57 items found for your search. If no results were found please broaden your search.
(09/19/03 6:36am)
The Wall Street Journal has ranked IU's Kelley School of Business's MBA program 12th in the nation. The ranking, released Wednesday, is part of the publication's annual survey rating business schools across the country. This year's announcement moves the program up from 14th place in 2002 and 23rd in 2001.\nTerrill Cosgray, director of the Kelley School's MBA program, attributes the school's ascent to the increased marketing of Kelley graduates to recruiters.\n"When recruiters fill out the survey they are ranking a variety of things, and one is the rate of return on the investment in an employee," he said. "Our graduates have increasing value in the workplace. We have been marketing that to recruiters to help them realize that and to tell them about the value of our program."\nBetween November 2002 and May 2003, more than 2,100 MBA recruiters helped determine rankings by evaluating schools based on 26 aspects of school and student success. Categories varied from analytical and problem-solving skills to personal ethics and integrity.\nBesides garnering 12th place overall, the Kelley School earned recognition in multiple categories. Kelley was 4th among the top 10 public schools and 8th among the top large schools. The MBA program's consumer products discipline was 2nd to another Big Ten school, the University of Michigan. Kelley's marketing program received a 3rd place acknowledgment for Recognition of Academic Excellence.\nThe school nabbed the 8th spot in an article related to a business survey titled, "Hidden Gems: A look at schools that recruiters say don't get enough respect."\nMBA student Bryan Campbell said he agrees with "Hidden Gems." He said during his time at IU, he has seen some of the programs in the Kelley school not getting enough praise for their level of success.\n"We're recognized heavily as a great consumer products and great marketing school, but I think some of the other disciplines are overlooked, such as my concentration of finance and investment management," he said. "Kelley gets high praise for our programs, but the public doesn't know much information about the quality of students."\nThe article praised Kelley by saying the MBA students are some of the strongest in marketing and accounting. Indiana graduates received high marks for their teamwork skills, personal ethics and integrity and fit with the corporate culture. \nCampbell said he is not surprised The Wall Street Journal gave strong marks for ethics in the program.\n"I think it says a lot about the culture of the school and students that we are so strong in personal ethics," he said. "Kelley students are very unique students. They are more collaborative and competitive."\nRecommendations for the MBA program included attracting more women and minorities, as well as increasing international perspective and entrepreneurial skills.\nCosgray said the school will continue their efforts to pursue a more diverse student body. \n"During the past couple of years, we've stepped up efforts to recruit women and minorities by hosting recruiting events especially for women and minorities, as well as our letter writing campaign," he said.\nKelley's MBA program is the only one Cosgray knows of where current students write personalized notes to prospective students, discussing their experience as women or minority students in the program, as well as any concerns the recruits might have.\nThe Kelley School's undergraduate program has also recently received national attention. In August, the US News and World Report rated the program 10th in the nation for all public and private business schools.\n-- Contact staff writer Julia Blanford at jblanfor@indiana.edu.
(09/17/03 6:12am)
Jill Behrman's mother, Marilyn, is certain that if her daughter were here to celebrate her 23rd birthday today, she'd be doing so as a fifth-year senior.\n"She kept changing her major and a few of her friends are in the same position," Marilyn said. "But that would have been OK, as long as she was happy."\nToday marks the first birthday Jill's family and friends will celebrate after laying Jill to rest.\nJill disappeared on May 31, 2000, while riding her bike in Bloomington. On March 13, 2003, a hunter and his son found skeletal remains near Paragon, Ind., that were later identified as Jill. A ceremony in June allowed the public to say their final good-byes.\nSenior Mandy Madden wants everyone to remember her best friend.\nMadden describes Jill as "a girl who had a strong work ethic, was determined to succeed and had a heart for others. She had a love for life."\nLast year, Jill's parents attended a memorial service in remembrance of their daughter, but decided they didn't need a public event to celebrate Jill's life.\nThis year, they are going to take the day as it comes and quietly reminisce about their daughter.\n"Mostly, I think we'll remember Jill and wish she could be here with us," Marilyn said.\nMadden said the past few years have been hard, but now that Jill has had a proper burial, it has helped resolve questions about Jill's whereabouts for her family and friends.\n"Every birthday has been difficult, but having more closure now, knowing that she was found, fills the void that was there the past three years when we didn't know where she was," Madden said.\nJill's brother, Brian, said this year wasn't the hardest birthday to celebrate.\n"I still feel that the one that was the hardest was her 21st," he said. "As close as Jill and I were, I had always looked forward to taking her to Nick's to play 'Sink the Biz.' This is just another birthday, and another day that I will not get to see my sister."\nMadden will celebrate today by calling Brian and catching up with him.\nThis heartbreaking ordeal has reinforced the importance of life to Madden. \n"Jill's story has made me appreciate life more and not to take anything for granted," she said. "I have learned to focus more on the positive outcomes, such as Jill's House, the Jill Behrman Emerging Leader Scholarship and the Jill Behrman Run for the Endzone, that have helped heal, reward and provide awareness to the community, instead of focusing on the tragic aspects of her story."\nWhile family was always an essential part of his life, the loss of his sister has made family an even greater part of Brian's life.\n"Family has always been pretty important to me, but the thought that something could happen, and I might never see my family again, that helps me to remember that importance," he said. "When I see families that can't get along, I always think to myself how sad that is. Life is too short to be angry with your family. In my life, my family comes first before anything else."\nIndiana State Police Sergeant Dave Bursten said the investigation into Jill's death is on-going. Facing the reality of an on-going investigation is disheartening for Brian.\n"The loss of my sister is a reality that I have come to live with," he said. "The sad part is that there are still people out there who know what happened and can provide complete closure for our family, but they still choose to keep things a secret."\n-- Contact staff writer Julia Blanford at jblanfor@indiana.edu.
