Banner Graphic, Volume 14, Number 124, Greencastle, Putnam County, 31 January 1984 — Page 3

By JACK COLWELL South Bend Tribune SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) I don’t know why everybody’s so upset about Indiana’s tacky new license plates. Hey, they serve a useful purpose. They give the prisoners at Michigan City something to do. The only injustice is that the prisoners are behind bars for what they did, while the designer of the plates can wander from Angola to Boonville, a free man. The design is ugly, with the three little strips of color lemon yellow, sickly pea green and blood red. The person who came up with the color combination must have been inspired by a costume worn by singer Boy George. Actually, the colors are symbolic: Lemon for autos sold by Hoosier used car salesmen. Sickly pea green for the industrial economy. Blood red for bleeding Indiana motorists to fund the Republican Party through the license branch fees. It doesn’t matter if the plates are ugly. The genius who designed them put the word “Indiana” in white against that pale green background. So “Indiana” is almost invisible.

Post-Labor Day school start approved by Senate

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - More than 90 bills greeted the Indiana Senate today, the last day for the Senate to approve Senate bills and the House to approve House bills without waiving rules. Legislators braced for another long day, 18th day of the 30-day session. Bills eligible for a final vote included measures lowering from 7 years to 6 the mandatory age for attending school, making it a crime to transport open alcoholic beverages within the reach of the driver of a motor vehicle and making English the official state language. The Senate adjourned about 11 p.m. Monday after passing 25 bills and advancing 55 through

No rate hikes for scrapped plants

Utility issues dominate House

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - Amendments which would ban in-state telephone access charges indefinitely and measured service phone rates until mid-1986 have been passed by the Indiana House of Representatives. The House also on Monday endorsed proposals to prohibit the Public Service Commission from charging customers for the cost of abandoned power plants or for generating capacity not needed for customer demand. The action came on the 17th day of the Legislature’s 30-day session. The House voted 63-28 for an amendment to ban local measured service telephone rates until April 1, 1986. The PSC is currently prohibited from imposing local phone rates based on usage, but that

Armstrong withdraws as minister

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - James Armstrong, who resigned as president of the National Council of Churches and as a bishop in the United Methodist Church, has now withdrawn as a minister of the denomination. Armstrong, 59, asked in a letter to be relieved of his responsibilities as a minister for the denomination he served nearly 40 years, the church announced Monday. He resigned the other posts Nov. 16, saying he was “physically and emotionally depleted.” Armstrong became the first bishop in the church’s history to resign. The church released a statement from Armstrong, which said, “I am confessing that I have failed my family and other loved ones, as well as myself.” He has made no public

Snowmobile crash fatal to girl, 10

ELWOOD, Ind. (AP) - A 10-year-old girl was killed and two other persons were injured when their snowmobile hit a guy wire used to support a utility pole, authorities said. Killed in the accident Monday was Kelli Shay Powell. Coroner John Noffze pronounced her

Sickly color combination on Hoosier plates inspired by Boy George?

the amendment stage. Authors of the three remaining measures agreed not to call them for amendments, said Sen. Joseph Harrison, R-Attica, Senate majority floor leader. The Senate voted 31-17 against an amendment to legalize non-profit bingo games. Sen. John Bushemi, D-Gary, said there is “very irregular enforcement of bingo games.” Bushemi wanted to add the provision to a bill allowing collectors to own 25-year-old slot machines as long as the machines are not used for gambling. Sen. Joseph Corcoran, RSeymour, said he didn’t want the bingo provision clouding his “nice, clean bill.” Public schools would be

ban expires April 1. Rep. Richard Worden, R-New Haven, offered the 1986 extension to his measure, House Bill 1012, which would have continued the ban on measured service only until April 1985. An amendment to the bill prohibiting the PSC from approving in-state telephone access charges, was adopted 5139. The access charge, ranging from $2 for residential customers to $6 for businesses, has been touted as a way to recover the disappearing subsidy of local rates by long distance charges that local companies received before the federally-ordered break-up of American Telephone & Telegraph. The sponsor of the amendment, Rep. Jim Jontz, DB rooks ton, said the Federal Communications Commission

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JAMES ARMSTRONG Takes Florida job

statement since then, and church officials announced earlier that Armstrong had checked into a general medical facility the

dead of a broken neck. Henri Teachnor, 35, of Elwood, who was driving the snowmobile on a playground at the Oakland Elementary School, and another passenger, Dustin Teachnor, 5, were treated and released from Mercy Hospital.

