Police Seek Man in Credit Card Fraud

Fort Wayne police are searching for a man they say charged nearly nine thousand dollars in purchases to another man’s credit card. Police say a well-dressed thief bought a Rolex watch worth nearly six thousand dollars and several other items before the bank denied further charges. The owner of the card says he lost it at a gas station.

State to Offer New "Support Our Troops" Plate

Starting Tuesday, you’ll be able to help families of Hoosiers who are deployed by the military, by buying a new license plate. The new "Support Our Troops" plate will cost an extra 35 dollars, 20 of which will go to Indiana’s Military Family Relief Fund.

No Savings on Road Salt

This winter’s lack of snowfall has not saved the state much money in road salt. A spokesman for the Indiana Department of Transportation says that’s because prices for the material have gone up.

Governor Signs Welfare Privatization Deal

Governor Mitch Daniels has signed an agreement to have private companies process applications for food stamps, Medicaid and other assistance for the needy. The administration says the deal should improve client services, reduce error rates, waste and fraud, and boost the state's welfare reform record. Critics point out that in other states such arrangements have delayed benefits for recipients.

Lawmakers to Continue Time Zone Debate

Two state lawmakers plan to introduce time zone bills next year. One would establish a statewide referendum on whether Indiana should be on Eastern or Central time. The other would require the governor to request that the entire state be placed on Central time.

Central Indiana Soldier Dies in Iraq

A soldier from central Indiana has died in Iraq. Private First Class Joseph Strong of Lebanon died in the crash of a Humvee while on patrol south of Baghdad.

Huntington Man Found Dead at Rest Stop

A worker at a rest area along Interstate 69 in Huntington County discovered a corpse in a van. The coroner says the body is that of 58-year-old Huntington resident James Mullins, who died of natural causes while traveling to Indianapolis in late November.

Miami County Considers New Jail at Grissom

Miami County officials are considering the former Grissom Air Force Base as a site for a new jail. A consultant has recommended replacing the current 50-bed jail with a 225-bed facility. The county already owns land for the jail on the former Air Force base.

Remains of Hoosier Vietnam War Pilot Identified

The military has identified the remains of a Fort Wayne army helicopter pilot who disappeared while flying in Vietnam 36 years ago. Captain Herbert Crosby was 22 years old when his helicopter crashed in 1970. This month, specialists used D-N-A testing to identify remains that Vietnamese officials provided in 1989.

Priest Tackles Burglar

Indianapolis police say a Roman Catholic priest foiled a theft in a church rectory yesterday by tackling a teenage boy. The intruder and another man escaped briefly. But police used a description the priest provided to track and arrest them.

Commuter Plane Makes Emergency Landing

A problem with landing gear forced a commuter plane to make an emergency landing at Fort Wayne International Airport yesterday. The pilot discovered the problem shortly after takeoff and landed safely.

More Deadly Violence in Indianapolis

Indianapolis police are investigating the fifth homicide in two days. So far this year, homicides have killed 152 in the capitol city, making 2006 one of the deadliest years on record there.

Police Surround Empty Roanoke House for Five Hours

Police emergency teams spent five hours surrounding a house in the Huntington County town of Roanoke yesterday, only to discover it was empty. The incident began when a man told police he was worried that he had not heard from his mother, who has a protective order against her husband. The husband had previously threatened to kill police officers and himself. A short time later, several people who live near the man’s Roanoke reported hearing a gunshot. That’s when police called in Fort Wayne’s emergency teams, who eventually got a call from the woman, saying the couple was in a Huntington hotel. They arrested the man without incident for violating the protective order. Police believe the noise neighbors heard must have been a vehicle backfiring.

No Improvement in ISTEP Statewide

Indiana students have not improved much on ISTEP tests since last year. Statewide results released yesterday indicate that about 70 percent of students in grades three to 10 passed the English portion of the ISTEP-Plus test, while a little more than 72 percent passed the math section. The state’s superintendent of public instruction says the stagnant numbers should be, as she puts it, “a call to action for local schools and communities.”

