Merry Christmas, all!   Hope you have a safe and wonderful holiday.  An in addition to getting what you want, I hope you get what you deserve!  :-) Just kidding.

The three suspects arrested in last month’s explosion of a home on Indianapolis’ south could get the death penalty, according to Marion County Prosecutor Terry Curry.

Murder and arson charges were filed against Mark Leonard, Monserrate Shirley and Bob Leonard, Jr. in connection with the Richmond Hill explosion on Nov. 10.  The explosion at Shirley’s residence, 8349 Fieldfare Way, ignited a fire at the home of next-door neighbors John and Jennifer Longworth, causing their deaths.

Mark Leonard, Monserrate Shirley and Bob Leonard, Jr. were arrested this morning.  They are each charged with the following:

·         Felony Murder (two counts)

·         Conspiracy to Commit Arson, Class A Felony (one count)

·         Arson, Class A Felony (12 counts)

·         Arson, Class B Felony (33 counts)

Both Mark Leonard and Monserrate Shirley are each charged with an additional count of Conspiracy to Commit Arson, a Class B Felony.

Curry says because there were multiple deaths the three are eligible for the death penalty under Indiana law, however that decision will not be made for 30 days.

Authorities say insurance fraud was the motive for the explosion.  Investigators discovered the gas had been turned on in the home and the microwave was set to go off several hours later.  It was a spark that caused the explosion, but authorities would not say if it was something in the microwave.

Curry says investigators knew from the first day of the explosion that the microwave was the cause of the incident.

He also says the suspects tried to blow up the house in the same manner the weekend before.

You can hear Curry’s comments below in two parts.  In part one he walks through the probable cause affidavit, in part two, he and Public Safety Director Troy Riggs take questions from the media.

Leon-Tailored Audio:  Richmond Hills Explosion Arrest News Conference – 1 (11 min)

Leon-Tailored Audio:  Richmond Hills Explosion Arrest News Conference – 2 (15 min)

A copy of the probable cause affidavit can be found here.

Marion County Sheriff John Layton is not too happy these days with fellow elected and public safety officials.  Not only did he accuse some of them of playing politics with the Sheriff’s office, but some of being too stupid to figure out public safety.  And to top it off, he put it all down in writing.  Happy reading.

If there is one thing to take away from the tragedy in Connecticut it is that we should appreciate the people we love today, because there is no guarantee we will have them tomorrow.

We all go through these types of experiences at times.  My wife’s car accident, my son’s surgery and my Dad’s minor stroke a few years back.  In each one of these instances, while everyone turned out okay, there was that moment when I was not sure about what the outcome was going to be and there is nothing worse than that feeling, especially for an individual who prides himself on being able to make things happen when they need to.

Now as some of you know I am not the most religious person on this planet, however I do believe in God.  I am not going to say that tragedies like this are his will.  Theologians have debated for centuries behind the meanings of events like these.  What I will say is that sometimes things have to happen so we can appreciate the people around us more.

Who knows, maybe a parent who was working more than necessary decided that was enough and to reconnect with their children, or perhaps an estranged family won’t be so estranged this holiday season.  Or maybe, just maybe, someone who hasn’t told you they loved you in a while will.

Tragedies are always hard on the soul.  They remind us that we are human, frail and our lives can be snuffed out at any moment by events we had nothing to do with.  On the other side, they can also remind us what is most important in this world, the people we love and the people who love us.

Believe it or not, the most expensive place to educate a child in Indiana is not in the Indianapolis Public School District or Ft. Wayne, it’s the Hammond Academy of  Math & Science Technology.  According to 2011 state data, Hammond Academy spends nearly $35,000 per student.

In all of calendar year 2011, Indiana’s publicly funded schools received more than $12 billion in state, local and federal taxes.  Divide than up between nearly one million kids in K-12 classrooms and the average cost per student is slightly more than $12,000 each.

