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(11/20/13 5:00am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>When reporter Nathan Brown asked to publish a story illustrating the reality of IU’s binge-drinking culture for many students on campus, a practice that is notoriously encouraged during tailgates, I was sold.That idea formulated into our front-page story, “Another drunken Saturday.” We knew the story would raise questions and hopefully encourage people to reflect on their own decisions.Since the piece appeared in print and online, my inbox has been flooded with email — several supporting the story, and others calling it a direct attack on IU’s greek community. Then the IDS’ Twitter feed filled with #FollowThisGreek tweets.Amanda, whose last name was not published to protect her from punishment, is in fact a member of the greek community, but that is not the primary focus of the story. As a student at an American university, she is part of a culture of dangerous alcohol consumption, where 37.4 percent of college students say they binge drink.This culture of beer bongs and keg stands exists not only in greek houses, but also on Kirkwood Avenue, in off-campus house parties and in residence halls. No one social group can be excluded, and that includes the Indiana Daily Student staff.Our intention with printing the story was to illustrate how frightening our interactions with alcohol can be, and we succeeded. Speaking in hushed tones, IU students often discuss how wasted they got the night before, laughing off their memory loss and aversion to loud noises. When such behavior is laid out in print, and when you realize someone else’s life mirrors your own or someone’s you know, it hits home.Amanda is not alone, and we hope our story helps our readers put their actions into perspective before our community is plagued with another alcohol-related death or injury.Some believe the IDS will do anything to soil the name of the greek community. Our actual priority, however, is to tell stories objectively.Though “Another drunken Saturday” can be perceived as negative coverage, it was not an indictment of the greek system. Moreover, the story is one among dozens from this semester concerning the greek community. These stories include the Interfraternity Council’s training to recognize and intervene in situations of sexual assault, Big Man on Campus coverage and greeks’ involvement in IU Dance Marathon.As the semester progresses, we will continue reporting the news — not as a public relations firm, but as an objective news source that delivers readers information they need to know. In the meantime, tweet #FollowThisGreek, and we’ll pay attention.— mkeierle@indiana.eduFollow Editor-in-Chief Mark Keierleber on Twitter @mkeierleber.
(04/25/13 4:32am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Track marks dotting Lindsay Ramon’s arms are a constant reminder of an addiction that almost killed her.Every day, Lindsay Ramon wakes in a cell with four other inmates at Madison Correctional Facility for Women. She should be preparing her 4-year-old daughter for kindergarten or taking her to Chuck E. Cheese’s. Instead, Ramon is in an intensive drug rehabilitation program, a task she is paid 12 cents a day to complete. In August 2011, officers from the Bloomington Police Department arrested 26-year-old Ramon for theft and possession of a controlled substance when she tried stealing from a local hair salon, high on Xanax. “You have to know there is going to be temptation when you get out,” Ramon said. “You have to be strong, and what I’m working on right now is getting myself stronger.”If she wasn’t incarcerated, she knows she would be dead by now. With her boyfriend already dead from a heroin overdose, their daughter would be left an orphan. ***About 100 people die from drug overdoses every day in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Overdose death rates have more than tripled in the past decade. While the misuse and abuse of prescription painkillers has resulted in more overdose deaths than cocaine and heroin combined, about half of prescription painkiller deaths involve at least one other drug.In middle school and high school in Ellettsville, Ramon participated in choir, gymnastics and softball. In eighth grade she joined the cheerleading squad. She dreamed of becoming a fashion designer. For years she scoffed at people who used needles to get high. Later, she became one of them.When Ramon was 17 and at Edgewood High School, a boyfriend presented her with the Xanax he was getting from his grandmother. At 18, Ramon’s sister-in-law introduced her to Jacob Cotton and the two began dating. Cotton had a prescription to both Xanax and methadone. Watching Cotton take both medications every day, Ramon became curious so she indulged.Ramon enjoyed methadone highs but couldn’t bear the withdrawals. Her body felt like it weighed a million pounds. She needed to use the drug every day to go to work at the local Marathon convenience store.“I remember times when it was a chore for me to jump into the shower and get ready,” Ramon said.***Ramon eventually moved in with Cotton at his Bloomington apartment.Every morning, the two of them woke up and instantly went to find where they hid their pharmaceuticals the night before. It was usually in their closet, among Ramon’s large collection of clothes. “It’s something a drug addict does, they hide their stuff,” Ramon said. “They hold onto it. It’s very valuable to them. It’s something they need to survive the next day.”Together, Ramon and Cotton fueled each other’s drug addictions. They went to the movie theater and went to dinner at Golden Corral, her favorite restaurant, but they always went high.Ramon became pregnant when she was 21. Cotton kept using the pharmaceuticals, but Ramon knew she would have to quit. She knew Child Protective Services would take her baby away if doctors found traces of drugs in her blood. Then Gracie Mae Cotton was born. Three days later, Ramon used Xanax again and her addiction started right back up where it left off. In fact, her addiction intensified.Without drugs in their systems, neither Ramon nor Cotton wanted to get out of bed when Gracie cried. To obtain more pills, Ramon and Cotton started driving to Indianapolis at 6 a.m. every day to visit Indianapolis Treatment Center’s methadone clinic. For $14 a day, the clinic feeds methadone to heroin addicts to end heroin dependency. But without a heroin addiction, the clinic’s methadone just fueled their high.They made the trip to Indianapolis every single day for a year to get their fix, often bringing Gracie with them. To pay for the treatment and gas money, Ramon begged her mother for money, saying she needed it to buy diapers.After a while, however, the methadone stopped getting them high. They needed something new.Suboxone, a drug intended to cure dependence of opoids such as methadone, was their next street drug of choice. When she was having a Suboxone withdrawal, every bone in her body hurt, so she was constantly high. When family came to visit to meet Gracie, she was high. When Gracie got old enough, Ramon and Cotton took her to Chuck E. Cheese’s. But they were high.In July 2010, officers from the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department arrested Ramon and Cotton and charged the couple with child neglect after they were found panhandling with Gracie outside a Hardee’s restaurant, according to an article by the Indianapolis Star. Cotton had been using a hand-lettered sign to beg for money, holding Gracie’s arm as she became sunburned in the summer heat. Cotton told police he was begging for gasoline money because Ramon had money stolen from her purse, but police found she was carrying $93 in cash. Police reportedly observed track marks on her arms. Child Protective Services took custody of Gracie. Ramon’s mother eventually received custody. ***Ramon never thought she would inject drugs into her arms to get high. Cotton feared needles. When Ramon was in labor, Cotton passed out from the epidural. That changed Dec. 26, 2010. While Ramon was buying drugs in Indianapolis, Cotton was suffering from withdrawal at home. He couldn’t find pharmaceuticals to cease his sickness, so he injected heroin into his veins for the first time. Ramon tried heroin four days later. “We’ve gotta have more money,” Ramon told Cotton, recognizing the expense of their new addiction. “What do you think about me working at Night Moves?” Cotton got furious. He did not want his girlfriend to be a stripper.“I’m going to do it anyway,” Ramon said. Then Cotton’s addiction took over. “Well, OK, it won’t be that bad,” Cotton said. “As long as I pick you up and I drop you off.” In the evenings Ramon danced at Night Moves, a gentlemen’s club on Bloomington’s south side. The next morning, she stuck a needle in her arm before driving to Indianapolis for more drugs.Driving to low-income, downtown neighborhoods, she stopped at houses with boarded-up windows. Typically, the houses were empty. Sometimes the heat wasn’t even turned on. The buildings were dedicated to drug deals. After the deal, they drove to the closest location — gas stations, church parking lots, peoples’ back yards — to shoot up. Then it was back on the road to Bloomington.“There have been times where I didn’t even remember,” Ramon said. “I would wake up and we were back in Bloomington, or we were in Martinsville, if it was good.”