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Visit Indiana Parks

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Dear Friend,

Did you know? Indiana’s state park system started 100 years ago in celebration of Indiana’s centennial. To help commemorate the parks’ 100th birthday this year, visitors will pay only 10 cents for admission this weekend – just like the folks did in 1916.

This is just one of many activitiesplanned to help celebrate Indiana’s 24 state parks and eight reservoirs, while encouraging Hoosiers to enjoy time outdoors. Visit Harmonie State Park located in New Harmony and take advantage of their numerous trails, picnic locations and many other outdoor activities.

Click here to tweet about this opportunity!

Summer is one of the best times in Indiana. I hope you get the chance to go and enjoy our state’s natural beauty.

Please contact me at h76@iga.in.gov or 317­-232­-9816 with any questions or input.

Sincerely,

State Rep. Wendy McNamara

Adopt A Pet

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 Dreamsicle is a 2-year-old female longhaired orange & white cat. She was originally found under a porch with her kittens last summer. All were adopted quickly, but now she’s been returned due to allergies. This beautiful girl is already spayed & microchipped, vaccinated, FeLV/FIV negative, and can go home today for $30! Visit www.vhslifesaver.org or call (812) 426-2563 for adoption details!

 

Economic Week in Review: More Strong Economic News for Indiana

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Attracting New Hoosiers

Ranking: Indy among best for Mid-Career Workers

Inside IN Business

Indianapolis is ranked near the top of a national list of the Best Cities for Mid-Career Professionals. Forbes considered data including unemployment rates, job growth projections and cost of living.

EDITORIAL: With millennials in mind

Fort Wayne Journal Gazette – Eric Doden

Indiana’s economy has been making waves recently. Just this month, Chief Executive magazine announced that the state ranks first in the Midwest and fifth in the nation for doing business, and April marked the 10th consecutive month with employment above the state’s previous peak employment record from March 2000.

Study: Indiana Tops for Advanced Manufacturing

Inside Indiana Business

INDIANAPOLIS -The director of the Ball State University Center for Business and Economic Research says Indiana has the largest share of advanced manufacturing employment in the country. A report from the CBER and Conexus Indiana, the state’s advanced manufacturing and logistics initiative, says 53 percent of manufacturing jobs are in advanced manufacturing and Michael Hicks says there is a correlation between the number of jobs and the number of college graduates.

Medical firms, universities drive increase in Indiana patents

IBJ

The latest Hoosier inventions are emerging from the bustling orthopedic industry in Warsaw, from faculty laboratories at Indiana’s flagship universities, and from health care firms across central Indiana, including Cook Medical Technologies.

 

Indiana Attracts Connecticut-Based Pet Food Manufacturer, 150+ Hoosier Jobs

Pet food manufacturer Blue Buffalo to build plant in Richmond, create 165 new jobs

Fox 59

Blue Buffalo Pet Products will invest more than $100 million to build and equip the production and distribution facility at 4748 Industries Road. The complex will include a state-of-the-art pet food manufacturing plant and a research and development center. It’s the company’s second plant in the U.S.

 

Richmond bags Blue Buffalo boon

Inside IN Business

Connecticut-based Blue Buffalo Pet Products (Nasdaq: BUFF) has big plans in Wayne County. The company says it will invest more than $100 million to build a production and distribution facility in Richmond and create up to 165 jobs. The facility, which will be Blue Buffalo’s second in the United States, will also include a research and development center. Mayor Dave Snow says, with the announcement, “Richmond has secured its place on the national map for economic development.”

Blue Buffalo comes to Indiana bringing 165 jobs

WISH

Blue Buffalo is coming to Indiana and bringing along 165 new jobs. Blue Buffalo is a pet food maker. They announced a new manufacturing facility in Richmond. The Connecticut based company says it’s investing more than $100 million to create a production and distribution center.

Pet food maker Blue buffalo to spend $100M on plant in Richmond

Indianapolis Business Journal

A company that makes natural pet food announced Tuesday it will invest $100 million in a new production and distribution center in eastern Indiana—and could receive more than $1.6 million in state tax credits to do so. Blue Buffalo Pet Products said it will create 165 jobs when it opens the facility—which will include a research and development center—under its Heartland Pet Food subsidiary in Richmond.

