Tomorrow, Saturday, May 31, “Civil Discourse Now” will stream live from the Indianapolis Convention Center, 100 South Capitol where we shall provide coverage of the Indiana State Democratic Party convention.
   Join us from 11 am to 1 pm as we interview candidates for State-wide office as well as delegates from all over Indiana. Matt Stone will join me. Kimann Schultz will provide her “Fashion News & Muse” segment. Plus, we shall feature a new episode of “Tail of the City,” with the corrupt Mayor Mallard engaging in acts of gross incompetence and corruption in his administration of the fictional city of Marionville, Indiana.   
   Yesterday a bad wreck occurred on I-70 near the Greenfield exit. According to Fox 59 News, at about 1:15 p.m., the driver of a semi-truck disregarded warning signs, attempted to swing around slowed traffic, and struck a truck of an Indiana Department of Transportation contractor. An employee of the contractor was inside the truck. Another employee of the contractor, outside the truck where he was picking up markers previously placed on the interstate, also was hit by the semi. Witnesses said the driver of the semi did not appear to have braked, and there were no skid marks on the roadway surface to indicate brakes were used. Both employees suffered significant injuries. One of the men was in critical condition.
   The inconvenience I experienced as I waited, at a complete stop, for most of 2 ½ hours waiting on the interstate was nothing compared to the injuries suffered by the two traffic workers and emotional toll their injuries have taken on their loved ones.
   There are, however, two practical matters I want to raise.
   First, there need to be more active measures taken to get drivers to slow down for construction site areas. Interstate 70, east of Indianapolis, seems to consist of snarls of traffic each summer. I know most highway construction and repair occurs during warmer months. Not only is weather more conducive to performance of the work, but some of the materials more safely “set” or otherwise are used in better forms, when the temperatures are above 40 or 50 degrees. This said, there have to be ways to space out areas of work and channel traffic more efficiently to reduce the probability of wrecks such as occurred yesterday.
   Second, traffic, and news coverage, after the wreck were absurd. We sat and waited so long that drivers of vehicles around me got out and started talking about what was going on. I listened to one traffic update during which the on-air personality joyously said, “East-bound and west-bound traffic on I-70 now are open!” at 3:15. West-bound lanes still would be closed for quite a while. I didn’t get off I-70—to go north off exit 104 to at least move—until nearly 6:00. If traffic is shut down completely, the reports at least should say as much and advise drivers to take alternate routes.
   I hope that the workers who were injured yesterday have a quick and complete recovery. If the facts of the incident are as were reported, the driver of the semi should be prosecuted on the appropriate charges.
   Tomorrow we shall cover the State Democratic Convention. Watch our FaceBook page for announcement of news about new developments on “Civil Discourse Now”!