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December 31

Today is New Year's Eve, and that means there will be many parties that people will be traveling to. Please party responsibly.
The national holiday also means there are numerous offices closed for the day. No mail delivery, all government offices are closed, and all banks are closed. Some offices will be closing early today, so you might want to call ahead to check for office hours.
The new year may bring a new batch of winter weather for Indiana. The forecast calls for rain until Wednesday night when temperatures will drop low enough for the rain to become freezing rain. Thursday calls for a chance of snow.
The Indiana National Guard has called up at least six hundred more members to active duty as part of the nation's anti-terrorism campaign. The call-up affects armories in Jasper, Washington, Linton, Vincennes, Tell City, and Martinsville. Members of the 1st Battalion, 152 Regiment will assemble for roll call today at the six armories. The battalion will then meet at Camp Atterbury later this week for the battalion will undergo additional training and administrative in-processing. It is unkown where the Army will send the battalion after Camp Atterbury. The call-up has been expected since mid-October, when the battalion was put on alert.
The Hoosier Lottery has announced that it will drop its Max 5 game, after offering the game for just one year. The game offered better odds of winning than other games at a cost of $5 per ticket, with each ticket being good for five consecutive drawings. The odds of winning were 1 in 5.4. Lottery officials have not selected a date for the final Max 5 drawing.
Researchers at Indiana University had reported that human umbilical cord blood may frozen for at least fifteen years before being used to restore bone marrow in cancer patients. The study showed cells from long-frozen specimens were able to grow and expand in laboratory mice with the same vigor as fresh cord blood. Restoring bone marrow using cord blood transplant has been performed more that two thousand times worldwide. It may just be a matter of time until it is routine to store every baby's cord blood.

December 30

The Seymour Boys' Basketball Team has had a break since its last game on December 21. Their next game is scheduled for January 4 at 7:30 p.m. when they travel to Scottsburg.
The Seymour Girls' Basketball team participated in tournament play last weekend. Their first game saw them lose to Pike 30-53. The girls came back in a second game winning against Clinton Prairie 61-45. Their next game is January 4 at 7:30 p.m. when they host Whiteland.
If you have been holding your breath waiting for the announcement of the I-69 route, better relax. A spokeswoman for Gov. Frank O'Bannon has said that the much anticipated announcement will not be made within the next two days. Evansville officials had contacted Gov. O'Bannon's office asking that the decision be made this year.
Saying good-bye to 2002, means saying hello to a gasoline tax increase that goes into effect on Wednesday. The state gas tax will increase by three cents per gallon. That means that per gallon the federal govermnment will be getting 18.4 cents, Indiana gets 18 cents toward the gasoline tax, plus the 6 percent sales tax. That is a total of 42.4 cents per gallon that consumers are paying to the government.
The Big Ten has handed down its punishment to I.U.'s Men's Basketball Coach Mike Davis. He gets a one game suspension effective immediately, so he will be missing Tuesday's game against Ball State. The punishment is in response to Davis's behavior during the Indiana-Kentucky game earlier this month when he received two technical fouls and was ejected from the game.

December 26

Jackson County had a white Christmas, making sledding an added or alternative activity for many families.
Millions of people discovered late last night that they were not holding the winning ticket in the $314.9 Powerball drawing. This was the largest Powerball jackpot ever and the winning ticket was sold Monday in Hurricane, WV. No one knows the identity of the winner at this point, but an attorney has notified the WV Lottery Commission. Powerball is sold in 23 states, as well as well as the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
State officials have said they expect to select an I-69 route by the end of this month from a list of five finalists that includes two corridors passing through Bloomington. Bloomington residents have been leading the charge against the planned I-69 extension. They are concerned about the environmental impact of the choice of any kind of new terrain plan. Many Lawrence County resident would prefer an alternate route that would follow SR 37 to US 50 to Loogootee before turning south towards Evansville. Much of the extra land along US 50 has already been purchased, and such a route would eliminate a very dangerous section of US 50. Bloomington opposition seems to be the most vocal group and getting the best press coverage to make their views known.
First there was the woman who sued McDonalds because she spilled hot coffee in her lap. Then, there were the big smoking settlements awarded to several states. Attorneys in New York are suing McDonalds because of clients who claim that eating at McDonalds has caused their obesity. Now there's an Evansville man, a retired 53 year-old accountant and a former Indiana Department of Revenue auditor, is suing the owners of a riverboat casino and claiming that they should compensate him for gambling away his life savings because they knew he was a compulsive gambler. His lawyers are seeking $175,000 for the man and punitive damages. Casino have started banning patrons who are considered problem gamblers and some legal authorities believe the casinos are opening themselves up to lawsuits if they fail to stop those individuals from returning. The Evansville man was banned from the casino after a worried friend asked riverboat executives to intervene, according to court records, at which time Aztar executives persuaded the man to leave and sent him a letter barring him from the casino until he could prove future visits wouldn't pose a threat to his well-being. He alleges that Aztar was guilty of breach of contract by not stopping him when he returned to the casino in February 1999 and began gambling again after controlling his habit for an 11-month period, according to a sworn statement for his lawsuit. Just where should the blame stop in all these cases? Is no one willing to accept responsibility for his own actions any more? Do the attorneys stir up the lawsuit frenzy? Is it the government or unwillingness of the government who fuels the desire by not placing limits on such action.

December 25

Today is Christmas Day. May each one of you have a Blessed Christmas!

December 24

About 600 people have used Indiana's new Internet system for renewing driver's licenses since it went online November 7th. That is according the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles. The system cost $110,000 to develop. Bureau spokeswoman Media Trent says the system was intended primarily to make the service more convenient to the public. Trent says that as many as 600,000 people will be eligible to use it next year for basic license renewals. Basic renewals are those that do not require address changes or involve other complications. Drivers license renewal is just one in a range of services and information available online from the State of Indiana. That helped the state win eighth place in a government technology magazine ranking of state governments.
Retailers say the success of Indiana University basketball programs has helped boost sales of IU athletics gear. Dave Gentry manages Indiana Athletics Outfitters inside Assembly Hall. He says his suppliers can't keep up with the demand for IU apparel like jerseys and t-shirts, and it's not just because of a Christmas rush. Gentry says demand has been high for some time, and overall sales numbers are way up. Other managers note IU Men's Basketball team made a run all the way to the NCAA Tournament championship game, where the Hoosiers lost to Maryland. The Women's Team won the Big Ten Tournament. The men's teams is currently ranked among the best in the nation.
President Bush was in a forgiving mood yesterday. He has issued the first pardons of his administration, to seven Americans for mostly minor offenses. Among them is Olgen Williams of Indianapolis. Williams was sentenced to one year in jail in 1971 for stealing $10.90 from the mail while employed as a Postal Worker. Following his release, Williams became a born-again Christian, earned three collegiate degrees and became executive director of Christamore House, an Indianapolis Community Center. Williams says Bush's pardon marks the achievement of a personal goal. Presidents traditionally sign off on pardons near the holidays.

