This is weird, but probably just a function of division of government powers. I’ve seen local office holder doing battle before, but typically not with firearms:

A judge has begun carrying a gun at work after ordering a court employee to stay away from him. Miami County [Ohio] Municipal Court Judge Mel Kemmer filed an order last month banning bailiff Scott Niesley from his courtroom and chambers, his assistant’s office or anywhere else the judge is in the courthouse.

Mysterious death of starlings reported in February in Randolph County near the Union-Go Dairy was instigated by the dairy, and was completely “legal:”

The use of starlicide on a flock of 20,000 starlings infesting Union-Go Dairy followed label instructions and did not violate the Indiana pesticide use and application law, the state chemist’s office has ruled. On Feb. 14, dozens of dead starlings dropped out of trees at the residence of Allen Hutchison, a neighbor of the dairy. The U.S. Department of Agriculture had applied starlicide at Union-Go, a concentrated animal feeding operation, the day before.

The Bush administration is fighting against a natural beef producer’s plan to test all of their cows for mad cow disease - instead of the 1% of cows tested under USDA guidelines:

The Bush administration on Friday urged a federal appeals court to stop meatpackers from testing all their animals for mad cow disease, but a skeptical judge questioned whether the government has that authority.

Link. The government says that there is no science showing additional testing assures that the meat is any safer, and may generate false positives that would scare consumers. The real issue is that other producers don’t want a specialty label like Creekstone Farms Premium Beef to be able to advertise 100% testing - giving it a market edge.

Maxwell Farms’ trouble with transmissible gastroenteritis (TGE) infections at one of its Randolph County pig facilities hit the news this week, prompting a post, Maxwell’s Silver Hammer, from Karen Myers on WAHM.

Bike commuting gets noticed on the eve of Bike to Work Day (I bike in most days, but not Fridays - have to get the kids to school): Muncie’s Star Press: Biking to Work and the front page of the Indy Star: A New Spin on Commuting. Video:

Alright, enough pigs, now the important stuff:

Indianapolis Colts 2008 Schedule, actually, this page displays all AFC team schedules for 08.

And, for the true fan, here is the Colts schedule in a CSV file - import it into your calendar and you’ll be set for the season: colts_2008.CSV (right click, “save link as”).

Bill Richmond has a report on the 83rd annual Wilson Dinner on this past Saturday. Democratic candidates spoke at the event, including AG candidate Linda Pence - who accused Steve Carter of politicizing the AG’s office, and State Senator Sue Errington, who spoke on behalf of Hillary Clinton.

Of course, what drew my attention to this little political theater was the CAFO comments, this time from county commissioner candidate Larry Dungan:

Dungan said he sees a lot of things out there he doesn’t like and would like to make a change for local citizens. “I am in favor of CAFO (Confined Animal Feeding Operation) regulation and bonding,” he said. “I would like to see improvements to local infrastructure, especially county roads. I am a big believer in education and speaking your mind and expressing your beliefs.”

Link.

Well, all those funny helicopters flying around this morning are now explained: Bill Clinton is coming to Richmond tomorrow:

Former President Bill Clinton will make a stop at Richmond Fire Station No. 1 at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday as part of a visit to Indiana for the presidential campaign of his wife, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Democratic Party officials announced today.

Bill Clinton will be in Richmond, Lawrenceberg and Fort Wayne on Tuesday, accompanied by former Indiana Gov. Joe Kernan and former Indiana first lady Judy O’Bannon.

Richmond Mayor Sally Hutton, who is also the Wayne County Democratic Party chairwoman, said this morning she first learned Sunday night of the former president’s plan to visit the city.

Link (Pal-Item).

Fire Station #1 is about a block from my office. My first thought was not “Oh, what a wonderful opportunity to see an ex-prez,” I am more concerned with being able to get to the courthouse and back in the afternoon. Presidential visits (even quasi) tend to shut things down.

So Indiana’s sit-back-and-wait-until-May primary plan is finally coming to fruition. The Dem’s even have a choice between 2 candidates - can Hoosier’s handle all this excitement? Actually, I’ve only had one conversation today about Bill’s big visit - compared to dozens of conversations about the NCAA tournament seeding (general consensus, IU & Purdue are over rated and misranked).  Priorities.

