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(10/05/10 2:21am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Voter accessibility has been the hot topic for the Monroe County Election Board this fall, and partisan views continue to generate heated debates. Satellite voting sites were shot down by the board in three separate meetings, and the new topic for debate is an extension of hours to vote early in the Curry Building.One of the reasons the board rejected satellite voting sites was because voters can vote early in the Curry Building at 238 W. Seventh St.The Curry Building is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. It will also be open until 8 p.m. on Oct. 8 and from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Oct. 23 and Oct. 30. The board has recently discussed extending these hours to evenings and weekends. Democrat Jan Ellis, election board chairwoman, said the current hours make it difficult for those with 9-to-5 jobs to vote early.Republican Jim Fielder, also an election board member, said he wanted to wait to see the turnout of the extended hours on Oct. 8 before deciding whether to extend hours regularly.“It’s hard to understand not setting evening voting hours from the beginning,” said Rick Dietz, Monroe County Democratic Party chairman in a press release. “Indiana is widely recognized as having some of the most restrictive election day voting hours in the nation.”Republican Steve Hogan, Indiana House of Representatives candidate for District 60, criticized Democrats for using voter accessibility debates for political gain.He said Republicans are by no means against voter accessibility and want a good turnout as much as Democrats. He said there are many opportunities to vote early and on election day.Justin Kingsolver, IU College Republicans president and IDS columnist, agreed with this during the last debate of satellite voting sites. He said that he has registered 200 voters for November.But Ellis criticized Republicans for limiting accessibility. She said rejecting satellite sites and extended hours will reduce the number of voters.“They say they want to provide voter access, but they are not doing it,” Ellis said referring to Republicans. “They are actually refusing to take measures that would.”Dietz said this issue should not be sparking the same level of partisan debate that satellite voting did. He said board members do not need a test to determine whether extended hours would be an efficient change and that Fielder, who also serves as Monroe County clerk, should extend the hours now.“It’s time to cut through the Tea Party rancor and do what’s best for Monroe County,” Dietz said. “If we can’t do that with satellite voting. ...then at least we should have regular evening hours for early voting.”
(10/05/10 2:18am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The healing power of prayer is a tenet of many world religions including Christianity, Islam and Judaism. Now, empirical research might indicate that prayer could play a role in the medical field. Candy Gunther Brown, IU associate professor of religious studies, worked with colleagues in a study in Mozambique and Brazil to measure the effects of prayer on patients suffering from visual and audio problems.Patients came to Brown’s team and were given tests to measure their sight and hearing. The patients were prayed for and encouraged to pray for healing. After a period of time, the patients were given the same assessments by Brown’s team.“One of the distinctive things about our study was that we did not rely on self-reports,” Brown said.The amount of change Brown’s team saw was surprising.“Even though we had a relatively small number of subjects, the results were large and consistent enough that they are statistically significant,” Brown said.Dr. John Peteet, an associate professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, is one of the critics of the study. He said the results of Brown’s study are still preliminary because no effects were found for the results and there was no follow-up.“Other research suggests that prayer in medical settings is very common, and experienced by patients as helpful,” Peteet said. “I don’t think we know enough about what these findings mean to say yet what they imply for medical staff.”Rev. Bill Breeden of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Bloomington said although Unitarian Universalists have their own beliefs about prayer, there is a common prayer in the church’s services.“I can only speak for myself,” Breeden said. “I think prayer is important not because of who is listening, but because of who is praying.”Brown said no one should draw the conclusion that prayer needs to be added to medical care. She said it is rare that a study is conclusive, and this one is no exception.“It’s not appropriate to draw religious conclusions from empirical findings,” Brown said. “It’s an indication that further studies should be done.”Peteet said personally, he believes that some prayers for healing are answered by whoever they are addressed to.“There are psychological reasons such as suggestion and caring that probably account for some effects, but the findings in this study don’t seem so easily explainable on this basis,” Peteet said. Prayer can often unlock healing in one’s body, Breeden said, whether or not any deity hears it.“Prayer is an expression of our deepest joys and sorrows and, as such, has therapeutic values regardless of whether or not anyone else is listening, be they human or other,” Breeden said.
(09/30/10 4:47am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Students live here, work here, call police here, get parking tickets here and shop here. But should students be allowed to vote here?At the Sept. 14 Monroe County Election Board meeting, Bloomington resident Cindy McCullough expressed the view that students should not be allowed to register to vote in Monroe County. Her comments inflamed the students present.A letter to the Monroe County Election Board by Les Compton, the chairman of the Monroe County Republican Party, expressed the effect of the student vote in the 2008 election.“In the general election of 2008, satellite voting accounted for 4,486 votes,” the letter said. “Over 50 percent of those votes were cast on campus. ...I believe that it is safe to assume that the Democrats garnered a distinct advantage from it.”John Spears, Indiana director of Organizing for America, expressed a different view about the impact of student voting on local elections.“It’s pretty simple,” Spears said. “If more students register to vote and participate in the November elections, the future will be shaped by young people, and progress can be made on the issues that matter to students.”And with the Oct. 4 deadline to register to vote fast approaching, students need to act fast if they want their voices heard.“We’ve taken huge strides forward on issues that affect young people because young people made their voices heard in the 2008 election,” Spears said. “If students want to continue that progress, they’ve got to turn out again in 2010.”Monroe County is not the only area where there has been controversy about student voting. In January 2007, a state representative from Maine introduced a bill that would have made college students unable to vote in their college town if they lived in university-owned housing while attending school. Though the bill did not pass, proponents argued that students live in their college towns for only a few years and should not have the power to shape local policies.“The entire reason Bloomington is the Bloomington we know and love today is because of IU,” said Rick Dietz, chairman of the Monroe County Democrats. “Students contribute greatly to our community and are a huge factor in our local economy.”Sophomore Erik Peterson said students have the right and responsibility to vote, just like any other citizen, in the county where they reside.Those who wish to vote must reside at a local address, but do not need to state how long they have lived in the community.Junior Sam Greene said students should not be treated differently in the voting process simply because Monroe County is not their permanent residence.“We spend the majority of the year here,” she said.Dietz said the Monroe County Democrats are working to register everyone they can to vote before the Oct. 4 deadline.“We think voting should be easy, quick and accessible for everyone in our community. It doesn’t matter if you’re a student, factory worker, fireman, accountant, waitress, etc,” Dietz said.Opportunities to register can be found around campus at the Indiana Memorial Union, outside Ballantine Hall and through the county voting office in the Curry Building on Seventh Street.“It is important that we as a collective group are represented properly,” Greene said.
