Winter Storm Expected Tonight

The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Warning for the entire Q101 area tonight and tomorrow. Lead Meteorologist Patrick Murphy tells The New Q101 that Kosciusko and Whitley Counties could get up to a foot of snow. "As you get further to the south and east," Murphy says, "places like Huntington and Wabash, they may see more of a mix of snow and sleet which may keep the snow accumulations down a little bit." Murphy says that even those areas could see total accumulations of up to nine inches by Friday afternoon. He says no matter where you are in the Q101 area, tomorrow morning’s commute will be difficult, to say the least. Listen to The New Q101 and check the weather section of our Web site throughout the day and tonight for the latest on this storm.

Federal Disaster Aid Approved for Flood Areas

President Bush has declared a disaster due to flooding earlier this month in nine counties in northern Indiana. The action makes federal assistance available to people affected by flooding in Carroll, Cass, Elkhart, Fulton, Jasper, Marshall, Pulaski, Tippecanoe, and White counties.

Tornados Confirmed in Tuesday's Storms

The National Weather Service has confirmed that tornados killed an elderly southwestern Indiana woman and her daughter Tuesday night and damaged an apartment complex on the west side of Indianapolis. In addition to the southwestern Indiana victims, officials are blaming two other deaths on Tuesday’s storms.

Storm Kills Two Hoosiers

Two people died in southwestern Indiana last night as a line of severe thunderstorms blew across the state. Officials in Posey County say an 83-year-old woman and her 57-year-old daughter were in a mobile home that got blown off of its foundation. Firefighters found their bodies in the overturned trailer. People west of Indianapolis say they saw a funnel cloud last night, just before wind tore the roof off of a house. Wind also damaged the roof of a central Indiana courthouse. The National Weather Service has not confirmed a tornado. Much of Columbia City experienced a power outage overnight. It lasted about two hours and power was back on by 5 a.m.

Investigators Learn More about Trooper's Death

Indiana State Police now have more information about the crash that killed 25-year-old Trooper Daniel Barrett Sunday night. Investigators say evidence at the crash scene and an eye witness account has led them to believe Trooper Barrett was trying to catch up to a speeding vehicle when his squad car went off the road and hit a tree. Investigators don’t know why Barrett lost control of his car.

House Burns Southeast of Wabash

Fire heavily damaged an unoccupied house southeast of Wabash early this morning. Utility workers noticed the fire at the house on State Road 124 near SR 15 at about 2 a.m. It took four fire departments to control the fire. No injuries were reported.

Fires Set Repeatedly in Huntington High School

School officials say someone set a fire in a Huntington North High School restroom yesterday for the second time in less than a week. A fire in the same restroom did minor damage last Friday.

State Senate Passes Tax Caps, Other Bills

The Indiana Senate passed several bills yesterday that now move to the House for consideration, including some related to the Governor’s property tax reform plan. The Senate has passed a bill to phase in limits on property tax bills in Indiana. It also approved a resolution to begin the process of amending the state constitution to include those caps. Another bill the state Senate passed yesterday would shift property tax assessment from township officials to the counties. It would apply in most townships that have fewer than 15,000 parcels to assess. The Senate also approved a constitutional amendment that would ban same-sex marriage and passed a bill to let pharmacists deny customers prescriptions they believe cause abortions.

House Approves Property Tax Reform Bill

A modified version of Governor Daniels’ property tax reform plan has moved from the Indiana House to the Senate. Yesterday, the House approved the bill by a vote of 93-1. It includes caps on property tax bills and an increase in the state sales tax from six percent to seven percent.

State Senate Committee Approves Same-Sex Marriage Ban

A committee of the Indiana Senate has approved amending Indiana's constitution to ban same-sex marriage. But the chairman of a House committee already decided against giving the issue a hearing this year.

Governor to Announce State Relief in Nappanee

Residents of Nappanee will hear today about how the state plans to help the town recover from the October tornado. Governor Daniels will be in town this morning to announce those plans.

