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(10/29/08 4:10am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The Bloomington Police Department is investigating a bank robbery that occurred downtown Tuesday afternoon.A man walked into Chase Bank, 100 S. College Ave., wearing a black hat, sunglasses, blue jeans and a backpack, BPD Sgt. Jeff Canada said, reading from a police report.The man presented a note to the teller, Canada said. The teller complied with the man and gave him an undisclosed amount of money.The man put the money into his backpack and left the scene, according to the report. Officers are not sure if the man left on foot or in a vehicle.Dollar bills marked with red ink were found on the ground around the Fountain Square Mall area near College Avenue, Canada said.The ink was part of a dye pack the teller gave to the man, which explodes and releases red ink, Canada said.Officers were called to the scene at about 2:30 p.m., Canada said. Although there were people in the bank at the time of the robbery, no one was injured.There are currently no suspects in the case. Anyone with information about the robbery can contact BPD at 339-4477.Local teen suspected of dealing cocaineA Bloomington woman was arrested on Tuesday on suspicion of dealing cocaine in her home.Brittany R. Easterday, 19, faces preliminary charges of dealing cocaine.Easterday sold an undisclosed amount of a powdery white substance police believe to be cocaine to an informant, Canada said.BPD officer Brandon Lopossa contacted Easterday through her cell phone and instructed her to report to the police station for questioning, Canada said.Easterday denied being involved in any sort of drug activity, Canada said. Lopossa looked through her phone and found a text message in regards to buying “pills.” Pictures of drug paraphernalia were also on the phone, according to the report.Easterday denied being connected with anything that was on her phone, Canada said.
(10/29/08 3:52am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>With less than a week left before Election Day, student political groups made their last attempts to educate people about the candidates Tuesday evening.Fair Vote, a non-partisan student organization, hosted a debate between Students for John McCain, Hoosiers for Nader and IU Students for Liberty representatives.Student organizations representing the Democratic Party did not attend due to schedule conflicts, said graduate student Jeremy Young, Fair Vote member and moderator for the night.“We were not informed about this meeting happening for a very long time,” said IU Democrats President Anna Strand.The 11 people that attended the debate probably knew who they were going to vote for, but Fair Vote wanted to make sure they made an educated choice.“I’m hoping people learn more about the candidates instead of just the sound bites,” Young said.The debate focused on broad issues such as foreign policy, abortion, the war on terrorism, the United Nations and the Supreme Court.Abortion drew a large reaction from student representatives who had conflicting thoughts than those of their candidates.Freshman Connor Caudill, a representative for Students for John McCain, said he and his candidate are pro-life, but Caudill thought abortion could not be outlawed because it would lead to illegal abortions.Aaron Hamlin, graduate student and member of Hoosiers for Nader, said sex education in schools could prevent abortions.Other representatives, such as senior Andrew Sharp of IU Students for Liberty, felt strongly about the Supreme Court.“The Supreme Court has been one of the worst things about our government,” Sharp said. “(It) ignores the fact that the Constitution was made to limit the government.”Sharp said the Libertarian candidates think the Supreme Court defends the activity of the government.Another topic that was highly discussed was the lack of coverage of third parties.Connor said anyone can run for president but it is up to parties to draw people to themselves and have their voice heard.
(10/28/08 8:48pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The Bloomington Police Department is currently investigating a bank robbery that occurred downtown Tuesday afternoon.Officers were called to Chase Bank, 100 S. College Ave., at about 2:30 p.m. after a man wearing a black hat, sunglasses, blue jeans and a backpack, said BPD Sgt. Jeff Canada. The suspect walked into the bank, presented a note to the teller and received an undisclosed amount of money, Canada said.The man put the money into his backpack and left the scene, Canada said. Officers are not sure if the man left on foot or left in a vehicle.Dollar bills marked with red ink were found around the Fountain Square Mall area near College Avenue, Canada said. The ink was part of a dye pack the teller gave to the man, which explodes and releases red ink, Canada said.Although there were people in the bank at the time of the robbery no one was injured, according to reports.There are currently no suspects in the case. Anyone with information about the robbery can contact BPD at 339-4477.
