Muncie votes ‘no’ to tax raise Referendum defeated Tuesday, MCS looks for new way to pay CHRISTOPHER STEPHENS ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR | news@bsudailynews.com
Muncie residents have made their decision on the future of their yellow school buses by voting no on Tuesday. The referendum looking to raise property taxes to a maximum of 39.39 cents per $100 to pay for Muncie Community School’s busing failed to pass with a close vote of 53.89 percent voting no and 46.11 percent voting yes. The school system now must find another way
to come up with the money or lose the transportation for their students. Supporters on both sides of the referendum have focused on the poorest of Muncie residents. In Muncie, 31.4 percent residents live below the poverty line, according to a report published by the Ball State Bureau of Business Research. The failure to pass the referendum prevented what was projected to be a yearly tax increase of $200 to $400, said Chris Hiatt, owner of Hiatt Printing, and several other rental property owners. Supporters of the referendum said those who cannot afford to take their children safely to school will be the most impacted by the loss of service.
DN WEDNESDAY, NOV. 6, 2013
Muncie schools are already facing low enrollment numbers, with around 4,000 students. Those on the “vote yes” side have proposed that a failure to continue free transportation to and from school could hurt attendance. M&M Bus Company is responsible for MCS daily transportation, and it employs 89 drivers who will lose their jobs if the buses stop running, Stacy Walker, an M&M driver, said. Indiana requires a school district to give residents notice before ceasing busing operations; however, the school district has filed for a waiver of this requirement. Mark Burkhart, MCS chief financial officer, said the state has postponed judgement on the waiver until after Muncie citizens vote on the referendum.
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False report not first for university Ball State student confessed to lying about attack 4 years ago ALAN HOVORKA STAFF REPORTER | afhorvoka@bsu.edu
Within the past four years, Ball State has accused two students of filing false police reports of assault in the month of October. In 2009, Karina Villa reported to police that she had been grabbed from behind on her way back to her residence hall. On Oct. 26, 2013, a sophomore fundamentals of management and communication studies major, reported a man had pulled out a knife and stabbed him in the arm around 11:30 p.m. in the parking lot by Worthen Are- ANDREW PIZZANO na after demanding his cell- a sophomore fundamentals phone and wallet. Andrew Pizzano’s friend of management took him to IU Health Ball and communiMemorial Hospital, which is cation studies where he said he filed a re- major port with police. The university then issued one emergency notification email at 1 a.m. After an investigation by the University Police Department, Pizzano now faces accusations of lying to police and possibly a series of events similar to what Villa faced in 2009. Villa confessed to investigators that she falsified her report of someone grabbing her during another interview with UPD in 2009. This interview happened after officers found inconsistencies in her report and evidence gathered. UPD then handed the case over to the Delaware County Prosecutor’s Office.
DN PHOTO ILLUSTRATION JONATHAN MIKSANEK
Junior running back Jahwan Edwards breaks away from the University of Akron defense during the game Oct. 26 at InfoCision Stadium. Edwards is sixth on Ball State’s alltime rushing list.
