Counterfeit $100 Bills in Area

Counterfeit $100 bills are currently circulating in the local area. They are very good counterfeits, too, passing the pen test because the counterfeiters are taking $5 bills and making them into $100 bills. Use caution when accepting bills, watching especially for these alterations.

Toyota Halting Production @ Princeton

Let's hope this halt to production does not last very long:

http://pressroom.toyota.com/pr/tms/toyota/toyota-consumer-safety-advisory-102572.aspx

If it lasts too long, it'll spell even more economic devastation for SW Indiana... not only through the employees that work there, but the plant's small suppliers scattered about, as well as outsourced services provided locally.

New Publication Coming in December!

A new publication is coming to the tri-county area of Greene, Sullivan, & Knox counties in December 2009. Their website will be located at http://thecurrentclassifieds.com/

Lower Bail for Alanar Defendants Denied

Greene County’s own Judge Dena Martin, who is serving as a Special Judge in Sullivan County’s case against Vaughn Reeves Sr. and his three sons in the Alanar church bond scandal, said that the defendants failed to show why their bonds should be lowered; therefore, she denied lowering their bond, as requested by their counsel. Bob Hunley, Sullivan County’s Prosecutor, said they were a flight risk if their bond was lowered. From the outcome, it appears he was persuasive in his arguments.

More on this story can be found on Forbes.com @ http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2009/09/08/business-financial-impact-us-fallen-church-financier-indiana_6860294.html

PRESS RELEASE: (1) Linton Police Officer Funded!

(Washington, D.C.) - Vice President Joe Biden and Attorney General Eric Holder today announced $1 billion in grants to fund the hiring and rehiring of law enforcement officers all across the country under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The grants will be awarded to 1,046 law enforcement agencies from all 50 states, including more than $26 million in grants to fund the hiring and rehiring of 126 law enforcement officers in Indiana. These funds will provide 100 percent of the approved salary and benefits for these officers for three years. All police departments receiving the grants will then be required to retain the grant-funded positions for a fourth year.

“A big part of the Recovery Act is about building communities – making them as strong as they can be, allowing every American family to live a better life than the one they are leading now,” said Vice President Joe Biden. “And we can’t achieve the goal of stronger communities without supporting those who keep our streets safe.”

The Recovery Act grants, which will be administered by the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) through the federal agency’s COPS Hiring Recovery Program, provide much needed financial support to state, local and tribal governments, and will help the nation’s law enforcement agencies add and retain the manpower needed to fight crime more effectively through community policing. The Department of Justice received over 7,200 applications for more than 39,000 officer positions, representing a total of $8.3 billion in requested funding.

“These Recovery Act funds will pump much needed resources into communities through a program with a proven track record,” said Attorney General Holder. “The tremendous demand for these grants is indicative of both the tough times our states, cities and tribes are facing, and the unyielding commitment by law enforcement to making our communities safer.”

City: Gary - Number of officers: 11 - Grant money: $2,076,514.00

City: East Chicago - Number of officers: 5 - Grant money: $1,120,105.00

City: Indianapolis - Number of officers: - 50 Grant money: $11,046,850.00

Michigan City Police Department - Number of officers: 3 - Grant money: $592,641.00

City: Clinton - Number of officers: 1 - Grant money: $134,136.00

Kokomo Police Department - Number of officers: 5 - Grant money: $1,146,950.00

Marion Police Department - Number of officers: 4 - Grant money: $947,500.00

South Bend Police Department - Number of officers: 13 - Grant money: $2,453,295.00

Anderson Police Department - Number of officers: 6 - Grant money: $1,501,434.00

City: Terre Haute - Number of officers: 6 - Grant money: $1,204,896.00

Akron Police Department - Number of officers: 1 - Grant money: $143,176.00

Clarksville Police Department - Number of officers: 2 - Grant money: $467,844.00

Lafayette Police Department - Number of officers: 4 - Grant money: $915,564.00

Merrillville Police Department - Number of officers: 3 - Grant money: $588,090.00

Lake Station Police Department - Number of officers: 1 - Grant money: $186,183.00

Montezuma Police Department - Number of officers: 1 - Grant money: $129,288.00

Town: Spencer - Number of officers: 1 - Grant money: $138,942.00

City: LaPorte - Number of officers: 2 - Grant money: $382,154.00

Muncie Police Department - Number of officers: 5 - Grant money: $1,160,175.00

Linton Police Department - Number of officers: 1 - Grant money: $161,370.00

Nashville Police Department - Number of officers: 1 - Grant money: $118,635.00

Source: The White House

Jasonville "Mayor's Ride" Fundraiser

Here's some info on the 1st Annual Jasonville Mayor’s Ride:

"The ride will consist of a 93 mile motorcycle ride touring scenic areas of southern Indiana. All proceeds from the ride will benefit the city park. The ride is Saturday, August 29th, 2009.