Buy Your Holiday Beverages Early

If your holiday plans include adult beverages, keep in mind that you won’t be able to buy carry-out alcohol on Christmas Eve or New Year’s Eve this year. Indiana law prohibits the sale of packaged alcohol on Sundays.

Warsaw Couple Accused of Odometer Tampering

State police have accused a Warsaw couple of selling used luxury cars for much more than they were worth, by tampering with the odometers. State Police Sergeant Louis Brown says the couple would buying vehicles through eBay for three or four thousand dollars, change the odometers and then resell them for 10 to 15-thousand or more. Brown says the couple bought and sold as many as 100 vehicles from their home. The husband and wife face multiple criminal charges this morning. Brown says the husband was involved in similar activity in the past at a Warsaw used car dealership.

Governor Discusses Budget Priorities

Governor Daniels says Indiana can afford to start phasing in full-day kindergarten in the next two-year budget. Daniels also says lawmakers should keep total spending below projected revenues to build up the state’s cash reserves. Democrat House Speaker Patrick Bauer says he agrees that school funding is a priority. He says the next budget must also address property tax relief and health care.

Change in Fireworks Law Proposed

A group of state senators wants to change Indiana's fireworks law to give cities and counties the authority to increase local restrictions on their use. But Republican Senator Tom Weatherwax of Logansport, says he opposes the idea, because with would result in a patchwork quilt of laws and destroy the statewide, uniform approach to fireworks that the current law provides.

Interstate Crash Near Indy Kills 3, Spills Cash

State police say three people died in a massive crash on Interstate 70 near Indianapolis International Airport yesterday. One of the three vehicles involved was an armored truck that spilled coins and paper money at the scene. It took three hours for crews to clean up the mess so the highway could reopen.

Feds Approve Benefit Administration Privatization

The federal government has approved Governor Daniels' plan to outsource the application process for food stamps and other benefits. Daniels' spokeswoman says the governor is still reviewing documents and a transcript from a public hearing on the proposed contract, and it is not a sure thing he would sign it.

Democrat First to Enter 2008 Gubernatorial Race

A Democrat state senator from extreme southern Indiana has become the first person to announce that he is running for governor in 2008. 64-year-old Richard Young is the Senate Minority Leader. Governor Daniels has not said whether he will seek a second term.

Woman Jailed in Shooting Death of Husband

A central Indiana woman will remain in jail until at least Friday as prosecutors decide whether to charge her with killing her husband. Police say the 36-year-old Pendleton woman admitted shooting her 43-year-old husband while he slept. The woman’s lawyer says circumstances will emerge that will explain the shooting.

Fleeing Driver Crashes into Police Car

In Lafayette, a driver who was fleeing from police officers crashed into an unmarked squad car last night. The detective inside was not seriously injured. The 29-year-old suspect suffered minor injuries. Police say he fled while they tried to arrest him on a warrant for misdemeanor criminal mischief.

Biomet Sold, to Stay in Warsaw

A sale of orthopedic company Biomet will apparently keep the company’s headquarters in Warsaw, along with more than 13-hundred jobs. Biomet’s board of directors has accepted an offer from a private equity group worth nearly 11-billion dollars. The deal still requires the approval of stockholders and federal regulators. Biomet Interim President Dan Hann says if the purchase takes place, it probably won’t affect Biomet’s day-to-day operations. The deal would pay stockholders 44 dollars a share and take the company off the stock market.

Kosciusko Crash Seriously Injures Driver

A one-car crash on State Road 19 in Kosciusko County yesterday seriously injured a 37-year-old Mishawaka man. Police say the man’s car left the road for an unknown reason and crashed head-on into a tree.

