Bloomington’s Mayor clears Homeless Encampment
A Homeless Encampment was shut down by Bloomington Mayor Kerry Thomson and several City employees representing a handful of different departments. The effort took place on Thursday morning after the residents had apparently been given a couple of days prior notice.
The official rationale for displacing those living in tents in a city-owned stretch of wooded land a short walk north of West Third Street, behind the Wheeler Mission, was safety precautions. Just a week ago, Bloomington experienced a second murder within a month’s time stemming from that encampment.
Several non-profit organizations were on hand to help with the effort and work with the homeless to arrange future shelter.
Four charged in $44.6 million scheme to defraud Indiana Department of Education
A federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging three individuals for their alleged roles in a conspiracy to defraud the Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) through their operation of two online charter schools, Indiana Virtual School (IVS) and Indiana Virtual Pathways Academy (IVPA):
| Defendant | Charges |
| Tom Stoughton Sr., 74, of Carmel, Indiana | 1 count, conspiracy to commit wire fraud16 counts, wire fraud57 counts, money laundering |
| Phillip Holden, 62, of Middletown, Indiana | 1 count, conspiracy to commit wire fraud16 counts, wire fraud |
| Percy Clark, 81, of Carmel, Indiana | 1 count, conspiracy to commit wire fraud.16 counts, wire fraud11 counts, money laundering |
In addition, Christopher King, 61, of Green Fork, Indiana, has entered a plea of guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
According to the indictment, between the at least the summer of 2016 and 2018, the defendants allegedly submitted false numbers to IDOE representing the enrollment of over 4,500 students that they knew were not attending IVS or IVPA.
Like other public and charter schools, IVS and IVPA received funding from the State of Indiana based upon the number of students a school claimed to be enrolled and attending the school. In general, the more students enrolled, the more funding IVS and IVPA received from the State of Indiana. The indictment alleges the defendants manipulated this process to inflate enrollment numbers and ultimately receive more funding.
As a result of these false submissions, IDOE paid in excess of $44,000,000 to IVS/IVPA.
The defendants allegedly caused students to be enrolled or remain enrolled in IVS/IVPA who should not have been, by directing employees to stop verifying student interest before they were enrolled or reenrolled, and by making incomplete student applications available so that the student information could be used to enroll students for the 2017 and September 2018 Count Days. Most of these “students” never actually attended either school.
Shortly before the September 2018 Count Day, the defendants allegedly directed their information technology contractor to compile a list of students who were not listed in the Indiana Department of Education database as attending another school and who had previously been unenrolled from IVS or IVPA due to inactivity. Upon receiving a list of approximately 600 such students, the defendants directed employees to reenroll many of these students and be counted on the September 2018 Count Day.
After IVPA was created in 2017, the defendants allegedly transferred hundreds of students who had not been attending any classes from IVS to IVPA to continue to “count” and receive money for these students but also “protect” IVS from being held accountable by the IDOE for the students’ non-performance.
In the spring of 2017, Holden and Clark allegedly fired an employee who sent an email to IDOE attempting to inform the department of fraud that was occurring at IVS. IVS and IVPA allegedly paid money received from the State of Indiana to fraudulent for-profit companies, many of which were controlled or operated by Stoughton. After the money was funneled through these for-profit companies, millions of dollars were paid out to Stoughton and members of his family, Clark, King, and others.
Criminal Defendant are presumed innocent unless and until convicted in a court of law.
Attorney General Todd Rokita leads fight to protect civilian access to ammunition
Attorney General Todd Rokita this week led several states in defending Second Amendment liberties against radical efforts to restrict civilian access to legally manufactured ammunition.
On Jan. 9, 2024 Democratic Attorneys General sent a letter to the White House demanding an “investigation” into a specific ammunition manufacturer — Lake City Army Ammunition Plant — in order “to ensure that military-grade and military-subsidized ammunition stays out of civilian hands.” If the U.S. military using ammunition precluded that ammunition’s use by civilians, however, then other widely and commonly available ammunition — including 9mm and 12-gauge shotshells — would also be prohibited for public use.
In their own letter to the White House, Attorney General Rokita and several joining states pledged “to take any and every action necessary to defend our citizens’ Second Amendment rights.” Perpetrators of gun violence should be punished—not the firearm and ammunition manufacturers.
“The anti-gun radicals leading this effort are not interested in public safety, “Attorney General Rokita said. “We should be focused on the free flow of illegal weapons coming across our border – not taking aim at law abiding patriots” Attorney General Rokita said. “The federal government’s failure to secure our border and protect Americans is exactly why citizens need the liberty to defend themselves.”
Brown County Art Guild Presents #CanYouPaintChallenge 2024
Submissions: January 1 – February 16, 2024
Artists of all skill levels (age 15 or older) are encouraged to enter up to three works of art. All painting and drawing mediums are accepted. Registration fee is $15 per submission. Submissions will be judged by Guild Artist, Pamela Newell.
Winners will be announced Thursday, February 29 on Facebook and Instagram. Prizes: First prize – $250; Second prize – $125; Third prize – $75. The People’s Choice Award – $50 – will be presented to the artist with the most online votes.
Submissions: January 1 – February 16, 2024
Judging: February 17 – 20, 2024
Finalists announced on Brown County Art Guild web site, Facebook & Instagram February 21-28, 2023
Winners announced: February 29, 2024
This Week in Hoosier History
1867 – Indiana Governor Oliver P. Morton was elected by the state legislature to serve as United States Senator. The remainder of Morton’s term at the Statehouse was completed by Lieutenant Governor Conrad Baker.
For more local news . . . Check out our archived episodes of What’s Happenin’ and Talkin’ Sports with Nick Jenkinson