(10/27/08 3:56am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Indiana State Excise Police issued 78 tickets to 41 people during IU’s Homecoming weekend. Of the 41 people that were ticketed, eight were taken to jail, according to a press release.“The number of inordinately intoxicated people encountered by excise police during Homecoming significantly exceeded a normal weekend in Bloomington,” said Officer Travis Thickstun in a press release. Thirty-two tickets were for illegal possession or consumption of alcoholic beverages, 17 tickets were given out for possession of false identification, 12 tickets for giving the wrong age when asked by an officer and one ticket was given for public nudity.Twenty-three of the tickets were given out during tailgating of the IU vs. Northwestern football game, Thickstun said.Other areas that involved a high number of tickets were the bar area along Kirkwood Avenue and Walnut Street. The weekend was normal compared to past Homecoming weekends, Thickstun said. However, the Indiana State Excise Police usually does not arrest eight people during any weekend.
(10/27/08 3:55am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>A Bloomington man led the IU Police Department, the Bloomington Police Department and the Indiana State Police on a chase throughout the city Saturday while his 86-year-old mother was in the passenger seat, police said.At 3:51 p.m. IUPD Sgt. Don Schmuhl saw a red van hit another vehicle and leave out of Memorial Stadium’s parking lot near 17th Street and Woodlawn Avenue, IUPD Captain Jerry Minger said, reading from a police report. The vehicle’s driver was 47-year-old Edward Eggers, Minger said. IUPD officers turned on their lights to signal Eggers to pull over, Minger said. Instead, Eggers left the parking lot heading east on 17th Street. He turned north on Fee Lane and headed toward the bypass. Eggers began to drive toward incoming traffic. He then entered the green lot entrance where vehicles were trying to exit, according to the report.He drove around the lot trying to avoid other vehicles but eventually left, Minger said. He turned toward Fee Lane and drove north in the southbound lane.BPD officers tried to slow down the car with stop sticks that would deflate the vehicle’s tires when the car was heading toward Dunn Street and the bypass. The sticks were able to do minor damage to one of the tires, but Eggers did not stop the car, Minger said.As Eggers was approaching State Road 46 and State Road 37, an Indiana State Police trooper was able to use stop sticks to deflate the right rear tire of the vehicle. Eggers turned on State Road 37 and was driving at about 65 miles per hour. He tried to swerve around the Indiana State Police but he lost control of the van. The vehicle rolled off the road and landed back on its wheels. Eggers suffered a cut on his left arm that led to damage to his artery. His mother did not suffer any injuries. Eggers was transported to the hospital and then taken into custody. He faces preliminary charges of resisting law enforcement with a vehicle, operating while intoxicated, driving with a suspended license, criminal recklessness and leaving the scene of an accident, Minger said.
(10/27/08 2:53am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Bloomington resident John R. Moore III has been charged with the murder of a Lafayette man.The Monroe County courts filed the charges Thursday, according to a probable cause affidavit. The charges come after Lafayette resident Steven Morris was found dead on the morning of Oct. 19 in the 4000 block of Hartstrait Road in Ellettsville.Moore’s former wife Laurie Moore told police John Moore arrived at her house in Ellettsville at 8:50 a.m.He walked in and went into the upstairs bedroom where Laurie Moore and Morris were at the time, according to the affidavit.John Moore told his ex-wife to take their son out of the room. As he told her this, Laurie Moore told officers she noticed he had a black gun with a brown handle.Laurie Moore got her son out of another upstairs bedroom. As she was getting her son, she said she heard noises that sounded like John Moore was beating Morris, according to the affidavit.Before Laurie Moore got to the stairway to go downstairs with her son, she saw that in the bedroom John Moore had Morris sitting on the floor next to the bed, according to the affidavit. John Moore was holding Steven down in the neck area with his hand.As Laurie Moore was calling 911 from her kitchen area, she heard four to five gunshots, according to the affidavit. While she was still on the phone with the dispatcher, she saw John Moore’s car drive down her driveway toward Hartstrait Road.Indiana State Police officers obtained a search warrant for John Moore’s apartment. John Moore walked in on officers while they were searching his apartment, according to the affidavit.John Moore was taken to the Monroe County Jail.Prior to the incident, Laurie Moore had filed for a protective order in the Monroe Circuit Court against John Moore III on Sept. 15 because of an incident this past