Indiana Briefs

indiana-state-seal-5-jpg-4

BMV announces refunds, ITT facing lawsuits, Mike Pence gets his first security briefing…

BMV REFUNDS

Bureau of Motor Vehicles Commissioner Kent Abernathy announced that approximately 5- million customers who were overcharged by the B-M-V have received an additional $28.75 million dollars in refunds by way of credits to their BMV accounts.

Abernathy says customers who were overcharged will find credits on their accounts that can be applied to their next transaction, or they can request a check from the BMV. He added that they are currently determining the most efficient ways to contact customers about their refunds, including email notification, postcards, and online notification through Bureau of Motor Vehicle’s website.

The overcharges were, in large part, due to the overly complex fee structure that existed throughout the Indiana Code for several years. stomers choosing to receive a check for their refund instead of a credit applied to their next transaction can visit myBMV.com.

 


 

ITT COLLEGE-LAWSUITS

The for-profit college chain ITT Technical Institute is facing more lawsuits from employees following its decision to shut down.

The Indianapolis Star reports that two new lawsuits say the company violated federal law by not providing 60 days’ notice.

Another lawsuit earlier this week sought class-action status on behalf of the 8,000 employees who are losing their jobs as a result of ITT’s decision to shut down more than 130 ITT Technical Institute campuses in 38 states.

The three lawsuits were filed in Indiana and Delaware.

ITT announced this week it’s closing all 130 of its U.S. campuses, saying it can’t survive recent sanctions by the U.S. Department of Education. ITT says it’s the victim of a regulatory assault and never had the chance to defend itself.

 


 

 

INDIANA-AUGUST TORNADO

The National Weather Service has confirmed that a seventh tornado touched down in central Indiana during last month’s outbreak.

That seventh confirmed central Indiana tornado brings to 11 the number of tornadoes known to have swept Indiana during the Aug. 24 outbreak.

Four other tornadoes had previously been confirmed in northern Indiana.

The weather service confirmed Friday that an EF-0 tornado with estimated peak winds of 80 mph touched down on the north side of the Howard County community of Indian Heights, damaging homes and trees.

Indian Heights is just south of Kokomo, which was struck by an EF3 tornado with winds of up to 152 mph. Twenty people were injured when that storm hit the city about 40 miles north of Indianapolis during the Aug. 24 outbreak.

 


 

OIL PIPELINE-PROTESTS-INDIANA

P Protesters opposed to the four-state Dakota Access oil pipeline are rallying in downtown Indianapolis.

Group members are marching in solidarity with Native Americans fighting to stop the pipeline that would run from North Dakota to Illinois. The group in Indianapolis marched on Friday to the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art.

A federal judge is expected to rule on the Standing Rock Sioux tribe’s request to block the $3.8 billion pipeline over environmental concerns.

The Standing Rock Sioux tribe says the pipeline threatens their drinking water and has disturbed sacred sites.

An association made up of tribal leaders in the Dakotas and Nebraska has asked U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch to send federal monitors to the site of a large protest in North Dakota.

 


 

CAMPAIGN 2016-THE LATEST-PENCE

Mike Pence has received his first national security briefing since becoming Donald Trump’s running mate.

Pence’s briefing Friday lasted about two hours and was held at an Indiana National Guard base in Indianapolis.

The Republican Indiana governor said afterward that he was “grateful” for the “thorough and informative” briefing.

Pence said he couldn’t discuss specifics due to classified nature, but vowed that he and Trump would be “ready on day one” should they be elected in November.

He did not take questions afterward, but said he was honored to take part in the tradition, which he says extends back to the time of Harry Truman.


 

PENCE RETURNS

Mike Pence has released his tax returns for the last ten tax years. A spokesman for the Republican vice presidential candidate says the documents show that Mike and Karen Pence have not profited from their years in public service–quote–unlike the Clintons–unquote. A prepared release from the Trump-Pence campaign also notes that the Pences have been donating ten percent of their take-home pay to charity. There is no mention of when Trump will release his tax returns, but Pence said earlier that his running mate will hand over his returns when an IRS audit is completed.