Four years after Governor Mitch Daniels tried to privatize the Hoosier Lottery, the agency is seeking proposals from private-sector firms. The Indiana State Lottery Commission announced yesterday that they are seeking proposals from private firms in hopes of improving the agency’s net income.
Hoosier Lottery Spokesman Al Larson says this is not privatization. He says the Hoosier Lottery is still a state agency and will continue to be owned and directed by the state – they are simply seeking a potential vendor that believes they can help improve performance with operational expertise. He adds the Hoosier Lottery already has vendor relationships in place and that this is nothing new to the Hoosier Lottery or the lottery industry in general.
Many of the 3700 rural post offices targeted for closure last year might get a reprieve. The United States Postal Service has come up with a new plan that could keep rural post offices open throughout the country.
The plan now is for the post offices to stay open with reduced hours. A post office typically open for eight hours a day could be reduced to only six, four, or even two hours a day. This announcement comes after a public outcry that overwhelmingly insisted the rural offices stay open. Some areas that are reduced to four- or two-hour days may still be considered village post offices where postal services are set up inside another business.
Nominations are being accepted for the 2012 Golden Hoosier Award. The award was established by Indiana Lt. Governor Becky Skillman in collaboration and partnership with the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration to acknowledge and recognize outstanding seniors for their lifetime of service to their communities.
The highest honor bestowed upon a senior in Indiana, the ideal Golden Hoosier is considered an “unsung hero,” who has not received previous recognition for the impact they have made in the lives of others and their community.
With Pomp and Circumstance heard as the Francesville graduating class of 1935 climbed the stairs to the school’s stage, few in the audience could have imagined that one of the pupils would go on to be the governor of Indiana, and a President Ronald Reagan cabinet member. On this date in 1935, the man who went on to answer to the nickname “Doc” graduated from Francesville High School.
Otis R. “Doc” Bowen served two terms as governor, from 1972 to 1980, making him the first man to serve two consecutive terms since 1851.
He was the Secretary of Health and Human Services under President Ronald Reagan from 1985-1989.
If you hear gunfire near Wythogan Park in Knox on June 9 and 10, don’t be alarmed– it’s merely World War Two happening all over again.
A WWII reenactment is being hosted by the US 1st Infantry Division, known as the “Big Red One,” a part of the World War Two Historical Re-Enactment Society. The sounds of battle will be heard coming from Wythogan Park, where the re-enactors will try to offer visitors a feel of what this exciting period of history must have been like. The re-enactors are collectors and serious students of history, representing several different nationalities who will try to dress, equip, and conduct themselves in proper 1944 manner.
The Oregon-Davis School Corporation will be participating in the USDA Summer Food Program this summer.
Free lunch will be offered to all children ages 18 and younger at the Oregon-Davis Elementary School cafeteria beginning June 11 through July 13, from 11:30 a.m. to noon. If you are 19 and older, you will be charged $2 per lunch. You don’t even have to be a part of the Oregon-Davis School community. Everyone is eligible to participate without residential or financial stipulations.
Indiana State Police Troopers announced their involvement in a seat belt enforcement blitz that begins May 18.
This national mobilization will take place over the Memorial Day holiday when more than 250 law enforcement agencies will conduct special seat belt patrols, day and night, and will identify and ticket unrestrained motorists and passengers. The blitz will end June 3.
“Click It or Ticket” has been credited with increasing Indiana’s seat belt usage rate from 63 percent in 1995 to an observed usage rate of 93 percent in 2011. In 2011, 3322 crashes occurred that involved unrestrained motorists and passengers and 202 fatalities. Police say statistics show wearing your seat belt increases your chances of surviving a crash by more than 50 percent.
Here is a look at some of the news that made the news in the Kankakee valley this week:
Tuesday’s Primary Election decided a few contested races in Starke, Pulaski and Marshall Counties. The Oregon-Davis School referendum question brought a lot of controversy in this Primary Election, but in the end, the referendum passed with 699 voters saying yes and 383 voting no. With the passage of this referendum, the Oregon and Davis Township taxpayers will pay a 19 cent increase on each $100 of assessed property value over a period of seven years.
The polls are closed and the votes have been totaled. The May Primary Election didn’t have the voter turnout that some may have desired, but the voters made their decisions and their ballots have been cast.
In Starke County, Daniel Bridegroom will have the Democratic nomination for Starke County Commissioner in District Three, having received 801 votes over Joseph Woods’ 787. For Starke County Treasurer, Linda L. Belork fell just short of Kasey “Bula” Clark, who earned 842 votes to Belork’s 760. Interestingly enough, the candidate to receive the most votes out of any Starke County race was Kathy Norem, who raked in 1508 votes– regardless of the fact that she was unopposed.
Gas prices seem to be falling in Indiana, although the average state price is still a little higher than the national average. Indiana’s average price for gas is $3.92 per gallon– thirteen cents higher than the national average of $3.79.
At the beginning of May, Indiana’s average dropped to around $3.83, but within two days it spiked back up to $3.93. In the last month, the lowest average price for fuel in the state was $3.79 on April 25.
The national average is on a steady decline as well. On April 5, the average price for gas was roughly $3.92, but over the course of a month, the price has decreased to rest at $3.79. Only twice within the last month has the Indiana average been lower than the national average.
A Muncie woman plans to pay off her student loans after turning $3 into $50,000, thanks to a Hoosier Lottery Scratch-off. Jennifer Reichert claimed her $50,000 prize at Hoosier Lottery Headquarters in Indianapolis on April 30.
The mother of three says being debt-free will be wonderful, having won the Wild Cherry Crossword Tripler Scratch-off, which she says is her favorite game.
