parker said Bloomington resident Ernest Joseph Archer Jr., 41, noticed the altercation inside the SUV as he was mowing his lawn.Hopping down from his lawnmower, Archer approached the SUV to assist McKnight. Because McKnight had unlocked the SUV during the altercation as she called for backup, Archer was able to open the back door from the outside.He then reached into the SUV and got Helms off of McKnight. When Archer thought he subdued Helms, he then turned to assist McKnight who was evacuating the vehicle. But then, Parker said, Helms began to flee.During his assistance, Parker said Archer received minor injuries to his hand, including at least one bite mark. Although Archer was not transported to the hospital by ambulance, Parker said police took him to the hospital to be evaluated.While Parker said police do not typically advise citizens to intervene during an altercation involving law enforcement, he added that McKnight appreciates Archer's assistance.“His help was key to her not getting injured worse,” Parker said. “Archer is a true hero.”During the altercation and investigation, BPD received assistance from Indiana University Police, Indiana state Police, Ellettsville Police Department, the Department of Natural Resources and Indiana Excise Police. After escaping from the SUV, Helms ran about a block to a nearby residential address, where he hid underneath a shed, Parker said. Minutes later, he was discovered by Deputy Shawn Karr.Parker said as Karr tried to restrain Helms, Helms resisted. As with other officers, Helms allegedly said he would kill Karr, too. Eventually pinning Helms to the ground, Karr waited for backup until he was again arrested and transported to the jail.During the struggle, Karr obtained a bruise to his forehead, Parker said.For his resistance to Karr, Helms will also be charged with resisting law enforcement, battery on a police officer and intimidation.Along with these charges, and his attempted murder charge, Helms faces felonies for escape and the attempted disarming of a police officer.This incident was not Helms' first run-in with authorities. In 2002, Helms was charged with resisting law enforcement, possession of marijuana, disorderly conduct, criminal mischief and intimidation. In another 2002 case, he was charged with theft, battery, resisting law enforcement and obstruction of justice.In a third incident in 2002, Helms was again charged with resisting law enforcement, along with illegal consumption of an alcoholic beverage.In 2010 he was charged with maintaining a common nuisance and possession of marijuana and in 2011 he was charged with possession of paraphernalia.After BPD recovered the firearm Helms used, the fired bullet and other evidence from the incident, the SUV was returned to the Sheriff's Office. Helms was transported to the hospital for a
broken leg. Although he wore a soft walking cast, Parker said he was
able to walk on his leg during his transportation.
McKnight was also transported to the hospital for injuries obtained during the altercation.
(03/30/12 1:43am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Indiana residents have limited rights to resist police officers who enter their homes illegally, according to a new state law signed by Gov. Mitch Daniels. Senate Enrolled Act 1, which was passed March 20, states that a person is justified in using reasonable force against a public servant if the person believes force is necessary to protect themselves or others from unlawful force, prevent or terminate unlawful entry into a home or prevent a public servant’s criminal interference with property lawfully in the person’s possession.But residents engaged in illegal activity are unable to resist police, the statute states. An individual also may not resist an officer acting lawfully. While some officials say the new law only clarifies already existing statutes, such as the Castle Doctrine, others fear the law will further threaten the lives of law enforcement officers. The law was drafted in response to a controversial Indiana Supreme Court decision in Barnes v. State of Indiana, which was decided last year.In that case, an Ellettsville, Ind., man resisted a police officer who entered his home after receiving a call about a domestic disturbance. Although he was not charged with any other crimes, the man was charged with battery of a police officer for resisting.The state’s highest court ruled that a citizen never has the right to resist an officer in pursuit of an investigation. But many state lawmakers disagreed. Sen. Mike Young, R-Indianapolis, who authored the bill, said the law does not give citizens any new rights. Instead, it clarifies the right Indiana residents have had for more than 200 years to resist anybody who enters a home unwarranted.Cpt. Joe Qualters of the Bloomington Police Department said he worries the law will put the lives of law-abiding officers in danger. “My concern is that citizens might think they know under what circumstances they could prevent entry by law enforcement when, in fact, it might not be one of the exceptions allowed,” Qualters said. “That will cause conflict and could escalate a situation simply because a person doesn’t fully understand the law or applies it incorrectly to their particular circumstances.”Several Democratic lawmakers agree. But Democratic representatives Peggy Welch and Matt Pierce, both of Bloomington, understand the need for clarification. Welch did vote in favor of the final conference committee report, but she said it was a difficult decision.“A number of our law enforcement community feel it may be sending the wrong message to the public, that you can resist any time a police officer needs to enter your home,” Welch said. “People who are reasonable, people who are obeying the laws, you know, the police don’t have anything to be concerned about, and the citizens don’t have anything to be concerned about.”Pierce said he agrees. Although he voted in favor of the original bill after it came out of the House of Representatives, he voted against the final conference committee report because the last attempt to tweak the bill made it more ambiguous, he said.While the original version of the bill specifically referred to “law enforcement,” the final version of the bill uses “public servant.”But regardless of his final vote, Pierce said he does not believe it will have an adverse effect on the safety of law enforcement officers. “Most people don’t pay real close attention to what the General Assembly does, let alone carefully read the bills we pass,” Pierce said. “So I would be surprised if we have a sudden uptick of people resisting law enforcement under the theory that they’ve been given some new right by the state.”Although Pierce said the bill will have a limited effect on the actions of Hoosiers, he said it will likely affect future court proceedings.“Senate Bill 1 is really kind of a big jury instruction for lawyers to tell juries, ‘These are the factors you consider when you decide whether somebody has a good defense when they are being charged of assaulting a police officer,’” Pierce said.