(09/12/03 6:07am)
Like most Americans, members of the Bloomington Police Department and the Bloomington Fire Department were clustered around TVs and radios waiting for any new information on Sept. 11, 2001. They saw the smoke billowing from the twin towers and pictures of their comrades running into the buildings to save lives. Like everyone else, they saw the towers collapse.\nBPD Senior Police Officer Lloyd Hawkins was on duty that day, feeling only disbelief as he watched footage from ground zero.\n"I guess you feel helpless," Hawkins said. "It doesn't matter if you're a police officer, firefighter or anything else. You have the same feelings as everyone."\nIn the days after the attacks, feelings of disbelief turned into feelings of vulnerability and anticipation. BPD officers waited and wondered whether or not Bloomington could be a target, with all of its international students and community members, said BPD Capt. Joe Qualters.\nIt's been two years since America experienced the terrorist attacks. But nevertheless, memories of fallen comrades are a part of their daily lives.\nA sense of loss and mourning is felt anytime the firefighting community loses one member, but Sept. 11 left a gaping hole in many of the firefighter's hearts. BFD Sgt. Jimmie Dean Coffey said the men at Station 2 were on the edge of their seats awaiting news of their comrades. \n"We were like the rest of the country," he said. "We were glued to the TV and mourning the loss of brothers. Firefighters are a pretty tight brotherhood."\nThat tight brotherhood led to a department call-out, asking for men to sign up and prepare themselves to help their brethren in New York City.\nThe footage of members from the New York Police Department and Fire Department of New York gave BPD Sgt. Jeff Canada a sense of pride as he watched the heroic acts of his fellow officers.\n"When I watched the news, I saw the people's names and pictures," Canada said. "It's hard because you not only think about them, but what they did. They went into something that none of us had ever done and they tried to save people knowing the towers might collapse on them. These guys went in on a call to save lives and they lost their lives."\nOfficer Hawkins agreed with Canada about the severity of risks officers face everyday.\n"I'm sad like everybody else about those officers, but that's part of the risk you take as a police officer," he said. "You hope you never find yourself in a position like that. But if you do, you hope you do the right thing."\nThe loss of so many lives attached a greater amount of heroism and bravery associated with the police badge for Capt. Qualters.\n"You always take a great sense of pride from those who wear the badge and go to heroic efforts," Qualters said. "The actions fell onto the police officers and firemen who went up the stairwells, eventually to their death. You take great pride in those who did that in order to help others."\n"What is it about police officers that makes them try to get to a call as soon as possible?" Qualters asked. "I think it was the same for the World Trade Center as it is for all officers. You had people coming in from all over trying to get to work because that was what they are paid to do. They were driven to go to the site so they could help and some of them lost their lives trying to."\nToday, the fire department is trying to minimize the possibility of something like the trade center attacks happening in Bloomington.\n"The attacks have brought more training, education and money into the fire service that wasn't here. We're more prepared and a lot more aware of what could be happening in the area then we were before," said BFD Deputy Chief of Operations Roger Kerr. "The main thing is that everyone has, instead of been reactive, become more proactive. We're trying to prevent situations instead of dealing with them."\n-- Contact staff writer Julia Blanford at jblanfor@indiana.edu.
(09/02/03 5:13am)
Students attempting to forego a parking permit this year will face higher fines than last year after the city council approved a raise for common parking violations in July.\nThe Bloomington Common Council passed the ordinance at the July 30 meeting, raising the fines for common violations such as expired meters or parking without the correct permit in zoned areas. This increase is the first since three years ago when fines were doubled from $6 to $12.\nJack Davis, manager of Parking Enforcement for Bloomington, said the cost for a parking violation will rise to $17 within the next month. If the ticket isn't paid within seven calendar days, the fine escalates to $30. Currently, the cost of a ticket is $12 and it increases to $17 if not paid within the week.\nBloomington Deputy Mayor James McNamara expects to bring in an extra $130,000 per year, with the revenue going "toward parking-related expenses, such as lease purchase payments on new parking garages and parking enforcement operations."\nCity expenses have increased over the past few years with the construction of two parking garages along Sixth Street.\nLast December, the city also approved a measure to increase parking fees for meters and leased parking spots.\nWhile some will grumble at the higher fines, many will rejoice since more revenue through parking violations means less taxpayer dollars needed for the department.\n"It makes sense to use parking-related revenues for parking-related expenses," McNamara said.\nCouncil member Anthony Pizzo pointed out Bloomington's parking tickets are considerably lower in price than IU's.\n"We're following what the University does, but we don't charge as much as the University," Pizzo said. "We've been doing it that way for years."\nSome students said they felt the sudden increase in ticket fines to be unfair.\nSenior Dan Keeler said while the cost was cheaper than IU parking tickets, the rise in fines after one week is excessive.\n"Bloomington's are a lot more reasonable then the campus tickets, which are now $40 per ticket," Keeler said. "Nearly doubling the price of a parking ticket, from $17 to $30 is ludicrous." \nJunior Adam White agreed but said having one week to pay the initial ticket is not enough time.\n"It's kind of a large increase over a week," White said. "You should have at least a few weeks to pay the ticket. They should give more time since even with a traffic ticket, most of us don't get around to paying it within the first week"
(04/24/03 5:21am)
Under a clear blue sky, approximately 2,700 students swayed and danced to the sounds of Rusted Root and the night's opening band, Blue Moon Revue, at the second annual Little 500 kick-off charity concert at Kappa Sigma Tuesday night.\nPreliminary estimates show more than $3,000 will go to the Bloomington Boys and Girls Club as a result of the effort put forth by fraternity members.\nBlue Moon Revue lead singer Matt Marshall said the concert was another way their band could help a charity.\n"We try to do charity when we can," Marshall said. "We just did 'Live from Bloomington' and we've done a lot of things in the past … We try to help out anytime we can, to get people together and play some music."\nGray skies and cool winds throughout much of the day Tuesday created doubt in the mind of Kappa Sigma President Alan Hazzard on the turnout for the concert. Nevertheless, Mother Nature blessed concert goers with sunshine and warmer temperatures in the late afternoon and starry skies in the evening, creating a pleasant springtime concert experience.\n"We got really lucky with the weather since the forecast, said it was supposed to be colder than it really was," Hazzard said. "It was good to see everyone come out for the concert and have a good time. That was one of the points of the concert, to bring everyone together during Little 5."\nConcert goer Lindsey Eckstein said she enjoyed the concert because of the band and the purpose behind the kick-off.\n"I thought Rusted Root did a really good job for as long as they played without really taking any breaks," Eckstein said. "I think that Kappa Sigma did a really good job for raising a lot of money. This wasn't like a regular party; instead it was a really good reason to raise money for the Boys and Girls Club, to get us all together here and to kick-off Little 500 week."\nFellow concert goer Erica Seligman said she enjoyed Rusted Root's extended rendition of their hit song "Send Me On My Way."\n"Both bands played great sets, but 'Send Me On My Way' is one of my favorite songs. I was thrilled when they played it," Seligman said. "This was so much fun, especially since this year is my first Little 500."\nKappa Sigma member Jon Barefoot, head of security for the concert, said although Union Board decided to forego its annual concert this year, continuing the tradition of a week full of events was important.\n"We're disappointed UB decided to not have a concert this year," Barefoot said. "We liked the opportunity and atmosphere for students to have a week of fun and music, but we were happy our concert came out as a success."\nBarefoot also said one of the best parts about a successful event was watching it go from an initial idea to a performance.\n"It's nice to see something go from the planning stages six or seven months ago and then be at the concert and see 3,000 people there enjoying themselves," he said.\nWhile plans for next year's show have yet to begin, Hazzard said the fraternity is always open to ideas and suggestions of who should headline the next kick-off concert.
