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(04/01/11 3:58am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Twice last week, gunshots have interrupted the calm in Bloomington and the surrounding area.On March 22, IU freshman Kira Riley was found dead in her dorm room in the Gucker tower of Briscoe Quad. Police confirmed March 24 that a handgun was involved in the death, and IU Police Department Chief of Police Keith Cash told the Indiana Daily Student that all signs pointed to a suicide.Only a few days later, 15-year-old middle school student Chance Jackson was shot by a fellow student on Martinsville West Middle School grounds. The alleged shooter, Michael Phelps, also 15, had been suspended from school and had been fighting with Jackson. Jackson was admitted to Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis for treatment.Beverly Calender-Anderson, safe and civil cities director for the City of Bloomington, said guns are an issue in Bloomington, but no more than they are anywhere else.“The City of Bloomington is always concerned about the safety of all of its residents, all of the students that are here,” Calender-Anderson said. “That includes any kind of safety issues, so guns, of course, are included in there.”Bloomington Police Department Lt. William Parker said even though it’s not a common occurrence in Bloomington, handguns are still an issue of concern.“I wouldn’t say it happens very much, but of course the thing about handguns or any guns is that if it happens just a little bit, it becomes serious,” Parker said.Parker said Bloomington’s primary gun safety concerns are people carrying firearms without a permit and home safety, particularly when children can easily access weapons. He said Bloomington also has a few cases each year of a person being reckless at a party or group situation, firing into the air or pulling out weapons to intimidate.Both Bloomington and Martinsville have ordinances governing gun use within the city.“There’s a city ordinance that says you cannot discharge a firearm in city limits,” Parker said. “That’s not a BB gun. It has to be something that has a cartridge that contains an explosive or propellant.”Parker said there are also state laws that require permits to carry handguns but not air rifles or shotguns and federal laws that prevent people convicted with certain felonies from owning guns.According to the IU Code of Student Rights, Responsibilities and Conduct, the University may discipline students for “Possession of any weapon or potential weapon on any university property contrary to law or university policy.”IU Spokesman Larry MacIntyre said authorized police officers are also exempt from that rule.MacIntyre said the University is not focusing on the gun safety issue related to Riley’s death.“The firearm angle is not what concerns us as much as that we had a student who was distraught,” he said. “I think a lot of people wish we could’ve recognized it sooner.”MacIntyre said Residential Programs and Services works with each resident assistant to prevent suicides.“They’re all trying hard to be more alert and to be more observant,” he said. “We’ve not had many problems with guns over the years, fortunately.”The incident in Martinsville involved similar restrictions on gun use; guns are not allowed in schools anywhere.Parker said he’s not concerned about a similar event happening in Bloomington.“We certainly hope we don’t have to deal with something like that but do have training as to the steps we would take if something like that were to happen in our jurisdiction,” he said.Parker said it would be difficult to be certain guns were not entering schools because it would require installing metal detectors that all students would have to walk through to enter the building, a precaution he said is unnecessary.“Our local high schools have steps in place to prevent people from just walking in without checking in,” he said.Both Bloomington and University officials said they aren’t as concerned about gun use as they are about the motives behind it.“I think guns are a method. They are not the reason for some of these issues,” Calender-Anderson said.She said the city has a suicide prevention coalition that looks into the reasons behind suicide and works to discourage it as a course of action. IU Counseling and Psychological Services is also available for students struggling with depression or suicidal feelings.“When you look at the suicide, of course the availability of the gun speaks to the method. It doesn’t speak to why a young woman felt she needed to take her own life,” Calender-Anderson said. “Wanting to maintain a safe environment for people wanting to come to Bloomington is of the utmost importance to the city administration.”
(04/01/11 2:33am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Six Democratic members of the Bloomington City Council and City Clerk Regina Moore expressed their support for incumbent candidate Mayor Mark Kruzan.The members endorsed him in his May 3 primary race against John Hamilton on Thursday afternoon at the Monroe County Democratic Party headquarters.The city council members who participated in the endorsement were President Susan Sandberg, Vice President Andy Ruff, Parliamentarian Tim Mayer and members Dave Rollo, Chris Sturbaum and Mike Satterfield.“Our words today reflect our strong support based on many positive achievements and shared vision with this remarkable administration,” Sandberg said.The council members referenced specific policy decisions Kruzan has made during his eight-year administration.“We have in Indiana a strong mayor system,” Moore said. “That can be a source of considerable conflict between the mayor and council and even the city clerk. Here it has not been so for the last eight years because our mayor, through his long years as a legislator, values collaboration.” Council members said Kruzan has worked closely with them on city policy issues and has supported initiatives in utilities, sustainability, social services and the arts, including the creation of the Bloomington Entertainment and Arts District and the B-Line Trail.“Mayor Kruzan has actively supported almost all of our council initiatives, most of which were citizen driven, things citizens brought to us,” Ruff said.Sturbaum, who represents the downtown area, said Kruzan’s focus on enhancing the economy of the downtown area has been beneficial to his constituents.“We have growing sectors of economic development, including pharmaceutical and biotech and information technology,” he said. “Mayor Kruzan understands the direct relationship of quality of life with economic development.”Kruzan said the endorsement was not requested by him and that it was the brainchild of the city council members themselves.“We support the direction that our city has taken and believe that it is imperative that mid-course corrections are unwarranted and unnecessary,” Rollo said.