(03/29/12 12:16am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Four years ago, members of the Trinity Episcopal Church established an all-inclusive homeless shelter for those in need during the winter months. This community service fits with the church’s mission of accepting anybody, despite potential vices, church officials said.For their community service, Rev. Charles Dupree, 42, and Rev. Virginia B. Hall, 69, won this year’s Human Rights Award from the City of Bloomington Human Rights Commission.The award, which has been presented for the past 11 years, honors individuals or groups who have made specific and significant contributions to improving civil rights, human relations or civility in Bloomington.Before Trinity established its homeless shelter, which operates within its limestone church, a low-barrier shelter for Bloomington residents was nonexistent. Now, the shelter has become interfaith, expanding between four locations.The shelter allows anybody to come in off the streets to stay overnight — no screenings, no questions asked, no Breathalyzer tests. “There were screening processes that kept people out of shelters, and we were learning that people were dying or losing their limbs as a result of the cold, and that’s just not right,” Dupree said. “Nobody deserves to die because they can’t get into a particular type of shelter.”According to her nominator, Hall was selected for her work with the Monroe County Religious Leaders group, an interfaith group of lay and clergy who are committed to “advocating for the religious principals of mercy, peace, social and economic justice and stewardship of the earth.”Hass has been the assistant rector at Trinity for five years after moving to Bloomington from California. “Thanks in large part to Hall’s leadership, both from the pulpit and behind the scenes, during recent years Trinity’s culture has shifted significantly from one in which Outreach was a minor part in the church’s affairs to its present state, in which service to the community has become a central part of the parish’s identity,” her nominator wrote, quoting a Trinity parishioner.Dupree was nominated for his belief in creating opportunities for all people to be self-determined, respected and fully included in society. “He has opened up the doors of his congregation to individuals with developmental disabilities, establishing multiple ways for them to share their gifts and abilities with the community,” his nominator wrote. Dupree has been the senior pastor at Trinity since fall 2008 after moving to Bloomington from upstate New York. Along with providing equal opportunities for all members of the Bloomington community, Dupree and Hall have also paved the way for a more inclusive religious community. Both Hall and Dupree are priests. Hall is a woman, and Dupree is openly gay.“The doors of some churches have been closed to me, and I don’t think that’s right,” Dupree said. “There are so many populations who have been dissed by the church, and I think the gay community is one of them.”Although Dupree has been a Christian his entire life, he has been told on several occasions that the church is not ready for a gay priest. He said he would not dare to go to some churches. Despite his acceptance of God, he said the church has not always been supportive of him.But luckily for him, Trinity follows moderate beliefs, he said.Following the Civil Rights Movement, the Episcopal Church began accepting ordained women in 1976. Hall was ordained in 1979.But she said she was also not accepted as a church leader without a struggle. “We had one or two people who left when Charlie came, and a couple of people who haven’t been too happy with me, but I think it’s very, very minor,” Hall said.Hall also has a personal connection to those who are homeless because her sister was homeless, she said. Hall was unable to support her sister, who Hall said was struggling with mental illness, and her sister never got back on her feet.“I want everybody to know that they can have a fulfilling life, and I want that message of unconditional love and compassion from the church,” Dupree said. Byron Bangert, chair of the BHRC, will present Hall and Dupree their award at the Bloomington Common Council meeting April 4. “When we are baptized, there are promises that we make, and one of these promises is to respect the dignity of every human being, and the shelter grows out of that as well,” Hall said.
