Katrina Brings Higher Fuel Prices, Shortage

Thanks in part to Hurricane Katrina, fuel prices in the Q101 area have jumped again. By yesterday evening, one Warsaw station was selling regular unleaded for $2.82 and prices at stations elsewhere in Indiana broke the three-dollar mark. But that’s not the only problem. Several stations around northern Indiana actually ran out of fuel yesterday… and they’re having trouble getting more. Indiana Attorney General Steve Carter says the best thing to do is buy gasoline as you normally would… because hording will just make the problem worse. This morning, the federal government announced that it will release oil from strategic reserves to temporarily replace crude oil that’s no longer reaching refiners because of the hurricane.

Katrina Remnants Dampen Southern Indiana

Remnants of Hurricane Katrina drenched parts of Indiana Tuesday with heavy rain, which led to minor flooding, and brought wind gusts up to 30 mph. Flood watches and warnings were issued throughout the day for much of central and southern Indiana. At around 2:30 yesterday afternoon, what had been the eye of Katrina was over Louisville. The storm also passed through Ohio later in the day.

Poverty Increases Among Hoosiers

New census data shows the number of Indiana residents living in poverty grew by nearly 80,000 from 2003 to 2004. That’s an increase of a nearly 14 percent. And it was the third-highest increase in the nation. Experts blame the decline in the state's manufacturing economy.

Indiana SAT Scores Increase

State education officials say Indiana's most recent high school graduates took the SAT college entrance exam in record numbers. And they reported that the students scored five points higher than last year. But the state’s average cumulative score remained below the nationwide average.

Local Agencies Explain how to Help Katrina Victims

There are several ways you can help the victims of Hurricane Katrina.

Hear Mike Nelson's report, including an excerpt from his interview with Warsaw Red Cross official Larry Pepple:

Pepple and officials of other repsonse agencies emphasize that they do not have the capacity to accept non-monetary donations such as food and clothing. They need and can only use monetary donations.

You can reach local chapters of the American Red Cross at the following numbers:

• Kosciusko County Chapter: (574) 267-5244
• Huntington County Chapter: (260) 356-2910
• Allen/Wells County Chapter: (260) 484-9336

You can also donate by visiting the national American Red Cross web site, although heavy demand for that site might make it unresponsive.

Katrina Expected to have Little Effect on Local Weather

Parts of Indiana could begin receiving heavy rain from Katrina today. The heaviest rains are expected in the southeastern part of the state, where the National Weather Service has already issued a flood watch. Forecasters say the Q101 area will get some rain but we won’t see much of Katrina’s remnants.

Hear Brent Lothamer of the National Weather Service talk about how Katrina will affect our weather:

Hoosiers Urged to Give Cash for Katrina Victims

The Indiana Department Homeland Security (IDHS) is urging Hoosiers who wish to help victims of Hurricane Katrina to send monetary donations only. IDHS executive director J. Eric Dietz says money is better than goods for several reasons. For example, money enables people close to the disaster to buy exactly what victims need. It also helps the economy in the disaster area, as agencies buy supplies locally. For more information on where to send money or how to volunteer your time, visit the web site of Indiana Volunteer Organizations Active in Disasters.

Pierceton PD Investigates Internet Fraud

The Pierceton Police Dept. along with United States Postal Service Investigators are investigating a case of Internet fraud. According to a news release, someone in Nigeria has been contacting local people via the Internet for help cashing Postal Service money orders. But the money orders have turned out to be counterfeit. If you’ve been contacted with a request to cash money orders, call the Pierceton police department at 574-594-2232or your local law enforcement agency.

Community Choir Appoints New Directors

Jerry Polman

Renee Polman

The Warsaw Community Choir annouced today that it has appointed two new co-directors. Jerry Polman is director of vocal music at Central Noble Middle and High School. Renee Polman Renee is music director at Warsaw Christian School. Both hold bachelor's degrees in music education from Grace College. Rehearsals for the 2005-2006 concert season begin September 6 at Community Grace Brethren Church and the choir welcomes any interested singers.