New pet food manufacturing facility to create 150 jobs

The Statehouse File

“I’m excited to welcome Blue Buffalo to Indiana, which is home to the highest concentration of manufacturing jobs in the nation,” Gov. Mike Pence said in a statement. “As the best state in the Midwest for business, Indiana offers low costs and taxes, reduced corporate regulations and a skilled Hoosier workforce.”

Indiana attracts Connecticut-based pet food manufacturer, 150+ Hoosier jobs

Terre Haute Tribune Star

Blue Buffalo Pet Products, the nation’s leading producer of natural pet foods, announced plans today to establish a new manufacturing facility for its wholly-owned subsidiary Heartland Pet Food in Richmond, creating up to 165 new jobs in Indiana.

Blue Buffalo Pet Products says it will build a new manufacturing plant and research and development center in Richmond, creating up to 165 jobs

Greenfield Daily Reporter

Blue Buffalo Pet Products says it will build a new manufacturing plant and research and development center in Richmond, creating up to 165 jobs.

Pet food maker expands to Richmond, creating up to 165 jobs

Fort Wayne Journal Gazette

Blue Buffalo Pet Products says it will build a new manufacturing plant and research and development center in Richmond, creating up to 165 jobs.

Michigan-Based Provider of Specialty Vehicles and Services Adding 100+ Jobs in Elkhart County

Equipment manufacturer adding 100 jobs

Inside IN Business

The upcoming Federal Communications Commission frequency auction is already boosting a southwest Indiana company. Chandler-based Electronics Research Inc. says it will add around 100 workers and three buildings by the end of the year to keep up with expected demand.

Specialty vehicle producer to add almost 150 jobs in Elkhart County

The Statehouse File

“Indiana’s rich history in the automotive industry continues to attract new business and support job creation in today’s economy, helping the Hoosier state earn recognition as a top state for business,” Gov. Mike Pence said in a statement. “Indiana ranks third in the country for automotive manufacturing production because of companies like Spartan Motors that serve commercial vehicle needs nationwide.”

Spartan adding jobs in Elkhart County

Inside IN Business

Michigan-based Spartan Fleet Vehicles and Service has announced plans to expand operations in Elkhart County. The expansion, which involves a nearly $11 million investment from Spartan, could create nearly 150 jobs by 2019. Spartan Fleet Vehicles and Service is a unit of Spartan Motors Inc. (Nasdaq: SPAR). The company says the expansion will increase production of its Utilimaster brand walk-in vans, parcel delivery vans, along with other products.

Utilimaster expanding in Bristol and hiring more than 100

South Bend Tribune

Thanks largely to a boost in the production of walk-in vans, Utilimaster announced it has hired 40 employees this year and plans to bring up to 107 more on board by 2019…In a prepared statement, Gov. Mike Pence lauded the growth led by Spartan Motors in Indiana. “Indiana ranks third in the country for automotive manufacturing production because of companies like Spartan Motors that serve commercial vehicle needs nationwide,” he said.

 

Utilimaster expansion to create 147 new jobs in Elkhart County

The Elkhart Truth

Spartan Motors Inc. announced plans to expand its Utilimaster business in Bristol, creating an estimated 147 new jobs by 2019. The Elkhart location of the company will house Spartan Fleet Vehicles and Services, the part of the company that includes the Utilimaster brand for trucks.

Michigan company to expand in Indiana, hire up to 147

WLFI

A Michigan-based fleet vehicle company says it will expand its business in Elkhart and create up to 147 new jobs by 2019.

 

Vanderburgh County Recent Booking Records

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http://www.vanderburghsheriff.com/recent-booking-records.aspx

TVCA Connect & Support Newsletter June 2016

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TVCA Connect & Support Newsletter  June 2016

Cincinnati Stand Down
Friday, June 10, 9:00am-2:00pm
Washington Park

2016 Tri-State Women Veteran Appreciation Banquet
Thursday, June 16, 6:00pm-9:00pm
Drees Pavilion, Covington, KY

Please direct veterans, military families and caregivers to the TVCA Veteran and Family Resource Portal for easy access to reliable local resources and benefits. If you see any changes or additions needed, please let us know.

Interesting Facts on Housing and Food Insecurity

* Fifty percent of pre-9/11 veterans and 57% of
post-9/11 veterans had lined up housing when
they left the military.
* Nineteen percent of post-9/11 veterans reported
being homeless in the past three months,
compared to 16% of pre-9/11 veterans.
* Food insecurity was reported as a concern for
both pre- and post-9/11 veterans, with 7% of
pre-9/11 veterans and 12% of post-9/11 veterans reporting it was often a problem.