(09/28/10 3:43am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>It can be found in your dog. Your new kitten can carry it. Little pests that sneak into the attic are the animals most likely to pass it on, and it’s almost 100 percent fatal.Rabies is still a concern in the United States and specifically in Indiana, officials of the Indiana State Department of Health said.Two people in Indiana have died from rabies since 2006. Before 2006, Indiana had not seen a human case of rabies in 50 years, according to the ISDH.Sept. 28 is World Rabies Day, which is co-sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Alliance for Rabies Control.On World Rabies Day, health organizations are encouraged to provide information sessions about rabies around the world. The ISDH is taking the opportunity to remind Hoosiers of the threat still presentedby rabies.More than 55,000 people, mostly in Africa and Asia, die from rabies every year, according to the CDC. Rabies is completely preventable if treated immediately.Dr. David Crabb, IU School of Medicine professor, said rabies is a severe neurological disorder that causes death and is passed through saliva and brain or nervous tissue.Rabies is usually passed when an infected animal bites or licks the damaged skin of a human, according to the CDC.ISDH officials said rabies in canines has been eliminated from the United States through vaccination and leash laws.However, bats have been identified by the ISDH as the animal of most concern for rabies in Indiana. This year, 21 bats have tested positive for rabies in Indiana.“In addition to vaccinating their pets, people should also avoid contact with wildlife,” Dr. Jennifer House, veterinary epidemiologist, said in a press release. “Since rabies in Indiana is primarily found in bats, I urge people to take extra precautions to avoid exposure to bats.”
(09/27/10 4:50am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The national suicide rate is 11.5 out of 100,000 deaths, but Indiana’s rate is higher at 12.5 out of 100,000 deaths. Numbers such as these hit home this month when Billy Lucas, a student at Greensburg High School, hung himself after enduring bullying because of his sexual orientation, according to reports.This story does not appear to be an uncommon one. Suicide is the third leading cause of death in those age 15 to 24, according to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention’s reports in 2007.Dr. Nancy Stockton, director of IU Health Center’s Counseling and Psychological Services, said CAPS takes all suicide threats seriously.“At busier, more stressful times of the year, these threats come in fairly frequently, several times a week,” Stockton said. She said students oftentimes have not developed coping methods for severe stress. The counselors at CAPS focus on helping students develop these methods rather than turning to self-inflicted harm.“In spite of pressures of college, a study by Big Ten universities showed the suicide rate for college students is half that of non-college youth,” Stockton said.She said she believes this is because of the resources available to college students to help them through stress and depression.Greg Chaffin, a Bloomington High School North counselor, said teachers and faculty receive extensive training in identifying at-risk students. The staff is instructed to refer students to the counselors if they appear to be considering suicide.“Counselors are encouraged to create relationships with our students so they know we can be trusted with sensitive information,” Chaffin said. “Most of our student referrals come from other students.”Chaffin said in order to reach a student considering suicide, one must ask direct, clear and solemn questions, such as “Are you thinking about committing suicide? Do you know how you would commit suicide?”“Nine times out of 10, a student feeling that way will say yes,” he said. Daniel Lee Miller, director of the film “My Suicide,” founded www.regenerate.org, a website for those considering or affected by suicide and other public health issues. Miller said since suicide is a somewhat taboo topic, those who have considered it often feel isolated and different from those around them.“The main thing I would say is that when you shatter the silence and start reaching out to people, everyone realizes they aren’t alone,” Miller said.Stockton agreed that togetherness is the greatest weapon against suicide. She said CAPS often, with permission, involves family members in student counseling. They also contact friends of the student to find a place for them to stay.“Caring communities that listen are the greatest protection against suicide,” Stockton said.
(09/27/10 3:38am)
“I remember waking up and trying to remember what you were supposed to
do in the event of an earthquake,” IU student Lindsay Hicks said. “After
it stopped, I thought I was going crazy and it couldn’t have been an
earthquake until I found out on the news that it was.”
