PENDLETON, IN -  Lt. Clint Bundy, Commander of the Pendleton Post, has announced that five Indiana State Troopers have transferred to the Pendleton Post from Indiana State Police Posts around Indiana.  Lt Bundy stated, “These five troopers are welcome additions to the manpower at the post.”   

• Trooper Aaron K. Pfaff- Graduated from the Indiana State Police Recruit School in July 2007. He is a graduate of Eastern Hancock High School and attended Indiana State University.  He has six years of military service and spent one year in Bosnia.  He will be patrolling Hancock County. He is married and has a three month old child.

• Trooper Franklin Filson- He graduated from the Indiana State Police Recruit School in July 2007.  He is a graduate of Greenfield Central High School.  He previously patrolled Lake, Porter, St. Joe, Elkhart, and Lagrange counties. He served five years in the Army.  He will patrol Hamilton County.

• Trooper Scott P. Keegan- Graduated from the Indiana State Police Recruit School in 2004.  He graduated from Pendleton High School and Hanover College.  He transferred from the Lafayette Post.  Keegan will be patrolling Madison County.  He is a crash reconstructionists and is on the Tactical Intervention Team.  Keegan is married and will reside in Madison county.

• Trooper Chris Pestow- Graduated from the Indiana State Police Recruit School in 2006.  He graduated from Goshen High School and Ball State University.  He previously patrolled St. Joseph and Elkhart counties.  He will be patrolling in Hamilton county. Pestow is engaged to be married and will reside in Hamilton county.

• Trooper Jason Callaway- Graduated from the Indiana State Police Recruit School in 2000.  He is a graduate of Lapel High School and Indiana State University.  He previously worked out of the Terre Haute Post.  He has spent time as a detective and as an instructor for several Indiana State Police Recruit Schools.  He will be patrolling in Hamilton County.

  Source: Indiana State Police

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MIAMI COUNTY, IN -  Today, at approximately 11:23 a.m., Indiana State Police responded to a single vehicle crash on County Road 800 South east of County Road 200 West that injured three Miami County teens.  

Preliminary investigation by Indiana State Police Sergeant Rick Brown revealed that Justin L. Allen, 16, Bunker Hill, IN, was driving a 1998 Jeep Wrangler westbound on County Road 800 South. For an unknown reason, the Jeep traveled off the north side of the road near County Road 200 West. It traveled approximately 135 feet and struck a telephone pole. The Jeep severed a tire while continuing westbound before spinning 180 degrees and coming to rest facing eastbound. Three passengers in the vehicle were injured.  

Lauren Ramberger, 17, Bunker Hill, IN, was transported by ambulance to Dukes Memorial Hospital with complaint of pain to her back and side. Donald R. Arnett, 17, also of Bunker Hill, IN, was transported to Dukes Memorial Hospital by his father. He was treated for complaint of pain and scratches on his body. April Skyles, 16, Peru, IN, was airlifted by helicopter to Lutheran Hospital in Fort Wayne, IN. She suffered a broken pelvis and a broken collar bone. She was admitted into the pediatric intensive care unit for observation. Arnett and Skyles were not wearing seat belts which Sergeant Brown believes would have reduced the severity of their injuries. Allen was not injured in the crash.  

“The combination of excessive speed and an inexperienced driver are contributing factors in this crash,” stated Sergeant Brown. “These young people are very lucky. This could have easily been a fatal crash, especially since two of the kids were not wearing seat belts.” 

Allen was cited for speed too fast to avoid a collision.  

All four teens are Maconaquah High School students. They were en route to a vocational school. 

Sergeant Brown was assisted at the scene by Lieutenant Matt Bilkey, Trooper T.J. Zeiser, Miami County Sheriff’s Department, and Dukes Hospital E.M.S.

Source: Indiana State Police

Technorati Tags: News State Crime / Police Donald R. Arnett Indiana State Police - ISP Justin L. Allen Lauren Ramberger Matt Bilkey Rick Brown T.J. Zeise Transportation

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - Among the major issues for Indiana Farm Bureau in the coming year will be drainage, farm labor, property taxes and local government reorganization.