Huntington Red Cross Volunteers Head South

From left: Mattern, Connie Kline, Terry Kline, Parker

The Huntington County American Red Cross chapter deployed four of its Disaster Action Team members to Alabama over the weekend to help out with Hurricane Katrina. Michael Mattern, Connie Kline and her husband Terry Kline, and Roger Parker, flew out Saturday for assignments that will last at least three weeks. They expect to work in Red Cross shelters after the storm moves through.

DNR Honors Rescuers

The Indiana Department of Natural Resources has honored two Kosciusko County men for their role in an ice rescue last winter. The D-N-R presented meritorious service plaques to Conservation Officer Lyle Enyeart and Syracuse Firefighter Jeremy Caudill. The D-N-R says both men disregarded their own safety to help a fisherman who fell through some ice on the main channel between Lake Wawasee and Syracuse Lake.

ISP Veteran Retires from Peru Post

Oliver

A 30-year veteran of the Indiana State Police retires from his position at ISP’s Peru post today. Sergeant Phil Oliver has been stationed in Peru since 1984. In 1986 he was promoted to sergeant and squad leader. Oliver was also a member of the Tactical Intervention Platoon and was a Field Training Officer Coordinator. Oliver lives in 12 Mile in Cass County. Wabash and Miami Counties are among those in the Peru post’s district.

WCHS Announces Photo Schedule

Warsaw Community High School has announced the following schedule for students to have school pictures taken for the 2005-2006 school year:

• August 30: Freshmen
• August 31: Sophomores
• Sept. 1: Juniors
• Sept. 2: Seniors

The school plans to provide students with additional information regarding pictures.

Whitley County ATV Crash Injures Two

Two men riding all-terrain vehicles at about a 3:00 a.m. suffered injuries when they collided head-on on a Whitley County road this morning. Police say one of the men is from rural Larwill and the other is from rural Churubusco. They’re both in their mid twenties. EMS took them both to a Fort Wayne hospital. No information is available yet on their conditions. The crash happened on Whitley County Road 600W near Division Road. Police say they suspect alcohol was involved.

U.W. Pacesetter Surpasses Goal

One of the pacesetter companies for the United Way of Kosciusko County’s annual campaign has exceeded its goal. The Bowen Center hoped to raise pledges worth 38-hundred dollars from its employees. It surpassed that goal after only a week of its internal campaign. The United Way’s countywide goal this year is one million, 575-thousand dollars.

Hospice Gets New Co-Medical Director

Kosciusko Home Care and Hospice has announced that it has a new co-medical director. Internist Dr. Dana Coats joins family practitioner Dr. Marilyn Whitney in overseeing hospice medical issues.

Sidney/Jackson Twp. VFD Gets Federal Grant

The federal government has awarded a 54-thousand-dollar grant to the Sidney/Jackson Township Volunteer Fire Department. The department can use the money for training, fitness programs, and equipment, as well as for modifications to fire stations and facilities.

Salvation Army Gets Baby Food Grant

Warsaw’s Salvation Army office has received a 500-dollar donation from Campbell’s Soup for its Choice Pantry food bank. The Choice Pantry will use the donation to buy baby food. It’s Warsaw’s share of more than a million dollars Campbell’s donated to Salvation Army offices around the country.

Warsaw Crews to Trim Trees, Shrubs

Beginning Monday, Warsaw city workers will start trimming any shrubs and trees that have grown into alleys and streets. If you don’t want the city to trim trees or shrubs that are on your property, you need to trim them yourself before Monday.

Winona Businessman Expresses Concerns Over Police

Winona Lake art gallery owner Robert Hudson says he’s worried about stories he’s heard about the number of traffic tickets town police officers write.

Hear Mike Nelson's report on this story, including an excerpt of his interview with Hudson and the viewpoint of the police chief:

Winona Lake Police Chief Malcolm Gilbert tells Q101 he welcomes anyone who has had an unsatisfactory experience with a Winona Lake police officer to give him a call at (574) 267-8622.

