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Unread items (100)

• Indiana blogs (US-IN), 05/19/2012
• 12:16

  Lemonade Day at Day Nursery Ft. Harrison

   »  The Day Nursery Indianapolis Early Edition
  
  
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• 12:12

  Business Spotlight of the Month

   »  MPL Indiana Room Treasure Trove
  The Mooresville (Indiana) Chamber of Commerce has selected Diane Huerkamp, MPL Director, as the Business Spotlight of the Month.
  
  
  As chamber director Dave Nash stated in the Mooresville-Decatur Times (Saturday, May 19, 2012), "The Mooresville Public Library is a valuable community resource which strives to offer traditional library material, as well as programs and technology that help create and support lifelong learning.  We as a community are lucky to have a Library such as this, and we are proud to announce Diane Huerkamp as our Business Spotlight of the month.  MPL is just one of the places where people can volunteer and spend time with their families and classmates."
  We, too, are proud of Diane and the Library, and we are honored by the Chamber's selection.
  Business Spotlight of the Month (and other library awards)on display during the MPL Centennial Celebration(Click images to enlarge)
  
  
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• 10:30

  South Bend Activists Want Mayor Impeached

   »  Advance Indiana
  South Bend's 30-year old mayor, Pete Buttigieg, has become somewhat of a boy wonder in Indiana politics. The former Rhodes Scholar was tapped by Indiana Democrats as their State Treasurer candidate in 2010 before becoming one of the youngest mayors in the country this year after beating his Republican opponent last year with 74% of the vote. He was praised in a number of corners for his quick and decisive action in getting a human rights ordinance backed by the LGBT community that had stalled before the city council for years enacted into law during his first months in office. He also won high marks for seeking a better deal for the city on a downtown office tower that's been in foreclosure when he convinced the council to scrap a plan that would have called for an investment of $5.7 million into the city's tallest building as part of a redevelopment plan proposed by a Chicago developer.
  
  Buttigieg's early going as mayor has not come without its share of problems. He has been criticized for choosing too many young and inexperienced people to surround him in the mayor's office, and his relationship with some members of the council within his own party have become frayed. His handling of a scandal within the South Bend Police Department, in particular, has brought him the most heat and has some community activists calling for his resignation.
  
  The police department controversy centers around a discovery that the department had been recording phone conversations allegedly in violation of federal wiretap laws, which led to an FBI investigation. Buttigieg demoted the police department's African-American chief, Darryl Boykins, at a time that racial tensions in the city have heated up. Buttigieg also fired the department's communications director, Karen DePaepe. Buttigieg initially offered little information to the public about his personnel changes at the department, citing the ongoing investigation.  He then told reporters that he demoted Boykins and fired DePaepe in order to protect them from criminal charges, a claim that infuriated attorneys for Boykins and DePaepe. Buttigieg told the South Bend Tribune that U.S. Attorney David Capps and the FBI told him that he would have to make personnel changes or federal charges would be filed. "Charges were not filed because we acted to satisfy federal authorities," he said, "so that they would use prosecutorial discretion."
  
  Attorneys for Boykins and DePaepe, who insist federal wiretap laws were never violated by the recording of phone calls, think the mayor is being untruthful when he claims he was pushed into the personnel changes by federal authorities.
  
  

  "The U.S. attorney's office informed me on more than one occasion that they have no involvement in the personnel decisions made for and by the city of South Bend," Boykins' attorney, Thomas Dixon, said.

  DePaepe's attorney, Scott Duerring, said she was considering resigning after Boykins' demotion, because she believed he was being treated unfairly. Duerring said Assistant U.S. Attorney Donald Schmid encouraged her not to quit.

  "The assistant U.S. attorney in charge of the investigation ... personally called Karen at her house and said, 'Please don't resign. There's no need for you to resign,' " Duerring said.

  "There was never an indication that they were involved in personnel decisions at the South Bend city level," he said. "It absolutely makes no sense whatsoever."

  Furthermore, Duerring said, the phone recordings at the police department don't qualify as violations of the Federal Wiretap Act. "Police departments record incoming lines all the time," he said. "It's not a violation to do so."

  'Pretty serious'

  Buttigieg has said he became concerned about the recording of phone calls when individuals complained to him that they had become victims as a result of the recorded conversations. Boykins claims the FBI was investigating practices that had been implemented before he was named as the city's police chief in 2007. One of the allegations made is that some of the recorded phone conversations captured persons making racist comments about Boykins. Buttigieg has refused to release tapes of any of the recorded conversations and claims he has not listened to any of the calls. DePaepe claims she had listened to the recordings and prepared a report with notes on the content of some of them. DePaepe claims the mayor's staff threatened to have her arrested if she discussed the content of the tapes.
  
  Community activists backing Boykins and DePaepe have called for Buttigieg's impeachment. When first told of their plan, Buttigieg dismissed it, saying such a legal procedure was not available under Indiana law. The Secretary of State's office confirmed to a reporter for ABC 57 News in South Bend that impeachment is a legal option under Indiana law. The community activists have accused Buttigieg of being part of a conspiracy to block release of information about the recorded conversations and intimidation. From ABC 57 News:
  
  

  Mayor Buttigieg said Thursday night that he didn't think there was an impeachment procedure in place for mayors in Indiana. Well, there is one; it is not something that is easily accomplished, but it is possible to remove a sitting mayor from office.

  According to the spokesperson for the Indiana Secretary of State Elections Division, Valerie Kroenger, there are several ways to impeach a mayor.

  Showing up to work intoxicated, malfeasance, death or resignation are some of the ways a mayor can be removed; as are being convicted of a crime.

  Conviction of a felony is grounds for immediate removal from office. Being convicted of a misdemeanor requires more steps to be taken before a mayor can be removed.

  This is all supported by Indiana Code 5-8-1-1 section 1(a):

  “Under Article 6, Sections 7 and 8 of the Constitution of the State of Indiana, all state officers other than justices of the supreme court or judges of the court of appeals of Indiana or the Indiana tax court, all other judges, prosecuting attorneys, and all county, city, town, and township officers are liable to impeachment for any misdemeanor in office.”

  Wednesday, Mario Sims, speaking on behalf of a community activist group, announced that plans were being put together to impeach Mayor Pete Buttigieg as a result of the way Buttigieg has handled the scandal surrounding the discovery of telephone recordings at the police department that are said to contain unethical, racist, and possibly criminal content . . .
  
  According to DePaepe, she was threatened with arrest if she or anyone else talked about the investigation the FBI conducted into suspected felony violations of the Federal Wiretapping and Electronic Eavesdropping statute.
  This allegedly happened at the time of her termination, and was supposedly said by Mike Schmule, Mayor Buttigieg’s Chief of Staff, in the presence of Rich Hill, a special attorney Buttigieg commissioned to handle issues related to the federal investigation while Interim City Attorney Aladean DeRose was on vacation.
  According to his profiles on the Faegre Baker Daniels website, “Rich Hill has served as bond counsel for numerous cities, counties and towns in a variety of economic development, redevelopment and traditional financing projects.”
  He was also South Bend’s City Attorney from 1980-1986.
  According to a profile for Aladean DeRose on what appears to be her personal website, “With strong litigation and appellate experience, Ms. DeRose concentrates on many aspects of general practice including banking, family law and employment discrimination law.”
  She opened a private practice in South Bend in 1982.

  Impeachment has been rarely, if ever used in Indiana. The House of Representatives brings the charges and the Senate sits in judgment under Indiana's Constitution. It's highly doubtful Buttigieg's critics could ever convince the legislature to bring impeachment charges against him in the absence of more evidence against him, particularly when it largely involves statements and actions taken by others who work for him. indiana politics civil rights law
  
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• 08:52

  Family Voices Extends Condolences on the Occasion of Katie Beckett's Passing

   »  Family Voices Indiana
  
  
  

  Family Voices would like to extend our deepest sympathy to Julie Beckett and Mark Beckett on the occasion of their daughter Katie Beckett’s passing this morning, as well as to Katie’s family, friends, colleagues, and loved ones.  Julie Beckett is one of the founders of National Family Voices and both Julie and Katie have been dedicated advocates for children with special health care needs for decades.

  
  It was in support of her daughter’s in-home medical care that Julie successfully advocated for a waiver of the rules that required children with special health care needs to be in the hospital in order to receive Medicaid funding for acute care. In November of 1981, when Katie was three, President Reagan allowed Katie to go home in time for Christmas and receive her Medicaid-funded treatment at home. At a press conference, Reagan explained the child was being kept in the hospital because of Medicaid rules which forbade paying for her home care, even though the cost to the government would be one-fifth the hospital charges of $10,000 to $12,000 per month. "When we see a case of this kind," Reagan said, "it reveals that hidebound regulations can be a tremendous expense to the taxpayers and do no good for the patient."
  
  Reagan’s intervention set a new precedent, and shortly afterwards the government allowed exceptions in other states so that parents like the Becketts, who made too much money to qualify for Medicaid, could receive at-home coverage of extreme medical costs for their children. This provision became known as the “Katie Beckett Waiver.”
  
  In the three decades since that time, more than a half million children have received waivers to get their care at home.

  Katie’s illness began at the age of six months when she contracted viral encephalitis followed by a grand mal seizure which sent her into a coma. The encephalitis attached to her central nervous system and caused nerve damage to various parts of her body, most significantly affecting her ability to breathe. She was placed on a ventilator and later a tracheotomy was performed. She subsequently required multiple medical procedures and was completely paralyzed. Although the paralysis itself eventually resolved, she could not breathe on her own at all until she was almost two years old. She continued in hospital care until the age of three, when President Reagan’s historic decision made it possible for her to go home.

  
  Katie was later able to function without a ventilator for hours at a time, although she required some at-home medical assistance each day.
  
  
  In the Fall of 2002 Katie wrote:
  
  “I started my advocacy career at age ten. It was not my choice but rather a path chosen for me. It was not until I was twelve or thirteen that I realized the important work I was able to do because I was who I was, and how much this worked helped other kids. I realized that this was something I was born to do, so I was willing to take on the extra attention given to me by other students and teachers when I returned home even if it was embarrassing at times. Being singled out even for doing something so rewarding is uncomfortable and can create tension with other students. It made it difficult sometimes to fit in and just be normal.”
  Katie continued her advocacy work throughout her life in support of children with special health care needs. For example, in the fall of 2010, Katie and Julie Beckett presented in Washington, D.C., for a celebration of the 75th anniversary of a provision of the original Social Security Act that set up federal programs to promote maternal and child health.
  Katie, then 32, spoke to an audience of children's advocates. She was introduced by Donald Berwick, the head of Medicare and Medicaid, and spoke right after White House senior adviser Valerie Jarrett."Just because you reach a certain age does not mean that you are miraculously cured of all the things you have endured," she told the crowd, arguing for an expansion of home and community based care so that people with disabilities have more options to live outside of nursing homes and institutions.
  Dr. Sophie Arao-Nguyen, Executive Director of National Family Voices said today:“Katie was a great role model and quiet warrior whose work helped countless children across the United States. Julie, our prayers and thoughts are with you today as we wish peace for you and Katie, and for Mark, your family, and loved ones, in this moment of Katie’s passing.”
  Memorial Service information will be communicated when it is available.
  To Read More About Katie:Go to  [https:]]
  
  
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• 07:20

  Public Comment Date changed....

   »  Indiana Art Education Advocacy Action Blog
  The May 21st public comment date for REPA 2 has been extended to another date, sometime in June. As soon as the new date is made available, I will post it on this blog. Thanks so much! Clyde
  
  
  
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• 04:31

  CLUB MEET MAY 2012

   »  Indiana Kneeriders Association
  nice trip upto the back beach at Jurien bay......it was worth the effort with some nice waves being the reward.......
  
  

  Add caption

  
  

  one

  
  

  two

  
  

  three (no-one out)

  
  
  

  in the shade

  
  

  style

  
  

  hilux country

  
  

  Blair Sweet Potato one

  
  

  two

  
  

  three

  
  

  four

  
  

  five

  
  
  
  

  ahhhh

  
  
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• Indiana blogs (US-IN), 05/18/2012
• 18:32

  IGS Adds Crawford County Teachers Directory To Members-Only

   »  Indiana Genealogical Society Blog
  The Indiana Genealogical Society has added a directory of Crawford County teachers to the County Records section of our Members Only area:
  
  --Directory of Teachers for Crawford County, Indiana (1936)
  
  This is a premium database, accessible only to IGS members.
  
  The Indiana Genealogical Society now has 784 databases in the Members Only area. They cover all 92 Indiana counties and encompass 500,000+ records.
  
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• 18:27

  Residency Issues Will Sink 2nd District Democratic Candidate

   »  Advance Indiana
  Republican Jackie Walorski's election as Indiana's new 2nd District congresswoman replacing U.S. Rep. Joe Donnelly is in the bag, which means two Republican women will be representing Indiana in Congress after this year's November election. So much for the GOP's supposed war on women. The Democrats have nominated a candidate with worse residency problems than those faced by former U.S. Rep. David McIntosh in his narrow loss in Indiana's 5th District primary race to Susan Brooks.
  
  Second District Democratic congressional candidate Brendan Mullen's residency issues have been no secret for the past year. Politico mentioned his problem way back in July, 2011, noting that he had only recently claimed a residence in South Bend after working for years in Washington as a military consultant. Mullen's wife, curiously, has also worked as a top lawyer for Republican House Speaker John Boehner until recently earning $12,000 a month. The Indiana Legislative Insight's Ed Feigenbaum highlights the seriousness of Mullen's problem, except it's a third party candidate who is making the strongest waves about his residency problem. Feigenbaum notes that Green Party candidate Andrew Straw is now turning up the heat on Mullen.
  

  "Until running for Congress, Democrat Brendan Mullen has not lived or worked in Indiana since he was 18. He owns several houses in DC, where he has earned no income from his DC business in 2010 and 2011."  Attorney Straw adds that "Mullen's wife has worked for Speaker John Boehner in Washington up to December 31, 2011. She earned hundreds of thousands in DC, where they lived until Mullen ran for Congress .... Half of his campaign, his wife was working for the leader of the opposition. That's why compromise is his main promise. He'll sell Democrats down river." Straw also reveals that Mullen's voter registration is from a single-family residence in South Bend across from the Morris Park Country Club owned by Katie Humphreys and her husband. Humphreys is a former Family and Social Services Administration secretary and commissioner of the Department of Administration who was also the 1994 Democratic nominee for state treasurer.

  If his residency problem wasn't bad enough, Mullen and his wife were also tripped up last year when it was revealed that they were claiming separate homestead exemptions on their two Washington, D.C. homes.indiana politics civil rights law
  
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• 15:16

  Indiana Sees job Growth

   »  Building Indiana Blog

  More Hoosiers are getting back to work, according to figures released by the state Department of Workforce Development that indicates 15,400 private-sector jobs were added last month.
  These numbers bring Indiana’s unemployment rate to its lowest point since 2008 by falling to 7.9 percent for April, The Associated Press reports. Indiana’s unemployment figure has been improving since its recent peak of 9.3 percent last August. The state jobless rate is slightly below the national mark of 8.1 percent.

  
  
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• 14:18

  IGS Adds Tippecanoe County Special Census to Members-Only

   »  Indiana Genealogical Society Blog
  The Indiana Genealogical Society has added an index of a Tippecanoe County special census to the County Records section of our Members Only area:
  
  --Index to Census for Clarks Hill, Tippecanoe County, Indiana (1886)
  
  This is a premium database, accessible only to IGS members.
  
  The Indiana Genealogical Society now has 783 databases in the Members Only area. They cover all 92 Indiana counties and encompass 500,000+ records.
  
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• 13:01

  Extra! Extra!

   »  Northwest Indiana Historian James B Lane
  
  “Everybody tells me don’t be scaredAct as if you never caredSo I wear a blank expressionTo conceal my real impression.”    “Protection,” Graham Parker
  I’ve been on a Graham Parker kick.  After finding the album “Steady Nerves” in my collection, I’ve been playing it and put the CD “Struck By Lightning” on heavy rotation.  I saw Parker at Chicago’s Vic Theater with Terry and Kim Hunt.  He ended with a terrific Sam Cooke medley.
  “Modern American Memoirs” contains an excerpt from Russell Baker’s “Growing Up.”  After his dad died of diabetes complications, five year-old Russell and his mother moved in with an aunt and uncle in Belleville, New Jersey.  Aunt Pat’s favorite expression was “Jesus, Mary, and Joseph,” and she was a sucker for newsboys shouting, “Extra!  Extra!”  One banner headline was that mobster Dutch Schultz received a rose, a sign that he was a target for assassination.  Pat kept buying subsequent “Extras” expecting details of Schultz’s death, but he lived another five years. Growing up during the Depression, Baker, who succeeded Alistair Cooke and hosted “Masterpiece Theater” for 12 years, decided to become a writer at age 11 because of, in his words, “my suspicion that I would never be fit for real work, and that writing didn’t require any.”
  I still recall special “Extra” editions of the Philadelphia Daily News on sale – often appearing soon after the conclusion of a sporting event.  Virtually the only thing different from previous editions would be the front or back couple pages.
  On Doug Achterhof’s suggestion we refinanced our condo mortgage at a lower rate, signing what seemed like a hundred documents.  On the way home we picked up a foot-long Philly steak at Subway to split.
  On Sports Illustrated’s cover is suicide victim Junior Seau, former star linebacker for the San Diego Chargers.  Programmed not to admit weakness, little wonder he did not confide what troubled him.  There’s also a fascinating story about Joe “Jellybean” Bryant, Kobe’s father, who played for the 76ers in the late 1970s with Julius Erving, Doug Collins, and World B. Free and still coaches in Thailand.
  Four-foot, six-inch Peter Dinklage (Tyrion Lannister in HBO’s hit series) is on the cover of “Rolling Stone,” as is an interview with George R.R. Martin, whose “A Song of Fire and Ice” series inspired “Game of Thrones.”  Martin divided authors into architects and gardeners.  The former plot everything out in advance; the latter have a general outline but nurture characters as they go along.
  While Augie from Tech Services installed a new version of Adope, I read the intro to “The Book of American Diaries.”  Bostonian Arthur Crew Inman was so obsessed with keeping a daily account of news events that for 40 years (before committing suicide) he hardly ever left his apartment and left typed notes totaling about ten million words.  Some keep diaries to stave off loneliness or for self-enlightenment, others to hone their writing skills or because they have big egos.  Some intend their writings to be for their own eyes only; others, me included, write for posterity.
  Finding the cafeteria empty at noon, I made my annual pitch for saner summer class time periods, emailing Mark Hoyert: “About 20 years ago the university decided to start scheduling summer classes from 8 to 11, 11:30 to 2:30, 3 to 6, and 6:30 to 9:30.  The rationale was, that way there would be four time periods.  The reality is that, at least in Arts and Sciences, there are almost no late classes ending at 9:30.  Meanwhile, none of the time slots is ideal for either students or instructors.  Few people want to be on campus for 10 hours, so those with two classes almost always take them back to back with only 30 minutes to eat and digest one’s meal and prepare for one’s second class.  Wouldn’t it make much more sense to have classes from 9 to 12, from 1 to 4, and from 5 to 8?  Then people wouldn’t have to get up at the crack of dawn and could have an hour for lunch or a late afternoon snack.  It would even allow instructors a little time to meet with students between classes.  As things are now, the cafeteria is deserted because nobody has time to eat except on the run. And are students and instructors really at their best in three-hour classes with only 30 minutes in between?”  He thought it “a very interesting idea.”
  I attended two condo board meeting within 24 hours.  The first dealt with owners who had renters and whether to put limits or restrictions on the practice.  My view prevailed that if there is no problem, why fix it.  Renters live on both sides of us, and they are good people who haven’t caused any problems.  At the second meeting we took up the issue of the 15 ash trees on our grounds threatened by the emerald ash borer.  As I wrote in the minutes, being board secretary: “An inventory conducted by arborist Gina Darnell concluded that five were in poor condition and should be removed, five were in fair condition, and five were in good or excellent condition.  The board voted unanimously to accept a bid by Edwards Tree Service for $1,750 for the purpose of cutting down the five trees in poor condition with the ultimate intention of replacing them.  Two are located near unit 403, and the others are near units 407, 355, and 373.  Leo and Bernie treated the other trees in question, and the board will consider additional options.  There are seven ash trees on the berm between the inner drive and Sand Creek Drive that are the town’s responsibility.  Their policy is to remove all infected trees and not try to save any that are infected, as the options are costly, need to be repeated every year or so, and not guaranteed to work.”
  While planting impatiens with Toni we noticed a couple dozen large bumblebees flying near our roof.  They appear to have made holes in the beam similar to what carpenter ants might do and seem to be looking to settle there.  We really don’t have flowering plants that would have attracted them, so Toni set up an appointment to have an exterminator pay us a visit.
  I critiqued two more articles for Chris Young, editor of the forthcoming South Shore Journal.  One I really enjoyed, “Public Memory in Gary, Indiana,” discussed the monuments honoring autocratic U.S. Steel Board Chairman Elbert H. Gary and “King of Pop” Michael Jackson.  While the Gary statue near city hall is pretty much neglected, swarms of MJ fans visit the tiny Jackson bungalow where the monument is located.
  Dave was disappointed that his tennis team lost 3-2 to Whiting in the Sectionals, but his number one singles and doubles teams won their matches after losing their first sets so remain in the state tournament.
  I took Tom Wade to pick up a car in Hobart that developed electrical problems while Darcey was driving it at virtually the same time that thieves broke into their other car by busting a window while Tom was running along a trail near Cowles Bog within the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore.  A car next to his was also broken into.  Tom has gone running countless times without incident, but evidently a rash of break-ins have been occurring in various spots near Lake Michigan.
  James and Rebecca have been working on a thousand-piece puzzle featuring Rock ‘n’ Roll entertainers that Dave gave me several years ago.  With Toni’s help the finished the outer edge, and I have begun to take intermittent interest in finding a few pieces.  Yesterday I worked on a section about the 1969 Woodstock Festival.
  
