Word Expected on Closed Warsaw Beach

Heath officials might know later today whether Warsaw can reopen its public beach on Pike Lake. The city closed the beach earlier this week because of high levels of E. coli bacteria in the water.

Indy Mayor Calls for Property Tax Help

Indianapolis Mayor Bart Peterson says Governor Mitch Daniels should call a special session of the General Assembly to provide relief from property tax increases. Senate Tax Chairman Luke Kenley, a Republican from Noblesville, says a special session is not a realistic request.

New Laws Take Effect Sunday

Hundreds of new state laws take effect Sunday. For example, the state tax on cigarettes will increase from 55-and-a-half cents to 99-and-a-half cents per pack. And more people will be required to wear seat belts, including people in pickup trucks and S-U-Vs and people riding in the back seats of cars.

State Gets Federal Grant for Meth Fight

Indiana has received a five-point-four million dollar federal grant to help fight methamphetamine production and abuse. Senator Evan Bayh says the state will use money to shut down meth labs in rural towns and to find and arrest people who distribute the drug.

Claypool Man Sentenced for Shooting at Officer

A judge has given a Claypool man a year of home detention and six months of probation for shooting at a Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Deputy in January. A lawyer for 63-year-old Randall Brashear says his client mistook the deputy in a marked car for a prowler.

Ash Borer Prompts Whitley Quarantine

Officials have issued a quarantine that prohibits people from carrying ash trees and ash tree products out of Whitley County. That’s because the emerald ash borer has been found along the Eel River near South Whitley.

Souder Joins House Republicans Opposing Immigration Bill

Third-district Congressman Mark Souder is one of the House Republicans who voted with the majority yesterday for a caucus resolution against the controversial immigration reform bill. Souder calls the bill flawed.

Whitley Hog Farm Expansion Approved

The Whitley County Board of Zoning Appeals voted unanimously yesterday to allow a confined feeding hog farm to expand. The board’s decision allows the operation on County Road 550-West to double in size to eight thousand hogs.

Columbia City Man Gets Governor's Fellowship

Governor Mitch Daniels has selected a Columbia City native for the Governor’s Fellowship, a year-long program that gives recent college graduates experience serving in state government. Ryan Daniel has received a degree in political science at Anderson University.

No Trans Fat Cooking Oil at State Fair

Food vendors at this year’s state fair will use cooking oil that does not contain trans fat. The state fair will require vendors to use the healthier cooking oil and officials say no vendors have dropped out of the fair because of it.

KCSD Deputy Injured in Squad Car Crash

State police say a Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Deputy suffered head injury yesterday in a crash that happened while he was responding to an emergency call. At last report, 38-year-old Deputy Derek Kreider was in stable condition at a Warsaw hospital. The collision also injured 38-year-old Columbia City resident Eugene Myers. The Warsaw hospital’s emergency department released Myers after treatment. The crash happened yesterday afternoon at the intersection of U-S 30 and Center Street in Warsaw. State police say Myers failed to yield to Krieder’s squad car, which had its emergency lights and siren operating. Both the squad car and Myers’ vehicle were totaled.

No Remonstrance Against School Construction

A former Warsaw school board member has failed to meet a deadline to stage a remonstrance against the schools system’s building plan. Cathy Folk had until yesterday afternoon to present the required 100 signatures. She says she had gathered 80 signatures but stopped knocking on doors last weekend in order to care for her horse, which had fallen ill.

Columbia City Men Face Misconduct, Prostitution Charges

A 26-year-old Columbia City man faces a charge this morning of felony sexual misconduct with a minor. According to court documents, a girl younger than 16 told police the man had sex with her.

Columbia City police have arrested a 22-year-old city resident for allegedly providing prostitutes to another man. The defendant faces a felony charge of promoting prostitution.

Teen Girl Allegedly Stabs Mother's Boyfriend to Death

A 15-year-old Bloomington girl faces a preliminary charge of murder this morning, for allegedly stabbing of her mother's boyfriend. Police say the stabbing happened after an argument that began with the victim wanting to change the channel on the T-V at his girlfriend’s home.

Enemy Fire Kills Hoosier Soldier in Iraq

The Department of Defense says enemy small arms fire has killed a soldier from southern Indiana who was serving in Iraq. Army Specialist Carter Gamble Jr. of Brownstown was 24.

Pierceton Police Foil Burglary

Pierceton police say they interrupted a burglary at a business in the town early Sunday morning during routine patrol. According to a news release, a 34-year-old Ohio woman fled in a van and later on foot but they captured her with a police dog. The release does not identify the business at which the burglary occurred.