Syracuse Police Release Robber Description

Syracuse police are searching for an armed robber this afternoon. According to a news release, a man with a large knife held up the McClure gas station in Syracuse at about 10:50 last night. Police have not disclosed how much cash the robber got. The clerk described the man as white, between five-foot-nine-inches and six feet tall, and weighing approximately 200 pounds. He was last seen wearing a ski mask, a green pull-over sweater or sweatshirt over a white shirt and shorts. The suspect was last seen running west from the gas station. Police searched the area with a dog and located evidence but not the suspect. The clerk was not injured. Syracuse police are asking anyone with information about this crime to call them at 574-457-3366.

Kosciusko Commissioners Choose Eastern Time

Kosciusko County Commissioners have decided not to ask the federal government to move the county to the central time zone.

Hear Mike Nelson's report, including an excerpt of his interview with Commissioner Avis Gunter:

Markle House Fire

Firefighters in the Huntington County town of Markle responded to a house fire early this morning. The call came in from the residents of the home at about 3:30. Dispatchers say no one was hurt.

Man Charged with Cooking Meth in Peru Church

Police in Peru have arrested a church custodian for making methamphetamine inside the church. Miami County police arrested the 30-year-old man after that found meth ingredients in Peru First Baptist Church. Police say the man cooked the drug late at night in the church’s attic.

Syracuse Gas Station Robbed

Syracuse police responded to a report of an armed robbery last night. The call came from the McClure gas station at 10:51. No one was hurt and no arrests have been made. The Syracuse Police Department does not plan to release any additional information until later today.

Warsaw's Market Street to Close for Demonstration

Part of Market Street in downtown Warsaw will be closed tomorrow, from 7 a.m to 4:30 p.m. The city will close Market Street between the west cross walk at Indiana Street and the east cross walk at Buffalo Street. The city is closing the street for a demonstration during a convention of street commissioners.

DeMarco Trial Delayed

A child molesting trial scheduled for this week in Warsaw has been delayed until January. The trial of former Kosciusko Y-M-C-A employee Anthony DeMarco was originally scheduled to begin yesterday. A new lawyer began representing Demarco last month and asked the court to delay the trial to give him more time to prepare Demarco’s defense. The judge rescheduled the trial for January 16th. DeMarco is accused of molesting several boys who were under the age of 14 at the time.

Wabash County Gets New Deputies

Three new deputies for the Wabash County Sheriff’s Department have graduated from the Indiana Law Enforcement Academy. All three graduated August 19 and have begun field training in Wabash County.

Baker

Fitzpatrick

Payne

Ryan Baker had been employed as a Jail Officer with the Wabash County Sheriff’s Department since 2001. He holds an associate’s degree in law enforcement from Vincennes University.

Kayla Fitzpatrick had served within the department as a third-shift dispatcher since January 2004. She holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Indiana University, Kokomo.

Andrew Payne has experience as a corrections officer with the Delaware County Sheriff’s Department an as a reserve officer with both Delaware County and the Yorktown Police Department. He holds a bachelor’s degree in American history from Ball State University.

Kosciusko Commissioners to Discuss Time Zone

We might know later today whether Kosciusko County Commissioners will try to move the county to the central time zone. A discussion of the time zone issue is on the agenda for this morning’s commissioners’ meeting. Commissioners must decide whether Kosciusko County should remain in the Eastern Time zone or switch to Central Time. If Commissioners decide the county should be on Central Time, they’ll have to file a petition with the U-S Department of Transportation. It would then be up to the D-O-T to conduct hearings and make the final decision. If Commissioners decide the county should remain on Eastern Time, they don’t need to take any further action. Some Indiana counties want to change from Eastern to Central time because the state goes on daylight savings time next spring.

