Indianapolis Recorder, Indianapolis, Marion County, 3 January 2003 — Page 5

FRIDAY, JANUARY 3, 2003

THE INDIANAPOLIS RECORDER

PAGE AS

Gas tax increase among new laws beginning in 2003 By Associated Press Motorists began paying 3 more cents in state taxes for every gallon of gasoline they buy in Indiana starting Jan. 1. Also on Wednesday, sherifTs departments and the Indianapolis Police Department will be required to post photographs and home addresses of convicted child molesters on the Internet. These are just a few new state laws enacted by the General Assembly this year, most of which took effect on July 1. Provisions outlined within a few were set to begin at the start of the new' year. The increase in the state excise tax on gasoline from 15 cents to 18 cents a gallon is part of a sweeping tax-increase and tax-restructuring law enacted during the special session in June. Most provisions of that law' were designed to shore up the state’s budget deficit and restructure taxes to promote economic development and offset expected increases in property taxes. The gas tax increase, however, will simply pump more money into road construction. "It’s something that the county commissioners are grateful for,” said David Bottorff’, legislative director for the Association of Indiana Counties. "The locals don’t have the option to raise the gas tax for roads, so they often have to look to the state for assistance.” About $33 million a year in new revenue will be divided between the state’s 92 counties and 480 cities and towns based on road miles and number of car registrations. Each penny will generate about $33 million in new rev enue. Two-thirds of the money will go to the Indiana

Indiana polke officer to help train dogs in Afghanistan

Department of Transportation, with one penny being leveraged for about $450 million in bonding on state highway projects. Other new laws include changes to the state’s sexoffender registry' law that will now require one central Web page for all 92 counties. The changes were made to meet a federal mandate requiring states to post photographs and addresses of convicted sex offenders. More than 90 percent of the state’s counties have already, provided their information for the state’s Web page. The Indiana Sheriffs Association expects the remainder to follow within the first few days of January. Also under a new law, the Indiana Election Commission is required to adopt a new “Voters Bill of Rights” that informs voters of their current rights and clarifies many common misunderstood deadlines and registration regulations. The law will also clarift-

Health agency cites nursing home

Special to The Recorder The Indiana State Department of Health has filed an administrative action against the license of North Capitol Nursing & Rehabilitation Center, 2010 N. Capitol Ave. State health officials said they want the facility’s license to be placed on probation, or in the alternative, revoked. State health officials are asking that the probationary license include requirements for 20 hours of nurse consulting and 20 hours of administrative consulting per week. The charges are based on the findings of a survey that was completed by the \ State Department of Health on Nov. 19. The survey said, among other things, that the facility failed to ensure that one resident was appropriately supervised and re-

matters of voter qualification. For example, many voters don’t know that if they make an error on their ballot, they have the right to request another. "I’m guessing we ll have a meeting in January and one of the agenda items at that meeting will be to adopt a Voter’s bill of rights," said Dale Simmons, the Republican co-general counsel of the Indiana Election Division.

ANDERSON. Ind. (AP) _ A city police officer is on a month-long trip to Afghanistan to help teach those liv ing there how to train dogs for security work. Steven Stoops, who left last week for the trip, has been an Anderson police officer for 18 years and has done police dog training demonstrations all across the country. “I will be working and utilizing a dog to keep people safe over there,” he said. “The whole goal of this mission is to assure the safety of the new Afghan government.” The 41-year-old exMarine will be working as a civilian while in Afghanistan. The trip came about when it was mentioned by a friend, Ken Licklider of Denver, Ind., who trains dogs for the U.S. Secret Service, the National Security Agency and others. Stoops will be leaving his police dog here, as a dog will be waiting for him in Afghanistan. Between his police and

military training. Stoops said he felt confident he would be able to stay out of trouble in Afghanistan. He’s prepared to do whatever is asked of -him. he added. “I’ll be doing training or anything to help the cause over there,” Stoops said. “The conduit is the dogs, but I will dig trenches if needed.” He was supposed to leave before Christmas, but a paperwork snag let him stay through the holiday with his wife of two weeks, Jennifer.

She said she understood that training and working with dogs was her husband s passion. To prepare for the trip, the clean-shaven Stoops was given an exception from the police department’s dress code to grow a beard to better blend in while in Afghanistan. “He’s a brave guy,” Jennifer Stoops said. “Everyone wants their loved ones to stay home and let everyone else do it."

A New Year, A New Look, eck It Out!

ceived appropriate safety measures to prevent multiple falls. The facility also: • Failed to ensure that the physician’s order for a physical restraint was followed, which resulted in falls while the resident was unrestrained. • Failed to develop and implement a care plan to the resident's restraint use. • Failed to develop a care plan to prevent falls. • Failed to develop a system to inform staff regarding residents at high risk for falls and the monitoring of personal alarms. • Failed to implement procedures related to the policy for falls. The survey also said that the facility failed to be administered in a manner that enabled it to use its resources effectively and efficiently.

North Capitol Nursing & Rehabilitation Center, allegedly failed to ensure that one resident was appropriately supervised and received appropriate safety measures to prevent multiple falls.

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