Daniels Opposes St. Joe County Time Zone Change

Governor Daniels has urged the U.S. Department of Transportation to decline Saint Joseph County's petition to move to the Central Time zone. Daniels presented his position on the issue in a letter he sent to Secretary of Transportation Norman Mineta today. Daniels writes that Saint Joesph County should stay on Eastern Time to avoid dividing the metropolitan region that includes Elkhart and Kosciusko Counties. Daniels also urges the D.O.T. to decide swiftly where the time zone line will be. The D.O.T. previously indicated it would issue a ruling in January. Read the Governor's complete letter.

NM Police Make Drug Arrest

The North Manchester Police Department announced today that one of its officers arrested a suspected drug dealer last week. According to a news release, the arrest started with a traffic stop on Wabash County Road 700 East Saturday evening. After the officer learned that the driver was wanted on active warrants, the officer arrested the drive and seached the car. The search led to new charges against the 23-year-old Muncie man, including dealing marijuana. The officer also arrested a juvenile passenger on a charge of possessing marijuana.

Pickup Truck Strikes Milford Child on Bicycle

A 10-year-old Milford boy is in serious condition in a Fort Wayne hospital this morning, after being struck by a pickup truck while riding a bicycle yesterday. Police say the child made a left turn in front of the oncoming truck in the 27-hundred block of West County Road 13-50-North at about three o’clock yesterday afternoon. Police say evidence at the scene indicates that the driver of the pickup truck tried to stop but was unable to. Police say the boy suffered head injuries and a helicopter flew him from the scene to the hospital. The driver of the pickup was not injured.

State Unveils New Colts License Plates

The state has unveiled a new specialty license plate for Colts fans. The plates will cost 35 bucks and 20 dollars of that will help pay for a new Colts stadium. The state plans to auction off some high-demand plates that have the numbers of current and former players on them. You can bid on the web at http://www.in.gov/bmv/coltsplate/.

Police Discover Claypool Meth Lab

The Kosciusko County Drug Tusk Force announced late this morning that it discovered an operating methamphetamine lab in Claypool yesterday. Police arrested a 43-year-old resident of the home on charges of operating an illegal drug lab and possession of precursors. The task force says more arrests are pending in the case.

Huntington Experiences Five-Hour Overnight Power Outage

A car crash in left a large number of Huntington residents in the cold last night. The city’s east side lost power from about 10:15 p.m. until 3:30 this morning. Because of the cold weather, the Red Cross prepared to open a shelter but it was not needed.

NWS: Three Tornados Hit Indiana Tuesday

The National Weather Service says three tornados touched down in Indiana during Tuesday night’s storms. The closest tornado to the Q101 area was an F1 that damaged a grain elevator in Grant County. In southern Indiana, an F3 tornado cut a 12-mile path from Daviess County to Martin County. And in central Indiana, a second F3 twister hit Bartholomew, Shelby, and Decatur Counties.

Zimmer Announces R&D Expansion

Zimmer announced today that it will expand its research and development capabilities and facilities in Warsaw. The orthopedic company will create a new research and development facility by renovating existing space and adding new space. Zimmer expects to add approximately 275 new professional jobs as a result of the expansion. The Indiana Economic Development Corporation granted Zimmer more than five million dollars in tax credit and other incentives for the project. In addition, the City of Warsaw granted Zimmer tax abatements on equipment the company will add.

LaGrange Co. Body Identified, Homicide Ruled

Officials have not only identified the body that turned up in a LaGrange County cornfield earlier this week… they’ve also determined that the woman was the victim of a homicide. She’s 79-year-old Rosemary Reinel of Sturgis, Michigan. And LaGrange County Prosecutor Jeff Wibel says the man police caught driving Reinel’s car in Florida is a “person of interest” in the case. Wibel stopped short of calling the man a suspect. Investigators have yet to determine exactly how, where, or when Reinel died.

Fire Engulfs Syracuse-Area Home

Four fire departments battled a big house fire near Syracuse the morning. The call came in just after four a.m. and the first firefighters on the scene reported the house fully engulfed in flames. It’s located on Kosciusko County Road 8-25-East just northeast of Lake Wawasee. At last report, the fire had not injured anyone.

Tax Amnesty Program Surpasses Goal

Indiana’s first-ever tax amnesty program has surpassed its goal with a few days remaining in the program. So far, delinquent taxpayers have paid or committed to pay 66-point-four million dollars in back taxes. The grace period allows Hoosiers to avoid penalties, interest or collection fees. It ends November 15th.

Daniels to Announce New Jobs in Warsaw

The Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC) says Governor Daniels will make what the corporation calls a "major economic development announcement" in Warsaw tomorrow. According to a media advisory from the IEDC, the announcement will involve the creation of more than 200 new jobs for the Warsaw/Kosciusko County area. The governor will make the announcement at the headquarters of Warsaw orthopaedic company Zimmer, Inc.

Railroad Crossing Remains Closed

Warsaw officials say they've learned that the railroad company will not reopen the crossing on Main Street this afternoon as planned. City officials hope to know more later today or tomorrow about when the crossing between Detroit and Hickory Streets will reopen.

Police Announce Increased Traffic Enforcement

Kosciusko County Law Enforcement agencies announced today that they will participate in a statewide traffic safety enforcement blitz this month. From November 13 through November 27, local police will increase enforcement of seat belt and other traffic laws. Federal grant dollars will pay for the extra patrol hours.

Suspect Allegedly Bragged about N.M. Murder

New information is available this morning about the robbery and murder of North Manchester resident Leodegario Rodriquez. According to court records, one of the five suspects bragged to friends about hitting the 30-year-old man in the head 30 times with a baseball bat. Another suspect reportedly told police that the robbers only got 300 dollars. All five suspects made their first court appearances yesterday.

Farmer Finds Body in Corn Field

A LaGrange County farmer was bringing in his corn yesterday when his combine partially unearthed a human body. A forensic anthropologist will arrive at the scene this morning, to supervise the excavation of the body. Police believe it might belong to a 79-year-old Sturgis, Michigan woman who has been missing since late September. A few days after the woman disappeared, police found a man driving her car in Florida. They arrested him on unrelated charges.