News From The Hoosier State

[David In Indy]

From Inside Indiana Business:


Bemis Expected to Meet This Week With Striking Union

InsideINdianaBusiness.com Report

Wisconsin-based Bemis Co. has said it will meet this week with the union representing striking workers at its Terre Haute facility, but with the help of a mediator from the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service. Workers went on strike last month after rejecting a contract agreement, citing concerns about the use of temporary workers and health insurance. The striking Terre Haute workers were joined on the picket line Saturday by actor Danny Glover. Bemis has approximately 900 workers in Terre Haute, with about 740 union members.

(Click on the link below to read attached press release)


http://www.insideindianabusiness.com/newsitem.asp?id=37085

[David In Indy]

"Stifling conditions"?? Um. Okay. I guess all the cool temperatures we've been enjoying recently has now made us complain about 90F temperatures.

We quickly forget it could be much MUCH worse... but whatever!

I'm always sad to see the fair come around. Not that I have anything against the fair. It just means that summer will be coming to an end soon.


State Fair's Sunday A Scorcher

INDIANAPOLIS -- Sunday was a scorcher at the Indiana State Fair, but it wasn't as bad as some had feared.

Thousands of people packed the fairgrounds as the temperature soared to 90 degrees, combined with high humidity that made for stifling conditions.

There were plenty of ways Hoosiers could find a respite from the heat while still at the fairgrounds, 6News' Rick Hightower reported.

There are several air-conditioned buildings, plenty of misting fans and a lot of cool treats to beat the heat.

"A little sweaty, some red faces, but everybody seems to be hanging in there," said Jennifer Crecelius, a fairgoer from Southport.

Fairgoers seemed determined to not let the heat and humidity spoil their fun. Some were loading up on water, and others were finding shady spots to rest.

"We brought a lot of water from home to refill bottles up," said Angela Odem, of Greenwood. "We're still kind of hot now."

Misting fans were popular attractions, as were vendors with snow cones and lemon shakeups.

"It's actually so hot, I'm sweating -- something I don't do a lot of," said Kimberly Martin, of Indianapolis. "I'm using a napkin ... to kind of blot things off."

Vendors who were cooking sizzling hot food on an oppressively toasty day didn't get much of a break.

"You don't (stay cool)," said Norman McKay, who was cooking ribeye steaks. "Just years of practice -- you get used to it."

Fortunately, there was a bit of a breeze to accompany the heat, and that helped keep too many people from suffering from heat exhaustion.

About 125,000 visitors attended the first two days of the fair, about 60,000 each on Friday and Saturday.


http://www.theindychannel.com/weather/20337353/detail.html

[David In Indy]

Crews Continue Search For Toddler Believed Drowned

Family Unable To Find Girl After Canoe Tips Over


EDINBURGH, Ind. -- Search crews combed the Driftwood River Sunday in search of a 2-year-old girl believed to have drowned on Saturday.

The girl was with her parents and a sister on a canoe trip when their canoe hit a logjam just before 7 p.m. and tipped over.

Three family members resurfaced, but the girl -- Megan McNair, of Indianapolis -- was not seen.

"At one point, the canoe did surface and was immediately sucked back into the logjam," said Bartholomew County sheriff's Lt. Rob Kittle.

Volunteers brought in excavating equipment Sunday to pull apart the logjam that divers think Megan is under, said Indiana Conservation Officer Angela Goldman. Other crews were using sonar to scour the river for McNair's body.

Divers spent three hours searching for McNair Saturday night, before darkness and swift current made the search too dangerous.

Goldman said the family was using its personal canoe and had experience with the situation. She did not know if the girl was wearing a life jacket.

http://www.theindychannel.com/news/20333922/detail.html

[David In Indy]

Hats off to the horse show winners

Hats and horses mixed last week at Zionsville's Wild Air Farms during the 32nd Traders Point Hunt Charity Horse Show and Country Fair.

The six-day event, which benefited the Riley Children's Foundation, took place Aug. 4 through Sunday.

Chris Kappler, Flemington, N.J., who won the Grand Prix of Indianapolis on a horse named VDL Oranta on Sunday.

Scott Lenkart, Delano, Minn., who won the Marty and Russell Fortune Jr. Memorial Grand Prix riding Un Prince on Friday.

The Sunday event offered a $60,000 purse, which is shared among its place winners, and the Friday event included a $30,000 purse.

At Thursday's garden party, two local ladies walked away from the VIP tent with accolades for their headwear.

Sandy Strickland, Zionsville, who served as the event's hospitality chairwoman, earned the "Most Outrageous" designation for her topper, which was covered in red tulle and adorned with doughnuts and packages of sweetener. Jean Kyle, Indianapolis, who wore a circa-1890s creation, earned this year's award for the "Most Glamorous" hat.

Lisa Sutphin served as the Garden Party's honorary chairwoman. Committee members included Barbara Bennett, Ellen Greenleaf, Jane Hawks, Ruth Hudson, Nancy McNealy, Jo Davis, Nela Swinehart and Joan Voyles. Elizabeth Johnson was chair of the show and its hostess.

They were jazzed at the Stutz

The Stutz building was the spot for a lot of jazz and socializing Saturday, when the Christamore House presented its first annual Jazz Extravaganza.

The event, which benefited Christamore House, brought dozens to the unique event space, which is decorated with owner Turner Woodard's car collection.

"Indianapolis has such a rich history in jazz and home-grown bands, so we wanted to celebrate that," said Shenia Suggs, event chair and vice president of the Christamore House board.

Food for thought (and Gleaners)

About $1,200 was raised for Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana Friday at the Stutz Art Space, when area artists Derek Powell and Kevin Smola opened their exhibition, "Power Over Poverty."

