Lafayette Online » Community News

Lafayette Christmas Parade registration ends Nov 16

admin — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 22:53:46 +0000

LAFAYETTE, Ind. — The entry deadline for the December 6th Lafayette Christmas Parade is approaching quickly. Monday, November 16th marks the deadline for all entries. The entry fee is $10 for nonprofits and $25 for corporate entries.

To register for the parade, groups and bands must complete the applicable entry form (there is one for groups and a different form for bands) and either drop them off at 337 Columbia Street, Lafayette IN, or mail them to: Greater Lafayette Commerce, P.O. Box 348, Lafayette, IN 47902

Download Entry Forms

“I’ll Be Home for Christmas” is the 2009 theme and will be lead by co Grand Marshals Jim and Wes Shook of the Shook Agency. Float entries have the opportunity to win prizes in three different categories depending on the quality of the float and how well it applies to the theme. The parade is in its fifth decade of existence and is the largest holiday parade in the state of Indiana.

The Parade will follow a slightly different route this year. In order to incorporate more of the downtown community the Christmas Parade will begin at 10th and Main Streets in Lafayette and will conclude at Tapawingo Drive and Brown Street in West Lafayette. There will be viewing area on the upper block on 11th Street as well. All businesses are welcome to open their doors and entertain parade patrons.

The Christmas Parade is part of the Holiday Weekend which also features Dickens of a Christmas and The Community Light & Sing in Downtown Lafayette-West Lafayette. The weekend is sponsored by Lafayette Savings Bank and hosted by Greater Lafayette Commerce.

Tippecanoe Sheriff asks public to help find credit card thief

admin — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 20:11:07 +0000

LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Tippecanoe County Sheriff’s detectives are asking the public to help find a woman suspected of using a credit card stolen from a college student to buy gift cards worth $600 from Lafayette area merchants.

Surveillance image from Meijer on September 17, 2009

On September 17th of this year, Cassandra McKeown, a student at St. Joseph’s College in Rensselaer, had her credit card stolen. Det. Pat Williamson of the Jasper County Sheriff’s Department is investigating that theft. He contacted the Tippecanoe County Sheriff’s Office when he discovered the credit card had been used at numerous businesses in Lafayette.

The credit card was used at Target to purchase gift cards totaling $200. The suspect also purchased gift cards in the amount of $200 at Shoe Carnival and $200 more in gift cards at Meijer.

Detectives have been unable to identify the suspect seen in the surveillance photos and are turning to the public for their help.

Surveillance image from Shoe Carnival

The black female who used the stolen credit card is seen in the photos wearing a yellow short sleeve shirt and has a child with her. The store clerk said the suspect had a tattoo on her neck that said “Jason.”

If you have any information about this female please contact Detective Nathan Brown at the Tippecanoe County Sheriff’s Office, (765) 423-9388. Or, you can contact the We-Tip Hotline anonymously at 1-800 78-Crime.

Purdue’s Latino Cultural Center to celebrate ‘Día de los Muertos’

admin — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 20:14:35 +0000

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Purdue University’s Latino Cultural Center will celebrate the Mexican holiday, “Día de los Muertos,” or Day of the Dead, with music, crafts and food from 4-7 p.m. Oct. 30 at the YWCA of Greater Lafayette at 605 N. Sixth Street in Downtown Lafayette. The event is free and open to the public.

On Día de los Muertos, people remember and honor their deceased loved ones by preparing altars for them and decorating the altars with food and valued possessions of the departed.

The holiday, which has its roots in the Aztec and indigenous cultures of Mexico, is celebrated in Mexico and in Latino communities across North America on Nov. 1 and Nov. 2, coinciding with the Roman Catholic holidays of All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day.

“On Día de los Muertos, people remember and honor their deceased loved ones by preparing altars for them and decorating the altars with food and valued possessions of the departed,” said Maricela Alvarado, director of the Latino Cultural Center. “It’s not, however, a Mexican Halloween, as some people might think it is. The focus here is more on the celebration of the lives of one’s departed loved ones than on their death.”

At the event, approximately 15 altars will be on display, created by numerous groups including the Indiana Latino Institute, Latino Center of Tippecanoe County, Ivy Tech Spanish department, and other Purdue departments and student organizations, Alvarado said.

“This event is a modernized version of the more traditional celebration,” Alvarado said. “Consequently, some of the altar decorations will creatively address contemporary issues like tobacco cessation and cancer awareness.”

There also will be a precolonial dance demonstration by a Mexican dance troupe. Free food and refreshments will be served.