Bomb Threat Evacuates Plane at Fort Wayne Airport

A bomb threat forced officials to evacuate a passenger plane at Fort Wayne International Airport yesterday. The Delta Connection regional jet was getting ready to take off for Cincinnati when a passenger found a note written on a page of a magazine claiming a bomb was aboard. After searching the plane, officials declared the note to be a hoax.

Deputy Faces Sexual Misconduct Charges

State police say they’ve arrested a Blackford County sheriff's deputy on charges he had sexual contact with a 15-year-old Hartford City girl. If a court convicts the 48-year-old man, he could get up to 20 years in prison for one count of sexual misconduct and up to eight years for a second count.

Grant to Help Local Spanish Program Expand

A Spanish program operated by the Health Care Foundation of Kosciusko County, Inc. will receive a state grant of nearly 150-thousand dollars. The money will allow The Reality Spanish™ Program of Northeast Indiana to expand to 17 counties.

Democrat State Lawmakers to Propose Min. Wage Increase

Democrat members of the Indiana House of Representatives say they will introduce a bill during the upcoming General Assembly to increase the minimum wage for Hoosier workers. The bill would raise the wage from the federal minimum of $5.15 to a state minimum of $7.50 an hour.

Senator Bayh Decides Against Running for President

Senator Evan Bayh has decided not to run for the Democratic nomination for president. In a written statement, Bayh says he believes the odds of a successful run are too great to overcome.

Steel Beam Crushes Whitley Worker to Death

A worker at Whitley County’s Steel Dynamics plant died yesterday when a three-ton steel beam fell on him. James Hall of Fort Wayne was 41 years old. Company officials say he was guiding another worker, who was using a fork truck to move beams to a rail car when one or more of them fell. Steel Dynamics says Hall had worked in the company’s shipping department for nearly four years. The company says he’s the first person to die of a work-related injury at a Steel Dynamics plant. State officials are investigating the accident.

Huntington Roofer Dies in Worksite Fall

A 28-year-old construction worker from Huntington has died after falling 42 feet at a Marion work site. Aaron Weber was working for a roofing company on Marion’s memorial coliseum.

S. Whitley Man Injured in School Bus Crash

A South Whitley man suffered minor injuries yesterday after his Jeep collided with a school bus in eastern Cass County. Police say the bus driver failed to yield at an intersection and drove into the path of the jeep. A bus aide also received minor injuries, but none of the three special needs students aboard were hurt.

State Government Projects Increased Revenues

Forecasters say state tax income will grow by one-point-six-billion dollars during the next biennium. But lawmakers already have plans to increase spending by two billion, to pay for full-day kindergarten and other programs.

Governor Proposes Lottery Privatization

Governor Daniels has proposed franchising the Hoosier Lottery to a private contractor to fund a new anti-“brain drain” scholarship program. The plan calls for the contractor to make a large up-front payment, an annual payment that’s approximately what the state currently earns from the lottery, and a payment that's a percentage of the contractor’s revenue. Part of the up-front payment would go into a permanent endowment. The endowment would fund forgivable scholarships for outstanding students who agree to work in Indiana for at least three years after they graduate from college. Daniels says the deal would continue to fund programs currently paid for by lottery proceeds, including police, fire and teacher pensions, local motor vehicle excise tax replacement and state and local capital projects.

Two Arrested in Eagles Robbery

Columbia City police have arrested two women in connection with Tuesday night's armed robbery at the Eagles Lodge on Van Buren Street. One suspect is 27 years old and the other is 28. They both face charges of armed robbery, criminal confinement with a deadly weapon and theft. Columbia City police say a female worker was preparing to leave the lodge late Tuesday night when a robber pointed a gun at her face. The robber took an unknown amount of money from the cash register and fled.

Huntington Raid Results in Charges Against Four

Four people now face charges in connection with Tuesday’s police raid of a house on Poplar Street in Huntington. The charges include possession of methamphetamine, dealing methamphetamine and having an illegal drug lab. Police arrested three of the suspects during the raid. A fourth was still at large at last report.

