Satellite TV Installer Arrested on Voyeurism Charge

Kosciusko County police have arrested a Leesburg contractor for allegedly installing a hidden camera and video recorder in the bedroom of a customer’s home. The 45-year-old man faces a felony charge of voyeurism. Police say he confessed to installing the equipment while he was at the Chapman Lake home to install a satellite television system for the home owners. Police say the homeowners became suspicious when they kept hearing a noise in the duct above their bedroom in their newly-built home. They called the builder and he discovered the video equipment. Police say they have no reason to believe the suspect has installed video equipment in any other homes.

Police Arrest Owner of Warsaw Massage Business

Police have arrested the owner of a Warsaw massage business on charges of corrupt business influence, promoting prostitution and bribery. Police arrested the 52-year-old woman in Georgia. At the same time, they searched VIP The Office Spa in Warsaw, VIP Tanning in Fort Wayne, the suspect’s Georgia home and an apartment she leased in Warsaw. During the searches, they gathered bank records, documents and video recordings made in the Warsaw business. Police say the over the past year, the woman has paid about 16-thousand dollars in bribes to a Warsaw detective. Warsaw police say federal officials are investigating possible money laundering and tax evasion by the business.

Furnace Explosion Seriously Injures Roanoke Man

A Huntington County man suffered serious injuries last night after the furnace in his home exploded. It happened on Mayne Road near Roanoke at about 8:30 last night. A woman and three children in the home suffered minor smoke inhalation.

State House Kills Cigarette Tax

The Indiana House of Representatives has rejected a bill that would have raised the cigarette tax by 25 cents a pack to pay for new health care programs. Democrats say they refused to support the bill because too few Republicans planned to vote for it. The bill was Governor Daniels’ top priority for this year’s legislative session.

Lottery Lease Gets Senate Approval

The state Senate has approved a plan to lease the Hoosier Lottery to a private company for 30 years. The bill calls for the state to use the money to encourage life sciences research and provide college scholarships for students who agree to stay in Indiana after graduation.

State Senate Approves Lawmaker Pay Increase

The Indiana Senate has approved automatic annual pay increases for lawmakers and other elected state officials. The bill would initially increase the base salary for legislators from 11-thousand, six hundred dollars a year to more than 20-thousand, 700.

Investigation into Warsaw Fire Continues

Investigators and a specially-trained dog searched for clues yesterday at the scene of Sunday’s big fire south of Warsaw. They were not able to determine what started the fire on County Road 25-West but the do have an idea of where the fire started. It destroyed a building that contained three apartments and a storage facility where a collector kept antique cars and boats. Investigators say they believe the fire started in the attic above one of the apartments. And they say they do not believe the fire’s origin was suspicious. The fire forced the hospitalization of one resident.

HNHS Student Withdraws Stabbing Admission

A 14-year-old Huntington County boy has withdrawn his admission to charges of stabbing a fellow student at Huntington North High school. During a hearing yesterday, officials expected the boy to admit to a juvenile charge of attempted aggravated battery. After the boy declined to say he stabbed the other student, a judge scheduled a new hearing for next Monday.

Huntington County Commissioners Discuss Vicious Animals

Huntington County Commissioners learned yesterday that the county’s animal control ordinance provides few options to protect residents from a neighbor’s vicious dogs. The current ordinance only allows officials to fine a dog’s owner. Commissioners discussed the ordinance when a resident appeared at their meeting to express concerns about his neighbor’s animals.

House Directs Toll Road Money to Local Projects

Sixty-million dollars in interest from the lease of the Indiana Toll Road would go to local street and road projects, under a bill the Indiana House of Representatives has approved. Opponents of the bill say the money is supposed to go to the state’s “Major Moves” 10-year highway plan. The bill now moves to the Senate for consideration.

Indiana House Passes Gasoline Tax Break

The Indiana House of Representatives has passed a bill that would give Hoosiers a tax break on gasoline when the pump price rises above $2.25 per gallon. House Democrats had campaigned on a proposal to eliminate the state sales tax on gasoline altogether. They abandoned that idea after they found out how much income the state would lose if it did that. It’s now up to the Senate to decide whether to pass the new plan.