***She’ll never forget the trip she took Aug. 23, 2010. That morning, Ramon and Cotton woke up and drove to Indianapolis for more heroin, just the two of them. Without their fix, Ramon’s withdrawal made her feel like she was dying. Both Ramon and Cotton popped a few Xanax. After purchasing more heroin, they parked their car in a golf course parking lot. Cotton stuck Ramon with a needle, because she didn’t know how to do it by herself yet. Cotton then injected dope into his own arm before the couple dozed off. After an unknown length of time, Ramon woke up and realized they hadn’t moved. “Jacob, get up,” Ramon said. “We just crashed out for a minute. Get up.” He didn’t budge. Ramon ran around the car to the driver’s side door, pulled him from the driver’s seat to the back seat and tried giving him CPR. When that wasn’t working, she jumped into the driver’s seat and drove to Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis, running two red lights on the way. “Heroin and Xanax, heroin and Xanax,” she shouted to a nurse after running into the hospital.Cotton never woke up. Mixing heroin and Xanax had deprived his brain of oxygen. The overdose killed Ramon’s boyfriend, and his death pushed her deeper into addiction.Until she was caught. ***Ramon moved into her grandparents’ house in Bloomington after Cotton died. Manipulating her Pentecostal grandmother, Ramon convinced her to drive her to get more drugs.“Well grandma, I’m going to go regardless,” Ramon would tell her. “If you want me to go and get there safely, I suggest you take me.”She used heroin at her grandmother’s house every day until she was arrested on Aug. 19, 2011. High on Xanax, Ramon went to get her hair cut at Fiesta Hair Salon on West Third Street in Bloomington. When she tried stealing $240.12 in hair care products from the salon, officers from the Bloomington Police Department arrested her for theft and possession of a controlled substance, Xanax. “Xanax is a drug that makes you feel like nobody is watching you,” Ramon said. “Anyone who has been on Xanax will say, ‘you steal shit.’”This offense triggered her inclusion in the Monroe County Drug Treatment Court. She completed her 30-day stay at a rehabilitation center and was placed in Amethyst House, a halfway house for people with addictions. But she was kicked out for curfew violations. After a two-week stay in Monroe County Jail, Ramon was moved back to her grandmother’s house, where she relapsed, using Xanax, heroin and crack cocaine. Still within the drug court’s grasp, she was instructed to report to Monroe County Community Corrections for a substance abuse class. When she missed a class, her case worker instructed her to walk to the Monroe County Justice Building on North College Avenue, just two blocks away, to appear for emergency court.Walking the short distance, Ramon shot up on heroin before entering the courtroom. “What are you on?” the judge asked. “What have you taken?”Ramon denied being under the influence of anything, but the judge read the signs. Ramon was sent back to jail, where she relapsed once more, popping Xanax in the Justice Building elevator between the jail and the courtrooms. Ramon was terminated from drug court. She failed too many opportunities. ***Ramon was escorted into Monroe Circuit Court Feb. 19 wearing a white, jail-issued jumpsuit. Recognizing her family in the courtroom, she smiled and waved. She blew her 30-year-old brother Thomas Ramon a kiss.When the judge entered the courtroom, her attitude changed. Though she admitted guilt, Ramon and Defense Attorney Kara Krothe asked the judge to give Ramon a break. Ramon did not have a long list of previous convictions, Krothe said. She would work to get clean.The defense attorney suggested home detention as the best outcome, but she would settle for a reduced sentence. In a prepared statement, Ramon told the judge the eight-year maximum sentence would prevent her from raising Gracie. Sandra Davis, Ramon’s mother, said she was ready to come clean. Without a father in Gracie’s life, she was ready to be a caring mother. “She said ‘I have to get this right this time, mom,’” Davis told the judge. “Gracie won’t be ashamed of the mistakes her mom made because she will be so proud of the obstacles her mom overcame.”Prosecutor Erika Kroeger said that although Ramon did not have an extensive criminal record, she advised against home detention. “From the very beginning she was adulterating or tampering with her drug tests, she was using substances,” she said. “We never seemed to make an impact.”The judge said Ramon had failed time and again to get clean. Pounding her fist on the judge’s bench and raising her voice, Hon. MaryEllen Diekhoff, a judge for Monroe Circuit Court, asked Ramon “what’s different today?”The judge said Ramon exhausted all other options, adding that because she was not Ramon’s family, she was not going to be polite. Ramon, she said, was no different than any other person who will say anything to stay out of the pen. “You couldn’t stay sober from Community Corrections to get to this building without stopping and using,” Diekhoff said. “Every time we couldn’t find you, like your family, I believed you were dead. I came to the jail to see you. We spent a lot of time with you. You couldn’t go two blocks, Lindsay, two blocks without getting high. Two blocks.”The judge said she was going to ensure Ramon never overdoses and leaves her daughter an orphan. Ramon was sentenced to a purposeful incarceration, meaning that if she completes the DOC’s in-patient substance abuse therapeutic community Growth, Responsibility, Integrity and Purpose, she will be released in December. “If I let you out of here right now, today, this minute, within four hours you would be high,” Diekhoff said. “Within eight there’d be a possibility you’d be dead.”Ramon was first incarcerated at Rockville Correctional Facility, Indiana’s highest security prison, where she shared a space with the state’s most violent incarcerated women. On April 27 she was driven to Madison, Ind., past a skateboarding park and a small cemetery, and into the gates of Madison Correctional Facility. ***Ramon is stuck looking at the track marks on her arms every day. Aside from the fear of how heroin affected her health, she has the fear of Gracie asking about them.Being free of heroin for the first time since Cotton’s death, she is just now going through the grief stages of losing someone she loved.Inside the prison, Ramon and other inmates in the GRIP program are secluded from the rest of the prison population, separating her from inmates who are undoubtedly possessing heroin or other drugs. Although she was just granted visitation rights at Madison, the only communication she had with her mother and daughter since her incarceration was via telephone until those rights were given.When Ramon is released from prison, she aspires to receive a degree in fashion design, move to New York City and create her own clothing line selling scarves and blue jeans. But her first priority is to rebuild her relationship with the family she hurt for so long.“Mama, even though you made bad decisions, I still love you,” 4-year-old Gracie told her on the phone recently.
(03/27/13 4:00am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Television is often the land of savages, with shows featuring endless weaponry, blood and brutality. But when the programming on the nation’s largest cable-TV provider pauses, viewers will no longer see commercials from local firearms dealers.A spokesperson for Comcast Corporation, the nation’s largest cable system and a media conglomerate reaching more than 50 million U.S. homes, said the Comcast Spotlight division adopted a policy preventing advertisements featuring firearms or weapons.Comcast Spotlight is the corporation’s advertising-sales division that sells local advertising spots on national cable channels. Indianapolis is the 26th-largest television market in the country, with 16 broadcast television stations, according to the Comcast website.The decision follows the mid-December mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., and Comcast’s acquisition of General Electric’s common equity ownership interest in NBCUniversal in February.“This policy aligns us with the guidelines in place at many media organizations,” Comcast Spokesperson Chris Ellis said. Ellis did not provide additional comment. Comcast’s decision also follows a move made by Time Warner Cable, the nation’s second-largest cable-TV provider. In January, Time Warner released a statement saying it would no longer accept advertisements showing semi-automatic weapons and guns pointed at people, according to Multichannel News. If it is essential for a business owner to use this kind of imagery in their commercials, a Time Warner spokesperson said they should utilize other advertising options in the marketplace.Gary Butcher, owner of Leathers Limited Firearms in Bloomington, said he utilizes word-of-mouth advertising to promote his business, opting out of mass media advertising altogether. He said he plans to never advertise any other way. “It works out good without somebody politically trying to stick their nose in my business,” Butcher said. “That way, nobody can come back and say ‘you owe me.’ No I don’t. I do this all on my own with my customers. My customers, they’re my faithful people.”Butcher said Comcast’s move could hurt the corporation. But it will not affect his business, he said.“The thing is, Comcast is a big organization, but if they’re going to be that selfish, people ought to drop their product,” Butcher said. “Anybody who likes firearms and sees they’re pulling this number off here, they have the right to say ‘I’m going to take my business and go somewhere else with it.’ I think it could hurt Comcast.”