December 23

An FBI agent who is retiring after twenty seven years on the force says that he still has some unfinished business - finding out what happened to a missing Indiana University student. Gary Dunn says that after he retires in January, he'll remain as an unpaid special investigator for authorities probing Jill Berhman's disappearance. The ninteen year-old was last seen riding her bike alone just south of Bloomington on May 31, 2000. Her body has not been found. Investigators have said that Behrman probably was hit by a pickup truck driven by someone under the influence of alcohol or drugs, and her body may have been dumped in a creek in southern Monroe County. Dunn has spent two years investigating Behrman's disappearance. He says the Behrman case has been very emotional for him. He says its's impossible not to be affected personally when investigating missing persons cases.
A drug investigation led trooper Bob Priest and Spencer County Deputy Jeff Meredith to a Richland City address. The officers detected the odor of methamphetamine. The occupant of the resident defused to answer the door. Officers gained entry and found Donald L. Gardner. Gardner was arrested on several counts, including possession of methamphetamine and possession of marijuana, with a prior conviction. A shotgun and rifle were seized. Gardner was out of jail on a bond, on a drug manufacturing charge. A search warrant was issued and a significant amount of drug manufacturing items was seized. Gardner was lodged in the Spencer County Jail.
Over the weekend, a resident of Orleans was reportes in critical condition at Methodist Hospital after she was transported there following an accident in Bedford on Friday evening. Adren Bush, age 74, suffered a head injury, according to the Bedford Police Department. The accident happened at 39th and IN-37. Twenty-nine year-old Eric Alexander of Mitchell told police that he was driving west on 39th Street and stopped at the stop signb at Indiana 37. Alexander said that the sun was in his eyes, and when he looked for traffic, the road appeared to be clear. As he attempted to cross the road, Alexander hit the passenger side of a vehicle driving by Judith Crews of Orleans. He was cited for failure to yield the right-of-way. The extrication unit was needed to remove the passenger door, in order to free Adren Bush from the vehicle.
Bloomington city councilman Tony Pizzo wants smoking banned at all public places in the city. He says that he'll propose an ordinance in January or February to ban cigarrette smoking in places like bars and restaurants. Pizzo is also a doctor, and he says that he does not know yet if there will be enough votes in favor of the ordinance. Bloomington banned smoking ten years ago in all new public buildings and at businesses that changed ownership. Since then, dozens of new restaurants have opened without smoking areas, but many older restaurants and taverns have continued to permit smoking. Some owners have argued that a smoking ban hurts business. Others say that no-smoking rules attract more customers.
An Indianapolis neurologist faces sexual battery charges for allegedly giving unnecessary breast exams to five women who sought treatment for pain or other ailments. Forty-eight year-old Michael French was arrested Thursday and charged with six counts of sexual battery after an eighteen month investigation. His medical license was suspended in August after the allegations surfaced.
State lawmakers want to take some of the junk food out of Indiana's public schools. When the general assembly reconvenes next month, legislators intend to introduce proposals targeting what schools sell in vending machines and how they incorporate physical fitness into their lesson plans. Key lawmakers will meet with state education officials in the next few weeks to decided how to combat junk food and sodas found in school vending machines and swindling physical education time.
Conseco is trying to precent its bankruptcy protection filing from interfering with its Conseco Fieldhouse naming rights. The Indianapolis Star says that the Carmel-based insurance and finance company is preparing a Federal court filing to retain the twenty-year naming rights. That involves a $40 million contract. Economic professionals say that contract for the facility that is home to the Indiana Pacers can get cancelled, just like any other contract in bankruptcy.
The training of new federal baggage screeners is causing longer lines in Indiana's largest airport. Roughly fifty thousand screeners have to be in place nationwide by the end of the year, to meet a congressional mandate. That means that many of the 270 screeners at the Indianapolis International Airport are getting crash courses. Officials say that could cause some delays. About 550,800 passengers were expected to pass through the airport during the holiday period. Adding to the clutter is an x-ray machine that examines the check bags of raindomly selected passengers for explosives. The machine takes about three minutes to scan a bag. Federal officials hope to have 1,100 explosive detection systems in place at the nation's 429 commercial airports by the end of the year.
The Indiana roadways where state troopers most often ticket speeders are not always the state's deadliest stretches of highway. That's according to the Indianapolis Star. The newspaper took a look at speeding enforcement tactics in Indiana. The Star found that the heaviest ticketing generally occured on stretches of road that were not the places where the most speeding injuries and deaths were occurring. Highway safety officials say that the mismatches point to a need to manage limited resources better. State Police officials say that traffic congestion of highway barriers in some areas make speed enforcement too unsafe for troopers and motorists. Officials also say that agency resources are stretched then and responding to emergency calls, not speeding enforcement, is its first priority.
A Winter Storm Watch for tonight and Tuesday. As surface low pressure moves northeastward across Tennessee and Kentucky, wintry precipitation will overspread parts of southern Indiana late tonight through Tuesday. At this point, the dominant mode of precipitation will be snow across parts of souther Indiana, perhaps mixing with sleet or freezing rain on Tueday afternoon. Anywhere from 2 to 4 inches of snow is possible through Tuesday. Lower amounts of snow would be observed if enough sleet materializes on Tueday afternoon. There is still a good deal of uncertainty with respect to the exact evolution of the storm syste. Should it take a further south track than expected at this time, snow totals over the watch area could be significantly higher. Travel may become hazardous across parts of southern Indiana on Tuesday. People with holiday travel plans should monitor the forecast for updates and possible warnings. A winter storm watch is issued when hazardous winter weather is possible, but not imminent.

