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(06/30/13 10:15pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>With some of the hottest months coming our way, it is important to stay safe in the heat this summer and on July Fourth. When temperatures reach 90 degrees Fahrenheit or higher, overexposure to the heat can be hazardous. People suffer heat-related illness when the body’s ability to control its temperature is overloaded. Your body normally cools itself by sweating, but sometimes this isn’t enough and a person’s body temperature rises quickly, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Humid conditions, frequently experienced in Indiana, can add to the discomfort and danger of high temperatures.“When humidity is high, sweat cannot evaporate as quickly. This prevents the body from rapidly releasing heat,” Center for Disease Control and Prevention-INFO said. Other factors that affect the body’s ability to cool itself during extremely hot weather include: old age, youth up to 4 years old, obesity, fever, dehydration, heart disease, mental illness, poor circulation, sunburn, prescription drug use and alcohol use, Carrie Lawrence, health educator for IU Student Health Center of Health and Wellness, said in an email.“Be aware that alcohol is a diuretic — meaning that it promotes dehydration — and interferes with your body’s ability to regulate its own temperature, thus a higher risk for passing out,” Lawrence said.She added that the body loses fluids through the urination alcohol induces, and if fluids are not replaced in the body, dehydration can be life-threatening.“Alcohol can affect the central nervous system,” Lawrence said. “It impairs a person’s judgment, which can interfere with the ability to make smart choices. Impaired judgment causes a loss of inhibitions and may lead to dangerous behavior such as drinking and driving or not recognizing heat related illnesses.” Alcohol also influences balance and coordination and its effects are heightened by sun exposure and heat.The Indiana Department of Homeland Security provides several tips to stay safe in extreme heat.First, keep yourself hydrated and nourished. Drink fluids regularly, regardless of your activity level and avoid sugary, caffeinated and alcoholic beverages as they will dehydrate you faster. Despite the heat lessening your appetite, eat smaller meals more frequently because your body needs proper nutrition to function properly. Second, take time to cool off. If possible, spend time indoors in an air-conditioned building. Even a few hours spent in the air conditioning can help your body stay cooler when you go back into the heat.Third, never leave animals, children or the elderly inside a vehicle. Even if you will be only gone a few minutes and all the windows are down, it is extremely dangerous to leave a person or animal inside a vehicle during extreme heat temperatures.Lawrence also offers these tips to stay safe in the heat.Wear lightweight, light-colored and loose-fitting clothing, limit your outdoor activities to morning and evening hours, spend time resting in shaded areas or cool indoor places, protect yourself from the sun by wearing a wide-brimmed hat as well as sunglasses and finally, make sure to apply and reapply sunscreen of SPF 15 or higher.The CDC-INFO email said, some signs of heat exhaustion are feeling faint or dizzy, nausea, heavy sweating, rapid and weak heartbeat, moist and pale skin, headache and feeling fatigue. If you or your holiday guests suspect heat exhaustion, get out of the sun and into a shaded area immediately, lay down and elevate the legs and feet slightly, loosen or remove clothing, slowly drink cool water or other nonalcoholic beverages without caffeine, cool down by spraying or sponging yourself with cool water or fanning and monitor the person or self carefully.Be cautious. Heat exhaustion can quickly become heatstroke. Call 911 or emergency medical help if the person’s condition deteriorates, especially if fainting, confusion or seizures occur, or if fever of 104 F or greater occurs with other symptoms. For more information on extreme heat, please visit CDC website at www.bt.cdc.gov/disasters/extremeheat/faq.asp.
(06/30/13 9:25pm)
Although drought plagued Indiana last year, this year's farmers market is thriving once again.
(06/27/13 12:50am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The Supreme Court of the United States issued its historic ruling on the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and Proposition 8 cases on Wednesday regarding same-sex marriages.The Supreme Court ruled section 3 of DOMA was unconstitutional Wednesday morning because the act violates the Fifth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, stating DOMA is a violation of the “equal protection” clause.In the Proposition 8 case, the court ruled that the plaintiffs in the appeal of the lower court’s decision had no standing. The lower court’s ruling that Proposition 8 is unconstitutional remains in place, and marriage for same-sex couples is once again legal in California.In response to this, FairTalk, a grassroots organization working to achieve full marriage equality for same-sex couples in Indiana, held a rally at Rachael’s Café in Bloomington to discuss the outcomes of both DOMA and Proposition 8.“We are taking steps towards equality in these two rulings,” President and founder of FairTalk Jean Capler said. “But also, we need to remind everyone that we have a lot of work to do across the nation and in Indiana particularly.”Same-sex couples who are legally married will be recognized by the federal government as married and are therefore eligible for more than 1,100 federal benefits, rights, protections and responsibilities already afforded to legally married heterosexual couples.Same-sex couples will also be able to marry in the state of California again, bringing the number of states that allow marriage equality to 13 in addition to the District of Columbia. “The fight continues and the work goes on, but it’s certainly a day worthy of celebration,” said Doug Bauder, office coordinator for the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Student Support Services Office. The fight and struggle Bauder and Capler referred to was House Joint Resolution 6 (HJR6) in Indiana.“For same-sex couples living in all of the rest of the states that prohibit marriage for them or any legal recognition, like Indiana, the rulings today don’t affect them,” Capler said.There is no impact on the legal protections or recognition for same-sex couples in Indiana and HJR6 is a proposal for the Indiana Constitution that says marriage in Indiana shall only be valid or recognized between one man and one woman. “If enacted, this would change the Indiana state constitution to include exclusive language and that means same-sex couples could never get married in Indiana unless we went through another lengthy, multi-year process to change it back,” Capler said.At the rally, near 60 attendees listened as Bloomington Mayor Mark Kruzan spoke along with Rabbi Brian Besser and Doug Bauder as well as Reverend Jack Stiles to discuss Indiana’s future.Kruzan opened by saying equality was alive and well in the U.S., though not fully.“We need to make sure that not just in Bloomington, Indiana, but throughout the state of Indiana the message is clear that this is truly not one nation till all people are equal,” Kruzan said in reference to HJR6 and the continuous struggles same-sex couples see in legislative debate.Although the DOMA and Proposition 8 rulings did not legally affect Indiana Wednesday, many who support same-sex marriages said they saw the day’s announcement as a significant step forward.“It is meaningful that the federal government now recognizes the legal legitimacy of marriages of same-sex couples,” Capler said. “But we still have so much work to do.”