(12/04/12 5:10am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Don Holmes stood in front of the big-screen television inside his small living room, ignoring the buzzer and automated voice urging him to take shelter immediately.Then his small white house began to shake.Holmes, 59, rushed to his desk and grabbed a flash drive before capturing his cat, Kiki. Finding refuge in the corner of his bathroom, he hugged Kiki so tightly that she likely thought Holmes would kill her. After roaring across State Road 45, a tornado hit the structure. Trees with fresh spring blossoms surrounding the house came crashing down. Tree trunks and limbs penetrated the roof, exposing the inside to the dark, wet sky. Windows shattered, and rafters snapped. The tin white siding was stripped off the exterior by the 110 miles-per-hour gusts. A couch and other valuables were yanked from the home, along with much of the roof.Puddles of rain accumulated on the home’s old, brown carpet. The tornado took everything but the frame and foundation of two small bedrooms in the back, which used to house his two children, now grown.As the tornado passed over the small structure, the strong wind ripped off the door on the home’s attic above him. Insulation and dirt fell onto his head.A motivational poster with the word “opportunity” hung from the bathroom wall. But huddled on the floor, Holmes wondered if he was about to die. ***The twister’s crushing destruction was followed by silence. Holmes walked out of the bathroom and into the living room, which was covered with debris.On May 25, 2011, Holmes, now divorced, lost the house where he raised his family. But he did not leave. He kept living in the house he knew would never look the same again. He had nowhere else to go.More than a year later, his home would be rebuilt, and so would his life. The house did not have power for six days following the disaster. Traffic on SR45, which runs parallel with the home’s front door, came to a standstill. Gawkers stood along the ditches, pointing camera lenses at the wreckage.The traffic jam delayed workers’ progress on restoring the power lines. None of the gawkers offered assistance. The Federal Emergency Management Agency approved disaster relief funding for municipalities suffering tornado damage but not for residents. To offset reconstruction costs, the State of Indiana awarded Holmes a $5,000 disaster relief grant established by taxes on fireworks sales. A group of Amish men helped remove about 80,000 pounds of tree limbs that were crushing his roof. But the help he really needed seemed like it would never come. He couldn’t afford to even start repairs on the house. In October 2010, Holmes lost his job as a computer specialist when Comcast’s call center in Bloomington shut down.He tried finding a new job without avail. He filed for unemployment, but the stipend was not enough to pay his bills.In a desperate situation, he canceled his homeowner’s insurance, leaving him unprepared when the tornado struck.Raised in a self-reliant farm family, Holmes did not ask his older brother or grown children for a place to live because he did not want to “impose.” During the day he searched for jobs and continued working on his science fiction trilogy.Holmes, who has already published one book along with a collection of training manuals, began the trilogy long before the tornado struck. The first book, which is complete and about 90,000 words in length, was backed up on his flash drive.The occupied house that looked long-abandoned remained in a state of detachment. Summer turned into autumn, and then snow began to fall. Thin sheets of white-tinted plastic were stapled to the windows’ empty frames, which stopped the wind but not the cold. Every morning for about 11 months, Holmes awoke in his bed in his dining room because of the damage in the bedroom. When it rained, he collected as much water as he could in buckets. But Holmes’ largest obstacle was the traffic roaring down the highway beside his house — specifically noise from large trucks. At night, he would jump out of bed as a truck roared by, fearing it was another tornado.“If certain authorities found out I was still living in the house, they might have kicked me out,” Holmes said. “But I didn’t have anywhere else to go at that point.”***Holmes’ residence could never be repaired, people said. It was too far gone.Susan Scales, director of International Gospel Outreach Disaster Relief, disagreed. She had seen worse. At the beginning of May, Scales and a small crew of volunteers arrived on Holmes’ doorstep. Catholic Charities of Indianapolis provided the group of Christian-affiliated disaster relief workers with the necessary funds to begin repairs. Scales became involved in disaster relief more than seven years ago, providing assistance to individuals from New Orleans to Texas and abroad. Living in a neighborhood close to Holmes, Scales took refuge at IU Health Bloomington Hospital on the night of the twister. After years of working on the homes of those less fortunate, she was unwilling to put herself in danger.Although her house was left unharmed, she knew she would have work to do following the disaster. Helping rebuild the lives of those who need assistance the most, she said, is her calling from God. During reconstruction, Holmes agreed to live with his brother only temporarily. He loved his brother, but he also enjoyed his time alone. He needed it to keep writing. Eventually, the remaining trees towering above the house were removed. To prevent further water damage to the home, the crew first rebuilt the roof. On just one side, 39 of the 40 rafters needed to be replaced.New windows were installed. Floorboards were built on the inside, and siding was installed on the outside. Because the two back bedrooms were unoccupied, they were closed off and saved as a task for later. Months passed, and progress was slow, but Scales kept working, often by herself. Holmes worked at finding a job and offered assistance on the house when he could. He selected easy-to-install hardwood flooring and light gray paint for the walls. On one occasion, Scales asked Holmes to clean the kitchen, and he went as far as bleaching the countertop. When Scales arrived the following morning, she was shocked to find a mess.She found cereal dumped into the silverware drawer. A jar of peanut butter was covered in skid marks from rolling around on the floor, but it was never opened. Raccoon footprints were a dead giveaway. At first, Scales did not know where the animals were entering the house. That is, not until she followed a trail of Pop Tart crumbs. Reaching the wrapper, she discovered a hole in the wall near the back bedrooms and fixed the problem.The small white house on SR 45 neared completion. Holmes found a part-time job in the hardware department at Menards and chipped away at his exhausting debt. Holmes smiled more. But Scales had a problem. Almost all of her helpers had dispersed. Progress slowed, and the completion date kept getting pushed back. That was changed by a text message. Holmes told Scales he needed to return home. His brother was vacating his small Bloomington apartment and moving to Indianapolis for his job. She was so close but had so much more to do. She didn’t want Holmes returning to the conditions in which he once lived. “I am vowing he will be able to sleep in his bedroom,” Scales said. “I will not put that bed back in the dining room.”She had a few days.***On Oct. 10, the day Scales said Holmes needed to move in, she only needed to finish installing the hardwood flooring in the dining and living rooms. When she arrived at about 9 a.m., workers from Lowe’s were already waiting outside to install new carpet in Holmes’ bedroom. “As soon as you guys remove the carpet, he can actually move in,” Scales told the workers before telling them of a mistake she made a few days prior. Scales typically carried her cell phone in the breast pocket of her flannel shirt. While working, she noticed her phone was missing. “In this entire home, in this amount of space, in my one gallon of paint, there was my phone,” she said as the men laughed. “It had been in there for over an hour. Needless to say, it was ruined.”Thinking about the hundreds of contacts she has accumulated during the last 17 years of disaster relief, she grabbed a paper towel, wiped off her hands and arms, wrapped the paint-dripping phone in the paper towel and drove to the nearest Verizon Wireless store. With her phone still dripping paint, she explained to the workers how Verizon Wireless employees saved her contacts and gave her a “loaner” phone.Then it was back to work. She had a lot of ground to cover. Installing the floor had been easy, but it was about to get more difficult. She needed to cut precise holes in the boards to wrap around the air vents in the floor. It would require the use of the jigsaw she had borrowed, a tool she had never before used. Then Holmes arrived.Scales took Holmes to his bedroom, where workers from Lowe’s had begun to lay the carpet.“I’m going to get this done as much as I can get it,” Scales said to Holmes. “The only thing I probably won’t be able to do is trimming out around that window.”“Don’t worry about that. I’ll get it,” Holmes replied before the two walked back into the living room, where Scales showed Holmes the newly-installed, almost complete hardwood flooring.“You did all this?” Holmes said. “I didn’t know that.”“Oh yeah, I’ve been in here for days,” Scales said. “I’ve been all over this house. You know, every morning that I’ve been in here I’ve been really cold, so I flip the heat on. Then when I came in here yesterday morning and flipped it on, it didn’t come on.”“Right now the gas is shut off,” Holmes said.Without gas, there was no heat. Backed up on bills, the utilities company disconnected the gas. As it reached November, this wasn’t going to work. He wasn’t moving in like Scales had hoped. Returning to the porch, Holmes instructed Scales how to use the jigsaw and cut the necessary 90-degree angles. As she worked, a small crucifix dangled from her neck. “Now that should work,” Scales said, handing one of the last boards to Holmes.“Not quite,” Holmes said, showing Scales that she had cut the board slightly too short. “You can make ’em shorter, but you can’t make ’em longer.”After a second attempt, the board fit perfectly around the air vent. Soon, Scales laid the last board and the structure was ready for Holmes’ return.With only a part-time job at Menards, money was still tight. Although he hoped to become full time, he knew it could take a few months. Until he could afford the deposit for gas, he had to stall. ***Holmes redecorated his small house on Nov. 1 with the few personal items he had left. After paying his gas bill, he was able to move back in.He hung a small Albert Einstein doll on the wall above the computer desk that was given to him by the best friend he has ever had. He moved boxes of his belongings from his undamaged garage and piled them in the dining room. Two family-size boxes of Pop Tarts were put on the counter. He arranged the television and chairs in his living room, only a little different than it looked over a year ago. He had one more trip to his brother’s house to grab some clothes and his cat Kiki. But until then, he sat in a swivel chair at his old wooden desk, lit a cigarette and logged onto the website he was building to go along with the third book in his trilogy. The walls surrounding him looked new. Sure, his home wasn’t perfect, and work still needed to be done. But Holmes once again had a roof over his head and a place to write in solitude. He was home.