"Do Not Call" Violator Fined $100,000

A court has ordered an Anderson man to pay a fine of more than 100-thousand dollars for violating Indiana's Do Not Call law. Gabriel Gouvas operates two companies, Spectrum Services and Digital Communications. Hoosiers have filed more than 70 complaints against Gouvas and his companies for making sales calls to phone numbers registered on the state’s Do Not Call registry. If your phone number is not registered, the next deadline to register it is Tuesday August 23 at midnight. To register or to file a complaint against a telemarketer, go to the state’s “Do Not Call” web site.

Quaduple Fatal on Toll Road Results in Arrest

Four people are dead this morning and a semi truck driver faces four counts of reckless homicide, after a chain reaction crash on the Indiana Toll Road yesterday. It happened at about 4:45 yesterday afternoon near the State Road 15 exit in Elkhart County. State Police say traffic had slowed for a lane closure in a construction area, but the semi truck didn't slow down and slammed into the back of a car. That set off a series of rear-end crashes that involved five passenger vehicles. The collisions killed four people and injured another seven. The people who died were from Michigan, Ohio and California. The trucker is from Pennsylvania. The crash forced police to close the eastbound lanes of the toll road and divert traffic onto a two-lane state highway for several hours.

Car vs. Pedestrian Collision Kills Pierceton Man

A Pierceton man died yesterday from injuries he received after a car hit him Friday night. Police say 24-year-old Travis Williams and two other people were walking along a Noble County Road when the car crashed into them. Police have charged the 30-year-old driver with Operating While Intoxicated.

Utilities Warn of High Heating Costs

If you’ve given any thought to adding insulation to your house, Indiana utilities say now is the time to do it. NIPSCO and other energy suppliers say natural gas and fuel oil will cost considerably more this winter than last year. NIPSCO says even though it’s only August, wholesale natural gas prices are already at record highs. Most homes here in the Midwest are heated with natural gas. The Energy Information Administration estimates that by January, natural gas could cost about 30 percent more than it does now. Fewer Hoosiers heat their homes with fuel oil, but with crude oil trading at record prices this week, those homeowners can expect painful heating bills as well.

New Report: Police Fired First Near Rensselaer

There’s new information this morning about the police-action shooting Q101 told you about yesterday. State Police originally reported that officers shot and killed a rural Rensselaer man after he fired at them. But according to an updated news release, further investigation show that 42-year-old Wilmer Messer’s shotgun wasn’t loaded at the time. The updated report says Messer leveled the gun at officers with his hand in firing position, and that’s when a trooper shot Messer with a rifle to protect the other officers.

Plymouth Plant to Expand

Nearly sixty new jobs will be coming to Plymouth over the next couple years. G-M-I has announced that it’s expanding its Corpack corrugated packaging plant there.

Magazine Recognizes Local Colleges

A couple Q101-area colleges have been recognized in the latest guide to American colleges by U.S. News & World Report. The magazine ranks Huntington University as 15th among 107 institutions in the Midwestern Comprehensive Colleges category. And it puts Huntington third among the Indiana schools listed in the same group. The survey places Manchester College 24th among Midwestern comprehensive colleges and fifth as a Best Value among Midwest colleges. In nationwide rankings, Notre Dame placed 18th, Purdue University was number 60 and Indiana University placed 74th. The report hits newsstands Monday.

Rural Rensselaer Man Dies in Police-Action Shooting

Indiana State Police say a rural Rensselaer man shot at troopers and officers from the Jasper County Sheriff’s department last night. Officers returned fire and killed 42-year-old Wilmer Messer, Junior. It all started when police got calls that Messer had shown up intoxicated at a nearby convenience store and then drove his car into a ditch on his way home. A news release from I-S-P says that when police arrived at Messer’s home, they found Messer walking around with a firearm. Police surrounded the home and tried to talk him into putting down his weapon. But police say Messer fired a shot at them, forcing them to return fire.

New Fiber Optic Service

North Manchester, Huntington and Wabash will be getting new fiber optic networks that will bring high-speed internet, television and telephone services to homes and businesses. Cinergy MetroNet says it’ll take about two years to install new network. The company has not yet determined what its services will cost.

