Hoosier lore

Food Network Magazine recently hit the road in search of the best 50 burgers in the nation -- one for every state. This is the one it picked in Indiana, the "Lugar Burger," of all things, from Bloomington:

Indiana has had its first case of swine flu confirmed. so, naturally, drastic action is called for. The state has now activated its Emergency Operations Center.

And I thought Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard was a sensible Republican with good conservative instincts:

Recycling is one of Mayor Greg Ballard's top priorities, and he wants to give more homeowners an incentive to reduce waste and preserve resources, Ballard spokesman Robert Vane said.

One of his goals . . . is to get curbside recycling at a drastically reduced rate as a way to promote participation in the program," Vane said.

If you strongly favor a state law that would right some wrong you think still exists, and the legislative process results in a bill so watered down it's barely recognizable, do you, A) support it anyway on the theory that you'll take what you can get now and work for more later or, B) withdraw your support because a bad bill would be worse than no bill at all? The Indiana Campaign for Smokefree Air takes the latter view, withdrawing its support for a statewide smoking ban:

The Colts keep saying "no," but Indianapolis keeps asking the question in different ways in hopes of getting a different answer:

Rather than try to reopen its 30-year contract with the Indianapolis Colts, the city might ask the team to donate money to area arts and culture groups now supported by the struggling Capital Improvement Board.

Today's quiz: How many people die in the United States each year from flu and flu-related causes? Answer later.

Hoosiers continue to suffer from both the economy and the ravings of the carpetbagging national press. Here, The New York Times dissects the good folks of Anderson, Ind., and discover that, by gosh, they not only love President Obama's stimulus package, they're staying up nights making sure some other place doesn't screw them out of their fair share. Naturally, they'll be quick to turn on the president if they don't get every last morsel of what they've been promised:

Mike Pence, who is considered by some to be one of the new voices of the Republican Party, demonstrates why he deserves to be:

The Terre Haute Tribune-Star has dropped its appeal of a $1.5 million jury award to Clay County sheriff's deputy Jeff Maynard, who contended that two stories about alleged misconduct defamed him. Nobody at the newspaper is talking, so the natural speculation is that a settlement might have been reached among the interested parties for something less than the awarded amount, which was the largest libel award against a news media defendant in Indiana's history.

The Indianapolis Colts, 2001, in an Associated Press story:

Three years after signing a lease to play in the RCA Dome, the Indianapolis Colts are looking for a new stadium.

Colts owner Jim Irsay intends to commission two studies by spring or summer to examine prospects for a new stadium in Indianapolis.