Steuben Casino Plan Fails to get Committee Approval

A plan to move a Casino to northeastern Indiana’s Steuben County is apparently dead. A Senate Committee considered a bill yesterday that would have permitted the move, but the bill died for lack of a second.

Death Penalty Sought in Indy Quadruple Murder

Prosecutors plan to seek the death penalty against a 30-year-old Indianapolis man. He faces four counts of murder in the killings of two women and their two young children.

Committee Approves Commissioner Replacements

A bill that’s moving forward in the Indiana Senate would replace each county’s board of commissioners with a single county executive. The idea is part of Governor Daniels’ property tax reform plan.

Sponsor Withdraws Bill to Ban Driver Cell Phone Use

A state lawmaker has removed from consideration a bill that would have made it illegal for Hoosiers to use hand-held cellular phones while driving. The bill’s sponsor withdrew it after members of a committee expressed concern that she hadn’t provided statistics showing how many accidents were caused by drivers talking on cell phones.

Statewide Smoking Ban Won't Get Hearing

A bill that would impose a statewide smoking ban in most public places in Indiana is dead for at least this session. Committee chairman Trent Van Haaften of Mount Vernon says there's no more time to consider it because of the focus on property taxes.

Tavern Gambling Gets Committee Approval

An Indiana House committee has passed a bill to allow bars and taverns to offer pull tabs and other low-stakes gambling. The House Public Policy Committee voted 9-2 yesterday for the bill.

Steroid Tests for High School Athletes Gets Committee Approval

A House committee has approved a bill to require random steroid testing for high school football and baseball players. The bill’s sponsor says he included only football and baseball because they seem to be the sports in which professional athletes have been involved with steroids.

State Senate Committee Approves Illegal Alien Bill

An Indiana Senate committee has approved legislation that could revoke business licenses for companies that knowingly hire illegal aliens. Supporters say the state needs the legislation because the federal government isn't doing enough to stop illegal immigration.

Time Zone Bill Clears Committee

Another House committee passed a bill that would allow referendums on the time zone issue in counties that border the Central and Eastern time zones. Even if voters decided to change time zones, the U-S Transportation Department continues to have the final say.

Governor Requests Federal Flood Aid

Fulton, Elkhart and Marshall Counties are among nine counties that could get federal disaster aid to help recover from this month’s flooding, if the federal government grants a request from Governor Mitch Daniels. The request does not include Kosciusko or Wabash Counties.

IU Shuts Down Fraternity for Hazing

Indiana University has shut down a fraternity for two years for violating the university's policy on hazing. IU officials say the Bloomington chapter of Alpha Epsilon Pi deprived pledges of sleep, incited fear and threatened bodily harm.

Lawyers: Indictment Against Former Mayoral Candidate Faulty

Attorneys for a former Fort Wayne mayoral candidate say the criminal charges he faces should be dismissed because a special prosecutor obtained a faulty indictment. The original indictment against Matt Kelty omitted the words, “knowingly and intentionally.”

Officials: Hoosier Marine's Death Accidental

Military officials say the shooting death of an Indiana Marine in his barracks room in California appears to have been an accident. Nineteen-year-old Lance Corporal Cameron Babcock of Plymouth, Indiana, was found with a gunshot wound to his chest.

State Senate Approves Parts of Property Tax Plan

The GOP-controlled state Senate has approved some modified parts of Governor Mitch Daniels' property tax relief and restructuring plan. The Senate voted unanimously to have the state assume the remaining 15 percent of local costs for school operating expenses, and local costs of providing services for abused, neglected or troubled youth. Absorbing the local levies would cost the state about two-point-seven billion dollars. Meanwhile, a Senate committee rejected a resolution for a constitutional amendment to completely repeal property taxes. The committee set up a study committee instead.