(06/27/13 12:23am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Bloomington Deputy Mayor Maria Heslin announced earlier this month she is leaving her city government position in the fall to return to the private sector.Heslin was sworn in as the City’s first female deputy mayor by Mayor Mark Kruzan in January of 2008 and served as the city communications director for three years prior.Before joining the City of Bloomington government in 2005, Heslin owned and operated her own marketing and communication firm in downtown Bloomington. Heslin said she intends to launch her own company focusing on helping businesses and individuals advance their enterprises through strategic communications, business education and material development. “Her new business will focus on proofreading and editing content for small businesses, specifically for business websites and public relations campaigns,” Kruzan said in an email. Kruzan explained that Heslin’s father, Thomas Heslin, was an award-winning IU Kelley School faculty member, and that the two of them developed a website, gps-to-success.us, to assist businesspeople in learning business basics.Heslin expressed her excitement in a press release about her upcoming future.“Leaving the City to launch my own business was not an easy decision to make because being deputy mayor of the world’s greatest college town is an honor and a fantastic job,” Heslin said. “However, I am eager to tackle new challenges and apply the best of the public sector to the world of business.”Heslin will be doing more than just starting her own business though. This fall, Heslin will be an adjunct instructor at the IU School of Journalism teaching nonprofit public relations.Before joining the City, Maria earned her B.A. and two Master’s degrees from Indiana University in Journalism and Arts Administration.“I am forever grateful to Mark for the opportunities he (Kruzan) has provided me, the support he has shown me and the belief he has demonstrated in my abilities throughout the years,” Heslin said in the press release.“Maria has been a terrific colleague and friend, and she’s been a crucial part of our administration’s efforts,” Kruzan said. He also described the main qualifications of the Deputy Mayor post are to have the trust and confidence of the mayor, which he said Heslin completely earned. He cited Heslin’s main accomplishments as being the modernization of the city government, leadership of the Innovation Team and authorship of the city’s Strategic Plan. Kruzan also noted her role in helping to establish BEAD, naming and designing the logo for the B-Line Trail, launching the Be Active wellness initiative and increasing the Animal Shelter’s adoption program visibility. When asked about her replacement, Kruzan said the position is hers until she leaves, and he doesn’t plan on having any conversations about the post until then. Kruzan said though that in recent months he has asked the City departments to leave job vacancies open longer than usual to save the taxpayers money. He said they will most likely leave this position open for awhile in order to do the same.“Maria has done a tremendous amount not only for the city government but for the city as a whole,” Kruzan said. “Our loss is the private sector’s gain as her new business clients will have an expert editor, strategist and marketing professional on their team.—Samantha Felix
(06/23/13 11:08pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>As sunshine turned into a rainy downpour Saturday afternoon, many Taste of Bloomington festival goers ran to tents and booths, huddling to stay dry.Ankle-deep flooding was seen at Gate 1, located at the corner of Seventh and Morton streets, where volunteer gate workers confirmed the festival was to continue after the rains subsided.At 3:30 p.m., Taste of Bloomington gate workers said live music had been postponed until 4 p.m., but the rain steadily continued and the musical acts did not start until about 5 p.m. on the main stage at Eighth and Morton streets.At about 5:30 p.m., small batches of visitors to the 31st annual Taste of Bloomington began to filter into the Showers Commons at City Hall to sample the flavors of local vendors and restaurants.The IDS sent two reporters into the Taste of Bloomington to talk with four food vendors, getting their takes on this year’s rain-soaked festival atmosphere.GYPSY MOON NOSH WAGONA newcomer to town and the Taste of Bloomington, Gypsy Moon Nosh Wagon was located at the Showers North Lot during the festival.Gypsy Moon owner Jackie White said the festival was a lot more work than she is normally used to doing out of her food truck.“I cook in small batches,” she said. “I like doing small orders. And I like to be creative and do funky stuff.”Her food truck is named Gypsy Moon because of its wandering, creative nature.“I’ve been painting that moon for years and years,” she said. “And I’ve always thought of myself as a gypsy. And now, the truck moves around like a gypsy, too.”Gypsy Moon Nosh Wagon is just one of several street food vendors in town. White said she has been in talks with Mother Bear’s Pizza, Uel-Zing coffee and The Big Cheeze to try and form a street food coalition in Bloomington.“I’d like to start what I like to call a ‘cluster-truck,’” she said.The menu Saturday featured coconut curry pork tacos — the day’s best seller — alongside red chili chicken tacos and bacon-bleu cheese guacamole.“It’s hard work, but I love the food and all the restaurants,” White said. “And we’re doing pretty good despite the rain.”COACHES BAR & GRILLCoaches Bar & Grill, located at the corner of Sixth and College streets, offered up items from its regular menu in single-serve portions.On the menu at Coaches’ booth, located in the Showers Commons, were fried mushrooms, cheeseburger sliders and the restaurant’s original “Firecracker Shrimp” with lemon aioli dipping sauce.Coaches’ Executive Chef Willie Price said the menu this year was different from last year’s menu of chili cheese fries, buffalo wings and the restaurant’s signature Firecracker Shrimp.“We really try to change up the menu each year,” Price said. “We try to give people a taste of something different each year and steadily improve upon our food.”Coaches Bar & Grill, partly managed by the Hilton Garden Inn to which the restaurant is attached, was overseen on Saturday by Dale Benson, the hotel’s food and beverage manager.Benson said Coaches’ and neighboring vendors’ booths were without power a handful of times because of the heavy rains that preceded the festival that afternoon.Power was quickly restored to the booths in that area within minutes, but the rain did have a different effect on the booth’s performance that day.“Because of the rain, it seems like no one’s coming in and people are leaving,” Benson said. “It’s always more hectic when it rains.”Even though the weather had an impact on the booth’s customer flow, chef Price said the day’s best-selling item was the fried mushrooms, second to the Firecracker Shrimp.DATS ON GRANTDats on Grant, a cajun creole café, joined the festivities with its “Real Cajun, Real Fast” attitude as it served up three tasty dishes: chili cheese étouffée with crawfish, caramelized corn with black beans — a vegetarian option — and bourbon chicken. Ryan Stackhouse, a food and wine lover attending the Taste, recommended the chili cheese étouffée with crawfish.“It’s spicy and it’s delicious,” he said.According to Dats’ online menu, étouffée is a French word loosely meaning “to smother with kisses.” For this recommended dish, crawfish is smothered with fresh vegetables in a thick and rich creamy sauce blended with a mixture of Dats’ secret spices, and served over rice with French bread. If customers don’t like the sound of the étouffée they can always visit Dats at 211 S. Grant St. to try its sandwiches, stew, Creole, chili and jambalaya. Dats serves dishes such as these that have been loved in the bayou for generations at affordable prices.Its hours of operation include 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. Sunday. THE BIG CHEEZEThe Big Cheeze, a local food truck specializing in gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches, which debuted itself at the Taste of Bloomington last summer, attended again this year.The gourmet food truck served its best-selling homemade mac’n’cheese grilled cheese sandwich called the “Mac Daddy Grilled Cheese” and its popular “Momma Smacker” sandwich, as well as a newer sandwich called the “Fajita Grilled Cheese” served with a side of cilantro lime sour cream. “Last year the Taste was good for us, I mean it’s raining so it obviously slows things down this year,” Joe Morton, Big Cheeze co-owner with Chad Sutor, said. “But we normally try to target students mostly, so this is a good way to get our name out there to the locals during the summer months.” To try some of the truck’s other signature grilled cheese sandwiches, follow The Big Cheeze’s Twitter account @BigCheezeIN to find its late-night locations on Kirkwood Avenue or call (812) 322-5234.