(09/26/12 3:58am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Convicted murderer Robert E. Lee will no longer reside in Monroe County, an Indiana Department of Correction official said. Instead, Lee is currently in Jennings County.Lee was sentenced to 60 years in prison for the 1986 murder of Ellen Marks, but was released early for good behavior and for receiving multiple college degrees.Lee was released from the Branchville Correctional Facility on Saturday and taken to the Monroe County parole office where his GPS monitoring device was activated. He was then transported to an undisclosed location in Bloomington where he intended to reside.But DOC Media Liaison Amy Lanum said this fell through, and he is no longer staying at that location.“Due to the large public attention, they decided they no longer wanted him to stay there,” she said.Because of the violent nature of Lee’s crime, officials had a difficult time finding a place for the man to stay in Monroe County. Early this week, Lee was taken to the Jennings County parole office, where Lanum said he now plans to reside.Jennings County is two counties east of Monroe County. According to Google Maps, it is an hour and 15 minutes from Monroe County.The DOC would not release Lee’s specific location, but Lanum said the man has 72 hours after his release to disclose his place of residence and register with the Sheriff’s Department.Once he registers, Lee’s location will be available on the Indiana Sex and Violent Offender Registry.Indiana law did not require individuals to register on the Indiana Sex and Violent Offender Registry at the time of Lee’s conviction, said Indiana Parole Board Vice Chairman Randall Gentry. Although Indiana law does not require Lee’s registration, Gentry said his registration is a stipulation of his parole.
(09/21/12 4:18am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Convicted murderer Robert Evan Lee, 57, who was convicted 25 years ago for killing a 31-year-old woman, cutting her body into pieces and placing her remains in Hefty trash bags, will once again roam Bloomington streets Saturday.Although Lee was originally to be released Thursday from the Branchville Correctional Facility, a medium-security prison near Evansville, the Indiana Department of Correction postponed his release in order to find a place for him to live. Law requires Lee be returned to the county in which he resided before his incarceration.Initially, the DOC indicated Lee would stay at Backstreet Mission on West Third Street, a non-denominational homeless shelter. But because of the violent nature of Lee’s crime, along with an additional conviction of attempted rape, Backstreet Mission President, CEO and Co-Founder Linda Kelley said Lee will not stay at the shelter because of safety concerns.Kelley said the DOC contacted her several weeks ago, asking a simple question: whether the facility accepted convicted murderers.She also said she contacted the DOC after information about Lee surfaced. About 20 people currently reside in the shelter, Kelley said, and roughly 100 people take advantage of the facility’s soup kitchen each day.“The law says we cannot take sex offenders and there was some allegations about that with him, as well as the violent nature of the offense,” Kelley said. “We just felt that the people coming here and staying here, with Mr. Lee here their safety would be compromised.”Following his release, Lee will have served less than half his 60-year prison sentence. Amy Lanum, media liaison for the Indiana Department of Correction, said Lee’s sentence was reduced to 30 years due to his good behavior while incarcerated.Additional prison time was removed because he completed several educational programs while in prison.Lee completed the assembly technician and commercial housekeeping vocational programs and received associate’s and bachelor’s degrees in business management while behind bars, Kelley said.“When he is released Saturday, Branchville staff will bring him to the Bloomington Parole District Office, where he will meet with his parole agent and be set up on GPS,” Lanum said in an email. “They will then transport him to the location where he will be staying.”Lanum did not indicate a specific location for his placement.After being convicted and incarcerated for attempted rape on March 4, 1974, in Erie County, N.Y., he moved to Spencer, Ind., in 1978, according to court documents.On Aug. 3, 1981, he was convicted of attempted theft in Owen County after police caught him trying to siphon gasoline from a school bus.After moving to Bloomington, he stabbed to death his victim, Ellen Marks, sometime between Sept. 16 and Sept. 19, 1986.Marks’ remains were unearthed on Sept. 21 that year, and officers from the Bloomington Police Department arrested Lee on Sept. 24.Police confiscated knives, a hatchet, a saw, pornographic magazines, 15 videotapes and Hefty trash bags.Leading police to Lee was a handwritten document they obtained three years earlier, detailing a similar crime.Police questioned Lee about the “grossly inflammatory writing which he admitted composing as a means of scaring off a free-loader” in 1983, according to court documents.The writing contained detailed instructions about the abduction, rape and murder of a woman or girl and the dismemberment and disposal of her remains.Judge Kenneth G. Todd of Monroe Superior Court II convicted Lee for Marks’ murder on Oct. 30, 1987, sentencing him to 60 years in prison, the maximum time allowed by state law at the time without pursuing the death penalty.“I would note that Ellen Mark was, from all indications of the evidence, selected merely to fulfill the requisite need of a victim whereby the long-entertained notion of killing a woman, any woman, could be carried out,” Todd said during the sentencing. “The defendant took advantage of an emotionally infirm, particularly vulnerable, defenseless and disadvantaged victim.”Todd said Marks’ body was dismembered and thus desecrated in an apparent attempt by Lee to avoid detection.Portions of Marks’ body have yet to be recovered.Because of the violent nature of Lee’s crime, Lanum said the parole board has granted permission to enforce additional parole stipulations typically given to sex offenders, including GPS monitoring.“The defendant has no appreciable concern for human life or human dignity and he has lost contact with humanity,” Todd said at the time. “I would further note that a reduced sentence would depreciate the seriousness of the crime committed and be an affront to any civilized society.”
(08/25/12 7:51pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Bloomington Police Department officials confirmed no foul play was involved in the Friday death of an IU lecturer.Susan Keenan, 51, a senior lecturer of accounting in the Kelley School of Business, died of injuries sustained after jumping from the fourth level of a parking garage at the Hilton Garden Inn, located at 245 N. College Ave.Keenan taught at IU for 15 years.“Our thoughts and prayers are with Professor Keenan’s family during this time,” Kelley Dean Daniel Smith said in an email to business students. “We know she touched many lives, and she will be deeply missed.”At least three witnesses reported seeing Keenan jump from the parking garage and into the courtyard of the Hilton Garden Inn Friday morning, Sgt. Dana Cole said.Keenan was initially transported to IU Health Bloomington Hospital but was taken via helicopter to IU Health Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis, where she was pronounced dead, Cole said.Cole said Keenan jumped from the parking garage within an hour of being released from the Monroe County Jail. She had been detained for drunk driving the night before, a Class D felony because it was a repeated offense, Cole said.“When tragedies like this occur, it is the comfort of knowing we are part of a larger Kelley School family that helps us cope with the situation,” Smith said. “For those of you who took classes from Professor Keenan, we know this may be especially difficult.“We hope you will remember her fondly as a teacher who brought her best efforts to the classroom and made a difference for every student whose life she touched.”Janay Ladson, who graduated from IU in May, said she did not know Keenan personally, but she heard of her because a friend had one of Keenan’s classes.“I struggled with depression myself, and I know how bad life can be when you’re depressed,” Ladson said in a Facebook message. “I almost drowned in my own dark waters, but fortunately, I sought out professional help with a therapist before it was too late. My heart goes out to Susan’s family as they mourn of their lost.”IU junior Tim Wang said he took A202, Introduction to Managerial Accounting, from Keenan two semesters ago. “She was one of the most personable professors I’ve ever had,” Wang said. “On the first day of class, she came in and shook hands with pretty much everyone. She knew us all by name.”Grief counselors at IU are available. Contact Counseling and Psychological Services at (812) 855-5711 or go to the health center during regular walk-in hours, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Saturday. Counseling after hours is also available using the crisis phone line at (812) 855-5711 and selecting option one.
