Fundraising race celebrates 17th year
Nearly 5,000 people are expected to meet Saturday at Memorial Stadium to participate in Hoosiers Outrun Cancer, a fundraising race in its 17th year.
751 items found for your search. If no results were found please broaden your search.
Nearly 5,000 people are expected to meet Saturday at Memorial Stadium to participate in Hoosiers Outrun Cancer, a fundraising race in its 17th year.
Bloomington Police Department Sgt. Lucas Tate laid his bulletproof vest, bullhorn and other hostage negotiation gear on a table in front of 13 civilians Tuesday night.
Lynn Cowles said she heard the 100-year-old bike before she saw it. After calling in sick to her bartending job in Medora, Indiana, she and her husband Brad rode up to Bloomington on their 1999 Harley Davidson Dyna Low Rider.
Gov. Mike Pence announced last week Sept. 4-10 was National Blood Donation Week. The community was encouraged to give back to the community in the week leading up to Sept. 11, according to the American Red Cross press release.
A young girl covered her ears at the sound of the 21 gun salute which broke the silence at the dedication of the 9/11 memorial at Ivy Tech.
Wheeler Mission Ministries will have a pie festival Saturday to benefit the Bloomington chapter of the Indianapolis-based organization.
Pet owners and hopeful pet owners alike are being searched out by the Tractor Supply Company store to help celebrate pets during Pet Appreciation Week.
The 33rd annual Bloomington Community Book Fair will take place next month, from Oct. 6-11, at the Monroe County Fair Grounds.
The Third Street Park smelled strongly of garlic over the Labor Day weekend.
Police officers, along with civilians, ran down the B-Line Trail together for the beginning of Crossfit with a Cop.
An environmental group with millennials in mind is giving young people the chance to get outside while expanding their social circles.
BY BRIAN SEYMOUR
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Computer hacking is usually illegal. An exception was made this weekend.National Day of Civic Hacking occurred Saturday in 103 cities worldwide, including Indianapolis. It was the city’s first time participating. The goal was to encourage government transparency. The Speak Easy in Broad Ripple, Ind., was sold out to a crowd that participated in civic hacking.Fifteen teams were created to collaborate and compete in challenges that encouraged a more transparent, accessible government.“The event went fantastic, we had over 150 sign up and over 15 teams submit apps toward civic challenges,” co-organizer Brian Norris said. These challenges given to participants were both local and nationwide schemes.“The challenges range from something an organization may need here in Indy to a national challenge, like with NASA,” said Matthew Kirby, an organizer from Indy Chamber.Coders and developers were brought in to teach others how to build apps and visualize public data in new ways. Indiana State Chief Information Officer Paul Baltzell attended, along with congresswoman Susan Brooks.<Insert_Cool_Team_Name_Here> won first place for its pothole tracking app.The team is a group of externs from Tech Point Extern Initiative in Indianapolis, Norris said. Winning teams took home a variety of prizes, from cash to a Speak Easy Membership. The event also had a non-mandatory raffle to fight hunger in Indiana. Prizes ranged from floor seats at a Fever game to an Apple TV.Organizers are looking to continue the event next year.“The feedback we have received was great, and we are looking to keep participating in this annual event,” Norris said. Angela Hawkins
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The Northside Exchange Club of Bloomington will be honoring a Monroe County police officer today as the 2014 Police Officer of the Year in its 54th annual awards dinner. The Exchange Club is a national service organization for men and women who want to serve their community, develop leadership skills and enjoy each others’ fellowship.The Exchange Club Programs of Service is divided into four main areas: Americanism, Youth Program, Child Abuse Prevention and Community Service. “As part of Community Service, we recognize and express our appreciation for police officers and firefighters who serve the community,” said Ken Todd, Exchange Club member and chair of the Officer of the Year awards.“We select and honor a Police Officer of the Year and Firefighter of the Year from county departments annually.”The Exchange Club solicits nominations from Monroe County’s five law enforcement agencies: the sheriff’s department, the Bloomington Police Department, the IU Police Department, the Indiana State Police and the Ellettsville Police Department.After receiving one nomination from the department chiefs of each respective agency, the Exchange Club’s selection committee reviews the nominations before determining the Officer of the Year.“Nominations by department chiefs may be based on a specific act, such as an act of heroism, a life-saving act or solving a particularly significant or complicated crime,” Todd said. The nomination can also be based on years of distinguished service, overall excellence in the performance of duty or commitment to the enhancement of the department’s mission, Todd said.The Northside Exchange Club then appoints a selection committee that reviews the nominations and makes the selection, he said.The Officer of the Year will be announced at the award dinner.The first Monroe County Police Officer of the Year was named in 1961.“This year marks the 54th consecutive year in which we have held an award dinner attended by the chiefs of each county law enforcement agency, past recipients of the award, current nominees, elected officials and others to honor each of the nominees and announce an Officer of the Year,” Todd said.