Biomet Hires New President, CEO

Biomet's Board of Directors has hired a new president and chief executive officer. The Warsaw orthopedic company's board announced today that it has appointed 43-year-old Jeffrey R. Binder to the position. Binder most recently served in senior management roles at Abbott Laboratories. Binder replaces Daniel P. Hann, who has served as interim president and chief executive officer. Hann will remain as executive vice President of administration and a member of the Board of Directors.

Fire Destroys Warsaw Apartment, Storage Complex

Three families lost their homes and two people required trips to the hospital yesterday, after an apartment complex and storage facility south of Warsaw caught fire yesterday. The fire destroyed the entire complex and all of its contents, including about a million dollars-worth of antique cars and boats. It happened early yesterday at 3440 South County Road 25-West. Warsaw Fire Chief Mike Rice tells Q101, "When the first units arrived, there was heavy smoke and fire coming from two thirds of the building and with the wind the fire was moving to engulfing the whole building." Smoke detectors woke up residents and they were able to escape, even though the building was already filling with thick smoke. Paramedics took one resident to the hospital for treatment of minor burns and smoke inhalation. Paramedics also took in a firefighter who slipped on some ice. Investigators hope to find some clues as to how the fire started when they return to the scene today.

KREMC Customers Lose Power in Ice Storm

Kosciusko REMC reports that nearly 1,500 of its members lost power during last night's ice storm. Crews had power restored to all members by 10:35 a.m.

State Activates Emergency Operations Center

The Indiana Department of Homeland Security (IDHS) says it has activated its Emergency Operations Center (EOC) in anticipation of the approaching winter ice storm. The EOC serves as the main hub for the coordination of the state’s response to a disaster or emergency, such as a significant winter storm. According to a news release, representatives of IDHS, the Indiana State Police, the Indiana Department of Transportation, and the Military Department of Indiana are staffing the EOC for this weekend’s storm. The EOC staff will monitor the storm and coordinate response activities when and where needed. In addition to road clearing and patrol activities by the Indiana Department of Transportation and Indiana State Police, possible missions could also include:

• Location and rescue of stranded motorists
• Establishment of shelters
• Debris removal
• Assistance to local governments upon request.

Huge Fire Destroys Rome City Bar

Flames leaped above the treetops in the Noble County town of Rome City last night, as fire destroyed a downtown restaurant. The fire at Stag's Sport Lounge and Restaurant did not hurt anyone, but it did damage two adjacent buildings. A total of 14 fire departments responded, including every department in Noble County and departments from LaGrange and Steuben Counties. Firefighters say water supply was a major challenge. The town has no fire hydrants, to tanker trucks had to shuttle water from Sylvan Lake. Passers-by reported the fire just before 10 o’clock last night and fire officials say it wasn’t under control until about two o’clock this morning. Investigators plan to search for the cause later today.

State House Approves Budget

The Indiana House of Representatives approved a state budget last night with a party-line vote. Before the vote, the Democratic majority suspended the rules and added two million dollars to the budget to for a single school district, to win the vote of a hold-out Democrat. The money goes to a school system in Mishawaka.

Senate Approves Full-Day Kindergarten

The state Senate has approved a bill that would make full-day kindergarten available to all students within three years, starting with the state's neediest children this year. The bill does not include funding for the program, but that funding is in the budget bill that the House passed last night.

Restrictions on Big Livestock Farms Clears House

The Indiana House has approved a bill that would prohibit large livestock farms within a mile of schools, cities, towns or nursing homes. The bill’s sponsor says it has strong support in the state’s rural areas.

Senate Gives Up on Video Game Restrictions

A bill to restrict the sale of mature and adult video games has died in the Indiana Senate. The bill’s sponsors say they could not find a way to write the bill without violating constitutional rights.

Wabash Jail Inmate Dies

An inmate at the Wabash County Jail died this morning. According to a news release from Sheriff Leroy Striker, the 54-year-old man had been experiencing health problems and paramedics had taken him to Wabash County Hospital. The jail had been holding him on public intoxication charges. As in standard procedure, Indiana State Police will investigate the death.

Elkhart Mom Allegedly Beats Son at School

Elkhart police say a teacher at an elementary school reported that the mother of a nine-year-old student came to the school and beat the boy in front of the teacher. The teacher told police that the woman slammed the boy’s head against a brick wall several times. Officials are still deciding whether to file charges against the mother.

