President Clinton to Campaign in Warsaw, Columbia City

The Hilary Clinton campaign announced this afternoon that former President Bill Clinton will campaign for his wife in Columbia City and Warsaw this Saturday, May 3. According to the campaign, details such as the exact locations and times are yet to be determined. President Clinton also plans appearances Saturday in Angola, Kendallville, Plymouth, and La Porte.

Amber Alert Ends, Michigan Boy Safe in Tenn.

That 15-year-old Michigan boy we told you about yesterday is safe this morning after being the subject of an Amber Alert. Police found him sleeping in a car in Tennessee. They’ve taken into custody the 24-year-old man who allegedly talked the boy into leaving home.

Angola Girl Found in Tenn. After Running Away

Tennessee is also where police found a 12-year-old Angola girl who ran away from home Sunday. She is also safe this morning. Steuben County police first notified news media of the girl’s disappearance around midday yesterday.

No Death Penalty in IPFW Dorm Killing

A Fort Wayne television station is reporting that the suspect in a recent killing in an I-P-F-W dorm will not face the death penalty if she’s convicted. The prosecutor has reportedly decided not to seek that punishment against the 36-year-old woman who allegedly stabbed her daughter’s roommate to death.

Thousands Vote Absentee in Primary

About 90,000 Hoosiers have already cast their votes in next week's primary election. That's well more than the total number of absentee ballots cast during Indiana's last presidential primary in 2004.

Amber Alert Vehicle Found in Albion

Police say a suspect vehicle in an Amber Alert out of Michigan was last seen in Albion, Indiana. Police say a 24-year-old man abducted a 15-year-old boy in Wayland, Michigan, which is just south of Grand Rapids. Read details of the Amber Alert.

Kosciusko, Other Local Governments to get FEMA Aid

Local governments in Kosciusko County and 12 other northern Indiana counties will get federal flood assistance after all. The Federal Emergency Management Agency has reversed an earlier decision and has decided to pay 75% of the cost of repairing flood damage to public property.

Voter ID Law Upheld

The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that Indiana and other states can require voters to produce photo identification without violating their constitutional rights. "They upheld the right of the Republican Party to restrict the rights of people to vote," says Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean. "I think that was a terrible mistake and frankly it was an affront to American democracy." Republican State Representative Brian Bosma says the ruling is fair. "It's not unreasonable to ask for people to show a photo identification when they show up to exercise our most fundamental right," Bosma says. "We're asked at blockbuster, we're asked at the airport, we're asked to enter some buildings."

Three Die in Fort Wayne Fire

A 24-year-old woman and her two young daughters all died in a house fire in Fort Wayne yesterday. The children were four and five years old. The fire critically injured a fourth person as well. Neighbors reported the fire early yesterday morning. A fire department spokeswoman says that when the first crews arrived, they found heavy fire spreading from the living room, through much of the home. Investigators are still looking into the cause of the fire.

Three Departments Respond to Roanoke House Fire

It took firefighters from three departments about half an hour to control a house fire in Roanoke last night. The call came in at 11:15 p.m. No injuries were reported.

Search Continues for Wabash Robber

Wabash police are still looking this morning for a man they nearly caught after an armed robbery at a video store Friday night. The suspect got away on foot after allegedly holding up the Family Video store on East Market Street.

Poll: Many Democrats Undecided in Gubernatorial Race

Nearly half of Hoosiers who plan to vote in next week’s democratic primary election have not decided between gubernatorial candidates Jill Long Thompson and Jim Schellinger. And of those who have decided about half support each candidate. Those are the results of a poll conducted by The Indianapolis Star and WTHR-TV.

South Bend Teen Held for Alleged Columbine-Style Plot

A 16-year-old South Bend boy faces a court hearing today after allegedly plotting with a contact on the My Space Web site to engage in an attack similar to the one at Columbine High School in Colorado. "The juvenile and the other person discussed obtaining weapons of mass destruction and firearms," says Saint Joseph County Prosecutor Michael Dvorak. "The juvenile agreed with the other person to research how to make explosive devices." Dvorak says his office is preparing to file charges of conspiracy to commit murder against the Penn High School student. Police say when they searched the boy’s home they found more than a hundred knives.

Formal Charges in IPFW Dorm Murder

Prosecutors have formally charged the suspect in last week’s I-P-F-W dorm murder with Murder, Felony Murder, Robbery and Auto Theft. The 36-year-old Fort Wayne woman allegedly stabbed her daughter's s roommate to death. She’s held without bail.

Man Convicted for Setting Girlfriend on Fire

A jury has convicted an Indianapolis man of murder for pouring gasoline on his girlfriend and setting her on fire. Thirty-four-year-old Michael Wilson faces 45 to 65 years in prison when he is sentenced.