August when she said he had gone to Lafayette to stalk the workplace and apartment of Morris.John Moore III told Laurie Moore he had gone there with a bag full of things that could cause physical harm to Morris, according to the affidavit.16-year-old raped in woodsA 16-year-old Bloomington girl reported that she was raped as she was walking through the woods to her friend’s house.The incident occurred in the early hours of Thursday, Canada said. The girl was walking in the area of 13th and Illinois streets from her house to her friend’s when she felt someone touch her back.The man pulled down her pants and told to her to shut up, according to the report. He raped her and then left her in the wooded area, Canada said.The girl ran back to her parents’ home and didn’t tell anyone about the incident until Thursday afternoon, when she was taken to the hospital.The girl told police she does not know who the man was.BPD asks anyone with information about the incident to contact the police station at 349-3306.Bloomfield man faces charges of sexual batteryA Bloomfield, Ind., man was arrested on suspicion of sexual battery of a 17-year-old Bloomington girl.The incident was reported on Thursday when Bloomington police officers were dispatched to the Bloomington Transit bus station on Fourth and Washington streets, said Bloomington Police Department Sgt. Jeff Canada, reading from a police report.The sexual battery incident occurred on Tuesday after the girl’s boyfriend had been arrested, according to the report. She was looking for a friend to help her raise bail money when she ran into “St. Louis,” whose real name is Hawthorne Roosevelt, Canada said.Roosevelt, 36, who knew the girl before the incident, offered her a ride in his van to look for her friend, according to the report. The two drove around Bloomington for a while. Then the girl went to the Monroe Bank to get some of the money for the bond.They then drove to a liquor store where Roosevelt purchased alcohol, according to the report. He started to drink and then asked her if she was working undercover for the police, Canada said.According to the report, the girl denied the allegation, but he insisted she had to take her clothes off to prove this.The girl took her clothes off to show that she was not an undercover cop, according to the report. Roosevelt tried to touch the girl inappropriately while the van was still parked at the liquor store, Canada said. She told him to not do that and began to put her clothes back on. After she got dressed, he exposed himself to her, according to the report.After the incident, he drove her to the jail but was not able to raise enough money to post bail for her boyfriend, Canada said.The girl identified Roosevelt for the police on Thursday. They located him and questioned him on the incidents. He said he does not remember the events that the girl said happened, Canada said.Roosevelt was taken to jail where he faces preliminary charges of sexual battery.
(10/26/08 11:33pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Bloomington resident John R. Moore III has been charged with the murder of a Lafayette man.The Monroe County courts filed the charges Thursday, according to a probable cause affidavit. The charges come after Lafayette resident Steven Morris was found dead on the morning of Oct. 19 in the 4000 block of Hartstrait Road in Ellettsville.Moore’s former wife Laurie Moore told police John Moore arrived at her house in Ellettsville at 8:50 a.m.He walked in and went into the upstairs bedroom where Laurie Moore and Morris were at the time, according to the affidavit.John Moore told his ex-wife to take their son out of the room. As he told her this, Laurie Moore told officers she noticed he had a black gun with a brown handle.Laurie Moore got her son out of another upstairs bedroom. As she was getting her son, she said she heard noises that sounded like John Moore was beating Morris, according to the affidavit.Before Laurie Moore got to the stairways to go downstairs with her son, she saw that in the bedroom John Moore had Morris sitting on the floor next to the bed, according to the affidavit. John Moore was holding Steven down in the neck area with his hand.As Laurie Moore was calling 911 from her kitchen area, she heard four to five gunshots, according to the affidavit. While she was still on the phone with the dispatcher, she saw John Moore’s car drive down her driveway toward Hartstrait Road.Indiana State Police officers obtained a search warrant for John Moore’s apartment. John Moore walked in on officers while they were searching his apartment, according to the affidavit.John Moore was taken to the Monroe County Jail.Prior to the incident, Laurie Moore had filed for a protective order in the Monroe Circuit Court against John Moore III on Sept. 15 because of an incident this past August when she said he had gone to Lafayette to stalk the workplace and apartment of Morris.John Moore III told Laurie Moore he had gone there with a bag full of things that could cause physical harm to Morris, according to the affidavit.
