Event safety in Indy

The Event Safety Alliance, a group formed earlier this year in response to deaths and injuries in 2011 at a number of entertainment events, meets today in Indianapolis.

Gov. Mitch Daniels will address the group, which is discussing ways to improve safety and security at entertainment venues. While the Indiana State Fair stage collapse was the most prominent of the 2011 accidents and tragedies, a number of other problems – particularly at outdoor concerts – prompted Jim Digby, production manager of the group Linkin Park, and others to form the group. The alliance also includes representatives of staging manufacturers and engineers, event safety directors, production managers, meteorological services, venue managers, industry standards writers, industry insurance underwriters and others.

The alliance plans to develop a standard of best practices for entertainment venues to follow.

Finding sex offenders

In central Indiana, the U.S. Marshals Service will work today with sheriff’s departments and Crime Stoppers to find 40 unregistered sex offenders. Authorities are inviting tips through Crime Stoppers to find the offenders. The targeted counties are Boone, Brown, Greene, Hamilton, Hancock, Hendricks, Jennings, Johnson, Lawrence, Marion, Monroe, Morgan, Putnam and Shelby.

Social Security update

The trustees who oversee Social Security and Medicare will release financial reports today updating the financial condition of the two programs.

Though both programs are unsustainable in the long term under current eligibility and tax rates, Social Security could remain solvent with relatively minor tax increases and eligibility changes. But Medicare poses a bigger problem.

Edwards trial

Opening arguments are scheduled today in Greensboro, N.C., in the trial of ex-senator and former Democratic vice presidential nominee John Edwards. He is accused of six criminal counts of campaign finance violations related to nearly $1 million in secret payments from two wealthy supporters.