Police Continue Search for Pregnant Teller's Shooter

Indianapolis police have four men under arrest but they're still searching for a bank robber who shot a teller pregnant with twins. The teller's husband says she's hospitalized in critical but stable condition and still carrying the babies.

Schellinger Proposes Government Reform

Jim Schellinger wants to extend Indiana's voting hours and introduce outside audits of state government. Those ideas are part of a government reform plan the Democrat candidate for governor introduced yesterday.

Poll Shows Close Democrat Race

New Indiana polls show a tight race between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton for the Democratic nomination. But the polls indicate that in November, a majority of Hoosiers would vote for Republican John McCain.

Democrat Presidential Campaigns Plan Area Events

Both democratic campaigns plan events in northern Indiana over the next two days. Michelle Obama plans to speak at a public event at four o’clock this afternoon at North Side High School in Fort Wayne. Hillary Clinton plans a 10 a.m. appearance in Fort Wayne tomorrow at the Lincoln Pavilion at Headwaters Park. She also plans to speak at 2 o’clock tomorrow afternoon at The Cove baseball stadium in South Bend.

ATV Crash Injures Wabash County Man

A rural Wabash man required airlift to a Fort Wayne hospital after the all-terrain vehicle he was riding crashed into the side of a ditch. Conservation officers say 30-year-old Eugene Farmer suffered a broken left wrist and hip, a spinal compression fracture and extensive facial cuts.

Man Allegedly Shoots, Kills Wife in Driveway

An Anderson man faces a preliminary charge of murder this morning after allegedly shooting his wife to death in the driveway of his home. Police say the couple’s two young children were inside the house at the time.

Warsaw Van Conversion Company Lays Off Workers

A Warsaw company that makes conversion vans has laid off about 150 workers because of the UAW strike against American Axle and Manufacturing Holdings. Explorer Van Company says 95% of its business at the Warsaw plant is dependent on GM vans.

Gasoline Prices Jump Again

Local gasoline prices took another jump yesterday. Some Warsaw stations raised the price to as high as $3.66 a gallon. Oil analyst Peter Beutel says individual consumers have more control over the price than they realize. "If we just cut how much we consume and all did it, if everybody cut 5 percent," Beutel says, "prices would come down." You can find the best prices in your area by following the link on our Web site, My Q101 dot com.

Bank Robber Shoots Pregnant Indy Teller

A bank robber in Indianapolis shot a teller who was pregnant with twins yesterday. The bullet missed the fetuses, but at last report the 30-year-old woman was in critical condition. Police are holding two high school students for questioning.

State Appeals Fema Ruling

The federal government is providing aid to individual flood victims in northern Indiana, but not to local governments. The state is appealing that decision.

Tens of Thousands Cast Absentee Ballots

Voters are casting ballots in Indiana this week even though the state's primary election isn't until May 6th. The Indiana Secretary of State's office says about 43,000 people have already voted in person and by mail.

Officials Release More Info on IPFW Murder

Officials now say the 36-year-old suspect in Friday’s murder in an I-P-F-W dorm is the mother of the victim’s roommate. And they say the woman had been living in the dorm for about two weeks. Court documents indicate that the suspect has admitted stabbing 22-year-old student Liette Martinez during a confrontation over a comment Martinez had made about the suspect’s daughter.

Woman Arrested in IPFW Dorm Murder

A 36-year-old Fort Wayne woman faces preliminary charges of auto theft and murder this morning, in Friday’s stabbing death in an I-P-F-W dorm. Police arrested the suspect in Indianapolis Saturday. The Allen County Coroner says 22-year-old Liette Martinez died from excessive loss of blood because of a stab wound. According to the victim’s father, before police arrested the suspect, they told the Martinez family that they were looking for a woman who is related to one of Martinez’s roommates. At last report, police were not confirming what relationship, if any, the suspect had to Martinez or her roommates, nor were they releasing information about any possible motive for the killing.

Another Quake this Morning

The seismic activity we felt Friday morning might not be over yet. At 1:38 EDT this morning, an aftershock from Friday’s earthquake rattled the area again. "There's been several aftershocks," said Rafael Abreu of the U-S Geological Survey, "This is probably the second-largest aftershock. On Friday, we had a 4.6 magnitude aftershock and this has been a 4.5, so that makes it at least two aftershocks in the magnitude four range." Abreu says people as far away as Missouri and Ohio felt this morning’s quake.