(04/10/03 5:40am)
"Stand up, we've had enough!" and "2-4-6-8, we don't want your police state!" echoed between buildings Wednesday evening as about 200 students and residents marched from the Bloomington Courthouse to the local FBI office.\nThe protest voiced citizens' apprehension concerning the first Uniting and Strengthening America Act, also known as the USA Patriot Act and a possible sequel, the Domestic Security Enhancement Act of 2003, unofficially dubbed "Patriot Act II."\nPassed almost unanimously in the days after the Sept. 11 attacks, the USA Patriot Act gave law enforcement officials broader authority to conduct electronic surveillance and wiretaps and tightened the oversight of financial activities to prevent money laundering and "diminish bank secrecy in an effort to disrupt terrorist finances," according to the Center for Public Integrity.\nThe Domestic Security Enhancement Act of 2003, drafted by Attorney General John Ashcroft's staff, has not been officially released by the Department of Justice. It will allow the government to have broader power in order to increase "domestic intelligence-gathering, surveillance and law enforcement prerogatives and simultaneously decrease judicial review and public access to information."\nJeff Melton, a former Green Party candidate for Congress and member of the Peace Action Coalition, helped coordinate the street theater protest to express the severity of the issues. Street theater is a protest technique where members dress up in costume and act out a skit or situation. The protest's plot line portrayed various people who have been detained by or had rights violated by the FBI over the past few years.\n"These are very serious issues and attacks on our constitutional rights that have been going on since Sept. 11, 2001," Melton said. "We wanted to have a sense of humor about it, while at the same time making some very serious points about the way our liberties have been slowly taken away. We wanted to increase people's awareness of what actually is happening."\nBob Kendall, one of the initial organizers working on behalf of the Coalition for Civil Liberties, a coalition of several organizations, wanted to make people aware of what has happened on the home front while everyone has been concerned with the events unfolding overseas.\n"We all came together with the recognition that while we have been fighting the war in Iraq, our civil liberties have been stripped from us," Kendall said. "By the time the public wakes up, this war is over, and people are going to come around realizing that these laws have been enacted, and it's going to be far too late."\nKendall said speaking up about the Patriot Act is one way Americans can support the soldiers.\n"I feel that if the people in this country want to do justice to their friends over there ... they will stand up and make sure that the county that these people come back to is the country they left thinking they were fighting for," he said.
(04/10/03 5:04am)
A body found in a burning car Tuesday morning has been identified as Teresa L. Ferrell, 31, resident of Bedford.\nThe Monroe County Sheriff's Department arrested Michael L. Fultz, 26, resident of Ellettsville, Wednesday, in connection with what investigators suspect is a homicide.\nTuesday morning, the Monroe County Sheriff's Department received a call regarding a burning Pontiac Sunfire sitting on the side of Moon Road in Stinesville, Ind., located in northwest Monroe County.\nA resident had been driving near his property when he saw suspicious behavior near a maroon car, said Monroe County Sheriff's Det. Brad Swain. The man turned around to investigate and spotted a white male running away from a burning car with a gas can. The male then got into the passenger side of the maroon car and left with the property owner following in pursuit, police said. He later gave identifying information on the car to the Sheriff's department, resulting in Fultz's arrest.\nBy the time the Bean Blossom Township firefighters arrived at the scene, the Sunfire had been completely engulfed by flames. After extinguishing the burning vehicle, firefighters attempted to find the vehicle identification number or license plate number, but both had melted in the fire.\nBBFD Captain Richard Carter made the shocking discovery when he opened the car door to get into the glove box and found Ferrell's body in the passenger seat. He immediately notified the sheriff's department about the body and scene.\nCarter said the scene was startling.\n"This is the first case like this I've ever been across, and I've been in the service for five years now," Carter said. "I was pretty shocked, but I tried to stay calm."\nThe sheriff's department quickly taped off the crime scene and sent the remains to the IU Medical Center at IU-Purdue University Indianapolis for Dr. John Pless, professor of pathology.\nInvestigators said Wednesday that Ferrell and Fultz had been involved in a romantic relationship in the weeks prior to her death.\nThe sheriff's department is working to locate additional suspects and witnesses. Those with information should call the Monroe County Sheriff's Department Detective Division at 349-2727.
(04/09/03 5:30am)
Uriah Clouse, one of three main suspects in the Jill Behrman case, will be a free man Thursday morning.\nClouse was being held in Monroe County jail for charges stemming from a 2001 incident where he was accused of raping a Bloomington woman he knew. Clouse agreed to a plea bargain reducing his charge from felony rape if he pled guilty to misdemeanor battery. On March 26, a judge sentenced Clouse to one year in jail with a credit of time already served, which allowed the judge to schedule his release date for April 10. \nBehrman, an IU student, disappeared May 31, 2000, while riding her bike south of Bloomington. Investigators believed someone driving a truck under the influence of drugs or alcohol accidentally struck Behrman, then drove to Salt Creek to dump the body. Following information from another suspect in the case, investigators drained a 1.4 mile stretch of Salt Creek in September 2002 in hopes of finding Behrman's body. It wasn't until March 9 this year that investigators found Behrman's remains 22 miles north of Bloomington in Paragon, Ind.\nThe discovery threw many of the investigation's previous theories out and placed all suspects "back on the table," said Monroe County Prosecutor Carl Salzmann in a March 13 press conference.\nIndiana State Police spokesman Sergeant Dave Bursten said investigators have interviewed several people since March 9, but will not comment on the number or extent of the interviews.\n"We are continuing to advance the investigation, not saying who or the content," Bursten said. "Since this is an on-going investigation, it could compromise our ability to continue the investigation if we released such information."\nClouse has maintained his innocence each time investigators have interviewed him. Clouse's battery charge is the latest in a lengthy list of run-ins with the law.\nSince October 1993, Clouse's record boasts numerous charges, according to records obtained from the Monroe County Courthouse. His record includes a conviction of felony battery, a conviction of a rape charge, several dismissed public intoxication charges and invasion of privacy after violating a no-contact order with a former girlfriend.\nHe has pled guilty on charges of operating a vehicle while intoxicated, operating a vehicle over the legal .10 Blood Alcohol Content level, resisting law enforcement and failing to carry insurance. \nBrown County Prosecutor Jim Oliver told the IDS for a April 2002 article that, "The (FBI) agent told me that his sources said Clouse was threatening to kill people involved in the Behrman investigation." At the time, Oliver had asked a Brown County Court judge to raise the amount of Clouse's bond in order to keep him in jail based on FBI evidence and Clouse's criminal history.\nThe most recent charge against Clouse occurred in October 2002 when a Brown County judge sentenced him to jail time for disorderly conduct and a battery charge against a fellow Brown County Jail inmate.