See STABBING, page 5
RUNNING WITH PATIENCE Junior back has distinctive rushing style, 1st in all-time team touchdowns scored MCKINNEY SPORTS EDITOR | MATT @Matt_D_McKinney
Jahwan Edwards is the workhorse running back of Ball State’s football team, a key cog in a part of a well-oiled machine. It’s a machine that is currently second in the Mid-American Conference in both points per game and offensive yards per game. As opposed to most collegiate running backs, Edwards doesn’t begin running toward the hole between linemen immediately. He has a more patient running style. “The way the line is, I have to make the linebackers commit to the line,” the junior said of his running style. Edwards said because of Ball State’s blocking scheme, he doesn’t need to focus on the defenders most would, the ones immediately in front of him. “I’m really looking at the linebackers,” Edwards said. “I don’t even pay attention to the d-line because I feel like we don’t get
tackles for loss a lot.” He’s not wrong. Of the seven games Edwards has played in this season — he missed two with an injury — he has just 14 yards of loss. In the two games against the University of Toledo and Kent State University, he had zero negative plays. “I’m not worried about getting tackled from the backside,” he said. “The offensive line has done a great job. I just have to be patient.” Edwards will take a carry, run to the line and stop, waiting for an opening. “You have to have a change of pace,” he said. “It isn’t always about the big hit. I’ll go out for three or four [yards]. I know the big one is going to come soon. You have to be patient. ... The linemen do a great job of opening it up, I just have to keep my feet moving.” The offensive line was a mix of four new starters this season. Last season had a veteran line with 164 combined starts, but this season’s came together late in the offseason. One of the tackle positions wasn’t decided until a few weeks before the season opener. “They’re definitely coming together,” Edwards said. Head coach Pete Lembo had similar thoughts on the line.
See FOOTBALL, page 4
SGA TO DISCUSS GAY MARRIAGE BAN
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Student Government Association may hear the first reading of a referendum to decide its stance on House Joint Resolution 6, Indiana’s proposed amendment to ban same-sex marriage in the state constitution. The SGA Agenda Committee, which meets before its Senate at 3:15 p.m., must first vote to put the reading on the agenda. If SGA passes the referendum, it will use student opinion to determine its recommendation for the university’s stance. University Senate will vote on whether or not they support HJR 6 on Nov. 14. Provost Terry King encouraged SGA to vote on legislation so its recommendation can go along with that of University Senate. SGA bills must be read twice before they can be passed, so if SGA wants to send a recommendation to University Senate, the referendum must be read first today and passed Nov. 13. At midnight today, the proposed referendum had 20 sponsors. “The first reading is to raise awareness,” SGA pro tempore Jack Hesser said. “Students should talk to people in SGA to voice their opinion.” Student senators are currently soliciting a survey asking Ball State students their opinions of the bill on Facebook.
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SGA TO VOTE ON BILL FOR GREEK FUNDS Plan called ‘unconstitutional,’ against co-sponsorship guideline RACHEL PODNAR CHIEF REPORTER | rmpodnar@bsu.edu Members of Student Government Association will vote today on a bill for Greek Life cosponsorship that executive board members have called “unconstitutional” as it is currently written. The bill, which was first introduced during the SGA meeting Oct. 16, calls to allocate $6,000 for Greek Life organizations in future SGA budgets. Treasurer Kevin Mullaney said the co-sponsorship committee has written recommendations for changes to the bill because it does not adhere to SGA co-sponsorship guidelines. “We like the idea, but they are asking about getting the money in SOME RULES the wrong way,” he said. FOR SGA COThe bill says the greek community needs more SPONSORSHIP money to “continue • Any organization applying for successful recruitment funds must be an of Ball State students,” official university implying if the bill is organization. passed, the money • T he event must be would go toward greek hosted within the recruitment. boundaries of Ball According to SGA CoState campus. Sponsorship Guide- • A pplications must lines, funding for demonstrate a apparel and events inbenefit for Ball State volving alcoholic beverstudents. ages or charitable con- • E vents must be free tributions will not be of charge. granted co-sponsorship approval. During the first reading of the bill, Jacob Cash and Jonathan Wolfschlag, the authors and SGA senators, said Greek Life needs to have this money to help with recruiting, especially for any new chapters that want to open on Ball State’s campus. THE PULSE OF BALL STATE
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See GREEK, page 5
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1. CLOUDY
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FORECAST TODAY Rain showers High: 61 Low: 38 6. RAIN 7. PERIODS OF RAIN
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There will be showers across East Central Indiana today. An area of high pressure will then bring clear, sunny skies by the weekend. - Erin DeArmond, Weather Forecaster 8. RAIN SHOWERS
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VOL. 93, ISSUE 45
THE PULSE OF BALL STATE