Police Release More on Eagles Robbery

The Columbia City Police Department has just released additional information regarding last night’s robbery. The department says a female victim at the Columbia City Eagles Lodge on West Van Buren Street told an officer that she was in the processes of leaving the business when she was confronted by a masked person who pointed a gun at her face. The victim says the robber forced her return to the front of the business and then took an unknown amount of money from the register. Police believe the suspect then exited the north side of the lodge. Police say the only description they have is that the robber wore some type of mask. Police are asking anyone who has information that might help them with their investigation to call the Columbia City Police Department at (260) 248-5121.

Columbia City Eagles Lodge Robbed

An armed robber reportedly held up the Eagles lodge on Van Buren Street in Columbia City last night. The call came in at 11:30. No injuries were reported and police have not provided any other information about the crime.

Police Remove Child from Suspected Huntington Meth. Lab

Police raided a house in Huntington yesterday, after they got a tip that a methamphetamine lab might have been operating inside. Police aren’t saying whether they found a meth lab, but they did remove a small child from the house and arrest two adults. Prosecutors say they haven’t decided yet what formal charges those adults will face.

Dana to Close Syracuse Plant

Dana Corporation has announced that it will close its axel part plant in Syracuse and move the work to Mexico. About 65 people work at the Syracuse factory, which will close next September. Dana filed for bankruptcy protection in March.

Daniels May Proposed Privatized Lottery

The Indianapolis Star is reporting that Governor Daniels has spoken with legislative leaders privatizing the Hoosier Lottery to raise money for college scholarships. The governor's press secretary says Daniels plans to make what she calls a "significant" announcement about higher education in Indiana tomorrow, but she will not provide any other information about what the governor will announce.

Behavior of Syracuse Teens to Prompt Legislation

A fatal accident in which two Syracuse teens were involved could lead to a new state law. A state legislator from Elkhart says he plans to introduce a bill that would require passengers to render aid to injured or trapped drivers and immediately report an accident to law enforcement. Last year, two Syracuse boys who were passengers in a car that crashed into a pond allegedly left the driver there, fleeing the scene without reporting the accident. A prosecutor says even thought the driver died, the boys broke no existing law by doing so.

Boy, 12, Charged in Death of Cousin, 11

A 12-year-old Elkhart boy now faces a charge of reckless homicide in the shooting death of his 11-year-old cousin. Court records indicate the boy told police he pointed a gun at the girl and pulled the trigger, but did not know the gun was loaded.

Indiana, Illinois to Explore New Expressway

Indiana and Illinois have agreed to study a proposed expressway that would connect Interstate 94 in northwestern Indiana with Interstate 57 in Illinois. The two states have agreed to study potential locations for the highway.

Valpo Cops Clock 16-year-old at 142 MPH

Police in Valparaiso say they stopped a 16-year-old boy for driving 142 mph along U-S 30. Police say the boy told them he was speeding home so his parents wouldn't be angry at him for being late. It was 12:40 a.m. when police stopped him. The boy faces speeding and misdemeanor reckless driving charges this morning. Porter County police say it might be the fastest speed ever recorded in the county.

Company to Open New Truck Body Factory in Ligonier

Supreme Corporation has announced that it will open a new manufacturing plant in Ligonier. The plant will handle the company’s new Astro Body line of service truck bodies. The company says the plant will create approximately 90 new jobs. It expects to begin production in early 2007.

Ethanol Plant Coming to Wabash County

An Indianapolis company has announced that it will build a new 170-million-dollar ethanol plant in Wabash County. Company officials say the plant will be on State Road 15 near La Fontaine and should open during the last half of 2008. They expect the plant to buy about 30-million bushels of corn a year from area farmers and provide about 45 jobs. The plant will be the anchor for a new 200-acre agricultural-industrial park.