December 20

Yesterday morning, Indiana State Police received information regarding a husband and wife that were allegedly cultivating marijuana in an underground room located on their property in Crawford County. At approximately 1:30 yesterday afternoon, Indiana State Police executed a search warrant at the James and Wendy McDonald residence in English. With the assistance of a K-9 unit, a total of three pounds of marijuana was discovered in several different places throughout the residence. Indiana State Trooper Stailey said that the three pounds of marijuana had a street value of about three thousand dollars. When troopers searched a pole barn, which was next to the residence, they discovered a hole in the floor that led to an underground room. After climbing down into the room, troopers discovered an indoor marijuana growth operation and thirty-five marijuana plants that were approximately two feet tall. Once mature, the plants would have had a value of thirty-five thousand dollars. James and Wendy McDonald were arrested and taken to Crawford County Jail where they are being held on a ten thousand dollar bond. They were charged with cultivating marijuana, dealing marijuana, and maintaining a common nuisance.
Attorney General Steve Carter says comsumer complaints are handled more efficiently since he took office in January of 2001. When Carter took office, the Consumer Protection Division had a backlog of nearly twelve thousand cases. Carter says that ninety-seven percent of those cases have been completed. He's also reduced the average number of days for his office to handle a complaint from six hundred to less than ninety. The number of consumer complaints has more than doubled since 1998. That year, there were more than five thousand six hundred cases. This year, there have been nearly twelve thousand complaints filed with the state.
A southern Indiana man has been sentenced to death for the killing of a fifteen year-old girl. Roy Lee Ward of Leopold was sentenced yesterday in Spence Circuit Court for last year's murder of Stacy Payne. Prosecutors say the thirty year-old entered Payne's home near Dale in southwestern Indiana and raped and stabbed her. Ward's defense attorney says that Ward is responsible for Payne's death, but is innocent of the rape and criminal deviant conduct charges against him. Ward's death sentence will be automatically appealed to the state supreme court.
Angry investors say that Conseco's year-long decline into bankruptcy is rife with examples of questionable ethics. They cite as examples: Late-in-the-game reassurances by executives that the company was in good shape, lavish bonuses to CEO's while stock prices dropped, and loans for company insiders to buy shares. They also cite accounting troubles that lead to a federal investigation. The six and a half billion dollars in debt that Conseco piled up through 1990's acquisitions became too much to bear in August. That's when the company stopped making interest payments on bonds and began restructuring talks that led to Tuesday's bankruptcy filing. The Carmel, Indiana, based company is the third largest ever to file bankruptcy protection.
Police say that more arrests may follow drug busts in which six hundred pounds of marijuana were seized in Bartholomew County. Columbus Police Chief Matt McCord says that yesterday's raids took place at a home in Elizabethtown and a convenience store in Columbus, south of Indianapolis. Six people were arrested. The riads followed a tip that police received. Detective Larry Dance says that an informant told him the people involved brought over thirty kilograms of cocaine into southern Indiana's Greensburg this past year.
A report released Wednesday, ranks Indiana nineteenth in the nation in gun thefts reported to police. It says that more than forty-eight thousand guns were reported stolen to police around the state in the last decade. That's an average of about twenty-two guns per one thousand households. The Washington-based Americans for Gun Safety Foundation released the report. Authorites around the state don't all agree on the impact that stolen guns have on crime in Indiana. Marion County Deputy Prosecutor Stephen Haney says that more then half of the guns taken from violent felons are stolen. However, Don Sturn, who heads a crime task force in Lake County says that stolen guns are a minor problem because it's too easy to just buy one.

December 19

The United States has declared Iraq to be in breach of a U.N. disarmament resolution, according to Secretary of State Colin Powell. The Bush administration says that Bagdad's arms declaration totally fails to meet a U.N. Security Council resolution calling for complete and accurate full inventory of weapons. While the Bush administration's rejection of Iraq's declaration was not an immediate trigger for war, The United States could possibly be on a course to war with Iraq as soon as early next year.
According to a press release, Susan W. Brooks, Unites States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, announced that forty-six year-old Robert Cunningham of Somerset, KY, was sentenced to forty-six months imprisonment yesterday by US District Judge David F. Hamilton, following the guilty plea to transporting child pornography across a state line. The investigation was conducted by the FBI with the assistance of the Bedford Police Department. Cunningham, who formerly worked as a private computer consultant, was caught by the Bedford Police Department on May 5, with a laptop computer, a compact disc, and a zip disc. Later, FBI forensic analysis determined that those items contained visual depictions of minors engaged in suxually explicit conduct. The release goes on to say that some of the children were as young as eight years old. Cunningham admitted that he downloaded the files from the Internet, sorted it into folders based upon the age of the participants and the acts involved, and then transported it from his home in Kentucky to Bedford in May. According to Assistant US Attorney Steven D. DeBrota, Cunningham was ordered to pay a fine of $3,000. He was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release with the condition that he undergo sex offender treatment while on supervised release.
A Terre Haute professor whose nephew was killed at a railroad crossing is perfecting a system to prevent car-train collisions. Dale Oexmann is a computer science professor at Rose-Hulman Intitute of Technology. He says work began two years ago to develop the onboard vehicle warning system as part of a student's senior project. Since then, Oexmann has filed for a patent on the idea and plans to oversee its development. The system features a device to measure acceleration and a type of black box to record location and velocity if an accident occurs. Oexmann told the Tribune-Star that none of the technology being used for the system is new, but it's put together differently. He says the system also could prevent highway pileups that occur because of thick fog or heavy smoke from forest fires.
The Center of Philanthropy at Indiana University says that fund-raisers are less optimistic about charitable giving. The center's latest survey on charitable giving was released yesterday. It indicates that nonprofit organizations are having to work harder to raise the same amount of money as last year. Fund-raisers' impressions are believed to have been shaped by continued economic uncertainty. The center says its past research has shown that changes in the year-end stock market value and personal income have been the two best predictors of giving. The latest survey was done in October, respondents included 144 fund-raisers at nonprofit organizations and twenty-one fund-raising consultants. Participants are chosen to represent a cross-section of nonprofits nationwide.
Replacement refrigerators have helped Indiana win an award from a national energy conservation group. Sometime next spring, the American Council for an Energy-efficient Economy will give state officials its exemplary award in Washington DC. Family and Social Services says the conservation group did a national survey and chose Indiana's refrigerator replacement program as one other states should emulate. The program helps residents replace old, inefficient refrigerators with ones that save energy and money. The program was started in November of last year, and officials say 216 refrigerators have been replaced for first-year engery savings of $13,600. Indiana was also recognized by the group for other efforts that help residents lower utility costs.
Investigators are ready to present their report about Jill Behrman's disappearance to prosecutors. Bloomington Police Detective Marty Deckard says that they know what happened and who did it. Investigators have said before that she was probably hit by a pickup truck being driven by someone under the influence. A summary of the investigation was delivered last month to Monroe County prosecutor Carl Salzmann, but the presentation will explain how investigators were able to piece together all their information.
No tickets were issued for Wednesday's drawing for the Powerball jackpot. That means Saturday's estimated jackpot will be around $215 million.