(10/26/08 11:32pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>A Bloomington man led the IU Police Department, the Bloomington Police Department and the Indiana State Police on a chase throughout the city Saturday while his 86-year-old mother was in the passenger seat, police said.At 3:51 p.m. IUPD Sgt. Don Schmuhl saw a red van hit another vehicle and leave out of Memorial Stadium’s parking lot near 17th Street and Woodlawn Avenue, IUPD Captain Jerry Minger said, reading from a police report. The vehicle’s driver was 47-year-old Edward Eggers, Minger said. His 86-year-old mother was in the passenger’s seat the entire time. IUPD officers turned on their lights to signal Eggers to pull over, Minger said. Instead, Eggers left the parking lot heading east on 17th Street. He turned north on Fee Lane and headed toward the bypass. Eggers began to drive toward incoming traffic. He then entered the green lot entrance where vehicles were trying to exit, according to the report.He drove around the lot trying to avoid other vehicles but eventually left, Minger said. He turned toward Fee Lane and drove north in the southbound lane.BPD officers tried to slow down the car with stop sticks that would deflate the vehicle’s tires when the car was heading toward Dunn Street and the bypass. The sticks were able to do minor damage to one of the tires, but Eggers did not stop the car, Minger said.As Eggers was approaching State Road 46 and State Road 37, an Indiana State Police trooper was able to use stop sticks to deflate the right rear tire of the vehicle. Eggers turned on State Road 37 and was driving at about 65 miles per hour. He tried to swerve around the Indiana State Police but he lost control of the van. The vehicle rolled off the road and landed back on its wheels. Eggers suffered a cut on his left arm that led to damage to his artery. His mother did not suffer any injuries. Eggers was transported to the hospital and then taken into custody. He faces preliminary charges of resisting law enforcement with a vehicle, operating while intoxicated, driving with a suspended license, criminal recklessness and leaving the scene of an accident, Minger said.
(10/24/08 4:37am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Midterms might be in full swing, but that didn’t stop more than 400 students from screaming at the top of their lungs Thursday night.“Yell Like Hell” was one of the 10 events the Indiana Student Alumni Association hosted this week for Homecoming. Twelve student organizations participated in the event – a competition where students showcase their talents – Thursday inside of Alumni Hall in the Indiana Memorial Union.The night started off with the skits portion of the event. Although students were celebrating Saturday’s Homecoming game, it was clear that politics were on everyone’s minds. The Black Student Union performed a mock vice-presidential debate in which Democratic vice-presidential nominee Joe Biden was cheering for IU while Republican vice-presidential hopeful Sarah Palin was cheering for Northwestern. BSU placed second in the skits part of the competition. Sigma Phi Epsilon won first place for its comedy skit of a Coldplay song. Members used their comical and musical talents to perform the song using a triangle and a piano. The two student groups that got the crowd cheering the most during the night were the coed dance troops Hip Hop ConnXion and IU Essence. Hip Hop ConnXion won second place in the dance competition, and IU Essence placed first. “We have a lot of new members (and) worked really hard,” said senior Monique Palmer, member of IU Essence. “We put our energy into it.”Not all agreed with the outcome of the night. Sophomore Emily Stout said she went to “Yell Like Hell” to see her friends who were part of Hip Hop ConnXion, the group she thought deserved to win. Other highlights of the night included the Student Athletic Board’s dance-off and Straight No Chaser’s a capella performance. All participants received points toward their participation total for the entire week, but the winners received the most, said Trish Surfus, associate director of student programming at the Alumni Association. Whichever student group acquires the most points by the end of Homecoming week will receive a trophy during Saturday’s football game.Hip Hop ConnXion member freshman Charlotte Janus said the group painted a window for Homecoming earlier this week. They also plan to participate in Saturday’s football game. For some students, such as senior Meaza Yalew, the Homecoming events aren’t about the points earned, but rather the school spirit behind them. “I like the performances that show case everyone’s excitement for Homecoming,” Yalew said.
