Nathan Gotsch

It was an honor to meet Lee Hamilton in Bloomington two years ago.

We need more elected leaders like him who want to work across the aisle to try to solve our nation’s problems.

May he rest in peace.

Five new measles cases have been confirmed in Allen County, according to a new report from the Indiana Department of Health.

Three are unvaccinated minors and two are adults whose vaccination status is unclear.

All six confirmed measles cases this week are connected to each other by a single daycare facility. As previously reported, one of the workers there returned from a recent trip to Mexico and soon began experiencing symptoms.

A person with measles is contagious four days prior to the trademark rash appearing, and four days after it first appears.

As the Indiana Department of Health announced Monday night, an unvaccinated school-aged child was recently diagnosed with measles, the first case in the state this year. The child lives in the far northwest corner of Allen County.

Parents of other children who attend the same daycare as the infected child have publicly confirmed that one of the workers there recently returned from a trip to Mexico and later experienced symptoms of a measles infection.

According to public health guidance, measles is extremely contagious. If someone has measles, up to 90% of unvaccinated people close to them will get infected. The virus can live in the air for up to 2 hours after an infected person coughs or sneezes.

Even more important, a person with measles is contagious from about 4 days before the trademark rash appears to 4 days after it shows up. That means they can be spreading the virus before they even know they’re sick. Early symptoms (fever, cough, runny nose, red eyes) look like a regular cold or flu — very easy to miss.

It is not surprising, then, that other children at that daycare would also become infected, which public comments from those same parents also confirm.

Health officials in Allen County are taking this extremely seriously. The risk of continued spread in the area is high, in part because the MMR vaccination rate in Allen County is only 82%. (A rate of 95% or higher significantly reduces the probability of community spread.)

Measles is particularly dangerous for children under five. It can lead to permanent hearing loss, brain damage, and even death. In pregnant women, measles can cause miscarriage, premature birth, or low birth weight.

Many local health providers are now recommending vaccination for 6-12 months olds with MMR (which is traditionally given at 12 months) and a second dose of MMR to all who are eligible.

On a personal note, my wife and I have a 7-month old daughter (see photo). As you can imagine, this is a very scary time for us, and we have scheduled her to get her first MMR later this week.

One other important thing to know: a child exposed to measles can still be given the MMR within three days of that exposure, which can prevent the infection entirely, or lessen the severity of symptoms if measles does develop. This happens because the body can start building immunity from the vaccine before the virus fully takes hold.

The traditional story of the first Thanksgiving—a harmonious feast between the Pilgrims and the Native Americans—is a simplified version of a much more complex history.

While it’s true that in 1621 there was a gathering involving the English settlers (the Pilgrims) and the Wampanoag people, the circumstances surrounding this event are deeper and more nuanced.

The Wampanoag, led by Chief Ousamequin, encountered the Pilgrims when they were struggling to survive in a new land. The Wampanoag people taught them essential skills like planting crops and fishing, which were crucial for their survival.

However, this interaction wasn’t solely based on friendship. The Wampanoag were dealing with their own challenges, including the aftermath of diseases brought by earlier Europeans and tensions with rival tribes. Their alliance with the Pilgrims was strategic, aimed at strengthening their position in the region.

Over the following decades, as more English settlers arrived, the balance of power shifted dramatically. This led to increased tensions and eventually erupted into conflicts like King Philip’s War in 1675, led by Ousamequin’s son, Metacom (who was called King Philip by the English colonists).

Metacom expressed deep grievances over the loss of Wampanoag land and the colonists’ disrespect toward his people. The war was devastating, resulting in the deaths of thousands of Native Americans and the enslavement of many more, including Metacom’s wife and nine year-old son, who were sold into slavery in Bermuda.

A particularly tragic and telling event occurred at the war’s end. After Metacom was killed, the English colonists ordered his body to be dismembered. They beheaded him and placed his head on a pike, displaying it in Plymouth Colony for 20 years. This act was meant to serve as a warning and a symbol of the colonists’ dominance.

That’s a stark and sobering reminder of the brutal realities that followed that initial 1621 gathering, which wasn’t called the “First Thanksgiving” until the 19th century, when it was retroactively named that by historians and writers crafting a national narrative around the holiday.

The establishment of Thanksgiving as an official celebration didn’t occur until 1863. That’s when Sarah Josepha Hale, a writer and editor of America’s leading women’s magazine, campaigned for a unifying national holiday in the midst of the Civil War. She believed that a day of gratitude could help heal a divided nation.

President Abraham Lincoln embraced this idea and proclaimed Thanksgiving a national holiday, aiming to foster unity and reflection during a tumultuous time.

This weekend, my mom and her New Haven High School classmates are gathering to celebrate their 50th reunion. Her date will be my dad, who grew up in Fort Wayne but spent his summers lifeguarding at Meadowbrook Pool in New Haven.

Among the topics likely to be discussed: the casino Full House Resorts wants to build on the southeast corner of the I-469 and U.S. 24 interchange, just outside her hometown.

At an informational meeting Monday, Full House senior Vice President Alex Stolyar said New Haven officials have already begun the process of annexing those 60 acres, which the company has secured an option to buy.

Their current plan is to build a $500 million complex in two phases that would include gambling — slot machines, table games and a sportsbook — a 200-room hotel, and a concert venue.

By its third year in operation, Full House expects to rake in nearly a quarter billion dollars in annual revenue and return 6.7% of it — $16.4 million — to New Haven in wagering taxes. (They’ll also pay a few million in property taxes, but that money will likely go to cover the increased city services their outsized presence will require.)

Leaving Monday’s meeting, I overheard one attendee mutter to another, “Seems like it’s already a done deal.”