(03/26/12 3:53am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Public intoxication arrests must meet a new set of specific requirements, according to an Indiana law that goes into effect July 1. According to SB 97, individuals may not be convicted of public intoxication unless they endanger their own lives or someone else’s life or are likely to disturb the peace, create a disturbance or harass another person. An amendment to the legislation said an officer is not liable should an individual cause a disturbance after being dismissed by police. Gov. Mitch Daniels signed the bill March 19.“It’s a constitutional law you can drink, the Supreme Court said so in 1852,” said Sen. Mike Young, R-Indianapolis. “We’re basically saying ‘Hey, as long as you’re not bothering anybody, you shouldn’t be a criminal.’”Young authored the bill in response to a 2011 Indiana Supreme Court decision in Moore v. State. In that case, officers charged an Indianapolis woman with public intoxication after she handed her keys to a sober driver because she was too drunk to drive her car home. When officers pulled the car over and discovered the sober driver did not have a valid driver’s license, the passenger admitted she was intoxicated. She was arrested and found guilty of public intoxication. “The court said, ‘Hey, our hands are tied,’” Young said. “The law says if you’re in public, and a car is in a public place, and you have alcohol in your system and a police officer thinks you’re intoxicated, whether you cause any problems or not, you’re guilty of a public intoxication charge.”But such a charge, Young said, goes against the state’s public policy, which states an intoxicated individual should designate a sober driver rather than driving drunk. “Here we tell people, ‘If you can’t drive, get a ride,’ and now we make a criminal out of them,” Young said. “We didn’t think that was right.”Capt. Joe Qualters of the Bloomington Police Department said he does not anticipate an effect on the BPD. At least one of the components of the new statute is already typically evident in public intoxication arrests, he said. “Making arrests for public intoxication has never been a numbers game for us, and we don’t make those types of arrests just for the sake of making an arrest,” Qualters said. “Most are usually made in response to a call or an observation by an officer on patrol.”If police respond to a fight and determine one or more of the participants is intoxicated, Qualters said as an example, their intoxication would qualify under the “breach of peace” statute in the new law. “Chances are that if an intoxicated person is not drawing attention to themselves in some manner and is just trying to get from Point A to Point B, they would be left alone now,” Qualters said. “That course of action by a person who chooses to walk rather than drive is always encouraged.”The only change officers should see, Qualters said, is that they will be required to articulate in their reports what behaviors were observed and what part of the statute was violated. “We’re just doing the right thing here,” Young said. “We asked for citizens to take a specific course of action. We shouldn’t make them criminals when they do it, and that’s what this bill accomplishes.”
(03/23/12 2:06am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Following a narrow vote to include Interstate 69 in the Bloomington/Monroe County Metropolitan Planning Organization’s Transportation Improvement Program, one member of the MPO cited a conflict of interest, nullifying the vote.But the cited conflict of interest does not meet several requirements under Indiana’s conflict of interest statute. Still aiming to reverse the MPO’s decision, Monroe County Commissioner Mark Stoops, who challenged the decision because of the potential conflict of interest, is continuing his challenge under federal conflict of interest laws. “The MPO is set up under federal legislation, and that is what we are researching right now to see if there are additional or different constraints on a conflict of interest process,” Stoops said. “I haven’t dropped my contesting the vote, and I won’t until I get an opinion on federal law that applies to the MPO.”Stoops said he is currently working with an unidentified lawyer who, he said, is educated on federal procedure. “The most important part of all of this stuff is to research the law before bringing up a complaint,” Mayor Mark Kruzan said. “The state statute he cited does not apply, and my preference is to find that out before we bring it up.”Although Kruzan voted against including I-69 in the MPO’s TIP, he said he does not believe a conflict of interest exists. The conflict of interest Stoops referred to involved MPO Citizens Advisory Committee member and Monroe County Highway Department Director Bill Williams. Williams’ son, Stoops said, works as a subcontractor for the Indiana Department of Transportation, specifically working on the construction of I-69. Williams, Kruzan said, has supported the I-69 project before his son was hired as a subcontractor. But according to Indiana’s conflict of interest statute, conflict of interest only applies to immediate family members, including dependents and spouses. Williams, who voted in favor of I-69, could not be reached for comment.Kruzan added that the state statute also only applies to employees of the city government, not local employees such as Williams. If Stoops determines that Williams’ vote did violate federal conflict of interest laws, he said he hopes to either nullify the vote entirely or force a re-vote. The determination as to whether a federal conflict of interest violation exists should be made by next week, Stoops said.“I don’t think Bill Williams had a real conflict of interest in the vote. I don’t think he would have changed his vote because of where his son worked,” Stoops said. “I think Bill Williams has a lot of integrity, but I’m contesting the process the MPO used to allow Bill or not.”
