Daniels gives more modest agenda to Ind. lawmakers

CBS News

"Gov. Mitch Daniels asked Indiana lawmakers on Tuesday to approve a statewide smoking ban and dedicate more money toward victims from last summer's state fair stage collapse during his final State of the State speech.

Daniels used part of his 30-minute televised speech to push the right-to-work bill that has prompted boycotts by Indiana House Democrats, while spending more time touting actions from his first seven years in office.

Daniels presented lawmakers with a more modest agenda than a year ago, when he pushed for a major revamp of Indiana's education system that the Republican-led Legislature largely approved."

Read more.

Indiana House Dems end chamber boycott, GOP plans initial vote on divisive labor bill

Washington Post

"A divisive labor bill is back in Republican hands after Indiana House Democrats on Monday ended a three-day boycott of the chamber to stall the measure.

Republican House Speaker Brian Bosma said the right-to-work bill will get a committee vote Tuesday morning and could make it out of his chamber by the end of the week if Democrats continue to attend House sessions.

Indiana House Democrats returned to the Legislature after spending three days blocking the contentious bill but did not promise to stay long enough to allow a final vote on the measure. House Democratic Leader Patrick Bauer told The Associated Press that Democrats were returning “just for today.”"

Read more.

Butler moves on to Monday

Washington Post

Butler Coach Brad Stevens does not possess a wealth of Final Four experience. In fact, the third-year, 33-year-old head coach never had stepped onto college basketball's grandest stage prior to Saturday night.

But it didn't take the sterling credentials of his counterpart, Michigan State Coach Tom Izzo -- whose teams have made six Final Fours in the past 12 seasons -- to understand that shooting 30.6 percent was not a prudent plan for success, which made Stevens that much prouder of his team's defensive effort in the aftermath of Butler's 52-50 win over the Spartans.

Ind. worker fires shotgun into office, no injuries

AP

Police say a state Department of Workforce Development auditor who had just received a poor job review shot at co-workers at an agency office in the northwest Indiana city of Portage.

No one was injured.

Sgt. Keith Hughes says the 60-year-old man became upset during his job review Friday and told his supervisor he needed to go to his car. When the man retrieved a shotgun, a manager locked the front door of the office and ordered the other 15 employees to the rear.

Tatum's Bags of Fun

This morning I listened to a radio interview with Tatum Parker and her father, discussing this program called Bags Of Fun.
As a father of four myself, I was moved when I listened to this young girl and how much the Bags of Fun program has meant to her, her family, and the many other families that are affected by the horrible illness.
I am adding a link to the sidebar for those that wish to read more and donate to this program.

Here's a little info from the Bags of Fun website.

In July 2006, just before her 6th birthday, Tatum Parker was diagnosed with Ewing’s Sarcoma, a rare bone cancer.

Tatum endured a year-long battle in which she smiled her way through 3 major surgeries and 13 rounds of chemotherapy, unfortunately in December 2008 she had a relapse. She's currently in the midst of another 12-round battle with chemotherapy.


Tatum’s Bags of Fun was formed in memory of Gabby Krause. Thanks to Gabby, Tatum received a Bag of Fun which helped her through her long hospital stays and year-long battle with cancer. Gabby had a vision that all children battling cancer in Colorado would receive a Bag of Fun. Our goal is to carry on Gabby’s legacy and bring Bags of Fun to children battling cancer in Indiana.

Man gets 53 years for shooting pregnant bank teller

Indianapolis Star

An Indianapolis man was sentenced to 53 years in prison Friday for shooting a pregnant bank teller during a robbery, ending a case that inspired stiffer feticide penalties in state law.

Katherin Shuffield, 32, who lost both of her unborn twins after the April 2008 shooting, described her heartache in court before Brian Kendrick's sentence was announced.

She flashed between two moments; the first was just before the incident, when she and her husband learned their twins would both be girls. "We were so excited for our family to grow," she said.

Bayh, Coats face big question: 'Are you a Hoosier?'

Evansville Courier & Press

Both former Sen. Dan Coats, who moved back to Indiana to prepare a run for the seat he once held, and two-term Democratic incumbent Sen. Evan Bayh are fending off questions about their status as Hoosiers.

On Thursday, Democrats scrambled to respond when the prominent conservative blog FrugalHoosiers.com questioned the legitimacy of a modest condominium, valued at $59,500 that Bayh lists as his Indiana residency.

According to neighbors, the answer is that the place is large enough for Bayh to stay there a few weeks each year.

Peter Bergmann, who has lived in the complex for seven years, said he sometimes runs into Bayh in the summer.

Indiana Governor speaks at Terre Haute Chamber of Commerce luncheon

Tribune-Star

When better economic times come to America, Gov. Mitch Daniels wants business opportunities to appear first in Indiana.

“We want Indiana to be well-positioned to be the first place people go when they have enough money and enough confidence to try to grow,” Daniels told about 220 members of the Terre Haute Chamber of Commerce on Thursday during a public policy briefing at The Landing on Terre Haute’s north side.

“Indiana is fighting back against this recession, more successfully than other states,” he said, shortly after his presentation.

“That is no consolation when so many people are hurting and out of work. If we continue to be careful about our tax dollars and make some of the hard calls that we would rather not make, we will be one of the few states that does not raise taxes and therefore is more attractive when jobs do start coming back to the American economy,” Daniels said, after the luncheon.

$2.5M winning lotto ticket expires

WISH-TV

A $2.5 million winning lottery ticket expired Friday evening. The ticket was purchased on the south side of Indianapolis.

Six months ago, someone bought a ticket at the Meijer on Southport Road that would have made them a millionaire. A Hoosier Lotto ticket for the August 19 drawing hit the jackpot.

Friday at 5 p.m. was the 180-day deadline to claim the prize. While shopping at the store, Barbara Lock reacted to the realization that the multi-millions would go unclaimed.

Indiana smoking ban unlikely to move in Senate

Business Week

A proposed statewide smoking ban in public places in Indiana won't be considered by the state Senate and is likely dead this legislative session.

An original bill in the House would have banned smoking in public places except casinos and pari-mutuel horse racing venues. But the final bill passed by the House included more exemptions, including those for bars, taverns and fraternal clubs.

Ind. Senate endorses meth bill, sends it to House

Chicago Tribune

A bill aimed at making sure Indiana's methamphetamine laws target people who try to buy cold medicines to make meth is now before the Indiana House.

The Senate voted 46-4 for the legislation on Tuesday.

The bill requires stores selling medications containing ephedrine and pseudoephedrine to make clear to customers the legal purchasing limit of those ingredients.

Former Sen. Dan Coats to challenge Evan Bayh in Indiana

Washington Post

Senate Republicans scored a major coup in their attempt to broaden the playing field this November by luring former senator Dan Coats (R) into the race against Sen. Evan Bayh (D) in Indiana.

Coats is expected to announce his candidacy today, according to informed Republican sources.

After serving four terms in the House, Coats was appointed to fill the vacancy caused by Dan Quayle's election as vice president in 1988. He was subsequently elected in 1990 to the remainder of Quayle's term and in 1992 won the seat outright. He retired in 1998, making way for Bayh, who had been a two-term governor, to cruise to an open-seat victory over then Ft. Wayne Mayor Paul Helmke.