(10/24/08 2:56am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The Timmy Foundation wants people to stock up on medical supplies instead of candy on Halloween.IU students involved in the Timmy Foundation are giving people bags for their “Trick or Treat for Timmy” fundraiser from 1 to 5 p.m. Friday throughout Bloomington.The foundation works to improve health services and education in third world countries through student-led mission trips. On Halloween, the students will go back to the houses they visited dressed in their costumes to collect the bags.The only catch is that the students aren’t looking for a sugar rush. Instead, they want to collect medical supplies for people living in Quito, Ecuador.The bags will include a list of medical supplies such as Tums, Ibuprofen children’s liquid, Neosporin cream and Claritin that they would like people to donate, according to the event’s flier.Residents who choose to participate in the fundraiser can leave their bags full of medical supplies outside of their door on Halloween, said Amanda Buck, Timmy Foundation member.Eighteen students from the organization will take the collected supplies to Ecuador during IU’s spring break as part of their annual medical mission trip, said Katie Lilly, the Timmy donations chair.The fundraiser is a bit of an experiment, Lilly said. The “Trick or Treat for Timmy” event has only been done once before, but it was not successful. Lilly said the group wants to change that.Buck said 20 to 30 members from the organization will participate in the fundraiser.The trip to Ecuador will be the first for the IU chapter of the Timmy Foundation.“I know there is poverty here in the U.S. that needs to be addressed, but the poverty over there is worse,” Lilly said.Lilly has been on two mission trips with the Timmy Foundation.The group goes on different mission medical trips every year, Lilly said. In the past the group has gone to the Dominican Republic and Honduras.The Timmy Foundation sends different student chapters on the medical mission trips throughout the year.Other fundraising initiatives the group has been doing throughout the year are grocery drives where students pass out fliers and have drop boxes where people can donate canned goods to the organization.Anyone who would like to donate medical supplies to the Timmy Foundation can contact Lilly at kmlilly@indiana.edu.
(10/23/08 3:23am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>People traveling to IU this weekend for Homecoming festivities might have to deal with a little extra hold up on their trip.From Friday evening to Saturday morning, Indiana State Police officers will look for drivers who seem intoxicated or impaired at a checkpoint in Morgan County, north of Bloomington.The checkpoint’s location cannot be disclosed, said Indiana State Police Sgt. Richard Myers.Officers at the checkpoint also will look for drivers who are under the influence of drugs, drivers without a valid license and underage drinkers, Myers said.A sergeant or lieutenant of a certain district decides when and where to set up checkpoints like this.Drivers in Morgan County are advised to have their driver’s license and registration ready for the checkpoint so that traffic does not become too backed up, according to an Indiana State Police press release.Some of the officers working the checkpoint will be working overtime and will get paid by federal funds, while others will work during their normal shifts.The checkpoints are conducted by the county once a month. However, during the holiday season, they have more than one checkpoint a month.Drivers who are caught driving while under the influence can face a Class C Misdemeanor if the blood alcohol level is equal to or greater than .08 percent but less than .15 percent, according to the state of Indiana Web site.If a driver’s alcohol level is greater than .15 percent, it becomes a Class A Misdemeanor. However, if a person is caught driving under the influence more than once, the crime becomes a felony. All penalties can lead to time in jail.
(10/22/08 2:17am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Police say Fifth Third Bank, 3200 E. Third St., was robbed of an undisclosed amount of cash Tuesday afternoon.The Bloomington Police Department received a call about the robbery at 12:33 p.m., BPD Sgt. Jeff Canada said.Canada said a male walked into the bank and gave a note to the teller, indicating he had a weapon. There were no customers inside of the bank at the time of the robbery.The bank teller gave him an undisclosed amount of money.The male was last seen leaving on foot westbound on East Third Street. He was seen wearing dark clothing, sunglasses and a dark hat, Canada said.BPD is currently investigating the robbery and reviewing the bank’s surveillance footage.The BPD asks that anyone with information on the robber contact them at 339-4477.
(10/21/08 8:54pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Police say Fifth Third Bank, 3200 E. Third St., was robbed of an undisclosed amount of cash Tuesday afternoon.The Bloomington Police Department received a call about the robbery at 12:33 p.m., BPD Sgt. Jeff Canada said.Canada said a male walked into the bank and gave a note to the teller, indicating he had a weapon. There were no customers inside of the bank at the time of the robbery.The bank teller gave him an undisclosed amount of money.The male was last seen leaving on foot westbound on East Third Street. He was seen wearing dark clothing, sunglasses and a dark hat, Canada said.BPD is currently investigating the robbery and reviewing the bank’s surveillance footage.The BPD asks that anyone with information on the robber contact them at 339-4477.