(03/21/12 2:01am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Gov. Mitch Daniels has signed a new Indiana bill into law that restricts additional chemicals and imposes more severe penalties for retailers selling synthetic drugs such as “bath salts” and “spice.”HB 1196, signed March 15, covers more than 60 chemicals used to create drugs that mimic cocaine and marijuana. Retailers who sell synthetic drugs containing banned compounds could lose their retailer’s licenses for a year, face up to eight years in prison and be fined up to $10,000.“Nobody really knows what are in these compounds,” said Rep. Matt Pierce, D-Bloomington, who voted in favor of the bill. “This stuff is getting manufactured outside the country and all kinds of other things are being added into it. A lot of these things, we have no idea what they are, and they’ve proven to be very toxic.” Bath salts have effects similar to amphetamines and can cause damage to the nervous system, said bill author and Rep. Milo Smith, R-Columbus.The bill, which includes an emergency provision, went into effect immediately. Indiana first enacted a synthetic drugs ban in 2011. In Indiana, Smith said, about 20 deaths and hundreds of hospitalizations were reportedly caused by the use of synthetic substances. Rep. Peggy Welch, D-Bloomington, said the new law, which received unanimous support in the General Assembly, will close loopholes. The former law also included a list of banned chemical compounds found in synthetic drugs, but chemists developing the synthetic drugs were altering the chemical compounds, Welch said. While the altered chemicals provided similar mind-altering effects, they were not the same chemical, which made them legal.The Indiana Board of Pharmacy has power to ban chemicals found in synthetic drugs — in addition to chemicals already included in the law – after they are developed until the Indiana General Assembly reconvenes. Pierce said this provision could likely face constitutional challenges.“There is some argument that criminal laws can only be made by the legislature,” Pierce said. “So I would not be surprised if we get some litigation over whether it is appropriate to have this administrative body adding to the list.” However, Pierce said he believes the bill will be considered constitutional.Bloomington Police Capt. Joe Qualters also expressed support for the law. While Qualters said BPD more frequently deals with cases involving drugs such as marijuana or cocaine, it has responded to incidents in which individuals under the influence of synthetic substances exhibited paranoia and violence.“Some of those encounters have resulted in the individuals being transported to the hospital for treatment or to jail for the violence or another underlying criminal charge,” Qualters said. “We have also responded to burglaries at convenience stores where the synthetic drugs were the only items taken.”To combat the distribution of synthetic drugs, Qualters said BPD, on its own or in response to complaints from citizens, will be able to check retailers to determine if they sell the product.However, he said the underground trafficking of synthetic drugs could continue. “There are always those who will seek out ways to meet their need or fulfill the demands,” Qualters said. “This new law will, hopefully, offer greater ability for enforcement by staying ahead of possible chemical alterations rather than playing ‘catch-up,’ as was done in the past.”While Welch said she does not support the consumption of cocaine or marijuana, she said she has not heard stories of people going “wacko” like some have in cases involving synthetic substances. For this reason, she said, the bill received bipartisan support. “These synthetic drugs are dangerous on many levels not only because of the chemicals involved — those known and unknown — that are ingested, but because of the dramatic physical and psychological effects,” Qualters said. “This is important legislation that was passed to address these issues.”