Colts to Display Super Bowl Trophy Locally

The Indianapolis Colts announced today that they plan to bring their Super Bowl XLI Vince Lombardi trophy to the Q101 area. Two area stops are part of a 50-city trophy tour:

• Huntington, March 17, 11 a.m to one p.m., Riverview Middle School, 2465 Waterworks Road.
• Warsaw, March 20, 11 a.m. to one p.m. at Center Lake Pavilion, 117 E. Canal Street.

At each event, Colts fans will have a chance to see, touch and have pictures taken with the trophy. Colts cheerleaders will also sign autographs. The team is advising fans that inclement weather or traffic could cause the trophy to arrive later than scheduled and that it might be necessary to cut off the line before all fans reach the trophy, to ensure the tour remains on schedule. Also, times and locations for the tour are subject to change. More information about the tour is available at www.colts.com/trophy

United Way Announces Updated Campaign Results

The United Way of Kosciusko County announced today that donations to its 2006 campaign are greater than previously announced. According to a news release, the final total for the 2006 campaign is $1,647,881. In January, the United Way announced campaign results of $1,622,730. The campaign’s goal was $1,715,000. The United Way says revenue from late special events at DePuy is responsible for the revision in the campaign total.

Huntington Dump Truck Crash Kills Driver

Police in Huntington say the driver of a dump truck died yesterday after the truck went off a road and overturned. The crash at the intersection of Old State Road Nine and Business 24 killed 64-year-old Michigan City resident Larry Szymkowski.

Freight Trains Collide in Goshen

Two freight trains that were headed in opposite directions collided in Goshen yesterday. The crash did major damage to the locomotives and caused 14 cars to leave the tracks. One railroad worker suffered a minor injury. Neither train was carrying any hazardous cargo, but diesel fuel leaked from the locomotives.

In-Car Smoking Bill Dies in Indiana House

The Indiana House of Representatives has rejected legislation that would have banned smoking in passenger vehicles in which children under age 13 are present. At least one lawmaker who voted against the bill says he did so because it would have created more state authority over the lives of families.

State Senate Committee Approves Abortion Bill

A state Senate committee has approved a bill that would require doctors to tell women seeking abortions that human life begins at conception. The legislation originally required doctors to tell women that a fetus might feel pain, but senators changed its language to read, "there are differing medical opinions concerning when a fetus feels pain."

Child Battery Suspect Formally Charged

The Kosciusko County Prosecutor has filed a formal charge against the 21-year-old Connersville man for allegedly beating his girlfriend’s one-year-old son (see earlier story). According to a news release from the Kosciusko County Sheriff's Department, the prosecutor today filed a charge of battery resulting in serious bodily injury to a person less than 14 years of age by a person at least 18 years of age (IC 35-42-2-1 (4)). The crime is a class B felony, punishable by six to 20 years in prison and/or a fine of not more than 10 thousand dollars. The suspect's bail bond is set at 10-thousand dollars.

Man Charged with Beating Silver Lake Infant

The Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Department has arrested a 21-year-old Connersville man for allegedly beating his girlfriend’s one-year-old son. The man faces a felony charge of aggravated battery. According to a news release from the Sheriff’s Department, the suspect admitted to police that he struck the child with his hand. The child suffered a head injury and was transferred from Kosciusko Community Hospital to a Fort Wayne hospital, where he was in fair condition at last report. Police say they discovered the child’s injuries after the suspect called 9-1-1 from his girlfriend’s home in Silver Lake to report that the boy had fallen and was having seizures.

Fuel, Oil Spill Kills Winona Lake Birds

Conservations officers say melted, contaminated snow has killed approximately 25 birds in Winona Lake. According to a news release, a mixture of melted snow, motor oil and diesel fuel flowed from a parking lot at Dalton Foundries, into a storm sewer and then into the lake, where it killed the birds. Waste water treatment workers discovered the fuel and oil spill yesterday afternoon. They immediately installed oil-absorbing booms to keep any additional contaminants from entering Winona Lake. State officials called in a spill recovery team to clean up the diesel fuel and motor oil. Conservation officers say coots, Canada Geese, and ducks died of hypothermia when the fuel and oil matted their down feathers, making it impossible for them to stay warm.

