Elizabeth Cure, an attorney in Monroe County, has announced her candidacy for a term as judge in the Monroe Circuit Courts. Cure believes that her experience as a trial attorney and her appellate work make her well suited to the bench. "From my legal work and life experience, I will bring a dedication and conscientiousness to the bench as a Judge in Monroe County. I have long wanted to become a Judge and use my skills, my experience, and my enthusiasm to enhance the Monroe County community."

The public is invited to attend the Women of Color Symposium, which will take place Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2008, at 6pm in the Council Chambers of City Hall, 401 N. Morton St.

Hosted by the City of Bloomington Black History Month Committee, this symposium will examine some of the issues that impact women of color on a daily basis and explore how this impact varies depending on a person's age and stage of life.

Presenters will offer advice and resources to help attendees make appropriate and informed decisions about finances, health, entrepreneurship, and the impact of language.

News Release -- Greenpeace

BLOOMINGTON - On Wednesday congressional candidate Gretchen Clearwater promised her support for the Safe Climate Act, the science-based global warming legislation in Congress. Ms. Clearwater is the first congressional candidate in Indiana's Ninth District to cite support for comprehensive legislation to curb global warming pollution.

News Release -- AARP, CAC, USA

Greenpeace News Release

Today, President Bush welcomed a group of economic powers to Hawaii for talks on global warming. The meeting, Greenpeace says, is a masquerade that reinforces the need for Congress to lead on global warming. Local advocates are calling on Rep. Hill to take immediate action.

The Indiana House Utilities committee on Jan. 24 took a historic vote on House Bill 1102, a bill that would require electric utilities to obtain 10 percent of their power from renewable resources by 2018.

Amy Gerstman, former deputy auditor and longtime resident of Monroe County, announced her candidacy today for Monroe County Auditor.

Gerstman feels effective leadership will substantially improve the performance of the Monroe County Auditor's office, and she has concerns about the current administration.

Former Monroe County Councilman Mark Stoops announced on Jan. 11 that he is running for County Commissioner. A plaintiff in the citizens lawsuit against I-69, Stoops' announcement is published below.

Mark Stoops, two-term County Council member and past president of the Monroe County Council, has announced his intention to run for the Monroe County Commissioner District 2 Seat in the Democratic Primary. The three-member board of commissioners is the legislative and executive head of county government. The Commissioners are also responsible for managing county government operations and properties.

Stoops said he is excited to have the opportunity to accomplish many of the goals he has worked toward over the years and that his experience with community issues and the operation of local government will give him an excellent advantage, allowing him to achieve results.

"I have worked with every department in the county," he said. "I know the many, complicated ways in which local government is financed, who is responsible for making decisions, and the methods and procedures necessary to accomplish our objectives."

INDIANAPOLIS - On Jan. 8, State Representative Dave Crooks, (D-Washington), Chair of the Commerce, Energy and Utilities committee and co-author of House Bill 1102 establishing a Renewable Electricity Standard (RES) held a press conference along with the Indiana Coalition for Renewable Energy and Economic Development (ICREED) to discuss the positive benefits of diversifying Indiana's energy mix to clean, low-carbon resources.

State Representative Dave Crooks said "This legislation will drive significant new investment in renewable energy such as wind and bio-power, creating good jobs, additional income for farmers, and tax revenue for counties. An RES will, over time, also help protect ratepayers from rising energy costs and reduce Indiana's future liability under expected federal carbon regulations."

The legislation would require Indiana's investor owned utilities to provide ten percent of their overall electric energy from renewable sources by 2018, and is co-authored by Representative John Ulmer, (R-Goshen).

Gov. Mitch Daniels has succeeded in his plan to increase logging across the Indiana State Forest system. The logging level has increased 500 percent since he took office three years ago, and by 2009, the income from timber sales will have increased 1,000 percent in the Morgan-Monroe State Forest alone.

To fulfill the 500 percent increase mandated by the governor, forest supervisors are now planning to log the Morgan-Monroe/Yellowwood State Forest Backcountry Area. This area was created in the 1980s to provide a backcountry wilderness experience for Indiana citizens.

The Morgan-Monroe property manager has stated that the backcountry area needs to be logged to comply with the timber volume mandated by the Department of Natural Resource's (DNR) 2005 strategic plan.