No one would argue that the last several weeks in Indiana have lacked excitement. But with all the high-profile politicians and celebrities crisscrossing the state, it would be easy to forget that Tuesday’s election is about much more than a Democratic presidential primary.

Adults can’t prevent every prom-season tragedy, but they can increase kids’ chances of making it home safely.

• Obama’s missed opportunity
• Disappointment, but no surprise
• Success in West Terre Haute

The May 6 Indiana primary election campaign over the past few weeks has developed into a smoldering cauldron of political intrigue as the race for the Democratic presidential nomination remains hotly contested.

We lend our voice today to calls from around the state and nation for a robust, high-profile, televised debate in Indiana between Democratic presidential contenders Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton within the next week.

Max Ehrmann was once a fixture at the corner of Seventh Street and Wabash Avenue in Terre Haute, sitting and watching people pass.

Hillary Clinton’s campaign organization and some of its supporters have been in a virtual frenzy this week trying to ravage Barack Obama as an elitist who is out of touch with Midwestern voters.

The May 6 primary is still more than three weeks away. With the Democratic presidential primary still competitive, Indiana has become a national battle zone. The coming weeks should hold much drama.

Even in tough economic times, Terre Haute’s public parks have been a point of pride for nearly all citizens. The last few weeks, though, a parks issue has become a people divider:

T.S. Eliot probably spoke for many melancholy souls when he penned the words, “April is the cruelest month …” Then again, that was 1922, long before Earth Day gave even the most melancholic among us a reason in April to hope — and to act.

The most recent turn of events in the ongoing search for a new president at Indiana State University is undoubtedly disappointing to both the ISU community and the community at-large.

As elections go in Indiana, May 6 has far more appeal to potential voters than primaries of the past. The hotly contested Democratic presidential race is the driving force

Two neighbors shared a bittersweet hug as an assortment of teenagers watched, along with community leaders. Tami Smith wished she’d attended Tuesday’s news conference in her role as a health-care careers teacher at West Vigo and Northview high schools.

When tested, Terre Haute shows a strength and class outsiders may not expect from this city. The old stereotypes of a smelly, dying Rust Belt town are hard to shed. Thursday’s visit by presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, though, left no doubt that Terre Haute is a place anxious and prepared to be a leader when the eyes of the state and nation fall upon it.

For the second time in less than week, Indiana takes center stage today in the hotly contested Democratic presidential primary as Sen. Hillary Clinton courts voters and touts her plan for a beleaguered U.S. economy.

The Indiana Legislature needs to make the safety of teenage drivers a priority. In 2007, an Indiana Senate bill would have greatly improved teens’ preparation for operating an automobile.

In the area of election reform, we have not often been a fan of Secretary of State Todd Rokita’s initiatives. Case in point: Indiana’s voter ID law, a solution in search of a problem.

The news about Vigo County’s efforts to improve graduation rates for black students is good indeed. There is a long way to go, but the progress the school district is making shows a significant level of institutional commitment accompanied by student achievement.

Monday’s plea agreement between prosecutors and Vigo County Recorder Ray Watts took significant steps toward resolving the disturbing matter of a public official accused of sexually harassing a member of his staff. Watts admitted guilt, and will resign from his position within three months.

The entire city of Terre Haute would change dramatically if it followed the lead of its oldest neighborhood, Farrington’s Grove.

The ill-fated split in open-wheel auto racing in 1994 did not change the Indianapolis 500’s status as “the greatest spectacle in racing.” The Speedway still drew massive crowds, and Indy remained a spectacle, an event.

It is with great pride — and a healthy dose of anxiety — that Indiana bids farewell and Godspeed to members of the 76th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, the 438th Chemical Company and the 38th Main Support Battalion of the Indiana National Guard.

It was a tough way to get educated about the federal Hatch Act and U.S. tax code, but Hamilton Center’s directors now know enough about those subjects, they could conduct seminars to help other non-profits avoid making some of the mistakes they did.

Finally, Terre Haute will endure the suspense of a mystery with a happy ending.

If the recycling aspect of Terre Haute’s 20-year trash removal contract with Republic Services, Inc., were up to us — or to most veteran recyclers — it would look a lot different. People would be rewarded for recycling and charged extra for continuing to generate more landfill-bound trash.

