Annie Gray named Dean of the School of Arts, Sciences, & Education at Ivy Tech Bloomington
Ivy Tech Community College Bloomington has named Annie Gray as Dean of the School of Arts, Sciences, and Education and Teaching and Learning. She most recently served as Department Chair of English and replaces Martin Wolfger, Ph.D., who assumed the role of Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs on May 1.
In her previous role, Gray effectively collaborated with students, faculty, and staff across disciplines, reflecting her dedication to academic growth and development. Gray supported transformative initiatives at the College, including aligning English course instruction with current practices, establishing a literary magazine, and founding of the Center for Online Writing Support for students. She embraces data-driven change and assists faculty with adapting to new methodologies.
The School of Arts, Sciences, and Education is the largest School at Ivy Tech Bloomington, serving students in all degree-seeking and four-year transfer programs.
Gray earned her master’s degree and completed her Ph.D. coursework and exams in English at Indiana University. She is certified in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) and has recently finished the Association of College and University Educators (ACUE) year-long program in effective online teaching. She has served in various leadership positions at Ivy Tech for the last 20 years.
Armed career criminal sentenced to 15 years in Federal Prison for illegally possessing firearms
Evelio Santana, 40, of Indianapolis, Indiana has been sentenced to 15 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to two counts of illegal possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. According to court documents, on November 15, 2021, investigators with the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, Indiana State Police, and the FBI, were conducting surveillance on Evelio Santana who had six outstanding warrants for his arrest. Investigators watched Santana pull into the parking lot of a gas station on 38th street in a Polaris UTV. This Polaris UTV was later discovered to have been stolen in Marion County, Indiana.
IMPD officers approached Santana and attempted to place him in custody. As the officers made their presence known, Santana took off running. Eventually, officers arrested him after he fell during the foot pursuit. During a search of Santana’s person, a loaded, semi-automatic handgun fell out of his waistband.
That same day, investigators searched a stolen motorhome which had been in Santana’s possession and recovered a Sig Sauer M400 rifle. The defendant admitted to knowingly possessing both firearms. Santana is prohibited from ever lawfully possessing a firearm due to his previous felony convictions of two counts of robbery, burglary, auto theft, and multiple thefts.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Attorney General Todd Rokita steps in to protect tenants from Muncie landlord’s alleged misconduct
Attorney General Todd Rokita and his team have successfully secured an agreement from a Muncie real estate company to refund consumers a total of $35,000 and to cease allegedly unfair and deceptive practices. An investigation by Attorney General Rokita’s Homeowner Protection Unit determined that Middletown Property Management LLC and Middletown Property Group LLC have been using the unregistered trade name “BSU Rentals” — which could confuse consumers by suggesting an association with Ball State University. Tenants also complained of other alleged violations, including:
- invasions of their privacy without proper notice;
- use of a deceptive redecoration fee in place of a security deposit; and
- repeated failures to deliver units to tenants in a safe, clean and livable condition in compliance with Indiana law.
Under an agreement obtained by Attorney General Rokita’s team, the Middletown companies have committed to do the following:
- issue credits and refunds to consumers totaling $35,000 as well as a payment to reimburse the Homeowner Protection Unit for $10,000 in investigative costs;
- cease the use of the BSU Rentals unregistered trade name on all marketing materials;
- make affirmative changes to all current and future residential leases requiring reasonable notice prior to entry of leased units by these companies or their agents;
- cease the use of a “redecoration fee,” which had the effect of charging tenants for a preexisting legal duty to deliver leased units in a safe, clean and livable condition;
- remove “as-is” language from all the companies’ leases and agree to abide by the landlord obligations found in Ind. Code § 32-31-8-5; and
- participate in compliance monitoring requiring the companies to issue quarterly reports to the Homeowner Protection Unit for a compliance period of two years running from Sept. 1, 2023 to June 1, 2025.
The mission of the Homeowner Protection Unit is to protect the rights of all individuals involved in the housing market — including tenants, homeowners and aspiring homeowners — by investigating and redressing deceptive acts in connection with mortgage lending and violations of relevant state and federal laws.
Neighborhood associations unveil grant-funded fitness equipment in Southeast Park
A Neighborhood Improvement Grant awarded to the Arden Place and Sycamore Knolls Neighborhood Associations in April 2022 has been used to install all-ages, outdoor fitness equipment in Southeast Park, 1600 Sycamore Ct. The fitness equipment was officially unveiled at an event at Southeast Park on Aug. 26. The equipment is free to use and is available for use during park hours of 5am-11pm daily.
The $9,000 grant purchased a trio of step-up benches and horizontal bars, chest press and lat pulldown machine, and a ski runner. The step-up benches and horizontal bars were installed at varying heights to provide more accessibility and variability of use.
Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, Arden Place and surrounding neighborhood associations recognized the importance of outdoor recreation and community. This recognition pushed them to apply for funds to upgrade their existing neighborhood park. Supply chain issues resulted in the installation of the fitness equipment being pushed into 2023, with completion of the project in August.
The neighborhood associations worked with Parks and Recreation to select the equipment and color scheme. The equipment was selected for its accessibility for all ages and ability levels, as well as for its universal design that allows for a variety of movements.
This Week in Hoosier History
1958 – World renowned performer, Michael Jackson, was born in Gary, Indiana. The American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Known as the “King of Pop”, he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. During his four-decade career, his contributions to music, dance, and fashion, along with his publicized personal life, made him a global figure in popular culture. Jackson influenced artists across many music genres.
For more local news . . . Check out our archived episodes of What’s Happenin’ and Talkin’ Sports with Nick Jenkinson