(04/01/11 2:29am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>What was once a house on Kirkwood Avenue is now a two-story Mediterranean restaurant thanks to the efforts of one family.FOODKirkwood Cafe serves primarily Mediterranean food and has a few American and Italian dishes as well.“We are from the Middle East, so our food is close to Mediterranean,” Mo Akhras, co-owner and chef, said. “We have similar food.”The owners chose Mediterranean food because many people like it, said Sonia Akhras, who has been helping with marketing.“Everything is homemade. It’s not frozen,” Sonia said.INSPIRATIONBoth owners have been in the food business for years.Mo has owned restaurants before, including, most recently, a crêpe restaurant.Sonia’s family owned an international grocery store and now works in restaurant supply. Sonia’s husband is the other owner.PUBLIC RESPONSESonia and Mo said the response thus far has been positive.“Whoever came here, they did come back again,” Sonia said.She said they’ve so far had a steady flow of customers.“For a beginning, yeah, I have a lot of customers that come almost every day,” Mo said.GRAND OPENING6:30 to 9:30 p.m. FridayKirkwood Cafe, 620 Kirkwood Ave.The band East Meets West will be performing.
(03/31/11 1:02am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>By 2016, Bloomington will be one of the premier cycling cities in the country, if all goes according to city officials’ plan.“We currently have what’s called a silver status. We were given that in 2010,” said Tom Micuda, planning director for the city. “We want to get to the highest status, which is a platinum status, by 2016.”To achieve that goal, the city has set up the Bloomington Platinum Biking Task Force, which has begun making recommendations to get the city to the League of American Bicyclists’ highest ranking.Task force member Kerry Greer, a graduate student in sociology, said getting to the platinum level will require a cultural change in Bloomington, as well as the city’s proposed improvements.“The city is going to put forth all the framework that’s necessary,” she said. “It’s the people of Bloomington, it’s the students of IU that’s going to make it happen or not make it happen.”The city has begun work on four stages of improving bicycle infrastructure.First, the city has created a conceptual master plan, to be considered by city officials and hired a consultant to ensure the recommendations it makes are feasible.Second, the city will conduct an engineering study to start changing signage and making improvements, which Micuda said should begin in 2012.Third, the city wants to create bike boulevards, starting with an extension of Allen Street south of campus.The bike boulevard will allow cars but will be more accessible to bicyclists than a normal street. The Allen Street boulevard will connect Allen Street through Bryan Park to the B-Line Trail.“It’s potentially a great bike corridor to connect those neighborhoods south of campus to a major park to a major trail,” Micuda said.Greer said she had hoped the proposal would discourage motor vehicle traffic more than it does but the city has been paying close attention to public comments in preparing the proposals.Fourth, the city plans to use an old railroad corridor to create a bicycle— and pedestrian-friendly trail. The location currently being considered runs from South Henderson Street to the B-Line Trail, Micuda said.“We did a study designed to figure out what the barriers were for pedestrians and make some recommendations regarding pedestrians and what we can do to make the area a little easier to navigate for pedestrians,” he said.These initiatives will be funded by local money from the 2011 and 2012 budget years, as well as funds Micuda said the city hopes to receive —through the Bloomington/Monroe County Metropolitan Planning Organization.All the changes should cost $800,000 of local funds and at least $400,000 of federal funds, but the total cost could be as high as $1.5 to $2 million, Micuda said.Greer said the city will also be working closely with the University in the future to ensure the IU campus becomes more bicycle-friendly. IU was recognized by the League of American Bicyclists as a bicycle-friendly university March 21.“It’s an aggressive goal,” Greer said. “I wouldn’t be a part of it if I didn’t think it was doable. But it’s going to take effort on the part of the people, not just the city.”