(04/07/03 5:28am)
The band Rusted Root will play April 22 at the Kappa Sigma fraternity in a Little 500 kick-off concert. Last year, the fraternity hosted Of A Revolution, which helped raise $3,000 for the Boys and Girls Club of Bloomington. This year, Kappa Sigma said the fraternity hopes Rusted Root will bring in at least $4,000.\nThe gate opens at 4:30 p.m. with the opening band Blue Moon Revue starting its set at 5:30 p.m.\nFollowing the pattern of last year's show, both bands will perform in the Kappa Sigma parking lot. About 2,300 tickets have already been sold within the past few weeks. \nKappa Sigma President Alan Hazzard said some of the best things about the kick-off concerts are the price and the featured artists.\n"We're able to bring in a good name band that people enjoy seeing and give a relatively good price," Hazzard said. "It's a very low price, but at the same time it's enough for us to cover our costs and give money to the Boys and Girls Club."\nThe $3,000 raised from last year's concert went toward scholarships to the club's summer program, but this year's donations will be used to fund multiple interactive activities between the children and the volunteers.\nPlanning a charitable activity on such a large scale forced the fraternity to begin working on the 2003 concert during the few days directly after the 2002 O.A.R. concert.\nSenior Trey Smith, the Kappa Sigma Little 500 Kick-off Chair, began receiving input and ideas for the upcoming concert from his brothers last year.\n"A lot of the people in the house, right after the O.A.R. concert, were talking about who they wanted to have this year and Rusted Root was a name that kept coming up," Smith said. "Rusted Root's booking agent, Creative Artists, eventually accepted our offer and placed us on their tour."\nLocation played an important part in the booking, since Rusted Root will make a stop in Wisconsin before the Kappa Sigma show and plays the night after in Chicago.\nEven after selling-out last year's show, Hazzard said the fraternity did not want to change the venue or opt for a bigger band because of the intimate setting.\n"We like the feel of having it on our property, giving people the opportunity to come to our house, to experience the event and to have it outdoors," Hazzard said. "It's a great way to get the entire campus to the event since it's not too far away and provides some intimacy with our chapter and the rest of the campus."\nHazzard and Jon Barefoot, head of security for the concert, both said this event is a great way to show the positive things the greek community can do on a large scale.\n"I think it's helpful that it's not just a frat party with a band," Barefoot said. "We turn our house into a true concert venue. It's one of the few events the whole campus can go to, be involved with and be comfortable."\nHe also said the concert will be a dry event. \n"We will try to keep everybody safe and let everybody have a good time," Barefoot said.\nThe tickets are $15 before the event and $20 at the door. Tickets can be purchased at the Kappa Sigma house between 9 a.m. and midnight Monday through Thursday, between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. Friday and Saturday and from 4 to 8 p.m. Sundays. For more information, contact Trey Smith at 331-8047 or trey@little5.com. More information can be found on the Kappa Sigma Little 500 Kick-off Web site at www.little5.com.
(03/14/03 6:26am)
With the discovery of bones belonging to missing IU student Jill Behrman, the investigation into her disappearance continues as strongly as before -- even taking a new direction.\n"There is information that has been garnered from the remains and is part of the investigative information," said Indiana State Police 1st Sergeant Dave Bursten. "The only people who know what injuries were sustained to Miss Behrman were the people responsible for it."\nIt will still be several weeks before results from forensics testing will be available for investigators to use.\nWith this additional evidence, investigators will be starting fresh, Bursten said. All of the information collected in the inquiry is still valid and knowledge gained from potential suspects will be reviewed.\nRetired FBI Agent Gary Dunn said none of the suspects will be eliminated.\n"We would leave no stone unturned nor have we left any stone unturned," Dunn said. "We're not going to eliminate anything. There have always been unanswered questions. We're certainly going to address those and get answers to everything."\nSince Behrman disappeared almost three years ago, dozens of searches in quarries, corn fields, houses and rural areas have been conducted throughout Monroe County and surrounding counties. \nAs the investigation moves forward, Morgan County Prosecutor Steve Sonnega said he is anticipating the opportunity of adding his services in the search for those responsible for Behrman's death.\n"I'm looking forward to the opportunity to work with the Death Investigation Team, the Monroe County task force and Carl Salzmann, to arrest and convict the person or persons responsible for Jill's death," Sonnega said.\nLooking toward the future, Sonnega explained how the judicial proceedings would work since the murder involves two counties.\n"According to the law, we would not have to split the charges in two different counties," Sonnega said. "Both counties now have jurisdiction. That's a decision I hope we (Sonnega and Monroe County Prosecutor Carl Salzmann) get to make."\nSonnega also said he looks forward to giving his best to the investigation.\n"I don't have an ego in this (case), as I sit here, think of the Behrman family and how I would feel if that was my kid. If it was my kid, I would just want somebody to say, 'give it your best shot.' That's what I hope we get a chance to do -- give it our best shot"
(03/14/03 6:26am)
Human remains found Sunday in Paragon, Ind., near Martinsville, by a hunter and his son have been positively identified as those of missing IU student Jill Behrman. While news of the finding has been circulating news cycles for the last week, the bones were not publicly identified as Behrman's until Thursday evening.\nThe two men who discovered the bones originally believed they had found animal remains. After finding part of a skull, they called police to report their findings. \nAfter the Indiana State Police secured the scene, the Morgan County Death Investigation Team recovered portions of a cranium, a jawbone, vertebrae and extremity bones from the wooded area, as well as a few personal items, including an earring.\nDr. Stephen Nawrocki, a forensic anthropologist at the University of Indianapolis, arrived the next day with a team of anthropologists. He later took the remains back to U of I, where he requested X-rays so more information could be determined. \nDental records allowed Dr. Ted Parks, a forensic odontologist, to make the positive medical identification that the remains were Behrman's, said Indiana State Police Detective Rick Lang at a press conference Thursday afternoon. In an initial analysis of the scene, Nawrocki said the remains could have been placed in the wooded area as early as 2000 or as late as 2002, said Indiana State Police 1st Sergeant Dave Bursten. Behrman disappeared in May 2000.\nBloomington Police Department Detective Marty Deckard, retired FBI Agent Gary Dunn and Lt. Dennis Kuntz from the Department of Natural Resources met with Jill's parents, Eric and Marilyn Behrman at 2:30 p.m. Thursday, just hours after Parks made the identification.\n"It was a very emotional meeting," Dunn said. "Obviously, they were thankful that their daughter was found and thankful that she's going to be returned home. Of course that was the number one priority in the case -- to find her and bring her home. Thankfully that's going to be achieved in the next few weeks."\nIn a statement released by the Behrmans, the family thanked everyone working on the case, as well as the support everyone has given them since Jill disappeared.\n"At this time we do not have any answers to the obvious questions we are all asking. Our deepest appreciation goes out to the hundreds and thousands of people in Bloomington, statewide and nationally who have joined us in this 34-month ordeal and have kept Jill in their prayers," the family's statement said.
