Tristate Regional News, Tuesday 5/01

Indianapolis Summary Three People Killed In Clinton County Crash (Clinton County) -- Three persons were killed in a car crash in Clinton County overnight. The Clinton County Sheriffs Department says that the accident happened along State Road-26 and County Road-800 East. Forty-year-old Allen McGowen, 73-year-old William Martin and 46-year-old Terry Jenkins were killed. Investigators say one car was passing a semi and both cars collided head-on. In all, three cars were involved in the accident. The crash happened around 9:30 p.m. --- Police Identify Man Killed After Fleeing Police (Indianapolis) -- Police have identified the driver of a car that was being pursued by police early this morning. Police have identified the victim as 29-year-old Daron Johnson. Police say an officer witnessed the driver of the car driving erratically and pulled the driver over at around 2 a.m. The officer who pulled over the car says the driver then sped off. As police went after the man, the car crashed after it hit a curb near the Naval Armory at 30th Street and White River Parkway East Drive. Police suspect drugs are involved. --- Child Recovering After Being Run Over (Plainfield,IN) -- A little girl is recovering today after she was run over in a driveway. The Plainfield toddler is at Riley Hospital for Children. The girl was backed over in the driveway on Monday. Driver Manjit Singh says he is saddened by the mistake. Police say he backed over Harleen, a close friends daughter, then frantically pulled forward, accidentally running over her again. Singh says that he heard her calling him from somewhere across the street. He then went to get his mail, got into his pickup truck, and in just that amount of time she managed to get right behind the vehicle. Doctors and family members say the child will be okay. --- Police Search For Man After Cousin Shot To Death (Indianapolis) -- Detectives with the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department today are searching for a man who they say shot and killed his cousin. Police want 36-year-old James Suttle for the shooting early this morning of 36-year-old Terry Taylor Jr. Taylor was killed with a shotgun following an argument in front of a house at 3015 Gladstone about 1:44 a.m. Investigators say the argument concerned a family matter. --- Police Say Man Was Shot To Death In Alley Last Night (Indianapolis) -- Indianapolis Metropolitan Police say a man was found last night in an alley, shot to death. The victim had been shot in the head. He has been identified as 26-year-old Jeffery Hill. --- Student Guilty Of Killing Classmate (New Albany) -- A southern Indiana student has been found guilty of the death of a classmate. Paige Grable will serve two-and-a-half-years of a four-year sentence after pleading guilty yesterday in the case. Police say Grable was arrested in October last year after crossing the center line in her Jeep and hitting John Gatz car. Officials say Grable registered a blood-alcohol level of point-one-six, which is twice the legal limit. Police charged Grable with one count of causing death while operating a motor vehicle. She was also charged with possession of drug paraphernalia. --- New Albany Soldiers Prepare For Deployment (New Albany) -- Some Indiana National Guard soldiers brushed up on training over the weekend as they prepare to deploy to Iraq later this year. The 1st Batalion 151st Infantry from New Albany focused on medical training during the exercises. Sergeant First Class Rick Holland says focusing on first aid is crucial to training. He says many of the soldiers are combat lifesavers and have completed an intense course of advanced medical treatment to improve the survivability of soldiers on the battlefield. The unit has already mobilized twice since 9-11. Kentucky Summary: Summer Is Dangerous Time For Kentucky Youngsters (Lexington, KY) -- Summer can be a very dangerous time for Kentucky youngsters. A report released this week by Safe Kids Worldwide shows Kentucky had more children killed in summertime accidents than nearly every other state. The report was for 2004, and shows only five states fared worse than Kentucky. Caregivers and Safe Kids advocates say parents, grandparents and caregivers can make a difference by taking simple safety precautions. The most common causes of childrens accidental injury or deaths include drowning, biking, falls, motor vehicle passenger accidents and pedestrian injuries. KSP Continue To Investigate Fatal Accident Involving Garrard County Emergency Management Director (Lancaster, KY) -- Kentucky State Police continue to investigate fatal accident involving the Garrard County Emergency Management Director. Investigators tell WTVQ-TV that Dwayne Nave was driving on Highway-27 early Sunday morning in his government SUV, when he swerved into oncoming traffic. He then swerved back into his lane, striking another vehicle. The the driver of that vehicle, Will Quinn, was pronounced dead at the scene. Nave and a passenger in the Quinn vehicle are hospitalized in fair condition. Highway Death Toll Ahead Of Last Year (Frankfort, KY) -- Kentucky State Police report though last week 247 people have lost their lives on Kentucky roadways so far this year, four more than reported for the same time period last year. Last week, 18 people died in 13 separate accidents. Hundreds Of Suspected Drug Traffickers Arrested (Frankfort, KY) -- Law enforcement across the country joined law enforcement across the nation last week in a sweep of suspected drug traffickers. Officials say in Kentucky authorities made 491 arrests, seized 287 marijuana plants, 965-pounds of marijuana, 12-pounds of cocaine and hundreds of tables of prescription drugs. Senator Doesnt Rule Out Benchmarks (Washington, KY) -- Senator Mitch McConnell says Republicans will consider some type of benchmarks for a war funding bill. McConnell says he expects the president to veto the bill passed by the Senate and House that contains timelines for withdrawing troops from Iraq. Tomorrow, McConnell says, along with other top congressional leaders, he,ll be meeting with the president. McConnell believes the presidents veto will be sustained by Congress. Kentucky American Raising Rates (Lexington, KY) -- Kentucky American Water Company is asking the State Public Service Commission to permit a more than 25-percent