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• 10:46

  Revolutionary War Monument Ground Breaking

   »  Tri-State Genealogical Society of Evansville, Indiana "TSGS Cruiser"
  
  Hopkinsville, KY... TSGS President Don Counts and Vice-President John G. West attended the ground breaking ceremony yesterday evening (17 May 2012) in the Kentucky Veterans Cemetery West (one of four state veteran's cemeteries). [Click on photos to get a larger image]

  [photo at entrance to cemetery]

  The monument is being erected in honor of the Revolutionary War Soldiers and Patriots that lived or were buried in Christian County, KY.
  

  [East side of monument]

  The 9-foot tall monument will be officially dedicated on 04 July 2012 featuring 71 men recognized for providing us an independent nation.  It is being erected by the John Manire SAR Chapter of the National Society Sons of the American Revolution (NSSAR).
  

  [List of the 71 men to be recognized]

  Counts and West are active members of the Ohio Valley SAR Chapter of the Indiana Society of NSSAR, having each served as Chapter Presidents and both are currently serving as State Officers of the Indiana Society of NSSAR.  For John West this was an exceptionally special occasion as his ancestor Thomas West, Jr. is one of the 71 men being honored. 
  

  [NSSAR President General David Sympson presented the  Keynote Speech]

  The Keynote Speech was delivered by NSSAR President General David Sympson.  A few of the other distinguished guests included John Manire SAR Chapter President Robert L. Fears (Master of Ceremonies) and one of my cousins genealogist Tommy Henderson of the same chapter.
  

  [Charles A. Henderson]

  The 3-member committee for the Memorial & Ground Breaking were Charles A. Henderson (Civilian Aide to the U.S. Secretary of the Army), William Turner (Historian, Publisher) and Judge James G. Adams.
  

  [William Turner]

  [Judge James G. Adams]

  - Photos taken by JGWest and article compiled by JGWest
  
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• 08:39

  Day Nursery Indiana Government Center preschoolers learn through lemonade sales

   »  The Day Nursery Indianapolis Early Edition
  In the shadow of the Indiana State Capitol building, Mr. Tim’s preschool class is learning valuable life lessons through lemonade.  Students in this and our other 6 Day Nursery centers have been working on becoming entrepreneurs through the national Lemonade … Continue reading →
  
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• 08:14

  16-Year Fact-Checking Error Responsible For Obama Lit Agency Claiming His Birth In Kenya

   »  Advance Indiana
  
  The Omedia has universally condemned every politician, pundit, blogger or citizen who has asked questions about "who is Barack Obama", including his place of birth and his natural born citizenship status for the past four years. Breitbart continues the vetting process of "Hope and Change" that never took place during the 2008 presidential campaign. It uncovered a booklet first published by Obama's literary agent in 1991 that claimed the Hawaiian-born "natural born citizen" was actually born in Kenya. That fact-checking error persisted for the following 16 years when the literary agent's website was finally revised in April, 2007, two months after The One announced that he was running for president that he really was born in Hawaii and not Kenya. The literary agent, Miriam Goderich, put out a statement through one of her firm's other clients, Political Wire's Taegan Goddard, after the Drudge Report led most of the day yesterday with the heading "Born In Kenya":
  

  "You're undoubtedly aware of the brouhaha stirred up by Breitbart about the erroneous statement in a client list Acton & Dystel published in 1991 (for circulation within the publishing industry only) that Barack Obama was born in Kenya. This was nothing more than a fact checking error by me -- an agency assistant at the time. There was never any information given to us by Obama in any of his correspondence or other communications suggesting in any way that he was born in Kenya and not Hawaii. I hope you can communicate to your readers that this was a simple mistake and nothing more."

  Breitbart went to great length to emphasize that it was not a part of the so-called "birther" conspiracy movement, a derisive term collectively used to describe any one who questions either where Obama was born or whether he can legally be considered a natural born citizen even if born in Hawaii because his father was a British citizen at the time of his birth and because a U.S. Supreme Court opinion from the late 19th century once took the view that only children born to U.S. citizen parents are considered natural born citizens. Breitbart's view is that Obama was in fact born in Hawaii but that Obama once claimed a birth in Kenya because it made for a more interesting bio when he was promoting his book; only when he decided that he had a realistic chance of becoming president did he decide to nail down his true origins to put to rest any doubts for that technical eligibility requirement of the U.S. Constitution.
  
  The Omedia universally ignored the latest revelation by Breitbart promoted to top billing status by the Drudge Report and instead focused on a New York Times report that a SuperPAC funded by Ameritrade's Joe Ricketts, owner of the Chicago Cubs, planned to spend millions emphasizing Obama's ties to his former controversial minister, Rev. Jeremiah Wright, who we recently learn had been offered a $150,000 bribe by one of Obama's closest Chicago friends, Dr. Eric Whitaker, to remain silent during the 2008 presidential campaign when his controversial political views became the center of attention. The Omedia managed to put Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney on the defensive for the message of a SuperPAC over which he has no control.
  
  And so this is how it goes with every unanswered question about Obama's origins. Move along, folks. There's nothing to see here. Answers about who Obama truly is will be made available to you on a need to know basis. His life really is just too complicated to understand. It's a work in progress--a composite character, if you will, subject to updates as new information becomes available. Why should any one be curious about how his literary agent could have gotten a critical part of her client's bio so wrong? How did the fact-checking error make it past the client's review? How did the fact-checking error of Obama's literary agent play a role in fostering the "Born In Kenya" conspiracy theory? Or how it was possible for this critical fact-checking error to persist for a 16-year period until months after the client officially became a presidential candidate before it was discovered? Getting his place of birth wrong wasn't the literary agent's only factual error. Obama was not the first African-American law student to head up the Harvard Law Review contrary to popular myth. Yet the same media folks fret over questions about George W. Bush's National Guard status, the true birth mother of Trigg Palin and Mitt Romney's teen-aged bully days.
  
  UPDATE: Powerline has this spot on reaction to the literary agent's supposed fact-checking error from someone who has worked in the field:
  
  

  IF YOU WANT A LITERARY AGENCY THAT WILL LIE FOR YOU OUTRAGEOUSLY TRY DYSTEL AND GOEDERICH

  A limp statement was squirted out yesterday after the Breitbart item appeared that a woman who worked at the time as a low level assistant at Acton and Dystel, then Obama’s agent (and is now the Goederich who is Dystel’s partner) was now taking full responsibility for making an “error.”

  As someone who has run a number of top bestseller publishers, I think this is an amazing MIRACLE.

  It is the ONLY case I have ever heard of in which an editorial assistant INVENTED a biographical detail. I have heard of typos, wrong dates, misspellings of names. But to pick a really weird country of origin like Kenya for an author?

  NEVER.

  After all where do the bios come from? We don’t make them up. And neither did Dystel & Goederich. They come from the authors, like Obama. No one has ever invented a detail like that, and the authors usually review them and scream like hell if we get them wrong.

  Can Dystel and Goedrich show us the correction appeal letter they got from Obama about the Kenya birth in over 10 years of using this bio? Or any other incident from any other publisher or agent that is similar to this “error?”

  I really don’t care where Obama was born. The continued degeneration of the press in passing on hilarious nonsense as fact is a lot more serious problem. Give Dystel & Goederich the Rose Mary Woods Memorial Award for the Most Absurd Lie to Protect a President of the Year.

  Thomas Lipscomb 

  Senior Fellow

  Annenberg Center for the Digital Future (USC)

  indiana politics civil rights law
  
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• 08:08

  We Have a Vast Compensation Package

   »  Front Porch Indiana

  You’ve heard the saying that in Florida you get paid in sunshine? Well as an employee at Conner Prairie, we get paid in grins…

  

  and giggles.

  

  One day when I was inside the pen trying to get pictures of the animals, I looked up and realized the cutest kids aren’t always goats.

  

  
  
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• 06:35

  IGS Adds Daviess County Teachers Directory to Members-Only

   »  Indiana Genealogical Society Blog
  The Indiana Genealogical Society has added a directory of Daviess County teachers to the County Records section of our Members Only area:
  
  --Directory of Teachers for Daviess County, Indiana (1936)
  
  This is a premium database, accessible only to IGS members.
  
  The Indiana Genealogical Society now has 782 databases in the Members Only area. They cover all 92 Indiana counties and encompass 500,000+ records.
  
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• Indiana blogs (US-IN), 05/17/2012
• 20:56

  Whiteland Barn Reunion - one last time

   »  60's indiana band szene
  
  
  Saturday is the FINAL installment of the Whiteland Barn reunions.  This is a great opportunity to come and see a great band  - BVD - and meet some of the musicians that made the 'Barn one of the most famous venues in the early '60s. Did I mention that the Ventures played the Whiteland Barn?
  
   Expected guests:
  
  Keith Phillips - Keetie of Keetie & the Kats - generally known as the house band of the 'Barn
  Ronnie Haig (Hege) -
  Larry Goshen - Historian & musician - Crowns & more
  Dan Ware - Vlasics
  Bill Harding - Vlasics
  Chris Henricks -Vlasics
  Val Muylle - Good Cheer - BVD
  Jerry Lee Williams - Crowns
  Ron VanLandingham - the reason the reunions exist at all!
  Don Holt - Whiteland Barn owner
  
  And hopefully many more I can't name here! Don't miss this opportunity to see guys and gals that lead the parade at the Whiteland Barn!
  
  
  And faithful readers, if anyone can help with a Whiteland Barn chronology, we are attempting to get one together. Tragically, a fire wiped out all the records, photos, and memorabilia of the 'Barn. The "Dawn Five" ad is from March '67, altho I'm leaning towards an early '68 shutdown, I'm not certain and would like to have it documented.
  
  Did I mention the Ventures played the 'Barn? And the Amimals, and Jerry lee Lewis!
  
  
  
  
  
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• 20:56

  [nt]

   »  60's indiana band szene
  
  
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• 19:36

  North Madison 3rd Graders Create Superb Mooresville History Pamphlet

   »  MPL Indiana Room Treasure Trove
  Each May for the past five years, students studying Indiana history at North Madison Elementary School have taken a historical bus and walking tour of Mooresville, Indiana.  It is an interesting route, filled with many intriguing pieces in the town's historical tapestry.  The MPL Indiana Room Historian acts as adventure guide.  Our top two handouts summarize the bus portion of the field trip (along with the history of several houses around the neighborhoods visited), and the third handout highlights certain historical buildings in downtown Mooresville.
  
  North_Madison_MV_Tour_Route_2012
  
  var docstoc_docid="120689045";var docstoc_title="North_Madison_MV_Tour_Route_2012";var docstoc_urltitle="North_Madison_MV_Tour_Route_2012";
  
  Highlights of Historic Mooresville Bus Tour-pixvers
  
  var docstoc_docid="38270135";var docstoc_title="Highlights of Historic Mooresville Bus Tour-pixvers";var docstoc_urltitle="Highlights of Historic Mooresville Bus Tour-pixvers";
  
  Downtown Mooresville Indiana Self-Guided Walking Tour
  
  var docstoc_docid="37144815";var docstoc_title="Downtown Mooresville Indiana Self-Guided Walking Tour";var docstoc_urltitle="Downtown Mooresville Indiana Self-Guided Walking Tour";
  
  The field trip is organized and supervised by North Madison educator Kristian Neal.  Under the direction of Kris, Tracy Gercak, and Susan Haynes, North Madison students have prepared a wonderful local historical brochure for persons interested in Mooresville's nearly two complete centuries of ongoing history.  (The town's bicentennial will arrive in 2024.)  It is a superbly crafted pamphlet that anyone interested in Mooresville history will enjoy.  Congratulations to all the North Madison students and teachers involved in this informative project.
  Mooresville: Our Town, Our History, by North Madison Elementary School 3rd Graders
  
  var docstoc_docid="120690502";var docstoc_title="Mooresville: Our Town, Our History, by North Madison Elementary School 3rd Graders";var docstoc_urltitle="Mooresville: Our Town, Our History, by North Madison Elementary School 3rd Graders";
  
  If you prefer paper to a digitized PDF, please visit the MPL Indiana Room.  Copies are available free-of-charge.
  
  
  
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• 19:12

  IGS Adds Benton County Teachers Directory To Members-Only

   »  Indiana Genealogical Society Blog
  The Indiana Genealogical Society has added a directory of Benton County teachers to the County Records section of our Members Only area:
  
  --Directory of Teachers for Benton County, Indiana (1936)
  
  This is a premium database, accessible only to IGS members.
  
  The Indiana Genealogical Society now has 781 databases in the Members Only area. They cover all 92 Indiana counties and encompass 500,000+ records.
  
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• 18:44

  Robin Shackleford's Residency Issue

   »  Advance Indiana
  Rather than titillate you as a certain other blogger has done in his useless paid subscription gossip rag, here are the facts on Robin Shackleford's residency issue. Yes, she owns a condominium in Pike Township where she has resided for several years. Yes, she ran against Mike Delph for Senate District 29 in 2010 using her Pike Township voting residence at 4964 Potomac Square Way. According to property tax information for taxes paid in 2011, Shackleford was still claiming a homestead exemption on her Pike Township condominium.
  
  After redistricting and Bill Crawford's decision not to seek re-election, City-County Councilor Vernon Brown stated his intention to run for Crawford's seat. Brown will be barred from seeking another term on the council because of a new law that prohibits local government employees from serving as a council member for the same unit of government that employs them. Ice Miller lobbyist Lacy Johnson entered the picture and ordered Brown to stand down in favor of his handpicked candidate Robin Shackleford, even though she didn't reside in House District 98. Late last year, Shackleford, or someone on her behalf, conveniently rented an apartment in House District 98 on the opposite side of town and changed her voter registration. She also asked the Marion Co. Auditor's office to remove her homestead exemption from her Pike Township condominium.
  
  In order to be eligible to run in House District 98, Shackleford has to reside within the district at least one year prior to the election. There are some indications that Shackleford may have still been residing in Pike Township within the one-year time window prior to this November's election. More information would need to be ascertained to determine if she actually had a residence in House District 98 within the one-year residency period. The bottom line is that Shackleford had no connection to House District 98; she simply moved into it (or claimed to be residing in it) for the purpose of running for a House seat so Lacy Johnson has someone in his back pocket just like he has in Bill Crawford. Don't expect the Marion Co. Republican Party to take any action to challenge Shackleford's residency. Brown may now be regretting that he hadn't stayed in the race and contested Shackleford's residency.indiana politics civil rights law
  
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• 15:06

  Yo-Yo Competition Coming to the Indianapolis Artsgarden

   »  The Indiana Insider Blog

  When I was little, I went through a yo-yo phase, where I was completely fascinated by these spinning toys on strings. I tried to master every trick, like walking the dog. I wasn’t particularly successful, but I still think yo-yos are pretty cool.

  On June 9, aspiring yo-yo players will compete in the Indiana State Yo-Yo Competition at the Indianapolis Artsgarden near Circle Centre Mall. The fun kicks off at 10 a.m. and runs until 5 p.m. If you’d like to participate, you can register online here. But I’m more interested in observing the competition, which starts with 1-minute freestyle performances. As competitors advance, the length of performance lasts longer and the tricks become much more difficult.

  The competition will be judged by competitive yo-yo professionals, and is organized by the Yo-Yo Hero and one of the world’s best yo-yo artists, Takeshi Kamisato.

  The Indianapolis Artsgarden is also home to a series of free lunchtime concerts. It’s a great way to break up the monotony of the workday. To check dates, times and performances, a calendar is available here.

  Yo-Yo Competition Coming to the Indianapolis Artsgarden is a post from The Indiana Insider Blog. Check out more great content from the Indiana Insider.

  Did you enjoy this post? Here are some related posts you might also like:

  1. Mr. Potato Head at the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis
  2. Playscape at the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis
  3. Indianapolis Museum of Art’s 100 Acres

  
  
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• 14:44

  IGS Adds Indianapolis School Directory To Members-Only

   »  Indiana Genealogical Society Blog
  The Indiana Genealogical Society has added a directory of alumni from an Indianapolis school to the County Records section of our Members Only area:
  
  --Alumni of Indianapolis Public School #30 (1927-1947)
  
  This is a premium database, accessible only to IGS members.
  
  The Indiana Genealogical Society now has 780 databases in the Members Only area. They cover all 92 Indiana counties and encompass 500,000+ records.
  
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• 14:29

  HIRAM TOWNSEND - CIVIL WAR SOLDIER

   »  Steuben County Indiana: Through The Years
  Hiram L. TownsendPost. No. 405., G.A.R.Located at Metz, Indiana
  At the outbreak of the war in 1861 there lived with his parents in the vicinity of Metz, a quiet thoughtful youth about 15 years of age, who was born in Mahoning county, Ohio, Nov. 26, 1846.  Intense patriotism burned in the breast of this boy, Hiram L. Townsend, who longed for more years and strength that he might become a union soldier.  HE waited impatiently until Jan., 1864, and being about 17 years of age, he enlisted in Company A 129th Ind. in company with many of his acquaintances and play-mates.  From the entrance of his regiment into the service, he was constantly with his command participating in all of its engagements, marches, and flank movements as Hovey's Babies until after the evacuation of Atlanta.  He, being a youth of ability was detailed as clerk at the A.A. Gen. Office in Decatur, but when the regiment marched in pursuit of Hood he insisted on rejoining his command and did active duty during the campaign that terminated in the total destruction of Hood's army at Franklin Nov. 30 and at Nashville Dec 15 and 16, 1864.  Shortly after he was again detailed as clerk at regimental headquarters and in Feb., 1865, transferred to Brigade headquarters as clerk and retained that position until the regiment was mustered out of the service.  Comrade Townsend was  generous quiet and sincere in all work before him, with a smile a pleasant word and greeting for all.  As a gentlemanly courteous citizen and business man, was well known in a large territory, especially near Metz where he married, lived and on Nov 26, 1882 died, just 36 years old, the resulting cause, his army and campaign service.  He was buried with Masonic honor, of which order he was a prominent and worthy member.
  At the formation of a G.A.R. post at Metz, in the selection of a representative name from deceased comrades, among others the name of Hiram L Townsend was proposed. Capt W. H. Cole being present gave a historic and fitting tribute of the soldier life and soldier qualities of comrade Townsend.  The result was a post being chartered Aug. 8, 1885 with 16 charter members, known as the Hiram L. Townsend Post G.A.R. No 405.
  Taken from : War For The Union 1861-1865, A Record of its Defenders Living and Dead From Steuben County, Indiana and History of Veteran Organizations and Kindred Associationsby Jesse Carpenter 1888
  
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• 13:21

  Gas Plant Pushes Forward in Rockport

   »  Building Indiana Blog

  Indiana Gasification is one step closer toward the development of a $2.9 billion substitute natural gas plant in Rockport, as its emissions permit has been sent to the EPA for final approval, the Evansville Courier & Press recently reported.

  The Indiana Department of Environmental Management signed off on the emissions permit and forwarded it on to the EPA last week.
  The Indiana Gasification plant will emit just a fraction of what coal-burning plants put into the atmosphere. And a pipeline will carry the CO2, which is captured and turned into liquid, to the Gulf of Mexico, for use in oil production.

  “This concept of treating carbon dioxide as a product rather than as an emission is important and one that we developed with great care,” says Bill Rosenberg, a partner in Indiana Gasification and former assistant administrator for EPA. “You can think about this as a prototype plant where this could be replicated in other environments.”

  
  
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• 13:09

  IU Health Earns Technology Award

   »  Building Indiana Blog

  Indiana University Health in Indianapolis was a named Laureate by IDG’s Computerworld Honors Program by Accellion for innovative use of technology solutions. The annual award program honors visionary applications of information technology promoting positive social, economic and educational change.

  In 2011, Indiana University Health used Accellion solutions to address its file-sharing and collaboration needs while proactively protecting personal health information and supporting regulatory compliance. Utilizing Accellion Secure Mobile File Sharing and Collaboration solutions, Indiana University Health was able to secure confidential patient data and transfer large files throughout the organization.

  Accellion’s file sharing technology is enabling Indiana University Health to eliminate previous geographic barriers and bring physicians together to collaborate on routine, complex or even critical cases. The solutions are supportive of regulatory compliance and provide doctors with mobile file sharing and collaboration services that are both fast and secure, which can lead to increased patient care. Accellion Secure Mobile File Sharing and Collaboration solutions are also able to support the electronic transfer of very large files, properly secure patient information and provide tracking information in support of evolving Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) regulations.