Fire Chief: Workers with Torches Started Big Marion Fire

Marion’s fire chief says workers using propane torches started a fire that destroyed about a fourth of a four-block factory last week. Fire Chief Steve Gorrell says the torches ignited some insulation at the former Thompson picture tube plant and that workers thought they had the fire out, but it later rekindled.

Whitley County Prosecutor Gets Fort Wayne Campaign Case

A special prosecutor from Whitley County will decide whether to charge a Fort Wayne mayoral candidate with violating campaign finance laws. After a Indianapolis watchdog group filed a formal complaint against Republican nominee Matt Kelty, Allen County’s prosecutor turned the case over to Daniel Sigler, who works as senior prosecutor in Whitley County.

BMV Computer Problems Continue

Bureau of Motor Vehicles Commissioner Ronald Stiver says the agency’s computer system still has some problems, about a year after it was installed. Stiver says 80 percent of the problems have been solved, but people who lease their vehicles still have problems completing transactions with self-service terminals or the Internet.

New Fee Irks Motorcycle Owners

Some motorcycle owners, including Governor Mitch Daniels, are angry about a new ten-dollar fee they have to pay to register their motorcycles. The fee is part of the new state budget and it will pay for research into spinal cord and brain injuries. Daniels says motorcycle accidents cause less than one percent of such injuries and he didn’t realize the fee was buried in the budget bill when he signed it.

Huntington Fireplace Factory to Expand

CFM Corporation has announced that it plans to consolidate its North American fireplace manufacturing operations in Huntington. It will expand its Huntington plant and create more than 210 new jobs. CFM says it will close its Ontario manufacturing plant and invest nearly $4.5 million in the expansion of its Huntington plant. The Indiana Economic Development Corporation offered the company up to $2.4 million in performance-based tax credits and up to $145,000 in training grants based upon the company’s announced job creation plans. The City of Huntington offered the company property tax abatement worth more than $637,000. Governor Mitch Daniels joined CFM executives at the Huntington plant for this morning's announcement.

Governor to Make Econonomic Development Announcement in Huntington

Governor Mitch Daniels plans to visit Huntington this morning to make what the Indiana Economic Development Corporation calls “a major economic development announcement.” Executives of fireplace manufacturer CFM Corporation will join the governor for the announcement at the company’s plant in Huntington.

Recycling Plant Fire Ruled Accidental

Fire investigators say a mulching machine caused the explosions and fire at an Elkhart County lumber recycling plant last week. An investigator with the state fire marshal's office calls the fire accidental. One worker died and two others were injured.

Teen Ambushes Two Deputies

Officials in extreme southern Indiana say a 15-year-old boy ambushed two deputies, shooting them with a World War II-era sniper rifle. One of the officers died. Police later discovered the boy dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. It happened in Floyd County, about 13 miles north of Louisville. A prosecutor says that before the boy killed himself he posted a message on his MySpace page that read, "I just killed two cops. Goodbye."

Whiltey Planners to Consider Blue Lake Development

Members of the Whitley County Plan Commission could decide tonight whether to recommend a rezoning that would permit new manufactured housing development near Blue Lake. A developer wants to create lots for more than 120 manufactured homes in the area of the former Shady Grove Mobile Home Park.

Election Board Clears Fort Wayne Mayoral Candidate

The Allen County Election Board has decided that a Fort Wayne mayoral candidate’s campaign finance reports did not violate the law. The board voted along party lines to clear Republican nominee Matt Kelty. Kelty did not initially report the sources of personal loans he received, which he used to help pay for his primary campaign.

IU Football Coach Dies

I-U Football Coach Terry Hoeppner died yesterday from complications of a brain tumor. He was 59. Hoeppner was once the football coach at East Noble High School.

Warsaw Crash Critically Injures Jeep Driver

A 26-year-old Warsaw woman suffered serious injuries yesterday, after a three-vehicle crash on State Road 15 at Prairie Street. A helicopter flew Katie Owens to a Fort Wayne hospital, where she was listed in critical condition at last report. Police say Owens was driving a Jeep that was struck by a semi. The collision pushed the jeep into a Ford Contour. Neither the trucker nor the occupants of the Contour were injured. Police say they are still investigating the crash.

Elkhart County Fire Exinguished After More Than Two Days

Early yesterday morning, firefighters finally extinguished a huge fire at an Elkhart County recycling plant. The fire started late Thursday night. It killed one person and injured at least one other. Investigators have not yet determined the cause of the fire.

Governor Daniels Announces Reelection Bid

Republican Governor Mitch Daniels announced over the weekend that he’s running for reelection. Daniels says he’ll base his campaign on accomplishments during his first term as governor.