(03/20/12 4:10am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Dressed in a black leather vest covered in patches, Alicia Hamilton waited in a small room at the Monroe County Jail. A security camera watched overhead as she sat casually with a black boom box beneath her chair.For Alicia, 49, waiting outside the jail had become routine. Faint lines beneath her eyes highlighted her lack of rest.Inside the crowded waiting room, she did not linger alone.Sitting next to Alicia was another member of the Un-Chained Gang. Three more waited across the room. A stocky man, also wearing a leather vest, stood in the middle of the room, gripping in his left hand a copy of the Holy Bible.Alicia and the other Un-Chained Gang ministers were there to preach to prisoners face-to-face, to spread the word of Jesus Christ.“Let’s call them and let them know we’re ready to roll,” the man with the Bible said, walking toward the telephone. “It’s time for church, grab my Bible,” another Un-Chained member said.Carrying the boom box by her side, Alicia followed the pack through the gray metal door with a small window, into the jail. Once inside, the men and women in the Un-Chained Gang separated into two groups. Alicia and the other two women in the group walked into the common area of the women’s noisy cellblock.To kill time, the inmates watched television and played cards, but were disrupted when Alicia yelled “Church!”It is optional to attend the Un-Chained church service, but about 20 women gathered around the tables to pray and listen to worship music. Following service, prisoners frequently approach Alicia to speak one-on-one, asking for guidance on how to improve their lives.It was not too late for the prisoners, she lectured, to secure a spot in heaven.In fact, the congregation at her church, the House of Prayer Ellettsville, is comprised of ex-convicts — from convicted drug addicts to violent criminals.Even their leader, Pastor Larry Mitchell, is a former member of Hell’s Henchmen, a Chicago-based motorcycle gang known for violence. But for Alicia, preaching to inmates is a little peculiar. Standing before women trapped in cells, she has never worn an orange jumpsuit herself.“I never got put in jail,” she said. “But there’s some things and situations I had myself in where I could have been put in jail, I just didn’t get caught.”***Leaving behind a broken past, Alicia filled her voids with religion. But on her mission to become good, she wonders if she pushed herself too hard. As a child, Alicia dreamed of becoming a fashion designer.“I’m never getting married, I’m never having kids and I’m never working in a factory,” Alicia recalls telling her mother.But each of these would soon become her reality.With drugs and alcohol flowing through her veins, Alicia became pregnant and married her first husband when she was 16 years old. In the four years to follow, the young couple had two more children. But they struggled.With the responsibility of raising a family, Alicia cut back on her partying. But her husband, she said, was using cocaine.“He did like to party, and he had a couple girlfriends, which didn’t help matters,” Alicia said.Arguments ensued. Divorce seemed inevitable. “Well I ought to just kill the kids and kill myself, and you can just do whatever you want to do,” her husband said when they fought.When she came home from work one day, her children were watching television in the living room. In their bedroom, her husband shot himself.Following his suicide, Alicia began drinking again, alone. With Alicia’s mother taking care of the children on weekends, she binged. She found a dead-end job at Bloomington’s General Electric factory, building refrigerators along a conveyor belt. Her job, she said, was like being “camped out on the edge of hell.”She dated several men from work, eventually marrying one under two conditions: They were not to drink alcohol together, and they were to attend church.This decision came after a New Years party when her then-boyfriend shoved her into his car after an argument, fracturing her back.Despite the lawsuit Alicia filed against him, they still married in 1992. Immediately after their marriage, he stopped attending church. Then she stopped. Then they divorced.She tried antidepressants, which intensified her despair. Alcohol was her next stop. The slump continued until she was kicked back into reality. Her 19-year-old and 17-year-old sons each had pregnant girlfriends.Before her grandchildren were born, she thought, she needed to clean up her act. She turned to a past relationship, one that had never fully developed. She turned to Jesus Christ.