The Indianapolis Colts will once again add a touch of pink to their traditional blue and white color palette as the team joins the NFL’s national “A Crucial Catch” campaign in partnership with the American Cancer Society to celebrate Breast Cancer Awareness Month and encourage annual screenings for women over forty.

The team will officially kick off the month by turning Colts.com pink and hosting the “Pinking of the Canal” event, presented by Pools of Fun, on October 4, and will continue their efforts by dedicating their October 6 game vs. the Seahawks to Breast Cancer Awareness. In addition, the team will introduce their “Pamper Her Pink” program to give breast cancer survivors and women who are currently battling this disease the opportunity to receive a day of a pampering and enjoy dinner with Colts players. The Indianapolis Colts Women’s Organization will also have a Limited Edition Colts Breast Cancer Awareness T-shirt for sale with all proceeds benefiting the IU Simon Cancer Center. Information on each of these events and programs is included below. Fans may visit www.colts.com/pink for more information.

PINKING OF THE CANAL, OCTOBER 4, 2013

For the third consecutive year, the Indianapolis Colts will turn Indianapolis’ downtown canal pink in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The public is invited to the free “Pinking of the Canal” event, presented by Pools of Fun, on Friday, October 4, from 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. at the Ohio Street Basin of the Canal.

Indianapolis Colts Vice Chair and Co-Owner Kalen Irsay will be joined by Indianapolis’ First Lady Winnie Ballard to pour the pink dye into the canal at approximately 12:15 p.m. following a brief program at 12:00 p.m. In addition, attendees will be able to sign a special Colts flag in honor of someone in their life who has been affected by breast cancer. The flag will then be carried by the Colts Mascot, Blue, to lead the team onto the field at their October 6 game vs. the Seahawks.

Additional event activities include:

• Live Music by ”Dave and Rae”
• Free Limited Edition Colts Pink Posters
• Special Edition Pink Colts Item for Sale by the      Indianapolis Colts Women’s Organization (proceeds benefit the IU Simon Cancer Center)
• $5 Lunches
• $1 Bottled Water and Pink Lemonade, provided by      Coca-Cola (proceeds      benefit the American Cancer Society)
• Colts Cheerleaders and Blue
• Opportunity to win Colts tickets
• Informational booths
• Pink Ribbon Passout, provided by Zeta Tau Alpha

“The Pools of Fun family lost a precious member to breast cancer several years ago and we are determined to do what we can to fight this disease as a tribute to her,” said Tim Colon, Pools of Fun President. “By supporting the Pinking of the Canal event it is our hope that we can continue to raise awareness and funding to fight this terrible disease.”

BREAST CANCER AWARENESS GAME, OCTOBER 6, 2013

The Indianapolis Colts are dedicating their October 6 game to Breast Cancer Awareness Month and will include several gameday activities to recognize survivors and engage their fans in this important cause. Colts players will be outfitted in a variety of pink accessories including cleats, wristbands, gloves and more. Other gameday elements include:

• Large Pink Ribbon held by 75 Breast Cancer Survivors during the national anthem
• Run-out tunnel formed by 50 Colts Season Ticket      Holders who are      currently battling or have survived breast cancer
• Special edition flag carried by Blue and signed by, or in memory of, breast cancer      survivors
• Honorary Coin Toss Captain and 12^th Man      Fan of the Game from the      IU Simon Cancer Center
• National Anthem sung by a Breast Cancer Survivor
• Special Edition “Pink” Cover for the Scout      Gameday Program
• Colts Cheerleaders and Blue in Pink Attire
• Pink Ribbon Passout, provided by Zeta Tau Alpha
• Special Edition Pink Colts T-shirts for Sale by the      Indianapolis Colts Women’s Organization (proceeds benefit the IU Simon Cancer Center)
• Large Inflatable Pink Ribbon in the American      Family Insurance Touchdown Town, provided by Indiana University Health

PAMPER HER PINK, SEPTEMBER 16-OCTOBER 8

For a second year, the Colts are excited to launch the “Pamper Her Pink” program, sponsored by Tyler Mason Salon & Spa, to provide a day of pampering for 10 women who are currently battling, or have survived, breast cancer. Nominations are being accepted online at www.colts.com/pink through October 8. Ten finalists will then be selected to receive a day of pampering from Tyler Mason Salon & Spa, as well as dinner with Colts players at Indianapolis Colts Grille on Tuesday, October 15.

Individuals who have a special woman in their life who has survived breast cancer or is currently battling the disease are encouraged to visit www.colts.com/pink to submit a nomination.

