IDEM Appeal Hearing Today

Minutes from now, the hearing begins in Indianapolis -- an appeal to have the Belstra-Harper sow-unit farm permit revoked.

We really don't know if this is a discovery hearing just for lawyers, a pre-trial, or what...

During former meetings with the lawyer hired by adjoining landowners (Marcella and Roy and Bonnie) to present our case, the lawyer indicated other area neighbors should not attend the meetings to discuss the case at his office...

".....He says he wants to go over all the discovery issues with us and the filing of documents, and is afraid with others being there it would be distracting to him
at this point in time and doesn't necessarily want any others at this stage of the preparation . .....BUT he plans to have 2-meetings. Another meeting will be scheduled right before the pre-trial cause he wants to get everybody involved at that time ------------which will still be before we go to pre-trial."

Well, we never heard of any pre-trial meeting, so I'm really not sure of where we are at.

Is today's court date a "discovery" meeting to see if there will be a pre-trial?

Or, is it in fact the pre-trial?

Or, is this the actual appeal proceedings?

Or, is it...

So many questions tumbling through our minds as we wait -- and worry -- and wait -- and worry -- and wait --

...and watch yet another concrete truck go by our driveway.

It rained pretty heavy over the weekend here. There's plenty of standing water left ...but concrete and water is an entirely other issue left for a future post. (Wait till you see the pictures I'll be posting!)

There's another handfull of Sandhill Cranes. Quite a few of them never went south this year ...at least, not yet. Have you ever seen one up close? They're awesome!

Our dog is laying patiently beside the mailbox, waiting for the mail lady to arrive. The sun is shining ...and there's a slight breeze coming from the west -- kind of warm.

If you didn't know it was actually February 1 today, you'd swear it was a beautiful spring day here. Well... beautiful except for those gawd-awful concrete trucks thundering by.

Hey -- I'm just doing my best right now to "think happy thoughts" ...know what I mean?

I'll be back with news of the hearing as soon as we get it.

Pray for us?