(03/07/03 2:44pm)
Just days after the Supreme Court denied a hearing regarding Indiana's abortion law, a challenge was brought to the Indiana Supreme Court, briefly blocking the law's implementation.\nMarion County Supreme Court Judge David J. Dreyer granted a request made by abortion providers for a temporary restraining order. Under the law, women who choose to have an abortion are required to receive in-person counseling, giving them information about abortion and its alternatives.\nIn 1995, Indiana passed a law mandating that women must receive counseling concerning abortion procedures and alternatives at least 18 hours before the procedure at the chosen clinic. U.S. District Judge David Hamilton issued an injunction in March 2001 preventing the state from implementing the law's counseling provision. The case was then taken to the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals where two of three judges on the panel declared the law constitutional. \nThe Indiana Civil Liberties Union filed a challenge to the law soon after saying the law placed "undue burdens" upon women who wish to have the procedure. The Supreme Court denied hearing the challenge Feb. 24.\nOriginally scheduled for March 11, the hearing for the lawsuit has been pushed back until April 30.\nSince the Supreme Court's decision last Monday, Theresa Browning, spokesperson for Planned Parenthood of Greater Indiana, said the clinic has heard numerous complaints from women regarding the second state mandated visit for in-person counseling. But she said she is relieved at the hearing date's extension.\n"When we found out we were continued to provide the info by phone, we were glad we were able to tell our clients we could do that more for another week," Browning said. "It's just unfortunate that the courts aren't seeing and understanding this impact that it's having on women."\nCampus for Choice, a student pro-choice organization, agreed with Browning.\n"We feel the law is one step closer to making it one step harder to get an abortion," Lindsay Prater, Campus for Choice secretary, said. "The state is really limiting women's choices by creating a law like the one we have."\nOne organization supporting the original law is the Bloomington Crisis Pregnancy Center, a pro-life women's service center. Tina Tuley-Lampke, the BCPC's executive director, said the organization does not understand why the law's rivals would want to deny women information.\n"The primary issue is that this is a law that would enable women to seek quality medical information, and personally, I'm confused why those who claim to be women's rights advocates are fighting against a law that protects women," Tuley-Lampke said. "I can't think of any other procedure that should require a face-to-face consultation with a medical provider. Women deserve to be able to make an educated choice on something so serious that affects their health."\nAnother affect of requiring women to have face-to-face counseling is the cost. According to the law, women must receive counseling from a physician, physician's assistant or advanced practice nurse. For Planned Parenthood, this meant more medical staff dedicating more time to comply with the law. The Indiana clinics raised prices $50, making surgical procedures $400 and medical abortions $500.\nTo help defray costs, Planned Parenthood has an abortion fund from donations that is used for women who cannot afford abortions. With the cost increases, Browning said she expects more women will need help paying for the procedure, which will deplete the fund reserves faster. The organization receives 25 percent of its income from government funding, which is directed towards providing birth control and family services.\nJunior Erin O'Dea said she thought the state shouldn't be interfering with a woman's decision to have an abortion.\n"I don't think the law has any right to regulate what a woman has to do to get an abortion," O'Dea said. "So much goes into having an abortion that it seems stupid to make a woman set up an extra appointment. To deny a woman an abortion because she did not fulfill counseling requirements is ridiculous"
(02/25/03 6:09am)
Indiana women will now have to receive in-person counseling 18 hours prior to having an abortion. The state mandated counseling would give women information about abortion and alternatives to the procedure.\nThe U. S. Supreme Court denied the hearing of the Indiana Civil Liberties Union, declaring the original law to be constitutional and to stand as the guiding procedure for women wishing to have an abortion.\nTheresa Browning, director of Communications for Planned Parenthood of Greater Indiana, said the Supreme Court's decision to declare the law constitutional will place greater burdens on what is already a difficult process for women.\n"Life is not particularly easy when you're in the situation of a crisis pregnancy. Imposing more burdens, like making two trips to the clinic is just adding to those burdens," Browning said.\nThe appeals situation began in 1995 when the state passed a law mandating that women must receive counseling concerning abortion procedures and alternatives at least 18 hours before the procedure at the chosen clinic. U.S. District Judge David Hamilton issued an injunction in March 2001 preventing the state from implementing the counseling section of the law. The case was then taken to the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals which rendered a decision by a three-judge federal appeal panel. Two of the three judges declared the law constitutional. The ICLU filed a challenge to the law soon after saying the law placed "undue burdens" upon women wishing to have the procedure, but the Supreme Court denied hearing the challenge Monday. \nThe full effects of the law will be immediately enacted, meaning women who wished to go to the clinic only once this week for an abortion will have to make an additional trip to receive counseling. These women will be given counseling by medical staff at the clinic, allowing only advanced practiced nurses or physicians to deliver state mandated information. This will result in increased costs for the women.\nWhile this decision will not affect many Hoosier women from metropolitan areas, it is the vast majority of rural and poor females who will carry the majority of the burdens since they would not have easy access to transportation or medical facilities.\nChallengers to the law believe the "undue burdens" faced by a woman would mean double the trouble to follow through with her decision. \nFor southern Indiana women, the Planned Parenthood clinic in Bloomington is their only option for abortions, and the clinic performs abortions only one day per week. Browning said women who live in Evansville or Madison, Ind., would have to find transportation to and from the clinic twice, possibly miss two days of work or classes and if they have kids, will have to find someone to watch the kids twice.\nOne campus group, Indiana University Students for Life, approves of the Supreme Court's decision. IUSFL supports the right to life and said there are "no excuses for abortion" according to the group's Web site, www.indiana.edu/~iusfl.\nIUSFL president Melody Kanney said the extended time period will allow women to think more about their life changing decision.\n"We're supportive of (the law) because it would cause women to think longer and be required to have more time before they can actually end the life of her child," Kanney said. "Anything that requires a woman to spend more time to think about what she's going to do is advisable."\nRepresetatives from Campus for Choice could not be reached for comment.