  Computerworld received more than 500 nominations from around the globe for the 2012 Honors Program. The 200 Laureates were selected by a panel of leading information technology company chairmen and CEOs.

  
  
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• 12:37

  Yet Another Trademark Monitoring Service Solicitation

   »  Indiana Intellectual Property & Technology Blog
  Information in a U.S. trademark application is public record. As such, it has become commonplace to receive a batch of unofficial trademark solicitations within weeks after filing. One such solicitation received recently is shown below. These types of documents may … Continue reading →
  
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• 10:38

  Tombstone Thursday - Newlin

   »  Tri-State Genealogical Society of Evansville, Indiana "TSGS Cruiser"
  
  Frederick L. Newlin, Jr.1928-1999Martha A. Braun(married 1952)1930-2010
  
  
  - Photo taken between Dec 2010 & Feb 2011 by JGWest
  
  [Tombstone Thursday is dedicated in memory of Donald G. West 1952-2000]
  
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• 08:20

  Gregg Favors Shifting Taxes From Businesses To Individuals

   »  Advance Indiana
  This must be a first for a Democrat. John Gregg's plan to essentially eliminate corporate income taxes for businesses located in Indiana would be paid for by new taxes on consumers for their online purchases. His plan would cut taxes for businesses by about $350 million and pay for it by imposing sales taxes on Indiana consumers who make online purchases, which Gregg claimed would raised at least $200 million. Gregg is calling his plan a "Hoosier Handshake." Gregg's tax cut for businesses would come in the form of an income tax credit of at least $500 per full-time employee. The credit could be as high as $2,000 per full-time employee if the company's average pay is three times the state's average. It would only benefit those companies who locate their headquarters in Indiana. A Ball State University study, however, pegged the potential untaxed online sales at about $77 million annually according to the Star.
  
  UPDATE: Gregg's plan could provide a windfall to a company like Eli Lilly. Do the math and it's not hard to come up with a scenario where the company's tax credits would surpass its tax liability to the state by millions of dollars.indiana politics civil rights law
  
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• 07:33

  It Is Going to be a Busy Weekend

   »  Front Porch Indiana

  My son and I are busy packing and gearing up to participate as reenactors at Conner Prairie’s Civil War Days this weekend. If you are in the area stop by and look for me, I’ll be doing laundry somewhere in the Union camp.

  

  “While you are here, if you visit the barn I might let you pet my baby, too,” said the goat.

  
  
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• 06:26

  FamilySearch Adds 4 Counties to Indiana Marriage Index

   »  Indiana Genealogical Society Blog
  FamilySearch has updated the Indiana marriage index 1811-1959 that is in progress. Entries from Kosciusko County, Martin County, Morgan County and Noble County have been added; 42 of Indiana's 92 counties are now included in the index.
  
  Visit our Indiana Marriage Indexing Project page to learn more about this joint project between the Indiana Genealogical Society and FamilySearch and how you can help.
  
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• 00:16

  Phoenix Theatre to Premiere “Forever Sung”

   »  The Indiana Insider Blog

  Not many people like the idea of getting older, but let’s face it…it’s better than the alternative.  In truth, there is much to be celebrated about aging. That’s the idea behind the original musical production “Forever Sung: A Celebration of Age in Song” at the Phoenix Theatre in Indianapolis.

  

  Forever Sung ensemble cast. Photo credit: Zach Rosing

  “Forever Sung” opens to the public on Friday, May 18 and runs May 18-20, 24-26 and June 1-3 at the downtown theatre. The show is  a collaboration between the Phoenix Theatre and the University of Indianapolis Center for Aging & Community, which is sponsoring the event as a finale to its 10th anniversary year.

  Audiences will delightfully recall songs from years past in this musical concert that celebrates every age of life. The music is borrowed from the songbooks of Bob Dylan, Nina Simone, The Grateful Dead, Toby Keith, Cat Stevens, Sting, John Mayer, Taylor Swift, Paul Simon and many others.

  “Forever Sung” is presented in the Phoenix’s cozy caberet-style Frank and Katrina Basile Theatre. Showtimes are Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 p.m. and Sundays at 2:00 p.m. All seats are $25.

  Phoenix Theatre to Premiere “Forever Sung” is a post from The Indiana Insider Blog. Check out more great content from the Indiana Insider.

  Did you enjoy this post? Here are some related posts you might also like:

  1. Beef and Boards Theatre Provides Great Dinner Theatre to Indianapolis
  2. Renovation of Historic Elkhart Theatre Earns Indiana Landmarks Award
  3. Jamaica Farewell Showing in March at the Indianapolis Fringe Theatre

  
  
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• Indiana blogs (US-IN), 05/16/2012
• 20:43

  Sizzling Summer Used Book Sale

   »  Indiana Free Library Blog
  Sizzling Summer Used Book Sale
  
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• 15:03

  IGS Adds Free Index of Sullivan County Coroner's Inquest Records

   »  Indiana Genealogical Society Blog
  The Indiana Genealogical Society has added a free database of a Sullivan County coroner's inquest index to the County Records section of our Members Only area:
  
  --Index to Coroner's Inquest Records for Sullivan County, Indiana (1916-1917)
  
  This database is courtesy of the Sullivan County Public Library and Donna K. Adams. It is free to the public - no membership is needed in order to view it.
  
  The Indiana Genealogical Society now has 779 databases in the Members Only area. They cover all 92 Indiana counties and encompass 500,000+ records.
  
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• 14:36

  "Tex Justus"

   »  Tri-State Genealogical Society of Evansville, Indiana "TSGS Cruiser"
  
  Tex JustusEvansville & Boonville, local Television & Radio celebrity, is featured (with his band) in the Evansville Courier in Pat Sides' photo History Lesson below.Please click on image to get a larger view to read the article.  Olus "Tex" Justus married Rebecca Long in Owensboro, KY in 1939.Rebecca Long and my mother, Bernadine Long, were first cousins - JGWest
  
  - Image sent to me by Don Counts
  
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• 13:05

  New admins coming soon...

   »  Indiana Inline
  New admins coming soon...
  
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• 12:53

  Cender and Company in the news

   »  Indiana Municipal Finance and Planning Consultant
  East Chicago and Cline Avenue bridge   The East Chicago Indiana city council gave approval to the Mayor to begin the process of a public-private partnership to build a toll bridge for Cline Avenue. Times Article The agreement allows Mayor Copeland to proceed with a transfer of the state-owned 1.25-mile span over the Indiana Harbor [...]
  
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• 12:50

  East Chicago and Cline Avenue bridge

   »  Indiana Municipal Consultant
  The East Chicago Indiana city council gave approval to the Mayor to begin the process of a public-private partnership to build a toll bridge for Cline Avenue.
  
  Times Article
  
  

  The agreement allows Copeland to proceed with a transfer of the state-owned 1.25-mile span over the Indiana Harbor and Ship Canal to a development group that will build, own and operate the new road.

  
  

  In return for an estimated investment of between $150 million and $250 million to rebuild the bridge, United Bridge Partners stands to gain 10 years of tax abatement and 25 years of financial leverage through creation of a tax increment financing district beneath the overpass.

  
  

  Though the toll has yet to determined, the city will collect 10 cents for every vehicle crossing between Hammond and Gary.

  
  

  As a state highway, Cline Avenue currently generates no property taxes, said Karl Cender of Cender and Company, the council's financial adviser.

  
  

  "After a private company rebuilds it, it will be assessed — but with a tax abatement for the first 10 years," Cender said.

  
  

  
  

  
  
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• 11:12

  Subaru Invests in Lafayette

   »  Building Indiana Blog

  A Subaru production facility in Lafayette is making a $75 million investment, as it looks to meet increased demand for the Subaru Outback and Legacy.

  Construction on a 52,000 square-foot expansion to the body assembly section is expected to begin this summer. Incorporated in Indiana in 1987, the company has produced more than 3.6 million vehicles since it began production in 1989. During its 2012 fiscal year, the company produced 170,629 Subaru vehicles by using varying amounts of daily and Saturday overtime. The new capacity expansion will enable associates to build 180,000 vehicles on straight time, compared to the current limit of 156,000 units. The project completion is expected by the end of 2014.

  Approximately 3,600 Hoosiers work at the company’s 832-acre Lafayette campus, with more than 600 workers added in the last three years. This project is expected to add another 100. In 2011, more than half of all Subarus sold in North America were built at SIA. Subaru expects to set its fourth consecutive year of record sales in the U.S. market in 2012.

  The Indiana Economic Development Corporation offered Subaru of Indiana Automotive up to $950,000 in conditional tax credits and up to $50,000 in training grants based on the company’s job creation plans. These tax credits are performance-based, meaning until Hoosiers are hired, the company is not eligible to claim incentives. The city of Lafayette will consider additional property tax abatement at the request of the Greater Lafayette Commerce.

  
  
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• 10:29

  American Craft Beer Week - Shallo's Annual Spring Tasting

   »  Hoosier Beer Geek
  Shallo's Restaurant and bar has been a Southside institution for over thirty years. From the outside, it's unassuming facade hides the beery goodness inside.  Mike and I have frequented this place for as long as we've lived in Indiana and we've enjoyed many of their craft beers.
  
  Along with their usual offerings, they also host a beer tasting twice a year, in the spring and fall. Most recently, they hosted their Spring tasting on Monday evening.  While we checked out the offerings, I had a chance to talk to Paul Zoellner, one of Shallos' owners, and he told me this was his 30th tasting event.  The number of people vary, and Monday's event held around 50 or 60 people.  "I've seen it with as many as 100-110 people," Zoellner said, "but 50-60 seems like a comfortable amount".
  This time around, the tasting featured representatives from New Albanian Brewery, Fountain Square Brewery and New Day Meadery, as well as distribution representatives from Cavalier, Monarch, World Class, and Zink.  These folks poured samples of 40+ beers, ciders, and even a couple Bloody Mary mixes.  There was a nice spread of snacks for responsible sipping as well. 
  
  Most of the offerings were served from bottles and cans, along with samples from four of their draft lines.  Draft pours included Zombie Dust, a well loved pale ale from Three Floyds, House of Shandy Traveler, and two brews new to Indiana from St. Louis and the good folks at Urban Chestnut Brewing.  The two beers we'll see around town and the two offered at the tasting were Winged Nut (literally nutty, as it is made with finely milled chestnuts), and Zwickel, an unfiltered German Lager.
  A feature of Shallos' tastings is they offer a beer list and a pencil so you can make notes.  It appeared that a majority of people, at least early on, were doing that.  Another perk is a raffle held at the end, where I am pretty sure that everyone in attendance went home with a prize or two (Mike and I picked up Fountain Square Brewing tasting glasses).  There had a wide variety of prizes including t-shirts, beer signs, and beer glasses of all shapes and sizes.
  Thanks to Doug, barman extraordinaire, and all at Shallo's for putting on a fun event and for letting us be a part of it!
  
  To end the night, we sampled some tasty test batches from Planetary Brewing (coming soon to Greenwood) and spoke to owner/brewer, Andrew Groves.  Andrew and Doug have been working hard to get everything set up and ready.  Look for them late summer/early fall.
  
  With this being a beer tasting event, I did what I normally do, and took tasting notes:
  
  
  
  Urban Chestnut
  
  Urban Chestnut Zwickel - True to Germanic roots. Banana and bread, finishes dry.
  
  Urban Chestnut Winged Nut - Toast and Pretzel nose, followed by burnt unbuttered popcorn. As bad as that sounds, it's actually kind of interesting and worth checking out.
  
  I think Urban Chestnut may find an audience here because they're doing something completely different than anyone in town.  
  
  New Day Meadery
  
  New Day South Cider, Cherry Mead, and Johnny Chapman - Perhaps because I've been so buried in beer, it took my a while to come around on meads and ciders. These were tasty examples.
  
  I think traditional meads and ciders tend to be lacking in the sort of three distinct phases (front, middle, and back) that you find in better beer (and I could be completely wrong here). What I like about what New Day is doing is that they're incorporating craft beer techniques - stuff like dry hopping and barrel aging - into their meads and ciders, giving them completely unique character.
  
  I talked with New Day's Brett Canaday about his process, and he believes that (along with Michigan's B. Nektar) New Day is among the pioneers in the use of these techniques in mead making.
  
  Keep your eyes out of a barrel-aged version of Johnny Chapman.
  
  Fountain Square Brewery
  
  Fountain Square Bigger Nugget - Huge grapefruit nose, middle follows through big on bitter, medium body. Rich flavor reminds you that you're drinking a double IPA, but an easy drinking DIPA, if there is such a thing.
  
  Fountain Square Cranberry Wheat - There's just hint of cranberry on the nose, followed up by light vanilla on front. Then an explosion of cranberry tartness dries out the finish.
  
  I've really liked what the guys at Fountain Square are doing, and have yet to notice any of the usual hiccups that come along with the opening of a new brewery.
  
  New Albanian Brewing Company
  
  New Albanian Tunnel Vision - "Have I not had this?" Immediately likable. A glass of caramel apple popcorn. Lively chouffe yeast finish, and even though this was my third beer of the evening, I immediately knew it would be my favorite. It is a bit rich - a sharing bottle, perhaps.
  
  
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• 09:58

  Fore! The My Marsh Classic is Headed Your Way!

   »  The Indiana Insider Blog

  If you’ve heard of the My Marsh Classic golf tournament that’s coming up at the end of May, you may have several questions about the event. Questions like: Will the bag boys be competing? Will I be hearing “Fore!” and need to duck while grocery shopping? Well there’s no need to worry about any of those things!

  Marsh Supermarkets is sponsoring the My Marsh Classic - an all caddied, 54-hole stroke play professional tournament taking place May 28 – June 3 at the Hawthorns Golf and Country Club in Fishers, Indiana. It is also one of the newest tournaments on the Symetra Tour and features one of the largest purses too. The My Marsh Classic is a chance for the young female golfers of the Symetra Tour to show off their skills- no bag boys allowed! The Symetra Tour is known as the Road to the LPGA (Ladies Professional Golf Association) because helps to prepare young lady golfers for spot on the LPGA Tour.

  The My Marsh Classic is a great way for families to see golf up close and in action! In addition to the tournament itself, there are several other activities to partake in. On May 29, a free Junior Golf Clinic will be offered to 6-15 year-olds wanting to learn golf basics from Symetra Tour professional golfers. For the younger kids there will be a Craft Corner hosted by Conner Prairie Interactive History Park where crafts can be made and later signed by the players. Tickets for the My Marsh Classic can be purchased at all 70 central Indiana Marsh Supermarket locations, The Hawthorns Golf & Country Club, and Hamilton County Sports Authority. Daily tickets are $10, weekly passes are $25 and daily VIP tickets are $50. There are great discounts too: active military tickets are $2, $5 for students and kids 16 and under are FREE with the purchase of an adult ticket! So get ready, the My Marsh Classic is coming to Indiana- fore!

  Fore! The My Marsh Classic is Headed Your Way! is a post from The Indiana Insider Blog. Check out more great content from the Indiana Insider.

  Did you enjoy this post? Here are some related posts you might also like:

  1. Pete Dye Golf Trail: Plum Creek Golf Club – Carmel, IN
  2. A Day at the Park
  3. Did you say FREE?!

  
  
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• 09:03

  Hammond Prepares to Open Pedestrian Bridge

   »  Building Indiana Blog

  Runners and bicyclists will be cheering this summer as they zip over Indianapolis Blvd. in northwest Indiana. The George Lake Pedestrian Bridge, which was paid for entirely with RDA grant money received by the Hammond Port Authority as part of the Hammond Lakes RDA project, will connect the Whiting trail system to Hammond’s. The official ribbon-cutting ceremony will begin at 10:00 Thursday, May 31, 2012 at the intersection of Indianapolis Blvd. and New York Ave.

  Honored speakers will include Mayor Thomas M. McDermott, Jr., City of Whiting Mayor Joseph Stahura, Dennis Hardesty, Chairman of the Hammond Port Authority Board of Directors, Mark Kalwinski, Hammond City Council, 1st District, William Hanna, Executive Director of the RDA, Leigh Morris, Chairman of the RDA Board of Directors, Kerry Keith, President, SEH of Indiana and Bill Hasse, Hasse Construction.

  
  
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• 09:02

  IGS Adds Free Blackford County Marriage Index

   »  Indiana Genealogical Society Blog
  The Indiana Genealogical Society has added a free database of a Blackford County marriage index to the County Records section of our Members Only area:
  
  --Index to Marriages for Blackford County, Indiana (1839-1857)
  
  This database is free to the public - no membership is needed in order to view it.
  
  The Indiana Genealogical Society now has 778 databases in the Members Only area. They cover all 92 Indiana counties and encompass 500,000+ records.
  
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• 07:41

  Tully's New Take On Residency Concerns

   »  Advance Indiana
  When it came to Charlie White's residency problems, it was all black and white with Matt Tully. He thought White was a "poor lost soul" and an "ill-equipped, felony charged embarrassment of a secretary of state" who deserved to be removed from office when he tried to defend his decision to register to vote at his ex-wife's home for a several month period while he was in between homes and tried pointing out that other prominent Indiana politicians like Evan Bayh and Richard Lugar were the ones who had truly flaunted the state's residency laws. Now that the residency issue helped sink the career of his favorite Indiana politician, Richard Lugar, and a political come back for David McIntosh, Tully has a new found view of the residency issue.
  

  Am I the only one getting tired of all the residency issues facing Indiana politicians? . . .

  This isn't a new issue, and in the past it often hasn't exacted a price. Evan Bayh moved to the state in the 1980s to launch his political career, and Dan Coats moved here in 2010 to relaunch his. Both did so with spectacular success.

  But some voters seem to have finally had enough and, last week, they rejected the candidacies of at least two politicians who struggled to explain their residential ties to the state.

  As with every issue, though, this one is leading to political opportunism . . .

  Those laws are conveniently liberal in their description of what it takes to run for office. They have allowed candidates with few current ties to the state to claim their spots on the ballot and, in some cases, win election. But winning doesn't make it right.

  Personally, I'm most concerned about the trend of former Indiana politicians moving back to the state solely to run for office, as opposed to those who spend a lot of time out East while serving in Congress . . .

  With that in mind, and after so many issues in recent years, perhaps we should adopt a new rule: If you want to be elected by Hoosiers, there should be no doubt that you are one.

  It's funny how Tully couldn't accept that there was anything "conveniently liberal" in the residency laws when applied to Charlie White. I don't know how any one with a conscience could think it was fair that White was criminally prosecuted, forced from office and stripped of his law license because of the great crime he supposedly committed in light of the circumstances of Lugar's and McIntosh's residency that came to light this year.indiana politics civil rights law
  
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• 07:13

  John Gregg Wants Tax Cut For Businesses

   »  Advance Indiana
  Republican Democratic gubernatorial candidate John Gregg is vowing to cut taxes of all sorts if he's elected governor. Last month, Gregg announced a plan to permanently eliminate the sales tax on gasoline, which would save consumers more than a half billion dollars annually. Now he plans to propose new cuts in the state's corporate income tax. Gov. Mitch Daniels signed legislation passed by the Republican-controlled legislature last year that lowered Indiana's corporate income tax rate 25% from 8.5% to 6.5%. Gregg also said last week that he wasn't having any part of President Barack Obama's evolving position on gay marriage. Gregg insists marriage is between one man and one woman and he supports writing Indiana's current ban on same-sex marriage into the state's constitution. With positions like this, how could Mike Pence possibly outflank Gregg on the right?indiana politics civil rights law
  
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• 06:35

  IGS Appoints Benton County and Howard County Genealogists

   »  Indiana Genealogical Society Blog
  At its May 5 board meeting, the Indiana Genealogical Society appointed 2 more Indiana County Genealogists:
  
  Janet M. Kult of Boswell is the Indiana County Genealogist for Benton County. Janet has been doing genealogy since 1983. She volunteers with the Benton County Historical Society, indexing vital records and adding information to the historical society’s collection. She knows all her hard work will help future family historians.
  
  Cynthia L. Stover of Kokomo is the Indiana County Genealogist for Howard County. Cynthia is 2nd Vice-President of the Howard County Historical Society and has been doing genealogy for over twenty years. She has also been a member of the General James Cox Chapter of the National Society of Daughters of the American Revolution (NSDAR), and volunteers on that organization's Genealogist Committee and the Genealogical Records Committee.
  
  About ICG
  Indiana County Genealogist (ICG) is a program of the Indiana Genealogical Society. Its goal is to appoint qualified individuals to represent each of the 92 counties in Indiana. The ICG promotes genealogical and historical research and education within the county, is familiar with the genealogical records and repositories in the county, is aware of record retention policies and issues and acts as a resource person for those doing research in the county.
  
  If you would like to apply to be an Indiana County Genealogist for your area, please visit [www.indgensoc.org]
  
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• Indiana blogs (US-IN), 05/15/2012
• 21:46

  So Who Did This Ex-FBI Agent Piss Off?

   »  Advance Indiana
  The local arrest of a highly-regarded, retired FBI agent in Carmel on child pornography charges seems a little too difficult to swallow. Donald Sachtleben was arrested by federal authorities last Friday after a search of his home computer earlier this month supposedly turned up evidence that he possessed and distributed child pornography. Something doesn't smell right about his arrest.
  