Annual Program Honors Women Veterans

On June 16th, the Cincinnati VA Medical Center and the Cincinnati Education and Research for Veterans (CERV) Foundation will be holding their annual Women Veterans Appreciation Banquet and Tristate Women Veterans Lifetime Achievement Awards. The event will be held at Drees Pavilion in Covington. This event is free of charge to women veterans, however registration ends on June 8th.  Please contact the VA’s Women Veteran Program Manager Shirley May today!

Family Support Efforts in the Foreground

The TVCA and our partners were busy in May with several efforts intended to build bridges with the community and support military families. The largest of these efforts was our first Military Moms Conference that took place on Saturday, May 21 at the American Red Cross. Approximately 40 family members gathered for a day of inspiration and education. Thanks to our event sponsors Kroger, PNC, the VA, the Red Cross, P&G, and the Cincinnati Reds among others. A special highlight was the talk given by Elaine Brye, author of “Be Safe, Love Mom: A Military Mom’s Stories of Courage, Comfort, and Surviving Life on the Home Front.” Breakout sessions hosted by the VA (PTSD and depression) and the Red Cross (communication) rounded out the event. Afterwards, families attended the Cincinnati Reds game against the Seattle Mariners.

Over 20 veterans and family members particpated in the PWC’s Repair Affair on May 14th. The crew helped Mr. W., a disabled veteran, by painting his house, general landscaping and fixing a gate. If you are interested in future volunteer opportunities please contact Lisa Pruett.

Finally on May 26th, we were at the Kenwood Theater to host a Memorial Day public screening of Project 22, a documentary highlighting two veterans’ trek across the country by bike to seek out hope and support for struggling veterans. Let us know if you are interested in sharing this with your veterans.

Thanks to everyone who helped plan and participate in these important events!
June is PTSD Awareness Month

 

FURTHER UP THE LAW’S BEANSTALK by Jim Redwine

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Gavel Gamut

By Jim Redwine

(Week of 06 June 2016)

FURTHER UP THE LAW’S BEANSTALK

Before we take another rung up the ladder of the law’s litigiousness I’d like to reflect on the proximity of Memorial Day and D-Day. I know we honor all of our deceased on Memorial Day and acknowledge the beginning of the end of WWII on D-Day. However, it seems appropriate that these solemn celebrations are only a week apart. Our Pantheon of loved ones and heroes includes family, friends, saviors and unknowns. As we remember and honor them we affirm our own worth.

So far we have discussed ways to completely avoid the legal system. If possible, this is always best. Unfortunately life often places such decisions beyond our control. That’s why systems of law were initiated. No rational person would choose even the simplest legal proceeding over a fair resolution of a dispute without resort to court. But just as sure as youth will fade, life has a way of demanding we sometimes pay tribute to Caesar, or at least to our lawyer. When the once avoidable controversy becomes “un”, that is, after we have ignored a problem as long as we can, is all out legal conflict our only option? No.

Let’s assume the highly unlikely possibility you actually read this column last week. If so, you may recall I suggested attempting to resolve legal problems by first informally talking about them with those who are of the opinion you may be wrong. In other words, no attorneys and certainly no judges should be consulted before a good faith attempt is made to swallow one’s pride and save one’s time and money. However, this may not work.

A reasonable next step is to consult a trusted clergy person or mutual friend. Then perhaps one might consult their family attorney who could give objective advice on whether a letter will suffice or if a lawsuit is necessary.

After all good faith effort has been expended to avoid the angry bowels of the courthouse, all is still not lost. Upon filing suit and the receipt of a response from one’s adversary a judge may order informal, face-to-face meetings where settlement is discussed. If no resolution is reached, early mediation before a trained mediator often helps parties settle their difficulties.

Almost every legal controversy in America is settled by the end of mediation. Therefore, the earlier problems are addressed the more money and time are saved and the less angst is endured.

You might wonder about cases that are settled but which have problems afterwards. Child custody cases are the most frequent to fall in this category but many other cases have on-going agreements which may need maintenance. Such matters as business relationships or injunctions come to mind.

Once again, instead of a first response of resort to court, an informal attempt to talk the matters out may work best for everyone. Of course, the courtroom will always be available if good faith and reason fail.

– 30 –

Judge: US women’s Soccer Team Bound By No-Strike Clause

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IL for www.theindianalawyer.com

A federal judge says the world champion U.S. women’s soccer team currently does not have the right to strike to seek improved conditions and wages before the Summer Olympics.

