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(04/09/07 4:00am)
Bloomington Police are investigating a sexual battery case that occurred Sunday morning at a strip club.\nA waitress at Night Moves, 1730 S. Walnut St., told officers that while she was working, a man asked her if she remembered him, said Detective Sgt. Jeff Canada,. The woman told the man she did remember him because he used to be friends with her brother.\nLater that night the man asked the waitress where the restrooms were, Canada said, reading from a police report. When the waitress showed him, he shoved her into the men’s bathroom. The woman began to scream, and the man put his hand over her mouth. He took his other hand and grabbed one of her breasts and then put his hand down the front of her pants, Canada said.\nThe man left the restroom when someone else came in. One of the doormen later saw that the woman had a problem with the subject and then escorted the subject out of the club, Canada said.\nThe event occurred around closing time. The woman reported the incident to police later that evening, Canada said. The woman said she knows the name of the subject. Officers are working to locate that individual, Canada said.
(04/05/07 4:00am)
A Bloomington man was arrested Tuesday after threatening to cut off a woman’s tongue.\nBloomington police were dispatched to the 600 block of South Ridgecrest Court. about 4:30 p.m. in response to a call from a female complainant, Bloomington Police Department Detective Sgt. Jeff Canada said, reading from a police report.\nThe woman told officers she got into an argument with her boyfriend, 45-year-old Otis Kevin Pye. Pye had told the woman he was upset because she was “backtalking” him, then threatened to cut her tongue out, Canada said. While the woman was in the kitchen, Pye grabbed her by the mouth and picked up a knife, as if he was going to cut her tongue out, Canada said. \nAfter a brief struggle, Pye dropped the knife and began punching the victim in the stomach. The victim eventually picked up the knife and held Pye at bay long enough to escape to a neighbor’s home and call police.\nCanada said that when officers talked to Pye, he changed his story several times. Pye was arrested for intimidation with a deadly weapon, a Class C felony, and domestic battery, a Class A misdemeanor.
(04/04/07 4:00am)
David Baker began teaching at IU in 1966 when Wilfred Bain, then the dean of the Jacobs School of Music, was starting a jazz studies program.\n“I was not the first one offered the job,” Baker said, “but I was the first to accept.”\nTwo years after he was hired, IU began offering a jazz degree, Baker said. The teaching of jazz in schools was in its infancy at the time, and not much information was available about how to teach and play it, he said. In the early years, he said, people were pessimistic about the teaching programs because of the improvisational nature of jazz. \n“Anybody who wants to learn to improvise can be taught,” Baker said.\nBaker, the chair of the Jazz Studies Department and a distinguished professor of music, said he has probably taught 700 or more students. His students include jazz trumpet player Freddie Hubbard, 13-time Grammy Award winner Michael Brecker and Randy Brecker, who has performed and recorded with Bruce Springsteen, Frank Zappa and Blood, Sweat & Tears. Baker said teaching jazz allows him to teach things that took him 20 years to learn to someone else in one year.\nOne of the things Baker has learned in his lifetime is how to adapt to circumstances that were out of his control. When Baker was playing the trombone and touring with people such as American jazz composer and theorist George Russell and 70-time Grammy Award nominee Quincy Jones, he knew his time playing that instrument was coming to an end.\nIn 1953, Baker was in a serious car accident that caused damage to his face. Baker said the muscles on one side of his jaw after the accident became constantly weaker, while the muscles on the other side became stronger.\n“All I was concerned about was what the ramifications were as far as my career,” Baker said. “I felt helpless.”\nBaker was able to continue his career as a trombone player until 1962. He was able to play again briefly in 1971, but his injury sprang up and he knew his career was over.\n“It’s usually fruitless to look back because we can’t change anything that has already happened,” Baker said.\nBaker said one of his first inclinations was to ask “Why me?” But he later found irony in his question.\n“In ’62 I won the Down Beat magazine new star award for trombone, which was the same year I had to quit,” Baker said. “We don’t say ‘Why me?’ when good things happen.”\nWhile Baker was playing the trombone, he knew he would ultimately have to quit, so he decided to learn to play a new instrument. Baker was doing private teaching in his hometown of Indianapolis when he began teaching himself cello. But he says it’s tough to master an instrument if you learn to play it later in life. “(But) if you’re going to be a serious string player, you need to start before you’re 10 years old,” Baker said. “I was long past that.”\nSince then Baker has been nominated for a Grammy Award, commissioned by more than 500 individuals and ensembles as a composer, and received numerous awards. His latest award is the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts’ “Living Jazz Legend Award” for lifetime achievement, which he received last month in Washington, D.C.\nBaker said his best advice for undergraduate students is to do a lot of looking around before they settle on something. \n“The time to explore is before your life has settled into a more sedentary and predictable situation,” Baker said.