Reichert purchased her winning ticket at P and J Food Mart in Muncie.
Since its inception in 1989, the Hoosier Lottery has produced $4 billion in net income for the citizens of Indiana, nearly $1 billion in commissions and bonuses for participating Indiana retailers, and has paid out $8.5 billion in player prizes.
The Hoosier Lotto jackpot is up to $1 million, and the Powerball’s estimated jackpot is up to $60 million. The Hoosier Lottery reminds players to always play responsibly and always sign the back of their tickets.
Here is a look at some of the news that made the news in the Kankakee Valley this week:
Former Marshall County Commissioner, 82-year-old Donald Ferguson, of Plymouth, was killed in a semi truck/car accident late Sunday afternoon. Ferguson was attempting to turn onto Cedar Road off of U.S. 30 in Bourbon and a semi rear-ended the vehicle. Marshall County Coroner, Bill Cleavenger, said that Ferguson died of blunt force trauma and his wife, who was a passenger in the vehicle, was taken to St. Joseph Regional Medical Center in Plymouth for her injuries. The accident remains under investigation. Continue reading →
The Indiana State Police and the Starke County Sheriff’s Department recently participated in a drug take back initiative, sponsored by the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Statewide, police collected more than 1500 pounds of unused or expired medications. The DEA collected 21 pounds of prescription medication from the Starke County Sheriff’s Department, and the Bremen Post collected 150 pounds of medication.
Gas prices are still causing concern, especially with the summer months upon us and vacation plans taking shape. Don Good from the Good Oil Company says after the Memorial Day weekend, prices should be level and not as high.
“Overall the trend is going to be down,” said Good. “There’s a lot of volatility where it bounces up and down so I think you’re going to see it moving at about a ten or fifteen cent range up and down, but the general trend will be down.”
The National Agriculture Statistical Report was issued this week, publishing the crop report for the week ending April 29.
Gene Matzat is the Agriculture and Natural Resources Educator for La Porte County, and he said yesterday that we are on a record planting pace in Indiana.
“As of Sunday, 70 percent of the corn and 28 percent of the soybeans have been planted. Twenty-four percent of the corn crop is already emerged,” Matzat said.
Several years ago, the Starke County Tourism Commission, with help from the Historical Society and the County Extension Office, received a grant from the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC. through the Indiana Humanities Council to photograph the barns in Starke County. Only a few of the 92 counties in Indiana received this type of grant. We probably didn’t find every barn, but, as I remember, we did photograph about 450 of the barns, corn cribs, windmills, and out-houses in Starke County. These can be seen on our website — http://www.scpl.lib.in.us/historical/ — and then click on Barns Again in the center of the page.
Hundreds of people viewed the Smithsonian Barn Exhibit at the Schricker Library in Knox. The Calico Quilt Club had a display of Quilts about barns and school children made beautiful drawings of barns and displayed them in the libraries in the county.
Because of this effort by the Smithsonian, many of the old barns in the United States have been saved and restored. In many states, people have started putting quilt patterns on their barns. Indiana has several counties that are doing this. Marshall County has a tour of their barn quilts. So does Randolph County, with 22 quilts already installed on barns and 27 more ready to go.
I only know of three barns that have quilt patterns on them in Starke County. I have attached a photo of mine. Grandfather built our barn in 1902. He died a month before I was born, so I never knew him except in articles and what was passed down from my father. So, this fall, with the help of my children, we put his name on the old barn, then we also added a quilt pattern. If you know of other barns (or other buildings) in the county with quilt patterns, please let me know. Maybe Starke County could have a barn quilt tour, also.
If Senator Richard Lugar should lose the Republican Primary race to Richard Mourdock in next week’s primary election, as some recent polls indicate may happen, much of the credit will go to a Culver man who has been instrumental in the race.
Chris Chocola, of Culver, is Director of the “Club For Growth,” a conservative organization which endorsed Mourdock and has pumped millions of dollars into the challenger’s campaign.
Chocola explained about why his organization is working to defeat Lugar.
On May 2, 2001, the new Knox Post Office grand opening celebration was held. Peggy De Vries, Knox Postmaster, greeted the crowd, and later conducted a tour of the new building.
On this date in 1977, Bob March resigned as Head Basketball Coach at Winamac High School. March was a member of the 1956 Indians sectional basketball team.
A 17-year-old inmate from the LaPorte County Jail is being treated in the Critical Care Unit of IU Health La Porte Hospital after he allegedly attempted to commit suicide by hanging himself with a sheet.
At approximately 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, jail staff discovered the inmate not breathing in his cell, but the jail staff’s quick response and CPR efforts revived him, and he was breathing on his own when taken from the facility by ambulance.
According to video surveillance, a supervisor checked on the inmate during a shift-change count of the inmates, but he was discovered seven minutes later during another routine security check.
The inmate is charged with a revocation of suspended sentence from work release, with original charges stemming from an offense for which he was charged as an adult due to the seriousness of his offense. His name is not being released at this time due to his age and the ongoing investigation.
Ancilla College will hold graduation services on Saturday, May 5 at 11 a.m. ET in the Ancilla Domini Chapel. Over 100 graduation applications have been received and December 2011 graduates will also be included in the proceedings.
The Commencement Speaker will be Sister Virginia Kampwerth, Ancilla College President from 1985 through 1994. Kampwerth graduated from Ancilla Domini High School and Ancilla Domini College before beginning her distinguished career in education that eventually led her to serve as Academic Dean and President of Ancilla College. She is currently Provential Councilor of the Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ American Province.