  Sachtleben is not just any retired FBI agent. According to Sachtleben's Linkedin site, he led investigative teams on some of the highest profile FBI terrorist investigations, including The Unabomber, the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, the Oklahoma City bombing, the Khobar Towers bombing in Saudi Arabia, the Nairobi embassy bombing, the attack on the USS Cole and the 9/11 United Flight 93 hijacked airliner that crashed near Shanksville, Pennsylvania. He had to be among the elite of FBI agents to have worked on all of those high profile investigations in a management role.
  
  Sachtleben is just 54 and retired from Indianapolis' FBI office in 2008 at age 50. Indianapolis doesn't seem like a place where a valued FBI agent would be assigned near the end of his tenure. Any FBI agents with ambition seek transfers out of the Indianapolis office. Sachtleben's attorney seems determined to put down any suggestion that his client's arrest had anything to do with his past work for the FBI and is not providing particularly helpful comments for his client:
  
  

  Sachtleben's attorney Charles Hayes said that his client’s legacy stands alone from the allegations.

  "We just want everyone to know that (Sachtleben) has served his country well with the FBI for 20 years. None of the allegations made by the government have anything to do with any of the things he's ever done for the FBI,” Hayes said . . .

  "He certainly would know that one of the FBI's major projects is hunting down child pornography. So, I can’t imagine he did this while still working,” Hayes said.

  
  "So, I can't imagine he did this while still working," his attorney told WRTV. Huh? His other attorney, Kathleen Sweeney, told the AP that he had entered a not guilty plea on Monday, but Hayes' comment makes him sound guilty. According to WRTV, Sachtleben is still behind bars at the Marion County Jail following his arrest last week, and a hearing is not scheduled until Thursday.indiana politics civil rights law
  
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• 21:43

  A Kid and Her Calf

   »  Front Porch Indiana

  Boing.

  

  Boing.

  

  “Thwwwwp.”

  

  “Uh oh.”

  

  “Hey, I could use a little help. I’m stuck up here,” said the kid.

   

  “I really need to up my babysitting rates,” thought the calf.

  
  
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• 20:10

  Dickson Named Chief Justice

   »  Advance Indiana
  The Indiana Judicial Nominating Commission voted unanimously today to appoint Justice Brent Dickson as the new Chief Justice of the state's Supreme Court. Dickson is the most senior member of the court first appointed to the bench in 1986 by Gov. Robert Orr. He has been the acting Chief Justice since Randall Shepard stepped down in March. Chief Justice Dickson said of his appointment:
  

  “I am deeply honored by the Commission's confidence in me and by my fellow justices' kind words and support urging my selection. I welcome the opportunity to serve the citizens of Indiana, our dedicated judicial officers, and the staffs of our various court agencies.”

  Dickson, who is 70, will reach the mandatory retirement age of 75 in July 2016 before the end of his five-year term. Dickson told reporters that he was not committing to serve until 2016, and that he initially was not interested in assuming the role until his fellow judges and other government officials convinced him he should do it. indiana politics civil rights law
  
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• 16:57

  Sewer Improvements set for Schererville Heights

   »  Building Indiana Blog

  Work is scheduled for a sewer-improvement project in unincorporated Schererville Heights of Lake County under a partnering agreement between the Corps’ Chicago District and Indiana Lake.

  The project includes installing 900 feet of new box culvert, reconstructing an existing pond berm, and adding two overflow swales. About 7,400 feet of existing ditch along Rohrman Road will be stabilized and regraded to improve storm water flow and capacity.

  Storm sewer improvements will mitigate risks of frequent and severe flooding currently experienced by Schererville residents. The $1.3 million project increase capacity for flood waters and benefit 30,000 residents, the Army Corps says.

  On March 9, 2012, the Corps awarded a $1,022,499 construction contract to Gough of Merrillville.

  Rep. Peter Visclosky said. “This shared investment will employ many local residents on the job site, earning a livable wage during the construction phase, and will provide relief to hundreds of residents who will no longer be subjected to flood-like conditions during normal rain events, says Rep. Peter Visclosky (D-Ind.). “The legacy of this project will be a long-lasting improvement in the quality of life for area residents.”

  Construction will begin in June 2012 and is expected to be completed in winter 2012.

  
  
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• 15:52

  Furniture Manufacturing Headed to Knox

   »  Building Indiana Blog

  The Starke County Economic Development Foundation has announced that Selected Furniture will provide 25 new jobs when it moves into the former Rockwell Building in Knox. Charles Weaver, Executive Director of the Foundation, says the firm will invest over one million dollars when it purchases, renovates and equips the 201,000 square foot industrial facility that at one time produced windows and doors. The Federal Group was the most recent manufacturer in the facility.

  “We are excited about the possibilities that locating in Knox provide for us, especially our goal to bring the manufacturing process that is currently done in China back to the United States,” says Tommy Shelef, managing director of selected. “The initial estimate is 25 jobs, but our long-term plan is to ultimately expand to 125 jobs. We were also pleased to find a labor force with a strong background of woodworking.”

  
  
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• 14:36

  Morning ride to Rabbit Hash

   »  Back Roads of Indiana
  I decided to do the Rabbit Hash and Big Bone Lick loop this AM. Heading down Hathaway Rd. / KY536 I was thinking to maybe do Big Jimmy Hill for an extra workout so I turned right on Dale Williamson Rd which had recently been repaved! Damn, another excuse gone for avoiding Big Jimmy! So I'm committed and am cruising along pristine pavement to my doom. For those who haven't had the honor of Big Jimmy it's around one half mile of extremely steep hill starting out almost immediately with 0.2 mile of 18 to 20% grade. It's probably a good idea to get to your smallest chainring before turning onto Big Jimmy, it's immediate up! A stop at Rabbit Hash for a coke / snack and if your lucky a visit with the mayor on the bench outside the store! Beautiful scenery along the Ohio River and several nice hills to get a good workout.
  
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• 13:49

  IGS Adds Free Allen County Cemetery Database

   »  Indiana Genealogical Society Blog
  The Indiana Genealogical Society has added a free database of an Allen County cemetery index to the County Records section of our Members Only area:
  
  --Index of St. John's Catholic Cemetery, Allen County, Indiana
  
  This database is free to the public - no membership is needed in order to view it.
  
  The Indiana Genealogical Society now has 777 databases in the Members Only area. They cover all 92 Indiana counties and encompass 500,000+ records.
  
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• 13:44

  IU Receives Sustainability Grants

   »  Building Indiana Blog

  The Indiana University Office of Sustainability has announced the recipients of the Sustainability Research Development Grants for the 2012-13 academic year. Two teams of IU Bloomington faculty and graduate students will engage in new collaborative research projects on topics related to environmental sustainability.

  The grant program, jointly sponsored by the University Graduate School, the College of Arts and Sciences, the School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation, and the IU Office of Sustainability, provides opportunities for faculty members and students to develop externally funded research related to sustainability.

  “These two research initiatives will enhance our knowledge of the critical interrelationships between human and natural systems while providing opportunities for our faculty and students to test their research ideas,” says Bill Brown, IU director of sustainability. “Past awards have proven to be fruitful seeds for much larger, externally funded research.”

  Each project will receive $10,000 that can be used for graduate fellowships, data analysis, faculty research fund awards or summer faculty fellowships. Recipients are expected to develop new, collaborative lines of research that have the potential to grow into externally funded research projects.

  
  
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• 12:09

  Working Well Reaching for Baldrige

   »  Building Indiana Blog

  WorkingWell, Franciscan Alliance’s Northern Indiana Region network of occupational health care providers, recently received a High Level Bronze-Indiana State Malcolm Baldrige Award, which is a step toward qualifying to achieve the highly coveted Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award.

  The Bronze award recently was announced by The Partnership for Excellence, the Baldrige-based awards program for Indiana, Ohio and West Virginia. The group partners with organizations using the internationally based Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence. Applicants are evaluated by an independent board of examiners in areas of workforce focus, operations focus, leadership, strategic planning, customer focus, measurement, analysis and knowledge management, and results.

  “I was humbled by how Franciscan Alliance Northern Indiana Region leaders pulled together to support WorkingWell staff to achieve this prestige award,” says Regional Administrator Director, Tim Ross. “This was a team effort by all.” He credits Moulay Alaoui, regional business transformation specialist, for providing information that matched WorkingWell processes to Baldrige criteria.

  Ross says the next step to achieving the Baldrige award will be earning the tri-state-level honor.

  
  
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• 11:48

  Better Resolution for Dancing Videos

   »  MPL Indiana Room Treasure Trove
  In our previous blog posting about "Dancing Through the Decades," we uploaded our video clips directly to the blog.  The resolution is fine when you're viewing the videos in their embedded smaller sizes, but if you select the full-screen option, the videos become somewhat grainy.  So we uploaded the videos to the MPL YouTube Channel, which should provide better resolution.  Let's have a look.  (If you want to watch the videos on YouTube, click the YouTube logo, just to the left of the full-screen button, in the bottom right-hand corner of the embedded frames below.  The full-screen option may be disabled here, so watching on YouTube will give you a larger screen.)
  
  
  
  
  
  Much better resolution, I'd venture (as my colleague, Cauli Le Chat, would say).
  
  
  
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• 09:51

  Dancing Through the Decades

   »  MPL Indiana Room Treasure Trove
  At last Saturday's 100th anniversary party at MPL, the Fred Astaire Dancers presented "Dancing Through the Decades" in the MPL Courtyard.  This was an interactive, instructional program in which professional dance instructors taught library patrons and staff fundamental dance moves from the 19th century to the present.  We have a few video clips of the early proceedings, during which the waltz, box steps, and several swing steps (including the Jitterbug) were introduced.
  Click the play arrows on the clips below to start the videos.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Meghan Adams, MPL Adult Programming Coordinator, who arranged the dancing and musical programs for the event, was pleased with the audience participation and enjoyment of the activities.  Coupled with the musical concerts presented by members of the Mooresville (Indiana) High School Orchestra and Choirs, these programs successfully served as a capstone to the Library's centennial celebration.
  
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• 09:27

  Eight sites in northeast Indiana earned ...

   »  Building Indiana Blog

  Eight sites in northeast Indiana earned the title “shovel ready” today, paving the way for businesses to quickly locate new operations on property ready for development.

  The eight new sites located in Adams, DeKalb, Huntington, LaGrange, Noble and Whitley counties join the list of more than 80 other shovel-ready sites identified by the state since 2006 that have undergone extensive title work, proof of ownership, legal and environmental review and qualify for expedited permitting with state regulatory agencies.

  “Our Shovel Ready program gives companies the flexibility to accelerate the process of locating or expanding their operations,” said Dan Hasler, Secretary of Commerce and chief executive officer of the Indiana Economic Development Corporation. “When time is of the essence, it is essential to provide these growing businesses with a variety of immediate and equipped choices.”

  Passed in the 2005 legislative session as part of Governor Daniels’ jobs agenda, shovel-ready sites are certified by the state’s Fast Access Site Team that consists of representatives from IEDC, governor’s office, Indiana Office of Rural and Community Affairs, Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Indiana Department of Environmental Management, Indiana Department of Transportation, Indiana State Department of Health, Indiana State Department of Agriculture, and the Indiana State Department of Homeland Security.
  Certified sites have been eligible for matching grants to assist with eligible costs associated with applying for the shovel-ready program. These sites are listed on IEDC’s database at http://statein.zoomprospector.com. This online resource allows site selection consultants and businesses to research available commercial and industrial properties that are available for quick development and investment.

  
  
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• 09:02

  Tips for a Trip to the Farmer’s Market

   »  The Indiana Insider Blog

   

  South Bend Farmer’s Market

  One of my favorite Saturday morning traditions is visiting the Columbus Farmer’s Market. We love to wander around, pick up a few things to eat for the week ahead, savor some sausage breakfast sandwiches, and sip our coffee and tea. It’s one of those wonderful things that define weekends from weekdays and summer from winter in our family.

  I’ve been to at least a dozen different markets around the state over the past few years. It’s an especially fun thing to do when exploring a new town or region of the state.

  Seasonal farmer’s markets around Indiana started up again this month (or will next month) and offer a really great opportunity to dig in to Indiana’s bountiful agricultural offerings.

  Here are a few tips if a trip to the farmer’s market is new to you:

  • Bring your own bags. Sure, most of the vendors will have a plastic bag to offer, but all the experienced market goers will have their own cloth totes. And you don’t want to look like a rookie, right?
  • Get some cash. A swing by the ATM is pretty typical for my family before heading to the market. Some vendors may take credit card or check, but most will be cash only.
  • Make a complete lap around before making any purchases. I’ve been known to get suckered into buying the first bright red tomato I see, only to see better ones or cheaper ones a few booths down. Now I know to take my time and survey all my options to see what produce looks best before buying.
  • Talk to the vendors. I love chatting with the farmers and employees when visiting the market. You’ll learn so much about where the products are grown, how they’re cultivated and transported to market, and they always have a great recipe or cooking preparation tip to share. In my opinion, these personal connections are what make a visit to the market so much better than a trip to a mass retail grocery store.
  • Get a schedule. Many markets offer live music or rotating booths throughout the season. If there’s a particular vendor or musical performance you don’t want to miss, this is the best way to make sure you’re there.
  • Set a budget. All the food, crafts, and tasty treats can be pretty tantalizing. We usually show up with about $20, and when it’s gone, we’re all done buying. Although I’ve been known to make exceptions if I want to buy a gift, splurge on a some high quality meat, etc. While it may seem like an expensive outing, my regular grocery bill always goes down in the summer because I don’t need as much due to my market purchases. Whatever your budget or spending habits, you’ll at least have the satisfaction of knowing you’re supporting local businesses.

  I’m so excited to start buying fresh produce at the market again that I even started a farmer’s market recipe idea board on Pinterest. And I’m sharing some tips for visiting farmer’s markets with kids here.

  Don’t forget to stop by a market while you’re traveling around the state this summer! What is your favorite farmer’s market?

  Photo courtesy of the South Bend Farmer’s Market.

   

  Tips for a Trip to the Farmer’s Market is a post from The Indiana Insider Blog. Check out more great content from the Indiana Insider.

  Did you enjoy this post? Here are some related posts you might also like:

  1. Dig-IN to Indiana’s Best Local Food This August
  2. Nienaber’s Farm Market
  3. Eat, Road Trip and Win During the 4th Annual Going Local Week! [CONTEST]

  
  
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• 06:30

  Indiana State Library Hosts Digital Preservation Workshop for Professionals

   »  Indiana Genealogical Society Blog
  The Indiana State Historic Records Advisory Board (SHRAB) is offering a free workshop on digital preservation on Thursday, May 31 at the Indiana State Library in Indianapolis. The workshop will be held from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm and is geared towards volunteers and professionals who are responsible for managing and preserving digital records, such as those who work for societies, libraries and museums, as well as government employees. The workshop is intended for those who have little to no knowledge of digital preservation - it will provide a basic overview and an introduction to resources. Indiana library staff can receive LEU credits for attending.
  
  This is a free workshop and a complementary lunch will be provided - to register, or for more information, visit the SHRAB conference site, or contact Stephanie Gowler - phone (317) 591-5220 ext. 376.
  
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• Indiana blogs (US-IN), 05/14/2012
• 20:58

  Michelle Obama's Former Boss Offered $150,000 Bribe To Silence Rev. Wright According To Book's Author

   »  Advance Indiana

  Obama playing golf with Dr. Eric Whitaker

  
  The NY Post reported over the weekend a claim by Rev. Jeremiah Wright that he was offered a $150,000 bribe by a member of Obama's 2008 presidential campaign to silence him until the election was over. Edward Klein, author of "The Amateur", claims that Dr. Eric Whitaker, Vice-President of the University of Chicago Medical Center, is the close Obama campaign associate and friend who offered Wright the bribe. Dr. Whitaker helped Michelle Obama land her $316,000 a year no work, no show job with the hospital to help supplement the Obama household income when Barack entered politics. From the Daily Caller:
  

  In an email, Klein said Whitaker had offered Wright $150,000 “if he would shut-up and not criticize Obama anymore.” When Wright refused Whitaker’s offer, Klein said Obama himself personally met with Wright, which supposedly took place after Obama’s March 18, 2008 “race speech,” confirmed by both Wright’s word and the U.S. Secret Service logs.

  Whitaker, who attended Harvard Graduate School in the early 1990s with Obama, was known for having been a proponent of Obama’s health care legislation.

  Klein also said Wright told him he “made it comfortable” for Obama to accept Christianity without having renounce his “Islamic background,” which Klein said he has on tape.

  Dr. Whitaker is no stranger to Illinois political corruption. Obama and convicted political fixer Tony Rezko teamed up to help Whitaker land the job as Illinois' Public Health Director under former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich. Obama and Rezko also played a key role in the appointment of individuals by Blagojevich to the Health Facilities Planning Board and the Illinois Teachers Retirement System Board, which were at the center of the former governor's public corruption trial. Businesses seeking to do business before the boards were shaken down for millions of dollars using board appointees like Stuart Levine backed by Obama and Rezko.
  
  Whitaker was the point of contact for the Blagojevich administration when a deputy governor working for the Governor called Obama's campaign and asked who spoke for Obama concerning the naming of his replacement to the Senate. Whitaker, according to a self-serving report prepared by the Obama campaign about the talks it had with Blagojevich about the Senate appointment, told the governor's staff that nobody spoke for Obama because he had no desire to dictate his replacement. Nonetheless, Obama did have at least one telephone conversation with Blagojevich that was recorded by the FBI discussing the Senate seat appointment, but the government successfully blocked the release of that and other recordings that were supposedly damaging to Obama. The Daily Caller notes that a program Whitaker administers at the University of Chicago Medical Center received a questionable $5.9 million grant from the Department of Health & Human Services.
  
  Don't expect U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald to investigate the bribe Wright alleges that Whitaker offered him. Fitzgerald has suppressed all evidence in the possession of his office that implicates Obama and his 2008 presidential campaign in criminal wrongdoing, particularly evidence he has that Obama took bribes from political fixer Tony Rezko.indiana politics civil rights law
  
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• 18:53

  CIB Lost $1.1 Million On Super Bowl

   »  Advance Indiana
  The numbers don't lie (or do they), but CIB officials are doing the darnedest to put lipstick on a pig. After tallying the costs and the revenues attributable to the Super Bowl, CIB officials now claim the City lost about $1.1 million. The CIB claims that's about $200,000 more than it had expected to lose. The numbers that roll off their tongues don't account for their lying eyes. From the IBJ:
  

  . . . But CIB and city tourism leaders said on Monday that the money was well spent considering the game could translate to $300 million in direct visitor spending over the next several years.

  “There’s no question in my mind that the Super Bowl generated interest in Indianapolis,” said Leonard Hoops, CEO of the Indianapolis Convention & Visitors Association.

  The Super Bowl accounted for about $100 million in spending, with another $200 million expected from the additional interest in room-night bookings that could result from the game.  

  In the first quarter of 2012, the ICVA logged interest in 998,000 room nights for future conventions, a whopping 156-percent increase from the same time last year. If the city wins enough conventions over the next 10 years to fill a third of those room nights, it should capture the additional $300 million in visitor spending, Hoops said . . .

  The $100 million figure is grossly exaggerated. Actual revenues from the hotel tax, food and beverage tax and auto rental tax were up about $2.9 million over the same period last year. The city's hotel tax rate is 18%, its food & beverage tax rate is 10% and its auto rental tax rate is 6%. According to the CIB, the City collected about a half million dollars less in hotel tax revenues than it expected to collect as a result of the Super Bowl. If spending was anywhere close to $100 million, the additional tax revenues should have been higher than $2.9 million. The unseasonably mild winter weather alone probably contributed to the spending indicated by the tax collections.  As to the $200 million figure, I'm not sure what that number is suppose to represent--additional interest in room-night bookings that could result from the game? Okay, I could spend $100,000 on advertising my legal services and say that I expect $1 million additional interest in anticipated legal fees. That doesn't mean I'll actually earn another $1 million in fees after spending all that money on advertising.
  
  The City also claims it only spent $6.6 million to host the Super Bowl. I guess it's not counting the $12.5 million it spent on the Georgia Street improvements (which are already in shambles and in need of repair), at least another $10 million in downtown improvements or the $25 million the host committee supposedly raised and spent on the Super Bowl. indiana politics civil rights law
  
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• 17:27

  Donnelly Poll Shows Tied Senate Race

   »  Advance Indiana
  The first post-primary poll conducted for the Democratic Senate campaign of U.S. Rep. Joe Donnelly, to no surprise, claims the race is tied. According to a Global Strategies poll, the two candidates split 40% of the vote each with 20% undecided. The good news for Mourdock is that he's still running even with Donnelly despite the poll's claim that his unfavorable rating is three times higher than Donnelly's. The poll found 37% had an unfavorable opinion of Mourdock compared to a 12% unfavorable rating for Donnelly. More of the poll's respondents gave a higher favorable rating to Mourdock, 36 to 28%. Given that the poll likely used push poll questioning, you can extrapolate that Mourdock actually holds a lead over Donnelly. The poll claimed to have a margin of error rate of plus or minus four points.
  