(04/03/07 4:00am)
A Bloomington man was arrested after battering a woman and pouring a two-liter of soda on her and her 2-year-old daughter Sunday, according to police. Bloomington police officers were dispatched to the 1100 block of Pine Meadows Drive at 5:51 a.m., said BPD Detective Sgt. Jeff Canada reading from the police report. When officers arrived, the woman was visibly upset and had scratches on her upper chest and arms. The victim told officers she heard a noise while she was upstairs, and when she went to see what it was she found Ronnie S. Davis, 24, downstairs, who is the father of the woman’s two children. Officers determined Davis entered through an unlocked window in the rear of the apartment, Canada said. \nThe woman told officers Davis chased her upstairs and attacked her. During the scuffle the two entered a bedroom where Davis knocked over a television and a DVD player. The woman was then able to run downstairs and tried to call police on her cell phone. Davis grabbed the phone and broke it. The victim then tried to call police using the house phone, but Davis threw that phone against the wall, breaking it, Canada said. \nThe woman’s daughter, 2, was sleeping on the couch until she was awakened by the commotion. The woman then picked up her daughter and Davis poured a two-liter bottle of soda on the two of them, Canada said. The woman then put the child down and ran out to a neighbor’s house to get a phone. Davis broke the phone and began hitting the woman, knocked her down and kicked her. He left the scene before officers arrived, Canada said. \nLater that day BPD Officer Brian Werner received at tip that Davis was in the area of the Village Pantry at 275 E. Winslow Rd. Davis was located in his vehicle and was arrested for residential entry, domestic battery, criminal mischief and interfering with reporting a crime, Canada said.
(04/03/07 4:00am)
Hundreds of students gathered outside the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity house to hear the music of rap artist Young Buck one April night in 2005. While the crowd was listening to the concert’s opening acts, members of the fraternity were scrambling to meet one final demand from the headliner.\n“Young Buck wanted a specific type of orange juice that we didn’t know about until five minutes before he went on,” said senior and Alpha Tau Omega’s Director of Special Events A.J. Rich. “His manager threatened he wouldn’t go on without it.”\nMembers of the fraternity saved the concert when they found the orange juice Young Buck wanted at a gas station near their house.\nStories of near disasters like this have not stopped Alpha Tau Omega and other fraternities from continuing to bring nationally known artists to campus during the weeklong celebration of Little 500.\n“It’s probably the most memorable week students have while at IU,” said sophomore and Alpha Tau Omega President Doug Rosenstein.\nAlpha Tau Omega has paired with Acacia to bring the band Yellowcard to IU the night of April 20 for this year’s Little 500. Rosenstein said he hopes this year’s concert goes well so that next year his fraternity can get an even bigger band, which could be a difficult task.\n“A lot of bands doubt a frat can put on a successful event,” Rosenstein said. “You have to show the band and their managers that your fraternity can.”\nBefore any tickets are sold, fraternities begin shelling out cash to bring the artists to Bloomington. Junior and Delta Upsilon Vice President of External Relations Chris Toomey said his house has already made several down payments to get rap artist Jibbs to perform at their Little 500 concert.\n“First, they wanted $1,000 up front to make sure we were serious about getting him,” Toomey said. “Then they asked for half of what he costs.”\nThe rest of the money will be paid the night of the concert, which is at 7 p.m. April 16.\nMoney from ticket sales will help make back a lot of the money Delta Upsilon has spent on the concert and help with philanthropy efforts as well.\n“The house is not receiving anything,” Toomey said. “A portion of proceeds will go to the Boys and Girls Club.”\nToomey predicts a crowd of 1,500 to 2,000 people will gather in the front yard of his fraternity house for the concert. To host an event this large, Delta Upsilon had to obtain special permits from the University and Bloomington, Toomey said. The fraternity must also provide a certain number of portable toilets based on the number of people they are expecting.\nSafety is another issue fraternities must address when planning an event with a large amount of people.\n“Security is going to have to be tight,” sophomore and Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity member Jonathan Wolf said of his fraternity’s Three 6 Mafia concert. “The band requires it.”\nAlpha Epsilon Pi has not yet contracted with a security company for this year’s concert, but they did employ Graham’s Security and Patrol and several off-duty cops for last year’s Bubba Sparxxx concert.\nThe Bubba Sparxxx concert was a learning experience for Wolf, who helped plan the event as a freshman. Wolf said security members had to hold back the crowd when Bubba Sparxxx was hanging out before and after the concert.\n“There’s so many people in a small area and everybody wants to see this one person,” Wolf said. “That’s why it’s so important to have good security.”\nThree 6 Mafia has no obligation to hang out before or after the concert, but Wolf said he would like them to.\n“There are rumors that they’re hanging out at the after party,” Wolf said.\nWolf said his biggest concern right now is not the after party, but the performance itself, which is “going to be a quality show.”\n“In my opinion we have some of the hottest rappers in the game right now,” Wolf said. “They’re really on the rise in their career.”\nThree 6 Mafia has a new CD coming out next month, and the first episode of their new MTV show called “Adventures in Hollyhood” will premiere April 5. The third episode of the season will air April 19, the night of their concert at Alpha Epsilon Pi.\n“We’ll get to watch them on TV and then see them perform in our backyard,” Wolf said. “It doesn’t get any better than that.”