(10/20/08 4:02am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>A Monroe County Sheriff’s Department Deputy died Sunday from ongoing complications stemming from a Friday evening incident in which she was hit by a car.Deputy Sara Jones, 28, was directing traffic Friday night on State Road 45 west of Bloomington while a service company was removing a car out from a ditch on the side road, said Indiana State Police Sgt. Curt Durnil.Jones was struck by a 16-year-old Bloomington girl driving a 1998 Jeep. Jones was not wearing a reflective vest when she was directing traffic on the road, but her vehicle’s emergency lights were on, Durnil said.Jones was taken to the Bloomington Hospital and later transported to Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis, according to an Indiana State Police press release. The Bloomington girl has not been arrested, Durnil said, and the prosecutor’s office will review the case. Jones had been working as a Monroe County Sheriff’s Department Deputy for less than a year, Durnil said.“It’s tragic because she was just getting started,” Durnil said. “Our thoughts and prayers are with Deputy Jones.”Before joining the sheriff’s department Jones attended a military institute and served in the Air Force.
(10/20/08 3:44am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The Indiana State Police arrested a Bloomington man Sunday night in connection with the homicide of a Lafayette man.John R. Moore III, 48, of Bloomington, was arrested at his home at 5046 Capital Avenue at about 10 p.m.Steven J. Morris, 59, was found Sunday morning at 4063 Hartstrait Road near Ellettsville, according to an Indiana State Police press release. An investigation that took place Sunday morning identified Moore as a suspect in the case. Moore was not at the scene when police arrived, Durnil said.Indiana State Police are still investigating the homicide and are trying to find out Morris’ relationship to the suspect and why he was in Bloomington. Police are asking anyone with information about the homicide to contact the Indiana State Police Post in Bloomington at 332-4411.
(10/17/08 3:06am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>A Bloomington man was arrested Wednesday for selling cocaine to a confidential informant.Clayton L. Baker, 25, was arrested on preliminary charges of dealing cocaine and for the schedule of a controlled substance on Wednesday, said Bloomington Police Department Sgt. Jeff Canada, reading from a police report. Baker was arrested for the class B felonies of selling cocaine in August and September.The BPD confidential informant was in contact with Baker and had agreed to meet up with him on Oct. 10 in a restaurant on the south side of Bloomington to buy cocaine.Baker told the informant that he could not give the cocaine to him directly because he had been getting into a lot of trouble recently, according to the report.The white substance, thought by officials to be cocaine, was sold to the informant by Baker’s girlfriend.The informant came into contact with Baker again when they spoke and Baker told the informant that he had three morphine tablets for sale. The two met on Wednesday in Ellettsville, where they exchanged money for the tablets, according to the report.BPD detective Bill Jeffers confirmed Baker was the man who sold the unidentified tablets to the informant.Baker was arrested by the Ellettsville Police Department and transported to Bloomington.Baker told officers he was at the restaurant on Oct. 10 when the informant purchased the cocaine. He told others he did not provide the cocaine but was mixed up in the middle of the situation and did not give further explanation.Baker faces a class B felony charge for the dealing of cocaine and an a class A felony charge for the schedule of a controlled substance.