(09/23/10 4:46am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>It’s been debated, loved, hated, voted, rewritten, protested and glorified. It’s been a partisan issue and even divided some members of the same political party, and it’s been mostly quiet since it was passed.Today, that changes.Eight provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act are going into effect today, according to a press release issued by The White House Office of the Press Secretary. This is the new Patient’s Bill of Rights.Extension of coverage for young adultsAmong the provisions that take effect today is the extension of coverage for young adults. Young people may stay on their parents’ health insurance until they are 26 years old.Many people who do not live at home or have finished their undergraduate degree will be affected by this bill, said David Orentlicher, law professor and co-director of IU-Purdue University Indianapolis’ William S. and Christine S. Hall Center for Law and Health. “Your insurers now have to let you stay on your family plan whether you’re living at home, independent, married, undergraduate, graduate, Ph.D. student or unemployed,” Orentlicher said.The only restriction on this provision is that those whose jobs offer affordable health insurance may not stay on their parents’ insurance, Orentlicher said.Free preventitive careFree preventive services, such as immunizations, will also take effect today.“It’s very important,” Orentlicher said. “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”Orentlicher said financial barriers often lead to the contraction of illnesses that could have easily been prevented. Prevention methods are often more effective and economical than treatments, Orentlicher said.Daniel Beben, an IU Ph.D. student, said he believes health care reform is a positive change because people will seek prevention and treatments more often and will not rely on the emergency department.Children with pre-existing conditions cannot be deniedChildren used to be treated as adults by insurance companies, and adults could therefore be denied insurance for their children because of a condition or illness.This is no longer legal. “Up to 72,000 uninsured children are expected to gain coverage by banning insurers from refusing them coverage due to a pre-existing condition,” according to the release.Choose your doctorOne of the concerns of health care reform was that people would not be able to choose their health care providers. However, before the act was passed, it was legal for insurance companies to choose doctors for their policy holders, according to the White House press release. Because of the act, policy holders must be allowed to choose their own doctor in their insurer network.Ban on lifetime coverage limitsThe ban of lifetime limits on insurance coverage for new plans will also take effect, according to the press release. Orentlicher said many insurance companies cover patients only up to a certain point. For those with extended hospital stays, this can be a serious problem. Currently, annual limits on insurance coverage are still legal, but they will be banned in 2014.Guarantee a right to appealThe White House said those denied coverage or those whose coverage had been restricted had few methods to appeal.The federal government now guarantees that those with denied or limited coverage may appeal to a third party unconnected to the insurance company.Unlimited emergency room visitsBefore this act, insurers were able to choose what emergency rooms their policy holders could visit and were able to charge those who went to emergency rooms outside of a particular network.The act prohibits this, according to The White House press release. New plans may not charge more for emergency services outside of a specific network.Ban on recisionsThe act will also ban insurance companies from lifting coverage after it has been purchased.However, insurance companies are allowed to rescind coverage when the applicant has committed fraud. Orentlicher said that some individuals claim insurance companies have accused their policyholders of fraud in order to avoid paying expensive hospital bills.“Usually insurance regulations are by the state, so some states may not have those laws,” Orentlicher said. “Sometimes putting federal enforcement behind a law will make a difference in compliance.”Beben said the act will benefit his family. His mother-in-law is a breast cancer survivor and is currently unemployed, so she has been denied insurance because of her previous condition.“I supported it at first without knowing the details,” Beben said. “But I think it’s a good move.”
(09/16/10 3:27am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>They swarm you, bite you and suck your blood. But they can leave you with more than an itchy red welt.Officials of the Indiana State Department of Health have reported a third case of West Nile virus in a human in Allen County, Ind. All three of the human cases have been discovered in Allen County.The West Nile virus has been found in 40 Indiana counties, including Monroe County. Most of the cases have been found in mosquito pools — shallow water that serve as breeding grounds for mosquitoes.A similar virus that is also carried by mosquitoes, the eastern equine encephalitis virus, has been found in Adams County. Ken Severson of the ISDH said both viruses cause fever, headaches, body aches and nausea. Severe forms of both viruses may also cause loss of coordination and seizures.A person who is bitten by an infected mosquito may show symptoms from 3 to 15 days after the bite. State officials are warning residents about the West Nile virus spreading through the state. The ISDH website has several links to prevention methods, as does the Allen County Department of Health website.“Use insect repellent that contains DEET, picaridin or oil of lemon eucalyptus,” Severson said. “If possible, wear long sleeves and long pants, especially if you’re walking in the woods.”Dr. Jennifer House, veterinary epidemiologist at the ISDH, also published several prevention methods through the ISDH, including methods to rid properties of mosquito breeding grounds.All mosquitoes require standing water in the first stages of their life, according to the Allen County Health Department. Removing these from your property will greatly decrease your risk for West Nile or EEEV.“There are lots of places around your home that can be breeding grounds for mosquitoes,” Severson said.Any container that has water in it can be become a haven for mosquitoes, Severson said.House’s mosquito breeding ground prevention methods include cleaning out gutters and discarding old tires and containers.“We’re reminding the public to stay vigilant in protecting themselves against the West Nile virus, EEEV and other mosquito-borne illnesses by avoiding mosquito bites,” House said in a press release.