Judge Sharon Johnson Coleman ruled Friday that the team remains bound by a no-strike clause in earlier agreements.

The case pits the team’s union, the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team Players Association, against the Chicago-based governing body, the U.S. Soccer Federation. The federation sued to clarify the strike issue.

The federation warned that a strike could have forced the women to pull out of the Olympics, which, in turn, would have hurt the development of the sport in the U.S. The union wanted the option of striking, though it hadn’t said definitively it would strike.

The women’s team is seeking its fourth straight Olympic gold medal in Rio de Janeiro.

The lawsuit focused on strike rights is related to a wage discrimination complaint filed by five players in March with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The complaint alleges that women’s team players in some cases earn as much as four times less than their counterparts on the men’s national team.

U.S. Soccer maintains that characterization is misleading because the men and women are paid differently under collective bargaining agreements and because the complaint’s allegation that the women generate more revenue is based on figures from last year, when the team won the World Cup and went on a victory tour.

Oral arguments in May focused on whether an existing agreement between the union and the federation bars the women from striking.

In her 13-page ruling, posted Friday, the judge says the union didn’t persuade her that terms of the earlier collectively bargaining agreement — including a no-strike clause — did not carry over to a 2013 memorandum of understanding, which the sides agreed to as they tried and failed to hammer out a new collective bargaining agreement. And she was dismissive of union arguments that a no-strike provision should have been spelled out explicitly in the memorandum.

“Federal law encourages courts to be liberal in their recognition and interpretation of collective bargaining agreements, so as to lessen strife and encourage congenial relations between unions and companies,” she wrote. “A collective bargaining agreement may be partly or wholly oral and a written collective bargaining agreement may be orally modified.”

Federation lawyer Russell Sauer Jr. said during arguments that a no-strike clause is implied in the still-valid memorandum of understanding signed by both sides in 2013. A lawyer for the union balked, saying the federation failed to secure a no-strike clause in writing and cannot argue now that such a provision is implied.

Asked by the judge why the federation did not insist on a no-strike clause in the memorandum, another federation lawyer, Amy Quartarolo, said it was made clear in emails and other communications that a no-strike provision in previous CBAs carried over into the 2013 agreement.

The Olympic Games, which the women’s team qualified for earlier this year, start in Brazil on Aug. 5. The American women won the World Cup with a 5-2 victory over Japan in Canada last year.

The union hadn’t formally identified grievances that might trigger a strike. Many players, however, have voiced concern over gender equity in soccer. Some pointed to the artificial turf the women had to play on in Canada, pointing out the men’s World Cup is played on natural grass.

West Lafayette Business Owner Scores Victory In Tax Court

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West Lafayette Business Owner Scores Victory In Tax Court

Jennifer Nelson

The owner of two shops that sold books, music and other items, as well as rented movies, got a favorable ruling regarding his adjusted gross income tax owed in the Indiana Tax Court Friday.

John von Erdmannsdorff  has operated Von’s Shops in West Lafayette since 1968, where he sells comic books, music and other gifts. Another site at issue sold comic books and rented VHS movies. The Department of State Revenue audited Von’s Shops for the 2007 and 2008 tax years, which led to the department discovering no federal or state income tax returns have been filed. The audit expanded and led to the DOR using the best information available to calculate the shops’ Indiana adjusted gross income tax liabilities. It relied on a sales financial ratio derived from BizStats, an online provider of free business stats and financial ratios, to estimate Von’s Shops’ cost of goods sold.

The von Erdmannsdorffs protested the $244,686.87 assessment, providing copies of their 2000 through 2009 income tax returns prepared by a CPA firm, two inventories of Von’s Shops derived from inventories as of Jan. 1, 2000, and Jan. 1, 2010, and several credit card statements. The DOR upheld its findings, leading to the original tax appeal in 2011.

Both parties dispute the credibility of each other’s designated evidence. The DOR claimed that the von Erdmannsdorffs couldn’t offer evidence generated post audit. But Judge Martha Wentworth pointed out, “Neither the statutes nor the case law upon which the Department relied support its claim that only contemporaneously prepared and maintained books and records may rebut the presumption of correctness afforded to its BIA Assessments as a matter of law.”

Wentworth also determined that the credibility issue couldn’t be determined on summary judgment and denied the state’s motion with regard to this issue.

