March for Babies

About 1300 people came out for the March for Babies Saturday at the Tippecanoe County fairgrounds. It was a bit windy, but the weather was probably the best it has been for this event in several years. Thanks to Mike Prangley for joining me on the stage to give the forecast. Mike's last day on the air is Friday.

Jen Bushore said the local event raised about $130,000. That is awesome! According to the March of Dimes, "77% of every dollar supports research and programs that help moms have full-term pregnancies and babies begin healthy lives. And your funds are used to bring comfort and information to families whose baby was born too soon, or sick."

Trail meeting scheduled

An update from the folks wanting to get horse trails at Prophetstown:

Wanted to let everyone know that Cecelia has a tentative meeting date of May 28 with the DNR. The director and deputy director have offered to meet at Prophetstown. The fact that they have agreed to meet with us is encouraging. Please continue to encourage your friends and family to sign our on-line petition so that we have as many signatures as possible at the time of our meeting.

Here is the link: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/SupportIndianaEquineTrails#signatures Folks can also sign in person at Wabash Valley Feeds, Horizon Veterinary Service in Delphi or Buck Creek Elevator. So far we have 382 signatures on line and maybe 1200 personal signatures. We have flyers up about the petition at Rural King, Tractor Supply and Buck Creek Elevator and various places at Purdue.

A reason to walk

Precious little ones like this are a good reason to get up early Saturday and take part in the March for Babies. According to the March of Dimes, one in eight babies born in Indiana are born premature.
A walk on Saturday is an annual fundraiser for the March of Dimes. The organization raises awareness and research funds to fight premature births and birth defects. Barb LaDage is all too familiar with the challenges of birth defects. These are pictures of her daughter Samantha. The LaDage family is our ambassadors for this year's walk.

Registration for the March for Babies starts at 8:00a.m. at the Tippecanoe County Fairgrounds. There will be speakers and music starting at 8:30a.m. Then, the walk starts at 9:00a.m. There were about 1,300 participants last year. With our warm forecast, we hope even more people will do the walk. Mike Prangley and I will be there. We hope to see you.

The hunt is on!

It's time to head to the woods! Searching for morels has been a family tradition. I grew up traipsing through the woods with my dad, brother, and sisters looking for the delicacies. We found these mushrooms on my family farm in Illinois.

This was actually in a news release sent to us today: Ball State botanist says mushrooms may be plentiful in the coming weeks. The Midwest's winter ice storms toppled a large number of trees and branches, creating a near perfect growing situation for mushrooms, said Don Ruch, a biology professor and botanist at Ball State University. Ruch, who says it may only be a few more weeks before mushrooms are plentiful, is writing a book tentatively titled "202 Common Mushrooms of Indiana.

Golden Teachers

The Golden Apple Awards were presented Monday night at the Best Western in Lafayette. The event is put on each year thanks to WLFI, the Greater Lafayette Commerce, and several sponsors, including State Farm, School Datebooks, Lilly, Cook Medical, RamZ's, Alcoa and Purdue. This year nearly 85 nominations were made. Five were chosen as Golden Apple Award winners.

The winners are: Richard A. Brown, Klondike Elementary School , 4th and 5th Grade Multiage;
Sheri L. Johnson, Happy Hollow Elementary School , 4th Grade; Emily J. Pool, Cumberland Elementary School , 1st Grade; Kelly K. Schetzsle, Burnett Creek Elementary School , 1st Grade; Janet S. Stearns, Burnett Creek Elementary School , Music, 1st through 5th Grades.

The awards ceremony will air at 7:00p.m., Wednesday, April 22 on WLFI-TV.

The Greater Lafayette Commerce Education Committee is already accepting nominations for next year's Golden Apple Awards. Nominees for 2010 are limited to teachers in Tippecanoe County grades 6 to 12. http://www.lafayettechamber.com/

Prang Gang

WLFI hosted a going away party for Mike Prangley at Hunter's Pub off County Road 350 South. Party goers wore T-shirts with the phrase "Get to Your Safe Spot" on them. That is one of Mike's favorite phrases. On the back of the shirts, "Prang Gang." University Spirit did a wonderful job on the shirts! The party also included a video including some off camera clips and bloopers. The one above is our floor director Brandon teaching Mike a few dance moves.

