Mass Transit

It's absolutely insane that Indy has no credible public transportation (there's not a bus line within three miles of my house).

Check out CIRTA.us, sign the petition and help Indianapolis get the level of public transport we need.

Central Indiana Regional Transportation Authority (CIRTA) is a quasi-governmental organization (IC 36-9-3) that is working to bring more transportation options that will better connect the urban core of Indianapolis with suburban and rural communities in Marion, Hamilton, Hancock, Shelby, Johnson, Morgan, Hendricks, Boone, Delaware and Madison counties.

World Archaeological Congress to be in Indy

"Indigenous People and Museums: Unraveling the Tensions" is the topic for an Inter-Congress of the World Archaeological Congress to be held 22-25 June in conjunction with the Eiteljorg Museum's 18th Annual Indian Market and Festival.

The Museum Studies Program at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) and the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art are the local sponsors.

The conference logo (pictured) is derived from a thematic element in the Eiteljorg Museum's Mihtohseenionki permanent exhibition. The name of that exhibition means "The People's Place" in the language of the Miami nation, one of the main groups living in the Indiana region before contact with Euroamericans. The thematic element is based on ribbon work of a member of the Miami nation and represents the Miami throughout the exhibition.

DeLaney Leaves Julian Center

Ann DeLaney, the longtime executive director of The Julian Center, an Indianapolis shelter for domestic violence victims, is stepping down, reports IBJ.com.

What originally was to be a two-year term morphed into a 15-year run for DeLaney, who has juggled the not-for-profit center’s leadership position with her prominent role in politics, her law practice and her bankruptcy trusteeship.

Media and Public Affairs

The School of Public and Environmental Affairs of Indiana University-Purdue University in Indianapolis will offer undergraduate students a new major in Media and Public Affairs starting in fall 2011.

The major is intended for those who will work in the policy arena, teaching when and how to deploy traditional and new media tools to achieve their goals. Courses are an interdisciplinary mix of public affairs, journalism, political science, informatics and liberal arts.

The news release says that students who graduate with this degree will be prepared for careers as public information officers; government affairs personnel for private or nonprofit organizations; public administrators at the local, state and federal level; lobbyists; representatives of trade organizations, and reporters for various media.

Preview Germany at the Indiana State Fair

Interested in what'll be in the "Willkommen to Germany" exhibit at the Indiana State Fair 5-21 August? Plan to attend the program portion of tomorrow evening's meeting of the Indiana German Heritage Society. It's open to the public.

Justin Armstrong (project manager for the Germany exhibit at the fair) and Martin Baier (chair of the Indianapolis-Cologne Sister City Committee) will talk about the project at 7:30 p.m. 8 June in the Athenaeum, 401 East Michigan Street, Indianapolis.

This year, the Indiana State Fair Commission, the Indiana Economic Development Corporation and the local Indiana-German community are partnering to develop an 8,000 square foot exhibition featuring German cultural activities, performing arts, and business displays. One of the main goals of the Exhibition is to showcase the existing partnerships between Indiana and Germany, including the many sister relationships between cities in Indiana and Germany.

For questions about IGHS or tomorrow's program, contact Claudia Grossmann at the Max Kade Center, 317:274-2330.

Big Ten Chooses Indianapolis

Indianapolis will play host to the Big Ten Conference football championship games through 2015, outbidding Chicago in a fight to lure the prestigious new event, reports IBJ.com.

Indiana Violated Federal Medicaid Law

The Health and Human Services Department has rejected the state of Indiana's request to block Medicaid recipients from receiving care at Planned Parenthood, according to Huffington Post.

Indiana lawmakers passed a bill in May that prevents Medicaid from contracting with any entity that provides abortions, which effectively cut millions of dollars in funding from Planned Parenthood. But Donald Berwick, head of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, sent a letter to Indiana's Medicaid office today (1 June) saying that the bill violates federal Medicaid law because it discriminates against Planned Parenthood for reasons other than its ability to provide quality health services.