Duke Energy continues their efforts to help address local hunger with grant and event on February 7th
Pantry 279 in Monroe County will hold a ‘Duke Energy Cares’ community resource event on Wednesday, Feb. 7, from 1:30-6pm at 3609 State Road 46 in Bloomington. The event is in celebration and appreciation of a $10,000 grant that Duke Energy provided to continue their efforts to support organizations in the community which address food insufficiency.
“Duke Energy is grateful to community partners like Pantry 279 that provide critical support for residents in need,” said Liz Irwin, Government and Community Relations Manager at Duke Energy. “We are proud to support their work, which makes a positive impact on the lives of our customers and our community.”
During the event, families and individuals in need will be able to access an enhanced selection of basic staples like food and clothing from the pantry, as well as resources and information about various programs and services available locally. Several community organizations will be on-site to offer a wide range of resources, services and information:
- Access Wireless will provide free cellphones and service for qualifying customers through a government-funded program.
- Hoosier Hills Food Bank will offer information about the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), including eligibility and the application process.
- The Monroe County Department of Public Health will offer a variety of testing and addiction services, and Indiana University (IU) Health will offer free blood pressure checks, flu vaccines and pregnancy assistance.
- The South Central Community Action Program will offer information about its weatherization, child care and housing assistance programs.
- The WonderLab Museum of Science, Health & Technology will offer access passes, which allow qualifying residents to receive admission to 24 cultural attractions and historic sites across the state for just $2 per family member per visit, for up to two adults and dependent youth living in the household.
“Whether one seeks assistance or is curious about the services available, this event offers the chance to discover an array of resources available right here in our community,” added Irwin.
Purdue Women’s Basketball wins 500th game at Mackey Arena with overtime win over Illinois
An extra period of basketball, an all-around performance by Jeanae Terry and a career-high 25 points from Mary Ashley Stevenson guided the Purdue women’s basketball team to a 77-72 overtime win over Illinois on Monday night. The win marked the Boilermakers’ 500th victory at Mackey Arena.
Terry narrowly missed out on her third career triple-double, going for 14 assists, 9 points, and 9 assists in a complete-game 45-minute effort. The Detroit native etched her name into the Purdue record book in multiple spots with the second most assist in a game in Purdue history. Terry became the seventh player in Purdue history to join the 500-assist club.
Stevenson had a career night in 35 minutes of action, going 8-of-15 from the floor and 9-of-9 at the line, including a pair with six seconds left in overtime to put the game out of reach. Her 25 points were the most by a Purdue freshman since Courtney Moses’ 26-point outing at Texas A&M in 2010.
Purdue (10-12, 3-8) shot 40.8% and went 4-of-19 from behind the arc, while finishing 15-of-18 at the line. The Boilermakers matched their season high with 42 points in the paint.
Two Men Sentenced to a Combined Eleven Years in Federal Prison for $1 Million “Free Bankruptcy” Car Lien-Stripping Scheme
Brian Fenner, 45, of Camby, Indiana, has been sentenced to a total of 77 months in federal prison. Dennis Birkley, 64, of Wisconsin, has been sentenced to five years in federal prison. In January 2023, a federal jury found both men guilty on one count of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud, seven counts of wire fraud, six counts of mail fraud, and three counts of money laundering.
According to court documents and evidence introduced at trial, between 2013 and 2016, Fenner promoted the “Sperro free bankruptcy program” to individuals who were planning to file for bankruptcy. Through this purported “free bankruptcy program,” Fenner promised to pay the debtors’ bankruptcy attorneys’ fees if they turned over their vehicles to him, instead of surrendering them to the banks that financed the purchase of the vehicles. Numerous people from across the country participated in the program and surrendered their vehicles to Fenner, including from as far away as California and Arizona. Fenner arranged for the debtors’ cars to be towed to his lots in Indianapolis for outlandish fees, which formed the basis of a bogus mechanic’s lien on the vehicle.
Fenner then pretended to “sell” the cars to Birkley at “auctions” to cover the exorbitant mechanic’s lien. In reality, no auctions occurred, no money changed hands, and there was no sale by Fenner to Birkley. Instead, the sham auctions were part of a series of lies and fraudulent documents submitted to the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles, so that Birkley could get clean titles to the vehicles from the BMV. Once Birkley had clean title to the vehicles, he sold the vehicles for their true value – often earning thousands of dollars in profit – which Birkley split with Fenner. Over the course of the conspiracy, Birkley and Fenner illegally obtained over $1 million.
Fenner was sentenced to 70 months of imprisonment on June 8, 2023, and was instructed to surrender to the Bureau of Prisons in Terre Haute by July 18, 2023. Fenner did not report to prison, and was re-arrested in Morgan County, Indiana, on August 25, 2023. Fenner was sentenced to an additional seven months in prison after pleading guilty to failing to surrender. This sentence will be served consecutively to Fenner’s 70-month sentence for the fraud conviction, for a total prison sentence of 77 months.
“For years, these greedy men preyed on people in financial crisis by offering a purported financial lifeline too good to be true—and was in fact just a series of lies,” said Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana
This case was investigated by the FBI and the Indiana State Police, with assistance from the Department of Justice’s U.S. Trustee Program, in collaboration with the Southern Indiana Bankruptcy Fraud Working Group coordinated by the U.S. Trustee for Region 10. The sentences were imposed by U.S. District Court Judges Richard L. Young and James R. Sweeney II. Both men were ordered to pay $49,045.84 each in restitution.
Bloomington’s Hopewell South demolition to begin
To prepare for the creation of the new Hopewell neighborhood, a demolition project is planned for the neighborhood. This project will not only pave the way for future development efforts but will also remove vacant structures that are creating security concerns for our surrounding neighbors.
The structures are small and will be manually demolished by a team of 2-4 individuals reducing noise impact, vibration and dust compared to other demolition techniques. Some demolition equipment will be used which is already on site, and no explosives are permitted. The team will be working on one structure at a time rather than all of the buildings at once in order to limit the impact on surrounding areas. The buildings will be removed from east to west. Testing and material salvaging has begun, and demolition will begin on February 9th and last approximately 16-20 weeks. The work associated with the Hopewell South Demolition Project is
scheduled to occur between the hours of 7:00am and 5:30pm, Monday through Friday, and will adhere to the Bloomington noise ordinance.
Only the existing structures are being removed as part of this project as noted on the graphic above. All asphalt paving, concrete pads and walks will remain for the time being. All surfaces will be appropriately graded to prevent drainage issues and prepare for future work. Any necessary abatement will take place by certified contractors.
 |
This Week in Hoosier History
1962 – William Bruce Rose was born in Lafayette, Indiana. At age 20, he moved to California, changed his name to Axl Rose, and in 1985 formed the band “Guns and Roses. Born and raised in Lafayette, Indiana, Axl Rose moved to Los Angeles, California in the early 1980s with his friend Jeffrey Isbell (Izzy Stradlin). This is where he became active in the local hard rock scene and joined several bands, including Hollywood Rose and L.A. Guns. In 1985, he co-founded Guns N’ Roses alongside Stradlin, with whom he had great success and recognition in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Their first album, Appetite for Destruction (1987), has sold in excess of 30 million copies worldwide and is the best-selling debut album of all time in the U.S. with 18 million units sold.
For more local news . . . Check out our archived episodes of What’s Happenin’ and Talkin’ Sports with Nick Jenkinson