Kosciusko Might Send Provisional Tax Bills

Kosciusko County Auditor Sue Ann Mitchell says her office might have to send out provisional property tax bills this spring. Mitchell told county commissioners yesterday that she does not expect to have updated data on property values in time. If that’s the case, Mitchell says she’ll send out bills that charge property owners 45 percent of what they paid in their spring installment last year. She would send out bills for the balance after the new assessment figures arrive.

Huntington Mayor on Trial

A civil trial against Huntington Mayor Terry Abbett began in federal court yesterday. Two former city employees have sued Abbett. They claim the mayor laid them off and then kept them from getting their old jobs back because Abbett allegedly believed the men had supported Abbett’s opponent in the 2003 primary election.

Biomet Acquisition Moves Ahead

Biomet has announced that the Federal Trade Commission will allow another company to acquire Biomet sooner than regulations normally allow. The F-T-C has granted an early termination to a waiting period that’s usually required for such transactions. Biomet announced in December that the Sponsor Group plans to acquire the Warsaw orthopedic company. The buyers say they plan to keep Biomet’s headquarters in Warsaw.

House Committee Approves New Seat Belt Requirements

The Indiana House voted yesterday in favor of legislation that would require almost everyone to wear seat belts in both the front and back seats of most vehicles, including pickup trucks. The bill now moves to the Senate.

Bill Would Increase Lawmaker Pay

A state Senate committee has approved a bill that would increase the base pay for legislators by nine thousand dollars a year. The current base pay is 11-thousand, six hundred dollars, but lawmakers also receive expense per diems and leadership bonuses.

House Committee Approves State Budget

An Indiana House committee has approved a two year budget on a party-line vote. Minority Republicans say the budget fails to spend hundreds of millions of dollars in known obligations. That includes about 225-million dollars the Daniels administration says the state will need to cover the cost of Medicaid. The budget includes funding for full-day kindergarten and a four percent increase in overall school funding. It does not include more than a billion dollars for road projects, even though that money would come from the state’s lease of the Toll Road. The bill now moves to the full House, where another party-line vote could send it to the Senate.

Senate Committee Approves Video Game Restrictions

A state Senate committee has passed a bill that would restrict the sale of certain video games to young people. The legislation would fine retailers up to $1,000 for selling or renting video games rated “mature” to people under the age of 17 or games rated “adults only” to anyone under 18. The bill now moves to the full Senate for consideration.

Weather Change Could Cause Flooding

Meteorologists expect warm temperatures and rain this week to melt much of the snow Indiana received last week. They say there’s a chance some parts of the state might experience some flooding by Saturday, but it’s too early to know for sure.

Snowmobile Crash Injures Leesburg Residents

A snowmobile crash injured two Leesburg residents yesterday, one seriously. Police and conservation officers say the 36 year-old man was driving a snowmobile in a field near Tippecanoe Lake when he decided to jump a snow drift. But that drift turned out to be a pile of field stones. The impact threw the man and the 30-year-old woman who was riding with him about 80 feet. The man suffered a neck fracture and at last report, he was in serious condition at a Fort Wayne hospital. The woman did not require hospitalization. The crash happened at about 3:30 yesterday morning. Police say they found alcohol at the scene and believe it contributed to the crash.

Whitley County Barn Burns

Several Whitley County fire departments responded to a barn fire early this morning. The call came in at about 3:40 a.m. from a farm on Whitley County Road 150-West.

Trial in Taylor Crash Moved to Jay County

The trial of a truck driver accused of causing a highway crash that killed a Taylor University employee and four students will take place in Portland. A Grant County judge ordered the change of venue yesterday. The truck driver allegedly fell asleep at the wheel before his semi crossed the median of Interstate 69 and collided with a university van last April. He faces five counts of reckless homicide and four counts of criminal recklessness causing serious bodily injury.

Marion Nursing Home Resident Freezes to Death

In Marion, officials say a 76-year-old Alzheimer's patient wandered out of a nursing home and froze to death before anyone noticed he was missing. A coroner has ruled the man’s death accidental, but investigators are looking into why the nursing home had not conducted its nightly bed check and why no one heard a door alarm when the man walked outside.