Also, both parties agreed that the DOR’s methodology for computing the von Erdmannsdorffs’ Indiana adjusted gross income did not comport with the law. It does not matter, as the DOR argued, that the errors actually decreased the adjusted gross income by nearly half a million dollars for the years at issue, Wentworth ruled, because once raised, this issue must be resolved based on what the law requires.

As such, she granted the couple’s motion for partial summary judgment on this issue in John and Sylvia Von Erdmannsdorff v. Indiana Department of State Revenue, 49T10-1112-TA-93

Wentworth noted she would direct the parties regarding the remaining issues for trial under separate cover.

In a memorandum decision also issued Friday in this case, Wentworth granted the von Erdmannsdorffs’ motions to strike with respect to the DOR’s statements and designated evidence regarding the couple’s purported failure to file income tax returns for the dates before the years at issue. Wentworth denied their motions to strike with respect to the depositions, statements regarding the inventory records and statements regarding BizStats.

TSA LINES

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BIG GOVERNMENT AND GORILLAS

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By Rick Jensen

A three year-old boy managed to escape his mother for a few seconds and fell into the Cincinnati Zoo’s gorilla pen.

The gorilla became agitated, dragging the boy around by his leg. Zoo officials were forced by the gorilla’s aggression to shoot him.

Then came the reaction from radicals:

“In mourning? You all killed him for protecting a child [whose] parents couldn’t contain their own children!!” said one commenter on the zoo’s Facebook page.

“According to news reports, the youngster managed to crawl through a fence before falling into the gorilla enclosure at the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Gardens,” PETA informed its followers. “Harambe reportedly picked up the boy and moved him around.”

“…moved him around.” Saying the 450 pound gorilla moved the four year-old around is like saying hurricane winds “gently reposition” a 12-foot sailboat.

A Change.org petition reflects the feelings of over 330,000 people angry that because the “gorilla was ‘perceived’ as dragging and throwing the boy,” it had to be shot.

The video is quite clear, beyond perception, the boy was being dragged and was in danger.

Dr. Jack Hanna, Director Emeritus of the nearby Columbus Zoo, said, “You’re dealing with either human life or animal life here. So what is the decision? I think it’s very simple to figure that out.”

So, what’s the mob reaction?

Blame the mom.

Yes, how dare she lose control of an energetic boy for a few seconds?

“We the undersigned want the parents to be held accountable for the lack of supervision and negligence that caused Harambe to lose his life.”

They want “Justice for Harambe,” which means revenge.

Parents are often held accountable for the actions of their children. When a child destroys property, purposefully or not, parents are often held financially accountable, as they should be.

If the Cincinnati Zoo chooses to hold the parents accountable for expenses due to rescuing their child, the justifiable case would likely be supported in court.

How does the “Justice for Harambe” crowd seek their justice?

They want to use government as a cudgel to disrupt and possibly destroy the family.

“We believe that this negligence may be reflective of the child’s home situation. We the undersigned actively encourage an investigation of the child’s home environment in the interests of protecting the child and his siblings from further incidents of parental negligence that may result in serious bodily harm or even death. Please sign this petition to encourage the Cincinnati Zoo, Hamilton County Child Protection Services, and Cincinnati Police Department hold the parents responsible.”

Keep in mind that if you support this effort, you are supporting any future calls for the full force of government bureaucracy to invade your home and separate you from your family should your child escape your attention for a few seconds and create a dangerous situation.

Imagine for a moment a petition signer’s preschooler ran from them in a grocery store and knocked over a display of creamed corn, breaking the toe of an elderly shopper. Would they invite Child Protection Services and the police to come into their own home and investigate their own “child’s home environment in the interests of protecting the child and his siblings from further incidents of parental negligence that may result in serious bodily harm or even death?”

Wait. I made a terrible mistake. I equated the broken toe of a human to that of an animal. How politically incorrect. Change that to “breaking the toe of a lovely Lhasa Apso dog.”

It’s not “justice” they seek. It’s revenge. They wish to see the whole family destroyed for this tragic event.

And to what avail?

Would breaking up the family and scattering the children prevent all future preschoolers from evading their parents on some foolish adventure?

When PETA tried to diminish people’s taste for fish by trying to rename all fish, “sea kittens,” it was recognized as a “wacky.”

Creating a precedent wherein families must be emotionally tormented for various misdeeds by preschoolers exceeds “wacky.”

It’s too liberal a use for overworked child protective services and police.

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