  UPDATE: HoosierPundit reminds us that early polling in the 2010 Senate race between Dan Coats and Brad Ellsworth showed the two virtually tied. Coats won less than 40% of the Republican primary vote compared to Mourdock's 61% landslide win over long-term incumbent Sen. Richard Lugar.indiana politics civil rights law
  
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• 16:00

  Dark Shadows

   »  Northwest Indiana Historian James B Lane
  
  “My dog bit me in the leg todayMy cat clawed my eyesMom’s been thrown out the social circleAnd dad has to hide.”    “No More Mister Nice Guy,” Alice Cooper
  While not especially scary nor suspenseful, “Dark Shadows” was fun and quirky, with Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter again proving their versatility.  What’s especially cool is that most of the action takes place in the year 1972.   Alice Cooper even makes a cameo appearance, singing “No More Mister Nice Guy.”  Unfamiliar with current pop culture, having been buried for 200 years, the vampire Barnabas (Depp) calls Alice the ugliest woman he’s ever seen.  Barnabas and the witch Angelique (Eva Green) have rough sex while Barry White’s “You’re the First, the Last, My Everything” is playing in the background.  The soundtrack includes Moody Blues and Iggy Pop numbers.
  Up at 5 a.m. for a two-hour drive to catch Victoria’s soccer game, followed by Anthony’s (both wins).  At Phil’s Diamond, decreasingly demonstrative in his old age, still greeted us affectionately, breathing heavily and smiling.  Miranda looked stunningly beautiful in a purple prom dress.  While the other adults went off for more prom photo opportunities, I took Anthony to his basketball game (Tori introduced me to parents of his teammates) and then we had dinner at Appleby’s. Tori and I posed for a funny Facebook photo and I showed her and Phil the “Spirit of Tamarack” video Aaron Pigors posted on YouTube featuring a shot of me with dark hair interviewing Jack Buhner, IUN’s first chancellor, in 1989.  Phil worked with Aaron at a FACET retreat and admires his work. As a kid Phil appeared in three summer musicals directed by Garrett Cope, who in the video says he has no idea what a tamarack is but likes the way the syllables roll off one’s tongue.  A type of tree that commonly grows in a bog, Tamarack is an apt description of the land that flooded over in 2008.
  
                                           Phil and I watched the 76ers lose a heartbreaker to the Celtics.  Since nobody predicted them to win, it was fun seeing their young talent blossoming under shrewd coach Doug Collins, who starred for the Sixers during the 1970s.  Looking for reading material, I found Charlotte Brontë’s “Jane Eyre” in Miranda’s room.  In the introduction Erica Jong argues that the governess was a proto-feminist who refused to settle for anything less than independence and equality in her relationship with a mate.
  Six of us had Sunday breakfast at the Cherie Inn Restaurant. It has been in business 84 years, longer than any eatery in Grand Rapids.  Several people had crepes stuffed with lobster meat; I had an omelet with homemade cinnamon bread.  Toni and Delia received pieces of cake for Mother’s Day. Alissa and Josh’s dog Jerry gave us an enthusiastic greeting.  A couple weeks ago, a neighbor let him get out of their apartment by mistake, and they searched the whole neighborhood in vain.  Miraculously Jerry showed up on their back porch.
  Cubs salvaged the final game of their series with Milwaukee, led by pitcher Jeff Samardzija, a Valpo native who starred at Notre Dame as a football receiver as well as a pitcher. “The Shark” has long, flowing hair and is coming into his own after three mediocre seasons.  Other emerging stars are Bryan LaHair and Starlin Castro. On the whole the Cubbies are a likeable group and play hard under new manager Dale Sveum. 
  Miranda had a great time at her prom with Derrick, her steady for more than a year now, and posted photos on Facebook.  I can’t even recall the name of the red-headed tenth grader I took to mine.  Why I didn’t ask a friend more my age, such as Pam Tucker, Alice Ottinger, LeeLee Minehart, Mary Delp or Judy Jenkins, is beyond me.  I suppose they had boyfriends of their own, but I could have tried.
  The latest “Mad Men” episode, called, like the Johnny Depp movie, “Dark Shadows,” takes place around Thanksgiving of 1966, the year the original “Dark Shadows” soap opera series began.  Megan is helping a friend rehearse lines from the show and makes fun of its over-the-top dialogue. Later she warns Don not to open the window because of an air-pollution emergency.  In late November, 1966, smog settled over NYC, and the foul air was responsible for several hundred deaths and a harbinger of worse environmental disasters to come.  Other dark shadows that year were the escalation of the Vietnam War and the emergence of black political power.  With Malcolm X dead, due to FBI negligence, if not compliance, black radical leadership fell into more reckless hands.
  Critic and diarist Edmund Wilson returned to America from Paris in May 1954 and noted the Cold War tensions: “Failure of [Secretary of State John Foster] Dulles at Geneva, the McCarthy investigation all over the papers and people getting it on radio and television.  All messy and hysterical; makes no sense.”  Our Gino’s waiter was great except for spilling a shrimp cocktail intended for the speaker.  Ken Anderson quipped that he was tempted to eat one that landed on the floor, prompting me to tell an anecdote about being in a Howard Johnson’s Restaurant when we were poop and noticing a kid next to me leaving virtually his entire fried clams meal untouched.  I slid it in front of me and proceeded to devour it.
  
  Found out my PSA number is good, had a classic Arby’s for lunch, yogurt in the late afternoon, and then off to Gino’s, the Merrillville History Book Club’s new home, for Pam Kosenke’s presentation of Stacy Schiff’s “Cleopatra: A Life.”  A descendent of Alexander the great, Cleopatra hoped to keep a Hellenized eastern Mediterranean an equal partner of Rome.  Instead with Egyptian wealth so tempting, Octavian decided on a policy of conquest.  I invited Richard Maroc, who is speaking in July on Joyce Cooley’s 1941 historical novel “Wolves against the Moon,” about pioneer Calumet Region residents Joseph and Marie Bailly, to visit the Archives and I’d give him a copy of my Gary book, which contains information on them.  A young prosecutor mentioned that he’d read Edward Greer’s “Big Steel: Black Politics and Corporate Power in Gary, Indiana.”  I heard Greer speak to a mostly socialist audience in Miller and he lost some credibility when he referred to Marquette Park as Gleason Park.  He lived in Gary for a year or so when Mayor Richard Hatcher first took office and compared the city to a former colony that had just achieved independence.
  Arrived home in time to watch the 76ers edge Boston 82-81 to tie the seven-game series 1-1, as they made six straight foul shots down the stretch.  Fellow Marylander Jack Wennersten thanked me for my latest Shavings, “Calumet Region Connections.  He noted: “It is a most unusual and intriguing thing.  As I began reading this work I hastily concluded that you were quite mad.  But then I began to see it as it truly is -- an historical and sociological valentine to a great region. The people I read about are quite familiar to me.  I grew up in the shadow of the great steel works on Neville Island in Pittsburgh.”  How nice.
  
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• 14:10

  Indiana Equality Files For Bankruptcy

   »  Advance Indiana
  Indiana's leading LGBT rights organization, Indiana Equality, has filed for bankruptcy protection to get out from debts it owes to its former lobbyist and financial problems initially brought on by the theft of funds by its former treasurer, Dan Funk. The Bilerico blog reports on the organization's decision:
  

  Indiana's only statewide LGBT advocacy organization, Indiana Equality, has filed for bankruptcy. The organization has been plagued for years with a poor reputation for financial mismanagement and inefficiency. Last year it was also discovered that longtime treasurer Dan Funk had stolen funds from the organization.

  Robin Lange, Communications Chair for the organization, announced the decision last week on the same day North Carolina voted in favor of a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage and civil unions. Indiana will face a similar charge for an amendment in this year's legislative session; if approved the matter will head to voters for ratification.

  "On April 14, 2012, the Boards of Indiana Equality and Indiana Equality Action met to consider options for grounding the organizations in the best possible financial position to win against HJR-6 and to create a more inclusive Indiana," Lange said. "Unanimously and as a result of thorough deliberation, the Boards voted to reorganize both IE and IEA under the terms of bankruptcy."

  "The decision to reorganize under bankruptcy was not made lightly, as one can certainly imagine. Our all-volunteer organization has been operating under a very lean, shoestring budget to strengthen our grassroots efforts and collaboration across the state, which makes this decision additionally painful," Lange continued.

  "But we must be honest, as our new leadership demands. IE/IEA have had a person in a position of trust in the near past who has not been faithful to what many would consider good fiduciary responsibilities. We have lost money, and are actively pursuing resolutions to the issues surrounding that situation."

  Bilerico's Bil Browning blamed much of the organization's current problems on its lobbyist, Mark St. John, who was also at the helm of Indiana Cares, a nonprofit that managed federal grant money for persons suffering from HIV/AIDS, when it went bankrupt several years ago. Browning said Funk repaid the money he stole from the organization, but he says St. John has been threatening legal action against the organization to recover money he claims it owes him for his lobbying services. Funk and St. John are no longer associated with the organization according to Browning. The report does not indicate whether Funk will be criminally prosecuted for stealing funds from the organization.
  
  The organization's primary efforts in recent years have been devoted to fighting a constitutional amendment, HJR-6, that would bar same-sex marriages or the legal recognition of similar rights for same-sex couples. Indiana law has expressly barred same-sex marriages since 1995. If the legislature approves the proposed amendment next year, it will appear on the Indiana ballot in 2014 for approval by the state's voters.indiana politics civil rights law
  
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• 13:33

  Indianapolis Builds Something Without A Plan To Pay For It, Again

   »  Advance Indiana
  If Indianapolis decides it needs a new stadium or a new airport terminal, it just builds it and worries later about how to pay for it. The IBJ is reporting on financials woes facing the Indianapolis International Airport Authority, which experienced a $31 million net operating loss last year. That's close to the nearly $40 million in added debt payments the airport authority took on to build the shiny new airport terminal. In a desperate effort to close its budget imbalance, the airport authority is looking for new ways to compete with surrounding businesses for extra revenues.
  

  Airport board President Michael Wells, appointed to the position by Mayor Greg Ballard in January, said it has missed possible revenue by not having a gas station on airport property and by not taking more action to prepare the now-abandoned old passenger terminal site along Interstate 465 for reuse.

  "Corporate America today is on a shorter time frame than ever before," Wells said. "We've been in a long period of extended planning, maybe a little more than I would have done." . . .

  The airport staff is working with a developer on a contract for a gas station near its main interchange with I-70. The estimated price for the gas station and accompanying retail space is $4 million, airport spokesman Carlo Bertolini said.

  The gas station is aimed at serving returning rental-car customers and airport visitors, but the airport has also sought ideas for additional tenants, such as a health care clinic, a restaurant, fitness center, commercial office space and even a pet kennel.

  "We are going to have a service station. That's a very high priority of mine," Wells said. "It should have been done three years ago."

  This helps explain why the airport authority has filed suit to block a private developer's plan to build a 3700-spaced covered parking facility near the airport in Decatur Township, which desperately needs additional tax-producing properties to finance the cost of its schools and local governments. The IBJ report notes that Mike Wells is not interested in pursuing the previous plan to build a hotel attached to the new airport terminal's parking garage. Wells is president of REI Real Estate Services, which developed the JW Marriott Hotel in downtown Indianapolis with the help of $60 million in public financing. By the way, didn't anyone in the local news media notice that none of the dozens of politicians who received a free weekend stay at the JW Marriott as part of its grand opening reported the value of the gift received on their financial disclosure forms?indiana politics civil rights law
  
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• 10:50

  Celebrity Duck Rehab Season Premier

   »  Front Porch Indiana

  Like a lot of other child stars, Mr. Duck missed out on crucial learning opportunities when he was a duckling. He was too busy working to enjoy many of the pleasures of ducklinghood. This may be part of what caused his recent behavioral issues, which spurred HR to write him up and send him to therapy.

  

  For the first episode of Celebrity Duck Rehab, I decided we would teach Mr. Duck how to swim. Previous attempts in the big pond at Conner Prairie had failed so I decided this time to start small with a duck-size wading pool, otherwise known as a dog food bowl.

  

  Seems Mr. Duck is more of a dip-your-toe-in kind of duck versus a diving-in-head-first guy. He eventually warmed up to it and, I think, even liked it. It wasn’t long before he was standing in it, jumping in and out, and having a great time taking a much needed shower.

  The next challenge was introduced the following day, a larger pool complete with a diving board. Before I knew it I heard shouts of “Cannonball!”, followed by splashing sounds. You could say he took to it like a duck to water. (groan)

  

  In fact, he’s had such a grand time he’s asked for a larger in-ground pool. “Why do you need a bigger pool,” I asked?

  “So I can invite all my peers over for a pool party. I want to show off my mad swimming skills.”

  

  “Um, okay, but who exactly are your peers?”

  “Duh! Daffy from Warner Brothers, Donald and Scrooge from Disney…”

  
  
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• 10:43

  More On $53 Million Heist By Dixon City Controller

   »  Advance Indiana
  The St. Louis Post-Dispatch has a good story looking at how the city controller of the small town of Dixon, Illinois managed to steal $53 million from the town coffers over a 20-year period. Essentially, the newspaper finds that the 58-year old Rita Crundwell was the only person checking the city's books during her long tenure as the city's chief financial officer. The mayor and the town's commissioners were completely out to lunch while she annually diverted about one-third of the city's annual budget into bank accounts she controlled. One thing about small towns is that everyone seems to know everyone else's business. I wondered how nobody in the town could have figured out before now how Crundwell lived so well on her $80,000 a year annual salary. This is what the Post-Dispatch learned:
  
  

  As for Crundwell's visible riches, she was a nationally prominent horse breeder on the side. Townspeople say that's why no one questioned how an $80,000-a-year civic worker could afford the massive horse breeding farm at the edge of town, the second farm in Wisconsin, the multiple cars, trailers, boats and jewelry. They thought they had an explanation.

  "There's a lot of money in quarter horses," noted local resident Rick Munson over a beer at the Shamrock Pub, down the highway from Crundwell's palatial, gated ranch-style home just outside of town. "I think everyone assumed that's where the money came from."

  So how did Dixon officials finally figure out after all these years what Crundwell was doing? The same way vritually every embezzlement scheme is uncovered. Crundwell was out of town on vacation last year when a city clerk took a closer look at an unusual transaction she couldn't quite grasp and took it to the city's mayor.
  
  

  While Crundwell was on vacation last October, City Clerk Kathe Swanson conducted a routine review of the city's accounts. She found one she didn't recognize, through which more than $770,000 had moved in that month alone. She took it to Burke, the mayor. He didn't recognize it either.

  "I couldn't connect it with anything," Burke recalled last week. "I said, 'Kathe, don't say a word to anybody. I'm going to have a meeting with the FBI.'"

  FBI officials in Rockford told Burke and Swanson to stay quiet while they tracked Crundwell's financial movements. Six months later, on April 17, the FBI arrived at her second-floor office in City Hall and took her out in handcuffs. She was released the next day on a recognizance bond.

  She remains free, on unpaid leave from her job. Her next court appearance is June 15. Federal officials have taken control of her empire of property and horses — 311 of them, allegedly bought with embezzled money. If she's convicted, they will all be sold to return funds to the city, prosecutors say.

  The day after her arrest, angry residents packed into City Hall demanding answers. Burke laid out the situation and vowed reforms: an independent investigation, a new outside auditor, the appointment of two fiscal experts to hire a new comptroller, a revamped fiscal system with modern separation controls.

  "There is no good answer for it. Five City Councils ... three mayors and 21 annual audits. We didn't know," Burke said last week.

  "She's a smart woman," he added. "She knew enough to keep the bills paid. I ask myself, how was she able to walk in here and see people every day? … I don't know how she did it."

  The newspaper article wonders if this sort of thing happens with other governmental entities. He finds that most governments divide functions between a treasurer who manages incoming revenues and a controller who manages expenditures. It looks like Crundwell was diverting the money the city received from the state from sales taxes and other taxes collected into bank accounts she controlled without the funds ever being deposited into a city account.
  
  What I don't understand is how there could have been 21 annual audits that failed to uncover the missing money. The St. Louis article doesn't mention who was responsible for performing those annual audits. The local Dixon newspaper started asking the same question. Two independent firms were involved in Dixon's annual audit according to the Chicago Tribune: CliftonLarsonAllen, located in Dixon, just gathered the financial documents, while Samuel S. Card, of Sterling, played the far more important role of analyzing them. I've not seen any mention of it, but I'm wondering if Crundwell had to be bonded to work as the city's controller.
  
  The newspaper thinks Illinois should adopt the Hoosier approach of having a State Board of Accounts conduct the auditing of public books rather than letting private accountants do the work. In the meantime, it looks to me like the city of Dixon should be considering a lawsuit against the private accounting firms that failed to uncover Crundwell's activities for more than 20 years.indiana politics civil rights law
  
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• 10:12

  Construction Jobs on the Rise

   »  Building Indiana Blog

  The U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics is predicting an addition of 1.8 million construction jobs in all areas of construction, contributing to a 33 percent employment increase. However, the industry will not recover its pre-recession peak of 7.7 million achieved in 2006. Predictions are detailed in the bureau’s Occupational Outlook Handbook.

  Current construction employment (including residential and commercial) is 5.55 million. More than one-fourth of the projected 30 fastest-growing occupations are related to construction including stonemasons, pile-driver operators, brick and block masons, glaziers, reinforcing iron and rebar workers, as well as helpers in a variety of construction trades. No construction occupation made the list of occupations with the largest projected declines.

  While jobs requiring only a high-school diploma will experience the slowest growth rate, occupations that typically require apprenticeships, such as those in construction, are projected to grow the fastest of all educational categories—by 22.2 percent.
  It is projected that nearly two-thirds of the 54.8 million job openings over the decade will come as a result of retirements as the Baby Boom generation moves entirely into the 55-and-older category by 2020. Replacement needs are expected in every occupation, even those with projected declines in employment.

  
  
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• 09:51

  Indy Project to Protect Waterways

   »  Building Indiana Blog

  Indianapolis has announced plans to begin construction on the “keystone project, which should prevent raw sewage from leaking into nearby waterways, after years of debate with environmental officials, the Indy Star reports.

  City leaders and Citizens Water on Wednesday announced that crews have started prep work for the boring of a nearly $180 million eight-mile tunnel on the city’s south side. The 13-year project will include four shorter tunnels stretching 25 miles beneath the city. These tunnels will store the combined sewage that escapes during heavy rainfall, which will benefit White River, Fall Creek, Pogues Run and Pleasant Run. The first tunnel—Deep Rock Tunnel Connector—ranks as the city’s largest public works construction project ever, officials say.

  
  
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• 09:03

  Material Costs Rise, as Building Prices Follow

   »  Building Indiana Blog

  The cost of construction materials took a breather in April, while contractors begin to include price increases into their bids, according to an analysis of producer price index figures released by the Associated General Contractors of America. Association officials noted that despite the temporary reprieve from materials price hikes, market conditions for construction remain difficult.

  “Contractors caught a bit of a break on major input costs in April, enabling some firms to make up for recent price spikes,” says Ken Simonson, the association’s chief economist. “However, workloads remain uneven by segment and geographical region, leaving many firms very vulnerable to unexpected price hikes for key materials.”

  Simonson noted that there was a rise of 0.1 percent in April and 2.5 percent over 12 months in the producer price index for inputs to construction—a weighted average of the cost of materials used in all types of projects, plus items consumed by contractors such as diesel fuel. That was the smallest year-over-year increase since early 2009, he observed.

  There have been slightly larger increases in the indexes for new nonresidential buildings, which are a measure of what contractors estimate they would charge to put up a new building, Simonson adds. He pointed to increases of 0.5 percent for the month and 4.3 percent over 12 months for new school construction; 0.5 percent and 4.0 percent, respectively, for new warehouse construction; 0.6 percent and 3.2 percent for industrial buildings; and 0.1 percent and 3.2 percent for offices.

  Prices moderated in April for a variety of materials, some of which had experienced large jumps earlier in the year, Simonson noted. For instance, the price index for diesel fuel dropped 0.9 percent for the month and 0.1 percent year-over-year. The price index for gypsum products such as wallboard, which leaped 14 percent in the first quarter of the year, fell 1.9 percent in April, although it remained 11.5 percent higher than in April 2011. The biggest monthly and year-over-year decreases among key materials occurred in the price index for copper and brass mill shapes, which tumbled 2.7 percent and 11.4 percent, respectively.

  Association officials say improvement in the price indexes for finished buildings are a positive sign, it will do little to help construction firms working in the public sector, where the volume of projects have declined. They added that because most firms have to guarantee their bids months before knowing what they will have to pay for materials, the industry remains particularly vulnerable to future price spikes.

  “Until Washington finalizes a number of long-delayed infrastructure measures, public sector demand for construction is likely to continue to decline,” says Stephen E. Sandherr, the association’s CEO. “With less work available, firms working on public projects will be particularly susceptible to price spikes.”

  
  
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• 07:52

  Why Hasn't Illinois Media Noticed The Corruption Of Its Latest Governor?

