Molten Aluminum Spills on U.S. 24

About 25-thousand pounds of molten aluminum spilled from a semi truck along U-S 24 in Wabash County this morning. Bob Brown of the Wabash County Emergency Management Agency says the biggest danger was the heat, because molten aluminum is transported at 13-hundred degrees. Brown tells Q101 that some kind of container failure apparently caused the spill. No one was hurt, but police had to close the east-bound lanes of U-S 24 between State Road 13 and County Road 300 East.

Teen Allegedly Stabs Mother to Death with Sword

Kosciusko County police announced this morning that they arrested a 19-year-old rural Cromwell man last night for stabbing his mother to death with a sword. Police say it happened in the family home near the east shore of Lake Wawasee. According to a news release, the suspect was still on the scene when they arrived and 53-year-old Renee Smith’s body was in a chair in the house. The coroner pronounced Smith dead at the scene. Police say the son admitted stabbing his mother multiple times in the chest area during a prolonged argument. According to the news release, the suspect’s father witnessed the crime. The suspect faces a preliminary charge of murder.

"Horrifying" Semi Crash in Columbia City

A crash involving two semi trucks in Columbia City seriously injured one of the drivers this morning.

Hear Columbia City Police Sgt. Doug Eber describe the crash:

Eber says it took rescuers at least 45 minutes to extricate the driver of one of the semis. A helicopter flew the man to a Fort Wayne hospital. He was the only person injured. The crash happened at the intersection of U.S. 30 and State Road 109 at about 1:45 this morning. Traffic was restricted and crews were still cleaning up debris from the accident until just after 6 a.m. Just after the original collision, a separate crash at U-S 30 and Armstrong Street injured two other people.

Syracuse to Unveil Comprehensive Plan

Residents of Syracuse will have a chance tonight to take a look at a new comprehensive plan for the town. Officials will unveil the document at 6:30 at the Syracuse Community Center. One or the recommendations in the plan is for Syracuse to have its own zoning authority.

Meeks: Toll Road Plan Likely to Pass

A top Republican state senator says the legislature will probably approve a plan to lease the Indiana Toll Road to a private company. But Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Robert Meeks of LaGrange, says his committee will probably make changes to the bill, one of which would require legislative approval of any future public-private partnerships involving highways or bridges.

Abortion Bill Amended

A state Senate committee stripped key provisions of an abortion bill yesterday. Originally, the bill would have informed women seeking an abortion that life begins at conception and that a fetus could feel pain. Senators voted to remove those provisions, instead requiring women to be informed that many families are waiting to adopt children if they choose to carry their pregnancy to term.

Bush to Speak in Mishawaka

President Bush visits Bethel College in Mishawaka today, to raise money for Congressman Chris Chocola. Mr. Bush plans to make a brief speech during a fund-raising luncheon at the college.

Churubusco Man Admits Role in Sister's Death

A rural Churubusco man has admitted causing the death of his younger sister while cooking methamphetamine. The 53-year-old man pleaded guilty to felony murder under a plea agreement. The agreement recommends that the man receive a 45-year prison sentence. The man’s 46-year-old sister died in the fire in his mobile home last October.

Committee Approves Fireworks Bill

A state senate committee approved a bill that would make it legal for you to set off so-called “out-of-state” fireworks on your own property. The Senate version of the bill would also hold you strictly liable for any death, injury or property damage your fireworks cause.

Senate Committee Revises Property Tax Relief Bill

A State Senate committee has made major revisions to a property tax relief bill the House-passed earlier this year. The new language would provide tax relief to some homeowners and allow local governments to raise local income taxes higher in order to reduce their reliance on property taxes.

Whitley County Woman Setenced for Theft

A Whitley County judge has sentenced a 31-year-old woman to 16 years in prison for stealing more than 15-thousand dollars from a local apartment complex. The woman had been convicted of stealing the money while she was an employee at Columbia City Apartments.

Warsaw Gets New Superintendent

Warsaw Community Schools will get a new superintendent this summer. Last night, the board hired 40-year-old Robert Haworth, who is currently superintendent of Springs Valley Schools in the southern Indiana town of French Lick.