December 18

Let's go fly a kite! O.K., so it might be a little too windy and chilly. Today's warmer weather will soon be replaced by more seasonable weather. The National Weather Service says that by the weekend, highs will be in the 30's with a chance of snow.
Carmel-based Conseco has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. It's the third largest bankruptcy in US history. The filing follows four months of talks with creditors to restructure the insurance and finance company's $6.5 billion debt. The filing covers the parent company, Conseco Inc., and St. Paul based Conseco Finance Corporation and its consumer finance subsidiaries. Conseco spokesman Mark Lubbers says the company's insurance operations are not included in the filing. Conseco is the nation's seventh largest insurance provider. Conseco is seeking a judge's approval of a prepackaged bankruptcy which was done in US bankruptcy court in Chicago.
Business and government officials are approaching the southwestern Indiana Interstate 69 extension dispute with a different perspective. About fifty people attended a private meeting on Monday in Indianapolis to discuss how to build business support for the project. Vecteren Corporation spokesman Mike Roeder says that the group didn't focus on an extension route, which has been a source of tension. Instead, Roeder says that the group talked about showing support for having an extension built. The meeting was organized by Evansville-based utility company Vectren and other organizations. Terre Hauts leaders weren't invited, which some see as an endorsement of routes other than the US-41/I-70 extension through that area. Roeder insists that the meeting was route-neutral.
Birdwatchers identified about ninety species around Lake Monroe. That's even though conditions on the count day were not the best for finding soome types of birds. Organizers say that the Christmas Bird County was a success, even though the number of birds recorded was lower than usual. The number of species seen or heard during the count on Saturday at the state's largest lake was down from the counts record 109 species. Don Whitehead is an Indiana University Biologist and longtime leader of the count. He says the recent cold weather had frozen the shallow near the edges of the lake, reducing the waterfoul that were seen. The count included fifty-one people searching a fifteen mile wide circle around the lake.
Federal health officials have o.k.'d Indiana's vaccination plan for smallpox. The plan's first phase is to vaccinate nearly three thousand emergency health care workers. These innoculations are expected to start in the middle of January. The second phase will innoculate police, firefighers, and emergency medical technicians. The general public innoculations will be made available after that. Those would be voluntary. The vaccine is expected to be made available to the general publice by late spring or early summer. The vaccine does pose some health risk to cancer patients, organ transplant patients, people with HIV, pregnant women, and people with a history of eczema. Based on studies from the 1960's fifteen people out of every million vaccinated for the first time will face life-threatening side effects and one or two will die. The state's plan recommends that anyone who received a vaccination more than two years ago get another one to ensure full protection.
Here's something to think about before the next tornado season arrives in Indiana. A Kent State University researcher says that a car is more safe than the ditch recommended by the National Weather Service during a tornado. It is known that a mobile home is not safe during a tornado. Guidelines established by the National Weather Service tell you to get out of your mobile home or car to get in a ditch. Tom Schmidlin, the researcher from Kent State, says that being in your car is safer. In a ditch, you are exposed to flying debris and lightning. In your car, he says you have the ability to try to drive to a sturdy shelter. He does stress, though, that your car is not the ideal place to be in a tornado. The National Weather Service is review his findings.

December 17

Environmentalists and many in the Bloomington area have complained about plans for the proposed Interstate 69 extension through southwestern Indiana. State officials say that they expect to select an I-69 route by the end of this month. They will select from a list of corridors that offer a more direct trip between Evansville and Indianapolis. However, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency did offer hope to some people who live near US-41. The EPA issued a report last month encouraging reconsideration of a route following US-41 from Evansville north to Terre Haute.
A teenage murder suspect who triggered the early closing of Hanover College is in jail in Oklahoma. Police say that they arrested Blake Walker yesterday. He's awaiting extradition to Kentucky. The 16 year-old Walker is wanted in the shooting deaths of Brian Walker and Barbara Peterson in southern Kentucky. Their bodies were found last Monday in the basement of their home after police received a tip from two of Blake Walker's high school friends. Last week, officials at Hanover College in Indiana called off classes because of fears that Blake Walker might come in search of his brother, who is a student at the school.
The former chief benefits officer of the state pension fund will remain in custody until his trial on identity theft charges next month. That's the order issued by a federal judge in Indianapolis yesterday. Walter Kevin Scott of Bloomington was charged with using another person's social security number to pass a criminal background check required for his state job. The thirty-five year-old man has been in protective custody since early September. That's when witnesses told police that Scott had said that he was contemplating suicide. The trial is scheduled for January 27.
A Butler University professor says that he'ss become the first black candidate for the U.S. Senate from the state of Indiana. Sociology professor Marvin Scott announced his candidacy at 12:30 yesterday afternoon in front of the Secretary of State's office. The republican will be vying for Senator Evan Bayh's seat in 2004. Scott has run in congressional raced four times dating back to 1994. He says that he has been traveling the state for the past five months to talk to voters and has set his sights on economis growth to reverse job losses.
A Brown County man shot and killed his estranged wife and himself Sunday night. 33 year-old Stephen Schwein shot Lisa Schwein, and then himself at around 7:30 p.m. According to reports, Lisa Schwein's daughter answered the door when Stephen came to their house. After taking her daughter inside, Lisa returned to the door and was shot by Stephen. He then shot and killed himself. There is no word on any motive at this time.
Indiana's high foreclosure rate is somewhat surprising, since census data shows that the state's median housing price is below the nation's. The median price in Indiana is $94,300. Nationally, it's $119,600. Nonetheless, Indiana is leading the nation in the percentage of homes with mortgages in default, which can produce forced housing sales. At midyear, 2.2 percent of Indiana's home mortgages were in foreclosure. That's according to a quarterly report by the Mortgage Bankers' Association of America, and that percentage is nearly twice the national rate. Government and banking officials attribute Indiana's surge in foreclosures primarily on a slow economy. The also blame lending practices that allow people to buy houses they can't afford.