Wabash County Police Investigate Arson

Wabash County police are investigating an arson case this morning. Dispatchers say the fire leveled an abandoned house on State Road 15 near the Wabash airport early Saturday morning. A caller reported seeing a suspect at the scene.

Meth Lab Discoveries Up Again.

Indiana State Police say the number of methamphetamine labs they discovered last year was seven percent higher than in 2006. Police say that's an indication that meth cookers are finding ways around a state law that restricts cold medicine purchases.

Illinois Earthquke Felt in Area

An earthquake rattled the Q101 area this morning. The U-S Geological Survey reports it was a magnitude 5.4 quake centered in southeastern Illinois, about 40 miles northwest of Evansville, Indiana. The quake began at 5:36 a.m. Indiana time and lasted for about 10 seconds. At last report, the earthquake had not caused any significant damage or injuries, even at the epicenter. But people throughout the Midwest, even as far away as Milwaukee, felt the quake. The U-S-G-S says that’s not unusual for quakes in the region. The epicenter was not in the New Madrid seismic zone and the U-S-G-S says with quakes in southern Illinois, it’s rarely possible to determine exactly what fault caused the quake. This morning’s 5.4 quake is as big as any earthquake in the history of what the U-S-G-S calls Illinois basin - Ozark dome region. The U-S-G-S says the last quake of that size was in 1968 and it caused some damage.

Read more about the quake on the Web site of the USGS.

Judge Throws Out "In God We Trust" Plate Suit

A judge in Indianapolis has thrown out a lawsuit that claimed Indiana’s “In God We Trust” license plates are unconstitutional. The Indiana ACLU says it plans to appeal the ruling.

Voter Registrations Burden Gov't Offices

Voter registration offices around the state are having to hire extra staff and work overtime because so many Hoosiers have registered to vote this year. The secretary of state's office says about 160,000 voter registrations have been processed since January.

Bayh Urged to Support Funding for Aid Programs

Senator Evan Bayh was the only Democrat who voted against the Senate's budget resolution. He says it would increase the national debt by two trillion dollars over the next five years. Now, a number of Indiana organizations are urging Bayh to support a resolution to restore spending for programs that aid working families.

Air Guard Investigating Sonic Booms

Air National Guard jets are not supposed to break the sound barrier when training over north central Indiana. But Kokomo area residents reported sonic booms on two nights this week, so the commander of an Indiana Air National Guard unit is investigating whether any of his pilots broke the rules.

Chelsea Clinton Plans Fort Wayne Appearance

The Fort Wayne campus of I-P-F-W is scheduled to get a visit from former first daughter Chelsea Clinton tomorrow. Chelsea is scheduled to conduct a question and answer session at the student union building at 12:15 p.m.

Michelle Obama Campaigns in Indiana

Michelle Obama campaigned for her husband, Barack, in Evansville, Indianapolis and Anderson yesterday. She responded to criticism that her husband is elitist by saying he is an ordinary man whose family once lived on food stamps.

Threat Prompts Extra Security at Mishawaka High School

School officials say they expect tomorrow to be a normal day at Penn High School in Mishawaka, despite a death threat that appeared in a restroom. The message read, "This time it's for real. Everyone dies. 4/18/08." Officials say they’ll have extra security on campus tomorrow.

Daniels Discusses Higher Education Plan

Governor Mitch Daniels says he wants the state to provide at least two years of college to every Hoosier who graduates high school. Daniels says one of the ways the state could pay for that is by leasing the state lottery.

Lawyers: More Challenges to Lethal Injection Likely

The U.S. Supreme Court issued a decision yesterday that upheld lethal injection with three drugs. But Indiana lawyers, including one who regularly represents people on death row, say they don't think the decision will stop challenges from death row inmates.

Paramedic, Family Threatened by Gunman

Kosciusko County police reported yesterday that a Winona Lake man threatened to kill an Etna Green family Sunday night, before he apparently shot himself in the head. Police are not saying what the man’s motive might have been to kill Carl Wireman and his family. Police say the Winona Lake man pointed a loaded handgun at Wireman when Wireman opened the front door of his home. During a struggle that resulted, Wireman reportedly threw two handguns out of the reach of his assailant. Wireman is a paramedic who ironically assisted in the effort to save the Winona Lake man’s life. The man was in critical condition at a South Bend hospital at last report.

State to Study Traffic, Speed Limits on S.R. 15

The Indiana Department of Transportation will conduct a traffic study in Kosciusko County on State Road 15, to determine whether posted speed limits should change in Silver Lake. The study is a result of concerns the Silver Lake town marshal and town council have raised about heavy truck traffic going to Louis Dreyfus biodiesel plant.