For more information, contact the Latino Cultural Center at 765-494-2530 or go to http://www.purdue.edu/lcc

West Lafayette Halloween Guidelines

admin — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 19:16:18 +0000

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — While West Lafayette does not have a set of strict rules for trick or treating, they are offering guidelines that the West Lafayette Police Department encourages the public to observe this Halloween (Saturday, Oct 31).

Children under the age of 12 should be accompanied by an adult.
Carry a flashlight
Cross the street with care
Consider wearing reflective clothing
Complete trick or treating prior to 9pm.
No one should be out after dark alone.

Drivers should be cautious, especially in residential areas and at dusk when visibility is diminished. Remember, in the excitement (and sugar rush) of the moment, children often forget to hold hands or look both ways before crossing the street.

For further questions contact the West Lafayette Police at 765-775-5200.

Purdue’s Leslie Geddes had distinguished teaching, research career

admin — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 00:08:30 +0000

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Leslie Geddes, a Purdue University distinguished professor of biomedical engineering and recipient of the National Medal of Technology, died on Sunday (Oct. 25). He was 88.

Leslie Geddes, Purdue's Showalter Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Bioengineering, and doctoral candidate Rebecca Roeder, test a device they invented that uses optical techniques to measure the vital signs of premature infants. (Purdue University file photo/Vincent Walter)

The Showalter Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Biomedical Engineering, Geddes created innovations ranging from burn treatments to miniature defibrillators and ligament repair to tiny blood pressure monitors for premature infants.

“Purdue is deeply saddened by the loss of Dr. Geddes,” said Purdue President France A. Cordova. “While he is best known for his pioneering work that created the implantable medical device field, and has benefited millions of lives around the world, we also have lost a talented educator with a unique gift for inspiring his students to even greater heights.”

Born May 24, 1921, in Port Gordon, Scotland, his family moved to Canada, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering in 1945 and a master’s degree in electrical engineering in 1953 from McGill University in Montreal. He earned a doctorate in physiology in 1959 from the Baylor University College of Medicine, where Ð among other accomplishments Ð he developed physiological monitoring systems for early astronauts.

Geddes was recruited to Purdue in 1974 to help the university develop an organized biomedical engineering research center and create new technologies in the field, and his research and teaching laid the foundation for creation of a department of biomedical engineering in 1998.

He received the 2006 National Medal of Technology from President George W. Bush in a White House ceremony in 2007. The award is the nation’s highest honor for technological innovation.

His most recent discovery was a new method for performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation that has advantages when compared to standard CPR.

“Dr. Geddes was an incredibly innovative thinker, prolific inventor and gracious individual,” said Leah H. Jamieson, the John A. Edwardson Dean of Engineering. “His work has been a major factor behind Indiana’s emergence as a national leader in biomedical industries. He will be missed by all of us at Purdue and around the globe.”

In 2004 Geddes received Purdue’s Outstanding Commercialization Award to recognize his 30 patents, many now licensed by Indiana companies. Patents and technologies emerging from Geddes’ laboratory have generated more than $15 million in royalties for Purdue.

He officially retired in 1991, when he was named distinguished professor emeritus, but he continued his teaching and research.

“Les Geddes had an exceptional gift for motivating students and exciting people so that they excelled in the classroom and in the laboratory,” said George Wodicka, head of Purdue’s Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering. “His tireless dedication, curiosity, and willingness to explore and test new ideas not only helped shape modern medicine and the medical device industry, but also is a legacy that will continue to inspire future generations of researchers, entrepreneurs and leaders.”

Among his accomplishments during a career that spanned more than 50 years are:

An energy efficient miniature defibrillator – a device that jolts the heart with electricity during a heart attack – that is small enough to implant inside a person.
A regenerative tissue graft made from a layer of pig intestines that has been used by surgeons to treat more than 200,000 patients so far.
A pacemaker that automatically increases a person’s heart rate during exercise.
A portable electrocardiograph that patients use to monitor the electrical patterns of their own hearts.
A miniature cuff that fits over the pinky-sized limbs of premature infants to measure blood pressure, heart and respiratory rates, and the amount of oxygen in the blood.
A device that tells medical personnel whether they are properly administering cardiopulmonary resuscitation. The device could be crucial in saving lives because every minute of delay in resuscitation reduces the chance of survival by 10 percent.

One-third of the $15 million in royalties goes into the university’s venture fund, which supports other research to develop new technologies. Indiana-based companies that have licensed and commercialized Geddes’ inventions include Cook Biotech Inc., DePuy Inc., Eli Lilly and Co., and Hillenbrand Industries.