Registration begins at 9:00 a.m. ride begins at 10:00 a.m. The ride will begin and end at the City Park on North Lawton Street. There will be food and fun for everyone. All motorcycle riders and enthusiasts are welcome.

We would appreciate any and all donations to offset the cost of the food and drinks. Hamburgers, Hotdogs, Potato Salad, Soft Drinks, Plates, Cups, Table Service, Napkins and/or monetary donations will be accepted. Please consider donating to this worthy cause.

For more information or donation, please feel free to contact me at my office 812-665-2266.

Thank you in advance for your donation.

Mayor Roy Terrell, Sr."

Eastern Greene's Farmers Market

Looking for something different to do on a Saturday? Check out the new Farmer's Market in Solsberry. For more info, see: http://easterngreene.org/market.aspx

LMF Design Winner

To follow up on the LMF t-shirt design contest posted in May http://magiccoalcity.blogspot.com/2009/05/lmf-t-shirt-design-contest.html a winning design has been crowned. The winning design can be seen here: http://www.shirtriot.com/ShirtRiot/User/ContestDetails.aspx?cst=37 Congratulations!

For more info on the Linton Music Festival, the website can be found here: http://www.lintonmusicfest.com/

Bad Checks in Linton

About a month ago, FOX59 ran a story about Linton’s own Jim’s Petro Plus and his now infamous ‘bad check writers sign’ located prominently in front of the store: http://www.fox59.com/wxin-bad-check-sign-061709,0,6087588.story

Knowing several local business owners, bad checks are rampant.

Unfortunately, they also are not prosecuted for the theft they really commit, and I’ve never really understood that. If someone grabs an item in a store & walks out with it, they seem to be charged with more than someone who grabs the same item & walks out with it after writing a bad check for it.

Really, what’s the difference?!

Pinkie, the Roseate Spoonbill

The Courier Press posted a nice article around 12 hours ago about 'Pinkie,' a roseate spoonbill found at the Goose Pond recently: http://www.courierpress.com/news/2009/jul/12/migrant-birds-get-major-wow-at-goose-pond/

Visitors to the area may find this map with local eateries and points of interest helpful: http://www.gcedc.us/PDF/visitorhandout.pdf

FREE SERVICES: Greene County Health Dept.

From the Greene County Health Department:

"We would like to get the word out about the HPV Vaccine. The state has allowed us to offer, at NO CHARGE, the HPV Vaccine to any woman under 19 years old and to any woman 19-26 as long as they start the series before December. The cost is between $400 & $600 for the series. Please have anyone interested to contact us at 812-384-4496.

We are also doing the TDAP & Meningitis vaccines that will be required to attend jr. high & high school starting NEXT school year 2010/2011.

Please call for an appointment."

Alanar Scandal: Receivership Link

As regular readers know, charges were recently filed against the Reeves family for this church bond scam in nearby Sullivan County. More info from the other day can be found here: http://magiccoalcity.blogspot.com/2009/07/alanar-saga-continues-with-charges.html

When a huge scam unravels in your own backyard, the story is all the more riveting. Here’s a link to the law firm that has been handling the Alanar receivership: http://www.silegal.com/cases/alanar/

It contains lots of good background information, and it's been a website I've been following for quite some time, so I thought I'd share the link.

Road Salt Not So Salty This Winter

The State of Indiana is working with local government units to reduce the price of road salt needed on Hoosier roadways this next winter.

Press release: http://www.in.gov/portal/news_events/40286.htm

Fellow Lintonian Inventors of Yesteryear

I've become infatuated with Google Patents http://www.google.com/patents lately. So, I decided to look up some inventors of local interest. Doing a search for ‘Linton, Indiana’ yielded some local patent holders of yesteryear, as shown below. Who knew!