rate hike. It requests and overall revenue increase of 13-million-dollars, which would mean the average customer would pay five-dollars-80-cents more per month for their water. The company says the increase is necessary because of 60-million-dollars of investments into their system. Kentucky American has more than 100-thousand customers in part of ten Kentucky counties. Customers in some of the northern counties would pay less for their water if the rate hike is approved. Governor Invites Kentuckians To Breakfast (Frankfort, KY) -- The governor is inviting Kentuckians to join him for breakfast. The annual Governors Derby Breakfast is Saturday morning from seven until eleven on the grounds of the Capitol. Along with free food, there will a number of exhibits and entertainment. According to the "State Journal," shuttle buses will beginning running at 6:30 from parking at the Human Resources Building and the Kentucky History Center. Chicago Summary: Huge March and Rally Set For Today, Venue Changed From Daley Plaza To Grant Park (Chicago) -- The site for todays immigration rally has been changed from Daley Plaza to Hutchinson Field in Grant Park. Chicago Police announced the change Monday afternoon, saying a huge turnout is expected. Last year, about 400-thousand people attended a similar event. The events will officially begin at Union Park, at 15-01 West Randolph, about 1:30 p.m. Marchers will then go along Washington Street to Des Plaines, then southbound to Jackson and eastbound to Columbus. The rally will be at Grant Parks Hutchinson Field, which is at Columbus and Balbo. --- Accused Pipe Bomber Remains Jailed (Chicago) -- The man federal authorities believe to be the pipe bomber known as "The Bishop" will stay in jail. On Monday, a judge refused to allow John Tomkins to return home to await further court appearances. The 42-year-old Duquque, Iowa man is accused of mailing pipe bombs and written threats to investment firms, mostly in the Midwest. Many of the mailings had postmarks of Chicago or Chicago suburbs. The former postal worker was arrested April 23rd. --- School Board Takes No Action Regarding Student Who Wrote Violent Essay (Chicago) -- School board members took no action Monday night in a meeting to discuss the case of a suburban Chicago High School student who was suspended and arrested after writing a violent essay. District 155 School Board members met in a special closed session less than a week after 18-year-old Cary-Grove High School senior Allen Lee was arrested. The "Northwest Herald" reports Board President Ted Wagner would not discuss what was talked about at Mondays meeting. Lee is charged with two counts of disorderly conduct. Lees essay was written about a week after the shootings at Virginia Tech and discussed killing people and other disturbing subjects. --- Violence Continues At Southwest Side High School (Chicago) -- The trouble continues for one of Chicagos most overcrowded high schools. The "Chicago Sun-Times" reports there have been more than one-thousand student suspensions at Gage Park High School on the Southwest Side this school year, 200 more than last year. Most of the suspensions have been for fighting and disrupting class. School officials blame increasing enrollment and lack of security. Last fall, Gage Park took in a record 740 students, almost double the year before. The school designed for about 15-hundred kids had up to nearly 18-hundred students at one point this year but, with dropouts and transfers, the enrollment is now back closer to 15-hundred. Principal Martin McGreal was fired last August for refusing to admit more students. --- High-Ranking Fire Official Elects To Retire Amid Allegations Of Racism (Chicago) -- An Assistant Deputy Chief Paramedic with the Chicago Fire Department who was to be fired has decided to retire amid charges of racism. Donald Wash was accused of asking about the race of a paramedic who had requested time off for a family emergency. When told the paramedic was black, witnesses say Walsh wouldnt allow the time off until a replacement could be found. Walsh has vigorously denied the allegations and says hed rather retire than have his 30-year career record smeared. But the story may not be over. The "Chicago Tribune" reports Walsh has indicated he will be filing federal charges. --- Son Of Legendary Rosemont Mayor Ascends To Officer (Rosemont) -- Rosemonts new mayor will be sworn in today and his name should be familiar to locals. Forty-four-year-old Bradley Stephens is the son of Donald Stephens, who had been the only mayor the town had ever known prior to death in April. Much like Chicago political families such as the Daleys and the Strogers, the Stephens clan has a firm foothold within the community. Bradley Stephens younger brother is Rosemonts director of public safety, one of his nephews is police chief and another nephew runs the towns convention center. The "Chicago Tribune" reports Bradley Stephens will serve as mayor for two-years, until the next election. --- Lunas Sister Testifies (Chicago) -- The defense continued to present its case in the Browns Chicken murder trial of Juan Luna on Monday. Lunas younger sister testified that police would not inform the family of what was happening when her brother was arrested in 2002. The "Daily Herald" reports defense attorneys argue that if Lunas siblings knew he had been arrested, they would have hired an attorney for him and the lawyer would have stopped him from being questioned. Prosecutors have played a videotape of Luna confessing to the 1993 killings of seven people at the Palatine restaurant. Brenda Sanchez also said her brother is a "peaceful" person, but she struggled to come up with names of her brothers old friends who would consider him to be nonviolent. Lunas co-defendant, James Degorski, will be tried later. --- Psychological Tests Ordered For Ex-Football Star Accused Of Killing Neighbor (DuPage County) -- Psychological tests have been ordered for a Lombard man accused of killing his 66-year-old neighbor by throwing him over a third-floor apartment railing. Twenty-eight-year-old Hubert Thompson pleaded innocent Monday to charges of first-degree murder. The "Daily Herald" reports a court-appointed psychologist will evaluate the former football star in the next two-weeks. (Copyright 2007 by Newsroom Solutions/Regional News Service) RNS-05-01-07 0304CDT