At its annual policy-setting session, held Aug. 23 in Indianapolis, nearly 300 delegates representing every county in the state gathered for an all-day discussion on issues of importance to agriculture and to set the policy that will guide IFB through the coming year.

Two issues that were discussed at length by delegates were farm labor and drainage. Eventually the delegates voted to refer both to separate task forces that will take in-depth looks at these two complicated issues and report back at next year’s policy session.

Farmers don’t disagree on the importance of drainage, noted IFB President Don Villwock – “The question is, who should pay for it?” he said. “The delegates couldn’t come to a consensus so we will appoint a drainage task force that will consider drainage laws as they affect ditches, streams, rivers and levees and make recommendations for any improvements.”

Farm labor, including immigration, is another area about which delegates decided they needed more information, Villwock said.

“Agriculture is unanimous about having access to a legal workforce but there is frustration about the federal government not taking the action for which it’s responsible,” he said.

“The reality is that a viable migrant workforce is vital to many sectors of the Indiana ag industry,” he added, citing livestock production and processing as well as fruit and vegetable production. This issue, too, will be considered in depth by a task force that will report back to delegates next year.

One issue delegates are already well informed on is property taxes. Delegates, by unanimous votes, made a number of key additions to the sections of the policy that address property taxes.

Among these was language indicating Farm Bureau’s opposition to a proposed amendment to the Indiana Constitution that would discriminates among classes of property.

“Farm Bureau opposes statutory provisions and any state constitutional amendment that would allow different classes of property to have different levels of maximum taxation,” the new policy reads.

“They unanimously approved opposition to this concept, and Farm Bureau will be working hard to oppose the constitutional amendment that would put that into place,” Villwock said.

Also passed unanimously were changes in language that clarified Farm Bureau’s position on local government reorganization.

“Farm Bureau supports the balanced reorganization of county government, other local government units, and local government services after fiscal review that improve efficiency without diminishing rural representation or unnecessarily restricting agricultural practices such as drainage issues, animal feeding practices, manure applications, etc.,” the new policy says.

Source: Indiana Farm Bureau Press Release

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Secretary of State Todd Rokita highlights robust interest in the General Election; announces readiness plan to ensure all Hoosiers have the chance to vote November 4

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - Indiana Secretary of State Todd Rokita announced today that so far in 2008, more than a half million Hoosiers have either registered to vote for the first time or updated their existing voter registration records. The total number of eligible voters registered in Indiana is now nearly 4.4 million with six weeks remaining until the October 6 voter registration deadline.

"Hoosiers are eager to participate in what could be the biggest Election Day in our nation's history in terms of turnout," said Secretary Rokita. "With our state-of-the-art Statewide Voter Registration System and the collaboration between local and state election officials, Indiana and its 92 counties are well-equipped to handle the influx of voters and to conduct a secure and successful 2008 election."

Secretary Rokita recommends any voter unsure about the status of his or her registration or polling place should visit www.indianavoters.com or call (866) IN-1-VOTE. Voters can also find information about the option to vote absentee-in-person beginning 29 days before Election Day, or by mail if eligible.

This week, Secretary Rokita also begins a statewide tour to include stops in more than 40 Indiana counties between now and Election Day. He will meet with voters, local election officials, civic organizations and others to discuss Indiana's efforts to prepare for the election, recent reforms in the election process and the important things voters will need to know in order to register to vote and navigate the polls on Election Day.

This week, Secretary Rokita will visit these locations and events:

Thursday, August 28

1:30 p.m.

Camp Atterbury (Edinburgh) - Secretary Rokita will meet with Major General R. Martin Umbarger, Indiana's Adjutant General, and members of the Indiana National Guard scheduled to be deployed before Election Day. Secretary Rokita will overview how these soldiers and airmen can successfully request a ballot and cast their votes from overseas.

Media attending should contact Major Mike Brady at 317.694.7746 upon arrival at Camp Atterbury.

4:15 p.m.

Nashville - Secretary Rokita will meet with first-term Brown County Clerk Beth Mulry and her staff at the Brown County Courthouse. He will overview expectations for the upcoming election and address any concerns.  He will also honor two of Brown County's longest serving poll workers for their service.