Whitley F.D. to Receive Federal Grant

The Washington Township Volunteer Fire Department in Whitley County will receive a 72-thousand-dollar grant from the federal government. The money comes from the government’s operations and firefighter safety grant program.

Police Seek Help Finding Alleged Bank Robber

Esmedina

Police are hoping you can help them catch an alleged bank robber this morning. They’ve released the name and a photograph of the man they believe held up a bank in the Adams County town of Berne last weekend. Police say the man is 42-year old James Esmedina and they believe he’s hiding out somewhere in northern Indiana. If you know where he is, call your local police department.

Kosciusko United Way Announces "Day of Caring"

The United Way of Kosciusko County and the Grace College’s Center for Character and Leadership Development have announced plans for the annual “day of caring” event. Throughout the day September 17th, local residents, businesses and Grace College students will do volunteer clean-up and fix-up work at eight non-profit organizations and the homes of 10 senior citizens.

Foundation Grants $100,000 to Youth Club

The K21 Foundation in Warsaw has granted $100,000 to Baker Youth Club. According to Foundation President Willis Alt, the grant will help the club move to a new facility. Q101 inquired of the Baker Youth Club for more information on its plans, but the club's executive director declined to be interviewed.

Pierceton Medical Device Firm Gains Capital

Pierceton medical device company Paragon Medical, Inc. announced today that two other companies have invested a total of 25-million dollars in Paragon. The company says it will use the capital for various growth initiatives.

Airline Adds Non-Stop Flights from Ft. Wayne to Orlando

Delta Connection has announced that it will offer non-stop air service between Fort Wayne International Airport and Orlando. The service will begin October 10th. The flights will take about two and a half hours and as of this afternoon, the round-trip fare is about $210.

Tornado Hits Fulton County

A tornado touched down in Fulton County Saturday. The National Weather Service says it happened just before four p.m. just west of the town of Fulton on State Road 114. The F-1 tornado left a track that was three fourths of a mile long and 75 yards wide. It damaged several homes, trees, vehicles, and power lines, but it did not hurt anyone. Lightning hit the Huntington Police Department Saturday. It damaged some of the department’s radio equipment, but the department is still able to receive and dispatch calls with its remaining equipment.

WCS Board to Discuss Supt. Hiring Procedure

The Warsaw Community Schools board will discuss a procedure for finding a new permanent superintendent tonight. The board will also hear about a filmmaker’s plans to shoot a documentary on the campus of Warsaw Community High School. The seven o’clock meeting will be Ralph Bailey’s first as interim superintendent.

City Council to Work on Budget

Warsaw City Council plans to discuss the city’s 2006 budget tonight. The meeting begins at six at City Hall.

State to Prohibit Fenced Deer Hunts

Outdoorsmen will no longer be able to hunt whitetail deer behind fences in Indiana. The Indiana Department of Natural Resources announced yesterday that beginning next year, it will ban deer hunts within enclosures. Read more on the DNR's web site.

North Manchester Festival Features Car Show

The North Manchester Fun Fest continues today with a Cruise-In from two to 11 p.m. It’s the car show's 15th anniversary and it will include a Hula Hoop contest, a fan belt toss, a bubble blowing competition and a creeper race. The FunFest Parade starts at four o’clock tomorrow. The theme will be "Cruizin' Thru the Decades."

United Way Pacesetters to Wash Cars

Employees of Bowen Center and Kosciusko Community Hospital plan a car wash competition today, to raise money and awareness for United Way. Teams from each company will try to wash the most cars in the K-C-H parking lot between 10 a.m. and two p.m. today. The teams welcome members of the general public to get their cars washed for a donation to United Way. The event kicks of each company’s internal United Way pledge campaign. Both K-C-H and Bowen Center are pacesetters for this year’s campaign.