Quadruple Murder Suspects Due in Court

Four suspects accused of gunning down two mothers and their children in an Indianapolis house this month are due in court today. Court papers say they plotted to steal drugs and cash from the house knowing who was inside.

Woman Apparently Dies of Frugality

Authorities in LaPorte County say a woman froze to death after she apparently turned off the heat in her home to save energy. A coroner says the 61-year-old woman was found under the covers in her bed in her rural Michigan City home. She was wearing a hat and several layers of clothing.

Graduation Rates Rise Slightly

Figures released yesterday show graduation rates at Indiana high schools are up slightly. The state Department of Education says 76.5% of students graduated within four years last year. That's four-tenths of a percent better than in 2006.

Kroger Recalls Deli Salad

The Kroger grocery chain is recalling Deli Chef tri-bean salad due to a potential bacterial contamination. It could be contaminated with botulisum toxin--which can kill you. Kroger says if you've got it in the 'fridge, don't eat it. Throw it out, even if it doesn't smell funny. Kroger sold the product at deli counters of stores it owns.

Senator Proposes Phased-In Property Tax Cap

A key state Senator has proposed a change to Governor Mitch Daniels’ property tax reform plan. Senate Tax Chairman Luke Kenley says the state should phase-in caps on property taxes to ease the immediate fiscal crunch on local governments and give them more time to adjust.

Daniels Writes in Opposition to Proposed Gasoline Tax Hike

Governor Daniels has written all members of Indiana's congressional delegation, urging them to oppose a proposed increase in the federal gasoline tax. Daniels says it would be harmful and unnecessary.

Trial in BSU Police-Action Shooting to Begin

The wrongful death lawsuit against a former Ball State University policeman who fatally shot a student in 2003 is set to go to trial today. The suit accuses the former officer of using excessive force in the death of a 21-year-old student while responding to a report of a stranger pounding on the door of a house in Muncie.

Police: Arsonists Set Big Weekend Nappanee Fire

Fire destroyed a historic building in downtown Nappanee over the weekend. And this morning, two residents of the town face charges of setting the fire. Police arrested the men, both of whom are 22 years old, on arson and residential entry charges. The building was nearly 100 years old and housed a carpet shop. Firefighters say the fire started in the hallway of an apartment above the carpet shop. There were no serious injuries.

Indy Police Arrest Four in Quadruple Murder

Indianapolis police say they've arrested four men in connection with the killing of two mothers and their two young children in their home last week. The adult victims were 24 years old and their children were four months and 23 months old.

Teen Mom Faces Neglect Charge After Baby Found Drunk

A 19-year-old Muncie woman and her 29-year-old fiancée face neglect charges this morning after tests reportedly found alcohol in the blood stream of woman's 11-month-old son. Police say the test measured the boy's blood-alcohol content at point-one-one-eight percent, which is higher than the state legal limit to drive.

Whitko Artwork on Display

Artwork created by students of Whitko High School is on display at Senator Lugar’s Community Service Center in Fort Wayne. The 21 framed pieces are the first to be displayed in the service center as part of a plan to showcase student artwork from counties in Northeastern Indiana.

Committee Passes Property Tax Reform As Is

The Democratically controlled Indiana House Ways and Means Committee unanimously approved Republican Governor Mitch Daniels’ property tax relief bill yesterday without a single modification "We think the public wants property tax relief," explained Indianapolis Democrat Bill Crawford, who chairs of the committee, "and we wanna keep it moving as expeditiously as possible." Crawford's committee chose to ignore more than 40 proposed amendments and sent the bill directly to the full house – which lawmakers say will probably spend hours debating some of the proposed changes.

Columbia City Company Plans Expansion

A Columbia City company plans a five-million-dollar expansion that will create 40 jobs by 2010. 80/20 Incorporated makes modular aluminum frames for various products.