(04/02/07 4:00am)
A man was arrested Friday after waving a hand gun at a traffic light. Jeffrey Boyd, 57, was arrested for felony intimidation with a deadly weapon, said Bloomington Police Department Sgt. Faron Lake, reading from a police report.\nBoyd was driving a black 1989 Ford Bronco when a white Geo Prism pulled in front of him, Lake said. The driver of the Prism said Boyd began tailgating and shining his brights. The driver of the Prism slowed to 20 miles per hour in a 30-mile-per-hour zone and tapped on his brakes. Lake said he then pulled over and Boyd pulled over behind him continuing to shine his brights.\nThe driver of the Prism got out and Boyd told him to get back in the car, Lake said. A verbal argument ensued and the male passenger of the Prism got out of the car and told both of the men to stop arguing because he had two children in the car.\nAfter the verbal argument, the men got back into their vehicles and continued driving. At Fifth Street and College Avenue, the driver of the Prism sat through one cycle of a traffic light. When Boyd did not pass him, he turned right. Boyd pulled up to he driver’s side of the Prism at another stop light and the two drivers exchanged words. Boyd began waving a handgun in the air, Lake said. The driver of the Prism told police Boyd said, “I can take care of you and hurt you and your kids.”\nThe passenger in the Prism told his two children to get down. The driver of the Prism then made a right turn onto Fourth Street and immediately called 911. Boyd then voluntarily went to the Bloomington Police Department to explain his side of the story.\nBoyd was then arrested for felony intimidation with a deadly weapon and two guns were seized from his vehicle. He had a permit for both guns, Lake said.
(03/30/07 4:00am)
A man was arrested Friday after waving a hand gun at a traffic light. Jeffrey Boyd, 57, was arrested for felony intimidation with a deadly weapon, Sgt. Faron Lake said, reading from a police report.\nBoyd was driving a black 1989 Ford Bronco when a white Geo Prism pulled in front of him, Lake said. The driver of the Prism said Boyd began tailgating and shining his brights. The driver of the Prism slowed to 20 miles per hour in a 30-mile-per-hour zone and tapped on his brakes. Lake said he then pulled over and Boyd pulled over behind him continuing to shine his brights.\nThe driver of the Prism got out and Boyd told him to get back in the car, Lake said. A verbal argument ensued and the male passenger of the Prism got out of the car and told both of the men to stop arguing because he had two children in the car.\nAfter the verbal argument, the men got back into their vehicles and continued driving. At Fifth and College Avenue the driver of the Prism sat through one cycle of a traffic light. When Boyd did not pass him, he turned right. Boyd pulled up to he driver’s side of the Prism at another stop light and the two drivers exchanged words. Boyd began waving a handgun in the air, Lake said. The driver of the Prism told police Boyd said, “I can take care of you and hurt you and your kids.”\nThe passenger in the Prism told his two children to get down. The driver of the Prism then made a right turn onto Fourth Street and immediately called 911. Boyd then voluntarily went to the Bloomington Police Department to explain his side of the story.\nBoyd was then arrested for felony intimidation with a deadly weapon and two guns were seized from his vehicle. He had a permit for both guns, Lake said.