(02/20/03 6:13am)
Two anonymous phone calls concerning a bomb threat prompted a speedy response by the IU Police Department Wednesday morning. The first call was at 9:09 am, and IUPD response plans were underway by the time the second phone call came in at 9:19 a.m. \nThe caller claimed a bomb, which would detonate within 30 minutes, had been left in the west end of the Indiana Memorial Union, near the bowling alley.\nThe phone calls went though the IU call center, who then alerted the IUPD. After receiving notification of a possible explosive device, IUPD officers swiftly called IMU assistant building manager Tom Simmons. Simmons evaluated the situation and chose to notify students and patrons in the bowling alley about the threat. \n"We took it seriously, but we didn't immediately get everybody out of the area," said Simmons. "That's not the first bomb threat we've received."\nTim Robben, Back Alley manager and bowling instructor, forced the students in his bowling class to evacuate.\n"I took the information from the IUPD seriously and followed the evacuation procedures," Robben said. "I made my students leave the area and follow the instructions given by the IUPD."\nFor almost an hour, six IUPD officers, accompanied by members of the IMU building staff, scoured the area for suspicious packages or Union property that might have been tampered with. Search members explored the area around and below the bowling alley for signs of an explosive device.\n"The IMU employees were there to help us and say if anything was off or unusual," said Lieutenant Jerry Minger of the IUPD. "We made sure to go around with employees who were familiar with the location since the officers might not notice if something was wrong or out of place."\nBy the time the walkthroughs were completed, the time limit given by the caller had expired. Although no bomb was found, the IUPD will maintain an active investigation into the case with the help of the Bloomington Police Department. \nAlready with several leads regarding the identity of the caller, investigators say the suspect's voice sounded like a middle-aged woman. The department also has leads on where the calls originated, Minger said. \nIn Indiana, calling in a bomb threat will usually result in a charge of false informing, a class D felony. Under standard sentencing, the charge can carry a penalty up to two years in prison and a $10,000 fine.\nWednesday's incident was not the first time a bomb threat had been called in to the IUPD, Minger said. In the past, threats have normally been made during finals weeks from students hoping to get out of a final. These threats have been aimed at larger campus buildings, such as Woodburn and Ballantine, which house larger rooms and lecture halls.
(02/19/03 5:39am)
Indiana House of Representative Democrats revealed a two-year budget Monday that would increase spending for education but cut Medicaid funding. The bill, which gets part of its funding from the new keno casino game, would place nonviolent criminals into faith-based rehabilitation programs instead of providing new beds for them at the Miami and New Castle correction facilities.\nThe House Ways and Means committee passed the bill Monday in a 17-11 vote. The vote rejected a $22.9 million budget proposed by Governor O'Bannon that would have funded numerous Medicaid programs and added 1,500 beds to correctional facilities.\nInstead, the Democrats plan to increase spending on K-12 education by 2 percent each year and higher education by 1 percent. The money for these increases comes from a $490 million cut in Medicaid funding, using $33 million in increased taxes paid by gambling establishments and $45 million revenue from the implementation of keno in state establishments such as casinos and taverns.\nKeno is similar to bingo, where a person chooses 20 out of 80 numbers to match a randomly generated series of numbers. The state would also pay $17.50 per day per offender to faith-based programs to care for nonviolent offenders.\nDemocratic Representative and Ways and Means Committee member Ron Herrell, an IU graduate, commended the proposed budget.\n"The legislature is hoping to hold down tuition increases if possible without raising taxes," Herrell said. "I think this budget will do that and maintain a quality education at IU and other higher educational institutions."\n"It is the goal of every legislator to not have any tax increases," Herrell said. "This bill will do that and give the state a balanced budget."\nState Budget Director Marilyn Schultz said that although the governor's budget would freeze any increases in spending, the state has not cut education funding for decades. The proposed Democratic budget would have funds directed towards construction projects at IU, Purdue and IU-Purdue University Indianapolis.\n"Obviously, everyone would like to give more money to higher education," Schultz said. "IU is expected to play a very large role in the economic development in our state. That higher education has not been cut in Indiana during this time of heavy recession or since World War II shows how the governor and the legislature place priority on education and higher education."\nBuilt into the Democratic budget are funds for new buildings at IU and IUPUI directed towards science and life sciences, both which are an integral part to the governor's plan to revitalize the Indiana economy, Schultz said. Also proposed was allotting $200 million for K-12 education, additional money to student financial assistance and funding for bonding projects for universities. \nRepresentative Larry Buell (R-Marion), a member of the Ways and Means Committee, said the effects of taking the funding out of the health programs will be felt more in the long run.\n"It wouldn't immediately affect Medicaid, but it would take money out of the fund for later years that would pay for programs such as Medicaid and HoosierRx," said Buell.\nThe state's tobacco control fund was initially created so the majority of the settlement money would go toward health initiatives. The proposed budget cuts Medicaid and gives it no funding increase. Since Medicaid is an entitlement program, a possibility the budget could be overspent exists, said Buell.\nThe HoosierRx and Hoosier Healthwise programs could also be affected. HoosierRx is a prescription drug subsidy program for low-income seniors and Hoosier Healthwise provides for children in poor families. Last week, the legislature supported an amendment which would set aside $283 million for the project, but the proposed Democratic budget would leave only $164 million.\nWednesday the House of Representatives will go through the second reading of the bill, where it can be amended. At its third reading, the House will vote on the budget. If it passes, the bill will be heard in the Senate with a vote possible in March. Buell said the issue should be resolved in late April.
(02/12/03 5:25am)
Despite a slow economy, the IU Foundation endowment grew 3.6 percent to $956 million in the last fiscal year, which ended on June 30, 2002. The foundation manages all donations given to the University. Private giving to IU totaled $92.4 million.\nThe economy affected the foundation's assets, but it credits a diverse group of investments, which maintained a more profitable pool of donations.\nAn investment committee, created by the foundation's board of directors and comprised of multiple individuals retaining an extensive knowledge of investing activities, meets a minimum of three times per year to look over the foundation's portfolio and discuss means to diversify the assets. \nOver the weekend, the committee approved a measure to place 80 percent of the endowment assets into stocks and 20 percent into bonds. In the past, the committee placed 70 percent into stocks and 30 percent into bonds. While the numbers were still conservative, Gary Stratten, chief investment officer for the foundation, said the new proportions should be sufficient enough to help increase the portfolio but is not too risky.\n"We want to invest those dollars so they grow, so 20 or 40 years from now, one dollar will have the same purchasing power as it does today," Stratten said. "We have our portfolio structured for 80 percent stocks and 20 percent bonds. For an institution like ours, it's reasonable. It's not overly aggressive, but it positioned us well so we can have that purchasing power over time."\nPortfolio diversity and the boom economy of the 1990s have allowed the endowment assets to raise an average of 10.6 percent each year. \nBarbara Coffman, executive director for strategic planning and communications for the foundation, said the endowment fund has followed the valleys and peaks of the fluctuating economy, but the investments practices have helped to smooth out the changes.\nFrom scholarships and library books to new buildings on campus, the endowment fund benefits every student at the University. Of the $92.4 million given to the foundation, $23.6 million of that will go toward undergraduate scholarships, graduate fellowships and student financial aid. The libraries will receive $1 million for use toward new books, magazines and other publications.\nCharging up the ranks of public university endowments, IU jumped from 14th last year to 9th this year since the average public university endowment dropped 6 percent in that same fiscal year according to a survey done by the National Association of College and University Business Officers. \nWith 100,795 donors last year, up from 99,805, this record setting number is another shining moment for the foundation.\nStratten said the record number of donors demonstrates the loyalty alumni and other donors have for the University.\n"In these tough economic times, having this economic support is just amazing," Stratten said. "People have a choice to do what they want with their resources and this speaks highly of their affinity for the institution."\nDonations to the foundation vary from year to year. In the 2000-2001 fiscal year, $92.4 million was donated in private grants by alumni, corporations and other types of groups. The previous year garnered $220.7 million, including a $105 million donation by the Lilly Endowment for IU's Life Science Initiative according to the IU Foundation 2001-2002 fiscal report.\n"It is common for gifts to be designated for specific uses through the endowment," Coffman said. "When donors make gifts, they can make the gifts current, use gifts which are spent right away or as endowment gifts, which are invested."\nWhile the proportion varies from year to year, generally 95 to 98 percent of all gifts have a designated purpose chosen by the donor. Current gifts are donations designated to be spent within a 12-month period on such things as Ætechnology. The unrestricted funds, which received $3.7 million, will be allotted for a variety of purposes, Coffman said. The majority of the money will go to the administration. This money is generally used for unexpected events or University initiatives and programs which previously did not have funding.