(09/16/10 3:21am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>With major elections approaching in November, Republicans and Democrats have begun talking about the health care reform enacted by the Democratic majority. Some parade the bill as a huge success; others note the confusion and suspicion that surrounds it.Whether it’s because of its confusion, length or technical language, rumors have been circulating about the recently passed health care act. “I just know there’s a lot of taxing issues,” junior Ania Tondel said. “I don’t want our health care systems to be like those in Europe.”In light of the current government deficit, the question of who is going to pay for the government sponsored health programs is an uncertainty on many taxpayers’ minds.“The money is my biggest concern,” junior Malgosia Rada said. “I just hate taxes in general, and I’ve heard they’ll tax us for it.”Both said that they had heard most of what they knew about the reform bill from their peers, and they still don’t know very much about it.“I know that in Poland you can’t choose your doctor because of nationalized health care. I don’t want that here,” Tondel said.Rada agreed solemnly. “Nationalized health care is just stupid,” she said.Several news sources have asked the American public what they have heard about the reform bill. Bloomington residents’ answers are similar to those reported by other cities. Eric Wright, the division director for Health Policy and Management at the IU School of Medicine, discussed some of the major reform myths.The first commonly reported belief was that the bill mandates or encourages euthanasia.“That was a myth that was started when Sarah Palin used the term ‘death panels,’” Wright said.Wright said that the original bill included a provision that would compensate physicians for counseling their patients about end-of-life choices; such as “do not resuscitate.” Because of the controversy surrounding the term “death panels,” this provision was edited from the bill and no longer exists, Wright said. Another myth is people will lose their private insurance with the new bill.“Most Americans will probably see no change in their type of insurance,” Wright said. State governments will now offer insurance through the government, but private insurers will still do the majority of health care financing, Wright said. There are also concerns about the money involved. Most people know that the American deficit is staggering, and many believe that health care reform will increase it. But Wright said that the government is trying to put cost controls in place. In the short-term, he said the deficit may increase. In around ten years, however, the additional deficit created by the bill would disappear, Wright said.“The government is not going to run health care,” Wright said. “The government is going to help with financing.”The topic of health care has been coming up since about 1812, Wright said, and every time opponents have used the term “socialized medicine” as a scare tactic.“Governments try to make more efficient systems for financing,” Wright said.In completely socialized health care, the government would have control of all doctors, medical facilities and health insurance providers — which is simply not the case.Wright said that hospitals and pharmaceutical companies will not belong to the government because of the bill. This means that completely socialized medicine would not exist.“For most people, the changes aren’t happening fast enough,” Wright said. “Many provisions of the bill will not be in effect until 2014, which is very soon for governments but seems far away for most Americans.”
(09/15/10 4:22am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>“This is about partisan politics,” Bloomington resident Cindy McCullough said to the Monroe County Election Board Tuesday, where for the third time the Board met to discuss the creation of satellite voting sites.McCullough pointed to Jan Ellis, the Election Board chair, who filed motions in all of the meetings to discuss satellite sites. “Are you a Democrat?” McCullough asked.“I am a Democrat,” Ellis said. “You are a Democrat,” McCullough said. “I rest my case.” Earlier that day, a group of about twelve gathered in a loose circle at Dunn Meadow. Some were wearing IU College Democrats shirts; others wore business casual. All were members of Students for Access to Voting Early.“It’s not a partisan issue,” Kelly Smith IU College Democrats president and SAVE member said. “It’s a participation issue.” Together the group organized a march to the justice building where the Monroe County Election Board would discuss the issue of satellite voting again.They marched to voice their approval of satellite voting. At the board’s first meeting, approval for the sites lacked one vote. During the second meeting, no one seconded the motion to vote on the sites. This may be SAVE’s last chance to convince the board to approve satellite sites for 2010.“I’m not positive how the turnout’s going to be, but I think it’s apparent that students care about the issue,” Smith said.“Over the last two meetings, we’ve seen that certain members haven’t been flexible. We’re hopeful that they’ll listen to the community,” SAVE Vice President Jennifer Pike said.The students created signs with slogans such as “Save the vote!” and “Easy voting equals real democracy.” One sign addressed election board member Jim Fielder’s comments from the previous meeting when he said voting sites on the IU campus would bring students a feeling of entitlement rather than responsibility. It read “I’m not spoiled!”“Show me what democracy looks like!” Smith chanted as she and Mariah Kick, SAVE vice president, lead the group through Dunn Meadow.“This is what democracy looks like,” the group chanted back. They marched to Third Street, passing the Monroe County Democratic Party Headquarters. There, workers lined up outside to clap, cheer and high five the marchers. Sam Allison, a Democratic city council candidate and others joined the march as they continued.When they arrived at the justice building, they stood outside and chanted while waving their signs. However, the march did not move the board. Again, Ellis made a motion to create satellite voting sites, though this time she listed five sites instead of three. And again, neither Fielder nor board member Judith Smith-Ille seconded the motion, and the board did not vote on the issue.Despite this, Ellis allowed the public to speak after signing a sheet of paper. Eighteen people signed up to voice their opinions. McCullough said she was born and raised in Bloomington. She said students aren’t hard-pressed for time to vote on election day.“I don’t think any of these kids are so hurting for time that they can’t find a moment to take away from their studies. I mean they all manage to get to Kilroy’s,” McCullough said.Several students addressed McCullough’s statements with indignation. She interrupted every time a student addressed her comments, and others present reminded her that she no longer had the floor. Ellis had to call to order several times.Bloomington resident David Keppel addressed the board at the last meeting with a plea for satellite voting sites. He repeated many of his points from the previous meeting and addressed other concerns.“I’ve heard tonight some very unfortunate generalizations,” Keppel said. “The purpose of voting is to make it as convenient as possible not just for most people, but for everyone.” Justin Kingsolver, IU College Republicans president and IDS columnist, also addressed the board. He argued that since students were able to rally on a Tuesday between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m., during the same hours that the polls will be open on election day, the argument that students would not be able to make it to the polls in November was invalid.“I’ve been told a lot that I’m trying to stop students from voting,” Kingsolver said. “That’s not true. I registered 200 voters yesterday.” He reminded everyone that the board had failed to approve satellite sites twice before. “Respectfully, no means no,” Kingsolver said to Ellis.Smith-Ille, who had been a staunch opponent of the creation of satellite voting sites from the beginning of the debate, said students and the public must be made aware of the Curry Building on Seventh Street, where people may vote early.“My reason is not because I don’t believe in satellite voting,” Smith-Ille said. “The numbers just don’t warrant it.”Fielder said he approved of SAVE’s efforts to encourage people to be passionate about voting.“But it does not have to be done with satellite voting,” Fielder said.
