SW Indiana county looks to revive old rail line

Chicago Tribune

A southwestern Indiana county is working on plans to seek federal funding to revive a rail line that has been inactive since the 1970s.

Gibson County Commissioners unanimously agreed Tuesday to sponsor a grant application to study the possible rail line connecting the communities of Skelton, Owensville and Fort Branch.

The business development director for the Morley and Associates engineering firm says several shippers could be interested in using the line.

Pfizer Inc. to pay Indiana nearly $3.7 million in historic settlement

Muncie Free Press

In one of the largest settlements of a healthcare-fraud case in U.S. history, the federal government, Indiana and other states have reached an agreement with Pfizer Inc. to settle allegations of kickback payments and illegal off-marketing campaigns that had improperly promoted drugs Pfizer manufactures.

Pfizer agreed to pay state and federal governments a total $1 billion in civil damages as compensation to Medicaid, Medicare and other federal healthcare programs harmed by the company’s conduct, the federal and state governments announced today.

Under the settlement with Pfizer, the total obtained for the Indiana Medicaid program -- including both the federal and state share -- will be $9,520,231.16 in restitution and other recovery. Of that, the state’s share of the multi-state settlement will be $3,694,888.19.

RNC chair to visit Indiana to discuss health care

Chicago Tribune

The chairman of the National Republican Committee is making stops in Indiana and Ohio targeting the health care positions of Indiana Rep. Baron Hill and three Ohio representatives.

RNC Chairman Michael Steele plans to visit the Physician Associates of Southern Indiana in Floyds Knobs on Thursday morning to discuss health care. Later, he'll travel to Ohio to target the positions of three Ohio Democratic members of congress.

Hill held a town hall meetings on health care in New Albany on Monday night and another one in Bloomington Wednesday night ahead of Steele's visit.

Federal rule similar to Indiana robo-call ban

Chicago Tribune

There's a new federal regulation similar to an Indiana law that prohibits the use of autodialing machines to make prerecorded telephone calls.

Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller says he welcomes the federal rule that took effect Tuesday, but says Indiana's law is stronger and is not pre-empted by the federal law.

Both laws prohibit the use of prerecorded telemarketing calls unless the consumer has given written permission to be called.

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Indiana lottery says revenue drops 11 percent

Chicago Tribune

Hoosier Lottery revenue dropped 11 percent in the latest fiscal year, marking the weakest sales of lottery tickets in five years.

Lottery officials say revenue for the year that ended June 30 was $732 million, down from $822 million in fiscal 2008.

Hoosier Lottery spokesman Andrew Reed says the economy was a factor. He also says Hoosier Lotto sales were down from a "phenomenal" year in 2008.

St. Francis Hospital staff donates 200 DVDs to military clinic in Iraq

The Indianapolis Star

While serving in Iraq, Army Staff Sgt. Andrea Cowden saw a need for a variety of DVDs to entertain military personnel awaiting treatment in a clinic at Camp Liberty, near Baghdad.

She contacted her mother, Kathleen Cowden, a Westside Indianapolis resident and staff dietitian at St. Francis Hospital in Beech Grove, for help.

Cowden's mother got the attention of hospital leaders. Staff at St. Francis' hospitals in Beech Grove, Mooresville and on Indianapolis' Far Southside then donated 200 new and used DVDs in the spring, and they were shipped to Cowden.

"It really meant a whole lot to us to have more than five movies to show," Cowden said Wednesday during a hospital visit, while she was on a two-week break from duty at Camp Liberty.

Indianapolis Colts Odds to Win 2010 Super Bowl

Gambling 911

The Indianapolis Colts odds to win the 2010 Super Bowl have been set early at +1300 meaning that a $100 bet will pay $1300 at Sports Interaction.com (a $10 bet will pay out $130). These are pretty good payout odds all things considered. As long as Peyton Manning is on this team, the Colts always have a shot at going to the Super Bowl. Unfortunately they are also one Peyton injury away from going under .500.

There are a few concerns for the Indianapolis Colts, the biggest of which is the coaching change. Tony Dungy retired after last season and the club promoted long time assistant Jim Caldwell. Gambling911.com does not see this as having any major negative impact on the Colts chances in 2009/2010 however. Caldwell, after all, has been a key component of the Colts success over the years. But whenever there is a coaching change, there is always the potential for some glitches.