Last week, the Howard County Commissioners declined to amend their 2008 Capital Improvement Plan to include $300,000 toward the purchase of a downtown site for a new YMCA.
Thursday [May 1] marked five years since President Bush landed on the deck of the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln, declaring, under the banner “Mission Accomplished”:
THE ISSUE: The alleged abuse of two 4-year-olds.
OUR VIEW: Commit to recognizing signs of abuse.
Michaelene Andersen sends this Cheer on behalf of the folks in Break Away:
To say the least, there has been a tremendous amount of discussion about annexation since the mayor announced his proposal.
THE ISSUE: Ivy Tech’s new Logansport campus.
OUR VIEW: Last week’s ground-breaking heralds an exciting time for our neighbors to the northwest.
THE ISSUE: Results of Tuesday’s primary.
OUR VIEW: Democratic presidential race now is more in focus.
THE ISSUE: The Howard County Commissioners’ no-vote to help fund the YMCA’s downtown building plan.
OUR VIEW: We’ll help coordinate a town-hall meeting or meetings to answer the questions the commissioners raise.
The Howard County Bar Association issues
a resolution in memoriam.
This old man needs to get something said before it gets too hard to swallow and I choke from it.
THE ISSUE: Indiana’s voter ID law.
OUR VIEW: Don’t leave for the polls with out your picture ID. If you don’t have one, you still can get one today at a BMV branch.
The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to uphold Indiana’s voter ID law is a step forward in protecting the integrity of the voting process. It’s also a victory for good sense.
Ask anyone – there’s nothing more attractive to one than another’s desire. And maybe that’s why Hoosiers across the state have shown up in droves, often waiting hours, to listen to the campaign speeches of the Democratic presidential candidates.
Judy McKinney of Tipton sends this Cheer to Cheryl and Ashley at Goodwill:
“Thank you for the Kokomo Goodwill employees and managers!
The earth quaked, our houses shook, and we were all a little rattled.
THE ISSUE: Recent reports of attempted scams.
OUR VIEW: Keep a close guard on your personal information. And beware of strangers bearing gifts.
Want to help?
Donations can be made to the Potawatomi Trail of Death Association care of Fulton County Historical Society, 37E 375N, Rochester, IN 46975. Also include your name, address, telephone and e-mail address.
THE ISSUE: Planting season.
OUR VIEW: Watch for farm vehicles on county roads.
On Lake Michigan pollution and On Barack Obama’s comments
It’s been 40 years since Indiana was truly in the spotlight during a national campaign.
It was 1968, and Robert Kennedy was campaigning against Eugene McCarthy to win the Democratic presidential nomination.
Outstanding medical professionals
William Hayes, Tipton, sends this Cheer to Howard Regional doctors and staff:
If you’re an American girl growing up today, you may not want to be a professional race car driver — but it probably would never occur to you that anyone would stop you just because you were born with two X chromosomes.
THE ISSUE: Earth Day.
OUR VIEW: All of us can do more to conserve resources and protect the environment.
By publicly acknowledging that he was deeply ashamed of the sexual abuse scandal that rocked the Catholic Church, Pope Benedict XVI took an important step toward healing in the American church.
Murder is never justifiable. So is death because of a lack of health insurance?
THE ISSUE: The Air National Guard has admitted it’s pilots made a mistake.
OUR VIEW: The Air National Guard owes the community a complete explanation and an apology.
The dreadful experience of airline passengers in the last few days didn’t develop overnight.
Riots in Haiti and elsewhere portend worse to come if the world does not deal effectively with rapid increases in the cost of food. Already the impact on the poorest regions is staggering.
Summing it up: Parents should examine what allowed these teens to consider violence was acceptable, and why none of the participants objected to the beating.
SUMMING IT UP: Firsthand experience with candidates and campaigns is refreshing.
If you’re college age or slightly older and a young, hip candidate for president hands you free tickets to a Dave Matthews concert, he’s got you registered and he’s got your vote.
A group of Logansport High School students got some great experience last week during the annual Good Government Day exercise.
Tom Tolen of the Kokomo-Howard County Public Library sends this Cheer for Art Off the Square:
THE ISSUE: The Great American Cleanup campaign.
OUR VIEW: We all can play a part in making our communities more attractive.
THE ISSUE: Traffic safety.
OUR VIEW: Watch for motorcycles.
THE ISSUE: The Lilly Community Scholarship program.
OUR VIEW: Through this generous gift, the Lilly Endowment is doing its part to help Hoosier students reach higher levels of education.
THE ISSUE: Methamphetamine.
OUR VIEW: If you see suspicious activity in your neighborhood or find containers of chemicals on the side of the road, call the police.
Free speech continues to be tested on new frontiers, including one with the rather titillating name of JuicyCampus.com.