(09/13/10 4:20am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Supposedly ignorance is bliss. This week, ignorance became fear, hatred and protest.Terry Jones, a pastor of 50 from Dove World Outreach Center in Gainesville, Fla. received national attention this week when he created a Facebook group called “International Burn a Quran Day,” scheduled for Sept. 11, 2010. Jones tweeted that he planned to burn a Quran on the anniversary of the Twin Towers terrorist attacks.He said in a press release that because the Quran does not speak biblical truth and causes violent behavior from Muslims, he believes it to be an evil book worthy of destruction. Though Pastor Jones did not say he would burn the Quran because of plans to build a mosque near Ground Zero, he did say if the mosque was moved, it would be a sign from God he should not carry out his plans.Pastor Jones did not burn the Quran, but the threat created a firestorm in U.S. media and received reactions from many world leaders, including President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.The Unitarian Universalist Church in Bloomington responded to this with a reading from the Quran in both Arabic and English at their Sept. 12 service. On Sunday, sunlight filled the sanctuary of the Unitarian Universalist Church on Fee Lane through the many clear windows high on the walls. A carving from a maple tree and a stone chalice were at the front of the sanctuary near the podium. Near the carving was a quilt of multi-colored leaves touched by the sun, slanting in from a huge circular window. Here, members of all faiths would gather in worship, love and acceptance.“The tolerant can speak for justice and have no tolerance for the ignorant,” a congregation member of Unitarian Universalist Church translated from the Quran.People from around the nation and the world responded to Jones by speaking for justice and not tolerating the ignorant.“For Muslims in general, the act of burning the Quran implies disrespect for the word of God and hatred toward their faith,” said Abdulkader Sinno, associate professor of political science and Middle Eastern studies at IU. “For Muslim-Americans it implies that the perpetrator wants to bully them as a vulnerable minority and to make it clear that they have no place in American society.”Sinno also said Muslim-Americans are here to stay.“Ultimately, they will be accepted as productive members of society who contribute to the country’s economy, culture, welfare and security like everyone else,” Sinno said. “If their constitutional rights are taken away, then the Constitution becomes irrelevant and America will lose all what makes it a great country. I hope this will never happen, for everyone’s sake.”Pastor Jones does not see anything wrong with burning the Quran or calling Muslims enemies because they see Islam as an evil religion, R. Kevin Jacques, director of Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies at IU, said in an e-mail.“Christian-haters and Muslim-haters are remarkably similar in the starkness of their world views, in how easily they are willing and able to demonize anyone who opposes them and in their thirst for conflict,” Jacques said. “They both win by ratcheting up conflict, not by resolving it.”Reverend Mary Ann Macklin of the Unitarian Universalist Church spoke during the sermon of the losses that were experienced on Sept. 11, 2001. She told the story of a Muslim-American EMT whose body was found near his medical supplies as he attempted to help those caught in the attacks. Before his body was found, his family was questioned extensively because authorities believed, because of his heritage, he had taken part in the attacks. Rev. Macklin’s voice became choked as she related this. “We must remind ourselves that there were many American Muslim citizens killed,” she said. “We need to learn to live in an interfaith, multicultural world. To learn to respond in love, not fear.”During Sunday’s sermon, the message that the church embraces all faiths and cultures was stressed. Reverend Macklin welcomed Atheists, Muslims, Christians, Agnostics and whoever else walked through the church’s doors.“People are unable to see the commonness of our humanity,” said Reverend Bill Breeden of the Unitarian Universalist Church. “Unable to see, they are unable to love. Ignorance is the biggest threat to our country.”Among the verses read and published from the Quran was surah seven, verse 199, a lesson for all on the anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks:“Show forgiveness, speak for justice and avoid the ignorant.”