(10/07/08 3:53am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Fuel prices forced public transportation throughout Bloomington and IU’s campus to cut back on services. Now both Bloomington Transit and IU Campus Bus Service will receive federal grants, but the new money won’t be used to fill gas tanks.Last week, Congressman Baron Hill, D-9th, approved a grant of $915,618 in federal funds for the Bloomington Public Transportation Corporation. Hill also approved a $594,000 grant for the IU Campus Bus Service. Bloomington Transit will use the funding to design and operate environmental improvements to the downtown transit facility, which no longer accommodates the number of buses and riders. The facility, located at Washington and Fourth streets, was built in 1987.“With our ridership growth, with the expansion of our service, with the volume and number of buses we’re operating, we have outgrown that location down there,” said Lew May, Bloomington Public Transportation Corporation general manager.IU Campus Bus Service will also use the money to improve facilities.The grant money will be used by the IU Campus Bus Service to improve the “ride and park” area on 17th and Dunn streets.Improvements to the area include a waiting area that will include public restrooms, said Kent McDaniel, executive director for the bus services. The area will also be paved and have traffic lights.Both transportation services agree the renovations are long overdue. May and McDaniel said the grant awarded to them had to be used on the specific projects they were given, instead of for purchasing gas. Throughout the past 21 years, the Bloomington Public Transportation Corporation has worked to keep up with growing ridership. Although the downtown location is still functional, the corporation sees the need for improvements to provide for future growth.“There is a need for an expanded facility,” May said. “One that will give us the ability to prove better customer amenities, things like a larger indoor wait facility, things like air conditioning and heating, things like public restrooms, wider sidewalks, more sheltered locations to wait for buses, better signage, better lighting, better security. All these things are things that we envision in the new and improved passenger transfer facility.”McDaniel said IU has been trying to get a grant to improve the area for the safety of students. Sophomore Alison Kaiser said the traffic lights would improve her daily ride on the X bus.Kaiser said she always struggles to get into the parking lot because of the all the drivers going in the opposite direction of her.Senior Andrea Hera agrees.“I think it’s good,” Hera said. “I commute every day. It’s hard for students to cross the road.”Students who use Bloomington Transit are also happy about the improvements. “If they are making the shelters bigger, it is going to be easier for a lot more people to stand under the shelters because as of right now, when it becomes the main time when people shuttle back and forth, it gets crowded,” said junior Ryan Thiery.With the rising cost of fuel, more students on campus and people around the community are turning to the Bloomington Transit to move around campus and Bloomington. In 2007, a record 2.7 million riders used the bus system.“It’s beneficial that this is getting updated so that they can transport everyone back and forth between class,” Thiery said. “We won’t have to stand out in the rain or anything anymore.”The first installment of the grant is one of four the Bloomington Public Transportation Corporation will receive during the next four years.McDaniel said he is not sure when the project for the IU Campus Bus Service will begin but said it should begin by next year. “It’s obviously an important grant for IU and the city of Bloomington because the bus service will go campus-wide and will help the efficiency and the safety of the bus service,” said Hill’s press secretary Kara Seward.However, none of the federally funded money will go toward new buses or the rising cost of fuel, May said.“Thanks to a lot of efforts from people like Baron Hill and others, we’ve been replacing buses over the years.” May said. “We’ve been able to find hybrid buses and new diesel buses, and that’s going to continue over the next few years, but this project is strictly for a downtown passenger terminal.”
(10/03/08 2:15am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>A 56-year-old man was found bleeding inside of the downtown Bloomington U.S. Post Office early Thursday morning.The Bloomington Police Department received an anonymous call at 6:08 a.m. that a man was bleeding inside of the post office, BPD Sgt. Jeff Canada said, reading from a police report.The post office does not open until 8 a.m. during the week.The police report said there was blood leading into the building and on the floor of the post office, said BPD Sgt. Jeff Canada. The man was unresponsive to BPD detective Kevin Hill. He had a cut above his left eye that required two stitches and a cut on his left hand.The emergency medical technicians said it initially appeared that the man had been stabbed, but they later said he might have been struck in the head or fallen.The man told officers he last remembers riding the Route 2 bus on the Bloomington Transit downtown. He said he thinks an unknown assailant then attacked him and said he wandered off toward the post office.The man said he had been drinking and did not remember all of the events that occurred.BPD is asking anyone with information on the incident to call 339-4477.Bloomington man arrested for dealing crack cocaineA 26-year-old Bloomington resident was arrested on a preliminary charge of dealing crack cocaine, a class B felony. Police say Kondawani C. Daniel sold crack cocaine to a BPD undercover informant in late 2007. At the time, BPD only knew him as “Q” and did not have a lot of information on him.Canada said it took time for BPD to develop a profile for Daniel.On Wednesday, Detective Cody Forston and Detective Sgt. David Drake noticed Daniel walking on foot near the 2900 block of South Leonard Springs Road and Highway 45.The detectives were able to track him down and arrest him.