Geddes received many awards during his illustrious career, including the IEEE Edison Medal, the Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society Career Achievement Award, the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation Laufman-Greatbatch Award, and the Nelson Innovation Award.

In 1962 he married Dr. LaNelle E. (Nerger) Geddes, and she survives. Also surviving is a son, James, two granddaughters and four great-grandchildren.

In lieu of a funeral service, the family has asked that written stories celebrating Geddes’ life be sent to the Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Attn: Jo Gelfand, 206 S. Martin Jischke Drive, West Lafayette, IN 47907-2032. Memorial contributions can be made to the Dr. Leslie A. Geddes Scholarship Fund at the same address.

In Related News:

No Related News

News via Lafayette Indiana Online

Purdue’s Leslie Geddes had distinguished teaching, research career

Downtown Lafayette to be decked out for holiday season

admin — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 21:24:13 +0000

LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Downtown Lafayette will be transformed into a winter wonderland this Saturday (Oct 31) when volunteers install holiday lights, banners and decorations.

Nearly one hundred volunteers from the IBEW Local 668 (International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers) and the NECA (National Electrical Contractors Association) will install special lighting on the Tippecanoe County courthouse dome, Riehle Plaza, the community tree, and other places throughout downtown. Holiday banners and lighted snowflakes will be installed on light poles as well.

The lighting effort, organized by Greater Lafayette Commerce and sponsored by Lafayette Savings Bank, Cook Medical and Landis + Gyr, will take place Saturday, October 31 beginning at 8:00 am.

The decorations will remain unlit until the official Holiday Lighting Celebration and Community Sing on Saturday, December 5th. The lighting ceremony will follow the last scene from A Christmas Carol at the conclusion of Dickens of a Christmas between 5:25-6:00 pm.

The holiday decorations will remain lit through the first of the new year.

Dickens of a Christmas will be in Downtown Lafayette-West Lafayette from 10:00 am – 9:00 pm on December 5.

Other upcoming holiday events include Merchant Holiday Open House on November 13 and 14 and the Christmas Parade on December 6. For more information, please contact Jane Ness or Erin Nelson at GLC, 765/742-4044.

PEFCU hosts free college savings education seminar

admin — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 21:00:26 +0000

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — PEFCU Trust and Financial Center invites the Greater Lafayette community to attend a no-cost, no-obligation “College Savings Plans” seminar at 6:30 p.m., on Thursday, November 5, at the Lafayette Jefferson High School Lab Theater in Lafayette, IN.

The College Savings Plans seminar will be held at 6:30p on Thursday, November 5, at the Lafayette Jefferson High School Lab Theater

College is one of the most significant events in a person’s life, and 529 college savings plans are one of the best ways for parents and grandparents to save for a child’s education. Join us for an educational seminar where we will review the tax benefits, investment options and additional savings options that come with the CollegeChoice Advisor 529 Savings Plan.

This is a no-cost, no-obligation seminar and is open to the public. Complimentary refreshments will be provided.

Seats are limited. Reserve your space by Monday, November 2, by calling 765.497.8847, e-mailing rsvp@purdueefcu.com, or registering at www.purdueefcu.com under “Events Calendar”.

Kathryn Weil Center, Spirit of Women encourage women to live healthy

admin — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 20:52:21 +0000

LAFAYETTE, Ind. — The Kathryn Weil Center for Education and the Spirit of Women are hosting a program that encourages area women to be healthy and have fun.

The Kathryn Weil Center for Education will present “Build Your Immunity, Boost Your Life” at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 19 at the Kathryn Weil Center for Education, 415 N. 26th St., Suite 400 in Lafayette, IN.

The Kathryn Weil Center for Education will present 'Build Your Immunity, Boost Your Life' at 6:30p on Thursday, Nov. 19 at the Kathryn Weil Center for Education, 415 N. 26th St., Suite 400 in Lafayette, IN

“Build Your Immunity, Boost Your Life” will include several presentations and door prizes designed to make the evening both fun and educational. The following events are currently scheduled:

“Secrets of Women Who Don’t Get Sick” by Matthew Schwartz, M.D. a family medicine physician with Sigma Medical Group. Dr. Schwartz will speak on immune systems.
“Flu Prevention Tips” by Laura Aschenberg, R.N., BSN, CIC, regional coordinator of Infection Control for St. Elizabeth Regional Health.
“The Health Benefits of Moderate Wine Consumption” by Charles Thomas, M.D. Dr. Thomas is the founder and owner of Chateau Thomas Winery and also co-founder of the Indiana State Fair International Wine Competition. Dr. Thomas has also taught wine appreciation courses at IUPUI and Marian College. Dr. Thomas is a retired OB/GYN.

