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Indianapolis Star Just 1 minute Changing times: Happy Presidents Day -- now go out and shop Like so many other holidays, Presidents Day has lost most of its original meaning over the years, a Purdue University instructor says. The birthday celebrations for George Washington, (Feb. 22, 1732) and Abraham Lincoln (Feb. 12, 1809) were combined in the 1970s. Many government offices and schools are closed on Presidents Day, which is observed today. Buddy Howell, a Purdue instructor of communication who studies presidential communication, laments that we generally honor the day now with retail discounts and coupons. "We forget the freedom we enjoy as a result of these presidents' service to the country," he said. -- John Strauss Low-calorie law? Bill targets schools' vending machines A junk-food bill gets a hearing today before the House Education Committee. Senate Bill 111 would limit the amount of high-fat, high-sugar snacks that could be sold out of school-based vending machines in Indiana. Similar bills in previous years have failed to pass under pressure from lobbyists for the soft-drink industry. School districts also fear such legislation will cost them lucrative contracts with Pepsi and Coca-Cola. SB 111 passed the Senate 42-7 in January but has received little support from Gov. Mitch Daniels. It mandates that at least half the snacks and drinks for sale in school vending machines need to be healthy. It also removes vending machine access from elementary students. The Education Committee will meet at 10 a.m. in Room 156-C at the Statehouse. -- Dan McFeely |