(01/30/03 5:50am)
A Bloomington contracting firm broke ground Wednesday on a new, $42 million development on the site of old ST Semicon plant.\nBloomington-based Weddle Bros. Construction, a general contracting firm, is teaming up with developer Smallwood Plaza, LLC to create the development on College Avenue between Eighth and Ninth Streets.\nThe complex will consist of three areas: Smallwood Plaza, the residential area; Smallwood Pike, the main commercial area; and Smallwood Annex, a combination of residential and commercial space.\nConstruction for the project began Wednesday with a morning demolition ceremony with Guy Totino, a partner in Smallwood Plaza, LLC, as the master of ceremonies. John Jacobs, managing member of local developer Smallwood Plaza, and Bloomington Mayor John Fernandez spoke at the ceremony about the importance of the project and its benefits to the community.\n"We are so pleased to take out a longtime eyesore and replace it with a development that everyone in Bloomington can be proud of," Jacobs said. "In the process, we plan to provide 135 full-time construction jobs."\nAfter the speeches, Fernandez, Bloomington planning director Tom Micuda and city controller Tom Guevara were among the city officials to take swings at the walls of the old plant with golden sledgehammers.\n"I was one of three city officials to officially commence the demolition," Micuda said. "It's the first time I've ever been involved in anything like that, and it was exciting. Usually, my role in land development is to plan on the front end of it and not be involved with the construction. It was neat to be on the scene when they began the work on the property."\nJeffersonville, Ind.-based architecture firm The Estopinal Group designed the plans for the new complex, creating an area that will help to restore the residential-commercial mix that was popular in downtown Bloomington at the turn of the century. The brick-and-limestone apartment building will be home to 223 apartments and will take 16 to 18 months to complete. On-site parking and 27,194 square feet of commercial space will be added benefits. Tenants will be able to move into the centrally-located apartments by August 2004.\n"These are not going to be built as budget apartments," Jacobs said. "They are not going to be as expensive as some of the luxury apartments. These are going to be quality-built apartments that will have some very nice finishes in them."\nThree-dimensional renderings of the apartments' interiors will be up on the Smallwood Plaza Web site, www.smallwoodplaza.com, within the next two months so that prospective tenants can see the layouts and designs of the apartments.\nThe apartments will be available for rent in multiple sizes. According to a statement from Smallwood Plaza, apartment size will range from 726 square feet to 1554 square feet among the two- to four-bedroom apartments. Equipped with appliances such as refrigerators and dishwashers, the apartments will also include high-speed Internet access and free cable TV.\nTo ensure the security of the complex, each tenant will be issued a picture identification to enter the building, the elevators and apartments, in addition to the more than 50 security cameras that will be installed.\nParking spaces have been provided for 65 percent of the tenants, a larger number than most apartment complexes, according to the statement. If residents need to travel around Bloomington, they will be able to hop onto Bloomington Transit routes since Route 6 will be extended to the new complex.\nMicuda said this new development near the heart of Bloomington will help the city move toward a more vivacious image.\n"I think the development of the Semicon property will be an important turning point in the future of the city's downtown area," Micuda said. "Bloomington has always tried to have a 24-hour downtown (area) that is vibrant all the time because there are a number of people who reside, visit and shop (there). In order to have the 24-hour downtown that we want for our community, it is important to have housing projects that stimulate the vibrancy that we look for"
(11/22/02 5:27am)
After a 30-month investigation into the disappearance of IU student Jill Behrman, the Bloomington Police Department and the FBI have turned over a 70-page report describing all the evidence they've found to the Monroe County prosecutor.\nThe probable cause affidavit names three suspects, said Marilyn Behrman, Jill's mother. All are currently in jail on unrelated charges. Behrman acknowledged one of those named is Uriah Clouse, who was previously named as a suspect, but she declined to name the others.\nSince September, after the conclusion of the Salt Creek search for Behrman's body, investigators compiled information and evidence in the report. It was finished last Friday and reached Monroe County Prosecutor Carl Salzmann's desk Monday, said Bloomington Police Department Detective Marty Deckard.\nSalzmann said he is unsure of how long it will take him and his team to analyze the report.\n"We just received the executive summary," Salzmann said. "The FBI has asked us to try to digest and review it during the rest of this month. After we go through everything, we will meet with the FBI in early December."\nFBI Agent Gary Dunn said it won't be the final report on the case. He said the department is still investigating leads and will give further findings to the prosecutor's office.\n"There is a report that they have, but it is not all-inclusive," Dunn said. "We are still going to be providing (the prosecutor's office) with additional information. This investigation is still ongoing."\nDeckard said there is still a small amount of evidence to be found.\n"We'll continue to follow leads and tips submitted to us, but we're at such an advanced point in the investigation that there is very little, if any, that we don't already know," Deckard said. "When people call us with tips and information, we can tell them who they heard it from before they tell us. What we are doing now is searching for more people who are main sources."\nAnalyzing the 70-plus page report will be a tiresome practice involving numerous people, Salzmann said. In addition to being reviewed by Salzmann, the report will also be analyzed by deputy prosecutor Mary Ellen Diekhoff, as well as a team of research assistants and legal interns.\nTo analyze the case, Salzmann said he and his group will not only read the case, but may choose to read over thousands of pages of interviews gathered in the past two-and-a-half years.\nThe BPD and FBI plan to help the prosecutor's office understand the report in any way necessary.\n"If the prosecutor's open, we will present the report in Power Point. We have several points that we could illustrate to them, whether it be in written statements to video interviews or thousands of photos," Deckard said. "If that's what they require us to do, we will do that. We're at a point now that if we need to do anything, we can. We already have put everything in a 71-page report. We can do more."\nBehrman disappeared May 30, 2000. She left her house early that morning for a bike ride, but never returned. Her bike was later found 10 miles from where she was last seen. \nPolice have said Behrman probably was hit by a pickup truck driven by someone under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Her body may have been dumped in Salt Creek.\nSince then, the BPD and FBI have undertaken an investigation that included draining a 1.4 mile stretch of Salt Creek in September.\nMarilyn Behrman said she is glad to see the case is moving forward and is taking it one step at a time.\n"It's kind of a relief that maybe the case will be solved or resolved at some point, but it's still a long way off," she said.\nManaging Editor Cory Schouten contributed to this story.