December 16

The American Red Cross River Valley Region is in desperate need of blood donations. As such, there will be a blood drive today at the First Church of God in Bedford from noon until 6:00 p.m. Donors will receive food and a free holiday gift for their donation. The Red Cross is over 500 units under its December goal.
Today's weather will be slightly cooler than yesterday's, but the National Weather Service says warmer temperatures will return on Wednesday. With the warmer temperatures, comes the chance for rain. Temperatures are expected to cool off slightly on Friday, but as we all know, the weather forecast will probably change at least a couple of times before Friday gets here!
At the beginning of deer season, DNR officials asked for donations of the deer heads to study for evidence of chronic wasting disease. About one thousand samples have been obtained, of which roughly twenty percent have been tested. The results? So far, no evidence of the fatal brain disease has been found. The disease was first found in Colorado thirty-five years ago and has been spreading east. Last month, a deer killed northwest of Chicago -- only about one hundred miles from the Indiana border -- tested positive for the disease.
Indiana has already filed a smallpox vaccination plan with the CDC, as required. President Bush announced plans Friday for nationwide smallpox vaccinations. The two plans to not seem to go in the same direction. The state wanted to vaccinate 5,000 to 7,000 public health response teams in Phase I. President Bush wants to include military personnel in Phase I. The state is currently waiting for direction from the federal government to begin the vaccinations.
Officials from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are considering returning the Chicago River to its "dead" state before the Clean Water Act forced the river to conform to federal standards. The reason? Exotic fish through the water channel. Zebra mussels have already migrated from Lake Michigan to the Mississippi River, causing an estimated $5 billion in clogged water intakes and damage to fisheries. Now officials fear a repeat migration in the opposite direction, as giant carp work their way from the Mississippi to the Great Lakes. The Chicago River flows backward, away from Lake Michigan, to carry pollution away from their beaches and into a canal. The canal flows to the Illinois River, creating a link to the Mississippi River. In the 1970's Chicago installed aerators to bring the manmade waterway into federal compliance.

December 13

The National Weather Service has issued a Snow Advisory for late this afternoon through late tonight. This morning is expected to be cloudy until mid-morning, then we will get widespread rain, possibly mixed with snow late this afternoon. No accumulation is expected from this because the high temperature will be steady in the mid thirties. Tonight we are expecting 2 to 4 inches of snow, with steady temperatures. It looks like anything that accumulates will melt during the day on Saturday, beacuse highs will be in the upper thirties.
Just hours after a body was found at the end of a snow-covered gravel road in Brown County on Thursday morning, police made an arrest in connection with the death. Arrested was 19 year-old Christopher B. Neal, who eas taken to the Brown County Jail for questioning in the death of 20 year-old Johnathon Owings of Bloomington. Police say that Owings was killed by gunshots. State Police and the Brown County Sheriff's Department were sent to Stinson Road in Brown County shortly before 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, after a report of a possible homicide. Members of the Nashville Police Department, FBI, DNR, and the Brown County Prosecutor's Office assisted in the investigation. Police say that Neal became a target of their investigation after witnesses approached the FBI with information on the case, and the fact that evidence found at the scene was consistent with the information provided.
State Police say that the sixteen year-old Kentucky boy being sought on charges of murdering his parents is believed to be in Texas. No other details have been released. Blake Walker was facing a drunken-driving charge stemming from a car wreck last month, and was released to his father. The bodies of his parents, 55 year-old Barbara Peterson and 54 year-old Brian Walker, were found by police on Monday at the family's rural home in Knifley, KY. Blake Walker's older brother, Manning Walker, spoke with police on Tuesday night after returning to Kentucky. Manning Walker is a student at Hanover College in Indiana, and was at the college at the time of the shootings.
A federal official doesn't think that new public hearings would be required if a different route is chosen for the Interstate-69 extension. Environmentalists want the State Department of Transportation to have more hearings if other routes are considered for the planned Indianapolis-to-Evansville highway. State officials are considering using a mix of existing highways and new routes following State Road 37 to Bloomington, and then going west to U.S. 41 near Vincennes. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency criticized earlier choices. John Baxter, Indiana Division Administrator for the Federal Highway Administration, said that the point of the public hearings and comment period, which ended in November, was to collect such suggestions. State Transpotation officials have said that they expected to pick a recommended route by the end of the month.
Lt. Governor Joe Kernan announced yesterday that the Indiana Housing Finance Authority, or IHFA, has approved $925,000 in awards for affordable housing organizations and programs in Indiana. There are no awards for Lawrence County, but Monroe County will receive a $10,000 award for HOME funds, which will be used for a predevelopment loan to cover the cost of a feasibility study for three homebuyer units in Stinesville. Seven counties, including Brown and Jackson, will receive a $30,000 award of HOME funds that will be used for staff salaries, education and training, rent, and equipment and software. Three counties, including Washington County, will receive a $30,000 grant of HOME funds for staff salaries and travel.
Indiana University may get its new president from business of government ranks. Committee members searching for IU's next president say that looking beyond academia for a new leader may surprise people. Nonetheless, some have pushed to take the search outside higher education, pointing to the importance of IU's ties with business and government officials. Others say IU needs a proven scholar with an international reputation to lead the university, despite business and government ties. IU hopes to find a new president by July to replace Myles Brand, who is leaving to become president of the NCAA in Indianapolis. IUPUI Chancellor Gerald Bepko will take over as interim president when Brand leaves on Janyary 1.