(08/23/12 3:49am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Oreo Greg Cookie Monster hesitated.The 14-month-old German Shepherd’s owner, Madelyn Ritrosky, gave him a nudge. Still, Cookie refused to jump into the swimming pool, darting away from the black ramp leading to the water’s surface.Catching up to her canine, Ritrosky tossed a tennis ball into the water, giving the black-haired hound enough confidence to leap into Mills Pool on Wednesday evening.This is the eighth year of the Bloomington Parks and Recreation Department’s event Drool in the Pool at Bryan Park or Mills Pool, located at 1100 W. 14th St. Although Mills Pool closed for the season on Aug. 12, the event provided a once-a-year opportunity for dogs to dip their paws in the community pool. During the event, people were restricted from the water. Although a variety of dog toys floated on the pool’s surface, feces spotted the floor.“It’s a little chaotic, but it’s a lot of fun,” Community Events Coordinator Bill Ream said. “We get everything from little, tiny Chihuahuas to big Great Danes.”Between Wednesday’s event and the second Drool in the Pool from 5-8 p.m. today, Ream said he expects about 250 dogs to participate. “It provides a really unique opportunity for them to go out and have a fun activity with their dog they wouldn’t normally be able to do,” Ream said. “Instead of driving all the way to a lake or somewhere, they can come here for a little bit of fun for a few hours.”When Ritrosky purchased Cookie about a year ago, he was only 2.5 months old. But because Cookie loves water, Ritrosky said her 13-year-old son Jared Winslow was eager to participate once Cookie reached the 6-month age requirement.“We’ve been counting down a whole year so Cookie could come because we know how much he loves water and be social and friendly with other dogs,” Ritrosky said. “He hasn’t been in this kind of a water situation. You know, this is different than going in at the lake and going in a beach. He hasn’t been in a pool before.”When 3-year-old Miles, a Black Labrador, arrived in the parking lot at Mills Pool, he knew exactly where he was.“He barked,” said Carrie Leener, Miles’ owner and resident of Morgantown, Ind. “He knows where he is at and what is about to happen. He knows there’s a pool in there and is ready to get wet.”Waiting in line outside the pool’s entrance, Miles continued barking. But once inside the facility, beyond the dressing room with paw-spotted concrete, Leener let Miles off his leash and turned him loose to play.“He’ll be asleep before he gets out of the parking lot because it wears him out,” Leener said. “It’s just a good socialization for him, and he has a good time with the other dogs, and he loves to swim.”
(08/22/12 4:14am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Long-time public servant Warren Henegar died Tuesday morning following a battle with cancer.Henegar was a member of the Monroe County Council. After serving several terms on the council, he sought reelection in May’s primary election but was not chosen.He also served the community as a member of the Monroe County Commissioners and ran for Indiana Congress unsuccessfully, Monroe County Council President Geoff McKim said. Prior to his service as a local politician, Henegar fought in World War II.“This is somebody who has dedicated his entire life to this country and this community right up to the day he died,” McKim said. “I did meet him through local politics, and he had really taken me under his wing. Up to the end, he has been a great friend. He will really leave a hole in our lives.”McKim said Henegar was an advocate for veterans. Henegar was a soil scientist by trade, promoting clean water initiatives.“(He) tried to get Lake Monroe declared as a conservation district,” McKim said. “That is something that, unfortunately, has not happened yet, but I think there’s still going to be a lot of interest in that. Hopefully someone will pick that up and carry on his legacy in that regard.”Most recently, McKim said Henegar was an advocate for incarceration alternatives, juvenile issues and criminal justice reform.“He was just really, really warm to anybody he met, and he would talk about anything,” McKim said. “He was well rounded in science, politics, literature, you name it.”— Mark Keierleber
(08/20/12 3:58am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>A southwest Indiana cantaloupe farm is believed to be the source of a recent salmonella outbreak causing two deaths and 141 illnesses in 20 states, according to state and federal health officials.Fourteen salmonella illnesses have been confirmed in Indiana during the last few weeks, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. But the outbreak has been most severe in Kentucky, where two deaths occurred and 50 people have been infected.“Because the investigation is ongoing and we do not have a definitive source for this outbreak, we are advising all Hoosiers to throw away any cantaloupes they’ve recently purchased as a precaution,” State Health Commissioner Gregory Larkin said in a press release. “We are working with other impacted states as well as our federal partners to locate the source as quickly as possible.”Salmonella is passed in the stool, and people become infected by ingesting feces from an infected animal or person. Ingesting feces is possible when eating raw or uncooked eggs or meats, homemade ice cream and eggnog or unwashed raw fruits, vegetables or herbs that have been contaminated by feces, according to the Indiana State Department of Health.Most people infected with salmonella develop diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps 12 to 72 hours after infection. Typically lasting four to seven days, most people recover from the illness without treatment. Infected people may carry the disease in their bodies for weeks or months without symptoms and unknowingly infecting others, according to the ISDH.In rare instances, salmonella can get into the blood and infect organs such as the heart, lungs and bones. About 400 people in the United States die from acute salmonellosis each year, according to the FDA. About 635 cases of salmonella are reported in Indiana every year, according to the ISDH.There is no connection between the recent salmonella outbreak and the 2011 multistate outbreak of listeriosis linked to whole cantaloupes from Jensen Farms, Colo.The earliest known illness in the current outbreak occurred July 7, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Infected individuals range in age from less than 1 year old to 92. Twenty-four infected individuals were interviewed by health officials since the outbreak began, according to the CDC. Eighteen of those interviewed reported eating cantaloupe in the last week. The Kentucky Division of Laboratory Services has isolated the outbreak strain from two cantaloupes collected from a retail outlet in Kentucky. The southwest Indiana farm believed to have prompted the outbreak has contacted its distributors and is withdrawing its cantaloupe from the marketplace as a result of initial investigations by the state health departments in Indiana and Kentucky.The farm has agreed to cease distributing cantaloupes for the rest of the growing season. The CDC is advising consumers to discard any recently-purchased cantaloupe grown in southwestern Indiana. Consumers can continue to purchase and eat cantaloupes not originating in southwest Indiana.Consumers who show any signs of salmonella illness should consult their health care provider. The FDA encourages consumers with questions about food safety to call 1-888-SAFEFOOD or consult fda.gov. “Health care providers are encouraged to be mindful of patients who may have symptoms consistent with salmonellosis and report all cases to the local health department,” Larkin said.