Partisan politics aside, the official announcement by Terre Haute’s Greg Goode that he will seek the Republican nomination for the 8th District’s congressional seat should be greeted here with pride and anticipation.

Last week’s strangest and most disappointing news item was the drunken driving arrest of Sullivan City Council President Clint Lamb.

The dust has begun to settle around the recently completed 2007 fund-raising campaign for United Way of the Wabash Valley. But it’s hardly a time for those involved with the organization to rest.

College basketball will never be the same without Bob Knight. Many hoops fans undoubtedly breathed deep sighs of relief Monday when news broke that Knight had abruptly stepped down at Texas Tech.

Pardon us. Many of us Hoosiers are not feeling super.
We just survived a Super Bowl Sunday that didn’t involve the defending champion Indianapolis Colts. Today, Indiana will again watch from the sidelines as half of America picks presidential candidates on Super Tuesday.

In his “Serenity Prayer,” American theologian Reinhold Niebuhr sought guidance to discern the inevitable from the preventable.
It reads, “God, give us the grace to accept with serenity the things that cannot be changed, courage to change the things that should be changed, and the wisdom to distinguish one from the other.”

The 27-member board of directors of the Wabash Valley Fairgrounds is facing an interesting decision in coming weeks. Not only will the decision have a profound impact on the future of the annual 4-H fair and its facilities south of Terre Haute, but on the primary retail district serving west-central Indiana and east-central Illinois as well.

• Full-time vs. part-time: Full-time wins
• Anchoring a new administration
• A place in the Indiana Hall

Modern Terre Haute history is — you’ll excuse the term — littered with failed attempts at curbside recycling. While communities all around us have instituted efficient, eco-friendly programs, ours has debated, stumbled and continued to send staggering amounts of trash into ever-expanding landfills.

When you’re out and about on Friday — or even if you stay inside and keep tabs on the outside world via radio or TV — it’s likely you will encounter those engaged in a final push to help United Way of the Wabash Valley reach its annual fund-raising goal.

The Indiana Coalition for Open Government did the state a big favor recently when it released results of a survey showing that Hoosiers who have used the services of Indiana’s public access counselor overwhelmingly believe there should be sharper teeth in public access laws.

A heavy weight of anticipation will hang in the Statehouse air today as the short session of the 105th Indiana General Assembly is gaveled to order.
The eruption of a full-blown property tax crisis last summer, when residential property owners encountered startling increases in their tax bills, ensured that high tension would greet lawmakers in 2008.

The Commission on State Tax and Financing Policy — a committee of state lawmakers investigating property tax reform — met several times earlier this year. And it heard such complaints as:

Hoosiers are renowned for their application of the adage “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” The problem is that tools, even if unbroken, lose their utility after time brings a new set of challenges and, ultimately, innovations.

Kevin Burke’s tenure as mayor of Terre Haute came to an end Tuesday. It was a relatively quiet passing, given the high drama that has accompanied most of his administration.

Duke Bennett will begin writing a new chapter in the annals of local politics on Tuesday when he takes the oath of office as mayor of Terre Haute.

The growth of Indiana State University in and around downtown Terre Haute, if done carefully, helps secure the future of the city.

With the hustle, bustle and related tensions of the approaching winter holidays, you may at times find yourself searching for a way to seize a moment of peace and recapture the wonders of the Christmas season. One way to do that is to relax and look at the holidays through the wide and hopeful eyes of children.

In the wake of Friday’s ruling by Vigo Superior Court Judge David Bolk on Terre Haute’s mayoral election, we could not possibly improve on the words of Kevin Burke.

Scott Javins, the young Terre Haute man who lost his life more than five years ago in the Wabash River near Fairbanks Park, will be laid to rest on Saturday.

If you were to assemble a group of smart, forward-thinking people to create from scratch a structure of local self-government, the end result would almost certainly resemble the plan proposed last week by the Kernan-Shepard Commission.

Many who have spent time and energy the past few years fueling the impressive renaissance in downtown Terre Haute are suffering an emotional numbness in the prolonged wake of the 2007 mayoral election.