December 12

Food bank administrators across the state say that donations are not keeping pace with the demand from the programs that they serve. John Homilton is Indiana's Family and Social Services Administration Secretary. He says the food bank system is under a lot of stress. Pamela Altmeyer is head of Gleaners Food Bank in Indianapolis. Altmeyer says that poundage is up, but distribution has also increased and the warehouse is emptying more quickly than it did last year. Hamilton encourages greater giving by individuals and companies able to afford to donate food or money. He also urges individuals to check with the state to see if they qualify for food stamps. The federally funded program helps those in need supplement their available food purchasing dollars and potentially rely less on food pantries.
Police are still searching for a sixteen year-old boy who is suspected of killing his parents. Tuesday, Southern Indiana's Hanover College advised students to go home, fearing that Blake Walker would come to campus where his brother Manning is a student. The alert came after Barbara Peterson and Brian Walker were found shot to death Monday at their home in the southern Kentucky town of Knifley. Hanover officials say that Manning Walker was taken off campus and moved to a secure location. School officials and friends say that Blake Walker had been a good student at Adair High School in Kentucky, and he seemed close to his parents. Kentucky State Police Trooper Dwaine Barnett says that the teen should be considered armed and dangerous, and police have no other suspects in the murders.
Indiana ranks fourth in an "Economic Freedom Index" compiled by a research institute. The index examines states' tax burdens, government spending and labor laws. The report was released Tuesday by the National Center for Policy Analysis. Two Indiana economists caution against reading too much into the study. They note it narrowly focuses on tax and regulatory issues without attempting a broader assessment of state economies. Patrickl Barkey is from Ball State University's Bureau of Business Research. He says the report reinforces the fact that Indiana's economic climate is geared toward manufacturing, with low operating costs. The study's authors say the study examines how far states have gone in adopting free-market economies.

December 11

A weather system that has been droopping sleet and snow is continuing to plague the Hoosier Hills Area. Earlier this morning, roads in Bedford were very dangerous, and the snow was still coming down. Here at the station, we received 2.8 inches. Yesterday afternoon, sleet fell all over the area, making travel on the roads dangerous. It is important to be careful when driving on icy conditions.
State Education officials say that sixty percent of Indiana's 10th graders passed the math and English portions of the graduation qualifying exam on the first try. That's a slight increase from last year, when the number was fifty-eight percent. Fifty-four percent of the 10th graders passed the exam when it was first administered in the fall of 1997. Superintendent of Public Instruction Sue Ellen Reed says that she is pleased with the slight increase. She says that more patience and time is needed for test scores to reflect improvements in the classroom. Results showed that sixty-eight percent of the class of 2005 passed the math portion of the exam. That's an increase of three percent over last year. In English, sixty-eight percent passed, which was the same as last year.
Some lawmakers hope that Lieutenant Governor Joe Kernan's decision to forego a run for governor in 2004 will help reduce the patisan tensions in the upcoming session of the General Assembly. Kernan stunned politcal circles on Monday by announcing that he would not run for governor in 2004. Kernan was considered the Democrat's best candidate to continue a hold on the Governor's office. It leaves the party with a second-term, lame-duck governor in Frank O'Bannon and a lame-duck administration. That could leave a leadership void during the upcoming session. That session is expected to be one of the most challenging in decades. Indiana still faces a $760 million budget deficit and has lost 120,000 jobs during the national recession. That's despite the passage of a sweeping tax-increase and tax-restructuring plan this past June.
Along the same lines, Indy Mayor Bart Peterson has taken his name out of the hat of possible governor candidates for 2004. He cites family reasons and the desire to remain the mayor of Indianapolis. U.S. Representative Tim Roemer has also removed his name from the list of possible candidates. He is content with his decision to leave public office as of January 3, 2003. He did not seek re-election this past November.
Microsoft has upgraded the severity of a recently discovered security flaw in Internet Explorer from moderate to critical. A researcher at Pivx Solutions discovered that not only could the flaw allow access to information on the target PC, but a hacker could execute code on the target PC, effectively taking over the computer. Microsoft issued a patch for the flaw last week numbered MS02-068, which the company has said will fix the problem.
Clark County may not have a jail doctor or an animal shelter come January 1, 2003. The current county budget has set aside only one dollar for each the doctor and the shelter. County Commissioners have been told that the doctor and the shelter will not provide services for the county unless they receive adequate pay. The county is facing such a budget crunch that cuts were forced. Officials had hoped to get the funds back into the budget from the Clark-Floyd County Landfill, but those funds are off-limits due to a necessary landfill expansion.

December 10

Today's weather starts out with a chance of rain late in the day with a high of 35. Things change tonight! There is a sixty percent chance of light freezing rain mixed with sleet and snow tonight with a low around 32. Wednesday's high will be around 38, so anything we get tonight will melt during the day tomorrow. High temperatures by the end of the week are expected to be around 45, but, as we all know, things can change by then!
Wondering what you can do to help your community this holiday season? Wonder no more! The best gift you can give this Christmas is the gift of life. The American Red Cross River Valley Region (this affects Southern Indiana!) really needs your help. We are over 500 units of blood behind our goal for December.
Blasted by sudden cold weather and increased cancellations of platelet donations, our supply of platelets has dropped to a critical level. Platelets are used for cancer and leukemia patients, surgical patients, bone marrow and other transplants as well as patients with blood disorders. Platelets help the blood to clot and can effectively prevent a patient from internally bleeding.
We also have a critical need for O negative and O positive as well as B negative blood. We are currently trying to import platelets from other American Red Cross regions but we are not having any success. Please help!! We will be hosting a blood drive at First Church of God in Bedford on Monday, December 16, 2002 from 12:00 PM - 6:00 PM. We will be giving free holiday gifts and food to all donors.
Consider giving the gift of life this holiday season. If you manage or own a business, why not give your employees a little time off so they can donate? Let me know if you are willing to do so - I'd love to send you a certificate to hang in your workplace showing your clients that your personnel worked with the American Red Cross to save lives. And remember... every unit donated can help or save up to THREE lives!

