Longform

Panel says judge should lose post for pulling gun on teen

By Alyson Brodsy · Wednesday, Aug. 31,2005 1:08 a.m.

ELKHART, Ind. -- A panel of judges has recommended the Indiana Supreme Court remove from office an Elkhart County judge who allegedly pointed a handgun at an 18-year-old in 2003 while looking for his runaway teenage daughter.

Orange County casino site remains concern

By Alyson Brodsy and Ryan Lenz · Wednesday, Aug. 31,2005 1:03 a.m.

FRENCH LICK, Ind. -- Beyond the reach of cell phone towers and the tangle of heavy traffic, Orange County clings to a rustic splendor that decades ago lured the wealthy with promises of natural spring baths and gambling.

Bloomington billionaire acts as lynchpin of casino

By Alyson Brodsy and Ryan Lenz · Wednesday, Aug. 31,2005 12:59 a.m.

Orange County, Ind., hasn't hung all its hopes for prosperity on historical riches -- there's a modern billionaire to consider, too. William A. Cook, one of Indiana's richest men, has taken the lead on efforts to restore two historic hotels and build a casino in French Lick, Ind., that many hope will bring a return of economic fortune to one of the state's most unemployed counties.

Sudoku puzzle here to stay

By Alyson Brodsy · Wednesday, Aug. 31,2005 12:46 a.m.

SAN FRANCISCO -- Sudoku are deceptively simple-looking puzzles that require no math, spelling or language skills. Unlike crosswords, they don't require an extensive knowledge of trivia. They're logic, pure and simple. They're also addictive. Sudoku books -- pages and pages of grids with nothing more than numbers in boxes -- are selling so well they're quickly filling lists of best sellers.

Swede plants what he believes to be northernmost commercial vineyard on Earth

By Alyson Brodsy and Arthur Max · Wednesday, Aug. 31,2005 12:44 a.m.

BLAXSTA, Sweden - The pine and oak forests of Sweden are a world away from the sunny European river valleys known for their great wines. Yet merlot, chardonnay, cabernet and vidal blanc grapes are being cultivated just 500 miles south of the Arctic Circle, in a small vineyard nestled among glacial lakes and thick woodlands.

India, Pakistan to release prisoners next month

By Alyson Brodsy and Ashok Sharma · Wednesday, Aug. 31,2005 12:43 a.m.

NEW DELHI -- India and Pakistan agreed Tuesday to release hundreds of fishermen and other civilians in each other's jails -- a goodwill measure that comes as part of a peace process between the two countries. Both sides also agreed to provide better consular access to prisoners, notify each other of arrests and join forces to stamp out terrorism, according to a joint statement. The announcements came after two-day talks between home secretaries from both sides.

U.S. poverty rate increases 12.7 percent

By Alyson Brodsy and Jennifer C. Kerr · Wednesday, Aug. 31,2005 12:43 a.m.

WASHINGTON -- Even with a robust economy that was adding jobs last year, the number of Americans who fell into poverty rose to 37 million -- up 1.1 million from 2003 -- according to Census Bureau figures released Tuesday. It marks the fourth straight increase in the government's annual poverty measure.

Zimbabwe approves constitutional overhaul

By Alyson Brodsy · Wednesday, Aug. 31,2005 12:42 a.m.

HARARE, Zimbabwe -- Dancing and cheering, lawmakers approved sweeping constitutional changes Tuesday that prominent lawyers have called the greatest challenge yet to Zimbabwean civil liberties. Ruling party representatives erupted into celebration after Parliament voted 103-29 to endorse the constitutional overhaul that sharply restricts private property rights and allows the government to deny passports to its critics. The 22-clause Constitutional Amendment Bill now goes to President Robert Mugabe to sign into law.

General Motors recalling 800,000 pickups, SUVs

By Alyson Brodsy · Wednesday, Aug. 31,2005 12:41 a.m.

WASHINGTON -- General Motors Corp. said Tuesday it was recalling about 800,000 sport utility vehicles and pickup trucks in Illinois and 13 other states because corrosion was affecting the antilock brake system, leading to more than 200 low--speed crashes. GM, the world's largest automaker, said the recall involved the 1999--2002 model years of the Chevrolet Avalanche, Chevrolet Silverado, Chevrolet Tahoe, GMC Sierra, GMC Yukon and GMC Yukon XL.