At the rate the wheels of justice turn in such matters, we still may be speculating about the finer points of the Hatch Act and Hamilton Center’s status as a 501(c)(3) non-profit this time next year. The more lawyers who climb aboard these increasingly complex cases, the longer they likely will take for resolution.

The words Ron Prettyman chose to introduce Trent Miles as the new Indiana State University coach Tuesday probably haven’t been uttered in connection with Sycamore football in a long time. “This is an exciting day,” said Prettyman, the athletic director who hired Miles.

On one level, there is the unique and unusual scenario of a challenge to the Terre Haute mayoral election. Within our judicial system, attorneys and judges will answer the question raised by incumbent Mayor Kevin Burke

As a member of the search committee for Indiana State University’s next president put it, this hiring decision is “very critical” for the school.

November has been rugged for Terre Haute. Municipal elections frayed nerves here.
It’s time for some fun, though. With 565 of the finest long-distance runners in America converging, once again, on the city, the NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships give Terre Hauteans a chance to unite for a spectacular event that has become a local tradition.

One of the few things the collective community can agree on right when it comes to the unofficial results and fallout of the recent mayoral race is that emotions remain high and hot. Unfortunately, Democrat Mayor Kevin Burke and his campaign advisors have made things even worse

If Duke Bennett’s mayoral win holds through the recount, it will be technically historic. A Republican has not captured the office since 1967. But before anyone starts talking about a sea change in local political attitudes, it would be wise to consider two significant factors:

One certainty about Terre Haute politics is that it never lacks color and drama, and Tuesday’s mayoral election was no exception.

We realize some folks don’t think of newspapers as members of the community, but we do and, fortunately, so do many of our readers. That perception lies at the heart of why we choose to endorse candidates for elected office, particularly on the local level.

With a hotly contested mayoral race commanding voter interest in Tuesday’s Terre Haute municipal election, it would be easy to lose sight of the fact that other crucial matters are on the ballot. A new, nine-member City Council will be elected, and these races deserve attention.

For the first time in four general-election seasons, the race for mayor of Terre Haute has actually been a race. The strength of Republican Duke Bennett’s campaign as a challenger to incumbent Democrat Kevin Burke is healthy for this city and its residents.

Indiana’s inconsistent and inefficient property tax system is a major problem, and Gov. Mitch Daniels deserves credit for crafting a remedy. But his plan must be intensely scrutinized to make sure it doesn’t leave Hoosiers with even bigger long-term problems.

The degree of interest in any election among potential voters — who also happen to be all newspapers’ avid and loyal readers — is always most intense the last two weeks of a political campaign. That’s why we target the majority of our pre-election coverage to the final 10 days or so before voters go to the polls.

Good news is rare when it comes to predictions of winter home heating costs. Yet some Wabash Valley residents got a modestly upbeat outlook from Vectren Energy this week.

It is significant that an internal investigation by Indiana University uncovered telephone recruiting violations by Hoosiers basketball coach Kelvin Sampson and his staff.

No aspect of Thursday’s sad news surrounding the local Pfizer Inc. plant could be considered positive. Just a few years ago, that company’s innovative inhaled-insulin drug, Exubera, looked like a boon to the local economy.

Few stories have been more perplexing, more confounding, and more heart-wrenching than that of the disappearance of Scott Javins almost five and a half years ago.

The ability of reporters to protect confidential sources is a time-honored tool of the news gathering process. If that ability is curtailed, all of society will suffer, not just journalists.

Crashes involving motor vehicles and deer are all too frequent in west-central Indiana, especially from October through December when deer are mating and migrating, and daylight hours are decreasing. Nationwide, these unfortunate crashes kill more than 150 people each year and nearly one and a half million deer.

There was a time when the U.S. Supreme Court agreeing to hear a case was considered good news. That has changed for millions of Americans over the last few years, and an Indiana lawsuit headed for the high court underscores why.

For all of our country’s innovations, contemporary Americans have been backward in one notable area: accepting our mortality. Maybe that’s because death seems like a contradiction (or a failure) to a nation of can-do problem solvers.

Indiana State University changed more than its head football coach Monday. The university finally ditched its acceptance of being an also-ran. As a result, “excellence” now becomes a priority for the Sycamore gridiron program and the school.