(03/28/07 4:00am)
The City of Bloomington Parks and Recreation Department knows that children aren’t the only ones who enjoy Easter egg hunts. That’s why they have held a 21 and older Egg Scramble at Bryan Park for the past nine years.\nCommunity Events Manager for the City of Bloomington Parks and Recreation Department Becky Barrick said the event is very comical to watch. \n“These people are serious,” Barrick said. “They want those eggs.” \nAbout 3,000 eggs have been filled with candy and gift certificates from local businesses for the event which will take place 9 p.m. Friday. There are also some “Golden Egg Prizes” which include private, party and group dance lessons from Arthur Murray Dance Studio, an overnight stay and two rounds of golf at French Lick Resort and Casino and an overnight stay at Scholar’s Inn Bed and Breakfast with gift certificates for Butler Winery and Oliver Winery, according to a press release. Those wanting to participate must sign up by 5 p.m. Thursday.\nBarrick said the event began because there was a large number of Easter egg hunts for children, but nothing for adults. \n“Rather than repeat another children’s egg hunt, we decided to develop one for adults,” Barrick said. \nThe event is held at night to make the eggs harder to find, she said. This year all the eggs are either black, blue or purple to increase the level of difficulty. \nRegistration is limited to 350 people, and the event always sells out, Barrick said. Participants should get there early and get in line because the event only lasts a few minutes. After check-in, which begins at 8 p.m. at the Woodlawn Shelter, participants find their places along the starting line. There will be a count down and then a rope will be dropped before participants begin scrambling for eggs. \n“When the gun goes off it’s everyone for themselves,” said Randy Hannum, manager for Maxi Duplicating Center which does digital printing for the University.\nHannum said he and two friends have attended the event every year and recommends it to everyone. \n“It’s just the thrill of finding something not knowing exactly what you’re going to have,” Hannum said.\nThe event doesn’t last more than a few minutes, but the Department of Parks and Recreation has been working for months to make it happen.\n“It’s very labor intensive,” Barrick said. “We’ve been working since December to contact sponsors.”\nThe registration fee of $6 offsets the cost of putting on the event, Barrick said. Participants can register either online at www.bloomington.in.gov/parks or in person at the City of Bloomington Parks and Recreation office in Suite 250 of City Hall. \nBarrick encourages students to participate.\n“It’s a good Friday night event,” Barrick said. “And it’s over before students are even ready to go out for the night.”
(03/27/07 4:00am)
An IU student was arrested for strangling his girlfriend Sunday. Bloomington police officers were dispatched to the 2300 block of East Second Street, where they spoke with the female victim, 21, Sgt. Jeff Canada said, reading from a police report.\nThe victim told officers that her boyfriend, Neil Bhattacharya, 21, grabbed her by the neck and choked her during an argument and would not let her leave the apartment. Bhattacharya then pinned her down on a bed and cut off some of her hair with a pair of scissors, Canada said.\nPolice later located Bhattacharya and arrested him on charges of battery, strangulation and confinement. He was booked into the Monroe County Jail and was still there as of press time.
(03/27/07 4:00am)
An IU student was pepper-sprayed by Bloomington police after resisting arrest Sunday. Police were dispatched to the 400 block of East Third Street in response to a 911 call about 12:15 a.m., said Sgt. Jeff Canada, who read from a police report.\nCanada said the caller was playing games on his computer when he heard someone open the front door. He went downstairs and discovered that a male subject, whom he did not know, had entered his residence, Canada said. The male subject was later identified as Anthony Gabriel, 21, according to the police report.\nThe person who called 911 told Gabriel to get out, and Gabriel responded by saying, “No, you get out,” Canada said. Gabriel began fighting with the caller until police arrived and separated the two. Gabriel continued to fight with officers, who used pepper spray to subdue him, Canada said.\nGabriel was arrested and booked into Monroe County Jail for residential entry, battery and resisting law enforcement. He was released later that day at 1:30 p.m. on a bond of $4,000 surety and $500 cash, said Monroe County Correctional Officer Joseph Pardue.
(03/26/07 4:00am)
An IU student was arrested for strangling his girlfriend Sunday. Bloomington police officers were dispatched to the 2300 block of East Second Street, where they spoke with the female victim, 21, Sgt. Jeff Canada said, reading from a police report.\nThe victim told officers that her boyfriend, Neil Bhattacharya, 21, grabbed her by the neck and choked her during an argument and would not let her leave the apartment. Bhattacharya then pinned her down on a bed and cut off some of her hair with a pair of scissors, Canada said.\nPolice later located Bhattacharya and arrested him on charges of battery, strangulation and confinement. He was booked into the Monroe County Jail and was still there as of press time.
(03/26/07 4:00am)
An IU student was pepper-sprayed by Bloomington police after resisting arrest Sunday. Police were dispatched to the 400 block of East Third Street in response to a 911 call about 12:15 a.m., said Sgt. Jeff Canada, who read from a police report.\nCanada said the caller was playing games on his computer when he heard someone open the front door. He went downstairs and discovered that a male subject, whom he did not know, had entered his residence, Canada said. The male subject was later identified as Anthony Gabriel, 21, according to the police report.\nThe person who called 911 told Gabriel to get out, and Gabriel responded by saying, “No, you get out,” Canada said. Gabriel began fighting with the caller until police arrived and separated the two. Gabriel continued to fight with officers, who used pepper spray to subdue him, Canada said.\nGabriel was arrested and booked into Monroe County Jail for residential entry, battery and resisting law enforcement. He was released later that day at 1:30 p.m. on a bond of $4,000 surety and $500 cash, said Monroe County Correctional Officer Joseph Pardue.