Lt. Governor Joe Kernan's announcement yesterday that he would not seek the office of governor in 2004 came as no surprise. Rumors were already circulating. Now the state goes from having a lame-duck governor to having a lame-duck administration. Some mention possible replacements such as Indy mayor Bart Peterson, U.S. Reps. Tim Roemer and Baron Hill, or even Evan Bayh. Kernan said he and his wife decided that seventeen years in public office was long enough for them.
Hanover College, about forty miles northeast of Louisville, began sending home students on Tuesday as a precaution. Kentucky police are still searching for a teenager who fatally shot his parents, and they were concerned that he may go to the college to look for his brother, who is a student at the school. Officials have removed the boy from the campus for his own protection, and campus security is stopping all cars. All buildings are locked down and cannot be entered without a key. There were only three days of classes left before the semester break, but staff members will have to decide what to do about this semester's final exams.

December 9

Lt. Governor Joe Kernan has scheduled a news conference for 2:00 p.m. this afternoon, and is expected to announce that he will not run for governor in 2004. The news comes as a shock to both Democrats and Republicans, who expected him to run for the office as the unopposed Democratic candidate. Democrats have held the office of governor since 1988.
Out of tragedy comes hope. In 2000, Jill Behrman disappeared. Now efforts are underway on a temporary home for patients using a soon-to-be-opened tumor treatment center. A playground, chapel, and $350,000 have already been pledged for Jill's House. However, construction cannot begin until more money is raised. The tumor-treatment center is the Midwest Proton Radiotherapy Institute, only the third in the nation. The facility treats tumors using proton therapy to destroy tumors near critical tissues, such as the brain and spinal cord. The therapy is often used to treat brain tumors in children. The treatment center is being built to be child-friendly and is the only one in the country being built with children in mind. That makes completion of Jill's house even more important. Without the temporary housing, patients face the daunting task of finding someplace affordable to stay while undergoing treatment. The treatment facility will be ready to start treating children by next fall.
A consultant to Indiana University says the school may have to pay as much as $600,000 to $800,000 in annual compensation to the next university president if the school wants to attract top candidates. Myles Brand is stepping down as president at the end of this year, and received $307,600 for a salary, not including benefits. The presidential search committee hopes to have a new president in place by July 1, 2003.

December 6

After a snow day caused by the 5.5" snowfall Wednesday night, area students are back in school today with a one to two hour delay in the start of the school day.
Only seven states have an inventory tax, and Indiana is one of them. We have all heard the advertisements from car dealers trying to sell as much of their inventory as possible before March 1st in order to reduce their inventory. That is because everything a business has in stock on March 1st is subject to the tax. This tax reportedly brings in more than $400 million a year to pay for services such as police and fire protection, road improvements and libraries. This year the Indiana General Assembly gave counties the authority to eliminate the inventory tax by allowing public bodies to cast votes before Dec. 31. Otherwise, it will be phased out over the next five years. Grant County is considering the option to dump this tax in 2004 and is currently holding public hearings. Businessmen are enthused about the elimination of the tax, but others are concerned about what the state will implement to take its place.
Ask, and it shall be given..? Well, Dave Letterman has been "hinting" recently. First he thought that Ball State University (his alma mater) should name its footballs stadium after him. Recently Dave Letterman has mentioned on his show that I 465 around Indy should be named the "Dave Letterman Expressway". Muncie has finally honored Dave Letterman with an alley! Yes, an alley, but they explain that it IS one of the city's busiest alleys. It is now identified with a sign "Dave's Alley--Open 24 hours", and it is reported that the city officials also plan to add a 24-hour Internet camera to the alley area. WOW!
Indiana is seeing a 6.2 percent rise, in tax collections due primarily to increases in cigarette and gambling taxes passed during a special session of the General Assembly in June. While it is not a large increase, it is hopeful since Indiana experienced back-to-back revenue declines in 2001 and 2002. Although sales tax collections fell during the past two months, they should rise sharply in December because of the increase in the rate to 6%, targeted for property tax relief. It is reported that tobacco tax revenues are us $133.5 million, 50% ahead of the same period last year, and already the state has taken in $105.9 million more in gambling revenue than a year ago.

December 5

Hazardous winter road conditions caused by snow, sleet, and ice can present unforseen dangers for motorists. The National Safety Council provides suggestions to make sure that drivers and vehicles are prepared to make it safely through winter.

Your car should have a tune-up to ensure better gas mileage, quicker starts, and faster response on pick-up and passing power. An emergency situation on the road can arise at any time and you much be prepared. Follow the tune-up with a full tank of gas and fresh anti-freeze.

You should have: a properly inflated spare tire, wheel wrench, and tri-pod jack; a shovel; jumper cables; tow and tire chains; a bag of salt or kitty litter; tool kit.

Be prepared with a survival kit that should always remain in the car. Replenish it after you use it. You should have: a working flashlight; flares or reflective triangles and brightly colored cloth; compass; first aid kit; exterior windshield cleaner; ice scraper and snow brush; wooden stick matches in a water-proof container; scissors and string or cord; non-perishable, high-energy foods like nuts, hard candy, or dried fruit.

If you travel in snow a lot, you should have: heavy woolen mittens, socks, caps, blankets; long-burning candle for melting snow to drink; enamel cup to drink melted snow. Do not eat snow, because it can lower your internal body temperature.

If you become stranded: Do not leave your car unless you know where you are going, and are sure that it will do you any good; Light two flares or put up reflective triangles; If your exhaust pipe is not blocked, run the heater for ten minutes an hour to warm yourself; use blankets to keep warm; eat a hard candy to keep your mouth moist.
On Wednesday, a federal panel rejected a request from United Airlines for a $1.8 billion loan guarantee, thus sealing the fate of the financially challenged airline. The Air Transportation Stabilization Board said that the airlines recovery plan still is not financially sound despite the airlines efforts in recent weeks to line up $5.2 billion in labor cost savings. The board felt that United faces a high probability of another financial crises within the next few years, even with the loan. City, state, and Hendricks county governments are expecting United to pay as much as $100 million in 2005 for failing to meet hiring targets in a tax incentive package. A bankruptcy filing by United would not change the company's financial obligations to pay those penalties, according to Chief Deputy Mayor O'Connor. United's passengers would not see any immediate changes while the company would continue to operate under Chapter 11 while attempting to reorganize.

Gov. O'Bannon and Lt. Gov. Kernan unveiled a $1.25 billion economic development plan on Wednesday that is hoped to draw the state out of recession by creating thousans of high-wage, high-skill jobs during the next ten years. The plan plans to boost education and training from kindergarten through university levels to give Hoosiers skills to compete in the global economy. About two thirds of the money would come from national tobacco settlement payments and proceeds of bonds secured by future payments, with the rest coming from federal money bonds, and state pension fund investments. The state's recession has cost Indiana a higher percentage of jobs in the past two years than many other states.