(06/23/13 9:50pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>During the school year, more than 1 million Indiana children receive the benefit of the National School Lunch Program, a federal program that provides children living in a low-income family free or reduced lunch.The United States Department of Agriculture’s Summer Food Service Program ensures that low-income children continue to receive nutritious meals even when school is not in session. “The Summer Food Service Program provides needed support in order for us to offer safe and nutritious meals during the summer months,” Agency Director for Catholic Charities in Terre Haute John C. Etling said in a press release. “Through this program we are able to supplement our children’s summer meals with much needed food items such as milk, vegetables and fresh fruit.” Feeding Indiana’s Hungry is the statewide association of Feeding America affiliated food banks. It has 11 member food banks that serve more than 1,700 agencies in all 92 counties, providing emergency food assistance to Hoosiers in need. This includes Bloomington’s own Hoosier Hills Food Bank. Julio Alonso, director of Hoosier Hills, said the food bank provides food to other non-profit agencies that have feeding programs, such as the Community Kitchen in Monroe County that directly serves children through their summer breakfast program.“It is possible that they are using a combination of food received from us, food received directly from their other donors and food they purchase specifically with the Department of Education funding in order to serve the children,” Alonso said in an email. The USDA program allows schools, parks and recreation departments and private non-profits, such as the YMCA and Boys and Girls Club, to provide meals and snacks in areas where 50 percent or more of children are eligible for free or school meals at a reduced price.These sites can also be located at low-income housing complexes, parks, churches and other places where children come together during the summer. Various community sites provide free meals and snacks to children younger than 18. For those cases, there are no enrollment requirements.Nationally, only one in seven children who receive free or reduced-price meals during the school year continue to receive meals during the summer months. “Feeding programs are vital to education,” Superintendent of Public Instruction Glenda Ritz said in a press release. “Hungry kids cannot learn or retain knowledge effectively.”
(06/23/13 9:48pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>As Bloomington residents gathered for the 33rd annual Arts Fair on June 22, kids gathered at one booth in particular to take part in the arts.Set in the downtown Square, the ArtSmart Kids booth offered mini art workshops throughout the day that gave children of all ages an opportunity to express themselves through sculpting and painting.Debra Gruell, founder and instructor for ArtSmart Kids, has been in business for just a few weeks.“I’ve been traveling around the country for the last 13 years, trying to be involved in as many organizations as possible to keep art in schools,” Gruell said. “I just got back a few weeks ago and started this program.”ArtSmart Kids is a fine-arts enrichment program that gives kids a chance to have fun as well as also develop serious art. Skills, technique, project visualization and completion are introduced while students are up to their elbows in hands-on lessons. Weekly classes explore many different media, art forms and cultures.Upcoming workshops include “Slugs, Bugs, & Beautiful Creatures”; “Wings & Things,” which explores the concept of ancient and mystical creatures in art; “Forest of Imagination”; “Flutter-Bys,” a workshop that covers any insect that flutters; and “Art on the Wild Side,” a class about threatened or endangered animals from the United States Wildlife Conservation Society.“We are offering another class on July 20 titled ‘Pop and Picasso,’ where we will be doing paper sculpting for so many weeks and then we will go on to pallet knife painting,” Gruell said. “It’s a lot of fun and it’s affordable.”Gruell has been teaching for nearly 18 years, and said she thought of the name “ArtSmart Kids” for the program while teaching. “The reason for the name is I truly believe that art is smart and I’m disappointed that through the years we keep taking art education away from the kids instead of giving it to them,” Gruell said.Gruell explained that by only charging $10 for every class and providing the supplies, she can get as many kids as possible involved.“There are a lot of wonderful artists around Bloomington, but my focus is on the kids and arts education,” Gruell said. ArtSmart Kids also offers adult workshops for creating and teaching art. This six-hour workshop shows adults how to set up and instruct their own fine arts program while sculpting, drawing and painting. Gruell also offers teacher in-service workshops to better instruct teachers on how to get art involved in the classroom. Juana Linares, who attended the Arts Fair with her three daughters, said she would like to try the classes as well.“This was a nice gift for my daughters because at first they did not want to do it, but once they started they were excited,” she said. For more information please contact debartsmartkids@msn.com or visit www.makemeartsmart.com.
(06/19/13 9:50pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The State of Indiana was presented with the prestigious Domont Award for the Enhancement of Jewish Life by the Jewish Federation June 19, in Indianapolis. “This is a great honor and I am pleased to accept it, along with the Honorable Clayton Graham, on behalf of the State of Indiana,” Executive Director of the Indiana Civil Rights Commission Jamal L. Smith said. “This program, and ones like it, is vital to ensure issues of human and civil rights are always remembered.”The award is for its 15th Annual Holocaust Day of Remembrance and Youth Summit program held on April 10, 2013.Brad Meadows, communications manager for the Indiana Civil Rights Commission, said, “This year we had seven schools and over 300 students participated.”The 15th Annual Holocaust Day of Remembrance program was entitled “Honoring the Rescuers.” The program examined those individuals who risked their lives in order to save the lives of Jews living in Nazi Germany.“I have worked with the Indiana Civil Rights Commission on developing educationally sound programming that provides students with more than just a passive experience,” said Miles Roger, assistant director of the Bureau of Jewish Education. The bureau, dedicated to promoting life-long Jewish education, has been involved with the State of Indiana Holocaust Remembrance for the past three years developing these programs.The Youth Summit is a part of the Holocaust Day of Remembrance, where students from across the state took part in interactive learning sessions.Afterwards, students proceeded to the Indiana Statehouse for the Holocaust Observance ceremony, which included remarks from Gov. Mike Pence and a special presentation from the Hasten Hebrew Academy. The students from Hasten Hebrew Academy shared stories about their relatives who lived during the Holocaust.“We were pleased to invite students from the Hasten Hebrew Academy to participate in this year’s program,” Executive Director of the Jewish Community Relations Council Lindsey Mintz said. “Their personal connections and stories of relatives and loved ones who lived in the period of the Holocaust moved the entire audience.”The Holocaust Day of Remembrance is held annually during a larger national remembrance week.The program is organized by the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Indiana Holiday Commission, the Indiana Civil Rights Commission, the Bureau of Jewish Education and the Jewish Community Relations Council. For more information about Indiana’s Holocaust Day of Remembrance visit in.gov/mlkihc. “The collaboration between the Indiana Civil Rights Commission, Jewish Community Relations Council and Bureau of Jewish Education has truly enriched Jewish life in Central Indiana,” Rogers said.