Three out of every four years in Indiana, there is an election each spring and fall. These are important times when officials are selected for a wide array of government positions to represent the interests of the people.

The people of 12 Points and surrounding area are fed up with what they see as a decline in their neighborhood and an increase in criminal activity.

Traffic and commercial trends often outpace the ability of a community’s transportation infrastructure to keep up. At times, the problems these dynamics create take the form of the proverbial 800-pound ape in the middle of the room.

Highly visible among the hundreds of people who gathered this week for the groundbreaking of Union Hospital’s $178-million expansion project were doctors, nurses, technicians and other uniformed medical workers who will be the heart and soul of the new complex.

The collective mood on the campus of Indiana State University is calm, in stark contrast to recent Septembers when enrollment flagged, the future of the school’s curriculum was in upheaval, and dissatisfaction with President Lloyd Benjamin and his administration intensified.

If you’re physically able and you’ve got at least 5 bucks to spare, why not give Cos’ and Phylicia Rashad the weekend off and head to Seventh and Wabash for the Blues at the Crossroads Festival? Unless you’re going to go all Rain Man about your favorite TV show with the whole “Wapner’s on in 10 minutes” thing, go to the festival.

Ideally, a school system should offer every student the tools necessary to prosper in life after high school. The tricky part of that goal is deciding how high to set the bar. If it’s too low, the teenagers may languish and underachieve.

There is always something in the air in Terre Haute this time of year. And it has nothing to do with the occasional odor that wafts in the late-summer breeze on the city’s southwest side.

What a difference a year makes. When Dr. Dorene Hojnicki was hired to replace retiring Emergency Management Agency director Richard Setliff during the summer of 2006, little did she know what awaited her.

Joe Etling just might be the loneliest man in Terre Haute this political season. Consider: The potential exists that two of the highest offices in local politics will be lost to Republicans in consecutive years on Etling’s watch as chair of the Vigo County Democratic Party.

Newspapers and moving pictures? How can that be? Simple. The Internet has indeed changed everything when it comes to delivering news and information to readers.

The 90-degree heat outside and the calendar tell us differently, but summer officially ends in Vigo County this morning.

The steam rolling through Indiana’s cities and countryside has little to do with the oppressive heat and humidity that have settled upon them this August. It has everything to do with the ongoing controversy over higher property tax bills that socked Hoosiers this summer and triggered calls for reform.

The only universal feeling among baseball fans after Barry Bonds finally hit his record 756th home run on Tuesday night was relief. Thank goodness it’s over.

Every time we pass one of the 30 brightly painted colts currently on display in Terre Haute, we are reminded that each negative phenomenon has a positive counterpart.

Vigo County is no longer an afterthought to our local representation in Congress.

The pro football world revolves around Terre Haute for the next 22 days. Yes, it’s good to be the king.

If Vigo County Prosecutor Terry Modesitt wonders why we keep harping on the pitfalls of his part-time status, he need look no further than his own recent statements about the Ray Watts case.

“Nobody likes a sore loser.”
We were reminded of that timeless lesson of competition upon reading the city’s response to a successful lawsuit by four Terre Haute firefighters.

Greg Oden is a refreshing addition to the National Basketball Association. The towering top draft pick of the Portland Trail Blazers had to bow out of NBA Summer League play last week because of tonsillitis.

Governors have the opportunity to appoint lots of people to jobs in state government. It’s one of the great perks of the office.
For the most part, we have no problem with that.

United Way of the Wabash Valley has solidified itself as the premier community service agency in west-central Indiana. Its annual fund-raising campaign continues to excel and reach for new heights, and its funding distribution system has earned the faith and trust of its many corporate and individual donors.

Gov. Mitch Daniels, who declared in June that he would, indeed, seek re-election to a second term as Indiana’s chief executive, returned from a week-long vacation and promptly demonstrated a rush of intellectual clarity as he took on an issue that has been simmering like a Hoosier heat wave — property taxes.

The positive buzz around downtown Terre Haute has gotten a little bit louder.
A week ago, the long-anticipated public art exhibit conducted by Swope Art Museum was launched and 30 colorful fiberglass colts were placed in designated locations around the city.

If ever a case underscored the need for new legislation, it is that of the big-rig truck driver who killed eight people on the Indiana Toll Road in April.