December 4

The National Weather Service says that we can expect cold temeratures for the rest of the week, and snow tonight! Accumulations are expected to be two to four inches in the southwest and one to three inches in the south east. Central Indiana will see only flurries. Highs are expected to be only in the mid to upper twenties. Brrr!
Indiana University is saying good-bye to President Myles Brand and to one of his policies he instituted during his first year. The graduation-guarantee program, Grad-Pact, is being disbanded after the IU Faculty Counsil voted to discontinue it due to the expense to adapt and maintain the program under IU's new Peoplesoft information management software. The program guaranteed that any freshmen who followed a prescribed four-year plan would graduate in four years or IU would pay the additional tuition. The university will continue the program for the current 4800 freshmen. No student has ever asked the university for extra tuition.
The Federal Aviation Administration has fined United Airlines for flying planes the administration says were not airworthy. Three planes which flew a total of one hundred ninety three flights were involved. The FAA says that United mechanics performed a temporary repair of the spoilers on the three planes after discover small holes in the skin of the aircraft. Methods used for the repairs were not within approved methods, technics, or practices in the current manufacturer's repair manuals.
Indiana's state government has seized $2.5 million in Marion County tax revenues because the county was unwilling to try to pay its bill for housing juvenile offenders at a state correctional facility. The state bills each county half the cost of housing all its juvenile offenders in the Indiana Department of Correction system. Marion County was complaining about the fairness of its bill, while the state government was complaining about late payments. Marion County owed almost $38 million since the year 2000.

December 3

The IU Police Department has completed its investigation into the porn movie made on the university's campus and has turned its report over to school officials. Neither the police department nor school officials would comment on the report. School officials are trying to determine if any charges can be filed against the company that made the film. Officials will also determine what, if any, disciplinary actions can be taken agains the students who participated.
Five years ago, they disbanded their union. Now State Police, conservation and excise departments have voted 976-98 in favor of unionizing. The International Union of Police Associations, affiliated with the AFL-CIO, will be their representing union. The union will serve as a collective voice in bargaining for wages, hours, and working conditions. The union wants to schedule an introductory bargaining session with state officials before Christmas. Officers are upset that they have not gotten raises in two years. They also have not gotten any cost of living increases in their retirement benefits, and are forced to take time off rather than earn overtime pay.
Supporters of the Owen County Home, a home for indigent people, are still needing to raise at $118,000 by December 15 to keep the home open. The deadline was set by County Commissioners during a vote in September when it was decided to close the home due to the county's budget crunch. Another option being pursued is makeing sure there are at least twenty people living in the home. They would be able to pay the rent which would total enough to cover the operating costs.
Research into the effect of violent video games shows that there is a different kind of brain activity in teens who watch violent video games as opposed to those who do not. While this does not prove a link between the video games and behavior, researchers feel that these results merit more in depth research.

December 2

The National Weather Service says this will be the warmest day this week. Highs today are expected to be around fifty degrees, but highs tomorrow are only to be in the low thirty's. Better get any outside work done today! Brrr!
Indiana's Sales Tax rose to 6% yesterday, costing consumers extra pocket change on purchases ranging from cars and refrigerators to blue jeans. The sales tax rose 1% from what it has been since 1980. That means that a $20,000 car now comes with an extra $200 in sales tax. State lawmakers approved the tax increase earlier this year to pay for tax credits to lower some property tax bills for homeowners with big increases. It is expected to add up to $800,000 per year in revenue for the state, some of which also could be used to help plug a $760,000,000 state budget deficit.
Teenage driving deaths remain high in Indiana despite a 1998 law that further restricted the driving rights of 16 and 17 year-olds. The Journal-Gazette of Fort Wayne reported yesterday that the state ranks fourth in the nation for the number of 16 year-olds killed in crashed every year. In 1999, thirty percent of Indiana's 16 year-old drivers were involved in a crash, far more than any other age group. Officials say that they have seen little improvement in the situation since the state's graduated license law was passed in 1998. The most controversial part of the law was meant to limit driver distractions. The provision bars a teen from having passengers in the car during the first ninety days after getting a license, unless a licensed driver over 21 is in the car.
Campers will find it easier to reserve campsites at state parks starting this week. They will, however, find higher fees for campsites, cabins, and shelters. A mail-in registration system has been scrapped. Registrations are now accepted online or through a toll-free telephone number. Reservations can be made up to six months in advance for campsites and up to one year in advance for cabins, shelters, and recreation buildings. New fee increases mean that is till cost campers more in campsite fees after about a decade of steady rates. The marketing director for the Division of State Parks and Reservoirs says that the increase is needed to pay for increased operating costs.
Indiana's State Social Services Agency said that it under-reported child abuse and neglect deaths over the past four years. The Indiana Family and Social Services Administration blames computer problemd and possible human error in compiling the data. A task force will be appointed next week to suggest changes in the reporting system, and disciplinary action may be requested. State officials do not believe that local authorities failed to investigate of prosecute appropriate cases. There were no indications of any intentional efforts to understate the number of deaths. For the 2002 fiscal year ending 6/30/02, the number of deaths in Indiana from child abuse and neglect now appears to be 70, rather than the 53 that the state agency reported on November 12.
As Indiana University prepares to hire a new president, those with ties to the school are looking to the past to map its future. Students, staff, and faculty members alike covet a leader resembling the late Herman B. Wells. He was widely credited with turning a small midwestern college into the major research university that is IU today. Wells retired as president forty years ago after a twenty-five year tenure.
Governor O'Bannon and his wife are going to be displaced. Actually, renovation work on the Governor's Mansion is expected to begin sometime in March to make the mansion more handicap-accessible. The $900,000 renovation involves renovating first floor restrooms, meeting rooms, and dining areas. The project is being funded entirely by provate donations.
Beginning next year, Anthem Inc. will no longer have the physician referral requirement of many of its members. This move reflects a grwoing nationwide trend to loosen oversight of their members health care. The move is expected to reduce the amount of paperwork and to make members happy. M-Plan of Indianapolis is not considering dropping the referral requirements.