(09/13/10 2:52am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>A man holds a hand to his head, where blood is oozing from a gash. A woman sits off by herself, arms crossed, eyes darting suspiciously. A group of people huddle together, glancing toward the nurses impatiently. This is Bloomington Hospital’s Emergency Department.Sarah Abel is the night shift clinical manager for the Emergency Department at Bloomington Hospital. She said the number of patients in the ED fluctuates throughout the year. “Many of the chief complaints involve alcohol, assault or stress reactions,” Abel said. IU’s schedule heavily affects the ED, Abel said. During IU’s Welcome Week, the number of patients each night increased by 20 percent from the summer.“Volumes go up with IU football games. We staff heavy for those events,” Abel said. “I try to add two to the nursing staff and one technician.” There are also four doctors and two nurses on-site at football and basketball games. Abel tries to be on-call or present at certain events, such as the Little 500.Loretta Cox is a registered nurse and has worked at Bloomington Hospital for 13 years, three of which she spent in the ED. Sara Truax is also a registered nurse and has worked in the ED for two and a half years.Both agreed there are four main complaints they receive from college students. From most common to least, these are intoxication, assault, lacerations and stress.intoxicationTruax said the ED usually sees intoxicated patients on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays.“Thirsty Thursday,” Truax and Cox said in unison.There’s a sharp increase in the number of intoxicated patients with certain IU events, Truax said. “We know when it’s Little 500, the first week back, homecoming, any big event,” she said.When someone comes in intoxicated, nurses check blood sugar and fluids and provide anti-nausea medication. A doctor does a full medical assessment, focusing on the airway. If the patient is vomiting, they are given an IV, Cox said.How the ED handles an intoxicated patient also depends on who brings them in, Cox said. There are different procedures when someone is brought in by a friend, an ambulance or the police. The ED staff will usually wait for a patient to become sober before sending them home if they were brought in by a friend or the ambulance. When dealing with law-enforcement, the hospital may not wait until the patient is sober to release them back into police custody.“We see them walking around, talking, fine. We see them slurring their words and not making sense. They still go to jail,” Cox said.ASSAULTCox said the most common cases of assault are two men who get drunk and start fighting one another. People are sometimes jumped coming out of parties, she said. Truax said there are also complaints of sexual assaults.Cox is a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner, or SANE. This is a nurse who has been specially trained to handle sexual assault complaints.She said most women come in on Sunday nights, when they realize what happened.Sexual assault patients are first examined for overall health. They are then taken to a private room, where a SANE takes over.An examiner will try to figure out the details of the assault, Cox said. A rape kit may or may not be used depending on how long it has been since the attack.If a rape kit is used, it can be kept on file in the event that the patient does not want to immediately report the incident to the authorities. The hospital will call the police only at the behest of the patient.If the victim is younger than 18 years old, Child Protective Services is always contacted.LACERATIONSLacerations are usually related to intoxication, Truax said. People get drunk and fall down, they get angry and hit a glass object, glass breaks at a party and someone gets cut.“These are typically on the face, hands and arms,” Cox said.The worst case Cox has seen was between two drunk men, and it involved a broken beer bottle. One received cuts on the back, chest and arms.“They were deep,” Cox said. “And made by, supposedly, a friend.”STRESS“People lose support when they leave home,” Truax said. This can make it hard for some to cope.Therapists are called in for all but the mildest cases when a patient displays stress symptoms, Cox said.People often feel short of breath. Their arms, legs, toes and fingers start to tingle. They know something is wrong, but don’t realize it’s stress, Truax said.Students are referred to psychological services at the IU Health Center.“IU has so many of its own resources they can utilize for free,” Abel said. “We are very interconnected.”Abel said students who find themselves in many of these situations could have prevented them by changing their perspective.“Try to be responsible,” Abel said. “We get concerned about the choices students are making and their safety.”
(09/10/10 2:30am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Only one of 28 types of preventable errors was reported by both the Bloomington Hospital and the Monroe Hospital this year. “It’s a patient safety initiative,” LeAnne Horn, director of Quality Improvement and Patient Safety for Bloomington Hospital, said. “I’m very proud that we are working as a state.”In 2006, Governor Mitch Daniels required the Indiana State Department of Health to employ a medical error reporting system. Medical facilities are required to report the occurrences of what the health department defines as “preventable errors.”The 2009 report was released by the department on Aug. 30. The report described the efforts medical facilities took to reduce preventable errors.Bloomington Hospital reported they allowed a patient to develop severe pressure ulcers — also known as bed sores — after admittance to the facility, she said. The development of pressure ulcers was the most common error reported to the health department in previous years. Because of this, Horn said, teams have been implemented to focus on prevention methods.“Despite our best efforts, human error can and does occur,” she said.Compared to previous years, Bloomington Hospital showed improvement with only one error in 2009. One error was reported in 2006, two in 2007 and four in 2008. This is the first year Monroe Hospital reported a preventable error to the health department. Monroe Hospital reported an operation-related death in an otherwise healthy patient. The Monroe Hospital quality improvement staff was unavailable for comment.The 28 errors also include surgery on the wrong body part, surgery on the wrong patient and infant discharge to the wrong parent, among others.Horn said Indiana is the second state to require medical facilities to report preventable errors to the state and the public.Medical facilities in Indiana have — according to the report — improved their prevention methods in the past two years since the system was implemented. The total medication errors that caused death or disability in the state also decreased to its lowest level in four years.“One event is too many,” Horn said. “We continue to improve, and we’re dedicated to patient safety.”
(09/06/10 2:45am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Organic is healthier. Organic makes no difference. The argument about pesticides has been around for a long time, and both sides present compelling arguments.The slogan for Bloomingfoods Market and Deli is “Local, Organic, Fresh.” Laughing Planet Cafe advertises healthy, organic food. Bloomington residents who prefer organic food are presented the option every day.But why all the fuss?Melissa Pope, a vendor at the Bloomington Community Farmers’ Market, said the jams and fruits she sells are fresher and healthier than those in chain grocery stores.However, Siobhan DeLancey, U.S. Food and Drug Administration press officer, said in an e-mail the use of pesticides on produce does not make them unhealthy as long as pesticide residues are rinsed off after purchase.“Supermarkets, as a rule, don’t wash produce before putting it out, but many stores mist it while it’s on display,” DeLancey said.A 1990 report by three U.S. Environmental Protection Agency chemists observed four studies of fresh tomatoes treated with a fungicide, DeLancey said. The tomatoes were tested at harvest, packing house and at point of sale. “The studies showed that more than 99 percent of the residues were washed off at thepacking house by the food processor,” DeLancey said.Some Bloomington Farmers’ Market vendors believe that no residue is better than any.Christina Bush, a vendor with Martin Hollow Farm, said all of her produce is in season and is not grown using chemicals. “Everything we sell is organic,” Bush said. “It’s definitely safer for people.”In the end, personal preference seems to be the deciding factor when it comes to choosing organic or not. Even if you decide organic food is not your taste, the FDA recommends consumers wash their produce with cold or warm tap water, throw away the outer leaves of leafy vegetables and trim the fat and skin from meat in order to eliminate pesticide residues if they are present.
