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| Toxicology Chief Resigns: Indy Star Reports Irregularities in Handling Drunk Driving Cases | |
The chief of the Indiana State Department of Toxicology has resigned in the wake of various complaints regarding slow, sloppy work in drunken-driving cases that led to case dismissals and additional cost to taxpayers, according to The Indianapolis Star. The department is managed by the Indiana University School of Medicine. An "assessment team" led by a former state appeals court judge has been reviewing the department's work. Sen. Tom Wyss is also part of the assessment team.
To read the full story, click here. |
| Walgreens Oxycontin Thief Caught in Southern Indiana | |
Clarksville police say they've arrested a man for a robbery at a Walgreens early Saturday morning who could be responsible for a string of robberies around southern Indiana. Joseph Johnson, 27, is charged with armed robbery, intimidation, criminal recklessness, resisting law enforcement, reckless driving, and pointing a firearm.  Clarksville police say he went into the Walgreens on Lewis and Clark Parkway and put a gun on the counter. When a pharmacist got on the PA system and told someone to call 911, Johnson allegedly pointed the gun at her and told her not to call police. Officers say he then took off, leading police on a high speed chase. Johnson was apprehended after he crashed and is currently in University Hospital with substantial injuries. Police say they believe the suspect is responsible for stealing Oxycontin from at least four different Walgreens pharmacies in southern Indiana. |
Indiana's Local Alcohol Boards: One Lone Voice | |
Local alcohol board member Elim Smith was recently quoted by his hometown paper going on the record about alcohol permit issues and convenience stores/gas stations in Kosciusko County.
 This is what Smith had to say in the online May 7 issue of the Times-Union: "I have never approved an alcohol permit for a gas station," Smith said. "I don't believe in it. ... You can take the request to the state, and they will override it, but in my conscience I can't approve it."
How did the issue come up in Warsaw?
Andy Carmichael, a representative for Lassus Handy Dandy, requested a new permit for the convenience store on Plaza Drive, Warsaw. However, Carmichael said that due to construction delays, the permit will not be used for a period of time while remodeling takes place.
"We have no intent to sell alcohol beverages in the facility we have today," Carmichael told the local board.
Smith was the single vote against the permit.
To read the full article on the Times-Union Web site, click here. |
| Arizona Governor Approves Early Sunday Sales | |
Arizonans will be able to purchase alcohol as early as 6 a.m. on Sundays under a bill approved by the Legislature and signed by Gov. Jan Brewer.
Prior to the passage of the bill, state law had barred alcohol sales between 2 a.m. and 10 a.m. on Sundays. The bill signed by Brewer shortens the no-sale period to between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m. The new law takes effect July 29.
Sadly, this short AP article posted online received more than 700 Facebook recommendations and 139 online comments.
While the comments were serious to stupid, it is a reflection about how intensely people feel about the issue of expanding alcohol sales. |
Drunk Text Messages Rank Colleges | |
Which college is really the No.1 party school? A group of students at the University of Florida say you need only look at the drunk text messages sent at each college to find out.  Four Florida students, along with one student at Santa Fe College, started Party School Texts, a Web site where students post text messages that they sent or received while partying (not surprisingly, it includes profanity). Based on the number and quality of texts from each school, the Web site generates a list of the top five party schools. The text messages are listed by college, and they're overwhelmingly about alcohol and sex. Visitors to the site can give each post a positive "Rock Star" vote or negative "LAME-O" vote. Each positive vote gives the college a point, and each negative one takes a point away. The number of points each college accumulates determines its party-school ranking. The Web site went up on March 23. The site is similar to Texts From Last Night, which lists texts by area code, not college. |
Making Your Voice Count: Advocacy 101 | | |
The Alliance for Health Promotion Initiative via Health by Design hosted a workshop on advocacy we thought worth sharing. The health advocacy association collaborates in public and private sectors to promote healthy lifestyles and communities. Much like Project RAD, we also believe in community partnerships and a healthy Indiana.
Here's a condensed version of speakers and bullet points from the workshop in Indianapolis.
Tim Filler, a policy analyst best known for his advocacy work in tobacco regulation and control, helps groups get organized to influence decision makers. Filler described his strategy as an advocacy power prism with the following parts:
- Research and data collection
- Coalition building and maintenance
- Fundraising and development
- Grassroots and key contacts
- Media advocacy
- Lobbying and legislative activity
Each area is just as important as the last in order to become influential and catch the attention of decision makers. Being proactive means getting involved, Filler said. Attend a board meeting. Use Facebook and other forms of social marketing. Know the lobbyists close to a cause. Ask for support in a face-to-face meeting.
Brenda Chamness, with the American College of Sports Medicine, talked about media advocacy. She said decisions to support policy and legislative initiatives are influenced by media coverage. She described some benefits of media coverage including:
- Cost-effective: no cost to write a letter to the editor, for example
- Immediate gratification: publication is shared and visible to a wide audience
- Large audience : publication or broadcast can reach large numbers at one time
- Earned credibility: coverage means local media thinks it's an important issue
Other Worthwhile Notes:
Terri Austin, a member of the Indiana House of Representatives, suggested keeping the message simple and not always using emotional appeal. Factual data and logical benefits for the state can go a long way in the eyes of legislators.
Paul Chase, associate state director for public policy for AARP, stressed the importance of having complete and accurate data. To only see the data helpful to your cause is ineffective.
Tom Harton, editor of the Indianapolis Business Journal, reminded the audience that journalists are bombarded with story ideas daily. Don't lose sight of your issue and become frustrated if your stories are not picked up. Be patient.
Maggie Lewis, a city-county councilwoman in Marion County, encouraged advocates to know the audience and remember what is important to your target audience. |
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Project RAD incorrectly listed Annette Funicello as "late," or deceased, in its last newsletter. One of our readers tells us that Funicello (who happens to be a friend of hers) is still with us. |
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