(11/15/02 5:13am)
Since 2000, nationwide Staples office-supply stores have been subject to over 600 demonstrations and tens of thousands of letters and phone calls to the CEOs in a fight over the sale of recycled paper. A recent decision by Staples has the company phasing out the sale of paper made from endangered forests in North America and phasing in the sale of more forest-friendly paper.\nThe Paper Campaign, which spearheaded the movement, is an organization made up of dozens of citizen groups dedicated to moving the marketplace toward recycled paper. Led by San Francisco's ForestEthics and the Dogwood Alliance out of Asheville, NC, the Paper Campaign said they hope the rest of the companies in the office supply industry, such as Office Max, Office Depot and Corporate Express, will follow Staples' decision.\nTodd Paglia of ForestEthics said he hopes the industry will step up to the challenge, so the Campaign does not have to aim its sights toward another office supply giant.\n"I think that the industry has a choice to respond in kind or fall behind," Paglia said. "I hope that the companies are smart enough to do the right thing without any other incentives. If Office Max and Office Depot don't do the right thing, then the campaign will definitely continue with one of them as a target."\nThe Staples' decision is a first for the office supply industry. The company's new guidelines for the making and selling of forest-friendly paper will have the company averaging 30 percent post-consumer recycled content in all paper sales. This means phasing out purchase of paper from endangered forests, including key endangered forests in Canada and the U.S., and creating an environmental affairs division to report annually on results.\nStaples Spokesman Owen Davis said the company is looking forward to the new policy, but also said the company has been environmentally aware for the past decade.\n"Staples is very excited about this announcement. It really is a milestone for the industry," Davis said. "This policy has had a lot of work go into it, and we're excited about the work that lies ahead to pursue the goals outlined in it. Staples has had a commitment to the environment for many years, including over 1000 recycled products, energy conservation programs and internal recycling programs."\nInternational Paper, one of the primary logging companies in the southern United States, is also one of Staples' main paper suppliers. Jenny Boardman from the Consumer Communications department at International Paper said the new policy will not hurt the company, only help it.\n"We'll continue to work with them with our expertise and researchers in the area of forestry," Boardman said. "We are very pleased to be able to say we are already helping them achieve their goals with their products. In terms of their policy, they are looking to protect endangered forests, and our company doesn't harvest from there."\nSaving endangered forests was part of the Paper Campaign's mission when it began two years ago. The group educated consumers, made the media spotlight and worked directly with corporate decision makers to help reduce the demand for paper made from endangered forests and increase the demand for affordable, quality recycled paper.\nAs the largest grassroots, market-based forest protection campaign, the Paper Campaign gained the majority of its strength from the smaller, local groups, Paglia said.\n"This campaign was built from the ground up as a grassroots campaign," Paglia said. "It's energy in the field that has kept things going."\nThree Bloomington environmental groups helped the Paper Campaign in its fight for environmental protection. American Lands, Indiana Forest Alliance and the IU Student Environmental Action Coalition combined forces during the past few years to help out this forest-friendly fight.\nRobin Larsen from the Indiana Forest Alliance said the efforts of all three groups helped the effort.\n"Members of all three groups have been instrumental in organizing and carrying out three of the actions we've had at the Staples store in Bloomington," Larsen said. \nLocal environmental groups have also tried to make sure IU follows suit and uses more recycled material.\n"Right now, members of the three groups are working on getting the campus to go 'tree-free,' meaning it would go 100 percent recycled post consumer content in all paper products it buys. So far we have had fairly positive responses," Larsen said. "This is pretty much the largest incarnation of the Paper Campaign in Bloomington"
(11/12/02 5:12am)
Close to 300 people celebrated America's heroes and veterans on the lawn of the Bloomington Courthouse in observance of Veteran's Day.\nThe ceremony, an annual event presented by American Legion Post 18, honored the men and women who serve or have served in the military. \nThis year's ceremony featured Kirk R. White, assistant fire support coordinator in Indianapolis and a major in the 38th infantry division, as this year's guest speaker. His speech emphasized the morals and values brought back by veterans during World War II.\n"Veteran's Day is a day where we celebrate both our past veterans and their accomplishments and a time for us to recognize the current service people who are being deployed in various parts of the world, including many soldiers from the reserve forces," White said. "We salute them for their service from the military perspective and their subsequent service for the work in their communities as leaders in various organizations."\nWreaths were laid on the lawn in the veterans' honor. Desert Storm veterans, Post 18 and the Prisoners-of-War Missing-in-Action were among the numerous groups to lay memorial wreaths.\nSecond Lieutenant Kevin Pauly of the Civil Air Patrol laid a wreath as a representative of the American Red Cross.\n"It was quite an honor to be picked to represent the Red Cross," he said. "I have done a lot of volunteer work with them, so I really enjoyed this opportunity. We had the privilege of wearing the uniform of the Civil Air Patrol and that's one of the neatest things to do to express our gratitude."\nJames B. May, a member of Post 18 and the Veterans of Foreign War Post 604, said he felt the ceremony went well and helped the community remember their past.\n"If it wasn't for the veterans, the community wouldn't be here, and I was glad to see people come to honor the veterans," May said. "In whole, I think it was a great day for the program."\nMay also said this year's program marks the 45th year the Legion has put on such a program in downtown Bloomington.\nWhite's keynote address talked about the ideas of military values that veterans enforce and practice in their lives. The book, The Greatest Generation written by NBC news anchor Tom Brokaw, helped form the basis of White's speech.\n"The book focused on the invasion of Omaha Beach," White said. "The soldiers that participated in that invasion at Normandy knew that in many cases the persons sitting to their left and to their right probably weren't going to make it through that invasion. Nevertheless, with those very difficult odds, the allied forces were successful on that day in achieving their mission."\nValues such as duty, honor, integrity and selfless service are all traits White said he believed characterized the generation that fought in World War II. In his book, Brokaw names that generation as the greatest generation in America's history because of those traits.\nIn 1926, the American government declared Nov. 11 as a day to honor the veterans of World War I, the first modern global conflict. Originally named "Armistice Day," the title was changed in 1954 to "Veteran's Day" to also honor all who served in World War II and the Korean War. To many, the observance of Veteran's Day on Nov. 11 "preserves the historical significance of the date and focuses attention on Veteran's Day as a day to honor America's veteran's for their patriotism, love of country and willingness to serve and sacrifice for the common good," according to the Veterans of Foreign Wars Web site.