“When in the course of human events …”
Viewed without context, those seven words don’t have the ring of revolution, nor even a hint of mild dissent. They could be the opening phrase of almost any formal treatise, launching forth in eloquent tones about topics big or small.

The value of any law is its result, not merely its intention. Thus, the Vigo County clean indoor air ordinance is already showing signs of success, even though it just took effect today.

The subject of seat belt laws never fails to generate controversy and resentment in some sectors of the population. The majority of people, however, seem to accept them as a reasonable intrusion into individual privacy and, let’s be frank, a common-sense nudge from government to do the right thing when driving on public roads and highways.

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito was impressive in his June 13 appearance before the National Italian-American Foundation in Washington, D.C.

With the building on South 13th Street in Washington Park now legally in the hands of the Terre Haute Parks and Recreation Department, the time has come to resolve lingering issues and move past this unseemly confrontation over the future of what is known as “Hyte Center.”

Indiana State University has been struggling through troubled times. On multiple fronts, including an alarming decline in student enrollment in recent years, the news coming out of ISU has been disturbing.

The sad reality of a proposal to hire rangers to patrol the Terre Haute city parks is that they wouldn’t be needed if people acted responsibly.
Last week, Parks Superintendent Greg Ruark outlined a proposal to create a crew of three to six city rangers.

It seems to be a weekly occurrence these days that we read news of newsroom cutbacks, layoffs or buyouts at major metropolitan newspapers. The U.S. newspaper industry is in a state of flux, and the loss of some of its reputable, veteran personalities is one of the casualties.
The news from Chicago this week is that longtime Chicago Tribune technology/computer columnist Jim Coates has taken a buyout and retired.

Almost nothing about the death of Cameron Langenfeld can lift the heart. The Terre Haute boy was only 11 and full of life and hope when he was struck and killed by a car while riding his bicycle on South Fruitridge Avenue last weekend.

The pragmatic resolution of the Vigo County schools artificial turf issue offers proof that patient, reasonable public process can lead to — you’ll excuse the play on words — beneficial common ground.

Public servant.
Sometimes it seems the term is as antiquated as the set of values it implies for an individual: a person who is motivated by the desire to make a community a better place for everyone who lives in it, not just for those who attend the same church or belong to the same clubs or who can afford to create and maintain a nice quality life on their own.

Let’s see, what’s going on in Dallas this weekend?
There’s an exhibit of real human cadavers at Fair Park. The three-day National Polka Festival is under way. The National Tap Dance Celebration wrapped up Saturday. The over-25 crowd got crazy at the Grown-n-Sexy Old School Skate Party on Friday. Meanwhile, the Boston Red Sox are in town to play the last-place Texas Rangers at nearby Arlington Stadium.
We’re exhausted just imagining all of that happening in one place.

Democrat Brad Ellsworth, the former sheriff of Vanderburgh County who ousted longtime U.S. Rep. John Hostettler from his congressional seat last fall, should have a special place in his heart for Vigo County voters. They overwhelmingly supported him in his 8th District run.

A judge’s decision last week should end the divisive battle for control of the Charles T. Hyte Community Center. It’s time to heal and move on.

College Football Hall of Fame voters did not choose Anthony Thompson just because he’s humble.
Instead, A.T. ran his way into that shrine as the greatest football player in Indiana University history.

Those in Terre Haute who call themselves Democrats — at least those who vote that way in primary elections — have apparently found a mayor with whom they’re willing to stick.

There is no legitimate reason why Tuesday’s primary election should not attract the mother of all voter turnouts.
Without the national drama of presidential or congressional races attached, municipal election years typically draw paltry participation levels. In 2003, only 17 percent of the voters cast ballots in the Terre Haute primary.
It would be a shame for that to happen again Tuesday.

City Council members play a crucial role in Terre Haute’s future. Voters can shape that destiny in the May 8 primary election.
Though the slate of City Council candidates is not widely diverse demographically, there is a variety of viewpoints among this group that will give voters clear choices. We see, in some cases, a chance for the council to be strengthened.

There has been no shortage of campaign rhetoric flying around town, much of it to do with the responsibilities of a mayor or the limits thereof.