■ WANDER EH j 67*1166

Only the blood red word “Wander” stands out on the plate. If you’re driving in another state, other motorists won’t even know which state has such tacky plates. Oh, people across the state line will know. I mean you can’t keep it a secret in Niles, Mich., or Henderson, Ky. People there see so many Hoosier plates that they’ll be able to spot them right off and point and laugh. And rightfully so.

barred from starting classes until after Labor Day under a bill that cleared the Senate 3513. If Senate Bill 79 becomes law it would take effect Aug. 1. Supporters of the school measure argued that starting school late would avoid some of the hottest days of the year in non-air-conditioned schools, would extend the tourist season which would add revenue and might make businesses more receptive to hiring students as summer help. The measure moves to the House, as does a bill aimed at making the Indiana State University campus at Evansville an independent state university. The Senate voted 43-7 for the bill laying the groundwork to

has postponed action at least until mid-1985 on interstate long distance access charges. Lawmakers adopted three other utility reform amendments offered to HB 1230, a bill increasing the PSC contingency fund. One, offered by Jontz, prohibits the PSC from approving rate increases to cover the cost of abandoned power plants. Those costs would have to be absorbed by utility stockholders, not ratepayers, he said. The amendment passed 64-27. Northern Indiana Public Service Co. is recovering the cost of its scrapped Bailly nuclear power plant from customers, and Public Service Indiana has indicated it will ask for a rate increase to cover its investment in the Marble Hill nuclear power plant. PSI has announced

day after his resignation. In a letter to the Rev. Ralph T. Alton, who replaced Armstrong as bishop on an interim basis, the former bishop authorized the surrender of his ministerial credientials. Officials said the credientials were picked up at the Armstrong home here by a church official and would be placed on file with the secretary of the United Methodist South Indiana Conference, the Rev. Henry N. Oakes Jr. of Rockville. The Rev. J. Kenneth Forbes, executive assistant to Alton, said the latest letter by Armstrong “did not surprise us. He’s been under career stress and reassessment. Anything could come out of those types of circumstances.” Church officials said they’ve learned Armstrong has been living in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.,

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create the “University of Southwestern Indiana.” SB 136 sets up a board of incorporatars to develop a statement of mission, a budget proposal and goals for the university. It also appropriates $25,000 for the interim board. In order for the university to become independent, the 1985 General Assembly would have to give approval. Democratic senators Joseph O’Day of Evansville and Lindel Hume of Oakland City supported the measure but argued that it didn’t go far enough and said they want independence now because no one can guarantee what will happen in 1985. But other senators argued that a careful process was the only way the bill would pass.

its decision to abandon construction of the plant after spending about $2.5 billion. An amendment by Rep. Edward Goble, D-Batesville, to prohibit the PSC from allowing utilities to include in their rate base excess electric generating capacity was approved 55-43. Also successful was an amendment that would give legislators a say in who is nominated to the PSC. Currently, a nominating committee of citizens recommends to the governor three names for each vacancy on the utility regulabry commission. The governor makes the final choice. Under Bales’ amendment, approved 48-47, the nominating commission would consist of House and Senate members of the Public Policy Committee in each chamber.

since mid-December. The letter from Armstrong said he is working as a consultantcounselor for international students attending Broward Community College. In the letter, Armstrong states that his work with the college will continue through May “or if necessary beyond.” Armstrong began his ministry in Florida in 1945 as a local preacher and was ordained an elder in 1951. He came to Indiana in 1958 as a senior pastor of Broadway Methodist Church in Indianapolis and was elected a bishop 10 years later becoming one of the youngest ever to achieve that rank in the denomination. He was assigned to the Dakotas area and served there 12 years until being reassigned to Indiana in 1986.