(09/03/10 2:28am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Hide your kids, hide your wife, because bed bugs are crawling in peoples’ beds across the U.S., including Indiana. Terminix has released a list of the top 15 bedbug-infested US cities, and seven of them are in states that border Indiana. Indianapolis is No. 12.They didn’t just stop in our state’s capital, though. Bedbugs have been found in Bloomington, said Penny Caudill, administrator for the Monroe County Health Department.“We have been working with people within the University and the community to figure out how to address that,” Caudill said.Bedbugs don’t carry diseases, so they aren’t reported to the health department, Caudill said. The health department doesn’t know how many cases of bedbugs there have been in Monroe County.Randall McKinney, branch manager for the Bloomington Terminix, said bedbug infestations have escalated in the previous three months. “We’re getting calls daily,” McKinney said. IU Residential Programs and Services was unavailable to comment before deadline regarding bedbugs in residence halls.Caudill said those who suspect they have bedbugs must address the problem as quickly as possible. McKinney said these people should call a professional immediately.“It’s not a do-it-yourself kind of thing,” McKinney said.People usually realize they have bedbugs when they awaken with itchy red welts. McKinney said that once the infestation has escalated, and bedbugs can be seen walking across ceilings and walls.“They get behind mirrors, in dressers, kitchens, furniture,” said McKinney. “We have to look for them everywhere.”Insect infestations are often associated with uncleanliness, but McKinney said this is not the case with bedbugs.“These are equal opportunity pests” McKinney said. “They will go wherever they can get a ride and start infesting.”
(09/02/10 3:48am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>It’s the beginning of the new school year, and computer stores have geared up for increased and extensive business. Laptops, netbooks, printers and monitors — students need them.But where do the old laptops, netbooks, printers and monitors go?The Environmental Protection Agency has provided an answer. Their program, Plug-In to eCycling, encourages people to recycle their old computers.“We see that electronic recycling is a great way for people to help the environment and realize environmental benefits,” said Chris Newman, environmental scientist of Region 5 of the EPA. Newman said the benefit of recycling is that manufacturers don’t need to find raw material to build new electronics.The EPA is partners with many popular electronics stores for this program, Newman said, including Best Buy, Office Depot and Staples.Gregg Hoke, the store manager for the Bloomington Staples, said the store offers different recycling specials throughout the year. It costs $10 to recycle a computer, but the stores sometimes offer free recycling plus a discount with the purchase of a new computer.The Bloomington Office Depot also offers technology recycling, store manager Carl James said. The store sells small, medium and large boxes for $5, $10 and $15, respectively, and whatever items will fit inside, the store will recycle.Working computers are often refurbished and sold at discount rates, according to the EPA. Nonworking computers contain metal that can be melted down and reused.“I would recycle my computer, but I’m not sure where I would take it,” senior Taryn Valencic said. “I would pay to do it.”Sophomore Jane Goebel agreed.“You can recycle at Best Buy, and I would be fine with paying for it,” she said.Valencic and Goebel appear to be in the minority, however. James said computer recycling is not common in Bloomington. “It’s pretty rare for people to purchase our recycling services,” James said. “We see it when we run a discount promotion.”
(08/31/10 3:10am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>For the second time in one week Bloomington residents and IU students gathered with hopes of satellite voting sites being added to the area. The Monroe County Election Board discussed the creation of the voting sites Aug. 25 but missed the unanimous vote needed to pass the motion by one.“We’ve got reason to believe it will pass this time,” said Kelly Smith, a member of Students for Access to Voting Early (SAVE), before the meeting.The board as a whole, however, declined to even vote on the matter. Jan Ellis, chair of the election board, motioned for the adoption of four satellite voting sites in 2010.If passed, the four sites would be located in Smithville, Sherwood Oaks Christian Church, an Ellettsville Fire Station and the Indiana Memorial Union.The funding for these sites was approved by the Monroe County Council last week.“We should fully utilize the spending for the maximum community benefit,” Ellis said. “We need the four sites to utilize the funding.”Because neither Jim Fielder nor Judith Smith-Ille, both election board members, seconded the motion, it was dropped without a vote.Bloomington resident Scott Campion addressed the need for citizens of the county to have every opportunity to vote, especially now that the potential sites had already been funded. “You have the money. You have community support. You’ve got the time,” Campion said. “Why won’t you do it?” Smith said students have the right to easy voting access now as they did during the 2008 elections.Justin Kingsolver, president of the IU College Republicans, felt differently. “This is a partisan issue. I know you’re all saying that it isn’t, but it is,” Kingslover said. “We need to make it as easily possible to vote, but we must realize there are limits to that. Some sacrifices have to be made to vote.”Jordan Emily, a political science student at IU, was disappointed by the meeting’s conclusion. “I think it’s appalling because they’re clearly making it a partisan issue,” Emily said. “Students need to show up in numbers at the next meeting to defend the voting process.”Though this was the second time the board has rejected satellite voting, the issue may still not be at rest.“I am going to reserve the right to bring it up again,” Ellis said.