   »  Advance Indiana
  Believe it or not, things have changed little in Illinois despite the fact that the state's last two governors are currently serving sentences in federal prisons for public corruption charges. Although no other Illinois politician has carried the mantle of political reform during his long political career more than the state's current governor, Pat Quinn, some things haven't changed. Some would argue that pay to play is still the Illinois way. A Chicago area blog is wondering why a recent news media report about a questionable $300 million Lottery contract is getting such little attention by the media and federal prosecutors. The contract in question was awarded just weeks before Quinn was elected to a full term in 2010 after succeeding the impeached former governor to office. The company that received the contract had funneled $1.5 million to Quinn's re-election campaign. A state Auditor General's report in a scathing report questioned whether Quinn's administration had even bothered to read the contract bid proposals before it awarded the contract to the large campaign contributor. The Chicago Daily Observer blog discusses the story written by a State House reporter for an online publication that the media has largely ignored:
  

  The story was written by Scott Reeder of Statehouse News Online and a writer for the Franklin Center for Government and Public Integrity, I have enjoyed Reeder’s columns and excellent writing for years. 

  GTECH, a leader in the gambling industry, formed a consortium with its arch-rival, Scientific Games, just before proposals to privatize the lottery were to be submitted in 2010, Reeder said. The consortium was named Northstar. GTECH and Scientific Games control 90 per cent of the instant ticket market in the U.S., Reeder wrote.

  Richard McGowan, a finance professor at Boston College who specializes in lottery issues, told Reeder it was “unprecedented” for “enemy” companies to work together like this. State Sen. Bill Brady (R-Bloomington) is requesting the state auditor look into this, saying he was “perplexed” by Quinn’s decision to let two competitors to submit a bid together.

  Byron Boothe of Intralot, an unsuccessful bidder for the contract, told Reeder that GTECH included Scientific Games in its proposal so it would not submit a competitive bid.

  Illinois Auditor General Bill Holland told Reeder that he wrote a scathing report on the deal, and said Quinn’s panel that recommended Northstar could not have read and analyzed the proposals before a contract was awarded. Holland added that some people on the panel did not write reports until after the contract was given to Northstar.

  In fact, Reeder said that one of the men on Quinn’s panel, Victor Golden, was named deputy lottery director at a salary of $109,248. Golden is paid by the state, but he is working for Northstar — the company he recommended.

  Boothe told Reeder it was “clear from the beginning” that state officials had their minds made up about Northstar. McGowan likened Quinn’s deal to Blagojevich’s attempt to sell a senate seat.

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• 07:29

  Next Indiana Governor Will Have To Raise Taxes To Maintain And Build Roads

   »  Advance Indiana
  The Fort Wayne Journal-Gazette's Niki Kelly  had a story this weekend explaining that the $3.8 billion the state netted from the 75-year lease of the Indiana Toll Road will be depleted by the end of Gov. Mitch Daniels' 8 years in office. A small amount will remain in the bank earning interest, but it has already been committed to ongoing projects that will be completed within the next couple of years. With the toll road money, the state has been able to spend over a billion a year on road projects. Without it, the state receives about a half billion a year from gas tax revenues.
  
  According to Kelly's story, federal funding is precarious with the federal highway trust fund nearly bankrupt. The state hopes to get about $850 to $900 million a year in federal funding, but it needs at least a half billion dollars to maintain existing roads. The next governor will either have to raise gas taxes or vehicle registration fees, or find some new source of revenue, to continue the ambitious transportation plan undertaken during the Daniels administration. I'm betting that neither Mike Pence or John Gregg comes out in favor of a tax increase to support transportation spending during this election year. Gregg has already called for removing the sales tax on gasoline to lower prices at the pump.indiana politics civil rights law
  
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• 07:27

  Featured Artist Nina Cunningham

   »  Athens of Indiana Arts Studios & Gallery
  the banality of BEAUTY
  mixed media works by:
  Nina Cunningham
  May 16 - June 30th
  
  
  Opening Reception:
  May 25th, 6-8pm
  
  
  from the artist:
  in this particular show, I use the icon of the rose to explore how the repetition of something has a tendancy to become unimportant.
  
  
  I am an artist and I create. I believe in creating. I believe in creation. I believe the world around us was created.  and I believe we were created with. a. purpose. 
  
  
  as created beings, we are beautiful in the eyes of the Creator.   
  
  
  the banality of beauty. how many times can we view another rose painting? the icon of the rose. beauty and love. used over and over. truly used to the point of banality?
  
  
  a definition of banal: so lacking in originality as to be obvious and boring, trite and commonplace.
  beauty: a combination of qualities, such as shape, color, or form, that pleases the aesthetic senses; a combination of qualities that pleases the intellect or moral sense. 
  
  
  we live in a world with no rest. the continual, visual stew of no focus. of repetition. we lack seeing the real. the truth. the touch. the soft. the simplicity. the sacred. the beauty. pardon the pun, but have we forgotten to stop and smell the roses? that sweet smell. the intricacy of shape. the softness of petal.
  
  
  insert your word here: _________ is no longer beautiful, no longer sacred, and has become mundane, banal.
  
  
  in the process of creating this show, these things were revealed to me: 
  my lack of simplicity.
  my lack of rest.
  my forgetfulness of sacred.
  my lack in trust that reveals my own beauty through restoration. 
  
  
  trying to focus on a carrot in a stew of life’s saturation avails no one. it's time to slow down. to rest. to be as what I was created to be.   
  
  
  in this. is beauty.
  
  
  artist website: www.9-ah.com
  bio/statement: www.9-ah.com/artist_statement.html
  
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• 06:32

  IGS District Director To Discuss "Pajama Genealogy" in Southern Indiana

   »  Indiana Genealogical Society Blog
  Randi Richardson, the Indiana Genealogical Society's South Central District Director, will present "Pajama Genealogy" at the Thursday, June 7 meeting of the Southern Indiana Genealogical Society in New Albany. Ms. Richardson volunteers with her local genealogical society and the Indiana State Archives, and has also authored a number of articles for publication. Her program, "Pajama Genealogy," will outline family history websites for researchers.
  
  Meeting time is 7 pm in the Strassweg Auditorium of the New Albany-Floyd County Library (180 W. Spring St., New Albany, Indiana). For more information about the Southern Indiana Genealogical Society, please visit [www.rootsweb.ancestry.com] .
  
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• 00:29

  Butterfly Launch

   »  MPL Indiana Room Treasure Trove
  At the close of Mooresville Public Library's centennial festivities on Saturday, May 12, 2012, patrons released Monarch butterflies from individual cardboard containers in which the insects were in suspended animation.  Each box held one butterfly, and opening it awakened the monarch, which dutifully took flight.  Since butterfly box-laden patrons stood all around the MPL Courtyard, we opted for a wide-angle shot to include the majority, which, unfortunately, made the butterflies rather small in perspective.  If you look carefully at our video clip, you can see the monarchs gaining altitude fast.  Librarian and MPL Director Diane Huerkamp led the crowd in the countdown and release.
  Click Play Arrow Button to Start Video
  The final edits for the Fred Astaire Dancer videos from MPL's celebration are "in the can," as they say in film studios.  They should be uploaded to this blog by tomorrow or Tuesday of this week.  Check back!  The dancing vids will be fun to watch.
  
  
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• Indiana blogs (US-IN), 05/13/2012
• 20:25

  Musical Interlude at Our Centennial Celebration

   »  MPL Indiana Room Treasure Trove
  Members of the Mooresville High School Orchestra performed at yesterday's Library Centennial Celebration (Saturday, May 12, 2012).  We have a video clip of one of the pieces played during the recital.
  
  
  Unfortunately, I was unable to video-record members of the Mooresville High School Choirs as they performed in the MPL Courtyard later that afternoon, as I was assisting a patron in the Library's Indiana Room.  In our previous posting, we included a still photograph near the end of their performance.
  
  We have video from the Fred Astaire Dancers, which will be forthcoming as soon as it's edited.  Plus there's video of the butterfly release at the end of our celebration.  That, too, should appear in an upcoming posting.
  
  
  
  
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• 16:25

  Obama Is First Gay President Newsweek Declares

   »  Advance Indiana
  Remember how Bill Clinton and his African-American supporters used to entertain us with the claim that he was the first black president because he supposedly did more for blacks than any other president, including President Abraham Lincoln, who was assassinated because he freed the slaves, and President Lyndon Johnson, who pushed and signed into law the Civil Rights Act of 1964? Well, now a gay reporter for Newsweek magazine, Andrew Sullivan, has dubbed Obama the first gay president. The claim actually contains a lot of truth. Obama is a closeted homosexual who frequented Chicago gay bathhouses before gaining notoriety and likely had one of his gay lovers, Donald Young, rubbed out shortly before the kick-off of the 2008 presidential race to keep him silent about their relationship. Young was the former choir director at Obama's southside Chicago church where the controversial Rev. Jeremiah Wright preached who was gunned down in his apartment in December, 2007 after another gay man with ties to Obama, Larry Sinclair, claimed to have spoken to Young about his relationship with Obama. The NY Post is reporting that Wright claims a member of Obama's campaign team offered him a $150,000 bribe to stay silent until the 2008 presidential election was over. Wright is also claiming that Obama held a private meeting with him at which he also asked him to keep silent. Wright probably knew about Obama's relationship with Young, and he was more concerned about him keeping quiet about that relationship as opposed to Wright's controversial political views. Obama doesn't have to worry about a criminal prosecution like the one his 2008 Democratic presidential foe, John Edwards, is now facing in a North Carolina federal courtroom for allegedly using campaign money to keep his affair with Rielle Hunter under wraps. Obama and U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald cut a deal that allowed Fitzgerald to keep his job in exchange for not prosecuting Obama, who committed crimes equally as bad, if not worse, than the crimes for which Fitzgerald prosecuted former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich.indiana politics civil rights law
  
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• 12:18

  More Highlights From Our Centennial Celebration

   »  MPL Indiana Room Treasure Trove
  Let's share more highlights from the Library's centennial celebration yesterday (Saturday, May 12, 2012).  Much of the entertainment took place outside in front of the Library or in the Courtyard.  Click images to enlarge.
  Mooresville (Indiana) High School Orchestra Ensembleperforming outside MPL entrance
  From 1-2 p.m. members of the Mooresville (Indiana) High School Orchestra entertained visitors outside the Library's front entrance.  They performed various ensemble pieces that resonated with the audience, and the entryway provided an amplifying chamber so that the students' music could be heard throughout the Library grounds.
  From 1-3 p.m. the Fred Astaire Dancers hosted "Dancing Through the Decades," an interactive and instructional activity in which patrons were invited to participate.  We have a few still photos showcasing the fun.
  
  
  Fred Astaire Dancers demonstrate a waltz
  
  
  
  
  
  Library patrons (& some staff) swinging
  In an upcoming blog post, if I operated the camera properly, we will have short video clips of these programs.
  From 3:00-3:45 p.m., members of the Mooresville (Indiana) High School Choirs performed.
  
  
  Throughout the afternoon, volunteers did face-painting for young patrons.
  
  
  
  Sometime after 3 p.m., the cake was cut, as patrons were clamoring for a slice (just kidding!)  Actually, there were so many patrons at the event, that the cake cutting ceremony had to be moved up on the schedule.  Awards were also presented:
  
  
  

  • To Beth Hensley, MPL Craft Designer & Decorator, for her 25 consecutive years of volunteering at the Library.

  
  

  • To Bill Cornwell, MPL Building Superintendent Emeritus, whose engineering and construction acumen has literally saved Library taxpayers tens of thousands of dollars over the past decade.

  
  

  • To the Bucker Family, whose monument business, which was founded in 1874, is the longest continuously operating family business in Mooresville, Indiana.

  
  We have a few historic photos of the Bucker Monument Company in the MPL Indiana Room Collections.
  Bucker Marble Works (ca. 1906)36 West Harrison Street, Mooresville, IndianaThe house and workshop were built in 1874 whenJohn Bucker started his family business,which still operates today at the same location
  Bucker Monument Co. (Mid-1930s)Robert Bucker stands by his 1934 Dodge truck
   The Bucker Family working on gravestones (undated)
  Bucker Monument Co. (August 2009)
  
  
  At approximately quarter to four o'clock, the butterflies were released.  Hopefully, our video of this exciting event will turn out.  Stay tuned.
  
  Our centennial celebration closed with the official unveiling of the new MPL logo, slogan, and soon-to-be-launched new and improved website.
  
  Ed Brizendine, President of the MPL Board of Trustees,unveils the new Library logo, slogan & websitewith fellow Library Trustees Susan Joyner (Secretary),Laura Gutzwiller (Treasurer), & Lynn Adams (Vice President)
  
  
  Library Director Diane Huerkamp thanked MPL staff members for their many long hours preparing for and implementing our centennial celebration.
  
  
  In our next installment, there should be some video clips of some of the activities at the celebration, if I operated the camera correctly.  Let's keep our fingers crossed.
  
  
  
  
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• 09:08

  Stories from the Week that Was – 5/6/12-5/12/12

   »  Indiana Intellectual Property & Technology Blog
  Stories from the Week that Was - 5/6/12-5/12/12 A mid-week election saw Richard Mourdock topple long-standing Republican Senator Richard Lugar. Has anybody bothered to ask Mourdock or (Democrat rival) Joe Donnelly’s thoughts on legislation like CISPA and SNOPA? Not this … Continue reading →
  
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• 08:19

  Specter Says Tea Party Cannibalizing Senators

   »  Advance Indiana
  Former Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter, who gave Sen. Richard Lugar an unwanted endorsement during his losing re-election primary race, is now offering his toxic endorsement to embattled Sen. Orrin Hatch. From the Daily Caller:
  

  Specter told Harris-Perry that the current climate in Washington, D.C. isn’t lending itself to electoral success for moderate incumbents, which he said has been the focus of a crusade outlined in his book.

  “No, that is what is happening in Washington today. … [It] happened again in the last few days when Sen. Dick Lugar was cannibalized,” Specter said. “Cannibals are devouring senators. If you don’t follow orthodoxy, vote the party line right down the line, if you have a 93 percent conservative voting record like Bob Bennett in Utah — that is not conservative enough.”

  Specter pointed to other elections which a GOP “establishment” candidate lost — or almost lost — to a tea party candidate. He asked Utah voters to keep Hatch in the U.S. Senate and avoid repeating that pattern.

  “The cannibals function to cost the Republicans the senate seat in Colorado and Delaware and Nevada, almost in Alaska, and now Orrin Hatch is in jeopardy in Utah,” he continued. “I hope that people in Utah — and I know you have a big listening audience, viewing audience there, Melissa — will read this book and come out and vote to make sure that Orrin Hatch is not cannibalized.”

  
  
  
  
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• 03:51

  Fresh Hardware

   »  Indiana Kneeriders Association
  Renown and widely respected Australian surfer.shaper Dale Ponsford has lifted the lid on a few fresh ideas to help lift his image and give his already unique designs that little bit of extra spark.
   Already flagrantly original and uncontentiously obvious every time they get pulled out of the board cover, no matter where you are, Dale figured it was time to freshen his boards up a bit with a new logo makeover.
   With a new website brewing the idea was to start introducing a line of models individually named and recognisable by sticker. The idea is nothing new as all major, and not so major surfboard brands, offer a similar option for their line of models. What you see here is the first two cabs off the rank. The "S Driver" is quite obviously the model he is most renown for, that being the F1 of all kneeboards, his own modern twist on a 70's classic the Skitail. And the "Fat Man" which I believe is a more user friendly shape modeled and named after close mate and kneelo royalty Damien "Pino" Coase. What you see here is not what the pest exterminator douses your ceiling cavity for, or what thrives under your way past the use by date mattress. Keeping with the ocean theme these creatures are actually individual species of plankton. Each new model that rolls out will be sporting an even newer bug. Creepy yet strangely also kinda cool.
  
  To my knowledge no other kneelo shaper offers their models in this way, with the exception of Neil Luke's "Freak", which is in name only. So with this in mind it will be interesting to see if and whether at all the other reputable kneelo shapers out there decide to pull their socks up and inject a bit of life into their jaded products.
  
  Sure as shit their tired old  websites could do with an injection of freshness and enthusiasm because as mentioned previously ...............all have exceeded their use by dates .
  
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• 03:30

  ENGINEER'S REPORT –Tech Info

   »  Tri-State Genealogical Society of Evansville, Indiana "TSGS Cruiser"
  '
  
  
  Don Counts sent me an article "This supercomputer is rethinking the future of software"
  By Nick Heath at TechRepublic published on April 18, 2012 with some really cool stuff in it.
  
  
  
        Supercomputers will soon be one thousand times more powerful than
        they are today, and the UK has enlisted an IBM Blue Gene/Q to help develop
        software for the machines.
  
        Five years from now supercomputers will be able to carry out more than one billion billion calculations per second and such blistering speed will require anoverhaul of how we write software.
  WOW, right?
  
  
  This article uses the term "Flops."  So, what is a flop?  
  Flops stands for floating point operations per second, and, is a measure of a computer's performance, especially in fields of scientific calculations that make heavy use of floating-point calculations.  And a flop count is a count of these operations per second... just some everyday basic stuff.  There are the same common prefixes that we have grown so fond of (and pretend that we comprehend the values), such as Kilo, Mega, Giga & Tera that we put with the suffix "bytes" as in Kilobytes, Megabytes, Gigabytes & Terabytes... pretty much "old hat!"   It is so "yesterday!"  But, now, we can soon be speaking in terms of Kiloflops (1,000 flops), Megaflops (one million flops), Gigaflops (one billion flops) & Teraflops (one trillion flops).  Truthfully, I do not care what you are talking about "one trillion" is a lot!  But, we do not stop at such small numbers, let us add these: Petaflops (one quadrillion flops), Exaflops (one quintillion flops), Zettaflops (one sextillion flops) & finally, Yottaflops (one septillion flops).  Folks a "septillion" looks like this ~ 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 (that is a "1" with 24 zeros behind it!!!).  That string of numbers might as well be a zillion or more to me.  I suddenly realized that I do not know how much is a "zillion?"  Well, I found out that there is no such number except it is used to express very large unknown numbers, such as:  "There must have been a zillion ants on the counter!"  Ok, then, are there any numbers larger than "septillion?"  Of course there are several larger groups: Octillion, Nonillion, & Decillion!
  
  
  Just remember that for most of you this will be the first you will hear of these supercomputers of the very near future that can do more than a billion billion calculations per second!  You will be the first in your family to know what a Petaflop or Yottaflop means!  Here is the link to Nick Heath's blog:  [www.techrepublic.com]  to read his article.
  
  
  - Compiled by JGWest
  
  
  
                                                     
  
  
            
  
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• Indiana blogs (US-IN), 05/12/2012
• 11:57

  We Have Cake! And Butterflies!

   »  MPL Indiana Room Treasure Trove
  At the Library's 100th anniversary party today (Saturday, May 12, 2012), WE HAVE CAKE!  That's reason enough to visit.
  Take a look at this amazing four-tier Library centennial cake, along with the three butterfly cakes, prepared especially for the event by Sugar Mamas Custom Cakes, 25 West Main Street, Mooresville, Indiana.  Click images to enlarge.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Sugar Mamas puts the finishing touches on the centennial cake
  
  
  Cake will be served in the Library's Bonita C. Marley Community Room this afternoon at 3:50 to 4:00 p.m., when the butterflies will be released.
  
  MPL Bonita C. Marley Community RoomReady for the cake-cutting ceremony
  
  
  
  
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• 11:37

  Our Interactive Library Stations

   »  MPL Indiana Room Treasure Trove
  At today's centennial celebration, the Library has established several interactive work stations showcasing some of our public services.  Click images to enlarge.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
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• 11:21

  Moving In and Moving Out

   »  Front Porch Indiana

  The alpaca boys hit the lottery and found the very best home they could ever hope for so they packed their bags, got their pedicures and shots, and headed out this morning.

  

  They moved to a farm 35 miles west of here where there is basically a whole swat team of super nice people who want to take great care of them.  Even better, the multi-generation family knew that Willa would be lost without them and asked if they could take her with them! I cried. I’ve been so worried about Willa and where she might end up. I couldn’t be happier for all of them. Knowing they will all stay together and receive the best possible care makes me very happy.

  

  I will miss each and every one of them, but I absolutely know it is the right thing. The timing of it all and the way it came about through my veterinarian makes me believe it was meant to be.

  So the barn might be less crowded, but the coop is filling up again.  Guess who followed me home this week? 

  

  Mr. Duck has taken up residence in Old One-Eyed Calico Jack’s former bachelor pad. I’m getting him set up with an online dating service. Hopefully we can find him a girlfriend soon.

  
  
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• 11:04

  Centennial Library Staff Hard at Work

   »  MPL Indiana Room Treasure Trove
  We have photos of our centennial library staff working hard to prepare for the Library's 100th anniversary celebration, which is happening as we write.  If you are visiting MPL today (and you should, because we have cake later), and you need assistance or have any questions, please feel free to stop any of us in the gold shirts emblazoned with our new 100th anniversary logo.
  
  
  
  Here are our MPL staffers getting the job done!  Click images to enlarge.
  