(03/30/11 4:02am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>As a girl growing up, Jenna Bush’s female role models weren’t the average girls.“We have three women in my family, and we always gang up against my dad,” said Bush, daughter of former President George W. Bush. “When you have a grandmother like I have, you can’t help but be a real supporter of women.”Bush Hager spoke Tuesday evening at the Whittenberger Auditorium in the Indiana Memorial Union as the keynote speaker for Women’s History Month.She spoke about women she has encountered in her global travels, whose stories she said she believes need to be told and the importance of education in solving the world’s most pressing problems.One of the women Bush Hager covered as a correspondent for the Today Show, Delia Perez, came from the small town of Edcouch, Texas, where she frequently migrated to work in the fields with her family so they could support themselves. Then, a high school teacher inspired Perez to change the path of her life, Bush Hager said.“His faith in her inspired Delia to do something no one in her family had ever done: She applied to college,” she said. “In the years since Delia attended Yale, at least 50 students from her town have gone to Ivy League schools.”Lydia, a woman Bush Hager met in South America, had malnourished children, but because she has access to information about nutrition and charitable organizations that can provide important vitamins for her children, Lydia’s family is much healthier than before.“My personal mission has been to bring these kids to the attention of as many people as possible so that they become more than just statistics,” Bush Hager said.She also spoke about her own personal experiences as a teacher, which she said were not quite what she had expected growing up pretending to teach her dolls with her mother.“We used to joke that based on hours alone, we had the best-educated dolls in America,” Bush Hager said.She said education is the most pressing issue in the world right now because by improving people’s access to education, other social issues will fall into place.“When you look at all of these issues, like health, malnutrition, nutrition, disease, everything, poverty, everything can be broken, even violence can be broken with education,” she said. “To me, global issues are more important than some of the silly things we worry about here in the United States.”She also urged audience members to find a way to make a difference. She said college is the time to get involved overseas and in the local community.“I hope by telling you these stories it will inspire at least one of you to act,” she said. “You have the chance to change people’s lives. Every small act will be an investment worth your while. If there is anything these people I have met have taught me, life is a precious gift.”
(03/24/11 4:00am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The Graduate Record Examination, required by most institutions for admission to graduate school programs, will undergo significant changes beginning Aug. 1.Currently, the GRE consists of a general test and a series of subject tests. Only the general test will be affected by the changes.“The test will be much more user-friendly,” said James Wimbush, dean of the University Graduate School and incoming chair of the GRE Board of Directors. “The test will measure the qualities much better for graduate school.”Wimbush said Educational Testing Service, the company that administers the GRE, looked at years of testing data and spoke with graduate programs about the skills they think are most essential for graduate students before making changes to the test.“Graduate programs are very keen on students’ analytical abilities and their ability to comprehend,” Wimbush said.TEST FORMATThe new GRE will allow students to go backward and forward within the test sections. Students will also be allowed a calculator on the quantitative portion of the exam.The verbal and quantitative portions of the exam will now be scored on a scale from 130 to 170 in one point increments. The analytical writing section will still be scored from zero to six.Some of the section lengths will change. The new GRE will include two 30-minute analytical writing tasks, two 30-minute verbal reasoning sections and two 35-minute quantitative reasoning sections.QUESTION TYPESAmong other things, the GRE will no longer include antonym or analogy questions in the verbal reasoning section. However, it will include more reading comprehension questions, new text completion questions and sentence equivalence questions that require interpreting the context of a whole sentence.The quantitative reasoning section will have some questions with multiple correct answers, all of which must be identified, as well as numeric entry questions.TAKING THE TEST IN THE FALLThe new version of the GRE will be administered beginning Aug. 1. Students can register for the new test now.Because scores for August and September administrations of the GRE will not be available until November, Wimbush said students planning on attending graduate programs beginning in the fall should not take the new test in August, and those looking at spring programs should contact their schools.Students who take the test in August and September will receive a 50 percent discount as well.
(03/24/11 1:43am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>John Hamilton, candidate in the Democratic mayoral primary election, said he plans to implement a city-wide program for sharing energy efficiency information on residential and commercial buildings.“This derives from a recognition that climate change is a very important challenge to the city and that we must take steps to ensure energy efficiency,” Hamilton said.In 2012, Hamilton said he plans to add to water bills an indication of whether consumption is above or below average. He said he would work with Vectren and Duke Energy to have similar information added to electric and gas bills.Hamilton said he also plans to create GreenScore, which would require building owners to provide information about total annual consumption of gas, water and electricity. This information would be published each year by the city, beginning in 2013 with apartment complexes and expanding in 2014 to include commercial buildings.All of these proposals would be subject to approval from city council, should Hamilton be elected mayor of Bloomington.“Information is power, and this program today is about how to get more information to the public,” Hamilton said.He said he hopes publishing this information will encourage landlords and business owners to be more efficient.Mayor Mark Kruzan, Hamilton’s opponent in the May primary, said the city is already working on adding a usage notation to water bills.But he said he supports Hamilton’s proposal to work with Vectren and Duke.“The bigger question is whether private citizens should be mandated to turn over their energy bills to government,” Kruzan said. “I support energy conservation. The question is I would want to know how private citizens feel about that before passing a law requiring them to report personal information to the general public.”Hamilton said he hopes making energy information public will influence consumers to rent more efficient apartments and spend money at more efficient businesses.“If you’re the least efficient building in Bloomington, you don’t want to be there next year, and if you’re at the top of the list, you’re probably pretty proud of yourself,” Hamilton said.