***Alicia prayed in the second row at the House of Prayer Ellettsville. Draped over her shoulders was the arm of her third husband of nearly 11 years, Jeff Hamilton.The couple married shortly after Alicia started attending the House of Prayer Ellettsville. Through faith, Jeff was digging himself out of alcoholism.A scar running diagonally across the top of the shy man’s forehead tells the story of his past life. After being charged for drinking and driving nine times, losing several jobs, crashing in two near-fatal accidents and relapsing several times, he has been clean now for 12 years.Inside the busy church, Alicia was not the only church member wearing a leather vest, covered entirely with Christian-oriented patches:“Property of Jesus Christ.”“100% for Jesus.”“Satan sucks.”On the back was the Un-Chained Gang Ministries logo — two wrists breaking free from shackles, superimposed over a cross.Alicia and Jeff started clapping their hands and singing in unison with the up-beat music in the chapel. Pastor Mitchell stood center stage with an acoustic guitar. His long-sleeved shirt concealed the tattoos dotting his arms.Jeff and Alicia each had their own copies of the Bible resting on their laps. As Mitchell gave his sermon, Alicia took notes on a yellow notepad. Alicia chose to attend the House of Prayer Ellettsville several years ago because the clergy is composed of like-minded people.When Alicia first turned to religion, she thought she was through with men, no more struggled relationships. At first, even her connection with God was rough.For God, she thought, she was not good enough. “I always had this feeling that if I messed up, God was up there with a big hammer, ready to strike you with lightning or hit you on the head,” Alicia said.But now — married and fully entangled in her religion — she could not imagine continuing under her old lifestyle. If she had, she said she would have been miserable, hateful, bitter and angry. She would have hated men forever. Worse yet, she never would have had the courage to quit her job at GE.She would never have been able to purchase her own Christian-oriented business.***Before dawn broke, Alicia woke up. After letting her three dogs outside, she returned to bed to study the Bible and pray for an hour. Then, she was off to work.Inside her small business in a strip mall, Alicia sat alone in the darkness with the doors still locked. Eating a bowl of oatmeal on her cluttered desk, Alicia enjoyed a little downtime.Along the wall behind her hung spools of thread, one for every color imaginable. Her pink t-shirt advertised her sewing and embroidery business, “God is Sew Good.”It is not quite fashion design, she admitted, but it is close enough.A small crucifix dangled from her neck. Draped over the back of her office chair was a black hoodie adorning the Un-Chained Gang logo. After unlocking the front door and flipping the switch on a neon “open” sign, Alicia began to embroider “dropping the puck on cancer” on the back of hockey jerseys.While her business does cater to the needs of the Un-Chained Gang, most of her business is secular. The jerseys, 90 of them in total, caused problems the whole way through, she said. Her customer did not deliver the jerseys or patches on time, but still expected his order to be completed soon.“There is only so much I can physically do, and I already told him I’m not working 24/7 to get them done,” Alicia said.Her stress levels rose when she sewed a patch onto a jersey improperly. The sounds of a Christian radio station filled the store’s airwaves.As Alicia continued to work on the jerseys, Jeff walked through the front door toward a vacant desk — his desk.Alicia said she was skeptical about hiring her husband at first. Just before Alicia founded her business, she and Jeff were also talking about getting divorced.“If I was the same way I used to be before Christ and he was the same way he used to be before Christ, we probably would have killed each other.”But they made it through.Expanding farther into the strip mall, Jeff has his own room — the “man cave” — where he screen-prints t-shirts and sings along with the radio. “Working in an atmosphere where I can think about God, talk about God, listen to Christian music all day, if I can just surround myself with God, I’m so much better off,” Jeff said. “I don’t think I’ll ever work for anybody else.”After work, Alicia is ready to return home, to hit the couch. But often she returns to church. She assists with the youth group, teaches a class on divine healing and manages the church’s bookstore, filled with clothing she and Jeff made.Inside the church’s youth room, teenagers practiced instruments on stage. Sitting in the audience, Alicia chewed her fingernails. The youth group used to have more than 100 participants. Whittled down to only a handful, Alicia decided to help. Although the attendance is back to about 15 teens, she does not know how much longer she can last. Burned out, something in her life must go. Contemplating her end with the youth group or other obligations in her life, she has not yet made up her mind.She does not know how long she will own her business or ride with the Un-Chained gang.But down the road, Alicia hopes to do her own mission work, just she and Jeff. “Tomorrow has to be a better day,” Alicia said. “I believe it’s going to be.”