Culver Plane Crash Kills Instructor, Teen

A single engine airplane crashed into a lake near the Marshall County town of Culver yesterday. The crash killed an aviation camp instructor and his 14-year-old student. The cause of the crash is still under investigation this morning.

Feds Publish Time Zone Procedures

The U-S Department of Transportation has published information on how Indiana counties can petition to be in a different time zone. The notice gives county commissioners until September 16th to file a request if they want their county’s time zone to change. Any commissioners who request a change must also provide data that shows why the change would be good for commerce.

June Unemployment Numbers Mixed

The Q101 area got a mixed report when the state issued unemployment numbers for June yesterday. As compared to June of last year, unemployment is up slightly in Kosciusko and Wabash Counties and down in Whitley and Huntington Counties. The biggest change was in Whitley County, where the jobless rate dropped from five-point-three percent in June of 2004 to four-point-six percent in June of this year.

State Fair Underway

The Indiana State Fair got underway yesterday with its traditional hot air balloon race and marching band competition. Today’s activities at the state fair include a baton twirling contest and an evening concert by Rascal Flatts.

North Manchester Church Sells Lemonade for Cancer Research

Members of a North Manchester church will operate a special lemonade stand during this week’s fun fest, to raise money for childhood cancer research. Members of Mount Zion Lutheran Church are participating in nationwide project that was started by an eight-year-old Pennsylvania cancer patient. Alexandra Scott wanted to raise five million dollars for cancer research by selling lemonade. The disease claimed her life last year after she had raised three million. Alex’s Lemonade Stand will be open in North Manchester today, tomorrow and Saturday.

Huntington University VP Resigns

Kiser

Huntington University announced today that Vice President for Advancement Ned Kiser has resigned to join an international missions organization. Kiser had led fund-raising work at Huntington since 1995. He has accepted a Vice President for Development position at Asian Access. The University has appointed Assistant Vice President for Advancement Troy Irick to the position of Interim Vice President for Advancement.

Huntington County Crash Injures Two

A single vehicle accident north of Huntington injured two people this morning. A helicopter flew one of the victims to a Fort Wayne hospital. The crash happened at about 4:15 at the intersection of State Road Nine and Huntington County Road 500-North.

Gasoline Prices Shoot Up Again

Security threats in Saudi Arabia are getting some of the blame for a big jump in gasoline prices yesterday. The price of self-serve regular unleaded got as high as 2-55 a gallon in northern Indiana yesterday. You can find the lowest fuel prices in any part of Indiana by following this link.

License Branch Hearing available on Internet

If you’re interested in what’s going on with license branches around the state you might want to log in to a legislative hearing at the statehouse today. At one o’clock, a committee will talk about what’s going on with the Bureau of Motor Vehicles and you can watch the meeting live on the Internet. Just follow this link.

Motorcycle Hits Deer, Rider Critically Injured

A 47-year-old Columbia City man is in critical condition after his motorcycle collided with a deer on U-S 30 early this morning. The rider suffered a head injury and a helicopter flew him to a Fort Wayne hospital. The crash happened a bit before 1:30 a.m. just west of Pierceton.

Huntington Convenience Store Robbed

Two juveniles are in custody this morning after a robbery at a Huntington convenience store. Police say the clerk at the Pak-a-Sak store on North Jefferson Street suffered minor injuries early this morning when two guys held her up at knifepoint. Police in Wabash County arrested the suspects after a second robbery there.

WCS Interim Superintendent Starts Work

Ralph Bailey starts his job as interim superintendent at Warsaw Community Schools today.

Hear Mike Nelson's report from this morning's newscasts, including excerpts of Q101's interview with Bailey (60 sec.):

Spending Cuts on Library Board Agenda

New cuts in spending at the Warsaw Community Public Library could be on the horizon. The Budget is one of the main items on the agenda for a four o’clock meeting of the library board.

Whitko to Explain Tax Increases

The Whitko School board plans another meeting tonight to discuss the tax impacts of its decision to renovate Whitko Hig