Some, of course, have suggested other colors. Perhaps prison gray and bright green, with the motto “Support Your Local License Branch.” It’s strange why so many are upset by the word “Wander” on the plate. It doesn’t mean anything. So why be offended? There was a purpose for “Wander.” If the word “Indiana” under it had been visible, there would have been the twoword slogan, “Wander, Indiana.” This is the campaign theme of Lt. Gov. John Mutz. Now, don’t get the impression Mutz is using “Wander Indiana” as his POLITICAL campaign theme. He’s using it as his TOURISM campaign theme. In Indiana, a lieutenant governor is in charge of taurism, And no Indiana lieutenant governor ever seeks ta make political use out of promoting tourism. The fact that a lieutenant governor features himself in tourism promotions is a coincidence. Always has been. It’s just as much a coincidence that Indiana lieutenant governors, who feel obligated to run some day for governor, seem in their function of boosting economic development to

Engine trouble suspected in Terre Haute plane crash

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (AP) A commuter airplane that crashed on takeoff from Hulman Regional Airport killing all three people aboard ‘‘sounded sick” moments before the crash, a witness said. The Britt Airways twinengine turboprop plane crashed in a ball of fire Monday, killing two pilots and an airline service representative. There were no commercial passengers on the airplane, which can seat up to 18. It was being ferried to Evansville to be used as a standby. State police said pilot Delbert Huffman, 64, Terre Haute; copilot Gary Gerber, 55, Evansville; and Bryan Leahy, 25,

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Terre Haute, wre killed. Huffman was a retired Air Force colonel with more than 19,000 hours flying time. The aircraft had engine trouble soon after takeoff, Lt. Robert McClure of the state police said, and was returing to Hulman when it crashed nose first. Parts of the plane were scattered in a field and in a small crater created by the crash. The left wing and nose hit the ground first and buried 10 feet in the ground. A nose wheel was found on a county road a quarter mile away. John and Denise Leminger, who live in a farmhouse 200 yar-

January 31,1984, The Putnam County Banner-Graphic

boost their own political aspirations. Mutz, a pretty competent guy, also is modest by some past standards for self aggrandizement. There once was a Democratic lieutenant governor that in itself may come as a surprise to younger voters who thought Indiana governors and lieutenant governors always were Republicans. He set a record for mo6t self-promotion items in a publication paid for by the taxpayers. The record holder, for you trivia buffs, is Robert L. Rock. In a little eight-page brochure put out by his office just before the 1968 election, when Rock was running for governor, his name appeared 34 times, always with complete title, and his picture was plastered on four pages. There could have been a blatant political use of 1984 license plates. They could have put on a picture of Mutz or Gov. Robert D. Orr. By the way, some have suggested puting Michael Jackson’s picture on the plates. He’s from Gary. If the color scheme is kept the same, however, it would be better instead to picture the ghouls from Jackson’s hit video, “Thriller.”

ds from the crash site, said they heard a plane go over and then return as if flying in a circle. “The engine sounded like my tractor which doesn’t run very well,” said Leminger. He said he heard a loud noise “like a crash” and then an explosion. He looked out the window and “saw a ball of fire.” A Federal Aviation Agency spokeswoman at Chicago said visibility was five miles in rain and fog when the plane went down. It was the first fatal crash for Britt, a small commuter line based in Terre Haute which operates between several Indiana points

Professor undergoes surgery HAMMOND, Ind. (AP) - A bullet has been removed from the left lung of a professor wounded in his office allegedly by a student angry about a “D” grade in calculus. Meanwhile, the Lake County prosecutor filed an attempted murder charge Monday office against Purdue Calumet student Joel G. Pittman, 26, of Gary. The surgery on Professor Ronald J. Wagenblast, 51, “was deemed successful by the physicians, and he seems to be doing well,” Lance S. Dodson of St. Margaret Hospital said. Doctors waited until Monday to operate to give the math professor’s condition a chance to stabilize and to take tests to determine the exact location of the bullet, Dodson said. Pittman’s case was assigned Judge James Letsinger of Lake Superior Court and Eric Clark was appointed public defender. A pre-trial hearing was scheduled March 29.

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