Suspect Arrested in Quadruple Murder

Police investigating the killings of two women and their young children are questioning a man in Indianapolis. Police arrested the 21-year-old man on a robbery charge yesterday after a SWAT team swept an apartment building.

Cemetery Owner Faces Theft Charges

The owner of a company that operates cemeteries and funerals across Indiana faces criminal charges this morning. Prosecutors accuse the 39-year-old Greenwood man and his wife of taking more than 23 million dollars from a trust fund meant for long-term graveyard maintenance.

Major Heroin Bust in Wabash

Wabash police say they intercepted a major shipment of heroin as it entered the city last night. Acting on a tip, the stopped a suspect car. They say they found a large quantity of heroin inside. They arrested a 45-year-old and a 20 year-old Wabash man and a 21-year-old Roann man.

Police: Man Shoots Infant Son in the Head

A man is in jail in Indianapolis after police say he accidentally shot his 15-month-old son in the head while handling a gun. The child is reported in serious condition at an Indianapolis hospital. The 19-year-old father faces a preliminary charge of criminal recklessness.

Bill Could Bring Penalties for Hiring Illegals

Dozens of people attended a four-hour hearing yesterday on a state Senate bill that would penalize companies that knowingly hire illegal aliens.

Daniels: No Individual Income Tax Increase

Governor Mitch Daniels says an increase in individual income taxes is off the table. He says that won't be considered among possible changes to his property tax relief plan. Daniels testified before the House Ways and Means Committee yesterday.

Gubernatorial Candidates Reveal Bank Statements

Campaign finance reports show that Governor Mitch Daniels has a significant fund-raising lead on his Democratic challengers. The governor's campaign has about six-point-seven million dollars in the bank. Democrat Jim Schellinger has one-point-eight million and Jill Long Thompson’s campaign reported about 435-thousand.

Daniels Pushes Tax Reform During Speech

Governor Mitch Daniels called on legislators last night to show bravery as they reform Indiana’s property tax system. "Some will say, how brave do you have to be to vote for a huge tax cut?" Daniels said. "But we all know how strong the pressure of special interests can be, how relentless the criticism even from those with no plan of their own." The governor emphasized the benefits of his plan during his State of the State speech. He indicated that if the legislature hasn’t passed property tax reform by its March 14th adjournment, he’d call a special session. Democratic leaders say the governor’s plan could force local governments to increase local income taxes.

House Fire Near Columbia City

A house fire northwest of Columbia City kept firefighters from three departments busy overnight. A resident of the home on County Road 200-North reported a chimney fire just after 10 p.m. Dispatchers say firefighters didn’t call the fire under control until more than three and a half hours later. No injuries were reported and there’s no word yet on the extent of damage or cause of the fire.

NW Indiand Police Investigate Death of MSU Student

Police are trying to figure out what a 20-year-old Michigan State University student was doing in northwestern Indiana when she died of trauma to her chest and abdomen. Workers at a Chesterton golf course found the woman’s body. Her home is near Lansing, where M-S-U is located.

Man Sues Over Delayed Prison Release

A man is suing court officials in Indianapolis for keeping him in prison more than two years after D-N-A results cleared him of rape. The 38-year-old man says court workers mishandled a judge's order that exonerated him in 2005. He wasn’t released until April of 2007.

Inmate Abandoned in Holding Cell

The Marion County Sheriff's Department says a deputy forgot to transport an inmate from a court holding cell back to jail, leaving him there over the weekend without food. The Sheriff’s Department has fired the deputy and suspended two others.

Legislative Prayer Opponents Lose Court Battle

Opponents of sectarian prayer in the Indiana House of Representatives have lost another battle in court. A federal appeals court has declined to reconsider its earlier ruling the plaintiffs who sued the legislature had no legal standing.

State of the State Speech to Focus on Property Taxes

Legislative leaders say Governor Daniels has to be the top salesman for proposals to reform the state's property tax system. That's exactly what Daniels plans to do during his state of the state speech tonight.