Our fill-in and veteran weatherman Steve Scherer presented Mike with a Purdue football shirt, so he doesn't forget the Boilers. The group photo shows some WLFI alums who came back for the gathering. (L to R) Clayton Duffy, Mike Prangley, me, Kelly Greene, Elliott McKinnis, Kathryn Dolan and (sitting in front with his son in his lap) Paul Howell.

Mike's last day will be May 1st. He is moving to Florida where his wife has a new job. Mike has been our main weatherman for 10 years.

Backpack Program Grows

Today we get another look at the backpack program. It started in July 2008 with 300 children. The program has grown now to 1100 children at schools in a five county area. Food Finders Food Bank Director Katy Bunder said about 500 of those children are from Lafayette schools.

We first did a story about the program in November. After our story aired, donations came into Miami Elementary School and Logan's Roadhouse employees agreed to sponsor children at Oakland Elementary School. The children I spoke with at Oakland said they thought it was fun to be in the program and that it really helped their families. Some children told us their parents were looking for jobs. Other children said they were part of a big family--5 to 8 members.

If you are interested in learning more about the backpack program or sponsoring a school, contact Food Finders Food Bank. The number is (765) 471-0062. Bunder said there are still hundreds of children in our community who could benefit from the program.

Horse Trails at Prophetstown?

Members of the Battle Ground Saddle (which I am a member) are gathering signatures, hoping to convince the state to put horse trails at Prophetstown State Park. Adam Hall did a story with the group Sunday. Many places to ride, like Tippecanoe River State Park, are more than an hour away. Riders end up spending more time on the road than in the saddle. Club member Rita Lockridge said adding a horse trail to Prophetstown could also attract new visitors to the park.

As of now the petition has more than 1,000 signatures. Cecilia Wozniak says the club plans to present it to both the Indiana Department of Natural Resources and the Governor's Office.
You can sign the petition on line by going to the web site for the Battle Ground Saddle Club: http://www.bg-sc.com/

AP Awards

The Indiana Associated Press Broadcasters Association held its spring awards ceremony Saturday in downtown Indianapolis. WLFI had several winners. Our television competes with stations across the state, including Evansville, South Bend and Fort Wayne.

WLFI received 1st place for its website. Above is a picture of our web manager, Gordon Jackson and his counterpart at our sister station, WISH-TV, Indianapolis. Other winners: 2nd Place, Best Enterprise Story, Seth Conley and Nathan Caldwell (blind woman forced to move from Bridgeway apartments); 2nd Place, Best Spot News Reporting, Tom Harmeson (Rescue along the flooded Tippecanoe River); Honorable Mention, Best General News, Niccole Caan and Blake Naftel (road construction) and Honorable Mention, Best Community Impact, Sue Scott and Tom Harmeson (Backpack program).

My story was about the school backpack program at Miami Elementary School. With the help of volunteers and Food Finders, dozens of children get backpacks filled with food each Friday to make sure they have enough to eat through the weekend. After our story aired, employees of Logan's Roadhouse offered to sponsor children at another school and several people called offering to donate. I hope to have another update on this program soon.

Justice for Tammy

WLFI recently aired some stories about unsolved crimes. After watching the news, the family of Tammy Birdsell contacted me. Two years ago the 43 year old mother of three was found dead outside a house she once shared with Dan Fassnacht near Bringhurst. To this day, her family is still searching for answers. The story is on line under local news.

The prosecutor has told me and the family that Birdsell's death is still an active case. Tricia Thompson says she can't talk about the case. No charges have ever been filed. If anyone has information, call the WeTip hotline at 1-800-78-CRIME. Anonymous information can be given at that number.

A fund has been set up at Lafayette Bank and Trust for Birdsell's children. Donations can be made at any branch, made payable to the Tammy Birdsell Memorial Fund. A bank spokesperson said the funds are to be used for the children's clothing and medical expenses.