(10/02/08 8:33pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>A 56-year-old man was found bleeding inside of the downtown Bloomington U.S. Post office early Thursday morning.The Bloomington Police Department received an anonymous call at 6:08 a.m. that a man was bleeding inside of the post office, BPD Sgt. Jeff Canada, reading from a police report.The post office does not open until 8 a.m. during the week.The police report said there was blood leading into the building and on the floor of the post office, said BPD Sgt. Jeff Canada. The man was unresponsive to BPD detective Kevin Hill. He had a cut above his left eye that required two stitches and a cut on his left hand.The emergency medical technicians said it initially appeared that the man had been stabbed, but they later said he might have been struck in the head or fallen.The man told officers he had been riding the route one bus on the Bloomington Transit until around 11 p.m. Tuesday when he got off downtown. He said he thinks an unknown assailant then attacked him. He said he wandered off toward the post office.The man said he had been drinking and did not remember all of the events that occurred.BPD is asking anyone with information on the incident to call 339-4477.
(10/02/08 3:37am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>For 35 years, Indiana residents have not been able to purchase alcoholic beverages from stores on Sundays, but a new campaign hopes to change that. The movement “Hoosiers for Beverage Choices” is trying to change a law that prohibits Hoosier retailers from selling alcohol on Sundays. Through a Web site that launched in August, people can sign a growing online petition, said Indiana Retail Council President Grant Monahan. The campaign also wants to allow the sale of cold beer at drug, grocery and convenience stores.But not everybody is happy with the movement. Many Hoosiers believe the more often alcohol is available for purchase, the more often it will be abused.According to Indiana Code 7.1-3-1-14, retailers cannot sell alcoholic beverages from 3 a.m. on Sundays until 7 a.m. on Mondays. The exception to this rule is that alcohol can be served at most licensed restaurants from 10 a.m. on Sundays to 12:30 a.m. on Mondays.The Indiana Retail Council is one organization involved in the movement that hopes to eventually change the law, Monahan said. The council represents and provides all sizes and types of retail stores with government affairs representation in Indiana.“We are providing in-store materials that will educate our customers as well,” Monahan said.Currently, the only types of retail stores allowed to sell cold beer are liquor stores, Monahan said. He said this allows liquor stores to create a “monopoly” on the price of cold beer.Monahan said he thinks Indiana is losing millions of dollars in revenue by not allowing any kind of stores to sell liquor and beer on Sundays.Shona Flynn-Duncan, public relations manager for the Bloomington-based Sahara Mart, agrees.“There are people that specifically come in for alcohol,” she said. “That doesn’t mean that they don’t come other times for food, but they are looking for something specific.”Flynn-Duncan said the sales of all products would increase because when people go into the store to buy one thing, they also purchase other goods while they are there.The sale of alcohol on Sundays would also help the store profit at its new location on Third Street, which will open this fall, because it has a larger beer and wine section, Flynn-Duncan said.Others, such as representatives from the Indiana Area Office of The United Methodist Church, don’t agree with changing the law.Church spokesman Dan Gangler said in an e-mail the church is not against the specific organization, “Hoosiers for Beverage Choices.” However, he said the church believes that the government should control the sale of alcoholic beverages.“Whether or not such beverages are sold on Sunday or any other day of the week is secondary to the control of an addictive substance that is misused and can create great harm to people and their families,” Gangler said. “Alcoholism continues to be a problem in our society, and those who market alcoholic beverages need to be upfront about their intentions, not calling an industrial advertising campaign a grassroots citizens’ movement.”The United Methodist Church is not alone in its opposition to the sale of alcohol on Sundays.Wade Shanower, president of Big Red Liquors, said the availability of alcohol will only lead to an increase of the misuse of alcohol.Shanower said being able to sell alcohol on Sunday will not increase the profits of the stores. He based this on research that was done throughout states that do allow alcohol to be sold on Sundays.In response to the sale of cold beer, Shanower said 6,000 restaurants and taverns can sell cold beer.In addition, Shanower said cold beer is the preferred alcoholic beverage choice for underage drinkers. He said liquor stores are the only “regulated” stores because you have to be 21 years or old to get into the store.Despite the moral concerns and economic conflicts of the situation, “Hoosiers for Beverage Choices” Web site claims to have more than 10,000 signatures supporting the sale of alcohol on Sundays. The petition is just the beginning for the group. There will be a new component in January to the Web site that will allow people to e-mail their representative to encourage them to change the law when the Indiana General Assembly goes back in session, Monahan said.