This event is co-sponsored by Main Street Cheese and Wine Cellar, which is providing the wine for the wine tasting during this program. Participants will have an opportunity to sample four wines, including a new “Slender” wine. Door prizes will be provided by Believing Heart/Nutrilite Health Supplements and Xocai, who are Spirit of Women business reward partners.

The Kathryn Weil Center for Education and St. Elizabeth Regional Health are members of the Spirit of Women, a national coalition of hospitals and health care providers that pledge to provide the highest standards of excellence in women’s health, education and community outreach.

This program is free for Spirit of Women members or $5 for non-members, and registration is required. To register, please call the Kathryn Weil Center for Education at (765) 449-5133. For more information on the Spirit of Women, please visit www.ste.org/kwce and click on the Spirit of Women link.

Feeding Indiana’s Hungry to purchase 1.2M meals from Hoosier producers

admin — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 15:44:42 +0000

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. –- In the last state budget, Feeding Indiana’s Hungry, Inc. was appropriated $300,000 per year for the two year budget. These funds will provide 1.2 million meals throughout the year for Hoosiers, with meat, produce and other food products purchased directly from Indiana-based commodity producers.

“We are thankful for the faith the Indiana General Assembly placed in our food banks to directly provide food relief to Hoosiers in need, and we will honor our commitment to purchase Indiana-based product to ensure it’s a win-win for all Hoosiers,” said John Etling, President of the Board of Feeding Indiana’s Hungry, Inc. “Indiana is a commodity rich state, which will allow Feeding Indiana’s Hungry to purchase meat, produce, and other food products for our nine member food banks to be distributed to all 92 counties to Hoosiers in need of food assistance,” said Etling.

Nearly 600,000 Hoosiers experience hunger each year, with 190,000 of those being children. Lt. Governor Becky Skillman, who helped form FIsH in 2005, emphasized the importance of food banks in the current economic situation.

“Hoosiers have been tremendously impacted by the national economy, and food banks have recently seen an increase in demand of 30 to 50 percent,” Lt. Gov. Skillman said. “I’m pleased we were able to find money in this tight budget to continue feeding vulnerable Hoosiers.”

Feeding Indiana’s Hungry, Inc. is the statewide association of Feeding America affiliated food banks (formerly America’s Second Harvest). Our nine member food banks serve 1,700 agencies in all 92 counties, providing emergency food assistance to Hoosiers in need.

United Way to host Purdue Extension poverty simulation

admin — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 19:39:05 +0000

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — The United Way of Greater Lafayette and the Indiana Nonprofit Resource Network will host a poverty simulation for community leaders, nonprofit boards and staff, and interested community members from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday (Oct. 14) at the Tippecanoe County Fairgrounds.

The simulator, presented by the Purdue University Cooperative Extension Service, teaches participants what life in poverty is really like.

“One out of every eight people in Indiana lives in poverty – that’s almost 800,000 individuals,” said Hannah Ritchie, Purdue Extension consumer and family sciences operations coordinator. “The simulator is not a game. It is a great opportunity for community leaders and the general public to see what life is really like for people with low incomes. It’s a very eye-opening experience and one we hope will inspire participants to get out in the community and work to solve the problem.”

Simulation participants will use a kit to role-play the lives of low-income families and try to budget their resources to provide basic necessities and shelter over the course of four 15-minute “weeks.” During the simulation, they will interact with mock human service agencies, grocers, pawn brokers, bill collectors, job interviewers, police officers and more.

After the simulation, a facilitated discussion about the experience will allow the group to share insights with one another.

“The federal poverty level is $22,050 per year for two adults and two children. Indiana’s minimum wage is $15,080 annually,” Ritchie said. “There are so many people out there who have to just simply survive. We want to give participants a new understanding of what it means to live in poverty and a new perspective when working with the impoverished.”

Those interested in participating in the free poverty simulator are asked to register online by Monday (Oct. 12) at www.INRNWEST.blogspot.com

For more information about the Oct. 14 presentation of the poverty simulator, contact Jillian Miller with the United Way at 765-413-6049, jmiller@uw.lafayette.in.us. More information about the simulation itself is available by contacting Ritchie at 765-496-2489, hritchie@purdue.edu.