(06/12/13 10:47pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The Indiana Economic Development Corporation, in partnership with Elevate Ventures, is taking advantage of a core component of economic growth by launching the Indiana Diversity Fund.“We are convinced that this type of funding will increase economic development and growth in Indiana,” said Deborah Collins Stephens, entrepreneurial advisor for Elevate Ventures. “I feel privileged to be a part of this.” The Indiana Diversity Fund is a sub-program under the Indiana Angel Network Fund, an early-stage co-investment program for Indiana companies under the U.S. Department of Treasury’s State Small Business Credit Initiative. “The Diversity Fund will make an investment, but the Angel Fund can provide additional funding,” Stephens said.The fund is dedicated to supporting and investing in three specific audiences including innovative women, minority and veteran-owned businesses with high growth potential in Indiana. “Diversity strengthens our state,” Governor Mike Pence said in a press release. “As women, minority, and veteran-owned businesses grow, these firms will employ more people in our state. Diversity matters and leads to stronger communities and job creation.”Elevate Ventures is actively seeking partners locally, regionally and nationally. The initial total funding available is $1 million.The Indiana Diversity Fund targets Indiana businesses owned and managed by women, minorities and veterans, with average annual revenue of less than $3 million in their two most recent fiscal years.“The evidence is compelling,” Indiana Secretary of Commerce Victor Smith said. “Minority groups have a high propensity for starting up businesses. We look forward to providing much needed capital and assistance to high potential minority business targets, and to expanding this program once this initial pilot demonstrates success.”Different from minority-owned business certifications, the Indiana Diversity Fund seeks to catalyze private investment by providing co-investment dollars into such companies with clear and sustainable competitive advantages, scalable business models with achievable growth and exit potential and a likely trajectory of meaningful job creation. Stephens explained that they focus on women entrepreneurs because some Harvard research shows when women take positions in boardrooms and in senior level management positions, the firm is often more profitable. However, only 6 percent of venture capital in the whole country is getting into the hands of women.“This is a problem,” Stephens said. “There is a lot of convincing evidence that women leaders and women entrepreneurs make a difference in businesses.”Stephens said they are focusing on veterans because nearly 45 percent of returning veterans express an interest in being entrepreneurs. “We shouldn’t be shocked by this,” she said. “The military training they receive and the ideas that are drilled into them are the same traits we see in entrepreneurs including self-advocacy, taking strategic risks, analyzing failure and turning it around in their favor.”Stephens also explained that they look to minorities because of their immigrant spirit, the hardworking spirit that build this country. “We see a lot of potential in minority business owners,” Stephens said. The Indiana Diversity Fund is dedicated to helping and supporting these three groups by means of education, funding and expert resources.“We anticipate helping whoever applies,” Stephens said. “I am a mentor and a coach, I just want them to be successful and we are committed to helping them.”
(06/12/13 10:45pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>In 2012, Henryville, Ind. was struck by an EF-4 tornado causing extensive damage to the community and killing at least three people. It was on the ground for more than 50 miles, destroying Henryville Elementary School and Henryville Jr./Sr. High School. Due in part to extensive training by first responders, such as the Emergency Management and Continuity team and others, the number of fatalities was far less than it could have been. On June 12, the city of Bloomington welcomed 250 airmen and soldiers with the Indiana National Guard’s premier disaster response team along with an assortment of civilian and military disaster response teams to conduct search and extraction training called United Front II, similar to the one used by the Henryville tornado’s first responders. “Every incident that we respond to, every exercise that we participate in makes us a better team and more capable to respond,” said Diane Mack, emergency management and continuity of IU director. The exercise that was practiced on Wednesday revolved around an EF 5 tornado with 200 mph winds striking the IU campus. This scenario, which is similar to the one that struck Joplin, Mo. in May 2011, is highly relevant to Indiana as over 50 EF 5 level tornadoes have struck Indiana since 1950. “We would hope and pray that something like this would never happen, but I think we all know as Americans that in our nation natural disasters are pretty prevalent,” said Major General R. Martin Umbarger, adjutant general for Indiana. This tornado exercise was used for more than natural disaster purposes, it was also used to simulate war scenarios with the arrival of the the Israel Home Front Command National Search and Rescue Unit.“The major U.S. threat is nature disaster, major Israel threat is war,” said Major General Eyal Eizenberg, commander of the Homeland Defense Force.He said that the scenario of collapsed buildings and the need of first responders is a similar concept to that of the U.S.’ natural disasters. “We have something to learn and something to teach,” he said.The goal of the exercise is to share valuable search and extraction tactics, techniques and procedures among the different organizations including: National Guard Bureau, Indiana National Guard, Indiana Task Force One, Indiana State Police, Bloomington Fire Department, United States Marine Corps, Chemical Biological Incident Response Force and ZAK’A, an international humanitarian organization. “In the Guard, we often times say we are always ready and always there, one of the ways we have to accomplish that though is realistic training and challenging exercises,” said Major General Gerald Ketchum, director of Domestic Operations and Force Development with the National Guard Bureau. With the help of three Israeli engineers, the Indiana National Guard was able to prepare site preparation and staging at the defunct post office in downtown Bloomington, IU Wrubel Computing Center and Phi Kappa Psi fraternity house. The training consisted of collapsing the buildings, stabilizing the collapsed structures, placing the mannequin, cutting steel, breaching and breaking walls and concrete, lifting and hauling rubble, marking hazards and retrieving “victims” or mannequins.“The skills and knowledge that we have gained in that last 24 hours or even the last months as we have planned this would allow us to respond to this in a united front,” said Bloomington Fire Department, Chief Roger Kerr. As crews used ladders that against the rubble to extract “victims,” individual skills came together collectively to train and learn as a solitary unit.Thomas Morrison, vice president for capital planning and facilities for IU, said that the event was about learning and education. “In the long run, this will benefit not only IU and the local community, but the state, the nation and certainly around the world.”