SPECIAL EDITION COLTS BREAST CANCER AWARENESS T-SHIRTS

The Indianapolis Colts Women’s Organization will be selling special edition Colts e t-shirts during the month of October and will donate all proceeds to the IU Simon Cancer Center. The t-shirts are gray and feature a pink Colts horseshoe on the front. They are $20 each and will be sold at the team’s “Pinking of the Canal” event on October 4, as well as their October 6 game versus the Seattle Seahawks. At the game, the t-shirts will be available in the American Family Insurance Touchdown Town, on Lucas Oil Plaza inside the north end of the stadium, and near sections 117 and 143 on the main concourse.

The Indianapolis Colts Women’s Organization is comprised of Colts female staff as well as wives of staff, coaches and players. The Organization plans monthly service projects during the season and supports a variety of charities including School on Wheels and D.R.E.A.M. Alive, Inc.

A Chupacabra was spotted recently in Missouri.  At least, a few people who saw it *thought* it was a Chupacabra, a mythical goat-like creature said to have glowing red eyes and might be responsible for the deaths of many farm animals from Texas to the Caribbean. Whether that‘s true or not, lore plays a pretty big role in our history and culture.  Indiana is home to a few different creatures, none with the same notoriety or ferocity as Bigfoot, The Loch Ness Monster, or the Abominable Snowman, but we do have “Oscar.”  Oscar is a really big turtle that was spotted in a small lake in Churubusco in the late 1940‘s.

Known dramatically by a wire service account as the “Beast of Busco”  more than 60 years ago, this turtle was the size of a small car.  But no one actually photographed Oscar.  In fact, deep sea divers, and an expensive attempt to drain the small lake never turned up a car-sized turtle.  But that hasn‘t stopped Churubusco from capitalizing off of the account.  Known as “Turtle-Town U.S.A.” Cherubusco holds a “Turtle Days” celebration in June.

Phil Bloom with the Department of Natural Resources says we can go deeper into Hoosier lore, and find a time before Europeans, when there was the Pukwudgie, smaller, somewhat elfin “people of the forest.”  The Pukwudgie was part of Indian lore, though there are still accounts of Pukwudgie activity today, at Mounds State Park in Anderson.

It appears the clock is ticking for Amtrak‘s Hoosier State Service between Indianapolis and Chicago. Amtrak says it needs assurances of $3 million a year in state funding by October 16th to keep the line running.

However, InDot Spokesman Will Wingfield says much of InDot‘s money is already allocated and they‘re asking localities like Indianapolis, Beech Grove, Crawfordsville, Lafayette, West Lafayette, Renssalaer and Dyer to pitch in.

Amtrak serves those localities. Wingfield says they‘re working on a short term contract to keep the service running. Amtrak says the line serves about 36-thousand riders and generates just under $900,000 annually.

Company officials add that track and service upgrades could boost ridership, but would require a significant multi-million investment every year. Wingfield says funding will have to come from taxpayers to keep the line running.

He adds any agreement would be between the state and Amtrak with financial assistance from localities.

Indiana has taken a first step toward trying to get high school students remedial math and English help before they start college.

Ivy Tech has estimated 70-percent of its students need remedial math, and other Indiana colleges say they have to bring some of their students up to speed too. Starting this year, high school sophomores who need more than two tries to pass the required end-of-course exam will take a college readiness test called AccuPlacer.

Ivy Tech associate vice president John Newby says the community college already uses the test, and has been urging schools to join them. He says he‘s reluctant to impose yet another exam on high schools, but says he believes this one can prevent a lot of problems.

Commissioner for Higher Education Teresa Lubbers says remediation is one reason for low college completion rates. She says students struggling to afford college can end up exhausting their funds or patience without earning their diploma, because they‘ve spent too much time on remedial work instead of degree requirements.

The AccuPlacer directive is a stopgap while the State Board of Education continues work on a more detailed way of identifying which students need extra help.

Indiana is once against tops when it comes to business.

The Hoosier State is on Forbes Magazine‘s 2013 list of the best states for business. Indiana has consistently been on the list, but has tumbled to 16th this year.  The study ranks states using six factors: costs, labor supply, potential growth, quality of life, government regulations and current economic climate. Virginia tops the list.

University of Indianapolis‘ Dr. Matt Will says caps on the property tax, efforts to get rid of the corporate income tax, elimination of the inventory tax and the ease of business creation in Indiana all make the state tops for business.

Will says he believes Indiana should be higher on the list.  He says Indiana‘s corporate law rivals Nevada and Delaware when it comes to business creation.