(03/24/11 1:40am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Bloomington Mayor Mark Kruzan will be honored as an outstanding public servant by the Monroe County Humane Association at its Barkway benefit auction and dinner at 6:30 p.m. Friday at the Bloomington Convention Center.“Mayor Kruzan has been a long-time animal activist. He’s always been actively involved with the humane association for as long as I can remember,” CEO of MCHA Sarah Hayes said.Hayes said Kruzan is the reason animal abuse is a class D felony in Indiana. Because of a bill he sponsored when he was a member of the State House of Representatives, the felony classification was made possible, she said.“Animal welfare was one of my leading issues to work on when I served in the state legislature, and I authored some cruelty to animal prevention statutes and other animal welfare laws,” Kruzan said.Kruzan will be recognized alongside other local individuals and organizations for their support of MCHA and their dedication to animal rights in Monroe County.“It’s important to recognize those people who have gone above and beyond the call of duty,” Hayes said. “It helps also tell the story of animal rights activists.”Kruzan has promoted pet adoption in addition to the animal abuse prevention bills he passed through the Indiana General Assembly.“He truly believes in the cause, and that’s hard to come by,” Hayes said.
(03/21/11 1:49am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>In 2007, Forbes Magazine ranked Indiana 49th on its list of “America’s greenest states.” West Virginia was the only state ranked lower than the Hoosier State.According the Forbes article, Indiana, along with Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama and West Virginia “all suffer from a mix of toxic waste, lots of pollution and consumption and no clear plans to do anything about it. Expect them to remain that way.” But state officials now say that perception of Indiana is inaccurate.Keith Baugues, assistant commissioner of the office of air quality at the Indiana Department of Environmental Management, and Amy Hartsock, public information officer at IDEM, said the Forbes ranking considered statistics other than the numbers used by state agencies and Environmental Protection Agency evaluations.“What we want to point out is that aesthetics have nothing to do with what a state is doing to protect the environment,” Hartsock said.Baugues said IDEM uses EPA data to draw its own conclusions about how Indiana compares to other states. Based on this, Indiana is better than the national standards in almost all areas.Baugues and Hartsock said in recent years IDEM has been cracking down on air and water pollution permits for companies. These permits come with a set of strict requirements.They also said the state has been working to stop the use of combined sewers, which feed waste water and rain water to the same output without sanitizing the waste water first.While the state agencies in Indianapolis focus on meeting EPA regulations, the City of Bloomington’s focus has been promoting sustainability, Bloomington Sustainability Coordinator Jacqui Bauer said.Bauer said Bloomington is one of the few cities in Indiana to have a green building ordinance, which sets environmental standards for city-owned buildings.“We’re trying to get a handle on where our greatest usage of energy is and where we can improve,” she said.Bauer also said Bloomington is in a position to be an environmental leader because the community cares about sustainability initiatives.“There’s just a huge level of interest in this community in sustainability,” she said. “People really understand the appeal of local food.”Bloomington is starting to consolidate housing in the downtown area near local businesses that promote sustainable business, as well, Bauer said.She said the state will begin to be seen as an environmental leader when cities start to put more focus on sustainability.“Cities are in a really great position to be models of what sustainability can look like,” she said. “I think a lot of cities are getting it.”