Huntington Fireplace Factory Might Close

A company that operates a fireplace factory in Huntington says a decline in new home construction might force it to close the plant. If that happens, 390 people could lose their jobs at the CFM Corporation plant. CFM says that it will likely either close the Huntington plant or lay off a bunch of workers sometime between June 15th and July 31st. Last June, CFM announced plans to add 200 jobs at the plant and to spend nearly four-and-a-half million dollars on equipment and infrastructure there. The Huntington factory has been in operation for more than 100 years.

Pierceton Girl's Death Ruled Accidental Drowning

Conservation officers announced yesterday that the Kosciusko County Coroner’s office has ruled that the death of a three- year old Pierceton girl was an accidental drowning. Officers found Alexis Avila’s body in a creek behind her home Friday.

Former Wabash Mayor Gets Homeland Security Job

The Indiana Department of Homeland Security has appointed a former Wabash mayor to the position of Director of its Emergency Response Division. Arvin Copeland was most recently administrative director of the Hamilton County Emergency Management Agency.

President Clinton in NE Indiana Tonight

Former President Bill Clinton will campaign in northeastern Indiana today. Clinton plans to appear at a rally at Belmont High School in Decatur at 7:30 p.m. The former president also has appearances planned in Indianapolis and Corydon.

WWI Grocery Exhibit Opens in Indy

The Indiana Historical Society in Indianapolis opens a new exhibit this week that allows visitors to experience a World War II-era grocery. Interpreters at the site act as the store's employees and customers.

Robbers Hit Bank Near Obama Apperance

Two men robbed a bank in Gary yesterday during a campaign appearance by Senator Barack Obama at a nearby school. The FBI says the holdup was the latest in a string of bank robberies in the area and was not necessarily a result of Obama’s visit.

Clinton to Tour Mishawaka Factory

Senator Hillary Clinton plans to visit AM General’s plant in Mishawaka tomorrow. The visit is not open to the public. It will give Clinton a chance to see vehicles being built for the U-S military.

Huntington Police Search for Shooter

The Huntington Police Department (HPD) is asking for help from residents within a mile radius of the intersection of County Road l00N and State Road 9 who might have seen someone shooting or heard shots Wednesday evening, April 9, between 5:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. According to a news release HPD issued this afternoon, a bullet struck an SUV Wednesday evening while it was stopped at the intersection of County Road 200N and State Road 9. No one was injured. Police believe the bullet ricocheted into the vehicle as an accidental result of target practice. Police say they do not believe there was an intentional act to damage property or harm someone, but they’d still like to find the person or persons who were shooting in the area. Anyone with information should call the Huntington Police Department.

Warsaw Ivy Tech Adds Agribusiness Program

The Warsaw campus of Ivy Tech Community College has announced plans to launch an agribusiness program. The program will be part of the school’s existing business administration program. Classes will begin in the fall 2008 semester, which starts in August.

New Weapon Against Emerald Ash Borer

The state has a new weapon against the emerald ash borer, which has been killing trees around the state. The State Chemist's Office has approved a new insecticide called Tree-age.

Possible Cancer-Causing Chemicals Underground in Rochester

In Rochester, a contractor who was digging a pit for a sewer pumping station exposed an underground pool of chemicals. Preliminary tests indicated that the chemicals included PCBs, which are classified as a probable cause of cancer. While the Environmental Protection Agency conducts more tests, about 100 area residents have been warned not to use water from their wells.

Schellinger Releases Health Care Plan

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jim Schellinger released his health care plan yesterday. Among other steps, Schellinger says the state should offer incentives for small businesses to provide health coverage. and increase preventive screenings at schools. Jill Long Thompson’s campaign manager says Schellinger's plan would create more government bureaucracy.

Appeals Court Overtunrs Quadruple Murder Conviction

The Indiana Court of Appeals has overturned the quadruple murder conviction of a South Bend-area man because his trial did not happen soon enough. A jury had convicted 36-year-old Jeffrey Pelley of shooting his father, stepmother and young stepsisters to death in 1989.

Wabash Crash Critically Injures Teen

A crash on U-S 24 just north of Wabash critically injured a 14-year-old rural Wabash girl yesterday afternoon. Wabash County Police say a helicopter flew Brandi Martin to a Fort Wayne hospital. She was a passenger in a car driving by 17-year-old Ashley Norwoord. Police say Norwood was on County Road 150-West and drove into the path of a full-size pickup truck on U-S 24.

Orthopedics Company to Announce New Jobs

An official of a Warsaw-based firm that makes orthopedic products for children says the company plans to add about 75 jobs by the end of 2012. Governor Mitch Daniels will visit the Warsaw offices of OrthoPediatrics Corporation this afternoon for the announcement. The company currently employs 26 people.