(08/17/12 4:35am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>In an effort to reduce the number of crashes, injuries and fatalities on Indiana roadways, state law enforcers will crack down on impaired and dangerous driving from today until Sept. 3, including Labor Day weekend. The Governor’s Council on Impaired and Dangerous Driving and the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute are leading the local effort, Operation Pull Over Blitz 72.“A DUI can cause one to incur huge legal fees, result in the loss of a driver’s license, raise insurance rates, damage one’s career and bring about personal embarrassment,” ICJI Traffic Safety Division Director Ryan Klitzsch said in a press release. “As law enforcement is out in full force during this upcoming crackdown, remember to ‘Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over.’”The slogan belongs to a national campaign funded and led by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Locally, it relies on thousands of officers from more than 250 law enforcement agencies throughout the state to enforce Indiana’s impaired driving laws.The blitz will consist of high-visibility enforcement patrols and encompass high-profile Labor Day and end-of-summer events. “As with other law enforcement agencies, additional officers will be working to focus on impaired driving offenses,” BPD Cpt. Joe Qualters said. “It’s an effort to make streets safer by arresting impaired drivers.”IU Student Legal Services Director Randall Frykberg said he is not surprised law enforcers are increasing patrol targeting impaired drivers, especially as IU students return to Bloomington during Welcome Week. Qualters agreed.“This does, in fact, mark a busy time for us as we address all of the issues that arise with the return of IU students,” he said. “This can include general traffic congestion, more pedestrians in the downtown area around the bars, loud parties, underage drinking and excessive drinking.”Frykberg said Student Legal Services has seen a spike in the number of students seeking legal advice since February, when Indiana Excise Police initiated the Intensified College Enforcement Program.ICE increases the number of excise officers in Bloomington, Muncie and Greencastle, Ind.. These cities are specifically targeting underage drinking. Frykberg said drinking and driving cases are “cut and dry” in Indiana. “It is always going to fall back on students to be responsible, and I walk the line between really wanting to advocate as a lawyer for students and also being somebody who might be driving home and doesn’t want to get T-boned by somebody who has had too much,” Frykberg said.
(07/26/12 1:43am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>In I’Nere Genesis Jalee Wallace’s two years on Earth, her uncle Micah Wallace said she accomplished more than he had in 31 years. Donating her heart to a 10-month-old in need, she saved someone’s life. In honor of a life now lost, she brought people together.Huddled on the lawn in front of Timber Ridge Apartments at 2300 S. Henderson St., friends and family gathered Tuesday evening for I’Nere’s vigil.I’Nere died at Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis at about 4:30 a.m. July 19 after being transported by helicopter from IU Health Bloomington Hospital. I’Nere died from severe head trauma believed to be caused by child abuse.The girl’s mother, Tameria Kline, and the mother’s girlfriend, Dominique Irby, were arrested by the Bloomington Police Department on July 17 after Irby admitted she had beaten the child with a belt until she had welts, tied her arms and legs together with a T-shirt and locked the child in the bathroom with the lights off as a form of punishment on several instances, BPD Detective Sgt. John Kovach said.Irby, 20, faces a preliminary charge of battery on a minor, a Class D felony, and Kline, 23, faces a preliminary charge of neglect of a dependent child, a Class D felony. Kovach said the BPD is waiting for an autopsy report from the Marion County Coroner’s Office before potentially issuing additional charges.“I want to tell the accused, or the suspected, that we still love them,” Micah said. “They are still family. Just start talking to the Father, get your life in order, get some forgiveness.”On the apartment complex’s lawn was a cluster of unlit candles in front of two cardboard signs with photographs of I’Nere. “Luv N Memories Lost, 4-17-10 to 7-19-12,” said one of the signs in colorful letters. A brown stuffed animal rested among the candles on the grass.In front of the mourners, who wielded unlit candles and sniffled, Micah held a bible with a baby blue cover. He told the group he wanted to open the vigil with a prayer, bowing his head and closing his eyes.“Anything we have carrying in our hearts — pain, discouragement, desperation and confusion — we just ask you right now, Lord, to remove all that right now,” he said. “We just ask that you comfort our hearts and comfort our minds.”As tears came to Micah’s eyes, he called for a moment of silence. The crowd passed around lighters, igniting white candles. A woman held a cell phone above the group’s bowed heads. “Amazing Grace” quietly played from the phone’s speakers.Although the vigil was arranged by I’Nere’s father, Timothy Wallace, and his girlfriend, Jessica Merchant, Micah said he agreed to lead the ceremony.“My brother is suffering a great loss right now,” Micah said. “He knows I’m a spiritual man, I’m a sensible man. I’m one with my spirituality, so he needed someone to lead. It was an honor and a privilege. I’m glad I got to do it.”A man stepped forward and kneeled in front of the cardboard signs. He rubbed a picture of I’Nere’s smiling face and set a small candle on the ground.“Rest in peace, little girl,” he said as he stood.Martha Wallace, I’Nere’s aunt, attended Tuesday’s vigil with her children, including her 5-year-old daughter.“She wants to know why,” Martha said. “How do you tell a 5-year-old, innocent child anything like that? How do you explain it?”I’Nere’s uncle Brad Young said he was at the hospital for her birth. Above all, he said he will remember her energy.“‘See it,’ that was her favorite words, and that’s cute,” Young said. “She had her own language, but we always knew what she meant. She could only speak four or five sentences, but we always knew what she was talking about.”Timothy said a funeral for I’Nere will begin at 9 a.m. Friday, June 27, in Muncie. A location for the ceremony has not been determined.“She was a huggable, lovable baby,” Timothy said. “And she never got a chance.”
(07/26/12 1:40am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>In what is now known as the worst drought in the U.S. in nearly a half-century, farmers across the state are preparing for substantial financial losses as their barren fields struggle to produce crops. While farmers are expected to feel the heat the most, the drought will impact all consumers.According to figures released Wednesday by the Department of Agriculture, rising costs of corn will cause poultry prices to increase 3.5 to 4.5 percent this fall. Beef is expected to rise 4 to 5 percent, dairy products will increase 3.5 to 4.5 percent, eggs will increase by 3 to 4 percent and pork is expected to rise 2.5 to 3.5 percent. Corn currently costs about $8 per bushel. “The biggest issue for animal producers is the cost of feed,” said Gary Truitt, administrator of Indiana Farm Direct. “Because the corn crop is small and the price of corn has gone up significantly, the cost of feeding animals is going to be significantly higher. So, you’re going to have to either charge more for the meat that you sell, or you’re going to have to take a financial loss.”Indiana Farm Direct is a website linking Indiana farmers to consumers interested in purchasing food directly from the source. During the 2012 crop year, the Department of Agriculture has designated 1,297 counties across 29 states as disaster areas, including Monroe County. The U.S. Drought Monitor currently reports that 61 percent of the continental U.S. is in a moderate to exceptional drought. Due to the drought, all qualified farm operators in these areas are eligible for low-interest emergency loans. Truitt said he expects the price of meat on grocery store shelves to drop before it increases. “With the price of feed, farmers are going to send their livestock to market,” he said. “‘I can’t afford to pay to feed these animals anymore. I’m going to send them to market now.’”After an expected excess of meat products flood the market this fall, Truitt said he anticipates a shortage going into 2013. Fruits and vegetables will be a little different, he said. As supplies decrease in fall, he said prices will likely rise by 3 and 5 percent. But because crops do not take as long to recover, he expects produce prices will return to a more normal figure in 2013.The USDA estimated 88 percent of the corn crop this year is now negatively affected by the drought. Soybean crops are producing 77 percent less yield. “We will see some higher food costs, but there is a lot of things that go into the price of food, and what the farmer gets is only part of that,” Truitt said. “It’s not going to be the end of the world.”For Indiana Farmer Mark Stoll, who owns Gypsy Ridge Farm and sold a variety of produce at Bloomington’s Tuesday Farmer’s Market, he said green beans were hit the hardest by the worst drought in his memory.“I’m the only one at market today with green beans,” Stoll said. “It’s just hard to grow them in the drought.”So far, the green beans are the only product he offered Tuesday at a higher rate than normal, asking an additional 25 cents per box. His cornfields are also struggling, he said. In fact, if it weren’t for his farm’s irrigation system, he said his cornfields would be empty.