Inventor: Marion N. Thayer
Subject: Improvements to Umbrella
Patent number: 912206
Issue date: Feb 1909
Google URL: http://www.google.com/patents?id=kllNAAAAEBAJ&printsec=description&zoom=4

Inventor: George F. Chapman
Subject: Screw-Threading Implement
Patent number: 938973
Issue date: Nov 1909
Google URL: http://www.google.com/patents?id=PrZXAAAAEBAJ&printsec=abstract&zoom=4

Inventor: Earl T. Aikin
Subject: Burial Casket Plate
Patent number: 1602185
Issue date: Oct 5, 1926
Google URL: http://www.google.com/patents?id=ZbNSAAAAEBAJ&printsec=abstract&zoom=4

Inventor: William H. Stewart, et al.
Subject: Improvements to Surface Mining
Patent number: 1872016
Issue date: Aug 1932
Google URL: http://www.google.com/patents?id=fkhkAAAAEBAJ&printsec=abstract&zoom=4

Alanar Saga Continues with Charges Filed

The saga of the Sullivan, Indiana-based Alanar, Inc. continues with charges filed against the family involved with the massive church bond fraud yesterday, June 30th, in Sullivan County. Here’s the Sullivan County press release: http://www.sullivancountyprosecutor.com/alanar/press_release.pdf

Here are the links to the probable cause affidavits for the Reeves family members:
http://www.sullivancountyprosecutor.com/alanar/Vaughn_Sr_Affidavit.pdf
http://www.sullivancountyprosecutor.com/alanar/Chip_Affidavit.pdf
http://www.sullivancountyprosecutor.com/alanar/Chris_Affidavit.pdf
http://www.sullivancountyprosecutor.com/alanar/Josh_Affidavit.pdf

Here are the links to the felony charges filed against each of the Reeves family members:
http://www.sullivancountyprosecutor.com/alanar/Vaughn_Sr_Counts.pdf
http://www.sullivancountyprosecutor.com/alanar/Chip_Counts.pdf
http://www.sullivancountyprosecutor.com/alanar/Chris_Counts.pdf
http://www.sullivancountyprosecutor.com/alanar/Chris_Counts.pdf

I knew of some elderly ladies duped in this massive fraud, and it’s just really disgusting.

Is Muncie Foretelling of What's to Come?

With local funding shortfalls, will our area see consolidations too?

Muncie, Indiana is battling this with fire fighters & stations, but it seems to me that more governmental services could be affected as well. Read this article on Muncie's consolidation plans: http://www.thestarpress.com/article/20090606/NEWS01/906060311

Is Muncie at the forefront of the issues to come here locally soon?

LMF T-Shirt Design Contest

The Linton Music Festival is holding a design contest for this year’s official LMF t-shirt at http://www.shirtriot.com/ShirtRiot/User/ContestDetails.aspx?cst=37 Enter to win the $150 prize being offered, plus money from every shirt sold through the shirtriot.com website using your winning design!

Bear Run Mine in 'Mileposts' Newsletter

Here’s a link to the Spring 2009 edition of the ‘Mileposts” publication, the official newsletter of the Indiana Rail Road Company, which highlights the new Bear Run mine in Sullivan County, Indiana: http://www.inrd.com/images/pdf/Mileposts_Spring_2009_Extra.pdf

The Carnegie Heritage & Arts Center

The Carnegie Heritage & Arts Center of Greene County, which is located in the old Margaret Cooper Library in Linton, will be having a Grand Opening this Saturday, May 16th from 11 AM to 7 PM.

There will be musicians playing throughout the day, refreshments available, a pottery demonstration, and plenty of art to peruse while you’re there.

Several local people have put a lot of time & energy into the building. So, check it out!

Lions & Tigers & Storms, Oh My!

The thunderstorms the other night made me think about computer files & paper records, for some reason. Perhaps, it’s because I work in risk management.

Natural disasters, such as Hurricane Katrina, could teach us all something though. And I wonder if we really all got the message sometimes. Although we may never have a hurricane in southwestern Indiana, there are plenty of other perils that could have similar results.

So, here’s a thought for the weekend:

Do you have a routine in place at home & business that all of the computer info is backed up at certain intervals? How about records and documents on paper and not in ‘electron form’?

If so, are these back-ups kept off-premises? Disasters like tornados and fires may not be too kind even if you do have back-ups, but they’re on premises.