Silver screen star remembered in television movie

By Alyson Brodsy · Wednesday, Aug. 31,2005 12:40 a.m.

LONDON -- A gray-haired woman in a dark pantsuit strides across a New York street. Her image, filmed from afar, is barely in focus -- but it's unmistakably Greta Garbo.

The Audubon book: an IU fixture

By Lisa Braverman · Wednesday, Aug. 31,2005 12:37 a.m.

With upwards of 400,000 books, 130,000 works of sheet music and seven million manuscripts, workers at the Lilly Library must rotate the large number of rare publications they display. John James Audubon's "Birds of America," however, remains in the foyer year-round.

Are We Alone?

By Alyson Brodsy · Tuesday, Aug. 30,2005 10:21 p.m.

Life has been found in pools of acid, in toxic waste, at the bottom of the sea and at the top of the most inhospitable mountains on Earth. Believe it or not, life has even been detected inside solid rock miles beneath the Earth's surface. If life can survive in such extreme environments on Earth, what about other places?

McDonald's settles lawsuits with more education

Tuesday, Aug. 30,2005 10:20 p.m.

A judge has approved an $8.5 million educational campaign by McDonald's Corp. to settle lawsuits filed against the fast-food giant for failing to reduce its use of partially hydrogenated oil.

Parking lot fight ends in man's arrest

By Matt McMullan · Tuesday, Aug. 30,2005 3:46 a.m.

Bloomington police arrested a man early Sunday morning on the charges of battery with severe bodily injury, three counts of misdemeanor battery, two counts of criminal mischief, disorderly conduct and illegal consumption. According to police, David J. Herman, 20, of East 16th Street, approached a man as he stood in the bar parking lot, put his arm around his waist and commented on his appearance. He then grabbed the man's crotch, causing the victim to push him away.

Rift emerges with IU admissions standards

By Kristin Huett · Tuesday, Aug. 30,2005 2:36 a.m.

A growing number of IU administrators said they believe the Bloomington campus should establish itself as an "elite" institution by raising the admissions bar for potential students, a move that others say would compromise IU's responsibility to provide an education to the state. At the Rotary Club meeting Aug. 23 in the Indiana Memorial Union, IU President Adam Herbert said IU-Bloomington hopes to raise the academic prestige of the University by increasing admission standards.

IU tapped as top 'draft' pick

By Kathleen Quilligan and Kathleen Quilligen · Tuesday, Aug. 30,2005 2:16 a.m.

On the Saturday night before classes start, the house party circuit is in full swing. Walking down Ninth Street, a group of girls giggle into the night as they link arms to travel from one house party toward another. At this particular party, there's a keg in the basement and a beer pong table in the living room.

Alcohol policy focuses on reform

By Carrie Ritchie · Tuesday, Aug. 30,2005 2:15 a.m.

Students caught with alcohol on campus face a different system this year. The Office of the Dean of Students has shifted its policy to focus on reforming violators, rather than punishing them, said Dean of Students Richard McKaig.

Agassi greeted warmly in 20th Open

By Steve Wilstein · Tuesday, Aug. 30,2005 1:32 a.m.

Like an ageless rock star, Andre Agassi took the court for his 20th straight U.S. Open to roars that drowned out his introduction. He gave his adoring fans one more memory Monday night in a match that was little more than a practice session, and he left, as always, blowing kisses in all directions. No one, not even Agassi, knows if this will be his last U.S. Open, but if it is he started it out in fine fashion with a tidy 69-minute, 6-3, 6-3, 6-1 romp over an overwhelmed and thoroughly outclassed Romanian, Razvan Sabau.

Slumping Palmeiro loses starting job to rookie Freire

By David Ginsburg · Tuesday, Aug. 30,2005 1:30 a.m.

Rafael Palmeiro has lost his job as the Baltimore Orioles' regular first baseman, the result of a prolonged slump that began after he returned from a 10-day suspension for testing positive for steroids. Mired in a 2-for-22 skid in which he has gone hitless in his last 14 at-bats, the left-handed hitting Palmeiro did not start Monday against Oakland right-hander Kirk Saarloos.

Fashion designer directs Graffiti fest in New York

By Alyson Brodsy and Verena Dobnik · Tuesday, Aug. 30,2005 1:30 a.m.

NEW YORK -- It was a high-tech, pricey setting for what was once considered low-tech vandalism: Mackie speakers blasting rap while artists spray-painted graffiti on fake subway cars.