  Virginia Jensen, Head of CirculationSharon Hicks, Business Manager andLibrarian Kate Meador, Head of Technical Services
  shelving and arranging the Business Collection
  Intern Alicia Scully (I.U. Bloomington Library School graduate student)with MPL Librarians Rachel Montgomery (Teen Services)and Suzanne Walker (Head of Youth Services)
  working with new children's technology
  Bob Gilliland, Circulation Teamster
  reviewing patron records
  Youth Services Cataloger Miriam Bunner &Early Literacy Specialist Jaymi Edwards
  Information Technology Specialist Judy Morehouse reviewing a checklistwith Circulation Teamsters Sonja Hollingsworth & Royetta Ingle
  Circulation Teamster Joyce Purkhiser
  reshelving CDs in the Music Collection
  
  Adult Programming Coordinator Meghan Adams
  at the Patron Self-Check Terminal
  Librarian Diane Huerkamp, MPL Directorsigns payment vouchers
  Volunteer Beth Hensley, Library Craft Designer/Decorator, talkingwith Lori Becker, Business Manager Emeritus
  (Circulation Teamster Sonja Hollingsworth at the Discharge Station)
  Luke Jensen, Adult Services Page,reshelving books in Adult Nonfiction Circulation Teamster Laura James
  
  Circulation Teamster Nancy Cassidy
  
  Circulation Teamster & Webmaster Molly May Julie Kyle-Lee, Mooresville Academy Museum Curator,with Library Board member Susan Joyner
  Virginia Jensen, Head of Circulation, withLibrary Board members Susan Joyner & Steve Oschman
  
  In our next installment, we'll have more photos of centennial work stations throughout the Library.
  
  
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• 06:34

  IGS Adds Free Sullivan County Will Books Index

   »  Indiana Genealogical Society Blog
  The Indiana Genealogical Society has added a free database of a Sullivan County will books index to the County Records section of our Members Only area:
  
  --Index to Will Books for Sullivan County, Indiana (1850-1940)
  
  This database is courtesy of the Sullivan County Public Library and Donna K. Adams. It is free to the public - no membership is needed in order to view it.
  
  The Indiana Genealogical Society now has 776 databases in the Members Only area. They cover all 92 Indiana counties and encompass 500,000+ records.
  
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• Indiana blogs (US-IN), 05/11/2012
• 21:29

  Help The Warrick Humane Society!

   »  Southern Indiana Paranormal Investigators
  Bid to win a night out ghost hunting with CRIPP or SIPI this will be a lot of fun as we investigate the paranormal.
  
  

  
  

  
  
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• 20:52

  REPA 2: Points of Concern

   »  Indiana Art Education Advocacy Action Blog
  Creation of adjunct teaching permits, for which the only criteria are a 3.0/4.0 undergraduate grade point average and passage of the content assessment.  Adjunct teachers would not be required to complete any preparation in how to teach nor pass the new pedagogy assessment required for new teacher licenses.
  
  -          Restrictions of the teacher license renewal criteria to only the results of teacher evaluations earned in their local schools with no external expectations for professional development.
  
  -          Elimination of the opportunity to renew existing 10 year licenses.
  
  -          Ability to add any content area to an existing license without any developmentally appropriate content or teaching preparations.  This change includes the potential for license additions in the fine arts, special education, early childhood education and elementary education by licensed individuals simply passing a test.
  
  -          Changes to special education preparation that would not require any subject area preparation or expertise.
  
  -          Changes to the building principal license requirements, changes that reduce degree requirements and eligibility criteria at a time in which the building principals are being asked to do significantly more.
  
  -          Changes in the approval/accreditation criteria for state teacher preparation programs with no reference to national or professional criteria nor to a clear review process or time line.
  
  In summary, the Indiana Department of Education made significant changes to teacher and administrator licensing and teacher preparation just two years ago; changes which have yet to be implemented fully even by the Department of Education.  Coming before the original REPA revisions are fully implemented, REPA 2 will add significantly to the high level of instability in the policy environment affecting teachers and schools in Indiana.  Perhaps, the primary recommendation should be "wait"; to allow for the changes made in 2010 to be implemented and for the results to be seen.  If consideration of REPA 2 is not deferred, it is important to be aware of the proposed changes and to speak out on specific revisions needed to maintain quality standards for licensure and to avoid further de-professionalization of teaching.  Review the proposed rules at  [www.doe.in.gov] .  More details about the public comment Website and the public hearing will be forthcoming.
  
  
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• 16:57

  Our Centennial Conservator of Local History

   »  MPL Indiana Room Treasure Trove
  We have enjoyed presenting the Library's century of public service in this blog.  If you, too, have had fun reading the postings this year, we should thank Wanda Potts, the historian of Mooresville, Indiana who will be 91 years old next month.
  Wanda PottsMooresville, Indiana HistorianMPL Indiana Room Librarian Emeritus
  
  Long-time readers know that Wanda Potts was the MPL Indiana Room Librarian (and Assistant Director of the Library) from 1966-2002.  Our 100-year history presented in this blog, along with the 188-year history of the Town of Mooresville that we have featured throughout, comes directly from information carefully collated and filed by Wanda and her colleagues.  None of this would have been possible without their tireless dedication to the preservation of our local history.  Wanda is truly the Library's centennial conservator of local history, and nobody better deserves the title of town historian.
  We have featured Wanda or her newspaper articles in many blog postings.  In the blog search line (upper left-hand corner of the blog page), type (in quotation marks) "Wanda Potts," and your search results should retrieve many posts about her or her writings.
  We hope Wanda is able to attend our centennial celebration tomorrow (Saturday, May 12, 2012) at the Library.  There is cake!  I guess you can see why I'll be there.  Well, I'm actually scheduled to work, but cake is a nice perk.
  Wanda Potts (May 12, 2012)
   UPDATE:  Wanda visited with us at the Library's 100th anniversary celebration.  She was pleased with the Library's maintenance and development of the Indiana Room collections, as well as with digitization efforts to increase information accessibility via the Internet.
  
  
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• 14:01

  Time Capsule

   »  Northwest Indiana Historian James B Lane
  
  “Tired of lying in the sunshineStaying home to watch the rain.”    “Time,” Pink Floyd
  On a day commemorating the demise of IU Northwest’s first building, Tamarack Hall (formerly Gary Mani), Chancellor Bill Lowe and wife Pamela hosted a lunch in Gallery Northwest for former acting chancellor Jack Buhner and others who taught at IU Northwest during the 1960s, including Angie Komenich, F.C. Richardson, and Jack Gruenenfelder.  Buhner, a WW II vet who came to the “IU Extension” in 1948, had vivid memories of the battle to get the campus moved from Seaman Hall in downtown Gary to Glen Park.  I sat next to Trustee Philip Eskew, a former hospital administrator, Medical School professor, and vice president of the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame.  When I mentioned my fall course, he told me he’s kept a diary since age 15.  He recommended Bob Greene’s “Be True to your School: A Diary of 1964” based on a journal the author kept when he was 17.  The title is from the Beach Boys song.
  At a reception preceding the “Time Capsule Opening” program were fellow department members Chris Young, Jonathyne Briggs, and Gianluca Di Muzio, who would later take part in commencement, and emeritus faculty Fred Chary, Ron Cohen, Lloyd Rowe, Rick Hug, John Kroepfl, Mark Reshkin, and Keith Lorentsyn.   I was disappointed that Herman Feldman and George Roberts stayed home.  Among the speakers were Ken Schoon, who was a student in the Sixties and former staff member Ruriko “May” Walker, who recalled the little worms that would infest the building each spring.   Angie Komenich thanked Paul Kern and me for our history of the campus, which she used as a source.  mentioned taking classes from Boll Neil, George Thoma, and Leslie Singer.  After graduating, she taught at Lew Wallace and taught here part-time until she received her advanced degrees. When hired full-time, Buhner told her she’d improve the looks of the place.  Not only was she gorgeous, but he was referring to the previous all-male “gang.”  Gruenenfelder mentioned how the one building contained everything from a cafeteria to the library and, mercifully, only one conference meeting room and plentiful windows in both faculty offices and classrooms.  Buhner once got a call that his son was on the roof of the building making faces at students in a classroom.
  Ellen Szarleta introduced SPEA students Kelly Clemens and Missy Grish, who spent a semester developing a plan to turn the land where Tamarack once stood into a green space.  They envisaged a dry creek useful in diverting rain water to prevent flooding, as well as a Native American garden and a pavilion built in a way resistant to flood damage.
  Chancellor Lowe, Steve McShane, and Buhner opened a copper box that had been soldered shut and put in the cornerstone in September 1958.  Contents included newspaper clippings, minutes from IU’s Board of Trustees, a university handbook, and, surprisingly, a personal note from longtime employee Ruth Nelson, who started working for Gary College and was still volunteering as a library assistant at age 90.  A video presentation produced by Aaron Pigors entitled “The Spirit of Tamarack” included excerpts of interviews Chris Sheid did of Garrett Cope, Lori Montalbano and myself.  He used remarks I made about seeing Jimmy Carter and Jesse Jackson speak in the theater in 1976 and 1984 while campaigning for the 1976 Democratic nomination.  Lori first visited the theater as a 14 year-old while attending Hammond Morton.  Garrett was quite emotional about the demise of the theater as a result of the 2008 flood, but said the “spirit of Tamarack” would live on in people’s hearts.  One photo shows Jack Buhner at the 1959 cornerstone ceremony with Gary mayor George Chacharis to his right.
  
  Before James went for his summer haircut, we looked through a book about the Guinness Book of records.  Several came from foreign game shows, such as fastest time running the 100-meter hurdles wearing flippers.  We both enjoyed the longest fingernails category, held by Christine “The Duchess” Walton from Las Vegas, whose nails are about ten feet long.
  The ash tree in front our condo appears doomed due to the ash borer infestation.  Several branches are bare, and the prevailing wisdom is that once infected it is too late to save the victims.
  Bulls lost their playoff serious to eighth-seeded Philadelphia.  Backup point guard C.J. Watson, in for the injured MVP Derrick Rose, inexplicably passed Omer Asik with ten seconds left.  Fowled hard going to the basket, Asik missed twice at the foul line and 76er Andre Iguodala drove the length of the court and got fouled with two seconds.  He drained both free throws and the 76ers won by a point.
  Steve McShane and I met Jack Buhner for breakfast at the Radisson.  I opted for eggs and potatoes in a skillet.  We talked about oldtimers Bill Neil, George Roberts, Les Singer, and Gary Moran.  Buhner and his wife held open houses for faculty and students at their residence on Adams near the Forty-Third Avenue Presbyterian Church.  At the Archives Steve showed him photos of the 2008 flood.  Buhner recalled the Silver Anniversary events the city of Gary and U.S. Steel held in 1956, including the Jubilee parade down Broadway.  I promised to send him a copy of “Gary’s First Hundred Years,” which includes sections on Ruth Nelson, Martin Zelt, and Chancellor Peggy Elliott, who started out as a part-time English teacher.  “I knew she’d go far,” Jack said.  With a still sharp mind, he handled being 92 very well, using a cane, a magnifying glass to read, and a hearing aid that sometimes popped out of place.
  Ann Bottorff passed on a posting on George Takei’s website that poked fun at blowhard Rush Limbaugh’s assertion that by supporting same-sex unions President Obama was leading a war on traditional marriage by adding: “His first, second, third, and fourth wives could not be reached for comment.”
  
  More... »
  
  

• 10:45

  New Web Site Boasts 100 Reasons why Indiana Rules

   »  Building Indiana Blog

  The Indiana Economic Development Corporation has launched a new marketing campaign—100 Reasons Indiana—designed to draw attention to the incredible number of reasons Indiana is a great place to do business while encouraging others to submit even more reasons of their own.

  “Every state touts their top five or ten reasons they are great for business,” says Dan Hasler, secretary of commerce and Indiana Economic Development Corporation CEO. “IEDC challenged our business leaders and economic development partners to send us their top reasonsIndianaworks for them. And they answered in force.”

  Those reasons can be found at 100ReasonsIndiana.com. The compilation was selected by an external judging committee and put into a fun, interactive and dynamic Web site. The reasons highlight nearly every geographical part of the state,Indiana industries and quality of life. They include pro-business facts and figures as well as focusing on the state’s leadership in life sciences, agriculture, high-tech, manufacturing and logistics. Reasons also includeIndiana’s art and cultural sectors, sports industry and top tier academic institutions.

  “I learn something new every time I look at the list,” adds Hasler. “For example, we lead the nation in duck production, have a legacy of NASA astronauts and Indiana is home to two Golf Digest top-100 public courses. And this list barely scratches the surface of whatIndianahas to offer. We have a lot to be proud of.”

  
  
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• 10:34

  Parts Manufacturer Opens Doors to Jeffersonville Facility

   »  Building Indiana Blog

  Advanced Metal Technologies of Indiana Inc., a member of Whitesell Group, has plans to locate operations inIndiana, creating up to 350 new jobs by 2015.

  The announcement comes after AMT acquired the assets of MKM Machine Tool Company in December 2011. MKM previously operated inJeffersonvillesince 1953. AMT, which manufactures complex metal and plastic parts for industrial markets, will invest $19 million to lease, renovate and equip the 310,000-square-foot former plant at100 Technology Way. The facility already is up and running and employs more than 130 associates, including 106 former MKM employees.

  
  
  More... »
  
  

• 10:12

  Random Beer Roundup - The American Craft Beer Week Edition

   »  Hoosier Beer Geek
  
  
  Happy American Craft Beer Week next week!  There are a ton of great events coming up, enjoy yourselves!  GO BEER.
  
  Hoosier Beer Calendar Events are subject to change
  
  From the Brewers From Crown Brewing in Crown Point:
  

  Illiana Mayfest is Coming!!

  
  
  From Bob at Flat12 Bierwerks in Indianapolis:
  

  Friday, May 11th: Carmel-Clay Public Library with Ted Allen 
  Saturday, May 12th: Pre-Race Party with IndyCar #27 James Hinchcliffe Special tapping.
  Saturday, May 12th: Arts & Crafts #4 at Elbow Room
  Wednesday, May 16th: Indianapolis Monthly Tasting at Tom Tap
  Wednesday, May 16th: Block Party for Riley Area Development Corp.
  Thursday, May 17th: Tapping, Moustache Ride Red (Bourbon Barrel Vanilla Amber)
  Friday, May 18th: Flat 12 Night at Cerulean, Winona Lake IN
  Sunday, May 20th: Black Sunday at Flat 12 Bierwerks

  From Skip at Fountain Square Brewing Co. in Fountain Square:
  

  Next week for American Craft Beer week we will be releasing our first Double IPA.  It is a version of our "Big Nuggets" IPA called of course "Bigger Nuggets".  Light in color but bold in hops, this American IPA starts with a big floral nose and ends with a slightly bitter finish.  Hopped generously with Nugget and Columbus hops, but balanced nicely with the addition of Honey Malt.  8.35% ABV 54 IBU.  It will be on tap when we open on Thursday the 17^th at 4pm.

  
  From Andrew at Ram Restaurant and Brewery in Indianapolis/Fishers:
  

  Heaven and Hell Party!

  Rumblings have begun down below and sounds of choirs can be heard coming from the sky. It must be getting close. The armies of Heaven and Hell are on the move but not for battle. This will be a more joyous occasion. Heaven-sent, Hell-bound, and Apocalypto Barleywine are ready to serve, customary costumes are being adorned, and feasts are being prepared. This Saturday at 7 p.m. is the time and the RAM in Downtown Indianapolis is the place. Be here for the Heaven and Hell Party, or you might regret it for eternity. 

  Events Calendar
  Join us for our upcoming events.
  5/10 - RAM Every Day IPA Homebrew Competition Registration Deadline
  5/11 - Great Fermentations Homebrew Club Meeting with tasting of Hop Anonymous
  5/12 - Heaven and Hell Party with costume prizes
  5/16 - Indianapolis Monthly Beer Tasting at Tomlinson Taproom
  5/23 - Tappings and Tastings at Tomlinson Taproom
  6/2 - RAM Every Day IPA Awards Ceremony
  6/9 - WTTS Tapping Tour in Fishers featuring the Spring Music Sampler and Barefoot Wit
  6/14 - WTTS Tapping Tour in Indianapolis featuring the Spring Music Sampler and our Russian Imperial Stout 

  On Tap Now
  Big Horn Maibock
  Hop Anonymous IPA

  From Jerry at Rock Bottom Brewery in Downtown Indianapolis:
  

  May 17 - $25 for 5 courses - RSVP required (call the Downtown location)
  
  1st - fresh ricotta, local honeycomb, black pepper
  2nd - smokey blue cheese, apple and fennel baklava, rosemary honey, toasted almonds
  3rd - white Irish cheddar with porter, toasted hazelnuts, chili compote, romesco
  4th - Capriole Farms goat cheese trio
  Mont St Francis, vanilla, sweet blackberry compote
  Juliana, roasted walnuts, smoked salt, truffle honey
  Obannon, bourbon, peaches, balsamic reduction
  5th - red dragon yellow cheddar, andouille sausage, whole grain mustard, brown ale reduction
  
  Each course paired with beer

  
  From Clay at Sun King Brewing Co in Indianapolis:
  

  The Sun King / Oskar Blues CANlaboration hit the streets this week and will be available for sampling in the Tasting Room this weekend. It is only available in the new bottle/can, which we spent months working with Oskar Blues, Ball Corporation and Cask Brewing Systems develop a small scale filling machine to allow craft brewers access to this packaging option. Until now, only large beverage manufacturers had access to this, so it's a pretty exciting project all around. 
  Indiana Landmark Wit and Naptown Brown IBA will both be available in the Tasting Room this week. We have several new beers coming your way: Sky Cake (it's an Aleger) will be released at MacNivens on Thursday, May 17th and this year's version of Firefly Wheat gets tapped at Chef JJ's EGGfest on Saturday, May 19th.
  American Craft Beer Week is May 14th through May 20th! Get out and celebrate the best way you know how... By enjoying some Delicious American Craft Beer!
  Upcoming Events:
  MacNiven's Tap Takeover
  Thursday, May 17 - 11am - Close 12 Sun King Beers PLUS The release of Sky Cake 
  National Bike to Work Day Friday, May 18th
  Bike to Work Day Happy Hour Friday, May 18th - After Work Tomlinson Tap Room in City Market INDYCOG and Fresh•Local•Beer
  Fast Friday Track Cycling Races Friday, May 18 - 7 PM Major Taylor Velodrome - 3649 Cold Spring Road. Chef JJ's Eggfest Saturday, May 19 - 11am - 4pm Chef JJ's Backyard - 1040 Broad Ripple Ave. $25 per person for unlimited sampling from  50 chef teams all cooking on the Big Green Egg. The Sun King Truck will be on had serving Fresh•Local•Beer Tickets available online at: [tinyurl.com]
  Beer Dinner at Indigo Duck Monday, May 21 - 6 PM Indigo Duck - 39 East Court St., Franklin, IN  For Reservations Call:  [317-560-5805]
  IIIF Presents: Bellflower Thursday, May 24 - 7 PM Indianapolis International Film Festival 2012 Spring Film  At the Earth House Collective - 237 N. East St. Enjoy Fresh•Local•Beer while you watch

  
  From Ryan at Thr3e Wise Men in Broad Ripple, Indianapolis:
  

  Thr3e Wise Men will be participating at the Indianapolis Monthly's Beerfest which is Wednesday May 16th at the Tomlinson Tap Room inside City Market. Come enjoy our lineup: Golden Zoe IPA, Centennial Martyr Double IPA, Saint Slater's Irish Stout and our Special Tapping of our Double Pagoda Pit Road Red. The event kicks off at 6pm and goes to 8:30pm. You can get tickets to the event through IndianapolisMontly.com. We look forward to seeing you all there!

  
  From David at Triton Brewery in Lawrence:
  

  American Craft Beer Week (ACBW)-Clustertruck Wednesday, May 16
  In honor of ACBW Triton Brewing Company is hosting a Clustertruck event bringing together some of our favorite food trucks: Scratchtruck, Der Pretzel Wagon, Mac Genie and Spice Box to name a few! Fresh craft beer and local food truck fare at Triton Brewing Company!  

  Trivia Night at Sahm's Place Tuesday, May 22
  At 8:30 pm, test your trivia knowledge and enjoy Triton while you do! 2411 E. 65th Street, Indy. 

  Beer Club Tasting at Fox and Hound June 7
  4-6 pm,  14490 Lowes Way, Carmel. For more information about these, or other upcoming events, follow us on facebook.com/tritonbrewing or on twitter at @tritonbrewing or check us out at tritonbrewing.com.

  
  From Lindsay at Upland Brewing Co. in Bloomington/Indianapolis:
  

  This is what we've got going on this week and next!  [uplandbeer.com] [uplandbeer.com] [uplandbeer.com]

  
  
  For Carry Out
  From Todd at Keg Liquors in Clarksville/New Albany:
  

  Mark your calendars - 7th Annual Fest of Ale on June 2nd. 