(07/23/12 12:18am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Penguin Group, one of the world’s largest trade book publishers, finalized a deal Thursday to purchase Bloomington-based self-publishing company Author Solutions, Inc., for $116 million.Penguin’s London-based parent company, Pearson PLC, acquired Author Solutions from Bertram Capital management LLC. Author Solutions will operate as a separate entity under Penguin, according to a press release.Formed in 2007, Author Solutions has since become the world’s leading provider of professional self-publishing services, enabling more than 150,000 authors to publish, market and distribute more than 190,000 books in print and electronic formats. “For some time we have been saying there is an indie revolution going on here in Bloomington, Ind.,” said Keith Ogorek, senior vice president of global marketing at Author Solutions. “The first indie revolution was in film, then we saw one in music and for some time it’s been happening in publishing. Because of that, we’ve suggested it is the best time in history to be an author because authors have never had more opportunities to get their books in the hands of readers.”As e-books and tablet devices rise in popularity, the business model for traditional publishers is threatened. But Penguin Chief Executive John Makinson said in the release that, during the past three years, self-publishing has transitioned into the mainstream. Self-publishing is currently the fastest growing segment of the publishing industry.“It has provided new outlets for professional writers, a huge increase in the range of books available to readers and an exciting source of content for publishers such as Penguin,” Makinson said. “This acquisition will allow Penguin to participate fully in perhaps the fastest-growing area of the publishing economy and gain skills in customer acquisition and data analytics that will be vital for our future.”According to Bowker, 211,000 titles were self-published in 2011 in either print or digital form, a 60 percent increase from 2010. The self-publishing industry has also become a source of talent and content for the publishing industry, producing an array of bestselling authors including Lisa Genova, John Locke, Amanda Hocking and E.L. James.“We’ve seen a trend of self-publishing authors being picked up by traditional publishers,” Ogorek said. “With Penguin’s acquisition of Author Solutions, they’ll be able to have visibility into self-published titles a little bit earlier into their process.”Author Solutions generated revenues of approximately $100 million in 2011, growing at an average annual rate of 12 percent throughout the past three years. The business is split evenly between publishing, marketing and distribution services, with revenues derived primarily by services to authors. According to the release, approximately 1,600 employees work for Author Solutions located primarily in Bloomington and Cebu City, the Phillipines. The number of those employed at the business’s headquarters in Bloomington could grow, Ogorek said. “The headquarters for Author Solutions is here in Bloomington, and there are no plans to change that,” Ogorek said. “We have continued to be a significant employer in the Bloomington market, and we would expect our employer base in the U.S. to grow as a result of this. While I can’t make any specific projections about how many jobs we might add, we certainly don’t see any plans to diminish jobs at this point.”Because Penguin is a global company, Ogorek said he expects the acquisition to expand Author Solutions’ reach. The company currently serves Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and Spain. But in the future, Ogorek said he hopes it will become available to interested authors in other parts of the world.The tie with Penguin, Ogorek said, will also allow for larger global distribution.“I think it is something the Bloomington community can be very proud of,” Ogorek said. “I think the interesting thing is the indie publishing revolution wasn’t led from New York or Los Angeles, but it was led from Bloomington, Ind.”
(07/22/12 11:50pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Past the small, white dog house collecting money at the front of Max’s Place, young children ran around in circles Thursday to the sound of a bass guitar, a ukulele and a kazoo.“It’s nice you came out tonight to support spaying and neutering your animals,” Kid Kazooey front man Kevin MacDowell said to the audience. “Maybe we should do that to humans, too.”“Birth control,” a woman in the audience yelled above the clatter of children and bar patrons.“This next song is called ‘Population Control,’” MacDowell responded.Kid Kazooey was one of three bands to perform at Woofstock — A Benefit Concert for Pets Alive Spay/Neuter Clinic. Other performances featured Colonel Angus and Hudson Hornet.Although the event was intended to raise funds for Pets Alive, a local nonprofit, event coordinator and Pets Alive volunteer Jen Orman said the event was also intended to raise awareness. The event brought in $716.75.The overall mission of Pets Alive is to end pet overpopulation and euthanasia in south central Indiana. Spaying and neutering pets reduces the number of unwanted litters in the community and reduces the burden on local shelters that often rely on tax dollars.“We live in a part of the country where there is still euthanasia of healthy animals, animals that are being euthanized simply because there is nowhere else for them to go,” Orman said. “That’s senseless killing, and I’m an animal lover, so I want that to stop.”Since its opening in 2005, Pets Alive has spayed and neutered more than 57,000 cats and dogs. These animals include those available for adoption at Bloomington Animal Shelter. Since Orman said the clinic charges customers less than half the true cost to perform the surgeries, donations cover the remaining cost.“‘The greatness of a nation can be judged by the way its animals are treated,’” Orman said, quoting Gandhi. “I think that alone should be inspiration to anyone to not want to watch animals suffer.”
(07/18/12 11:50pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Advocating state funding for Hoosiers with special needs, state and federal candidates participated in a Candidates Forum on Disabilities on Tuesday evening at First United Church. Moderated by WTIU Station Manager Phil Meyer, the debate followed testimonials from four individuals who have been affected by disabilities. Presentations were also provided by Kim Dodson, assistant executive director of The Arc of Indiana, and Jill Bolte Taylor, IU neuroanatomist and president of the National Alliance on Mental Illness of Monroe County.Dodson said the largest problem for those with developmental disabilities in Indiana is the unemployment rate. Of the 14,745 people in Monroe County living with a disability, 5,076 are currently employed, according to U.S. Census statistics. Tuesday’s debate was sponsored by four local agencies that provide services to residents with disabilities, including Stone Belt Arc, National Alliance on Mental Illness Greater Bloomington Area, Mental Health America of Monroe County and LIFEDesigns, Inc. During their three-minute arguments, Democratic and Republican candidates said they supported allocating more resources to education and social services associated with developmental disabilities.“We have a system that is broken and does not work,” Bolte Taylor said.Bolte Taylor experienced a stroke in 1996. Following her illness, she wrote The New York Times best-selling book “My Stroke of Insight: A Brain Scientist’s Personal Journey,” which is currently being transformed into a feature film. Bolte Taylor was honored as one of Time Magazine’s top 100 most influential people in the world in 2008. “We’re going to spend the money one way or another,” Bolte Taylor said.People spend an average of eight years, or 11.5 percent of their life span, living with disabilities, according to the World Health Organization. The National Institute of Mental Health reports that one in four adults experience a mental health disorder in a given year. One in 17 Americans currently lives with a serious mental illness. In Indiana, 799,586 people, or 12.5 percent of the population, live with a disability, according to U.S. Census statistics. During his opening comment, Monroe County Commissioner Mark Stoops, who is running for Indiana Senate District 40 as a Democrat, said he supports a Medicare program in Indiana for all Hoosiers. But his opponent, Reid Dallas, addressed Stoops on several occasions, mentioning that many Monroe County facilities are not in compliance with guidelines set forth by the Americans with Disabilities Act. During her statement, State Representative for District 60 Peggy Welch said cuts in funding for disabilities programs will only cost the state more in the future. “If we don’t provide that treatment and invest that money in taking care of folks, we’re going to be taking care of them because they are homeless. Because they are committing crimes, they are going to be in our jails,” Welch said.
(07/12/12 12:19am)
Items seized during the searches included about 40-50 grams of cocaine, about 40 grams of heroin, a 9mm Ruger handgun and $5,100 in cash. BPD Cpt. Joe Qualters said the total street value of the seized drugs is nearly $20,000.
