Thursday, March 20, 2008
Southern Indiana Flood Pictures
Received some pictures from the Southern Indiana floods. Pictures taken over the last two days by unknown photographers include French Lick and West Baden area shots. Our thoughts go out to the families affected by the flood.
Thursday, October 4, 2007
Another Moron With A Gun
From the HT online:
http://www.heraldtimesonline.com/stories/2007/10/04/news.qp-5597617.sto
What is it lately with idiots and their guns?
http://www.heraldtimesonline.com/stories/2007/10/04/news.qp-5597617.sto
What is it lately with idiots and their guns?
Keyston J. Rice, 21, faces a preliminary charge of criminal recklessness.
Bloomington police were called to Campus Corner, 1150 S. Clarizz Blvd., at 11:20 p.m. Tuesday. Officer Stephanie Barnes reported that when she arrived, witnesses said a man had shot his gun numerous times before leaving the scene.................................Rice initially told police he’d only fired one warning shot in the air, but he later admitted to firing multiple warning shots. Witnesses told police Rice did fire shots in the air and straight ahead.
Brilliant. Not only did this joker act extremely recklessly with his gun by shooting it at an unknown, unidentified target he also fired shots straight up in the air. Hello? That only works in the movies, don't you watch Mythbusters? Those bullets fired up have to come down eventually and killing or seriously injuring someone two blocks away when the bullett comes back down is even more appauling than shooting someone on the other side of the bushes that you fired into.
Police arrested Rice and also cited him for violating a city ordinance that bans shooting guns within the city limits. Rice was taken to Monroe County Jail. Bond was set at $2,000 surety, $500 cash.Not enough in our opinion. This was a legal gun permit holder and its people like this that create the image of reckless, old west gun fighters for the rest of us who are responsible gun owners and permit holders. We certainly hope that they make an example out of this character and whatever happens, take his weapons away and revoke his permit to carry. The majority of Licensed To Carry gun owners in Monroe County are responsible and concerned citizens. They don't need someone like this running around with a permit to carry.
College Mall Construction Zone
Just a friendly warning to those who work in or want to frequent the College Mall in the mornings this week. If you use the entrance next to Applebee's (between Smith's and Sears) they have the doors locked until just after 9 a.m. everyday. The Mall doesn't officially open during the week until 10 a.m. anyway, but for those that have to work in the mall and are expected there before 9 a.m. good luck with that.
The construction mess is behind Applebee's in the alley near Old Navy's back doors. It is a complete mess, brought on by the construction of the new food court. If you are unfortunate enough to have or work for business along that corridor, sorry about your luck. Your back doors are almost completely blocked, rendering delivery of goods from shipping companies difficult at best. If you arrive to work before 9 a.m. for get about it. You won't be able to get to your backdoor without scaling a barricade and shuffling around the great crater they have created, and you won't have access to your front door until after 9 a.m..
We are not aware if other Mall entrances are open, common sense would say yes. Then again that has not been verified and no one has ever accused the mall planners of having a great deal of common sense when it comes to making things accessible and customer friendly. Just look to the bottle neck created at the entry road in front of TGI Fridays and you will see that planning for traffic flow and customer access isn't been a well thought priority. Add that to the amount of empty spots around and you have an increasingly less useful shopping resource. In our opinion it just thank goodness for destination stores like Dick's Sporting Goods, Target, Smith's Sport'N Shoe, K&S Menswear, and Sears keeping customers coming in at all. Otherwise, the new and long overdue food court would be a moot point.
The construction mess is behind Applebee's in the alley near Old Navy's back doors. It is a complete mess, brought on by the construction of the new food court. If you are unfortunate enough to have or work for business along that corridor, sorry about your luck. Your back doors are almost completely blocked, rendering delivery of goods from shipping companies difficult at best. If you arrive to work before 9 a.m. for get about it. You won't be able to get to your backdoor without scaling a barricade and shuffling around the great crater they have created, and you won't have access to your front door until after 9 a.m..
We are not aware if other Mall entrances are open, common sense would say yes. Then again that has not been verified and no one has ever accused the mall planners of having a great deal of common sense when it comes to making things accessible and customer friendly. Just look to the bottle neck created at the entry road in front of TGI Fridays and you will see that planning for traffic flow and customer access isn't been a well thought priority. Add that to the amount of empty spots around and you have an increasingly less useful shopping resource. In our opinion it just thank goodness for destination stores like Dick's Sporting Goods, Target, Smith's Sport'N Shoe, K&S Menswear, and Sears keeping customers coming in at all. Otherwise, the new and long overdue food court would be a moot point.
Friday, September 28, 2007
Whats The Deal With Stoplights In This Town?
I just don't get it. Who in the heck is responsible for the stoplights in town and the surrounding county?? Whoever it is they do a horrible job at it. Actually I spoke with someone close the the traffic committee and some of the problem lies in the State Highway department.