(08/30/10 3:39am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Individuals who trust the police department, those who are not as trusting and those who desire to one day join the men and women in blue will be among the eclectic mix of attendants of the Bloomington Police Department’s Citizens Academy classes.The goal of the program is for all attendees to walk away with a deeper understanding of how the police department functions, said BPD Sgt. Steven Kellams, an instructor for the academy.Instructors of the academy teach topics such as vehicle stops, criminal investigations, firearms, emergency driving and defensive tactics, said BPD Capt. Joseph Qualters.All classes will be taught in a lecture type setting, he said.“The Citizen Academy gives the community a chance to get to know us better and provides a way for us to connect with them as well,” Qualters said. “From this, they may have a better understanding of what we do, and maybe, why we do it in a particular way.”Kellams said the classes usually have between 15 and 20 members, but there have been more than 20 before. Qualters said anyone who is interested may apply for the program, but classes are generally small because of the size of the training room and the desire for participation.The classes usually contain both residents and IU students, Kellams said. Applications for the academy may be completed online or on paper and should be submitted to Qualters at 220 E. Third St. “We hope that they will come away with more confidence that we are able and capable to respond to any emergency or other law enforcement situation that might arise,” Qualters said.
(08/26/10 4:26am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Every seat was full and several had to stand in the back of a small courtroom at the Bloomington Justice Building Wednesday. Many of them were in support of a proposal for satellite voting this October, but they would soon be disappointed. The Monroe County Election Board met to publicly decide the fate of satellite voting in the highly anticipated November elections.“Voting is really where the wheel hits the ground,” said Chaim Julian, chairman of Democracy for Monroe County. “That’s where the citizens are really able to make their voices heard. We really need to make it as accessible as we can.”The members of Students for Access to Voting Early (SAVE) clustered around the hallway outside the courtroom before the meeting, reviewing facts and speeches. They wanted to make voting more accessible and keep students politically involved, said Jennifer Pike, an IU senior and member of SAVE.In 2008 there were three satellite voting locations in Monroe County where voters could vote 29 days prior to election day. These locations were Sherwood Oaks Christian Church, the IU-Bloomington campus and Ellettsville, Ind., said Rick Dietz, chair of the Monroe County Democratic Party.In 2008, more than 4,400 people voted at the satellite locations, Dietz said. Without satellite voting, many worry that student and community involvement would drop dramatically.Students and members of the community were invited to speak to the board before the vote.Kelly Smith, an IU senior and member of SAVE, presented a petition signed by 250 students in favor of satellite voting.“Having voter accessibilityis giving students a voice,” Smith said. “Student engagement begins that first time you vote.”However, Justin Kingsolver, president of the IU College Republicans, expressed his concern with satellite voting in a previous interview. The spirit of voting is that everyone votes at the same time, under the same circumstances, Kingsolver said.“We can get our supporters to the polls on election day,” Kingsolver said. “It takes longer for the Democrats to localize.”Dietz said before the meeting that he was unsure of which way the vote would go. “There seems to be a concerted effort to block this kind of voting by the Republicans,” Dietz said. “I don’t know if that will be the case here; I hope it won’t.”Jan Ellis, chairwoman of the Monroe County Election Board, reminded those present that the Monroe County Council had already authorized $12,000 to fund satellite voting.“I move that satellite voting sites be established like those in 2008. Three sites, three days, and one of them on campus somewhere, another on the south side and another in a more outlying location,” Ellis said.After listening to the public for about 40 minutes, Jim Fielder and Jan Ellis voted in favor of the proposal, but Judith Smith-Ille’s nay vote prevented the unanimous vote needed to pass the motion.“I don’t see how people cannot vote,” Smith-Ille said. “It’s not something we need to worry about in August of 2010. My answer, it’s nay.”Ellis argued that one member’s vote should not be enough to deny students and citizens voting accessibility.“You’re just going to have to accept my vote,” Smith-Ille said.Ellis requested that this issue be brought up at the board’s next meeting.For now, however, supporters of the proposal are disappointed.Lorraine Farrell, a Bloomington resident who spoke to the board in favor of the proposal, said, “It’s very disappointing. Nationally, we have very little percentage of people voting. The easier we make it, the better.”
(08/26/10 3:51am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Healthy adults live with the promise of a life of dignity and fulfillment until a doctor diagnoses a disease that has nightmarish stories. This is the ordeal those diagnosed with HIV must endure, according to AIDSinfo, a service of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Positive Link, a Bloomington Hospital program, is intended to help shoulder the burden on HIV and AIDS patients by paying for housing, connecting patients to doctors and offering support groups. Positive Link’s focus is HIV testing and the care of those living with HIV or AIDS, according to Bloomington Hospital’s web site. Many of the services this program offers are free of charge.Positive Link assists 200 infected patients per year, said Jill Stowers, Positive Link’s program manager. This program is funded by grants from the Indiana State Department of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Federal Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) and private and corporate donations, according to Bloomington Hospital’s website. This week, Positive Link received a $228,274 grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Stowers said. Jessica Adams, a care coordinator for Positive Link, said this grant will pay the rent and utilities of HIV and AIDS patients for an entire year. “We applied, and it’s actually taken us a few rounds,” Stowers said, referring to the grant. Last year the state of Indiana was not able to prove to HUD that their HIV/AIDS programs merited a grant. Because of more uniformity amongst HIV/AIDS related programs this year, Indiana’s HIV/AIDS assistance services rank in the top third in the nation, Stowers said.Stowers said $180,000 of the grant will be used directly for housing. It will pay the rent and utilities for those infected with HIV/AIDS. Stowers said she hopes to use the grant to house 10 or 11 Indiana families this year.“Some of our other housing money has already been used up,” Adams said. “There was really no expectation of definitely getting it, just being hopeful that we could get it.”