Goshen Fire Kills Woman, Young Children

A 34-year-old woman, her three-year-old son and her 11-month-old daughter all died in a house fire in Goshen yesterday. The cause of the fire is under investigation but the fire chief says it does not look suspicious.

Whitley Economic Development Chief Resigns

The president of the Whitley County Economic Development Corporation has resigned to take the same job in Elkhart County. During her 13 years on the job, Dorinda Heiden attracted a billion dollars in new investment in Whitley County.

Democrats' Budget Would Increase School Funding

Democrats in the Indiana House of Representatives plan to present a budget today that would give public schools funding increases of about 4 percent in each of the next two years. It would also provide money to begin a phase-in of statewide, full-day kindergarten.

Bills Conflict on Lottery Lease

Two Republican leaders of the Indiana Senate have introduced a bill that would allow the state to lease the Hoosier Lottery to a private company. But such a lease would be prohibited by a provision in a budget bill that Democrats in the House plan to introduce today.

Car Crashes into School Bus, No One Hurt

A car crashed into the back of a Warsaw Community Schools bus this morning, but according to a report from the Kosciusko County Sheriff's Department, no one was hurt. Police say the bus was on a normal pickup-stop with red lights and stop sign arm activated on State Road 14 near County Farm Road, when an 80-year-old Liberty Mills man failed to stop and drove his car under the rear of the school bus. The bus had 15 students aboard at the time. Police do not believe weather was a factor in the collision.

Roads Improve, Emegency Declarations Lifted

Road conditions have improved considerably in the Q101 area since yesterday morning. The latest reports indicate most state and federal highways have patches of snow and ice and most county roads are passable but snow covered. Whitley and Wabash Counties have lifted their snow emergency declarations. North Manchester’s snow emergency expired yesterday. Huntington County remained at level one snow emergency at last report.

Columbia City Duplex Demolished after Fire

Yesterday’s fire in Columbia City left two families without homes. The fire damaged a duplex on Elm Street so badly that fire and insurance officials decided to have the remains demolished. Each side of the duplex housed a woman and two children. All occupants got out safely, but two firefighters suffered minor injuries. The cause of the fire remained under investigation at last report.

Judge Orders Warsaw Massage Business Closed

A judge has issued a permanent injunction that orders a Warsaw massage business to close. The city requested the injunction against Dating Dynamics and Massage, saying the business had violated the city’s ordinance that regulates massage businesses. The owner of the business is scheduled to go on trial next month on a charge of promoting prostitution.

Bill Would Require Passengers to Seek Help

A committee of the Indiana House of Representatives has passed a bill that would require unhurt passengers to try to get help for injured drivers after a crash. The bill is a result of a 2005 crash in Noble County in which a 17-year-old boy died. Police say two teenage passengers left the scene without seeking help, but they faced no charges because doing so was not against the law.

Cigarette Tax Increase Passes House Committee

A committee of the Indiana House of Representatives has unanimously approved a plan that would raise cigarette taxes from the current rate of 55-and-a-half cents per pack to $1.10. The increase would generate about 223-million dollars a year to provide health insurance to more Hoosiers and pay for other health care initiatives.

Wabash County Cancels Snow Emergency

Wabash County canceled its level one snow emergency as of 7 p.m. tonight. Travel on county roads is no longer restricted. Officials advise that some county roads might be one lane in some areas and motorists should adjust their driving to road conditions for safe travel.

License Plate Deadline Extended

The Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles will extend the Feb. 15 expiration date for vehicle registration renewals to Feb. 21 due to this week’s snowstorm. Hazardous road conditions from the storm forced a number of BMV license branches to close yesterday and today. February 15 marks a registration renewal deadline for most customers whose last name begins with the letters “A” through “Be.” BMV license branches will extend hours tomorrow, Feb. 15. Branches will be open from 8:30 a.m. until 7 p.m. Branches normally close at 5 p.m. on Thursdays. Hoosiers may renew their registrations online at www.bmvexpress.IN.gov, at a number of self-service terminals throughout the state, or at any license branch in any county in the state.