(03/11/11 12:06am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Before Herman B Wells took charge of IU, the University was just a small Midwestern college with 11,000 students. By the time he passed away in 2000, it had become a world-renowned institution with more than 90,000 students on eight campuses.“He put Indiana University on the map. Not just in the Big Ten, but nationally and internationally,” said James Capshew, associate professor of history and philosophy of science and the author of a biography about Wells. Wells served as the 11th president of IU from 1938 to 1962 and as chancellor from 1962 until he passed away in 2000.He came here as a student in 1921 and fell in love with the campus, Capshew said.“When he became president,” Capshew said, “he was determined to offer students a similar experience to what he had.”Wells is known for making some of the most substantial changes to the University that helped make it what it is today.“He created, I think, a very extraordinary culture in Bloomington,” said Chancellor Ken Gros Louis, a man who knew Wells well. “The most recently hired custodian was as important to him as the most distinguished professor.”There are many stories about Wells’ successful desegregation efforts in Bloomington and on campus, and they were all done in a similar nontraditional fashion.“He didn’t rustle feathers,” Capshew said. “He found a way to remove barriers.”During the early part of his presidency, The Gables, a restaurant that used to be on Indiana Avenue, did not serve black students. Wells called the owner of the restaurant and asked him to serve blacks. The owner refused.“Wells said, ‘I understand, but I hope you will understand if I make The Gables off-limits to all students,’” Gros Louis said. “The owner started serving black students.”Wells was also the driving force behind IU recruiting the ?? rst black basketballplayer in the Big Ten. He stood up against powerful figures, such as the governor in defense of Alfred Kinsey, whose controversial research into human sexuality drew criticism from bignameleaders locally and internationally. As president and chancellor, Wells kept in mind the future growth of the University and realized that because the institution would far outlive him, he ought to provide for its future.The board of trustees criticized Wells when he bought the land upon which Assembly Hall now rests, Gros Louis said.“That’s the kind of vision he had,” Gros Louis said, and it’s why IU’s campus is so centralized.The first building Wells built as president was the IU Auditorium.“He said he built it because he wanted to tell students, especially students from rural Indiana, that the world was available to them,” Gros Louis said.That same spirit of global education was what led Wells to find instructors who could come from other countries and teach at IU.“Indiana University built the strongest foreign language program of any university in the nation,” Capshew said. “That really got started with Wells after World War II.”But beyond providing for its future, Wells genuinely cared about the University’s students, Capshew said.Wells developed a reputation for remembering people’s names, even if they had only met once, and he frequently took strolls around campus to meet students.In his old age, when he was not able to do that anymore, his assistants helped him.“He really led through that empathy, that fellow feeling that he had for students and faculty,” Capshew said.Today, Wells is still remembered on campus. The main library is named in his honor, and a bronze statue of him sits on a bench in the Old Crescent, looking on Dunn Woods, an area he banned the University from developing.“He’s the one that made what I think is a very special culture,” Gros Louis said.“The time will come when nobody living will remember him, but he’ll still be remembered because of what he did for this University.”
(03/10/11 5:33am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Bloomington was recently named the fourth rudest city in the English-speaking world by Foursquare, a location-based social networking platform.Foursquare looked at tips — messages left electronically at locations by its users — to determine which cities used more curse words than others. Cities with fewer than 1,000 total tips were excluded.The result was a list of 20 English-speaking cities, 18 of them American, with the highest percentage of swear-ridden updates.Mike McAfee, executive director of the Bloomington/Monroe County Convention & Visitors Bureau, said the high ranking is probably due to the fact that Bloomington is a college town.“All it means is we are a young, hip community,” McAfee said. “When people check in at Nick’s or Kilroy’s, maybe they put a swear in there.”IU sophomore and biochemistry student Will Tilbury said he also thought the ranking was closely related to IU.“I would say all college towns get a great diversity of individuals, so for Bloomington to be the fourth rudest, they probably didn’t survey a lot of other college towns,” he said.The three cities that outrank Bloomington are Manchester, England; El Paso, Texas; and Pittsburgh. Riverside, Calif., was ranked fifth.McAfee said the Bloomington/Monroe County Convention and Visitors Bureau is not worried about the ranking having an effect on people visiting the city.“Honestly, it’s a clever way for Foursquare to create publicity about Foursquare. It doesn’t concern me at all,” he said. “All the comments we get are how friendly Bloomington is and how friendly Indiana is.”
(03/09/11 2:09am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Democratic mayoral candidate John Hamilton pledged at a press event March 1 that, if elected, Bloomington will have a permanent homeless shelter by 2012.Hamilton said his comments about the city’s lack of facilities to serve the homeless have been misconstrued. He said some have come to believe he means that he wants the city to own and operate a homeless shelter.“That’s not the key point,” he said. “The key point is that for seven years in this community, we’ve had no shelter for a homeless family with kids. That’s just not acceptable.”Hamilton said Bloomington needs a permanent shelter for winter months. Currently, many homeless people stay at the Interfaith Emergency Winter Shelter, a volunteer-based, nights-only shelter at rotating locations in the city.“I think it should be a public-private partnership to do something that’s needed,” Executive Administrator of IEWS Ken Rogers said.Bloomington Mayor Mark Kruzan, who is competing against Hamilton in the primary election, said the city has been working to provide support for charitable organizations. He said the focus should be on funding that can be applied to several organizations rather than specifics.“I’m really concerned that there are too many worthy causes in need of services,” Kruzan said. “I don’t know how you explain to Middle Way House or Big Brothers Big Sisters or the community kitchen why you’re not fully funding them.”Hamilton said specifics regarding public and private involvement would need to be worked out. But he said the city is not currently addressing the needs of some of its homeless population.“It’s not acceptable to me that a homeless family in Bloomington has no place to stay,” Hamilton said. “The city needs to sit down with the leadership in social sector services and figure out how to provide shelter in a sustainable way.”