THE ISSUE: IU’s new basketball coach, Tom Crean.
OUR VIEW: It’s good to hear Crean plans to recruit Hoosier high-schoolers.
KDA salutes volunteers
John Wiles, executive director of the Kokomo Downtown Association, sends this Cheer to the community:
THE ISSUE: Jill Long Thompson’s proposal to cap sales taxes on gasoline at $2.75 per gallon.
OUR VIEW: Indiana should switch to a flat tax on each gallon of gas, as opposed to one based on a percentage of every dollar spent at the pump.
Summing it up: Because presidents have no lawmaking powers, Clinton and Obama are making promises they can’t keep.
THE ISSUE: “BioTown” stumbles.
OUR VIEW: It’s clear the U.S. must get serious about alternative energy sources. Projects like the one in Reynolds will show the way.
THE ISSUE: Planning for a pandemic.
OUR VIEW: We applaud the emergency responders for their efforts.
Indiana 9th District Rep. Baron Hill recently sent a letter to President Bush requesting that he suspend purchases of fuel oil for the Strategic Petroleum Reserve and let it flow into the open marketplace
THE ISSUE: Basil Mawbey’s retirement from coaching basketball.
OUR VIEW: It’ll be difficult replacing a Hall-of-Fame coach.
Duane “Butch” Powell of Kempton sends this Cheer to the Wayne Miller Travel Agency in Kokomo.
SUMMING IT UP: Lawmakers should toughen state’s teen driving requirements.
THE ISSUE: Milt and Jean Cole’s $1 million gift to Ivy Tech.
OUR VIEW: Imitate the Coles and support charities that make a difference.
On March 20, 1954, a kid from Milan High School hit the winning shot with five seconds to play in Indiana’s state championship basketball game. Folks still talk about it to this day, 54 years later.
THE ISSUE: Financial recommendations soon to be released by Taylor schools’ community advisory committee.
OUR VIEW: Now is the time for Taylor Township residents to give consolidation serious consideration.
In May, taxpayers across the United States will be getting a check from Uncle Sam as part of the economic stimulus bill Congress recently passed.
THE ISSUE: Obama’s speech on race.
OUR VIEW: Eventually, whites and blacks have to come out of their corners and face their differences.
Jim Watkins of Russiaville sends this Cheer to the Kokomo Post Office:
“I wanted to take a moment to recognize a few people whom I had the pleasure of working with at the Post Office on Webster Street in Kokomo.
THE ISSUE: Vote centers.
OUR VIEW: Making it easier for Hoosiers to vote should be everyone’s goal.
THE ISSUE: Indiana’s new property tax plan.
OUR VIEW: Whether Hoosiers will end up liking the result remains to be seen.
It’s just one of the stories safely ensconced in the archives of the Howard County Historical Society – a story of one school teacher in one small Indiana town.
THE ISSUE: The return of spring and the potential for floods.
OUR VIEW: Lesson your personal losses from future flooding events.
The Indiana General Assembly began work in January with two major tasks before it.
With the constant and necessary focus on property tax reform during the recent session of the Indiana General Assembly, it’s understandable that lawmakers passed important legislation with little fanfare.
Charity in the community
Kay Lazar of Western Middle School sends this Cheer on behalf of her colleagues:
“Western Middle School would like to give a Cheer for the sponsors and speakers of our community for helping with our Reading Across America program.
THE ISSUE: This week’s teen health event.
OUR VIEW: Summit issues are ones Indiana clearly needs to address. Talking to the teenagers themselves seems like a great place to start.
THE ISSUE: Indiana’s new Math and Science Awards.
OUR VIEW: We must do more in valuing academic achievement. Recognizing math and science students is a step in the right direction.
THE ISSUE: The Howard County Music Festival.
OUR VIEW: Attend tonight’s performance. Our children’s musicianship will impress you.
THE ISSUE: Northwestern’s long run of science fair success.
OUR VIEW: Students deliver excellence when excellence is expected of them.
THE ISSUE: The Democratic presidential primaries.
OUR VIEW: Even if this fight goes on until the Democratic National Convention in August, the nominee will have plenty of time to put together a campaign.
‘Thank-you to great service’
Sandy Lyons of Westfield Insurance of Ohio sends this Cheer for the folks at McKee’s Tire & Auto Repair:
THE ISSUE: Funding for the proposed Ivy Tech Logansport campus.
OUR VIEW: Cass residents will be able to take classes, helping them keep jobs or find new ones.
THE ISSUE: Packers quarterback Brett Favre’s resurgence.
OUR VIEW: When the Green Bay legend walks away from the game, his legacy will be his passion for football and life.