Report: European Company to Bid on Biomet

A wire service has reported that Europe's biggest medical device maker is on the verge of buying Warsaw’s Biomet, Incorporated. Reuters reports that Smith and Nephew plans to offer 11-billion dollars for the local orthopedic company. The wire service also reports that other companies might make offers for Biomet and that today might be a deadline for that. Biomet has not commented on the report.

Teen Driver, Passenger Killed in Crash

A one car crash near Howe in northeastern LaGrange County has killed two people and critically injured a third. Police say one of the people who died was the 16-year-old girl who was behind the wheel. The other victims were also juveniles. Police say the girl was speeding and lost control of the car on a curve on a county road.

Police Arrest Suspect in Area Hotel Robberies

It turns out the man a Shipshewana police officer was chasing Sunday is a suspect in a string of hotel robberies in Fremont, LaGrange and Shipshewana. A Michigan jail is holding the 45-year-old Michigan man pending extradition back to Indiana. As Q101 reported yesterday, the Shipshewana officer lost control of his squad car while chasing the man Sunday. It hit a tree and flipped over, totaling the car. The officer suffered minor injuries.

Officer Injured in Crash During LaGrange Co. Chase

A Shipshewana police officer suffered minor injuries last night when his squad car crashed during a pursuit. Police say Officer Juan Jasso was chasing a driver on State Road 120 when Jasso lost control of his car on a curve and it hit a tree and flipped over. A local hospital released Jasso after treatment in its emergency department. Police in Michigan later stopped the suspect.

I-U Medical School Predicts Hoosier M.D. Shortage

Indiana University Medical School is predicting a shortage of physicians in the Hoosier state. I-U says that unless it increases enrollment by 30 percent, Indiana will have about two-thousand fewer doctors than it needs by 2015. I-U Med already has the second-largest enrollment in the nation, but the school says that won’t be enough to replace doctors from the baby boom who will be retiring.

Power Transmission Lines Break in Cold

Cold weather early this morning apparently caused some high-tension electric transmission lines in Northern Huntington County to snap. The transmission lines belong to Duke Energy, but they fed several other utilities, including Kosciusko R-E-M-C and United R-E-M-C. The power went off at about four o’clock this morning. About an hour and a half later, Duke Energy rerouted its power around the damaged transmission lines and the power came back on for most customers.

30-Vehicle Pile-Up Closes I-69

A 30-vehicle pile-up closed I-69 in Huntington County yesterday for more than four hours. Fifteen of the vehicles involved were semi trucks, some of which were a total loss. Police blame the chain-reaction crash on lake-effect snow that suddenly reduced visibilities on the interstate to near zero. Despite the massive amounts of damage injuries were few and minor. Police say it all started when the weather conditions forced one vehicle to slow down and another vehicle rear-ended it.

Language Barrier Delays Murder Suspect's Evaluation

A Warsaw psychiatrist says she cannot evaluate the mental status of an Elkhart woman who allegedly strangled her four children to death last month. The 27-year-old suspect speaks only Spanish and the psychiatrist says working through an interpreter would make it impossible to evaluate the suspect’s tone and nuances of her speech. The psychiatrist referred the court to a Spanish-speaking psychiatrist in Indianapolis.

Akron Man Dies in Kosciusko County Crash

Swerving to miss a dear cost an Akron man his life yesterday. Police say 38-year-old Sergio Montelongo was driving a pickup truck on State Road 19 in southern Kosciusko County when he lost control of the truck. It ended up hitting a utility pole and rolling over several times, throwing Montelongo out. The coroner pronounced him dead at the scene of neck injuries. Police say Montelongo did not wear a seat belt, but a passenger in `the truck did and she escaped with minor injuries.

State Agency Recommends More Privatization

The state Office of Management and Budget has completed a report on improving the efficiency of state government. The report contains more than 100 recommendations, including privatizing the Bureau of Motor Vehicles , highway maintenance, school bus inspections and prison work-release programs.