Friday, August 29

7:00 p.m.

Columbus - Secretary Rokita and his staff will conduct a voter registration drive at the Columbus North vs. Columbus East varsity football game at Columbus North High School and will honor some of the Bartholomew County's long-serving poll workers in a half-time ceremony.

Source: Secretary of State Press Release

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State calls upon students to take rigorous courses seriously, urges schools to ensure rigorous curriculum and instruction

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - SAT results released today revealed that scores for the high school class of 2008 remained relatively flat both nationally and in Indiana compared to a year ago. Indiana’s average score on the college entrance exam showed a one-point gain in math (508), a one-point drop in reading (496) and a two-point decrease in writing (481) for a combined score of 1485 (1487 in 2007). Nationally, average scores remained unchanged across the board in math (515), reading (502) and writing (494) for a combined score of 1511. 

“Students who take advantage of challenging courses and related preparation opportunities perform better on the SAT and in college,” Superintendent of Public Instruction Dr. Suellen Reed said. “Indiana has made this a priority by requiring our rigorous Core 40 curriculum for all students, paying PSAT fees for all 10th graders, providing students customized SAT study plans and offering workshops to help educators analyze their students’ test results.

“Now the challenge is two-fold: students must take these opportunities seriously, and schools must use test data in making improvements to their curriculum and instructional practices.”

Performance gap narrows

The recent SAT results disrupt Indiana’s long-running trend of steady progress on the test for more than two decades. Despite the current decline, Indiana has gained 32 points since 1990 and narrowed the performance gap with the nation from 29 points to 13 points over that period.

Indiana’s average SAT score continues to trail the national average, which is primarily attributed to a greater proportion of Hoosier students taking the SAT (62 percent) than the U.S. as a whole (45 percent). SAT participation rates vary greatly from state-to-state – ranging from a high of 87 percent to a low of 3 percent – with scores generally decreasing as testing populations increase. Indiana ranks 10th out of the 22 states that test over 50 percent of their students (combined math and reading).

In contrast to Indiana’s SAT participation rate, about 22 percent of Hoosier students take the ACT, the nation’s other prominent college entrance exam. Indiana students scored above the national average on the ACT for the 18th consecutive year in 2008.

Preparation makes the difference

Indiana seniors taking academic “core” courses scored higher on the SAT in 2008 than those taking “non-core” courses. Hoosier seniors taking “core” courses recorded SAT scores of 516 in math, 504 in reading and 489 in writing. Conversely, SAT scores for Indiana seniors who took “non- core” classes scored 472, 482 and 456 respectively. The “core” curriculum outlined by SAT – four years or more of study in English and three years or more in mathematics, science and social science – corresponds very closely with Indiana’s Core 40 curriculum.

Additionally, Indiana students who took both the SAT and the PSAT earned average scores of 545 in math, 533 in reading and 521 in writing. These students vastly outperformed their peers who did not take both exams: 463 in math, 455 in reading and 435 in writing.

“We cannot discount the role of student accountability in improving Indiana’s SAT scores,” Reed said. “Students are responsible for taking advantage of the opportunities available to them, and parents must provide the essential support at home that ensures students succeed.”

Better preparation through Core 40

The state’s Core 40 curriculum became a graduation requirement for all incoming high school freshmen beginning in fall 2007. To graduate with less than Core 40, the student, the student’s parent or guardian and the student’s counselor (or another staff member who assists students in course selection) must meet to discuss the student’s progress and review the student’s career and course plan. The legislation also made Core 40 a minimum college admission requirement for the state’s public four-year universities beginning in fall 2011. Additionally, students must complete the Core 40 track to be eligible for higher education awards and scholarships.

National studies have shown that completing a rigorous course of academic study in high school is the best preparation for college and workforce success. Since Core 40 was established in 1994, the number of Indiana students completing the curriculum has continued to increase. More than 70 percent of Indiana’s graduating students earned a Core 40 or Academic Honors Diploma last year.

More information on the 2008 SAT results is available online at www.doe.in.gov/SAT or www.collegeboard.com. Visit www.doe.in.gov/core40 to learn more about the state’s Core 40 curriculum and diploma requirements.

Source: Press Release

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