(07/12/12 12:19am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Eleven people were arrested Wednesday morning by the Bloomington Police Department for various drug-related charges as a result of a three-month drug investigation focusing on the Southern Winds Inn Apartments, located at 3000 S. Walnut St. Items seized during the searches included about 40-50 grams of cocaine, about 40 grams of heroin, a 9mm Ruger handgun and $5,100 in cash. BPD Cpt. Joe Qualters said the total street value of the seized drugs is nearly $20,000. The drug operation was estimated to bring in about $5,000 to $10,000 per week. At about 5:30 a.m., officers executed search warrants in four apartments in the complex, Qualters said in a press release. Ten of the arrested suspects were nabbed at the scene, and another suspect was arrested several hours later near a motel in the 1700 block of North Walnut Street.“We believe that these arrests will have a significant impact on the availability of crack cocaine and heroin in Bloomington, and I commend the investigators for their work on this case,” BPD Chief Michael Diekhoff said in the release. “We continue to deal with those who come from other locations to set up drug dealing operations in our community, and it should be clear that we will identify you, target you and arrest you for your illegal activity.” The investigation began when investigators became aware of an individual known only as “Frog,” who was reportedly involved in dealing heroin at the Southern Winds Inn. Frog was later identified as Larry D. Johnson of Michigan, Qualters said.BPD drug investigators, detectives and uniform personnel were all involved in the operation. The Critical Incident Response Team was utilized because of the prevalence of weapons being carried by the individuals under surveillance.One individual had been observed carrying three weapons as investigators conducted surveillance during the last few weeks, Qualters said.Investigators indicated they observed lines form outside the apartments involved in dealing drugs. The complex, Qualters said, was frequented throughout most of the night by those seeking crack cocaine and heroin.BPD investigators plan to discuss the possibility of federal charges with the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms because of the quantity of drugs seized, as well as the use of firearms by those involved in the dealing activity, according to the release.Those arrested for dealing charges have addresses of either Detroit or Battle Creek, Mich. One of the arrested suspects might have as many as 13 prior convictions, Qualters said. The investigation is ongoing, and BPD expects to make additional arrests. Arrested suspectsNicole D. Berry Three counts of dealing cocaine, Class B felonies, and maintaining a common nuisance, a Class D felonyDwayne J. Fredrick Possession of cocaine with intent to deal, a Class A felony, and possession of heroin with intent to deal, a Class A felonyRay C. Fredricks Two counts of dealing cocaine, Class B felonies, possession of cocaine with intent to deal, a Class A felony, and possession of heroin with intent to deal, a Class A felonyWilliam C. Holloway (aka “Bones”) Dealing heroin, a Class B felonyLarry D. Johnson (aka “Frog”) Two counts of dealing heroin, Class B felonies, possession of heroin with intent to deal, a Class A felony, possession of cocaine with intent to deal, a Class A felony, and serious violent felon in possession of a firearm, a Class B felonyShannon D. Bell-Hadley, Tina D. Berry, Joseph A. Blythe, Brandy J. Deckard, Tracy L. Gifford and Cassandria M. Roy were each charged with visiting a common nuisance, a Class B misdemeanor— Mark Keierleber
(07/12/12 12:19am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Eleven people were arrested Wednesday morning by the Bloomington Police Department for various drug-related charges as a result of a three-month drug investigation focusing on the Southern Winds Inn Apartments, located at 3000 S. Walnut St. Items seized during the searches included about 40-50 grams of cocaine, about 40 grams of heroin, a 9mm Ruger handgun and $5,100 in cash. BPD Cpt. Joe Qualters said the total street value of the seized drugs is nearly $20,000. The drug operation was estimated to bring in about $5,000 to $10,000 per week. At about 5:30 a.m., officers executed search warrants in four apartments in the complex, Qualters said in a press release. Ten of the arrested suspects were nabbed at the scene, and another suspect was arrested several hours later near a motel in the 1700 block of North Walnut Street.“We believe that these arrests will have a significant impact on the availability of crack cocaine and heroin in Bloomington, and I commend the investigators for their work on this case,” BPD Chief Michael Diekhoff said in the release. “We continue to deal with those who come from other locations to set up drug dealing operations in our community, and it should be clear that we will identify you, target you and arrest you for your illegal activity.” The investigation began when investigators became aware of an individual known only as “Frog,” who was reportedly involved in dealing heroin at the Southern Winds Inn. Frog was later identified as Larry D. Johnson of Michigan, Qualters said.BPD drug investigators, detectives and uniform personnel were all involved in the operation. The Critical Incident Response Team was utilized because of the prevalence of weapons being carried by the individuals under surveillance.One individual had been observed carrying three weapons as investigators conducted surveillance during the last few weeks, Qualters said.Investigators indicated they observed lines form outside the apartments involved in dealing drugs. The complex, Qualters said, was frequented throughout most of the night by those seeking crack cocaine and heroin.BPD investigators plan to discuss the possibility of federal charges with the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms because of the quantity of drugs seized, as well as the use of firearms by those involved in the dealing activity, according to the release.Those arrested for dealing charges have addresses of either Detroit or Battle Creek, Mich. One of the arrested suspects might have as many as 13 prior convictions, Qualters said. The investigation is ongoing, and BPD expects to make additional arrests. Arrested suspectsNicole D. Berry Three counts of dealing cocaine, Class B felonies, and maintaining a common nuisance, a Class D felonyDwayne J. Fredrick Possession of cocaine with intent to deal, a Class A felony, and possession of heroin with intent to deal, a Class A felonyRay C. Fredricks Two counts of dealing cocaine, Class B felonies, possession of cocaine with intent to deal, a Class A felony, and possession of heroin with intent to deal, a Class A felonyWilliam C. Holloway (aka “Bones”) Dealing heroin, a Class B felonyLarry D. Johnson (aka “Frog”) Two counts of dealing heroin, Class B felonies, possession of heroin with intent to deal, a Class A felony, possession of cocaine with intent to deal, a Class A felony, and serious violent felon in possession of a firearm, a Class B felonyShannon D. Bell-Hadley, Tina D. Berry, Joseph A. Blythe, Brandy J. Deckard, Tracy L. Gifford and Cassandria M. Roy were each charged with visiting a common nuisance, a Class B misdemeanor— Mark Keierleber
(07/11/12 10:58pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>After running into a roadblock with U.S. Customs officials at the Canadian border entering Washington State, “Caravanistas” from the Pastors for Peace Caravan stopped in Bloomington on Monday en route to Cuba. In opposition to the U.S. trade embargo against Cuba, for 23 years Caravanistas have delivered humanitarian aid from the U.S. to the people of Cuba, despite the commercial, economic and financial block on Cuba imposed in 1960. The embargo, enacted during President John F. Kennedy’s administration, was an attempt to oust Cuban President Fidel Castro and his communist regime. Pastors for Peace is a project of the Interreligious Foundation for Community Organization, which was founded by American church leaders and activists in 1967 to advocate the struggles of oppressed people for justice and self-determination. Humanitarian aid, including medical and educational supplies and equipment, computers, bicycles, tools, sports equipment and vehicles, will be delivered to Cuban citizens at the end of the group’s journey.“We collect about 100 tons of aides, everything from computers to medicine, school books, surgical equipment, simple things that Cubans cannot buy on the world market because most of them are made by the U.S.,” said Caravanista Manolo De Los Santos of New York City. Caravanistas stopped at Bloomington’s Waldron, Hill and Buskirk Park, more commonly known as Third Street Park, to collect donations and spread the word about their cause. Getting this far was not easy, said Caravanista Aaron Mercredi of Vancouver, Canada. When entering the U.S., Mercredi said customs officials told the group it needed to purchase a bond of an undisclosed amount in order to bring the aid across the border, even though humanitarian aid is exempt from this requirement.After a day-long struggle, Mercredi said customs officials allowed the aid to pass across the border. But the largest challenge still lies ahead. “There has been a history of conflict with the U.S. authorities, but there has also been a history of strong determination from everyone on the caravan to make sure the aid goes through,” Mercredi said. “However they can, they will try to create problems for people who are trying to stand with the people of Cuba.”Beginning in different locations, more than 60 Caravanistas are traveling through 90 cities on their way to the small island country just 90 miles south of Florida. Each of the groups will meet in Texas, where they will challenge the Cuban embargo at the Mexican border. Similar to their entry into the U.S. from Canada, Mercredi said the group will refuse to license their aid. “I believe that the blockade is unjust,” Bloomington resident Cynthia Roberts said. “Actually, I think it is ridiculous. I have been to Cuba, and there is nothing in Cuba that is a threat to the United States. I don’t understand what the whole point of this is, except to make the Cuban people suffer.”Roberts is a member of CUBAmistad, an organization linking Bloomington with its sister city in Cuba, Santa Carla. Inside Bloomington’s park, 19 Caravanistas and Bloomington residents gathered in solidarity with Cuba. One man wore a T-shirt that said, “Love is our license, end the U.S. blockade now.”As the group huddled in a circle on the park’s stage, emitting a faint smell of incense, Mercredi spoke passionately into a voice recorder, asking for donations. People in the group passed around a straw hat, dropping small amounts of change inside. After stopping in Bloomington, Caravanistas stayed the night, then continued their voyage toward the Mexican border — one step closer to Cuba.“Think about the 11 million people in Cuba who struggle every day under the blockade,” Mercredi said. “But also remember, in the midst of all that suffering caused by the blockade, you see the Cubans smiling.”