(03/22/07 4:00am)
While some Bloomington residents flocked to beaches last week, 7-year-old Jeffrey Witney left his coastal California home and got to learn about canines with careers. Saturday afternoon, he sat with a group of parents and kids watching a German shepherd named Journey herd ducks at the WonderLab Museum of Science, Health and Technology. \nThe exhibit, called “Dogs on the Move,” is part of Animal Athletes, a series of live animal shows that demonstrate animals’ physical abilities and need for active lives, said Staci Radford-Vincent, program manager for WonderLab. Shows to come include “Super Bugs” and “Silly Safaris: The ‘Wild’ World of Sports.”\n“People love live animal programs,” she said. “Kids don’t get a chance to see this sort of thing often.”\n“Dogs on the Move” drew a crowd of all ages, large enough to fill a room on the second floor of WonderLab. The crowd watched and interacted with the show, which demonstrated some of the different jobs dogs perform.\nSarah DeLone, education program director for the Monroe County Humane Association, used Journey to demonstrate the herding ability of dogs. Journey drove several ducks around the room, through a tunnel and back into their cage.\nThe crowd also watched a presentation by Erlene Schiting from the Indianapolis chapter of Greyhound Pets of America, an organization that finds homes for professional racing greyhounds that no longer qualify to compete at the racetrack.\nSchiting let children in the audience feel and compare the muscles of two greyhounds. One of the dogs, Libra, was “fresh off the track” and the other, “Leaning” Lena, has not raced for more than four years.\n“She’s known as ‘Leaning’ Lena because she’s very lazy,” Schiting said.\nJeffrey said his favorite part was watching Journey, but said he didn’t learn anything new because he already knows a lot about dogs.\n“I’m an expert on dogs,” Jeffrey said. “I want to be a vet when I grow up.”\nWonderLab continued teaching people about animal athletes Wednesday at its “Insect Olympics” exhibit. Indianapolis resident Cameron Todd, 8, said one of his favorite stations was called Cockroach Strongman.\n“They can pull so many times their own weight,” Cameron said. “I was so surprised.”\nAt this station, visitors placed metal washers into a matchbox taped to Madagascar hissing cockroaches. The pulling power of each cockroach was measured by dividing the weight of the washers the cockroach was able to pull by the weight of the cockroach itself.\nCameron’s cockroach weighed 5.9 grams and pulled 71.9 grams, which is 12.2 times its weight.\nWonderLab Associate Executive Director and insect enthusiast Karen Jepson-Innes said when WonderLab uses live animals in its exhibits it’s careful to keep the animals’ stress levels as low as possible.\n“We don’t use the same one twice in a row,” Jepson-Innes said of the cockroaches.\nJepson-Innes said she talked with IU assistant professor of biology Armin P. Moczek, who told her this activity was no more stressful than taking the cockroaches out and holding them.
(03/21/07 4:00am)
Alexis Joi Carter was in fourth grade at Charles R. Drew Elementary School in Gary, when her teacher singled her out from the rest of the students in the class. It was around Thanksgiving and the class was singing a song called “Truly Thankful.”\n“A little snippet it of the song called for a solo,” Carter said. “We were all young and shy and no one was taking the initiative to say ‘I wanna do the solo.’”\nCarter said she was sitting in the back of the class when she hesitantly agreed to do the solo upon her teacher’s request. She surprised herself when she began to sing the solo.\n“I just started singing and I was like, ‘Whoa. Who is this?’” Carter said.\nImmediately after Carter finished her solo her teacher grabbed her by the hand and took her to the fifth-grade music teacher where she sang the same solo him.\n“They called my parents and told them I had to stay after school,” Carter said. “I had my first rehearsal that day.”\nThe summer after her fifth-grade graduation, she was accepted to Emerson School for the Visual and Performing Arts in Gary. There she studied classical and operatic genres of music before coming to IU.\n“Emerson laid the fundamental ground work to prepare me for where I am today,” Carter said.\nCarter is now a senior at IU and plans to sign her first record deal after graduation in May. She said she is specifically looking at Indianapolis-based Tyscot Records, which is the largest black-owned record label in the country. She is also looking at Verity Records, which is under the Zomba Records label.\nCarter is trying to get as much support as she can from people here on campus and in Bloomington while she is still independent. She said she is trying to sell as many copies of her self-titled CD before signing with a record company “to make it a sweeter deal.” \nTo do this, Carter started her “iSupport” campaign, which is a competition to see which greek house on campus will purchase the most copies of Carter’s CD. Each member of a house who purchases a CD signs his or her name on an “iSupport” sheet to keep track of how many have been sold to each house. The winners of the competition will receive VIP seating and special recognition at one of Carter’s concerts in April.\nCarter previewed some of the songs on her CD by singing serenades for several houses on campus such as Kappa Gamma Delta, Alpha Gamma Delta and Phi Kappa Tau. Carter said some houses have already started turning in their sheets.\n“I didn’t know these would be going so fast,” Carter said.\nCarter contacted Residential Programs and Services directors on Monday to include a competition between dormitories as part her “iSupport” campaign.\nAlthough Carter has enjoyed her experience at IU, the past couple years have been tough and she has battled with the decision to choose music as a career. In the end, Carter said she realized she had too much in her she had to give.\n“It’s just a matter of doing what you know is best today,” Carter said. “If you do that, you’re OK.”\nFor more information about Carter and her music, visit www.myspace.com/alexisjcarter. To purchase a copy of Carter’s CD e-mail her at aljcarte@indiana.edu.