Big Increase in Bat Bite Reports

Health officials in Saint Joseph County, just north of the Q101 area, say the number of reported bat bites there more than doubled in 2007. They don’t believe more people were bitten, just that an increase in awareness about rabies led more victims to report their bites.

Police: Men Yank ATM from Syracuse Store

Police say two men stole an A-T-M from a convenience store near Syracuse yesterday. Police say the men broke into the Pride station on County Road 1000-North, wrapped a chain around the A-T-M and pulled it out of the store with a light truck.

Electronic Tolling Expected on Toll Road by April

The Indiana Toll Road's private operator anticipates an electronic tolling system will be ready for the full highway in April. That would be nearly a year after it first expected the system to be in place but months before its deadline with the state.

Property Tax Bill Clears State Senate Committee

The state would stop using property taxes to pay public school operating expenses, under a bill that has cleared an Indiana Senate committee. Right now, property taxes cover about 15 percent of public school expenses. Some school officials say that’s a good thing, because during weak economic times, property tax revenue is more reliable than revenue from sales and income taxes. Meanwhile, Indiana House Republicans have announced their property tax reform plan. They call it, “cut now, cap forever.” It calls for an immediate cut in property taxes by this May and a permanent cap on residential property taxes.

Waters Continue to Rise in Plymouth, Recede Elsewhere

Evacuations continue in Plymouth this morning, where the still-rising Yellow River has flooded many homes and businesses. Forecasters don’t expect the river to crest until this afternoon. Closer to home, flood waters have receded enough for many county roads in the Q101 area to reopen. And the National Weather Service says it has fixed a computer glitch that led some people to erroneously believe that a dam near Monticello was in danger of failing earlier this week.

Biomet Announces 2nd Quarter Results

Biomet, Inc. says its net sales increased 11 percent during its second fiscal quarter, which ended November 30. The Warsaw orthopedic company also says its adjusted net income fell eight-point-four million dollars as compared to the same period last year.

Moving Company Finds Indiana Exodus

A moving company says more people are moving out of Indiana than into the state. United Van Lines says its annual study of interstate moving trends shows Indiana had about a 56% outbound migration rate in 2007.

Flood Waters Recede Some Places, Rise Elsewhere

Some flood waters in Northern Indiana have begun to recede, but things have gotten worse in some areas. The Eel River receded enough to allow residents of a North Manchester mobile home park to return. But the Yellow River is still rising in Plymouth. Officials there say flooding could be worse than the flood of 1982. Forecasters expect the river to crest tomorrow. Governor Mitch Daniels toured the flooding along the Tippecanoe River by a helicopter yesterday. The National Weather Service estimates that it could be three days before the Tippecanoe is back within its banks.

The Indiana Department of Transportation has closed State Road 14 between Kosciusko County Roads 300 East 400 East north of North Manchester. Flood waters have washed out a large piece of the road. INDOT has set up a detour using State Roads 15, 114 and 13. Many county roads in the Q101 area remained closed due to high water this morning.

Federal Low-Interest Loans Available to Tornado Victims

The Indiana Department of Homeland Security has announced that the U.S. Small Business Administration will provide low-interest loan opportunities to Hoosiers who were affected by severe storms and a tornado that struck northern Indiana on October 18. Homeowners, renters, businesses and non-profit organizations in Elkhart, Kosciusko, Lagrange, Marshall, Noble and St. Joseph Counties may apply for the loans.

Supreme Court Hears Voter ID Arguements

The Supreme Court heard arguments yesterday on Indiana's law that requires voters to produce a photo I-D before casting their ballots. Supporters say I-D laws help prevent voter fraud, but State Democratic Chairman Dan Parker said Indiana's law is designed to deter Democratic voters. "It's a solution looking for a problem," Parker said, "There is no problem in Indiana with voter impersonation." Indiana Solicitor General Thomas Fisher conceded as much, but added, "This is one piece of the puzzle and one piece of the overall approach to protecting the right to vote and preserving the integrity and confidence in elections." The court is likely to rule in June -- after this year's primary elections but before the general election in November.