It may feel that way, but there’s still one big hurdle to clear: the Indiana General Assembly must pass a bill transferring Full House’s gambling license from its failing casino in Rising Sun to the New Haven market.

If Full House were requesting a new license, it would be required by state statute to hold a referendum in New Haven, which would give each citizen the ability to vote yes or no on the casino.

That’s not the case for a license transfer, however, though our legislators could write a referendum requirement into their bill for this one.

Mitch Harper, a New Haven native who served as the city’s state representative from 1978 to 1990, told me that’s what he thinks they should do. After all, whether Full House applies for a new gambling license or transfers the one from Rising Sun, the result is the same for the people of New Haven: a giant casino that will have a significant impact on the future of their city.

One can debate whether that impact would be good or bad, but it’s hard to argue that New Haven residents shouldn’t have a say.

That’s why it was a bit of a head scratcher when state Sen. Andy Zay — whose district is 20 miles from the proposed complex — flatly told WOWO radio’s Kayla Blakeslee on Wednesday that “there will not be a referendum.”

He made that declaration despite the fact that Full House’s plans were only unveiled to the public on Monday and the license transfer bill — which cannot be introduced until the Indiana General Assembly goes into session in January — presumably has not yet been written, let alone finalized.

Why would Zay and his colleagues want to pass a bill without letting the citizens of New Haven weigh in?

It might sound paranoid to suggest there could be payoffs for shepherding the license transfer through the statehouse. But that’s exactly what happened the last time a gambling company wanted to relocate an underperforming Indiana casino.

Just last month, former Rep. Sean Eberhart, R-Shelbyville, reported to federal prison for wrangling a $350,000 job with Spectacle Entertainment — plus an equity stake in the company — in exchange for supporting a successful license transfer for Spectacle in 2019.

In light of that, one would think Zay and the other members of the northeast Indiana delegation — particularly Rep. Dave Heine and Sen. Tyler Johnson, who represent New Haven — would want to avoid appearing to favor Full House’s interests over that of their constituents, especially considering Heine’s family ties to the industry.

His son-in-law, Adam Kallick, is a lobbyist who represents gambling interests, though he confirmed to me in an email that Full House is not one of his clients. In 2020, Kallick refused to participate in an Indiana Gaming Commission investigation over illegal campaign contributions to a different member of the Indiana General Assembly, with his attorney writing in an email, “While Adam wishes to be cooperative with the IGC, I cannot let him compromise his Fifth Amendment rights.”

Legislators such as Zay, Heine and Johnson could put any corruption concerns to rest by making a public commitment to put a local referendum in the license transfer bill Full House wants.

It shouldn’t be too much to expect Full House — which says it’s prepared to invest a half billion dollars into a New Haven casino complex — to make its case directly to residents.

No gambling referendum in Indiana has failed in the past 25 years, so Full House presumably has nothing to fear in giving the people of New Haven the authority to vote on this issue.

Zay told Blakeslee that if New Haven’s citizens want that power, they need to contact Heine and Johnson to demand it.

“We are elected to make decisions like this,” he said. “The citizens will work through their legislators and will need to make their voices and opposition or support well known to us.”

I expect that they will. In fact, I’d bet on it.
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Originally published in the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette (9/28/2024)

Photo by Marek Mazurek for Inside INdiana Business

Surprised that Sharon Tucker won Sunday’s caucus to become the next mayor of Fort Wayne? Here’s how it happened:

”I was stunned”: The inside story of how Sharon Tucker won the caucus for Fort Wayne mayor A deep dive into how she beat the establishment and made history

All the prognosticators seem to think Phil GiaQuinta is a shoe-in to win tomorrow's caucus for Fort Wayne mayor.

Here’s why they might all be wrong:

One mayoral candidate has been surging behind the scenes Who I’m hearing has the momentum heading into tomorrow’s caucus

In less than a week, Fort Wayne will have a new mayor. Want to know what the Democratic Party precinct chairs — the only voters who matter — think of the candidates running?

Read this post from Fort Wayne Politics, my free daily email newsletter on the race to replace Tom Henry:

What precinct chairs really think about the candidates for mayor Granted anonymity, several shared their opinions on the contenders in next Saturday’s caucus

In just ten days, 98 precinct chairs in the Allen County Democratic Party will vote to decide Fort Wayne’s next mayor.

I'm in the unique position of having met all the leading candidates during my run for Congress, and I know several precinct chairs as well.

Because of that, I have access to important information others in local media don’t. Every day, I’ve been sharing it through a free email newsletter called Fort Wayne Politics.

It’s only been up and running for about a week, but subscribers already include candidates for mayor, precinct chairs, and local media members.

You can join them — again, for free! — by going to fortwaynepolitics.com

Today I turned 41. I spent most of it in Indianapolis with my wife (who took this picture).

In the past 12 months, I’ve gotten married and worked on several projects trying to make a difference across Indiana.

None of that would have been possible on my own. Everything I was able to help accomplish in my 41st year was due to the kindness, care, and commitment of others. Many of you reading this are among those people. Thank you!

We are less than nine months from the 2024 election. Having run for office, I understand how campaigns work. Things are only going to get more contentious and chaotic as we approach November. Please remember, there still are good people involved in politics for the right reasons. They might be hard to spot, but they’re there.

When you find them, support them in whatever ways you can. America is in a time of turbulence right now, and these are the people who will help us get through it. That’s what’s enabled our country to endure for the past 248 years, and it’s the only way we will survive another 248.

On the 60th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream Speech,” I’m grateful to his son Martin Luther King III for his remarks earlier this year in Fort Wayne, when he reminded us that there is still much more work to be done for that dream to be realized.