  Great Divide - Chocolate Oak Aged Yeti (Colorado)
  Dark Horse - Plead the Fifth Stout (Michigan)
  Schlafly - American IPA (Missouri)
  Wandering Aengus - Wanderlust Cider (Oregon)
  BBC - Saison (Kentucky)
  Rogue - Dads Little Helper Black IPA (Oregon)
  Two Brothers - Dark Mild Ale (Illinois)
  Two Brothers - Pillar of Salt (Illinois)
  Sixpoint - Apollo (New York)
  Founders - Curmudgeon Old Ale (Michigan)
  Two Brothers - Bonfire Dunkel Weiss (Illinois)
  Abita - Strawberry Harvest Lager (Louisiana)
  Tyranena - Scurvy IPA (Wisconsin)
  Mendocino - Imperial Barleywine (California)
  Victory - Headwaters Pale Ale (Pennsylvania)
  Hoppin Frog - Barrel Aged Naked Evil (Ohio)
  Gulden Draak - 9000 Quad (Belgium)
  Hoppin Frog - Hop Heathen (Ohio)
  Breckenridge - 72 Imperial Chocolate Cream Stout (Colorado)
  Sprecher - Shakparo Ale (Wisconsin)
  Haandbryggeriet - Sweet & Sour (Denmark)
  Victory Stone Dogfish Head - Saison du Buff (Pennsylvania)
  Viven - Smoked Porter (Belgium)
  Makana - Dry Mead (South Africa)
  Finchs Beer Company - Altus Gravitus (Illinois)
  Stone - Imperial Russian Stout (California)
  Rogue - Chipotle Ale (Oregon)
  Haandbryggeriet - Haandbakk (Norway)
  Hochland Imker - Lime-Tree Blossom Mead (Austria)
  Dieu du Ciel! - Equinoxe du Printemps (Canada)
  Dieu du Ciel! - Rigor Mortis Abt (Canada)
  Kulmbacher - EKU 28 (Germany)
  Dieu du Ciel - Rosee d'Hisbiscus (Canada)
  Dieu du Ciel - Route des Epices (Canada)
  Mikkeller - Black Buffalo ()
  Pretty Things - Jack D'or (Massachusetts)
  Pretty Things - 1838 X Ale (Massachusetts)
  Pretty Things - 1945 X Ale (Massachusetts)
  Struise - Elliot Brew (Belgium)

  
  At Bars and Restaurants
  From Jordan at The Beer Sellar in Castleton:
  

  New drafts as of 5/8/12
  New Albanian Elsa Von Horizon Sixpoint Spice of Life Nugget Sixpoint Resin Victory Headwaters Mikkler Invasion Victory Mad Kings New Belgium Cocca Mole Tyrannena Dirty Old Man
  Petrus Aged Pale
  Three Floyds Pride 

  On Deck: Pretty Things Jack D' Or New Day Johnny Chapman North Coast Scrimshaw Sierra Nevada Hoptimum Brooklyn Summer Ale 

  Events: May 14th Craft Beer Week: Look for special tappings from Great Divide Chocolate Yeti, 18th Anniversary Stone IRS Founders Double Trouble, Breakfast Stout Goose Island Pere Jacques Dark Horse Scotty Karate Three Floyds/Struise Shark Pants Brooklyn Sorrachi Ace Rogue Orgasmic Ale Bell's Smoked Lager North Coast Scrimshaw Pilsner Sam Adams Norse Legend New Belgium Tart Lychee Pretty Things Jack D'Or More to come! 

  June 2nd Beer Sellar Goes Local 2 

  June 15th 7pm Hatter Day 2012 Mad Hatter Imperial Hatter Black Hatter Rye Hatter Farmhouse Hatter Oaked Aged Hatter All on draft.

  From Stuart at MacNiven's on Mass Ave, Indianapolis:
  

  American Craft Beer Week starts Monday May 14th!!
  
  All Draughts Go USA begining Monday! 
  
  Tuesday Night is Bell's Brewery Night! Two Hearted Firkin Tapping & More...
  
  Wednesday Night Is Three Floyds Brewery Night....12 Three Floyds on Tap! 
  
  Thursday Night is Sun King Brewery Night....12 Sun King's on Tap, plus Grapefruit Jungle on The Hand-Pull and a Firkin of Timmie on the bartop!
  
  Friday Night Fountain Square Brewery Firkin Tapping!  

  From Eddie at Sahm's Place in Broad Ripple, Indianapolis:
  

  We finally did it. It was the most chaotic implementation of equipment this side of the Nile, but it has been accomplished. We have added 6 beer lines and 10 bottles (with a brand spankin' new glass reach in cooler) to our craft / local selections.
  
  We now feature 20+ craft bottles & cans and 14 craft beer lines that will rotate local brewers, seasonal selections, and some tasty hard to find lines! We will be incorporating beer tastings, tap takeovers, and as always, our Tuesday Night Trivia sponsored brewers each week.
  
  This week we will be hosting Fountain Square Brewing and New Day Meadery as they showcase there beer during Craft Beer Week! Some of the finest east side beverages will be available including FSQ porter, Double IPA, Hop for Teacher, New Day Meadery South Cider, Johnny Chapman, and if we are lucky a mead or two!
  
  Beers on Tap this week:
  Bells Oberon
  Bells Two Hearted
  Bells Lager
  Bells Double Cream Stout
  Bells Oarsmen
  Rogue Hazlenut Brown Nectar
  Bier Brew Belgian Wit
  Bier Brew Cascadian Light
  Fountain Square Cosmic Wheat
  New Albanian Elector Red
  New Day Meadery South Cider
  Flat12 Super Bravo 46
  Schlafly Hefeweizen
  Triton 4 Barrel Brown
  Brugge Pooka
  New Holland Dragon's Milk
  Founders Double Trouble
  Sun King Landmark Wit
  Bloomington Brew Co. Ruby Bloom
  Upland Wheat

  From Doug at Shallo's Restaurant in Indianapolis:
  

  Shallos Beer tasting this Monday the 14th. 7-9:30 $25. Come and get some of this Zombie Dust I've been hiding for you. Fountain Square brewery will be there as well as New Day Meadery. This will be a drinking opportunity you don't want to miss. Bring your liver.

  From Ryan at Scotty's Brewhouse in various locations:
  

  Scotty's Brewhouse Muncie is now pouring Three Floyds Gumballhead! We have a limited supply have so come get it while you can! Enjoy a 48oz Pitcher on Tuesday for $5.00!
  
  Scotty's Brewhouse West Lafayette has just tapped Three Floyds Alpha King! Come by on Thursday and enjoy a pint of this amazing beer for only $3.50!
  
  Scotty's Burger Joint in Columbus is now pouring Sun King Landmark Wit! You can come by and get a 48oz pitcher for only $9.00 every Wednesday!

  Distributor info
  From Jen at Cavalier Distribution:
  

  NEW TO THE CAVALIER WAREHOUSE Hebrew Coney Island Mixed Packs - A mixed pack of lagers and Mermaid Pilsner; limited seasonal release; 12 packs only Mad River Double Dread Red - Imperial Red Ale; limited seasonal release; 4 packs only Sixpoint Apollo - Bavarian Style Summer Wheat; limited seasonal release; 4 pack 16oz cans only Hinterland Cherry Wheat - made from Door County cherries; limited seasonal release; 4 packs and draft New Albanian Black and Blue Grass - Saison; limited release; 22oz bottles and draft Great Divide Oak Aged Chocolate Yeti - limited seasonal release; 22oz bottles and draft Shipyard Summer - Summer Wheat Ale; limited seasonal release; 6 packs only Southern Star Le Mort Vivant - Biere de Garde; limited seasonal release; 4 pack cans only Two Brothers Dog Days of Summer - Dortmunder Lager; limited seasonal release; 6 packs and draft Two Brothers Pillar of Salt - Rye Wit; limited release; 22oz bottles and draft Two Brothers Mild Dark - English Style; limited release; 22oz bottles and draft Founders Old Curmudgeon - Old Ale; limited release; 4 packs and draft Breckenridge 72 Imperial Chocolate Stout - limited release; 4 packs only Tyranena Scurvy - IPA brewed with orange peel; limited seasonal release; 6 packs and draft UPCOMING EVENTS 5/16- Founders Tap Takeover at Max's Place; Bloomington; 6:30pm 5/17 - Peoples Brewing Tasting at Chalet Liquors #1; Middlebury 5/18 - Craft Tasting at Liquid Assets; North Manchester 5/18 - Craft Tasting at Party Time Liquors; Greenville; 5pm-7pm 5/18 - Craft Beer Tasting Outdoor Event at Cap N Cork Dupont; Ft. Wayne; 5pm-7pm 5/19 - Craft Tasting at Moggers; Terre Haute; 4pm-7pm 5/19 - Maria Mitrioni's Italian Fest; Richmond, TBA 5/25 - Craft Tasting at Cap N Cork on Coldwater; Ft Wayne; 5pm-7pm      5/26 - Illiana Mayfest; Lake County Fairgrounds, Crown Point; 2pm-6pm; $30 general and $45 VIP (entrance at 1pm) 6/1 - Founders Tap Takeover at Buckhead; Jeffersonville; TBA 6/2 - Keg Liquors Fest of Ales; St. Anthony's of Padu Lot; Clarksville; 3pm-7pm; $25 general admission 6/23 - Brew HaHa; Downtown Indy; 3pm-7pm; $35 general admission 8/4 - Brew Haven Craft Beer Festival; Downtown New Haven; 2pm-6pm; $35 general admission 10/13 - Porter Beerfest 12pm-4pm 11/16 - Celebrate Election Day with Elector at Yogi's; Bloomington; all day event

  Upcoming Events
  From Michele at Fishers Rotary Club:
  

  

  
  

  Thursday, June 14th at FORUM Conference and Event Center.

  Tickets 
  $40 General Admission
  $20 Designated Driver
  
  Visit their website for more information. 
  
  More... »
  
  

• 09:53

  Has Mourdock Already Kicked The Tea Party To The Curb?

   »  Advance Indiana
  A story that ran in Politico following his historic landslide primary victory over Sen. Richard Lugar this week is giving pause to some of Richard Mourdock's most ardent tea party stories.
  
  

  When a man walked into Mourdock’s election night party dressed in a colonial outfit, his grass-roots organizing director asked him to change into a campaign T-shirt.

  “This is not about the tea party tonight,” Mourdock aide Diane Hubbard firmly told the man. “This is about Richard.”

  Hubbard, a co-founder of the Indianapolis Tea Party, said the tea party drifted toward Mourdock, not the other way around.

  “I am actually from the tea party, and I don’t consider him [tea party],” she said. “I define a tea party candidate as someone who came through the tea party. In that way, no, he’s a Republican.”

  
  The man referenced in the story is Paul Wheeler, who confirmed the account to me. He left Mourdock's victory party sad and disappointed. Paul has been Mourdock's strongest supporter over the past year. As I told Paul, who also worked in the trenches with some of us Tea Party types to help the unknown Greg Ballard win his upset victory over Bart Peterson only to be thrown to the curb just minutes after he secured victory, that I'm not surprised. I've been an ardent supporter of Mourdock as well. I haven't gotten so much as a thank you or kiss my ass from any one associated with his campaign. I would have hoped that Mourdock was a more honorable man than Ballard but maybe not. Was Hubbard acting on the orders of the Mourdock campaign? I don't know, but it was a totally stupid move on her part and should result in her immediate removal from the campaign if she wasn't just following orders--or at least an apology to Patriot Paul. See the message Mourdock was preaching when he announced his campaign and Patriot Paul's words in the video below:
  
  UPDATE: Chris Connor, spokesperson for the Mourdock campaign, contacted me this afternoon to assure me that Mourdock is not putting any distance between himself and his Tea Party supporters. He was not familiar with the circumstances of the exchange Tuesday night between Wheeler and Hubbard, but he assured me that it was not a reflection of any shift in opinion by Mourdock or the campaign towards the Tea Party movement and its supporters.
  
  indiana politics civil rights law
  
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• 08:58

  Did Fort Wayne Attorney Shoot Fellow Attorney?

   »  Advance Indiana
  I've been following the strange recent shootings involving two corporate lawyers who work in the Fort Wayne law office of Faegre Daniels that left one of the attorneys seriously injured from gunshot wounds after he was surprised by a gunman in his garage who threw an unknown substance into his eyes and then shot him before running off. The second attorney later reported a gunshot being fired into the back window of his home. The Angry White Boy is reporting an even stranger twist in the story that singles out one of the attorneys as the actual shooter.indiana politics civil rights law
  
  More... »
  
  

• 06:33

  Indiana State Archives Adds Indiana Boys' School Database

   »  Indiana Genealogical Society Blog
  The Indiana State Archives has added an index of inmates at the Indiana Boys' School to its online collection. The Indiana Boys' School was created in Plainfield, Hendricks County, Indiana in 1867 to reform male juvenile offenders through education. The Indiana State Archives' index covers 12,700 boys who were committed to the Boys' School from 1867 to 1937 (for confidentiality reasons, boys who were committed after 1937 are not online). Additional information on the inmates is available by contacting the Indiana State Archives or visiting their facility in person.
  
  Thanks to Ron Darrah for sharing this information.
  
  More... »
  
  

• Indiana blogs (US-IN), 05/10/2012
• 20:30

  Discovering Online QRCode Facebook Coupons In Indiana

   »  Indiana Local Coupons
  05/10/2012 Indiana Marketing News: It's the new era of mobile phone marketing in Indiana . QRCode usage on mobile phone will continue offer the best laser hair removal coupons to local shoppers to save money on social media and help local business on their local marketing.
  
  Smart Local Shoppers recently announce the new feature to allow visitor to share their favorite printable coupons in Indiana on social media like Google+ or in Email with simply few clicks.
  
  
  QRCode for savvy shopper is no longer a tool for discovering local specials in Indiana . With Smart Local Shoppers new social scanning feature with the QRCode on the Andorid Phone on social media, stay home mom can share and discover the latest Restaurant coupons and/or printable massage envy coupons QRCode in Indiana and access instant saving.
  
  Smart shoppers can simply visit any coupon found on Smart Local Shoppers and press print and share on Facebook with the QRCode in place. It will help their friends in Indiana to save money while supporting local business in Indiana . It's the best win-win local shopping for everyone! PR5727507018
  
  
  
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• 19:35

  Washington Post Fabricates Story Of Romney Being Gay-Bashing Bully

   »  Advance Indiana
  SOUTH BEND FAMILY OF SO-CALLED VICTIM REPUDIATES STORY (SEE UPDATE BELOW)
  The Omedia has figured out that there is no way in hell the American people are going to re-elect Barack Obama on his failed record the past four years so they will resort to fabricating tales about Mitt Romney to make him out to be a loathsome monster who lacks the character to be the leader of the free world. In this particular case, the Washington Post's Jason Horowitz reaches back to Mitt Romney's teen-age years attending an elite prep school in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan to create an image of an elitist, prankster who bullied a homosexual classmate, perfectly timed just a day after President Barack Obama sort of said he supports gay marriage. The classmates who make the allegations after more than 45 years are, of course, all Democrats. The individual who was supposedly bullied by Romney is dead and cannot speak to the allegations. His family from South Bend, however, can speak and says it ain't so [See update below].
  
  The fantastic tale in the Post hit piece against Romney is already falling apart upon scrutiny. The allegation is that Romney and a group of his classmates tormented, held down and cut off the hair of a classmate "presumed homosexual" who had died his hair blond using peroxide. The hack reporter falsely attributed a quote to one of the classmates, Stu White, that he "had long been bothered by the hair-cutting incident." When contacted by ABC News, White said that he was not even present when the alleged incident occurred and was not aware the incident had even occurred until he was contacted about it by the Post reporter. Nonetheless, ABC News ran with the story as its opening story on tonight's evening news, omitting the factual inaccuracies in Horowitz' original account. The online print story also omits comments one of the classmates made when the story aired during this evening's broadcast that runs counter to the tale told by the partisan Romney haters where a classmate described the incident as more pretense of cutting the boy's hair than actually cutting out clumps of the hair as recounted by one of the accusers. The print story does include some comments from two Romney classmates who strongly protested the characterization of Romney as a bully:
  

  In response to the Post story, the Romney campaign today released statements of two other students who attended Cranbrook with Romney.

  “Mitt was a thoughtful guy with a great sense of humor who cared about his classmates. He had a good perspective on how to balance all the pressures high school students face. He would never go out and do anything mean spirited. Clownish, yes. Never mean,” said Richard Moon, a classmate of Romney’s.

  “Mitt never had a malicious bone in his body – trying to imply or characterize him as a bully is absurd.” said John French, another Cranbrook classmate.

  
  This is the same news media which refuses to investigate Obama's alleged homosexual relationship with the openly gay choir director at the controversial Rev. Jeremiah Wright's Trinity Church of Christ. Wright's church had a reputation for acting as a gay match-making service for professional blacks like Obama who like having gay sex on the down low while living heterosexual lives. Another openly gay man, Larry Sinclair, has sworn under oath that he spoke to Young about his homosexual relationship with Obama shortly before someone broke into Young's southside apartment and executed him for no apparent motive just weeks before the 2008 Iowa Caucus. Young's mother has confirmed that her late son had an intimate relationship with Obama and has spoken out about her frustration with the Chicago Police Department's neglect in trying to solve her son's murder. Sinclair has recounted his own sex and drug romp in a limousine during a trip to Chicago back in 1999 when Obama was still a relatively unknown state senator. When Sinclair held a Washington press conference to tell about his drug and sex encounter with Obama, Joe Biden's son, then-Attorney General of Delaware, had Sinclair arrested on trumped up state charges and hauled away from his press conference in handcuffs to discredit him. Weeks later when nobody was watching, Beau Biden's office dropped the fabricated criminal charges against Sinclair. A defamation lawsuit brought against Sinclair for claims made by him in his book about Obama and those who are protecting Obama's gay past by the powerful Patton Boggs D.C. law firm was thrown out of court by a federal judge. Beyond the tabloids, no mainstream media outlet will cover Obama's hidden gay lifestyle.
  
  More recently, we learn from Obama biographer David Maraniss that Obama manufactured fake girlfriends and other persons who supposedly passed in and out of his life in his highly-acclaimed autobiography, Dreams From My Father, that was ghost written by terrorist Bill Ayers. Oddly, the supposedly Hawaiian-born's roommates and friends while he was living in New York and supposedly attending classes at Columbia University were all Pakistanis. The only known girlfriend Obama supposedly had while living in New York was foreign-born Genevieve Cook, the daughter of a high-ranking Australian intelligence officer, who described scenes of Obama relaxing in his New York apartment in Asian garb while reading or solving a New York Times crossword puzzle and still in search of his identity in America. Cook also spoke of Obama using a different pronunciation of his name than he uses today. Obama continues to keep all of his high school prep, college, law school, state senate and bar admission records under lock and seal from the prying eyes of investigative reporters. The double standards of the media in their reporting of Obama compared to his political opponents knows no bounds.
  
  UPDATE: While the media pounces all of over the Romney bullying story, Breitbart reminds us that it was young Barry who once wrote about bullying and shoving a little black girl on the playground to win the approval of his white classmates. He wrote about her in "Dreams From My Father". The little girl, now a grown woman, denies the incident ever occurred. As Jack Cashill points out, Obama biographer David Remnick found the girl. "She had no such memory." "He was my knight in shining armor," she gushed. So strange. TMZ's Harvey Weinstein had the best take on the timing of Obama's announcement that he now sort of supports gay marriage after opposing it all of these years. He made his announcement the day before actor George Clooney hosted a big fundraiser for him in his home. Clooney is one of the biggest closeted gay men in Hollywood. Weinstein thinks the timing of the announcement was no coincidence. I agree.
  
  UPDATE: Breitbart catches the Washington Post in the act of making a stealth correction to its original hit piece on Romney without acknowledging its orignal false narrative:
  
  

  The original Washington Post piece stated the following:

  “I always enjoyed his pranks,” said Stu White, a popular friend of Romney’s who went on to a career as a public school teacher and has long been bothered by the Lauber incident. [emphasis added]

   Yet in an interview with ABC News today, White disowned that characterization:

  While the Post reports White as having “long been bothered” by the haircutting incident,” he told ABC News he was not present for the prank, in which Romney is said to have forcefully cut a student’s long hair and was not aware of it until this year when he was contacted by the Washington Post.

  White didn’t know about the incident until this year, but the Post reported that he had “long been bothered” by it. We demanded a correction.

   So the Washington Post did what no reputable newspaper should ever do when caught falsifying testimony: it made a stealth correction to its own article. The article now reads:

  “I always enjoyed his pranks,” said Stu White, a popular friend of Romney’s who went on to a career as a public school teacher and said he has been “disturbed” by the Lauber incident since hearing about it several weeks ago, before being contacted by The Washington Post. “But I was not the brunt of any of his pranks.” [emphasis added] 

  The Post did not note that it had made any correction to the article.

  Even worse for the Post's credibility, the sister of John Lauber, who hails from our own South Bend, Indiana, says she had no knowledge of the bullying incident. “The family of John Lauber is releasing a statement saying the portrayal of John is factually incorrect and we are aggrieved that he would be used to further a political agenda. There will be no more comments from the family,” she said. Ouch. Horowitz should be canned, but he'll probably be awarded a Pulitzer Prize instead.indiana politics civil rights law
  
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