Can someone answer this rather simple question: Why is it that one day we read an article that states Howard County’s finances are at a critically low point (which we believe to be true) and that every expenditure, including those normally considered rather minimal, will be scrutinized, and a day or two later we read that the County Council has approved an appropriation in the amount of $15,000 for another reuse study of the Continental Steel site?
Since I voted no for additional tax dollars to be spent on another study for the Continental Steel site, I thought I would take a few moments and explain at least 10 of my reasons for the no vote.
THE ISSUE: Grissom Air Reserve Base soon being open to private airplanes.
OUR VIEW: Economic developers see that as the first step toward making Grissom a regional airport. That would be a welcome development.
THE ISSUE: A service that can be programmed to phone any group
of people of emergencies.
OUR VIEW: The county should continue investigating such an alert system, and Howard County residents, particularly now during Severe Weather Preparedness Week, should inventory their own family’s disaster readiness.
The recent commotion about tainted beef shows the U.S. Department of Agriculture must do a better job in looking out for our health.
THE ISSUE: Funding a study on possible uses of the former Continental Steel site.
OUR VIEW: Yet another study is wasteful and a fool’s errand.
Mr. and Mrs. Kevin Ludlow of Tipton send this Cheer to a few Kokomo heroes:
THE ISSUE: School book purchases and declining circulation.
OUR VIEW: In the next legislative session, lawmakers must discuss reinstating the School Library Printed Materials Grant.
THE ISSUE: Signs along the Potawatomi “Trail of Death.”
OUR VIEW: The treatment of its native people is a sad part of this nation’s history, but it’s a part all of us need to remember.
THE ISSUE: Mayor Goodnight’s call to action, particularly concerning education.
OUR VIEW: Our children’s future, and that of this city, are at stake.
Council president Kennedy, members of the Kokomo Common Council, elected officials, distinguished guests and citizens of Kokomo, thank you.
THE ISSUE: Availability of road salt.
OUR VIEW: City, county, Greentown and Russiaville can do a better job of coordinating road-salt supplies.
World history changed Tuesday morning. Fidel Castro resigned his office as ruler of Cuba, a post he had held nearly five decades.
THE ISSUE: Last week’s announcement that the Kokomo High School principal will be running for school board.
OUR VIEW: The district should amend its policy to exclude employees from running for a board seat.
Note from Men of Note
Colin Craig sends this Cheer on behalf of the Kokomo Men of Note:
“The Kokomo Men of Note want to thank all of the singing Valentines sweethearts we were allowed to sing to this year for their support.
Because of the efforts of local bird watcher Lynne Martin, Logansport might soon be home to an endangered species.
World history changed Tuesday morning. Fidel Castro resigned his office as ruler of Cuba, a post he had held nearly five decades.
THE ISSUE: Gov. Daniels’ announcement that the Hoosier Heartland highway, along U.S. 24, has been moved up three years.
OUR VIEW: Corridor advocates must continue working with the same spirit of cooperation to see through with its construction.
THE ISSUE: The high percentage of waivers given students in 15 schools, who failed the GQE but received diplomas.
OUR VIEW: The credibility of the Indiana educational system is at stake here.
THE ISSUE: New allegations against IU men’s basketball coach Kelvin Sampson.
OUR VIEW: IU should suspend Sampson immediately, with pay.
This Cheer comes from Ronnie and Tana Gann of Kokomo: “On Jan. 15, our lives changed forever when our home on 300 South was destroyed by fire.
SUMMING IT UP: If you own land that might be a candidate for preservation, NICHES would like to hear from you. If you enjoy nature’s beauty, NICHES could use your help.
School bus drivers are accustomed to navigating through icy roads and slushy intersections. Sixteen-year-old students are not.
THE ISSUE: Allowing pull tabs and other paper gambling in bars and taverns.
OUR VIEW: Selective prosecution of the status quo is what worries us most.
THE ISSUE: The heroism of Russiaville’s Greg Bugher.
OUR VIEW: Miracles do happen.
Last week, the members and parents of Kokomo’s boys and girls swimming teams were called to a meeting with school officials. What they heard shocked and angered them.
College basketball will never be the same without Bob Knight.
Many hoops fans undoubtedly breathed deep sighs of relief Monday when news broke that Knight had abruptly stepped down at Texas Tech.
THE ISSUE: Replacing precincts with vote centers in Indiana.
OUR VIEW: The concept allows voters to choose the most convenient voting site to them.
THE ISSUE: Driving in dense fog.
OUR VIEW: Watch for other drivers and ensure they see you.
State Sen. Jeff Drozda, R-Westfield, notched a personal victory last Tuesday. His tough anti-annexation measure, Senate Bill 114, was forwarded to the Indiana House of Representatives on a 26-22 vote.
Daniel Barrett died far too young.
State police say the young trooper was apparently doing his job, chasing a speeder along U.S. 31 near Rochester, when his squad car left the highway and slammed into a tree.