Warsaw board President Ron Yeiter tells Q101 what impressed him about Haworth:

Haworth will take over from interim superintendent Ralph Bailey no later than July first.

Demarco Sentenced to 120 Years

Former Warsaw Y-M-C-A employee Anthony Demarco got a 120-year prison sentence for molesting a 13-year-old boy. Superior Court Judge Duane Huffer sentenced the 26-year-old Mentone man yesterday. Huffer gave Demarco 30 years for each of four counts and ordered Demarco to serve the sentences consecutively. A jury convicted Demarco of the crimes last month. Demarco faces a new trial later this year on charges involving another victim. At the time of DeMarco’s arrest, he was a part-time youth center director for the Y-M-C-A.

Smith-Green Superintendent Fired

The Smith-Green Community School board fired its superintendent last night. The board took the action because David Martin’s superintendent license had expired. Martin will serve has interim superintendent while the board searches for a replacement.

Founation Hires Development Director

Kosciusko County Community Foundation, Inc. announced today that it has hired Brenda Rigdon to fill the Foundation’s newly created position of Development Director. Rigdon is a graduate of Wawasee High School and Indiana University. She served as the Executive Director of Kosciusko Literacy Services for six years. The Community Foundation establishes permanent endowments that award grants to charitable projects or organizations.

Emerald ash borer found in Huntington County

The emerald ash borer, an exotic species of beetle that destroys ash trees, has been confirmed at a location in Huntington Co. The DNR today issued an emergency order that officially restricts the movement of ash products in Huntington Co., especially in Huntington and Union townships, the specific location of the infestations. Open houses about the emerald ash borer are scheduled for Feb. 23 at 2 and 6 p.m. in Heritage Hall at Hier's Park in Huntington. Representatives from the Department of Natural Resources, Purdue University and will answer questions at the open house.

Storms Clobber Central, Southern Indiana

Last night’s thunderstorms did most of their damage in central and southern Indiana. At the Terre Haute airport, three people were trapped for a while when an Ivy Tech State College building partially collapsed. Emergency management officials say the storm damaged eight to 10 homes n the Vincennes area. Near Indianapolis the storm blew over a semi on Interstate 74. No serious injuries were reported anywhere in the state. The only reported damage in the Q-101 area was a tree that fell across a Whitley County road.

Car Rolls Near Mentone, Kills Driver

A crash on State Road 19 near Mentone in western Kosicusko County killed a Rochester man yesterday. Police say 46-year-old Robert Bruce was trying to pass two other vehicles when he lost control of his car, which went off the road and rolled over several times. No one else was hurt.

Mailed Powder Locks Down Statehouse

A mysterious off-white powder spilled from an envelope in the office of Indiana House Speaker Brian Bosma yesterday. That led officials to lock down the statehouse for a couple hours… preventing anyone from entering or leaving. They also isolated the aide who opened the envelope. All this went on until preliminary tests found nothing dangerous in the powder. The F-B-I took the envelope and the powder to one of its labs for analysis. Agents also took a suspicious-looking envelope from a mailroom. No one had opened the second envelope.

Committee Scuttles ISTEP Test Move

A decision by an Indiana Senate committee would keep ISTEP testing in the fall… at least for now. The committee has amended a bill that would have required moving the tests to the spring. Now, it only requires the Department of Education to come up with a long-term testing plan.

Runaway Huntington Girl Found Unresposive

A tracking dog helped Huntington police find a 13-year-old girl yesterday afternoon… after she ran away Tuesday night wearing only a nightgown. The dog found the girl unresponsive but alive on the porch of a house about half a block from her home. Police say the girl has a history of emotional problems and of running away.

Pierceton P.D. Warns of Scam

Pierceton Town Marshall Tim Sammons says a caller claiming to be from the Pierceton Police Department has tried to scam a resident out of her bank account number. The resident was wise to the scam, declined to provide the information and then contacted the police. According to a news release, the scammer identified himself as “Officer Adams” and claimed that he needed the bank information so he could deposit money the resident had supposedly received from a grant program. Town Marshall Sammons say the Pierceton Police Department has no officer Adams and no member of his department ever makes such phone calls. He’d like anyone else who gets such a call to contact the Pierceton Police Department or their local law enforcement agency.