(03/19/12 3:37am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Gov. Mitch Daniels selected Connie Lawson, a state senator since 1996, as Indiana’s new secretary of state Friday.Lawson, who was sworn in at the Statehouse in Indianapolis, replaces former Secretary of State Charlie White. White was removed from office and found guilty of six felonies, including voter fraud.“I don’t know when I’ve felt so good or confident about a decision as the appointment this morning of Senator Connie Lawson as Indiana’s new secretary of state,” Daniels said during the swearing-in ceremony. “I doubt the state has ever been served by someone better prepared for her duties than Connie will be.”Lawson was selected following a 5-0 decision made by the Indiana Supreme Court on March 15 determining that Daniels had authority to replace White with a fellow Republican. The Supreme Court decision overruled a trial court decision allowing Democrats to take the state’s third ranking position. The Indiana Democratic Party argued that White should have been considered ineligible to run for Secretary of State because he was improperly registered to vote.Therefore, Democrats believed their candidate, Vop Osili, who lost to White by more than 300,000 votes in the 2010 general election, should replace White. But the state’s highest court ruled the challenge made by the Indiana Democratic Party came too late.The opinion of the court also said it was unwilling to go against the will of the voters. “It is likely that the average voter was aware that there were concerns about White‘s voter registration history at the time of the election, but we will not, on the basis of the present petition, judicially disenfranchise voters who went to the polls aware of what were at that moment only allegations,” the court opinion stated.The Supreme Court focused on how Democrats waited until after the election to challenge White’s candidacy through the Indiana Recount Commission. This wait, the court ruled, was unnecessary.“None of the filings at issue — not White‘s voter registration, not the Certificate of Nomination, nor White‘s Declaration of Candidacy — were confidential or sealed,” according to the opinion. “In fact, the discrepancy was discovered by a private citizen, presumably acting without the aid or benefit of a statewide party‘s resources and experience, and the Democratic Party has pointed us to nothing in their briefs to demonstrate the impossibility of their discovering White‘s registration issues at an earlier date.”Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller said in a statement that the Supreme Court’s resolution brings closure to a case with many troublesome aspects.“This ends a sad, sad chapter, and I look forward to working with the new officeholder in restoring the public’s confidence in the Office of Secretary of State,” Zoeller said in the statement. Lawson will be the secretary of state until White’s term ends. During the ceremony Friday, she said it is too early to decide if she will run in 2014. However, she indicated that was a possibility. “Sure, I considered other names, but Connie’s was the first name I thought of,” Daniels said. “There was never really a rival. Just look at her credentials for this job. Look at her reputation for legislative integrity.”Lawson has served as the majority floor leader of the Indiana Senate since 1996. Until her appointment as Secretary of State, she was chair of the local government and joint rules committees. During this year’s legislative session, Lawson authored a bill aiming to reduce nepotism and conflict of interest. “This new opportunity to serve all Hoosiers, Republicans and Democrats across the state, is an opportunity I take very seriously,” Lawson said. “Over the next few weeks, we will work together to assess the current systems, policies and procedures and will move quickly to make any improvements and strengthen the office.”
(03/19/12 2:18am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>By a narrow 7-6 vote, the policy committee of the Bloomington/Monroe County Metropolitan Planning Organization agreed to include construction of Interstate 69 to State Road 37 in its Transportation Improvement Program.The decision, which came after hours of debate March 9, will allow the Indiana Department of Transportation to use federal funds for the interstate’s construction within the MPO’s jurisdiction. But if one member of the MPO Citizens Advisory Committee succeeds, this decision could possibly be reversed. Controversy has surrounded the interstate in Monroe County for decades. The MPO delayed its final vote on whether to include construction in its TIP for several months. Even now that a final decision has been reached, controversy continues.During the March 9 meeting, several community members approached the board with concerns about a conflict of interest involving Bill Williams, Monroe County Highway Department director.Williams’ son works as a subcontractor for INDOT, specifically working on construction of I-69, County Commissioner Mark Stoops said.Chairperson Kent McDaniel, representing the Bloomington Public Transit Corporation, said no conflict of interest existed because Williams did not benefit directly from his son’s employment.Ultimately, Williams voted for inclusion of the I-69 plans.Stoops challenged Williams’ vote March 10.“The decision by MPO Chair Kent McDaniel to allow Bill to vote on the issue violated State conflict of interest laws,” Stoops said in a press release. When the MPO was notified of a conflict of interest, it was required to receive an opinion from an outside source not on the committee, Stoops said. They would then have been required to submit a written review of the conflict and decide whether it existed. This was not the only procedural flaw, Stoops said, adding that Monroe County commissioners should have notified MPO members of the conflict of interest before appointing Williams as chair.“Indiana Code specifically states that if an immediate family member has a financial interest, that represents a conflict,” Stoops said. “The vote by Bill Williams — it was a ‘yes’ vote — will be void and not valid. So that means, technically, I-69 is not included in our TIP because the vote to include it in our TIP failed.”If Stoops’ challenge succeeds, INDOT will not receive federal funding for section 4 of I-69, a 1.75-mile stretch within the MPO’s jurisdiction. The MPO must also vote to include section 5 of I-69 in its TIP. Stoops anticipates the MPO will not vote in favor of section 5 if section 4 fails.“If I were Mitch Daniels and INDOT, I would be seriously reconsidering my options at this point,” Stoops said. “The wise choice would be to stop wasting Hoosier money on this boondoggle and fix the deteriorating roads and bridges we already have.”