In 2011, schools (both traditional public and charter) received $6.5 billion in state money, nearly $4.2 billion in local revenue and $1.3 billion in state assistance.

There 358 public and charter school corporations in the state.

The school corporations with the highest expenditures per student were…

•         Hammond Academy of Science and Technology – $34,915.

•         Hope Academy – $18,735.

•         DeKalb County Eastern School Community District – $21,720.

•         Muncie Community Schools – $17,761.

•         School City of East Chicago – $17,423.

•          Indianapolis Public Schools – $17,052.

•         Hamilton Community Schools – $17,040.

The school corporations with the lowest expenditures per student were…

•          Geist Montessori Academy – $6,828.

•          Stonegate Early Clg HS for Sci/Tech – $6,815.

•          Renaissance Academy Charter School – $7,099.

•          Rock Creek Community Academy – $7,110.

•          Beacon Academy –  $7,696

•          Signature School – $7,336

•          Cass Township Schools – $5,884*

*In 2011, Cass Township Schools merged with Dewey Prairie Consolidated Schools to form the new Tri-Towship Consolidated School District.

A complete list of  publicly funded school revenue and expenditures is below.

Unless Indiana Governor-elect Mike Pence has a change of heart, expect him to include his proposed 10-percent income tax cut in the first budget he submits to the General Assembly.

The tax cut was one of the cornerstones of Pence’s campaign promises.  However some Indiana lawmakers have expressed concerns that such a tax cut might not be sustainable in light of a weak economy and the state already cutting the corporate income tax and phasing out the inheritance tax.

In a news conference last week announcing members of his cabinet Pence said that because of Indiana’s strong fiscal position lawmakers have a number of choices and for him one of those choices is tax relief.  Pence said his priorities include tax relief for Hoosiers and that his first budget will reflect those priorities.

Pence has maintained that the state can afford the tax cut and still keep 12.5 percent in reserves.  In a white paper, Pence makes the assumption that state revenue will grow approximately 2.5 percent annually and appropriations will stay at 1.5 percent.  This would create estimated budget surpluses of $426 million in 2013, $516 million in 2014 and $667 million in 2015.

The phase in of the income tax cut would cost $261 million in 2014, leaving $255 million for reserves and $534 million in 2015, leaving $133 million to be placed in reserves.  Pence argues that even with the tax cut, the state would still have a higher percentage in reserves than the recommended 12.5 percent.  His team estimates a 14 percent reserve in 2013, 14.3 percent in 2014 and 15 percent in 2015.

Also by phasing in the tax cut, Pence says lawmakers can see how it impacts the state’s bottom line and make adjustments as needed.

A copy of Pence’s tax proposal can be found here.

A report by Indiana Black Expo shows some unsettling data regarding the state of Black youth in the Hoosier State.

There are more than 200,000 Black youth in Indiana, making up 11.25% of the population between ages 0-19.  The survey revealed the following…

• The percentage of Hoosier families headed by single mothers was 57.7%,  more than double of all families.
• Indiana’s Black median household income was $16,000 less than the general Indiana population.
• More than 15.2% of Black children live in poverty. That number is 38.1% in Indianapolis.
• In Indianapolis 16.3% of Black students are enrolled in special education programs while only 8.1% are in gifted and talented programs.

A complete copy of the report is below.

An area political organization that was once a considered a powerhouse for civil rights and social justice in Indianapolis has been kicked out of its office space in the Julia Carson Government Center for failure to pay its rent.

The Concerned Clergy which consisted of pastors, lay people, elected officials and some local business people was reportedly evicted today for being behind three months on its rent.

Indy Politics is told the organization had a lease to pay $400 a month to the Center Township Trustee’s Office which overseas the building.

It was three months behind when the group was served an eviction notice.

It is unclear whether the Concerned Clergy was experiencing financial issues.  It’s annual membership fees were $120 however it paid about $125 weekly to serve breakfast at its Saturday meetings.