Fuel Crunch Brings New Jobs to Ligonier

Increasing fuel prices have actually been a positive thing for a Ligonier auto parts manufacturer. Millennium Industries has created a new direct injection fuel system that it says will allow automakers to use smaller, more fuel-efficient engines in their cars, without sacrificing engine power. The company believes there will be so much demand for its product that it plans to expand its Ligonier plant and hire 170 new people. Millennium says it hopes to begin hiring this fall and to have all the new workers on the job by three years from now. It’s looking for everything from general laborers to engineers and plans to recruit workers through WorkOne Northeast.

Training Money Available to RV Workers

People who’ve lost their jobs due to cutbacks at northern Indiana recreational vehicle manufacturers will now have access to state dollars for new training. Governor Mitch Daniels announced yesterday that the state is making three million dollars in federal training funds available to laid-off R-V workers so they can work associate degrees or receive other job-related training.

Woman Pleads Guilty in IPFW Campus Murder

A suspect in the on-campus murder of an I-P-F-W student has admitted to committing the crime. As part of a plea agreement, the 36-year-old woman has pleaded guilty to murder. She could get up to 60 years in prison for stabbing her daughter’s roommate to death in the student’s dorm room last April.

Stray Bullet Wounds Indy Boy, 6

Indianapolis police say a 6-year-old boy riding in a van was hit by a stray bullet. Doctors at Riley Hospital say they expect the boy to recover fully from a shoulder wound. Police do not believe the van was the target of the shooting.

Former Sheriff Plans Guilty Plea

A lawyer for a former central Indiana sheriff says his client will plead guilty to federal program theft charges. A federal prosecutor says former Putnam County Sheriff Mark Frisbie misappropriated federal program money to pay expenses for his consulting firm, travel expenses for his wife's daughter and for campaign supplies.

LaGrange Native Dies in Iraq

Another Indiana native has died in Iraq. Twenty-nine-year-old Staff Sgt. Kristopher Dan Rodgers was a native of LaGrange. He died Saturday when a roadside bomb exploded near his vehicle.

Mentone Elementary Parents Informed of Viral Mengitis Case

The superintendent of Tippecanoe Valley Schools announced yesterday afternoon that a Mentone Elementary School student is hospitalized with viral meningitis. Superintendent Brett Boggs says the school sent a letter home with students yesterday explaining that viral meningitis, which the student has, is a relatively common but rarely serious infection of the fluid of the spinal cord and the fluid that surrounds the brain. Boggs says the parents should not confuse the disease with bacterial meningitis, which the student does not have and which is very serious and can result in brain damage or even death.

Job Announcement Planned in Ligonier

New jobs are apparently coming to an auto parts manufacturing plant in Ligonier. Governor Mitch Daniels plans to be at Millennium Industries today for the economic development announcement. Millennium primarily makes automotive and small engine fuel system components.

Police Use Taser on 14-Year-Old Boy

Elkhart police say an officer was forced to use a Taser electric shock weapon on a 14-year-old boy. A police department spokesperson says the Taser was the only way to subdue the six-foot-tall, 230-pound boy and get him to stop hitting another student at Elkhart Central High School.

Sheriff Resigns Under FBI Investigation

Commissioners in central Indiana’s Putnam County have accepted the resignation of the county’s sheriff, Mark Frisbie. He’s under investigation by the Indiana State Police and the FBI. Frisbie's attorney says his client is under investigation over unauthorized business related expenses.