Terre Haute child molester sentenced to 30 years in Federal Prison
Paul Hoopingarner, 62, of Terre Haute, has been sentenced to 30 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to three counts of distribution of child sexual abuse material, three counts of receiving child sexual abuse material, and one count of possession of child sexual abuse material.
According to court documents, beginning in at least January 2021, and continuing to at least February 2021, Hoopingarner used Kik to distribute and receive images and videos of the sexual abuse of children as young as eight-years-old. Hoopingarner used the screenname “domeeasey69” to communicate and share images and videos of adults engaged in sex acts with children with others who were also sexually interested in children. The material Hoopingarner shared and stored included depictions of the sadistic or masochistic conduct or other depictions of violence as well as depictions of the sexual abuse of toddlers and infants.
Hoopingarner is a repeat and dangerous sex offender against children, following his 1996 conviction for Child Molesting in Morgan County, Indiana.
“Pedophiles use the perceived anonymity of communications apps to share horrific images of child sex abuse and communicate with like-minded criminals,” said United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, Zachary A. Myers. “This defendant engaged in a series of horrific crimes and abuses against children, online and off, and he has now been held accountable for his actions. Thanks to the outstanding work of the Secret Service, Indiana State Police, and our federal prosecutor, the serious federal prison sentence imposed here ensures that he will never again harm a child.”
Alvin Rosenfeld to be honored as Hoosier Jewish Legend
Alvin Rosenfeld, founder of the Borns Jewish Studies Program and the Institute for the Study of Contemporary Antisemitism at Indiana University Bloomington, will be honored as a Hoosier Jewish Legend in the Indiana Jewish Historical Society’s Hall of Fame on Aug. 27 in Indianapolis. The award recognizes those who have had a significant and lasting impact on their profession, faith-based and/or secular community, and the legacy of the role of the Jewish community in Indiana’s continuing story.
Rosenfeld has spent more than 55 years at IU, where he serves as the Irving M. Glazer Chair of Jewish Studies, Director of the Institute for the Study of Contemporary Antisemitism, and Professor of English. Rosenfeld graduated with a Ph.D. from Brown University in 1967, where he wrote his doctoral dissertation on Walt Whitman and Ralph Waldo Emerson.
In 2009, Rosenfeld founded the Institute for the Study of Contemporary Antisemitism at IU, which offers courses, lectures and publications focused on present-day animosity toward Jews. He has become a world-renowned expert on antisemitism — giving lectures around the world, publishing extensively on the topic and providing input to the Biden administration as it developed the country’s first National Strategy to Combat Antisemitism.
City of Bloomington justifies ending leaf collection with environmental and fiscal considerations
During 2023 budget hearings held in August of 2022, Mayor Hamilton announced a change to city leaf collection: vacuum leaf collection will end in 2023. Hamilton stated that the change will bring significant savings to the City and will also support environmental goals that Bloomington has set.
Beginning this year, residents are encouraged to mulch and compost their leaves on site. Residents may continue to use yard waste services for dried leaves for free in November while taking advantage of training, information, and support to integrate mulching and composting into their leaf management plans. While typically a bi-weekly offering, yard waste collection will increase to every week in the month of November. Available support options
If you are a resident needing assistance or able to volunteer to help someone with their leaf management, please register at helpinghands.civicchamps.com. Rakes are available to borrow, and free yard waste bags will be supplied to volunteers needing them.
The annual cost of the leaf collection program is estimated at approximately $400,000. Additionally, the City has had past difficulties maintaining staff for the seasonal project.
Jerry Seinfeld to perform at Indiana University
Kick off IU’s Homecoming weekend with America’s premier comedian, Jerry Seinfeld, as he comes to IU Auditorium on Friday, October 20th, at 7pm, to perform his newest stand-up routine. Seinfeld has been hailed for his uncanny ability to joke about the little things in life that relate to audiences everywhere.
Tickets go on sale Friday, August 25 at 10am
Indiana Attorney General issues support of school district’s legal battle to ensure student bathroom use consistent with biological sex
Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita issued the following statement supporting the Metropolitan School District of Martinsville, which is seeking affirmation from the U.S. Supreme Court that it may require students to use bathrooms corresponding to their biological sex:
“Nothing in the U.S. Constitution, Title IX or any other federal law requires schools to have coed bathrooms, locker rooms and showers, which pose a direct threat to the health, privacy, safety and security of our children. Accordingly, federal courts should never mandate that boys and girls must be able to use the same school bathrooms depending on gender identity.
For these reasons and others, I applaud the Metropolitan School District of Martinsville’s decision to appeal the Seventh Circuit’s recent decision mandating coed bathrooms to the U.S. Supreme Court.
I strongly encourage leaders in the Vigo County School Corp. to stand strong and do the same.
Fortunately, at least one other U.S. Court of Appeals has reached a different conclusion and affirmed schools’ right to maintain separate boys’ and girls’ bathrooms, regardless of gender identity.
Amid such inconsistency, the time is ripe for the U.S. Supreme Court to resolve the dispute over coed bathrooms once and for all—for the sake of children, parents, schools, and the rule of law.
As legal actions proceed, my office and I will continue working boldly on the side of Hoosier families and school officials by advocating for the safe and sensible policy of protecting our children with single-sex bathrooms.”