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>A same-sex couple from Northwest Indiana, one of five couples in a federal lawsuit fighting the state’s ban on gay marriage, stood in court Thursday arguing for their marriage to be recognized in Indiana.Amy Sandler and Niki Quasney, who live together in Munster, Ind., with two children ages 3 and 1, were originally wed in Massachusetts. However, because of their Indiana residency, the conditions of the marriage are void by the state, making the couple ineligible for the benefits Indiana married couples would otherwise receive.A federal judge ruled Tuesday that the couple’s marriage will be temporarily recognized by the state. “We’re greatly relieved for Amy, Niki and their two young children,” said Paul Castillo in a statement. Castillo is a staff attorney for Lambda Legal and represents Sandler and Quasney.Quasney is terminally ill, battling stage-four ovarian cancer, according to Castillo’s office. “They are a loving family coping with a terminal illness,” Castillo said in the statement. “The State Indiana has no justification for denying them dignity, legitimacy, and respect as a family during this inexpressibly difficult time.” The couple’s relationship is recognized as a civil union in Illinois and married in Massachusetts in 2013, according to Castillo’s office. However, the marriage must be legally recognized in order to receive protection benefits from the state.“In light of this new medical information this week, I wish to make additionally clear why I have decided to seek relief through this lawsuit,” Niki Quasney said in her declaration according to court documents. “That the State considers me a legal stranger to Amy causes me tremendous sadness and stress. I want us to be understood as a married family in Indiana while I am still alive.”The Indiana Attorney General’s Office is defending the state. Solicitor General Thomas Fisher represented the state at Thursday’s hearing, arguing that the marriage statute does not allow for hardship exceptions, according to Attorney General Greg Zoeller’s office.Federal Judge Richard Young disagreed. The recognition will stand until May 8, according to Zoeller’s office, at which point a preliminary injunction hearing will take place. Tuesday’s ruling, considered a temporary restraining order, cannot be appealed, meaning the case will be considered yet again at the end of the 28-day period.County clerks in Indiana will be notified there is no change in legal requirements regarding marriage licenses, according to Zoeller’s office, and county clerks remain unable to grant marriage licenses to same-sex couples.Both the state and the plaintiffs will again be able to argue their cases at the preliminary injunction hearing. Plaintiffs will argue for the indefinite extension of the ruling.“They’re married, they love each other and they are doing their best to protect their family,” Casillo said. “The local hospital defers to state law to determine whether a couple is validly married, and Niki worries that she won’t be able to be with Amy when it counts. Niki also wants to make sure Amy has the protections of a surviving spouse under Indiana law.”
Head out to one of these events happening around town this weekend.
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Cool temperatures and light rain did not stop more than 70 people from gathering on the Monroe County Courthouse lawn for a Child Abuse and Neglect Awareness event Tuesday. The annual event, sponsored by the Monroe County Department of Child Services, brought people together to raise awareness about helping abused children. “What we’re doing today is very simple, but effective,” said Harmony Gist, director of Monroe County Child Services.Organizations tailored to children such as Wonderlab, Magic Inc., Community Partners for Child Safety, Youth Services Bureau of Monroe County and Safe Place gave information to attendees about how to help abused children. Bloomington fire and police departments were also present. April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month, instated by President Ronald Reagan in 1983 to raise awareness about the issue. Speakers at the event included Tiffany Coleman, a Bloomington resident who dealt with a lifetime of foster care, abuse, molestation and abandonment. She spoke of the effects of abuse in her adult life.“Sometimes I catch myself asking a lot of questions at work,” she said. “Sometimes I catch myself questioning my parenting choices.” Coleman said many people helped her in school, such as teachers, a principle and a guidance counselor, to help her survive her abuse.“I encourage you to be an advocate for your kids and support your kids,” Coleman said. “You can be that person in your child’s life.” Monroe County circuit court judge Steven Galvin also spoke at the event, pushing for reform of where money is spent to treat child abuse.“We spend millions of dollars on consequences,” he said. “Every day, we spend money on what happened to children instead of focusing on preventing that abuse and neglect.” Galvin advocated for investment in early-year development of children and families. He said if the community focused on those problems, other issues in their lives would be avoided later on, such as health problems, premature mortality, low educational achievement, mental illness, crime and substance abuse. “If this community can’t do it, no one can,” Galvin said. Speakers were followed by a candle-lit procession and a performance by the Saint Charles Children’s choir. Last year, Indiana had more than 25,000 reported cases of child abuse or neglect. “People say, ‘Oh, these things won’t happen here,’” Kelli Shannon, resource development coordinator for Court Appointed Special Advocates, said in an interview. “But they do.”