(06/11/13 4:27pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>At approximately 3:30 p.m. Monday, a 22-year-old female reported being robbed on the B-Line Trail, Bloomington Police Department Sgt. Joe Crider said.The female was reportedly walking on the B-Line Trail near Second and Morton streets when she was approached by a white male. The man allegedly stood in front of her, blocking her way, and demanded money from her, according to the police report.Police said that the victim reported that the man grabbed her and shook her violently. The victim handed the man an undisclosed amount of cash and walked to South Rogers Street to call the police, Crider said. She described the perpetrator as a white male, having a thin build with long white hair in a ponytail, as well as a long beard described as bushy, and wearing a camo shirt and blue jeans. The person the victim described was characterized as homeless, Crider said.Anyone with information on the case is being asked to contact detectives at 812-349-3318. — Samantha Felix
(06/10/13 12:27am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Laughs could be heard from all across downtown Bloomington this weekend as the first ever Limestone Comedy Festival took place June 6-8.The Limestone Comedy Festival is a three-day, multi-venue comedy festival founded by Jared Thompson, owner of The Comedy Attic, and Mat Alano-Martin, a local comedian. “Last year, I was on the road a lot and did quite a few comedy festivals when the idea came to me,” Alano-Martin said. “I could create my own comedy festival here in Bloomington.”He said that his experiences on the road and at different comedy festivals allowed him to develop his idea and join forces with Thompson.“I took my idea to Jared, he liked it and we started really working on it in September of last year,” Alano-Martin said. “Nearly 10 months later, everything was happening.” Over 50 comedians, roughly 40 from out of state, came to Bloomington to perform for an anticipated audience of up to 500 people. Comedians performed at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater as well as The Comedy Attic, The Back Door and Ivy Tech John Waldron Arts Center. “We know this will be fun for the community,” Alano-Martin said. “There isn’t a lot that goes on during the summer so this will be refreshing.”Performances began Thursday night with headliner Tig Notaro along with Stewart Huff, John Roy, Jackie Kashian, Graham Elwood and many others. Notaro is most known for her performance on “The Sarah Silverman Show” as a lesbian police officer and was featured on “Comedy Central Presents.”Friday night’s headliners were Maria Bamford, Geoff Tate and Al Jackson. Bamford was featured in the documentary series “The Comedians of Comedy” on Comedy Central and appeared on the latest season of “Arrested Development.” “At Maria Bamford, my face and jaw hurt so bad from laughing. She was great,” comedy fan Jackson Cladwell said.Saturday night’s headliners were Doug Benson and Pete Holmes. Benson, best known for his documentary about marijuana called “Super High Me,” as well as his appearances on “Comedy Central Presents,” “Best Week Ever,” and “Last Comic Standing.” Benson’s show on Saturday was “The Doug Benson Movie Interruption,” in which he, along with Jackie Kashian, Graham Elwood and Geoff Tate, interrupted the Bloomington-centric “Breaking Away” with funny jokes and entertaining puns. The audience voted on what they wanted to see before arriving, but many were not surprised the Bloomington classic won.“We are not here to mock this movie, we are here to make jokes while it’s playing,” Benson said before the show started.Benson also admitted to never seeing the movie before and not preparing for it. He also made jokes before the movie about Bloomington residents being called “cutters.”“Please, teenage girls listening to this podcast, do not cut yourselves,” Benson said. “Cutters aren’t what they used to be.”One Benson fan, Katie Thompson, said she came to the show only because the title resembled Benson’s other show, “The Benson Interruption.”“I love Doug Benson so very much,” Thompson said. “The show was awesome.”Pete Holmes is known for the voices he provides to several different characters on Comedy Central’s cartoon “Ugly Americans” and his stand-up comedy act, which he has performed on “Late Night with Conan O’Brien.” Holmes performed last Saturday night with special guest Benson as well as Josh Cocks, Brian Frange and Brad Wilhelm.Holmes joked around about how easy it is to be a comedian, simply stating over and over again, “what you know about green eggs and ham?” as the audience rolled with laughter. Holmes also made jokes about his sex life and his awkward first encounters with “sexy texting.”“Yes, I am going to use both words,” Holmes said. “Okay, I can save you five seconds, ‘sexting.’”The Comedy Attic drew upon its nearly five years of business to create a significant array of headliners.“The reason we were able to get so many great names in our first year is because the Comedy Attic has established an amazing reputation in the comedy world and the industry itself,” Alano-Martin said. “That is one of the many reasons we knew it would work.”The festival offered tickets for shows ranging from $10 to $30 a piece or offered festival badges for two days for $50 and three-day badges for $75. The festival also offered the VIP Limestone Badge for $125, which sold out before the end of the weekend.“It was important to us to make this as affordable as possible for comedy fans,” Alano-Martin said. “We offer the badges for big comedy fans who are willing to commit themselves to the festival for the entire weekend. We really want to take care of those people.”At the conclusion of the last comedy show Saturday night, Thompson and Alano-Martin joined Holmes on stage, thanking everyone for coming.“We hope this will become an annual event and since we have been so welcomed already by the community, I’m pretty confident we will,” Alano-Martin said.