Huge Elkhart Co. Fire Kills One

A massive fire at an Elkhart County wood product recycling plant burned out of control for several hours overnight and killed at least one person. Officials say the fire injured at least two others, one seriously. The fire started at about 10:30 last night and officials expect firefighters to still be there this evening.

Inmate Executed

The state has executed the man convicted of fatally shooting a Muncie police officer more than 16 years ago. Officials at the state prison in Michigan City pronounced 36-year-old Michael Lambert dead at 1:29 a.m. Warsaw time.

AG: Suspending Gasoline Tax Illegal

The Indiana Attorney General’s office says the governor does not have the legal authority to suspend the sales tax on gasoline… despite the fact that Governor Frank O’Bannon did it back in 2000. Unlike a court ruling, the Attorney General’s opinion is not binding. Democratic House Speaker Patrick Bauer of South Bend says Daniels should therefore go ahead and suspend the tax.

NW Indiana Family Sues Peanut Butter Company

The family of an ill 11-year-old northwestern Indiana girl has sued the manufacturer of peanut butter they claim is responsible for the child’s kidney failure. The family says the child ate peanut butter that had been recalled because of salmonella contamination before they learned of the recall.

Teen Says Skateboard Shoes Saved His Life

A Churubusco teenager says the thick rubber soles on his skateboarding shoes saved his life. Seventeen-year-old Tyler Fingerle is not a skaterboarder, but he likes the shoes and was wearing them last September when a fallen power line shocked him after a car crash. A cable T-V skateboarding show has interviewed Fingerle and plans to air the story tonight.

Whitko Losing Superintendent

The superintendent of Whitko Community Schools has taken a new job. The Marion Community Schools board has hired Jeffrey Hendrix to be its new superintendent. Hendrix says he’ll officially resign at Monday night’s Whitko board meeting. He’ll begin work in Marion July 12th.

Drug Discounts Coming to Kosciusko Residents

Residents of Kosciusko County will soon be able to receive free cards that provide discounts on prescription drugs. The cards will come from the National Association of Counties. They’ll be good for medicines that are not covered by insurance.

Central Indiana Cities Call for Water Conservation

A dry spell has led some Indiana cities and water utilities to urge homeowners to conserve water. Indianapolis and other cities, mostly in central Indiana, are asking residents to cut back on watering lawns and to take other conservation steps.

Daniels Denies Clemency for Condemned Inmate

Gov. Mitch Daniels has denied clemency for a man who is scheduled to be executed tomorrow. Michael Lambert killed a Muncie police officer more than 16 years ago. Daniels did not elaborate on his decision.

United Way Allocates $1.3 Million

The United Way of Kosciusko County has allocated $1,341,203 to 52 nonprofit community service programs. You can see a detailed break-down of where the money will go by following this link to the United Way's news release.

Court to Import Jury 200 miles for Fort Wayne Murder Trial

People who live in Clark County in extreme southern Indiana will make up the jury for the trial of a Fort Wayne man who allegedly killed his wife and their three daughters. A judge decided yesterday to import the jury from about 200 miles away because of publicity about the 2005 case.

Indy Woman Charged with Dangling Baby over Balcony

An Indianapolis woman faces criminal charges this morning for allegedly dangling her one-year-old son by his ankle from a second-story balcony. Police say it happened during an argument between the woman and her boyfriend. The child was not hurt.

First Wabash County Motorcyle Deputy Hits Road

Photo provided by Sheriff Leroy Striker.

Wabash County Sheriff's Department Deputy Ron Nordman became the department's first motorcycle officer today. Nordman will use the motorcycle primarily to serve civil papers. See an earlier version of this story...

Driver Seriously Injured in Huntington County Crash

A one-vehicle crash in southeastern Huntington County seriously injured the driver early this morning. It happened on State Road 105 near Country Road 1000 South at about one A-M. Police say the driver’s vehicle left the road and flipped over several times, ejecting the driver. A helicopter flew him to Fort Wayne Parkview hospital where he was listed in serious condition at last report. A news release from the Huntington County Sheriff’s Department indicates that alcohol use might have contributed to the crash.

Huntington Schools Expand Single-Gender Classes

The Huntington County Community school board has approved continuing and expanding single-gender language arts classes. Riverview Middle School will continue to offer such classes in the sixth grade and expand the program to the seventh grade. School officials say students in single-gender classes have gotten better grades and had better attendance than those in mixed-gender classes.

Syracuse Man Skips Sentencing

A Noble County judge has issued a warrant for a Syracuse man who failed to show up yesterday for sentencing in a home improvement scam. The court had already convicted 32-year-old Gary Thornburg of misdemeanor conversion and home improvement fraud.