Dunn Center laid off about 10% of its staff last month. The Pal-Item article penned by Michelle Manchir, now in the archives noted:

Twenty-nine employees of Dunn Center Mental Health, Inc. have been laid off, said CEO Kay Whittington on Sunday. Whittington called the “temporary reduction in force” a result of Gov. Mitch Daniels’ proposed cuts in Medicaid and a bill that could limit how much Medicaid communal health centers may offer.

This article prompted a letter to the editor (find it here) by E. Mitchell Roob, Jr., the secretary of the Indiana Family & Social Services Administration, which ran in yesterday’s paper claiming that the Dunn Center’s CEO had the story wrong:

While the governor has asked state agencies to reduce spending, cuts to the Medicaid program that serve Indiana’s vulnerable populations were neither made nor proposed. These claims are simply untrue and citing this as the reason for layoffs is misguided at best.

Roob noted that the Indiana legislature had actually increased funding to the 30 Indiana Community Mental Health Centers (CMHCs), of which Dunn is one, in this fiscal year. He claims the financial crises facing Dunn is due to a change in federal guidelines that would cause the CMHC’s to be viewed by the federal government as private companies and not governmental agencies - as they are currently. This change, which Roob claimed could go into effect as early as May 25th of this year, would make the CMHC’s ineligible for certain matching funds from the feds.

The state administration “feels the pain” for these centers, but “[i]n the end, it is up to the CMHCs to consider their options in the face of federal changes and move forward in a way that is best for the community, knowing that the state is a willing partner along the way.” Another way of saying that is “you’re on your own, buddy.”

Roob is back in the Pal-Item today (link), explaining why the state is backing out of ongoing talks to privatize (”localize”) Richmond State Hospital. The paper has a copy of the letter Roob sent to “Behavior Health Services, Inc.” president Jan Passmore. Roob’s letter is addressed to Passmore with the name of the organization listed as “Behavior Health Services, Inc.” I make note of this because the Indiana Secretary of State does not have a corporation listed under that name (there was a 1 year reservation of that name filed back in 1994, but that’s it). Now, there is a “Behavioral Healthcare Services, Inc.” which is likely the true group as it was formed on April 17,1996, and lists as its official address, 498 NW 18TH ST, Richmond - the address of the current state hospital and lists hospital superintendent Jeffrey Butler as its agent..

Now, back in October 7th of 2006, Pal-Item reporter Bill Engel wrote that Jan Passmore was the board president of “Behavior Healthcare” which I took to mean “Behavioral Health Care Associates, associated with Dunn Center and located at 808 South A Street in Richmond. At the time, Engel described this group as follows:

Behavioral Healthcare is made up of representatives of several local health care providers, such as Reid Hospital and Dunn Mental Health Center, along with Richmond city and Wayne County government.

See Dunn Center in there again? In fact, the original article penned by Engel on April 29, 2006, following a press conference the day before, listed the board of directors for the new organization, and this list included Dunn CEO Whittington as the board’s vice president. So part of Dunn’s strategy for the future included being part of the local take over of the State Hospital.

Roob’s January 24th, 2008 letter to Passmore claims that the FSSA’s decision to pull the plug on the transfer was due to the recent determination by the Office of Inspector General of the United States that, following an audit of 3 state hospitals, Indiana was “recommended” to return over $88 Million to the feds. Roob called this audit “a shot across our bow,” indicating “a crisis looming in the future.”

So, either Dunn Center and its associates have run across a patch of bad luck here, or perhaps we can read something a little more sinister at the fact that both of these bumps in the road seem to involve Secretary Roob.

After almost 17 years on the bench of the Indiana Court of Appeals, Judge John Sharpnack is retirin on May 3, 2008g. Fifteen Candidates applied to fill the vacancy, including Wayne County’s longest serving justice, P. Thomas Snow.

Yesterday, the nominating committee announced the first cut: 7 of the 15 will face public interviews on December 12th, having made the “first cut” in the process:

• Hon. Elaine B. Brown, Dubois Superior Court
• Hon. Jane Spencer Craney, Morgan Superior Court 3
• Mr. Stephen J. Johnson, Executive Director, Indiana Prosecuting Attorneys Council
• Mr. Leslie C. Shively, Evansville
• Hon. P. Thomas Snow, Wayne Superior Court 1
• Sen. Brent E. Steele, Bedford
• Hon. G. Michael Witte, Dearborn Superior Court

After the interviews, the committee will nominate 3 candidates and the governor will have 60 days to pick the new judge. Tom Snow is an excellent judge, and a really good person. If the Court of Appeals gets him, he will be missed in Wayne County.