(06/09/13 9:42pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The City of Bloomington’s Department of Economic and Sustainable Development has announced that it will accept applications for its Sustainability Partnership Grant Program.“The whole idea behind this competitive grant program is to support and increase efforts in the community to make Bloomington a more sustainable city,” Economic and Sustainable Development Director Danise Alano-Martin said. The Sustainability Partnership Grant Program is intended to encourage collaborations that implement bold projects for increasing Bloomington’s sustainability, particularly those projects that engage populations that have little previous involvement in local sustainability efforts.“It’s designed to build stronger collaborations among different segments of the community, uniting them under a common goal and common projects toward making Bloomington better,” Alano-Martin said.Jacqui Bauer, the city’s sustainability coordinator, helped to craft the guidelines for the program after examining the obstacles that Bloomington businesses and nonprofits have when starting and implementing innovative sustainability programs or initiatives.“We wanted to attract and support efforts that contribute to our city’s livability while also creating new economic opportunities,” Alano-Martin said. Priority project areas include green building and energy efficiency, multi-modal transportation, waste reduction and recycling, and local food and urban gardening. The city’s Department of Economic and Sustainability Development launched the program in August of 2011 and awarded $15,000 in grants to six projects in 2011 and 2012.Cardboard Co-op, a consortium of downtown businesses, received a grant to facilitate pickup of recyclable cardboard from five to 10 downtown businesses. Pinnacle School received a grant to pay for new recycling bins and signage in the school.The Project School received a grant to develop a new energy assessment program for its students. Middle Way House received funding to expand its rooftop garden and work with local youth to tend, harvest, and market its products.Finally, WonderLab Museum of Science and Technology received funding to install solar lights for their solar garden while Metro Printing Services received funding for LED lighting for its facility.The city’s Department of Economic & Sustainable Development recently received their second round of funding. A total of $10,000 will be available. The maximum grant amount is $5,000. Both nonprofit and for-profit businesses in Bloomington are eligible.The grants may be used to fund a variety of sustainability-related projects. Alano-Martin said the department encourages applicants to come up with their interesting and creative ideas in their applications.“We hope to stir the creative juices in the community and encourage bold, innovative ideas or to adapt ideas that have been successful elsewhere to Bloomington in order to make our community more sustainable,” she said.Alano-Martin also said that the department wants projects to be completed within six months of receiving the grant award.Details of the program, including guidelines, applications, and deadlines, can be found at bloomington.in.gov/incentives. Applications for the program should be submitted to sustain@bloomington.in.gov by close of business on July 1. “Bloomington is filled with passionate individuals who love their community enough to work hard to make it better,” she said. “I expect that we’ll have some creative and well thought-out entries.”— Samantha Felix
(06/09/13 9:39pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Only four days remain until the June 14 deadline to enter Bloomington’s Fourth of July Parade.This year’s parade, scheduled for 10 a.m. July 4, is themed “Celebrate the Red, White, and Blue.”“This year we are just trying to show everyone’s patriotism,” Community Events Coordinator with the Bloomington Parks and Recreation Department Bill Ream said. “A lot of people this year have American flags and other patriotic décor for their entries.”Floats, bands, musical groups, walking and equestrian groups, classic cars and other entries that demonstrate patriotism and support for America’s colors are encouraged to participate in the parade.Entry fees to participate in the parade are $20. Registration is limited to the first 100 applicants.“We anticipate 70 to 80 applicants this year, but we are only at about half right now,” Ream said. “Last year, we had roughly 90 entries.”Ream said the city is especially interested in music acts this year such as bands, drum lines and other types of musical performers. “Live music brings a new dimension of fun to any event,” Ream said. “We definitely want to add that excitement to the parade.” This annual Fourth of July event will begin with a concert by the Bloomington Community Band on the courthouse lawn at 9 a.m. The Bloomington Community Band is considered a part of the big band music genre accompanied by rhythm and brass. Other musical performers to look for include MCCSC High School Parade Band, Prieboy, a family of percussionists and the Southern Indiana Pipe and Drums. Bloomington Old Time Music and Dance Group, a new addition to the festivities this year, will also perform. The parade will begin at the corner of Seventh Street and Indiana Avenue, march west to Walnut Street, north to Eight Street, west to College Avenue, south to Kirkwood Avenue and continue east on Kirkwood Avenue, ending at the Sample Gates. An awards ceremony will be held following the parade at 11:15 a.m. on the courthouse square. Awards will be presented in the following categories: Best Youth Entry, Best Equestrian Entry, Best Musical Entry, Best Overall Entry, Most Creative Use of Theme, Best Vehicle, Best Float and Best Walking Entry. Last year’s winners include Best Overall Entry to Gerry Stieglitz for his American Heroes veteran float, Best Walking Entry to Cardinal Stage and Best Float to Stafford Music Academy. Registration materials and complete parade rules can be obtained from the Parks and Recreation Web site at www.bloomington.in.gov/parks or by contacting Ream by phone at (812)-349-3748 or by email at reamw@bloomington.in.gov. “This last week is typically when I get the biggest rush of entries,” Ream said. “We still have plenty of room for whomever wants to be a part of the festivities.” — Samantha Felix
(06/05/13 9:09pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Starter pistols fired blanks June 4 inside Jackson Creek Middle School as announcements came over the intercom to signal a school lockdown as part of a mass shooting drill.Students and volunteers were ushered into classrooms by teachers and other officials where they were told to turn off the lights, lock the doors, and move to areas in the room where they would be less visible from the door. As they waited for instructions from police officers to exit the building, first responders and police officers roamed the hallways, securing all the classrooms while tending to the “injured.”Katie Cox, special education teacher and member of the Crisis Management Team at Jackson Creek Middle School, assisted in moving students and volunteers to the outside of the building where they would wait for transportation.The active shooter training was funded by the Readiness and Emergency Management for Schools grant given to the Monroe County School Corporation. Educators have very specialized roles during an active shooter event. This course reviews various active shooter incidents from schools throughout the country, the roles of school personnel, the duties of law enforcement, the RAIN acronym model for those with a “duty to protect’ and the ESCAPE model for those with no legal obligation, such as students and volunteers.John Matthews, author of “Mass Shootings: Six Steps to Survival” and highly-decorated 30-year law enforcement veteran, was invited to lead and develop with first responders the proper plan to demonstrate the mass shooting scenario. “The teachers have been trained in the RAIN model and students in the ESCAPE model,” he said. “We’ve practiced and now we are going to do all six steps.” During the drill, student groups were placed in three different locations around Jackson Creek, two inside the building and one outside. Nadia Sabry, a seventh grader at Jackson Creek, was outside of the building with other students simulating gym class. “We didn’t hear any gun shots or any announcements over the speaker,” Sabry said. “Other than police officers arriving, we wouldn’t have known anything was wrong.”John Carter, director of planning for the MCCSC, said there were only a few errors during the drill, one being a failure of the outside speakers to broadcast the lockdown announcement and the other being a radio malfunction that kept him from notifying transportation.After students exited the building on police officers’ command, buses were alerted to come and transport the students to Batchelor Middle School.“Something that people don’t realize, when dealing with a school scenario, is what to do with students afterwards,” Cox said. “That’s as important as anything else, maintaining safety and security of the students in the chaos that can ensue after a shoot scenario like this.”Once all the students and volunteers were transported to Batchelor, they began the unification process, where students reconnected with their parents or guardians. Three parents volunteered to be a part of this process. Elizabeth Gately, Sabry’s mother, was one of them.Gately said the parents were fully informed of what was going to happen with the drill so they knew what to expect. She also stated that some parents she talked to felt they could not participate in the drill because it was too emotional.“I had a lot of friends say they could not do it because it would upset them too much,” Gately said. “But unfortunately it’s a reality these days and we have to deal with it. As parents, we do need to educate our children on what to do, not just at school, but at any public place like the theater, the mall or the grocery store. We need to ask them ‘what would you do if something like this happened?’ and schools are a great place to start the education.”Upon arrival to Batchelor, students were placed in a safe area where no one could reach them until their parents arrived to pick them up. Once parents met with school officials, they had to fill out forms stating who their child was, what grade they were in, and what time the parent came to pick them up. Also, parents had to present a form of identification to verify that they were the student’s guardian or relative. Matthews instructed people that parents, grandparents, uncles and aunts would all show up to retrieve the students once they heard about the proposed shooting.“If there are 500 kids in a school, 1,500 people will show up at the designated location to pick up their child. This is a three-to-one ratio,” Matthews said. “Administration is responsible for knowing the exact time that the child was picked up and who they were released to.”He explained that a police officer would stand by to provide security because in high-pressure situations parents can become upset when their child isn’t immediately released to them.The drill took roughly an hour to complete, from the start of the announcements until the reunification of the children with their parents.After the drill, the students, first responders and MCCSC staff from around Monroe County met to discuss how the situation went.Carter said everything seemed to go well, despite the two minor errors and that everything was well-scripted to ensure that the drill was a success. Matthews explained that situations will always vary and that procedural changes can occur, but that’s not the important factor in these demonstrations. “The more important thing is everybody learned something," he said. "It’s beneficial from my perspective that everything went as we planned it, but truly it’s invaluable to the school that they practice drills like these that can save lives.”
