Indianapolis Summary:

Firefighter Injured Battling House Fire
(Indianapolis) -- An Indianapolis firefighter is recovering after being hurt battling an early-morning house fire.
The fire erupted around 3 a.m. yesterday at the corner of Tabor and Draper streets.
The firefighter was injured after falling onto the floor while battling the blaze.
The fire has been ruled arson.
Anyone with information should call the IFD.
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Officer Shoots At Man Who Tried To Run Him Over
(Indianapolis) -- An Indianapolis police officer fired shots at a motorist who allegedly tried to hit him with a car.
The incident happened yesterday in the parking lot of the Castleton Christian Church at 72nd Street and Hague Road.
Police are looking for a white Chrysler four-door car with dark tinted windows and chrome spoke wheels.
There may be bullets in the driver side door.
Anyone with information should call 262-TIPS.
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Legislative Committees To Convene In December
(Indianapolis) -- State legislators will be back in their seats next month.
Indiana House and Senate committees will begin hearings on several key issues, including a proposed constitutional amendment.
The amendment puts caps on property taxes of one, two and three-percent of assessed value, depending on the type property.
The full legislature returns January 5th.
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Indiana Obama Family Home May Be Preserved
(Kempton) -- An old Obama family farm house near Kempton in Tipton County may soon be preserved.
President Obama's "four-greats" grandfather originally bought the home in 1840.
It was built by Obama's great uncle, who was also a politician in the Indiana General Assembly.
Current owner Shawn Clements has had Obama in the home.
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Former North Central Graduate Wins Rhodes Scholarship
(Indianapolis) -- Indianapolis has produced another Rhodes Scholar.
Current neurobiology major at Harvard College Darryl W. Finkton Jr. is a 2006 graduate of North Central High School.
He was one of 32 U.S. students and the only Hoosier to receive the all-expense-paid scholarship for 2010.
He joins Republican Senator and former Indianapolis mayor Richard Lugar in the honor.

Kentucky Summary:

Farmers May Get New Energy Funds
(Bowling Green) -- Farmers in the Bluegrass State who missed getting federal energy stimulus money this year may get another chance next year.
The opportunity comes from the On-Farm Energy Efficiency and Production investment of the Kentucky Development Fund's County Agricultural Investment Program, and will be open to all farmers in Kentucky counties in 2010.
Part of the funding will provide a variety of opportunities for families to increase farm energy efficiency and renewable fuel production.
Spokesman Bryan Thomas with the Governor's Office of Agricultural Policy in Frankfort says, quote, "If we can lower the overall demand for energy, then they don't have to build new power plants that put so much strain on the existing infrastructure."
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Danville Will Host Miss Kentucky Pageants
(Danville) -- Nearly 100 young hopefuls will arrive in Danville to compete in the Miss Kentucky USA and Miss Kentucky Teen USA pageants.
Preliminary competitions for both events will be held November 28th at the Norton Center for the Arts at Centre College and winners will be crowned on November 29th.
Winners will attend the Miss USA and Miss Teen USA pageants in Las Vegas, and the victors at those events will compete in the Miss Universe pageant.
Volunteers in several capacities are needed, and those interested in helping should call Martha Bryant at 859-583-6774.
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Louisville Graduate Becomes Rhodes Scholar
(Louisville) -- Monica Marks is studying in Turkey during her year as a Fulbright Scholar.
The 23-year-old University of Louisville graduate is now the latest Rhodes Scholar from the Bluegrass State.
Marks grew up among fundamentalist Jehovah's Witnesses in Eastern Kentucky, and was born to parents who were not high school graduates.
Her studies in Islamic law have taken her to faraway classrooms in Jordan, Tanzania, and Tunisia.
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Air Traffic Showing Decline For 2009
(Louisville) -- Officials at Louisville International Airport report air traffic is down by 14-percent.
Across the nation, several airlines have been downsizing, and decreasing the number of flights.
As a result, connecting hubs such as Louisville are expected to be very busy during the holiday season.
According to Triple-A, a slight increase is expected in Thanksgiving road travelers, due to the extra inconveniences and expenses for air travel.
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Piercing Questions About Mary Todd Lincoln's Earrings
(Lexington) -- A pair of gold-mounted black onyx pendant earrings are very old, but there is some doubt they may have been worn by Mary Todd Lincoln.
The Kentucky Historical Society bought the jewelry for more than 19-thousand dollars in 2008, and has been displaying and publicizing them as belonging to the former first lady.
The statement from a former owner who says he knew they were Mary's but could not remember why is not much in the way of proof.
Thomas Schwartz at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library said more information is needed to connect the earrings to Lexington native Mary Todd Lincoln, and it's not enough that a collector had a hunch.

Chicago Summary:

Young Father Dies After Dolton Shooting
(Dolton) -- A young Chicago Heights father has died of gunshot wounds suffered in a parking lot shootout early Sunday in Dolton.
Cortez Moutry had turned 22-years-old on Friday and was celebrating with friends at Mister Ricky's 141 Club.
Moutry leaves behind a 17-month-old daughter.
He was a Rich East High School graduate who was planning to attend technical school to study electrical engineering.
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New Inspector General Is Working-Class Guy
(Chicago) -- Chicago's new inspector general says he's not the type to shrink from conflict.
Forty-nine-year-old Joe Ferguson replaces David Hoffman, who resigned to run for the U.S. Senate.
Ferguson grew up in a blue-collar Irish neighborhood in Boston, raised by single mother.
He takes over at a time when the inspector general's office is suing the Daley administration to gain access to confidential information needed to investigate a no-bid contract.
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Wrigley Bleachers Get Ad-Signage Boards
(Chicago) -- The Chicago Cubs have erected two sign boards in the back of the left-field bleachers at Wrigley Field, and they're expected to be ready for the 2010 season.
Bud Light beer is considered a likely sponsor after buying the naming rights to the bleachers during a reconstruction project before the 2006 season.
The signage would obscure a prominent ad for Horseshoe Casino seen in many TV shots.
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Report: Oprah On The Way To L.A.
(Chicago) -- The "Chicago Sun-Times" is reporting Oprah Winfrey is relocating to Los Angeles.
The Oprah Winfrey Network reportedly has signed a ten-year lease on a studio on Wilshire Boulevard in L.A.
Oprah bought a Chicago residence on East Lake Shore Drive for more than six-million dollars three years ago but never moved in.
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Board Games Staging Big Comeback
(Chicago) -- New games were on display Sunday at the Chicago Toy and Game Fair at Navy Pier.
One board game, called Bailout, is an anti-Monopoly in which you have to lose all your money to win.
There's also Triviathon, created by two brothers from Indiana who says it's, quote, "fast-paced trivia for smart and stupid people." Sales of board games reportedly are up ten to 12-percent as families economize on entertainment.
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O'Hare To Regain "Busiest" Status Briefly
(Chicago) -- O'Hare International Airport will reclaim some lost glory over the Thanksgiving holiday when it becomes the world's busiest airport.
Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta took over the top spot several years ago, based on the annual number of flights and passengers.
However, O'Hare will be busier over Thanksgiving, according to Orbitz.com.
Midway Airport didn't crack the top 50 among holiday travelers.
(Copyright 2009 by VERTEXNews/Newsroom Solutions)
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