(03/09/11 2:07am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Bloomington Mayor Mark Kruzan advocated controlling city growth in a campaign event at City Hall on Tuesday.“A better, not bigger, philosophy is in the city’s best interest,” he said. “I’ve always favored a slow but steady approach to the physical growth of the city.”Kruzan laid out plans to limit certain types of growth and promote others.John Hamilton, Kruzan’s opponent in the Democratic mayoral primary, said he is concerned that the mayor’s talk will not convert well into action.“We all agree, I think, that good urban planning and urban growth that is consistent with the quality of life of Bloomington is important,” Hamilton said. “The mayor has put out three major statements in the last four or five weeks with literally dozens of priorities, and I think the key is that speeches don’t make things happen and that you have to get results.”KRUZAN’S GROWTH PLAN:BE WILLING TO SAY “NO” TO DEVELOPERS: Kruzan said he has stood in the way of development he felt was not in line with the city’s priorities before and that he will continue to do so.MAINTAIN CONTROL OF GROWTH IN I-69 AREAS: “The state controls those corridors, but the city controls the zoning for areas surrounding those corridors,” Kruzan said. “The city has done a pretty good job preparing for that growth.”INCENTIVIZE GREEN BUILDING: Kruzan said Tuesday and at the State of the City Address on March 1 that he plans to amend the Unified Development Ordinance to promote green building practices and urban agriculture.PROMOTE AFFORDABLE HOUSING: Kruzan wants more affordable housing projects and senior housing in the downtown area. He said this type of housing, as well as student housing, should be close to public transportation, schools and other city services.LIMIT ANNEXATION: Kruzan said the city’s limits should not expand for the sake of expansion. “City government shouldn’t dilute services to existing city residents by adding more territory,” he said.
(03/09/11 1:26am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>College students from Japan competed against the IU debate club in a public debate Monday at the Whittenberger Auditorium.Yoshiki Shimamoto and Takahito Osako came to IU as part of a four-week debate tour of American universities, which includes schools in Indiana, Kansas and California, among other places.“One of our goals is to promote the ideal of argument as ways people should interact with each other,” said Brian DeLong, IU debate coach and lecturer in the School of Public and Environmental Affairs.He said this is important both on campus and globally, which is why IU was willing to play host to international debaters.Monday’s debate centered around the issue of implementing an emissions trading scheme — more commonly known as a cap-and-trade system — in Japan. Debaters were given one week to prepare their sides of the issue.Shimamoto and Osako debated the affirmative, that a cap-and-trade system would effectively solve Japanese environmental issues and provide for stable economic growth. DeLong and Adam Abelkop, a Ph.D. student in SPEA, represented the negative opinion and advocated for a carbon emissions tax instead.In the end, the audience, serving as judges for the debate, voted 13-7 in favor of the Japanese debaters’ argument.Shimamoto and Osako said they compete with each other in debates in Japan, but they were chosen for this tour through the Committee for International Discussion and Debate, which brings international debaters to the United States.“This (is) my first time to an international debate,” Shimamoto said. “Next, I’d like to debate with China.”Since arriving in Indiana, Osako said they also judged a debate and participated in other debates. Next, Osako and Shimamoto will go to the University of Kansas.“Japanese debate is not so much popular as in the U.S.,” Osako said. “We want to get experience from the U.S. and introduce U.S. knowledge into Japanese debate.”