(03/21/07 4:00am)
An IU student was arrested on a warrant for sexual battery Monday. Bloomington Police officer Jeff Rodgers served the warrant for Bradley Snyder, 21, at about 1:20 a.m., said Sgt. Faron Lake reading from a police report.\nThe victim, a 19-year-old female IU student, went to a party on Dec. 2, 2006, at 340 E. Varsity Lane. She reported going to the party with friends and drinking heavily, Lake said. She remembered being taken downstairs to Snyder’s room and laid on the bed, police said. She did not remember anything after that until the next morning when she woke up with her pants on backwards.\nOn Dec. 4, 2006 the victim received a call from one of Snyder’s friends. The friend told the victim that Snyder admitted to having sex with her, Lake said. It was later determined through further investigation that Snyder did not have sex with the victim, but did commit sexual battery, which is defined as touching someone’s genitalia in a way to arouse yourself without permission, Lake said.\nAfter several investigations Detective Sarah Carnes filed a probable cause affidavit on March 8.\nAfter Snyder was arrested he was booked in the Monroe County Jail. His bond was set at $5,000 surety and $500 cash, said Monroe County Correctional Center Sgt. Jimmy Edwards. Snyder was released late Monday.
(03/07/07 5:00am)
There is too much about this band and album to love. If you are opposed to listening to it based on the politics, I would argue that the quality of these songs is enough to let you look past the message and see this album for what it is. Living with the Living is an album that contains respect for traditions, a flair for breaking them and a boldness that could help serve as inspiration for other bands that may be too punk for punk.\nTed Leo & the Pharmacists' previous effort, Shake the Sheets, was a serious but almost playful admonishment of corruption and apathy. Their fifth album, Living with the Living, picks up where the previous effort left off as Ted Leo & the Pharmacists continue to sonically stick it to the man. \nFor the uninitiated, this is a band with both pop and punk sensibilities, but the band is by no means "pop-punk." You won't find the simple repetitive rhythms, three-chord drudgery or that pre-packaged brand of angst. What you will find is the pace of punk with variety, precision, Leo's often veiled left-wing lyricism and a genuine intensity, passion and hope for change. In addition, the worldly Leo and crew sprinkle in elements of genres ranging from soul, R&B and even reggae on Living with the Living. Leo has been able to show that one can create punk music without following the tried and true formulas that punk pioneers and practitioners live and die by. I'll put it this way: They're too punk even to be punk.\nLeo's rapid-fire guitar licks are back in full force, complete with deceptively complex drumming and just the right amount of bass added to the mix. Leo's voice also shines as he shows off his oddly appealing vocal talents. His style is intense, sincere and always well-suited to the musical backdrop against which he sings. Dynamic vocalists are hard to come by in rock music, but Ted can muster just about as much vocal ornamentation as anyone in the game. \nThe band's biggest selling points are obviously their focus, ferocity and fluidity, which translate both to the live and studio settings. Songs that the band played on its recent tour, such as "Sons of Cain" and "Army Bound," have been captured on Living with the Living with the same excitement and meticulousness that they had during the live performances. From beginning to end, the album captures the sincerity, enthusiasm and, of course, great songs from a polished band that understands the power that is inherent in music.