Wabash County Sheriff's Dept. Gets First Motorcycle

See an update to this story...

Wabash County Sheriff Leroy Striker has announced that his department’s fleet will soon have a motorcycle for the first time in its history. Striker says a deputy will use the motorcycle primarily to serve civil papers. He says the biggest reason the department bought the motorcycle is to save money on gasoline. The motorcycle’s gas mileage is 37 miles per gallon higher than the mileage of a Crown Victoria police car. Striker says that between serving papers, the motorcycle officer will respond to calls for service and might work limited traffic enforcement details.

Officer Injured During Meth Investigation

Police announced late this morning that a member of the Kosciusko County Drug Task Force suffered a minor injury while investigating an alleged methamphetamine lab Saturday. It happened at a home on Kosciusko County Road 200 East, near 550 North. According to a news release from the Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Department, the unnamed officer accidentally breathed some anhydrous ammonia vapors as Task Force members conducted their investigation. A Warsaw hospital released the officer after treatment. Police arrested five people at the scene. They each face a charge of manufacturing methamphetamine, which is a class A felony. One of the suspects is a 37-year-old man who lives at the home on 500 East. The others are a 36-year-old Leesburg woman, a 19-year-old Cromwell man, a 24-year-old Milford man and a 36-year-old North Webster woman.

Fire Destroys 12 Fort Wayne Apartments

Fire at an apartment complex on the southwest side of Fort Wayne yesterday destroyed all 12 apartments in one building. It started on a balcony and the spread to the rest of the building. It took firefighters about two hours to control the fire. Two firefighters suffered minor injuries.

Motorcycle Crash Injures Ligonier Woman

A crash on U.S. 6 severely injured a Ligonier woman and closed the highway for about three hours yesterday. Police say 45-year-old Roxanne Annis was riding a motorcycle along the highway in Ligonier when the driver of a pickup truck apparently did not see the motorcycle and turned in front of it.

Investigators: Children Might Have Started Business Fire

Investigators say children playing with fireworks might have started a fire that heavily damaged a Warsaw business yesterday. According to a report from the Warsaw Fire Department, firefighters from five departments fought the fire at an eyeglass shop on Dubois Drive for more than two hours. The first unit to arrive at about 3:30 p.m. found flames spreading from some bushes up an exterior wall to the attic. Everyone inside the building got out OK and no one was injured. Witnesses told investigators they saw children in the area prior to the fire and heard what sounded like fireworks exploding. The fire remains under investigation this morning.

Buyers Increase Offer for Biomet

Biomet says a private equity group has raised its bid for the orthopedic company from 10.9 billion dollars to 11.4 billion. The chairman of Biomet’s board of directors says the company believes the new offer of 46 dollars per share is fair and it encourages shareholders to sell their stock to the buyers. Last week, a prominent shareholder advisory service said the initial bid of 44 dollars per share was too low. Also yesterday, Biomet announced that it has regained full compliance with Nasdaq listing requirements and will remain listed on the stock exchange.

Dana to Sell Columbia City Plant

Dana Corporation has announced plans to sell its fluid routing plant in Columbia City by the end of July. A Dana spokesman says he has no information about what the future owners plan to do with the plant, where about 360 people work.

Kosciusko Dispatchers Honored

(l-r)Kosciusko County Sheriff Rocky Goshert, Telecommunication operator Sarah Lancaster, Telecommunication operator Deb Craft, Communication Center Director Tom Brindle.

The director of Kosciusko County’s police and fire dispatch center has honored two dispatchers with awards of excellence for their work after last month’s double homicide. Communication center director Tom Brindel praised dispatchers Sarah Lancaster and Deb Craft for their handling of two shooting calls within minutes of each other.

State Issues Report on School System Rankings

The Warsaw and Manchester Community school systems have improved from academic watch status to academic progress, which is the middle category in the state’s five-tier ranking system. Other school systems in the Q101 area either stayed in the same category or slipped. Whitko, Whitley County Consolidated Schools and M-S-D of Wabash County fell from academic progress to academic watch. The Huntington County Community school system remains in the academic progress category. The Smith-Green and Wabash City School systems remained on academic watch. Statewide, 32 percent of school systems saw their rankings fall.

Gas Leak Forces Evacuation in Columbia City

Columbia City officials evacuated an area including 12 homes yesterday, after city workers struck a natural gas line. It happened at about 1:30 p.m. while city workers were burying a water main on Walnut Street. NIPSCO workers had the gas main repaired by four o’clock.