Tan Salon Patron Arrested on Voyeurism Charges

Police in Angola have arrested a 37-year-old man for allegedly making video recordings of fellow tanning salon customers as they undressed. Police say the man allegedly held a video camera over the wall of his tanning booth to get shots of customers in adjacent booths.

Former Officer Sentenced for Animal Cruelty

A judge has sentenced a former St. Joseph County police officer for animal cruelty. Thirty-four-year-old Curt Seufert had pleaded guilty to killing his former girlfriend's dog after an argument. He got two months in jail.

Committee Approves Elimination of Township Assessors

A state Senate committee has passed a bill to end the election of township assessors. The bill would shift their duties to county assessors.

Floods Keep Roads Closed, Kill Three

The rain has stopped and flood waters have started to recede in the immediate Q101 area. But Senior Forecaster Todd Holsten at the National Weather Service office in North Webster tells The New Q101 that flooded roads will continue to be a problem this morning. "The water levels will come down and hopefully we’ll get rid of all these road closures here by late this afternoon," Holsten says. Many county roads in Kosciusko, Whitley, Wabash and Fulton Counties remained closed because of high water this morning. There were no reports of state or U-S highways closed in the immediate Q101 area, but to the west, sections of U-S 24, U-S 35 and other highways were closed.

Flooded roads were responsible for at least three deaths yesterday. On a county road in Fulton County, just south of the Kosciusko County line, two children died when flood waters swept their mother’s S-U-V off a road. Police say 29-year-old Megihann Leininger drove a Chevy Tahoe into the water and by the time she realized it was too deep, the S-U-V floated into even deeper water and began to sink. Leininger was only able to get three of her children onto the roof of the vehicle before the cabin filled with water. Five-year-old Shay Leininger and two-year-old Ashley Pruitt died.

In Remington, which is along I-65 north of Lafayette, a 56-year-old man died when floodwaters swept his truck into a creek.

In North Manchester, the rising Eel River forced about 40 people to evacuate the East Side Trailer Court last night. The Red Cross opened a shelter in North Manchester, but reports indicate the shelter had closed by this morning.

In the White County city of Monticello, rescuers used boats to evacuate hundreds of people from their homes. Jasper, White, Carroll and Benton counties declared states of emergency because of floods.

Wabash Police Arrest Man after Stabbing Report

A 26-year-old Wabash man faces preliminary charges of felony aggravated battery this morning in connection with a reported late night stabbing. Wabash police say their investigation began when hospital staff members reported the arrival of a victim at about 11:30 p.m. No other information was available at last report.

Police Raid Huntington Home Suspected of Being Meth Lab

About two-dozen police officers staged a raid on a house in Huntington yesterday. It was part of an investigation into a suspected illegal methamphetamine lab. Police arrested two residents – a 43-year-old man and a 51-year-old woman – on outstanding warrants from Whitley and Noble Counties.

Floods Strike Area

Flooding became a problem in several parts of the Q101 area this morning. The National Weather Service says a trained spotter reported a flood in North Manchester, which received nearly near inches of rain between last night and this morning. Whitley County dispatchers say some homes flooded in Churubusco and state police expected high water could force the closing of parts of State Roads Five, 205 and 14 in Whitley County. Many county roads in several counties had high water and some, like Packerton Road in Kosciusko County, closed.

Police: Cromwell Shootings Suicide, Accidental Homicide

Police in Noble County now say a man shot himself in a mobile home near Cromwell over the weekend and the same bullet killed another resident. The Noble County coroner has ruled that 40-year-old Shane Feightner’s death was a suicide and 48-year-old Kimberly Patches’ death was accidental homicide.

Lawmakers Propose State Disaster Relief for Nappanee

The