The show runs through Aug. 28 in the nonprofit visual art center on the first floor of the Stutz Business Center, 212 W. 10th St. It includes abstract oil paintings and drawings that play on concepts and stereotypes surrounding wealth and poverty.

At least one barrel of donated food also was collected on opening night, according to spokeswoman Jen Schmits Thomas.


http://www.indystar.com/article/20090811/NEWS07/908110363/1304/LOCAL

[David In Indy]

 


Polar bear dies at Indianapolis Zoo

Indianapolis - Some sad news from the Indianapolis Zoo Wednesday.

Tahtsa, the zoo's 34-year-old polar bear, has died.

Tahtsa (pronounced TOTsa) was the oldest living polar bear known to scientists either in captivity or in the wild. Polar bears may live into their early to mid-twenties.

The zoo says Tahtsa had experienced the complications of aging over the past few years. On Wednesday, she was no longer able to stand and veterinarians made the decision to euthanize her. The zoo believes Tahtsa may have had a neurological problem. A necropsy may yield further results.

Tahtsa was born at the Denver Zoo in 1974. She went to the Louisville Zoo in March 1976 and came to the Indianapolis Zoo on loan on October 10, 2006.

The zoo says Tahtsa acclimated well to the polar bear exhibit. She was a favorite among the zoo staff, who say she placed her paws in footbaths for treatments, opened her mouth and presented her paw on cue, and even did some painting.

She was smaller than the zoo's other female polar bear, Tundra, who is 23 years old. The zoo says the two bears were not on exhibit together, and officials don't believe Tundra will be adversely affected by Tahtsa's death.

Endangered species

The zoo says the loss was not unexpected, but that any polar bear death is acutely felt because of the dwindling population of the animal in the wild. Biologists use a working figure of 20,000 to 25,000 bears with about sixty percent of those living in Canada.

The main threat to this dwindling population today is the loss of their icy habitat due to climate change. Polar bears depend on the sea ice for hunting, breeding, and in some cases to den. The summer ice loss in the Arctic is now equal to an area the size of Alaska, Texas, and the state of Washington combined.

The IUCN Polar Bear Specialist Group has reclassified the polar bear as a vulnerable species on the IUCN's Red List of Endangered Species, and they reported that of the 19 subpopulations of polar bears, five are declining, five are stable, two are increasing, and seven have insufficient data on which to base a decision.

On May 14, 2008, the U.S. Department of the Interior reclassified the polar bear as a Threatened Species under the Endangered Species Act, citing concerns about sea ice loss. Canada and Russia list the polar bear as a species of concern.

(Info from Indy Zoo)


http://www.wthr.com/global/story.asp?s=10893002

[David In Indy]

You all are welcome to comment in this thread if you wish. Maybe nobody is even reading it.

Well in any event I will continue to post news items in here.

[David In Indy]

The State Fair is currently underway right now. Tonight they had a late night balloon race. And the balloons were lit up! The sky was filled with big glowing hot air balloons. Very pretty! They didn't come over our way but I saw them on the news. I wish I could find some pictures of them to post. They looked beautiful!

[David In Indy]

I wonder how the hell he managed to keep his balance if he was unconscious? I don't understand that. And he wasn't wearing a helmet!    Time and time again I see people rocketing up and down the highway with no helmets, no protective clothing, or anything on! Talk about tempting fate!


Witnesses: Motorcyclist was unconscious before deadly crash

Witnesses said an Illinois man killed Thursday night in a traffic accident appeared to be unconscious on his motorcycle before he crashed into a barrier on I-65, according to police.

Jonathan L. Dreymann, 47, Algonquin, Ill., died at Methodist Hospital about an hour after the 8:30 p.m. accident near the I-465 interchange on the Southside, the Indiana State Police said.

Police said today that eyewitnesses reported Dreymann looked to be unconscious atop the southbound 2003 Honda motorcycle when he traveled across all lanes of traffic and struck the right barrier wall.


The cause of the crash, and why Dreymann may have been unconscious, are under investigation, State Police Sergeant Michael Burns said.


Dreymann was not wearing a helmet. The impact of the crash ejected him from his motorcycle and he landed near the bank of a creek at the bottom of the embankment. He died at Methodist Hospital.


http://www.indystar.com/article/20090814/LOCAL/90814060/1195/LOCAL18

[David In Indy]

Republic Airways To Stay In Indy

1,300 Jobs Will Stay, Could Grow

INDIANAPOLIS -- The newly expanded Republic Airways and its 1,300 jobs are staying in Indianapolis, the company's chief executive officer said Friday.

Republic won the bid to take over bankrupt Frontier Airlines on Thursday, raising some concerns that the combined company would move to Frontier's Denver headquarters, 6News' Norman Cox reported.

The company issued a statement Friday morning saying, "We don't have any preconceived notion. The job functions will be performed where they make the most sense and where they can be done the most efficiently. We're still evaluating all the moving parts."

But when Republic CEO Bryan Bedford returned from closing the deal in New York, he told 6News that the company will stay in Indianapolis.

"We're getting a lot of courtship going on right now … (but) we're not looking for a corporate or a government handout to retain our headquarters here in Indianapolis," he said. "That's probably not the smartest thing to say, but we like living here. The city's been good to us. We'd like to figure out a way to be a larger part of the Indianapolis community."

Bedford said a few office jobs might move around, but the 1,300 pilots, flight attendants and mechanics in Indianapolis will not leave.

He said the number of jobs will also likely grow as Republic seeks to add more locally based flights.


http://www.theindychannel.com/money/20403581/detail.html

[David In Indy]

A slideshow....


http://www.theindychannel.com/slideshow/entertainment/20399685/detail.html