(03/04/11 6:06am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>In 2005, when he was sentenced, Bryan Gooldy, then 46 years old, had no chance of being released from prison prior to 2024 and could have been there until 2044.But because of a petition filed in August by the Indiana State Public Defender’s Office, Gooldy could be released as early as November 2014.On Nov. 9, 2004, he collided with 24-year-old IU alumna Kate Comiskey’s car, killing her on her way to work at Indian Creek High School in Trafalgar, Ind. Comiskey was the daughter of IU journalism professor Nancy Comiskey.Gooldy’s blood tested positive for cocaine, heroin and benzodiazepine.When he was tried, he was treated as a repeat offender, which caused his 20-year sentence for the death to be extended to 40 years. This 40 years is equivalent to 20 “real years,” Nancy Comiskey said, because it is possible and common for prisoners to be released as early as half-way through their sentences.What the judge, prosecution and defense did not know was that in 2001 the Indiana General Assembly changed the laws regarding repeat offenders to exclude most repeat drug offenses, thus making him ineligible to receive that additional 20 years. This brings Gooldy’s total sentence to 20 years, which is 10 “real years,” allowing him to be released as early as 2014.“This is a man with 10 convictions, who because of the way the law is written, is not seen by the law as a habitual offender,” Comiskey said.The petition filed in August revealed that Gooldy was sentenced for 20 years based on a law he did not break, namely the repeat offender statute.“Had the prosecution here known that that law had been changed, there’s another statute here for habitual substance abuse offenders,” Comiskey said.If Gooldy had instead been prosecuted under the repeat substance abuse offenders statute, he could have faced eight more years, giving him a total of 28 years in prison.But now that’s not an option.The Monroe County Prosecutor’s Office had only two options after the petition was filed. It could remove the 20-year repeat offender sentence, or it could try the case again.“That was not the rational choice if there was an alternative,” said Bob Miller, chief deputy prosecutor for Monroe County.Comiskey said no one wanted to re-prosecute Gooldy because there was a chance he would be given a not guilty verdict.“We were afraid something could go wrong with the blood test or something,” she said.Comiskey said she and her family are unhappy with the petition and its effect, and that the prosecutor’s office handled the situation poorly.“We were not informed,” she said. “The victims rights statute requires that the prosecution inform the victim or the victim’s family about all proceedings and hearings.”But Comiskey said the prosecutor’s office conducted proceedings after the August petition before notifying the family on Feb. 7, two days prior to a court hearing.“He (Miller) claims he was trying to protect us from worry until he knew it was serious. I think that’s kind of ridiculous,” she said.Comiskey said that on Jan. 21, Gooldy was offered a reduced, 28-year sentence without the input of her family. She said Miller told her Gooldy turned down the offer.Miller said no such offer was made and that the way the prosecutor’s office handled the case was routine.“We weren’t negotiating with them,” Miller said. “This is really a straightforward scenario.”Miller said changing Gooldy’s sentence to 20 years was the simplest way of solving the problem.Comiskey said she just wants to make sure her daughter’s memory is honored through justice and that the rights of victims’ families are upheld and expanded.“I miss her,” she said. “We live with it every day. It’s not like when you lose a mother or father or even a brother or sister. It doesn’t get any better.”
(03/04/11 2:30am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Democratic mayoral candidate John Gusan said he is suspending and will consider terminating his candidacy.He said this decision came after he found out his close friend John Muckerman, who lives in Eugene, Ore., underwent emergency surgery.“John and Gayle and their three kids are my adopted family in Oregon,” Gusan said.Gayle informed him that the surgery was successful, Gusan said, but he is still considering terminating his candidacy.“Bloomington is fortunate to have a mayor who has done a great job in the past eight years and to have a candidate of John Hamilton’s background on the Democratic ticket,” he said. “What nominal support I have, I would suggest you to look into both candidates and make your own choice.”Gusan will still participate in upcoming campaign events and does not know when he will make a final decision on whether or not he will remain in the race.Gusan is a retired Residential Programs and Services employee. If he decides not to terminate his candidacy, he will face Mayor Mark Kruzan and John Hamilton in the May 3 Democratic primary election.“I just wanted to open up the dialogue, especially on some policing activities,” he said.
(03/03/11 2:50am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Gov. Mitch Daniels has declared March Agriculture Appreciation Month in Indiana.Indiana Family of Farmers, a coalition of agricultural organizations representing everything from soybean to beef producers, has partnered with the Indiana State Department of Agriculture to put on events aimed at informing lawmakers and the general public about the needs of farmers.Statehouse ReceptionWHEN 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. March 7WHERE Indiana Statehouse North AtriumIFOF and ISDA representatives will speak to legislators about farmers’ needs, and the winners of an essay contest will be announced. The essay contest received 225 written and 52 video entries.IN THEIR WORDS “It will give us an opportunity to let us talk to legislators about agricultural commodities,” said Jeannie Keating, manager of media relations for ISDA.Agriculture Month DisplaysWHEN March 14 to 16WHERE Indiana Statehouse South AtriumOrganizations affiliated with IFOF will have informative displays set up for people visiting the Statehouse. There will also be a display for the winners of the 2010 photo contest.IN HER WORDS “It’s an opportunity for people to see this initiative and allows people to see how food connects to our lives and our culture,” Keating said.Media Cow Milking ContestWHEN 11:30 a.m. March 21WHERE Government Center South LawnRepresentatives of Indianapolis media will compete in a cow milking contest to create awareness for agricultural issues.“This is just a chance to have some fun and end the month on a high note but also to look ahead at the next big agricultural event, which is the Indiana State Fair,” Keating said.