(03/08/12 4:26am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>“What colors are the American flag?” volunteer Kathy Dilcher asked the small group of immigrants.“Blue, red and white,” one said.“Who wrote the Declaration of Independence?” Dilcher asked next.“George Washington,” another guessed. “Oh, wait, no. I’m sorry. It was Thomas Jefferson.”For five weeks, the City of Bloomington and Indiana Legal Services are offering a citizenship and naturalization class to immigrants who hope to become U.S. citizens. Six Bloomington residents, who immigrated to Bloomington from places ranging from New Zealand to Japan, registered for the class. Meeting twice a week at City Hall, the course is designed to prepare immigrants for the required citizenship exam in Indianapolis.During the exam, immigrants are quizzed on 10 questions, chosen at random from 100.To become U.S. citizens, immigrants must answer six questions correctly, Dilcher said. With questions about American history and geography, along with how local, state and federal governments operate, Dilcher said some questions are easy, but even many life-long citizens would struggle with others. “They have to be able to read English and write English at the interviews,” Dilcher said. “They’ll be given a dictation, and they have to write it, and they’ll be given something to read.”Seven years ago, French native Pierre Plessier, 35, moved to the United States with his wife, an American citizen. After five years, he too was eligible to become a U.S. citizen. Now, with the upcoming presidential election, he said he wants his voice to be heard.“I pay taxes, I live here just like any other person, and the only way to be heard is to become a citizen,” Plessier said. “There are not very many people here who are aware of legal immigration and the process and the years that it takes to come here and to fill out all that red tape and everything like that.”While Plessier said he understands the motives of immigrants coming into the country illegally, he said he wants to do it the right way. “There are rules, and they are meant to be followed, and I think it’s just the right thing to do,” Plessier said.He said the current process to become a legal American citizen is too difficult. Just to take the test, immigrants must pay an application fee of about $680, Dilcher said. “Instead of trying to focus on illegal immigration, I think what should be focused on is make it easier for people who want to enter the U.S.,” Plessier said. “It is expensive to come here legally, and I think people who are already living in poverty or distress, they are not going to try to get some money to come into the U.S. They’re just going to try to get in with the little things they have.”Geraldine Miraval, 40, moved to the United States from Mexico nearly 10 years ago. She said she is looking forward to her ability to vote.Her husband, an American citizen, first found a job as a professor at the University of New Mexico. They moved to Bloomington when he was hired for a job at IU. Miraval does not currently work. Instead, she is focusing on raising her three children.Her 20-year-old son is also looking to become a U.S. citizen, but her 5-year-old twin daughters are already citizens because they were born in the U.S.“I feel good because the family is here together, and it’s our new home, our new place and we’re happy to do it,” Miraval said. “Now I have a voice. I’m here. I can have my own opinion. I can participate in everything.”At the end of the course, volunteer attorneys from Indiana Legal Services will offer free legal assistance to those hoping to go through the naturalization process. This service will be offered April 21, the American Immigration Lawyers Association’s Citizenship Day. While Indiana Legal Services is offering its assistance for free, Christie Popp, directing attorney for Indiana Legal Services’ Immigrants and Language Rights Center, said similar naturalization services could cost $1,000 or more. Denise Brown, 58, from New Zealand said she sees her opportunity to become a U.S. citizen as a sense of belonging.Her husband, also an American citizen, was stationed in New Zealand in the military when they first met. After living in Spain for a few years, she has been in the U.S. for 32 years. She lived in California and moved to Bloomington 17 years ago. She said she can hardly remember living in her home country.“To tell you the truth, I’ve been gone for so long,” Brown said. “I’ve lived in the United States longer than I’ve lived in New Zealand for. I’m not one or the other, really. I don’t really belong in New Zealand anymore, and I don’t really belong here unless I become a citizen, so I think that will give me a sense of finally belonging here.”
(03/08/12 1:22am)
City of Bloomington volunteer Kathy Dilcher discusses the presidents depicted on various American coins with immigrants working to become U.S. citizens Tuesday at City Hall. Through this program, immigrants from across the globe are prepped for the required citizenship exam in Indianapolis.
(03/08/12 1:22am)
City of Bloomington volunteer Kathy Dilcher asks Japanese citizen Kiyomi Macy if she can identify the president pictured on an American $5 bill Tuesday at City Hall. Macy, along with Chinese citizen Guiying Li, right, are taking a class through the City of Bloomington and Indiana Legal Services to prepare them in their venture to become U.S. Citizens.