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The senior class of Edgemont Junior-Senior High School will be taught the Israeli self-defense art of Krav Maga.The school is the former high school of Lauren Spierer, an IU student who went missing almost three years ago. The program is largely in thanks to Julia Haber, a senior at the high school. Last year she won Andy Grammer’s “Miss Me” Lip Sync/Lyric Video Contest in which she had to submit a video of herself lip syncing the popular song. The contest also called for video promotion and the video with the most popular views on YouTube would win. The prize for winning was a concert by Andy Grammer in Haber’s hometown.The concert turned into a fundraiser, with proceeds going to the Find Lauren Fund. Charlene Spierer, Lauren’s mother, asked that the money go to Lauren’s high school instead, under the stipulation that the money go towards a program in her honor.“I think that the biggest thing is awareness,” Charlene Spierer said. “The more young people are aware of making right choices, and being careful and trying to support their friends, the better off everyone will be.”The self-defense classes will be taught by Steve Sohn’s Krav Maga Worldwide Training Center.Though the students will be learning martial arts, the goal is not to make them martial artists, Sohn said.The goal is to make the students more aware of the dangers around them, he said.The idea behind the training is to apply hands-on learning as opposed to just verbal education.“It’s kind of like driving a car in the snow,” he said. “If you’ve had some practice driving in the snow and skidding, when it really does happen to you, then you have an idea of what to do.”The lessons will expand beyond the scope of violence. The students will tackle a variety of situations including going out with friends and drinkingalcohol.“Teenagers are always experimenting,” Sohn said. “You don’t want to leave your drink alone. Somebody could put something in it.”Though violence does occur today, it is not as prevalent as it was in previous generations. According to the FBI’s Uniform Crime Report, violent crimes have been steadily declining since 1993. “It could be very dangerous out there today,” he said. “It’s just that it’s hidden.”
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The Bloomington City Council considered an amendment to an existing ordinance during a meeting Wednesday night that would allow professional sharpshooting at the Griffy Lake Nature Preserve.The amendment to the current ordinance, proposed by council member Dave Rollo, would allow only professional sharpshooters contracted by the city to hunt within the Griffy Lake Nature Preserve.Costs to the city for this expense were estimated to be about $30,000 annually.Municipal code does not allow any use of a firearm within city limits unless it is discharged by a law enforcement officer or used in self-defense.Rollo said that if the council does not take action to curb deer overabundance now, the effects could be irreversible.“Damage is acute now,” Rollo said. “And it’s getting worse.”The meeting began with the council voting by a margin of 5 to 3, with one abstention, not to limit the amount of time allowed for council deliberation and public comment.Council member Stephen Volan presented a motion to limit the debate to three hours in order to regulate the amount of time Wednesday night’s meeting would take.“There’s no reason why this has to be decided at second reading on April 9,” Volan said, implying that the ordinance could go to a third reading.Several council members objected, saying that the motion was unprecedented and would limit the input of the public.“We’ve never done this before,” council member Andy Ruff said.Each public comment was limited to five minutes, however.Ramsay Harik, a community member, asked the council to take immediate action, putting priority on the science available to them “no matter how squeamish it makes the rest of us feel.”David Parkhurst, who worked for the IU School of Public and Environmental Affairs until 2005, said allowing this amendment would help preserve the existing environment at Griffy Lake.“I don’t understand what’s so precious about deer that makes them so much more important than birds and other wildlife,” Parkhurst said.A Griffy Lake Master Plan compiled in 2008 recognized the problem of deer overpopulation and called for an examination of potential solutions to the problem.Sharpshooting was determined to be the most viable option. Contraception and sterilization were both discussed at Wednesday night’s council meeting as alternatives, but were generally agreed upon to not be cost-effective.“Contraception has ever proven ineffective in a free-ranging environment,” said Josh Griffin, a regional supervisor with the Indiana Department of Natural Resources.Michael Ellenwood said he had been hunting deer his entire life and feels the council is not considering unintended consequences.Ellenwood is from upstate New York, an area that also struggles with deer overabundance.He said he feels that shooting the deer will only cause them to disperse.“As soon as you start shooting them, they’ll move,” Ellenwood said.Richard Darling, a Bloomington resident, said his neighborhood was serving as a “highway” for deer traveling to Griffy Lake. “‘Bambi’ is a very interesting movie. It’s fun to watch and kids love it,” Darling said. “I don’t want a herd of deer and skunks ravaging my front yard.”
If you're staying in town, check out a roundup of events happening during the week of spring break.