WHS Denies Field Trip Rumors

Warsaw school officials have criticized three of Q101’s competitors for reporting unsubstantiated rumors about negative student behavior during a field trip to the Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo. According to the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette, the three radio stations retracted their reports after a Zoo official denied most of what the stations reported.

Northern Indiana Airman Dies in Iraq

Military officials say an improvised explosive device in Iraq has killed an airman from Mishawaka. Technical Sergeant Ryan Balmer was a 33.

Google to Digitize Big 10 Library Books

Universities in the Big Ten Conference have reached a deal with Google to digitize select books in each of the university's libraries. Google will pay for the digitization and each institution will cover the costs of preparing the books. The project could add up to 10 million volumes to Google's digital collection.

BMV Rolls Out New Driver's Licenses

Starting this week, some B-M-V branches will begin issuing new, high-tech driver's licenses. The new licenses have features that are designed to reduce identity theft and underage drinking and enhance homeland security.

Remonstrance Against Warsaw School Project Considered

A former member of the Warsaw Community Schools board says she’s thinking about launching a remonstrance against the system’s 65-million-dollar building project. Cathy Folk says she has questions about the remonstrance process and wants to discuss it with more people before she decides whether to begin a petition drive against the project. Folks says she might decide yet this week whether to try to collect the 100 signatures she’d need for a remonstrance. School Board President Ron Yeiter says he doesn’t believe a remonstrance will stop the project. He says the project’s supporters would probably begin their own petition drive.

Huntington Teen Sent to State Corrections

A judge has sent a Huntington North High School student to the Indiana Department of Corrections for stabbing a classmate in January. The 15-year-old boy could be held until he’s 21.

Missing Girl Found Safe, had Run Away

The nine-year-old girl that was missing from her northwestern Allen County home yesterday turned up at her aunt’s house 13 miles away. Police say the girl had run away by hiding in her mother’s mini van when the mother went to work in downtown Fort Wayne and then walked to the Aunt’s house in New Haven.

Syracuse Crash Kills One, Injures Two

Kosciusko County Sheriff's Dept. photo

A head-on crash on State Road 13 near Syracuse has injured two people and killed a third. Investigators from the Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Department say witnesses and evidence indicate that a mini van drifted across the center line and collided with a pickup truck yesterday. Thirty-one-year-old Pierceton resident Charles Robinson drove the mini van. He died at the scene. Seventy-year-old Pierceton resident Richard Shanahan drove the truck. A helicopter flew him to a Fort Wayne hospital, where he was listed in serious condition at last report this morning. A two-year-old girl in Robinson’s van suffered only a small cut and an abrasion. Police say her child car seat probably saved her life.

Northwestern Allen County Girl Disappears

A nine-year-old northwestern Allen County girl disappeared yesterday afternoon. The Allen County Sherriff's Department says Julia Kuhn was last seen at 2:30 p.m. Police and firefighters began searching for her after her family called them several hours later. Dive teams searched a pond near her home without success. Police say they have no reason to believe anyone kidnapped her.

Body Located in Noble County Lake

Divers have found the body of a man who disappeared in Noble County’s Sylvan Lake Sunday. Conservation officers identified the victim as 21-year old Kendallville resident Jeffery Dunkley. They say he fell from a pontoon boat and never resurfaced. Medical examiners plan an autopsy today.

Prison Guard Charged with Smuggling

Police have arrested a guard at the Indiana State Prison for allegedly trying to smuggle marijuana into the facility. They charged the 44-year-old woman with felony trafficking, which carries a potential sentence of two years to eight years in prison.

Reward Offered in Search for Homicide Suspect

Omar Mora

A 10-thousand dollar reward is now available to anyone who provides information leading to the capture of Omar Mora, a suspect in two Warsaw homicides. The Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Department announced the award yesterday. The prosecutor has charged Mora with the shooting deaths of his wife and the manager of a Warsaw convenience store May 23rd. According to a Sheriff’s Department news release, police believe Mora could be hiding in one of the counties that surround Kosciusko County. They say he might also have fled to Chicago or Mexico where he has relatives. Omar Mora is a 31-year-old Hispanic male. He is 5’7” tall, weighs 170 pounds and has short black hair and brown eyes. He was last seen driving a 2003 black Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck with Indiana license plate number 5181T.

Divers to Continue Search Lake for Missing Boater

Divers plan to resume their search today for a 21-year-old man who fell into a Noble County lake yesterday afternoon. Officials say the man fell from a pontoon boat into Sylvan Lake and never reappeared. Divers searched unsuccessfully for him until about nine o’clock last night.

Tree Trimmer Dies On the Job

A professional tree trimmer died Saturday while clearing tree limbs near power lines in Kendallville. Officials sa