(03/07/07 5:00am)
If adding newsfeeds and opening the site to everyone and their brother wasn't enough, Facebook has found another way to get people to spend more time on its Web site: cashing in on the excitement of the NCAA men's basketball tournament with its basketball pools.\nSome students were unaware of the pools last year, but they are beginning to catch on. \nJunior Justin Howell normally participates in several pools through newspapers like The Herald-Times or the Indianapolis Star, but this is his first year participating through Facebook.\n"I'm still a basketball bracket virgin in the Facebook world," Howell said.\nHowell started his own pool called "Ballin,'" as something fun to do. He said pools make the tournament more interesting because he has to pull for teams he normally wouldn't root for.\nBrackets will be released on the site at about 7 p.m. Pacific time Sunday, and they must be submitted by 9 a.m. Pacific time Thursday, according to facebook.com. Some students prefer participating in pools online to other methods.\n"It's a lot better than written pools," Howell said. "This way no one will be able to go in and change it."\nFacebook is awarding cash prizes to the top 10 finishers out of all pool participants. \nThere are two ways to be a winner in the Facebook basketball pools, according the Web site. One way is through the Global Bracket Challenge and the other is through the Round by Round Challenge. Points for each challenge are scored the same way. Participants receive one or more points each time they select the correct winner of a game. The number of points varies depending on the round of the tournament. Correct selections are worth one point in the first round, two points in the second round, four points in the third round, eight points in the fourth round, 15 points in the semifinals and 25 points in the championship game.\nIn the case of a tie, the Global Bracket Challenge has three tie-breakers and the Round by Round Challenge has two. If there is a tie in the Global Bracket Challenge, it will be broken by the reference to the projected combined score of the final game. If there is still a tie, it goes to the person who picked the most correct game-winners. If there is still a tie after the first two tie breakers, a final winner will be chosen at random by a drawing that will be held at RealTime Media's offices.\nIf there is a tie in the Round by Round Challenge, the winner will be decided according to who chose the most correct game-winners. After this, if there is still a tie, the winner will be chosen in a random drawing at RealTime Media.\nPrizes vary depending on the challenge, but the first-place winner in the Global Challenge will receive $25,000. \nBut not everyone participating in the pools is interested in winning a prize.\n"Most people do it for money, but I don't have money to bet with," said junior Jamie Worsek. "It's just basically a pride thing."\nWorsek said she doesn't normally participate in basketball pools, but she joined a Facebook pool last year and enjoyed it. \n"I did better than most of my guy friends," Worsek said.\nSenior Robert Gephardt said he has been participating in basketball pools since he was in middle school. He said he enjoys using Facebook's networking capabilities to join pools with people he knows.\n"When Facebook started it last year, everyone kind of switched over to there instead of using all the other Web sites," Gephardt said. \nSome think using other Web sites to participate in pools can require more work than using Facebook.\n"It's easier than going through hoops on Web sites like ESPN, where you have to sign up and fill out all this info," Gephardt said. "Everyone's already on Facebook, and you can just click a link and have everything already set up right there."\nGephardt said advertisements are something else he had an issue with when using Web sites like ESPN and Yahoo!.\n"If you tried to go to the brackets on those sites, they would direct you to a temporary Web site that has a big, huge ad and you'd have to click through that," Gephardt said.\nFacebook is laid out better with regards to its advertisements, Gephardt said. When he wants to check brackets in between classes, he said it's faster for him to use Facebook.\nAlong with cash prizes and a preferred format, Facebook has given students another reason to use its site to follow the tournament. Junior Todd Autio said Facebook has given students more creative freedom in their pools. \n"The best thing about Facebook is that people make up stupid names and put up funny pictures," Autio said.
(03/06/07 5:00am)
A special prosecuting attorney has decided there was no foul play in the 2006 Monroe County elections.\nMembers of the Monroe County Republican Party made allegations regarding three issues, according to special prosecuting attorney Barry S. Brown’s filing. \nThe first was that a key with access to the clerk’s absentee voting offices and suite had been duplicated and possibly used without authorization. The second was that 19 challenged ballots, faxed in from overseas, were not secured properly, making them vulnerable to improper manipulation.\nThe third regarded certain voters who were listed on precinct poll lists but did not live at the listed addresses. Written challenges to the status of these persons as eligible and properly registered voters were filed with the Monroe County Clerk’s office.\n“I think it’s a shame they’re not pursuing it more,” said IU College Republicans Chairman and graduate student David White.\nMonroe County Republican Chairman Franklin Andrew said the decision is always left up to the prosecutor.\n“All we can do is point out areas of concern,” he said.\nAndrew said the party found some irregularities in voter registrations that needed to be investigated.\n“One of our concerns was people who registered to vote in the ‘80s and never voted,” Andrew said. “Then they suddenly decided to vote in ‘06.”\nThere were men who registered to vote from women’s floors at Forest Quad in the 1980s, Andrew said. These people never voted in a Monroe County election before but suddenly sent absentee ballots in the 2006 election.\nAndrew also said there used to be a series of green trailers across from Memorial Stadium that were used for student housing. Somebody registered to vote from that location in 1991, five years after the trailers were torn down. That individual voted in the 2004 election.\nBrown’s filing stated the 19 challenged absentee ballots were discussed during a meeting of the election board.\n“The board determined that there was no improper manipulation of any ballots,” according to the filing. “Although one of the board members later dissented from the earlier unanimous consensus of the three-person election board.”\nIndiana State Police detectives investigated the written challenges regarding the addresses of certain voters on precinct poll lists. In most of the challenge cases filed, the voter did not vote, according to Brown’s filing. In other cases, the challenge affidavits filed were based on inaccurate information.\nThe state Republican Party provided legal council as well as the funding necessary to handle the recount, Andrew said. \nAndrew said the only people he wants to see voting are those who have a legitimate right to do so in the community.\n“That’s what disenfranchises a voter,” Andrew said. “When their vote is negated by someone who doesn’t have a legitimate right to vote.”