Police Bust Alleged Warsaw Cocaine Operation

The Kosciusko County Drug Task Force announced today that it busted an alleged cocaine distribution operation yesterday. According to a news release, undercover officers had been purchasing cocaine at a house on Nye Street in Warsaw over the past several weeks. Yesterday, they executed a search warrant and reportedly found approximately two ounces of cocaine, numerous items of paraphernalia, and documents associated with the dealing of cocaine. Police arrested four men, ranging in age from 22 to 39, on various drug-related charges. According to the release, police expect to make additional arrests in the case.

Wabash County Downgrades Snow Emergency

Wabash County downgraded its snow emergency to “level one” effective at noon today. A level one snow emergency allows travel on county roadways at the motorist’s own risk. The snow emergency does not apply to federal or state highways or city streets in Wabash or North Manchester.

According to a news release from the Wabash County Emergency Management Agency, Wabash County Highway Superintendent Larry Rice has reported that all primary county roads have at least one lane open. Highway workers will work later today to open secondary county roads and widen the primary roads. Officials are asking motorists to remain off any secondary county road that has not been plowed open. They say any vehicle that becomes disabled on any county road will be towed at the motorist’s expense.

Snow Storm Leaves Significant Problems

The worst snow storm the Q101 area has seen in years is finally moving on, but it has left plenty of problems behind. The combination of several inches of snow and high winds has left snow drifts as deep as four feet on many county roads in the area. In fact, the Whitley County Sheriff’s Department reports that more than one of its four-wheel-drive vehicles have gotten stuck while on patrol. At last report, many, if not most county roads in the Q101 area were impassable. That has led Whitley, Huntington and Wabash Counties to declare “level two” snow emergencies, which prohibit travel. In addition, the town of North Manchester has declared a snow emergency, which prohibits parking on the town’s marked snow route. Here’s a look at snowfall totals. At last report, Winona Lake had received a storm total of eight inches, North Webster had nine-and-a-half, South Bend had five-point-nine inches and Fort Wayne had seven-point-one inches. State government is responding to the situation. The National Guard and the Department of Natural Resources are preparing to help patrol highways. And the state is opening emergency shelters in armories around the state, including facilities in South Bend, Fort Wayne, Marion, Huntington, Peru, Angola and the Fort Wayne Air National Guard base. Most flights at Fort Wayne International and South Bend Regional Airports were cancelled yesterday. Instead of snow, Southern Indiana got an ice storm yesterday. At last report, thousands of people had no electricity.

Columbia City House Fire

Two fire departments responded to a house fire in the three hundred block of North Elm Street in Columbia City early this morning. The call came in at about 10 minutes before five. Early reports indicates that at least one person might have been injured.

Property Tax Relief Bill Fails

A bill that would reduce property taxes by increasing local income taxes failed to receive approval in the Indiana House yesterday. The bill is not dead yet because it didn’t receive a constitutional majority of 51 votes to either pass it or defeat it. It can be called again for another vote.

Bill Would Increase Driver's License Requirements

A state Senate committee has approved a bill that would require teens applying for a driver’s license to have at least 50 hours of supervised driving practice, with 10 of those hours at night. The bill would also prohibit people who are younger than 18 from using cell phones while they’re driving. And it would eventually raise the minimum age for a driver's license to 16 1/2.

Bill Would Ban Smoking with Kids in Car

A House committee has approved a bill that would ban smoking in passenger vehicles in which children under age 13 are present. The bill now moves to the full House.

WCHS Gets Grant for Biomedicine Program

Warsaw Community High School has received a $25,000 state grant to launch a biomedical program. The purpose of the grant is to steer high school students toward careers in biomedicine, such as nursing, radiological sciences and. The Warsaw school is among 16 in the state that received a grant.

North Manchester Declares Snow Emergency

The Town of North Manchester has declared a snow emergency effective from noon today until noon on Wednesday, February 14, 2007. According to a news release from the North Manchester Police Department, any vehicles remaining parked, disabled or abandoned on the emergency snow route after 6:00 p.m. today will be towed at the owner’s expense. The snow emergency route is marked by signs and includes several streets.

Meth Lab Investigation Leads to Arrest of Oswego Man

The Kosciusko County Drug Task Force announced late this morning that it has arrested two people in connection with the alleged operation of a methamphetamine lab in a home in the Oswego area. Police arrested a 27-year-old resident on a variety of warrants from Marshal County. Charges related to t