Wabash Alloys Agrees to Pay Environmental Penalty

The Environmental Protection Agency says that it has reached an agreement with Wabash Alloys concerning allegations the company violated clean-air regulations at its plant on Old Highway 24 in Wabash. The agreement includes a 10-thousand dollar penalty. Wabash Alloys has certified that it is currently complying with the regulations.

Obama to Campaign in South Bend

Senator Barack Obama will speak tomorrow night at Washington High School in South Bend. That’s the same school where administrators denied Hilary Clinton permission to conduct a rally. The school system is on spring break this week. The Obama rally will require free tickets which can be downloaded from the Obama campaign’s Web site.

Two More Shooting Deaths in Fort Wayne

Fort Wayne has recorded its ninth shooting death in less than a week. Gunfire killed a 19-year-old man early yesterday after an argument erupted at a party at an apartment. Saturday morning, someone shot a man to death in the parking lot of a tavern. The rash of homicides began with the shooting deaths last Monday of 5 people at three different locations.

Inmate Dies at Kosciusko County Jail

Indiana State Police reported this afternoon that they are investigating the death yesterday of a Kosciusko County Jail inmate. According to a state police news release, jailers found 30-year-old Quieten Jones unresponsive in his cell yesterday afternoon. He was pronounced dead at the jail. After an autopsy today, the Kosciusko County Coroner’s Office determined the cause of death was asphyxiation due to self inflicted hanging. Jones had been incarcerated for Burglary to a residence.

Pierceton Man Gets Life Without Parole

A judge followed a jury’s recommendation yesterday and sentenced a 35-year-old Pierceton man to life in prison without parole for murdering his girlfriend’s two-year-old daughter. The jury had convicted Ian Clark last month of beating Samantha Muchowicz to death in May of last year. It happened in the Ridinger Lake home of the child’s mother, where Clark also lived.

Big House Fire in Wabash County

Fire heavily damaged a home in southern Wabash County last night. Dispatchers say they got the call at about 9:30. When the first fire units arrived at the house on County Road 700 South, they reported the house fully engulfed in flames. No injuries were reported.

Tickets Gone for Obama Fort Wayne Apperance

If you’re planning to see Barack Obama in Fort Wayne today, don’t bother going unless you already have a ticket. Obama will hold a “town hall meeting” at Wayne High School on the city’s south side at 11 a.m., but free tickets are required for admission. And according to Obama’s Web site, no more tickets are available.

Poll Shows Obama, Clinton Essentially Even in Indiana

Obama and Hilary Clinton are running neck-and-neck in Indiana, according to a new statewide poll. The difference between the number of people who’d vote for Obama and the number who’d vote for Clinton is within the poll’s margin of error.

Indiana Airline Shuts Down Suddenly

ATA Airlines left travelers stranded and most of the airlines' employees out of work when it suddenly shut down yesterday after filing for bankruptcy. It was the second time in three years that the Indianapolis-based airline filed for bankruptcy for the second time in just over three years.

Inmate Charged with Killing Cellmate

A 30-year-old prisoner at the Wabash Valley Correctional Facility faces charges this morning in the death of his cellmate. Police have served an arrest warrant on Zachariah Melcher for allegedly strangling Nicholas Roman to death March 7th. Melcher is already serving a life sentence for the murders of his infant son and pregnant wife.

Obama to Campaign in Fort Wayne Tomorrow

Presidential candidate Barack Obama will visit Fort Wayne tomorrow instead of Muncie as previously scheduled. The campaign says it had to reschedule the Muncie visit because of logistical issues. The campaign has not yet released details regarding tomorrow’s visit to Fort Wayne, but we do know that staff members visited Northrup High School on the city’s north side and Wayne High School on the south side to look at their gymnasiums. Obama plans to visit Muncie next week.

Wabash Crash Victim Dies

A 63-year-old rural Wabash man has died from injuries he received in a two-vehicle crash Monday night. The Wabash County Sheriff's Department says Nathan Eppley died yesterday afternoon at a Fort Wayne hospital. A Chevy Avalanche collided with the car Epply had been driving Monday at the intersection of State Road 124 and Old State Road 15.

Man Reportedly Kills Wife, Daughter, Self

Police say they believe a man killed his wife and his 14-year-old daughter before shooting himself in his Indianapolis home. Police found the bodies in the home after the man made a 911 call.

NIPSCO Announces Gas Price Increase

NIPSCO announced yesterday that its natural gas prices will go up this month. NIPSCO says residential customers will pay 12.75 percent more for natural gas this month than they did in March. The utility blames an increase in wholesale natural gas prices.