The renewed debate kicked off Tuesday.

The question still looming for lawmakers, should sexual orientation and gender identity be added protections to the state’s civil rights code?

Tuesday saw new, mounting pressure from prominent Indiana-based companies like Cummins, Eli Lilly, Cloud One and the state chamber.

Opponents quickly focused on the Obama administration’s directive on transgender bathrooms and the impact any civil rights legislation in Indiana would have.

Democratic gubernatorial candidate John Gregg says he would sign into law new legislation that added sexual orientation and gender identity to the state`s civil rights code.

His Republican counterpart Eric Holcomb says he would consider legislation, as he would any other measure that would come to his desk, alongside balancing religious liberty and nondiscrimination.

Three plate designs were unveiled on opening day at the Indiana State Fair, and the deadline to share your thoughts is next Monday, September 5th.

The artwork was designed by a Fort Wayne, Indiana based company called Intellectual Technology Inc.

You can vote for your favorite of the three plates at mybmv.com.

Voting ends at midnight on September 5th.

Hoosiers will begin to see the winning plate design on vehicles in January of next year as older plates are replaced at the end of the normal seven-year life cycle.

44News contacted several schools remaining on The Trojans’ schedule this season. All of the coaches we contacted said Wood Memorial has called them to say they would forfeit the games.

East Gibson officials confirmed earlier the school would cancel its game this week against Vincennes Lincoln, but it has not commented on the rest of the schedule.

Wood Memorial forfeited its first two games of the season following an investigation of hazing within the football program. That investigation continues.

AnimalPalooza Benefit & Music Festival. 10 and 11 at Burdette Park

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The 5^th annual, two-day AnimalPalooza Animal Benefit & Music Festival is set to return this year the second weekend of September! DockDogs, a world-wide canine aquatics competition will be featured again at the event, as well as a full lineup of popular area bands. The Lux Motors Car and Truck Show will make a return on Sunday!

New this year, Saturday beginning at 3:30 on the main stage, Animalpalooza will hold a

Pet Pageant with 3 categories, featuring Best Swag (personality), Best Red Carpet Look and Best Senior Pet!

Melissa Mauser, Vice-President of Animalpalooza said, “We are so excited for this year’s event and know the newly added pet pageant is going to be a hugh hit! We can’t wait to see what people come up with and think it’s a fun and unique way to feature some of our local pets.”

She added, ”We are asking those who wish to participate, to pre-register for the pageant no later than Friday, September 9^th by going to our website at www.animalpalooza.net.”

The family event takes place Saturday, Sept. 10th from 10:00 am to 7:00 pm and Sunday,

Sept. 11th from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm at Burdette Park, 5301 Nurrenbern Road in Evansville. Pets are welcome at AnimalPalooza, but they must be leashed. Retractable leashes are not allowed. Adult ticket prices are $7 for a one-day pass or $10 for a two-day pass. Children 12 and under are free.

AnimalPalooza will also offer a full menu of food and soft drinks: a wide variety of vendors

on-hand selling merchandise; a silent auction; a Kids Zone with crafts, inflatables and games for kids of all ages; a beer garden and wine for adults 21 and older; and many shelters and rescues on-site with pets available for adoption, including a horse rescue from Corydon, KY.

All proceeds from the event will be used to fund animal shelters and rescues; aid in re-homing homeless and surrendered animals; efforts to reunite lost pets with their families; and the reduction of euthanasia at shelters and animal control facilities.

The Lux Motors Car & Truck Show takes place on Sunday. The first 100 to register a vehicle will receive a dash plaque and free T-shirt. Trophies and door prizes will be given. All proceeds will benefit the AnimalPalooza organization.

For more information about this year’s AnimalPalooza, the Live the Lux Life Pet Pageant and the Lux Motors Car & Truck Show, visit Animalpalooza.net or the AnimalPalooza page on Facebook.

It is with great sadness that we learned yesterday of the passing of Gene Wilder, the iconic actor, screenwriter, author and advocate.

An honorary board member of the Cancer Support Community, Gene was instrumental in the 1991 founding of Gilda’s Club, named in honor of his late wife, comedienne Gilda Radner. During her battle with ovarian cancer, Gilda was a member of The Wellness Community in Santa Monica, California and wrote about her experience in her book, It’s Always Something.

In 2009, The Wellness Community and Gilda’s Club Worldwide joined forces to become the Cancer Support Community, with more than 46 affiliates around the world. Both Gilda’s Club and Cancer Support Community locations offer an array of professionally led social and emotional support programs for people with cancer and their families.

“Gene was a great friend and supporter of Gilda’s Club. His support was monumental during the founding of Gilda’s Club, and he remained a strong advocate for the vital programs and shared mission of our two legacy organizations,” said Joanna Bull, Founder of Gilda’s Club Worldwide. “Gene had promised Gilda that no one should face cancer alone, a vow that moved Gilda’s Club forward as he served as its celebrity spokesperson. That promise was held over many years and supported in every way by his widow, Karen. The Cancer Support Community and Gilda’s Club are grateful, and we are diminished by the ending of Gene’s wonderful life.”

Our thoughts are with the family and friends of Gene Wilder during this difficult time.

About Gilda’s Club Evansville:
Gilda’s Club Evansville is a free cancer support community for anyone living with cancer and their families and friends.  Gilda’s Club recognizes that social and emotional support is as essential as medical care when cancer is in the family and offers a variety of workshops, classes, groups and activities in a non-residential, home-like setting.

Death Row Inmate’s Habeas Petition Denied By 7th Circuit

Jennifer Nelson for www.theindianalawyer.com

The man who brutally raped and murdered a teenager in Spencer County in 2001 will continue to sit on death row after the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the denial of his petition for habeas corpus relief.

Ron Ward knocked on the door of the home of 15-year-old Stacy Payne. After she let him in, he assaulted her and injured her so severely she eventually died from her injuries. An officer responding to the scene caught Ward standing in the home and took him into custody.

He was convicted of murder and sentenced to death but that verdict was overturned because the Indiana Supreme Court believed Ward was denied the right to a fair trial when his trial was moved. At his second trial in Vanderburgh County, he pleaded guilty to murder and rape. One of his attorneys, Lorinda Youngcourt, was overworked as she was handing other capital cases at the same time. As a result, mitigating evidence wasn’t prepared as intended and the attorneys decided to tell the jury that Ward was a psychopath and shouldn’t be put to death because he is insane.

The jury recommended the death penalty, which was imposed by the special judge. Ward exhausted his state court appeals and turned to the federal court for relief, but the district court denied his petition for habeas corpus.

“Even assuming that Ward’s attorneys performed deficiently when they pounded into the jury’s mind the idea that Ward is a psychopath — not merely someone suffering from severe antisocial personality disorder — we cannot say that the state court’s conclusion that there was no prejudice was unreasonable,” Chief Judge Diane Wood wrote.

The judges found the Indiana Supreme Court reasonably applied Strickland v. Washington, 466 U.S. 668 (1984).

Wood also noted that Ward was not prejudiced by his counsels’ performance because of the mountain of evidence against him.

The case is Roy L. Ward v. Ron Neal, superintendent, Indiana State Prison, 16-1001.