No surprises there really, but they are responsible for the moronic installation of a stoplight at Fullerton Pike and 37 (at the Monroe Hospital) that was unnecessary when it was installed (before the hospital) and ridiculously counter productive now that the hospital is there. The problem? When the lights were installed originally it never made sense. There were know plans for a hospital, the rumor was that it was going to be the home of the new Menards but in another travesty of local zoning management, Menards had to be moved because the zoning wasn't approved. That intersection was deemed dangerous because of accidents that occurred there. There were a few but in nearly all cases they were caused by idiot drivers in a hurry not by a lack of a traffic signals. The installation of the traffic signals never made sense because of two reasons:
Now that the Hospital exists, I believe there is a necessity for a traffic signal. However not one without turn lights. I have seen more accidents at that intersection since the lights were installed than I ever witnessed prior to their installation. Now what you get is people travelling on the the higway looking turn accross on coming traffic to Fullerton Pike having to do exactly what the lights were installed to prevent, which is close your eyes and gun it to get across and hope on coming traffic can stop because there is no turn light insalled to allow safe turning. During peak hours like home rush hour, the North Bound turn lane on 37 is backed up 10 cars deep at times and only 1-2 cars have the ability to get turned during the long Green light so people are forcing their way across after the light turns yellow and sometimes red. A simple turn arrow would aalleviate a lot of accidents IMO.
Now on to the real reason for this post, which is another (previously unreported) idiotic stop light. This time I believe it falls under the jurisdiction of the City. Its at the corner of Thompson and Rogers (Across from the old RCA plant location). This light does have a turn signal attached to it, but the problem is it lasts all of 3 seconds. On a good day you can get 3 cars turned on a green arrow. Most times if the first car isn't rolling when it turns green you only get 1 through. Rush hour always bring huge lines at that light and most of it is turning south onto Rogers from westbound on Thompson (or what ever it is named between Walnut and Rogers. At 5:00pm on weekdays there is always 8+ cars trying to turn left at that light and dozens coming from the other direction going straight to Walnut. Makes for a ridiculously slow ride home when the line turning keeps growing and only 1-2 are turning during each light. If you added 3 more seconds to the turn arrow it would clear up half of the traffic congestion at that intersection during peak rush hour.
Rant over.
No surprises there really, but they are responsible for the moronic installation of a stoplight at Fullerton Pike and 37 (at the Monroe Hospital) that was unnecessary when it was installed (before the hospital) and ridiculously counter productive now that the hospital is there. The problem? When the lights were installed originally it never made sense. There were know plans for a hospital, the rumor was that it was going to be the home of the new Menards but in another travesty of local zoning management, Menards had to be moved because the zoning wasn't approved. That intersection was deemed dangerous because of accidents that occurred there. There were a few but in nearly all cases they were caused by idiot drivers in a hurry not by a lack of a traffic signals. The installation of the traffic signals never made sense because of two reasons:
- The didn't install turn arrows to allow for crossing traffic on green. Almost all the accidents that I saw or read about were caused by someone either trying to turn into highway traffic in a hurry or crossing on coming traffic. People in a hurry to get to work or school or home, simply can't wait for little obstacles like semi trucks doing 60 MPH on a four lane highway I guess.
- There was no need to cause highway traffic to stop yet again to allow for a minor access road to cross a major highway when you could see for over a half mile in both directions. Afterall that is why the over passes were installed at the crossings north of it (45/37 and 48/37) because in a 3 mile stretch on the only major north-south traffic route there were 4 or 5 stop lights along the way.
Now that the Hospital exists, I believe there is a necessity for a traffic signal. However not one without turn lights. I have seen more accidents at that intersection since the lights were installed than I ever witnessed prior to their installation. Now what you get is people travelling on the the higway looking turn accross on coming traffic to Fullerton Pike having to do exactly what the lights were installed to prevent, which is close your eyes and gun it to get across and hope on coming traffic can stop because there is no turn light insalled to allow safe turning. During peak hours like home rush hour, the North Bound turn lane on 37 is backed up 10 cars deep at times and only 1-2 cars have the ability to get turned during the long Green light so people are forcing their way across after the light turns yellow and sometimes red. A simple turn arrow would aalleviate a lot of accidents IMO.
Now on to the real reason for this post, which is another (previously unreported) idiotic stop light. This time I believe it falls under the jurisdiction of the City. Its at the corner of Thompson and Rogers (Across from the old RCA plant location). This light does have a turn signal attached to it, but the problem is it lasts all of 3 seconds. On a good day you can get 3 cars turned on a green arrow. Most times if the first car isn't rolling when it turns green you only get 1 through. Rush hour always bring huge lines at that light and most of it is turning south onto Rogers from westbound on Thompson (or what ever it is named between Walnut and Rogers. At 5:00pm on weekdays there is always 8+ cars trying to turn left at that light and dozens coming from the other direction going straight to Walnut. Makes for a ridiculously slow ride home when the line turning keeps growing and only 1-2 are turning during each light. If you added 3 more seconds to the turn arrow it would clear up half of the traffic congestion at that intersection during peak rush hour.
Rant over.
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