(03/03/11 2:44am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Bloomington Mayor Mark Kruzan spoke about the city’s plans to improve the economy, public safety, quality of life and sustainability during his State of the City address Wednesday at City Hall.While he described several initiatives for improvement in these areas, he said expanding the downtown area is the most urgent focus his office and the city council will be pursuing.The city has reached a preliminary deal with IU to buy land north of City Hall and Showers Plaza to integrate into a technology park. City officials will sell the land to businesses that Kruzan said will improve the city.The other piece of the downtown improvement plan is park creation on the B-Line Trail.“This adds to community commerce and character, quality of life and also the economy,” Kruzan said.Kruzan and city officials outlined plans for deals to convince IU Health Bloomington Hospital to remain within city limits and to expand Bloomington Entertainment and Arts District facilities.“The city administration has met privately with hospital leadership to demonstrate our willingness to consider even unconventional ideas to retain Bloomington Hospital in its current location,” said Planning Director Tom Micuda.Democrat John Hamilton, Kruzan’s opponent in the mayoral primary, said Kruzan failed to address violent crime, homelessness and education.“These challenges and opportunities require energetic, innovative leadership and the ability to follow through with effective action,” Hamilton said.
(02/23/11 5:02am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Two bills currently working their way through the Indiana General Assembly could significantly change the structure of local governments in the state.House Bill 1376, authored by State Rep. Phillip Hinkle, R-Indianapolis, would eliminate township government in Marion County. House Bill 1469, authored by State Rep. Jerry Torr, R-Carmel, would eliminate township boards responsible for budget approval in the state’s remaining 91 counties. This power would be transferred to county officials, but the township would still exist.“We’re hoping to create some efficiencies in the delivery of services,” Hinkle said.In Indiana, townships are responsible for administering a variety of services. All townships provide emergency financial assistance to families and individuals.Bloomington Township also has a food pantry, a family shelter and provides building space rent-free to the Monroe County Community Kitchen.Township governments currently include a township trustee, township assessor and a township board responsible for fiscal matters.“The boards play a very important role in township government,” said Linda Sievers, a Democrat and Bloomington Township trustee. “They are the first line of oversight.”Hinkle said by disbanding the township boards, he hopes to create more consistency in township services and funding within counties. Centralizing the fiscal power in the hands of the county council would create a central office making decisions, he said.The bills also provide provisions for voters in each county to decide if they want to abolish township governments altogether and transfer those powers to the county government.But Hinkle said some parts of HB 1376 and HB 1469 may be changed during debate.“There has to be a great deal of compromise,” he said.Debbie Driskell, executive director of the Indiana Township Association, said her concern is that county government is not as local as the townships.“They’ll lose representation that’s local for their tax dollars and how they’re spent,” Driskell said.Sievers said it is important to retain the boards as a check against the township trustee. She said the county council would not be as accessible to her and would be less able to serve the needs of the township.“They have control over the money. If you eliminate them and I go to the county council, how much oversight can the county council give me?” she said. “I think the service the board members provide is very important. They are a check and balance for the trustee and the money.”
(02/22/11 4:01am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Illinois businesses are in the sights of the state of Indiana and the Northwest Indiana Forum, which partnered to launch two new advertising campaigns Feb. 14.The advertising campaign run by the Indiana Economic Development Corporation features the slogan “Illinoyed by Higher Taxes?” and the Northwest Indiana Forum’s campaign features “Feeling Squeezed by Taxes?” Both campaigns include print and billboard advertisements as well as online content geared toward Illinois businesses.“It’s a recruitment campaign for Illinois businesses,” said Blair West, director of media relations for the IEDC. “Our mission here is to attract businesses to Indiana.”West said these specific campaigns began in February because Illinois recently passed tax increases that will affect businesses.“The time is right to act,” West said.Karen Lauerman, director of marketing and communication for the Northwest Indiana Forum, said the forum hopes to attract businesses with the unique opportunities she said exist in Indiana.“The state of Indiana is in a much better fiscal state than Illinois,” Lauerman said. “We have cities willing to use economic development tools available to them to help businesses.”The state and northwest Indiana region may also stand to gain from businesses moving or expanding their operations across the border.“One word: jobs,” Lauerman said. “Putting good people, industrious people, to work.”She said the potential job increase from businesses moving into the state would provide more Hoosiers with disposable income, which can in turn enhance the Indiana economy.Thus far, both West and Lauerman said the campaigns have been successful. The IEDC and the Northwest Indiana Forum have both seen an increase in information requests since the campaigns launched.But by no means are the “Illinoyed” and “Squeezed” campaigns unique.“This is a normal thing that states do,” Lauerman said.She said the Northwest Indiana Forum works closely with its counterparts in Illinois and that this kind of interstate competition is common. “They’re our friends, and healthy competition is always good,” Lauerman said. “They’re going to put their best foot forward to compete as best they can.”