(06/03/13 4:25am)
This past spring, as graduation caps flew into the air following the 2013 Undergraduate Commencement Ceremonies, one particular cap was never thrown.Today marks the two-year anniversary of the disappearance of then-20 year old IU sophomore Lauren Spierer, who vanished on June 3, 2011. It is a night that remains a mystery to this day. In his commencement speech at the Undergraduate Ceremonies, President Michael A. McRobbie asked the IU community to keep Spierer and her family and friends in their thoughts. McRobbie noted that Spierer is a member of the community who will never be forgotten. “This is something that is on our minds every day,” Dean of Students Pete Goldsmith said. “We constantly think about her family, friends, and people that knew her and the fact that she was supposed to graduate this year. We hope there is a resolution for her family as well as the IU campus who remembers her daily.”The details of Spierer’s last known whereabouts are no more clear two years later than they were the very day she was reported missing.According to police reports, Spierer left her Smallwood apartment complex with then-IU student Corey Rossman and walked to Kilroy’s Sports Bar at 1:46 a.m. Spierer and Rossman entered the bar, the outside area of which had been filled with sand to simulate a beach area, and walked around barefoot. At 2:27 a.m., Spierer was seen on camera leaving the bar barefoot and without her cell phone.Rossman accompanied Spierer back to her apartment complex, arriving at 2:30 a.m., where he was involved in an altercation with another resident. Rossman was reportedly punched in the face and fell to the ground, but he claims he does not recall this incident.The two exited the Smallwood complex at 2:42 a.m. after a brief 12-minute stop, which the apartment security footage confirmed. Street cameras between Smallwood and the apartments she visited at 11th and Morton streets captured additional footage of Spierer, which shows her walking with another person through the camera fields. The sequence of events that followed after she left her apartment building remain inconclusive.Mike Beth, Rossman’s roommate, said he helped Rossman to his bed and then accompanied Spierer down the hall to the apartment of Jay Rosenbaum, an acquaintance. Rosenbaum claims he tried to persuade Spierer to stay on his couch that night and that she refused.He said he stood on his balcony as he watched Spierer walk home alone back to her apartment complex around 4:30 a.m. Rosenbaum was the last person to see Spierer.Police reported Spierer’s keys and purse were found along a route between the two apartment complexes. Spierer’s boyfriend, Jesse Wolff, reported Spierer missing on the afternoon of June 3 when she didn’t return his phone calls or text messages. The Bloomington Police Department issued a statement noting that as of May 24, 2013, a total of 3,060 tips have been received by the Department, 166 in 2013. “Since the time of Lauren’s disappearance on June 3, 2011, the Bloomington Police Department has continued its ongoing effort to provide answers to Lauren’s family and the Bloomington community,” the statement read. “Despite being nearly two years into this investigation, information continues to come in regarding Lauren’s case and investigators diligently pursue the information with the same level of commitment as in the beginning. No amount of time passing will deter us from our responsibility and we remain dedicated to Lauren’s case.”IUPD Deputy Chief Laury Flint reiterated the Department’s diligence in continuing their service by doing extra patrols in areas that aren’t well-lit, as well as areas that are frequented by intoxicated people, being proactive in regards to keeping people safe and looking for people who need help.“We are always vigilant and trying to look for people who need help,” Flint said. “We aren’t only looking for people who are doing something wrong. We want to protect people and sometimes that even means from themselves.”Flint said the majority of the campus population are young adults ages 18-22 years old who will inevitably experiment with alcohol. Though they can’t always stop this activity, Flint cited educational programs provided to students as the key to learning to be more responsible when drinking alcohol. “People have to be willing to pay attention and listen when these programs are presented to them,” Flint said. “They have to be willing to take advice.”Melanie Payne, senior associate director of the Office of First Year Experience Programs and director of New Student Orientation, said safety is one of FYE’s biggest concerns, due to orientation being a major transition time. Following Lauren’s disappearance, Payne said the program has added safety sessions with IUPD and have placed a bigger focus on the importance of making the right choices. Payne said in the very first session with parents and students after Lauren disappeared, the Office laid out what information they had to those concerned.“Here’s what we as a community know, here’s what this campus is concerned about, lets talk about your students’ safety,” Payne said. “We put it in context of bad things can happen anywhere, lets talk about how to minimize that. You have a role in it and we have a role in it. Our role is to provide information, resources, access to those resources and the student’s role is to think and make good choices and the family’s role, again, is to guide and remind.” As IU continues to mourn the absence of Lauren, who should have been standing amongst the ranks of graduating seniors in May, her story has left a mark on the IU community, emphasizing the importance of making the right decisions and being safe.“No parent, sister, brother or friend should have to endure the prolonged ordeal that those closest to Lauren have faced over the last two years,” said Mark Land, associate vice president of IU Communications. “In particular, our hearts go out to Lauren’s family, which has displayed unwavering faith and uncommon grace under unspeakably trying circumstances. We also join them in urging anyone who may have information that could bring resolution to Lauren’s disappearance to the attention of the Bloomington Police.”