(03/06/07 5:00am)
A Bloomington man was arrested after trying to hit a police officer with a coffee mug Sunday, police said.\nDan L. Schoolcraft, 34, was arrested for battery on a police officer, resisting law enforcement and disorderly conduct, Detective Sgt. Jeff Canada said, reading from a police report.\nBloomington police received a phone call saying that Schoolcraft was in the caller’s residence and refused to leave, Canada said.\nOfficer Chris Scott was dispatched to the 900 block of North Monroe Street and found Schoolcraft asleep on the living room floor of the residence. He tried to wake Schoolcraft for several minutes, Canada said. When Schoolcraft woke up, he grabbed a coffee mug and took a swing at Scott, according to the report. Scott took him to the ground, and a scuffle ensued until Scott was able to handcuff Schoolcraft.\nSchoolcraft suffered an injury to his forehead and was taken to Bloomington Hospital. He was belligerent and would not cooperate with officers while at the hospital, Canada said. Schoolcraft was booked into the Monroe County jail after he was taken to the hospital.
(03/05/07 5:00am)
Fourteen groups made proposals to the Committee for Fee Review to increase by $50 how much students pay in mandatory fees, which would be an increase of 12 percent to 13 percent.\nCommittee co-chair and IU Student Association President Betsy Henke said the University administration has not put a cap on mandatory fee increases, but they do not want to see fees increase by more than 6 percent.\nStudents currently pay $401.61 in mandatory fees each semester.\nThe Committee for Fee Review listened to proposals this weekend from the groups that receive the money students pay in mandatory fees.\nThe committee makes recommendations on how the $29 million generated by mandatory fees will be divided. After listening to proposals, the committee will have several meetings until April 2, when its recommendations are to be submitted to Dean of Students Dick McKaig. The recommendations are then passed on to President Adam Herbert and finally to the board of trustees.\nLast year the committee was only allowed to increase the total of all mandatory fees by 1.5 percent. The committee was not given a limit this year, but Herbert visited during the committee’s lunch break Saturday and indicated money would be tight, said Damon Sims, associate vice president for student affairs.\nSims, who provides advice and support for the committee, said the committee’s recommendations have only been changed three times.\n“The committee has no authority to set fees,” Sims said. “But their recommendations have carried considerable weight.”\nThe committee is normally made up of two graduate students and five undergraduate students. This year, however, the committee received a last-minute e-mail from one graduate student member saying she wouldn’t be able to attend the meetings, Sims said.\nThe committee also has two co-chairs: Henke and Graduate and Professional Student Organization moderator Paul Rohwer. The two will only cast one combined vote if there is a tie.\nSims said most of the money from mandatory fees goes to personnel costs, such as salaries and benefits. Inflation causes salaries and benefits to increase at a higher rate than the committee is allowed to recommend mandatory fees be increased by, he said.\n“These groups have to cannibalize themselves and take money away from other things,” Sims said.\nThe IU Health Center is struggling to keep staff members who could take jobs at Bloomington Hospital or Monroe Hospital, Sims said.\n“It doesn’t leave you in a good spot after awhile,” Sims said. “If you don’t get what you requested, what do you do?”\nRepresentatives from the health center said that if they didn’t get what they requested, they would have to talk about cutting services, Sims said.\nThe effect this will have on students varies from organization to organization, said sophomore and Committee for Fee Review member Anthony Smith.\n“Some have committed to maintain the same level of service, but others assert their level of service will decrease,” Smith said.\nUniversity Information Technology Services is an operation students use daily, so its proposal is given more weight, Smith said.\nSims said too few people in the campus community understand all the services and programs that money from mandatory fees provides.\n“They believe the fees pay for pizza (that) student government buys for itself,” Sims said. “But it really pays for fundamental services students need and demand.”\nEven though the committee is not allowed to request fee increases to satisfy all 14 groups, Sims still supports the process for fee review that began in 1988.\n“I firmly believe this is the single best example of meaningful student involvement in institutional decision-making,” Sims said.