Congressmen Sponsor Med. Error Bill

Four Indiana congressmen have introduced legislation that could create new safety measures to prevent medication errors. Their bill stems from the deaths of three premature infants from an accidental overdose of a blood thinner. Senators Evan Bayh and Richard Lugar and Representatives Julia Carson and Dan Burton introduced the bill yesterday. It would direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to work with health quality groups to adopt new measures to try to head off medication errors.

INDOT Expands Snowplow Fleet

The Indiana Department of Transportation has increased the size of its snowplow fleet for the first time in 15 years. INDOT says it has taken delivery of 76 new snowplows and retired 59, bringing the fleet to one thousand, one hundred and 17 snow plows.

Woman to Plead Guilty in Cromwell Killing

A 30-year-old Noble County woman who allegedly killed her boyfriend with a hammer last May has reportedly reached a plea agreement with the prosecutor. The agreement calls for her to plead guilty to voluntary manslaughter and receive 8 to 20 years in prison. In exchange, the prosecutor would drop a murder charge, which could have gotten the woman a 65-year sentence. The woman’s lawyer says the killing was a result of years of threats and abuse the woman received from the victim. The killing happened in a mobile home park in the western Noble County town of Cromwell.

Elkhart Girl, 11, Dies of Gunshot Wound

An 11-year-old Elkhart girl has died, after being shot in the head by her 12-year-old cousin. A judge has ordered authorities to hold the cousin for a week while prosecutors decide to file formal charges against him. Police say they have not yet determined whether the shooting was intentional or accidental.

Gov. Daniels Announces Kindergarten Plans

Governor Daniels has announced his plan to expand full-day kindergarten in Indiana. "Full-day kindergarten works," Daniels said, "it is needed and 2007 is the time to make it real, finally, in the state of Indiana." Daniels says the legislature should fund the program beginning next fall for all children who are eligible for free or reduced-price lunches. His plan would add more children each year, until full-day kindergarten is available to all Indiana children. The program would cost the state 54-million dollars next year and 260-million dollars a year when it’s fully implemented in 2011.

Consultant Recommends CCHS Changes

A consultant has advised the Whitley County Consolidated Schools board to either expand Columbia City High School, or build a new school at a different location. At last night’s board work session, the consultant advised the board to hire an architect yet this month and to make a final decision by next May.

Whitley Commissioners Deny City Jurisdiction

Whitley County Commissioners have voted not to allow Columbia City to modify a jurisdictional area. If commissioners had approved the request, new areas outside the city would have had to comply with the city’s building ordinances.

Student Slashed During High School Study Hall

Police say a southern Indiana high school student slashed another student in the neck with a knife yesterday. It happened in the Jennings County High School cafeteria during a study hall. The 16-year-old suspect faces a preliminary charge of attempted murder this morning.

Hundreds Allegedly Obtain Welfare Benefits Illegally

Investigators say a preliminary investigation has found that more than a thousand Marion County residents who’ve been convicted of drug felonies are illegally receiving Welfare benefits. Officials say they expect to find more such cases as they extend the investigation to the rest of the state.

Parents Sue Wal-Mart Over Child's Death

The parents of an Indianapolis child who died in a Wal-Mart store have sued the company. Last summer, a six-foot-tall mirror fell on the three-year-old boy while the family shopped. The suit claims the store was negligent for failing to properly secure the mirror.

Bayh Takes Step Toward Presidential Bid

Indiana Senator Evan Bayh has announced that he is taking the first official step toward running for president. "Later this week I will be forming an exploratory committee to take the next practical step," Bayh told ABC's This Week, "I'll make a final decision over the holidays with my family and have some final decision to announce early next year." Bayh acknowledges that he is not well-known outside Washington and Indiana, but he says he has the credentials necessary to be an effective president.

Lake Home Near Whitley/Noble Line Burns

Two fire departments spent most of the night fighting a house fire on Big Lake, just north of the Whitley-Noble County line. Dispatchers say the house was not occupied and no one was hurt. The alarm came in at 1:18 a.m. and firefighters were still on the scene three hours later.