(06/02/13 11:12pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Despite heavy rains, Lake Monroe hosted its annual Kids Fishing Derby from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday at Paynetown State Recreation Area.The Kids Fishing Derby, one of many Free Fishing Weekend events, took place June 1. This past weekend was the last opportunity to try fishing without purchasing a license for the year.“This statewide promotion was created in order to encourage people to try fishing for the first time,” said Jill Vance, naturalist for Lake Monroe and State Parks & Reservoirs.Kids age 16 and younger were invited to participate in the derby to help kick-start the last of three free fishing event, coordinated by the Indiana Department of Natural Resources to promote the sport of fishing.Participants were welcome to bring their own fishing equipment, but DNR provided fishing equipment and bait for all 17 kids who participated.“We have a mixture of kids with experience who have brought their own fishing poles and are showing off their skills and we also have beginners who are learning the basics of fishing so that they can continue to fish the rest of the summer,” Vance said.Instructors from both the Division of State Parks and Reservoirs and the Division of Fish and Wildlife were on hand to teach the basics of fishing such as how to put a hook on the line, how to put bait on the hook, how to cast, reel in the line, take fish off the hooks and other basic skills.“We want to get kids involved, but more so their parents since the kids rely on them to participate in fishing,” said David Kittaka, fisheries biologist for the Division of Fish and Wildlife. “The more we teach the parents, the more they can teach the kids.”Instructors were also there to offer assistance for those newcomers so that they could measure each fish that they caught from Lake Monroe by placing it on a makeshift measuring board.One newcomer was 9-year-old Emma Witzke. Her birthday was the day before the event, and she said she wanted to go fishing for her birthday.“I’ve caught four fish today and the biggest was seven-and-one-fourth inches,” said Witzke who was fishing with her dad. A drawing for two new fishing poles was held at 10 a.m. for all participants.The winners were Alana Winzeler, who received a brand new maroon fishing pole, and Witzke, who won a yellow and red Pixar “Cars” fishing pole.“By kids getting involved, their parents can realize how much fun they are having and how cheap this outdoor activity can be,” said Kittaka.Paynetown’s activity center will continue to provide kids with free fishing equipment all summer long during their hours of operation.“We hope events like these will get kids outdoors,” said Vance. “Hopefully, this event will keep them involved in outdoor activities such as fishing,” said Vance.
(06/02/13 11:10pm)
Indiana Department of Natural Resources promoted its Free Fishing Weekend, June 1-2, by promoting the sport of fishing to kids at their annual Kids Fishing Derby that took place at Paynetown Safe Recreation Center on June 1.
(06/02/13 11:08pm)
Jill Vance, naturalist for Lake Monroe, and Jacob Heeb, biologist aide, helped kids remove fish from their hooks and measure them.
(06/02/13 11:06pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Ivy Tech Community College is partaking in a national effort designed to address the dwindling number of skilled workers in the aviation industry, which is supposed to decline by 40 percent by 2014. Ivy Tech specifically its campuses in Indianapolis and Fort Wayne, is one of five colleges to receive the U.S. Department of Labor grant and will create a 12-16 week program to train workers in the aviation field.“Ivy Tech was selected by a national group to apply for the grant,” National Aviation Consortium Project Coordinator Christine Garrett said. “Each college prepared information for the grant application for programs to be provided at each school.”The National Aviation Consortium group has targeted 2,505 people to participate, with five colleges in the corsortium, they hope to average at least 501 per school.The U.S. aviation and aerospace industry is threatened with an impending shortage of skilled workers resulting in a lack of competitiveness in the field according to a National Aviation Consortium press release. The National Association of Manufacturers’ Manufacturing Institute estimates the aviation industry will lose nearly 40 percent of its employees by 2014. “Also, 82 percent of manufacturers say that they can’t find the skilled workers that they need,” Garrett said. “Nearly 60,000 jobs go unfilled said Jennifer McNelly, President of the Manufacturing Institute.” The Commission on the Future of the U.S. Aerospace Industry has recommended that the nation immediately work towards reversing the decline of workers, and that they promote the growth of a trained U.S. aviation and aerospace workforce. All these efforts are to avoid a threat to national security and U.S. capability as a world leader according to the press release.The National Aviation Consortium is a partnership designed to address the gap of skilled workers in aviation industry. With funding from the U.S. Department of Labor, NAC has partnered with community colleges in Kansas, Indiana, North Carolina, Oklahoma, and Washington. They chose these colleges in the hopes of providing manufacturers with well-trained, entry-level workers who can think critically and immediately enter the workplace. “The Manufacturing Institute reports that although 86 percent of respondents say that America’s manufacturing base is important or very important to their standards of living, only 33 percent of the same respondents say that they would encourage their children to go into manufacturing,” Garrett said.During the 12 to 16 week program, participating students will earn nationally portable, industry-driven certifications including the National Career Readiness Certification, the Manufacturing Skills Standard Council Certification, which is essentially a health, safety and quality certificate, and an aviation technical credential. “Everyone who completes the program will get a certificate in basic skills, basic blueprint reading, and other important manufacturing focal points,” Garrett said. “The participants will then go into the area of their speciality, which, initially at least, will consist of either sheet metal or electrical assembly.”The sheet metal assembly certificate will focus on learning how to use the tools associated with sheet metal. The students will have to complete a number of lab projects using rivets and guns and other specialized tools. “One of the key skills taught is how to precisely build a part based only upon blueprints,” Garrett said. “This will give our students the ability to work on sheet metal in either manufacturing or repair station settings.”The electrical assembly certificate will focus on learning how to use the tools associated with aviation electronics. They will learn the skills that will allow them to be effective in installing wiring for new aircraft or aircraft modifications.The goal of the program is for students to obtain employment working with aviation related businesses which can include airlines as well as Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MROs), Fixed Based Operators (FBO), manufacturers providing products for aviation businesses.“Examples can be as sheet metal technicians or system technicians for employers rebuilding aircraft,” Garrett said. This program is working on providing careers for students participating in the program as well as bridging the gap in the aviation industry.Garrett said that the meetings regarding this program were very much supported by the community and that employers are excited about the program.“Employers are willing to assist in making it successful,” Garrett said.
