MEP Insights

Only a few more days left to find a Valentine’s Day gift for that special someone!  Check out the following website for gift ideas at all price ranges: http://www.gifts.com/ideas/valentines-day

Hope everyone has a safe and happy New Year!!  Only one more day left to make those resolutions!!

A patron of the Grand Victoria Casino in Rising Sun, Indiana, recently won his appeal against the riverboat for prohibiting him from playing blackjack. Thomas Donovan admitted to “counting cards”, which gives the player a better chance of winning, by factoring in which cards have already been played. While there is no law against “card counting”, the casino argued it had a right to exclude any patron for any reason at all, so long as that patron’s civil rights are not violated. The court found otherwise, stating that blackjack is regulated exclusively by the Indiana Gaming Commission, and the casino was not allowed to prohibit Donovan from playing based solely upon his “mental conduct in the course of casino blackjack.”

The Seymour / Brownstown area recently received its first snow fall of the Christmas Season!  If you have not had time to put up those outdoor X-mas lights, it might be best to wait until next week.  The high for this Thursday (December 10) is only going to be in the upper 20s and the white stuff is supposed to return this weekend.  However, they are calling for highs in the mid-40s for most of next week.

With Thanksgiving right around the corner, most of us are already thinking about the next, major holiday – Christmas.  Many consumers eager to begin the holiday season shopping for their loved ones will do so the day after Thanksgiving, on “Black Friday”.  While many retailers are advertising “unbeatable” offers, as one article notes, shoppers should make sure to read the the fine print before spending all day waiting in lines for that “perfect” gift.

To learn more, read:

http://finance.yahoo.com/family-home/article/108212/dirty-secrets-of-black-friday-doorbusters

In a recent report by the New York Times, Disney is offering refunds to buyers of the popular “Baby Einstein” videos. The company decided to do so after being threatened by a class action lawsuit claiming Disney had used “deceptive advertising” to sell its product. To learn more about the refund, visit

http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/parenting/the-great-baby-einstein-scam-531147/

Just a reminder that the 41st annual Fort Vallonia Days will be held on October 17 and 18th. The festival includes a parade, flea market, and vendors of all kinds.

“It’s an $8,000 gift from Uncle Sam to first-time home buyers and it may soon go away. An estimated 350,000 Hoosiers have taken advantage of the governments first-time home buyer tax credit. Time is running out to make a deal to beat the November 30th deadline.” See: http://www.wthr.com/Global/story.asp?S=11225967.

There are several exceptions to the tax credit that you need to be aware of. For example, you will not qualify for the tax credit if you purchase real estate from your parents, grandparents, or children. If you question whether you will qualify for the tax credit, call your tax advisor or an attorney for a complete list of exceptions to the first time home buyer’s tax credit.

Please make sure that you do not miss the deadline. Call your closing agent today and make sure that your closing will take place prior to November 30th.

Yesterday, a Louisville jury found coach Jason Stinson not guilty on all charges related to the death of teenage football player, Max Gilpin. This was a very interesting case that drew national attention to the Kentuckiana area. Gilpin died last summer after football practice from heat-related causes. A physician who testified at trial suspected that the drug Adderall could have played a role in Gilpin’s death.

Last Friday, September 11th, the annual Artful Affair was held at the Pines Evergreen room in Seymour, Indiana.  The event helps raise money for the Southern Indiana Center for the Arts (SICA).  As usual, there was a nice turnout for this great cause, which included both a live and silent auction.