Regional Summary, Wednesday 11/28

Indiana Summary: --- School Board Votes To Close Eight Indianapolis Schools (Indianapolis) -- The Indianapolis Public School Board has voted unanimously to close eight-schools as part of a redistricting plan. The changes are being enacted in part because of declining enrollment. Additional magnet and community high schools, which start with grade seven, are among the new features. Superintendent Eugene White says residents understand that the board had to act. The closures take effect for the next school year. Forest Manor and McFarland middle schools will close their doors, while Longellow and Sidener will be reconfigured. Just two traditional high schools will remain for IPS students by 2009. Elementary schools 37, 64, 68, and 92 will be shuttered. Most of the financial savings is expected to come through normal staff attrition. A final amount is being tallied. --- ISTA Presses Protection Of Property Tax School Funding (Indianapolis) -- The association representing teachers in Indiana is asking lawmakers to protect school funding during property tax reforms. Two plans under consideration would put the school general fund under state control. The Indiana State Teachers Association would like the funding to remain through property taxes. The union claims school funding would be at risk as part of the state budget because of the increasing risk of an economic slowdown. It instead is calling for a state wide property tax rate to fund the current school general fund. The ISTA is proposing restrictions on bloated school projects by separating "learning facility" and "auxiliary facility" efforts. --- Young Suspect Sought In Indianapolis Bank Robbery (Indianapolis) -- Police say they are looking for a bank robbery suspect who may be as young as 16-years-old. A branch of the Fifth-Third Bank at Pennsylvania and Meridian Streets in Indianapolis was robbed yesterday. The banks surveillance cameras and eye witness accounts to investigators indicate a young black male, wearing a Chicago Bulls cap. There were no injuries. --- Two Women Attacked, Two Suspects Sought (Hamilton County) -- Two suspects are sought after two women were attacked in their Hamilton County homes yesterday. Police say the attacks happened in Carmel and in Noblesville. Neither woman was seriously injured. Investigators say one suspect is white, another black. In one of the cases, the woman was working in a model home. Residents in the areas are keeping their doors locked and eyes open as police search for the suspects. --- Thirty-Years Expected For Dettra In AMACOR Fire (Anderson) -- There could be a 30-year prison sentence for Darrin Dettra after he was convicted of setting a fire at the AMACOR facility in Anderson two-years ago. The 41-year-old pled guilty to setting fire to the building where he had worked. Dettra was the housekeeper for AMACOR. The company owner says that she was willing to help him out due to difficult times and had given him a chance. The massive magnesium recycling plant fire in January 2005 threatened a large part of Andersons community. A firefighter suffered a minor injury battling the blaze. --- Indianapolis FOP Elects New President (Indianapolis) -- The Indianapolis Fraternal Order of Police elected a new president last night. William Owensby was elected with 531 votes over past president Vince Huber with 350 votes. The election came after Aaron Sullivan recently announced he would not run for a second term and wanted to return to the streets. --- Board Approves Funding For Valparaiso-Chicago Express Service (Valparaiso) -- People who commute between downtown Chicago and Valparaiso, Indiana are a little closer to getting another travel option. Northwest Indiana Regional Development Authority board members voted unanimously Tuesday to approve a two-point-one-million-dollar request to fund an express bus service between the two locations. Valparaiso Redevelopment Commission director Stu Summers called it "a unique lever" for economic development in the area. The "Northwest Indiana Times" reports a bus station planned for Valparaisos southwest side would be the center of a 73-acre mix of commercial and residential development, including a terminal for a possible future extension of the South Shore commuter rail line. Summers says he plans to have the service up and running in 2009. --- Pacers Prevail Over Nuggets (Denver, CO) -- Shawne Williams scored 21 points, including six free throws down the stretch, as the Pacers held off the Nuggets 112-110 at the Pepsi Center. Williams also grabbed 11 rebounds and Mike Dunleavy added a season-high 30 points for Indiana, which has won three of its last four games. Allen Iverson recorded 26 points, seven rebounds and eight assists for Denver, which suffered just its second home loss in eight games this season. Carmelo Anthony added 25 points and seven rebounds for the Nuggets, who have dropped three-of-four overall. Kentucky Summary: (Louisville, KY) -- Two students from Seneca High School are accused of setting off a homemade bomb outside of their high school. As students left school on Monday afternoon, an explosion took place in the school parking lot. The two 17-year-old students are now charged with ten counts of wanton endangerment and criminal possession of a destructive device. No one was injured in the explosion. (Louisville, KY) -- Metro Police continue to investigate a shooting at a downtown housing complex yesterday morning. Officials say at least one man was shot in the stomach at the Beecher Terrace Housing Complex. The housing complex lies along Simms Court. The man was taken to University Hospital where his condition is unknown at this time. (Louisville, KY) -- The principal of a Bardstown Catholic high school pled not guilty in court yesterday to a charge of loitering with the purpose of prostitution. Officials say Paul Schum received a citation from Metro Police after they found him dressed like a woman in an alley in the Russell neighborhood on Halloween Eve. Officials say he was wearing a black leather outfit with fishnet stockings and a pair of fake womens breasts. Schum requested personal leave from the school pending the outcome of the investigation. (Louisville, KY) -- Former network news anchor Tom Brokaw was in town yesterday for two events. Brokaw participated in a question-and-answer session at the University of Louisville yesterday afternoon. He was also interviewed by author and "Washington Post" senior editor Rick Atkinson while in town. Brokaw also took part in the Kentucky Author Forum at the Kentucky Center. (Frankfort, KY) -- With inauguration day now less than two-weeks away, we may learn more about the new administration today. Governor-elect Steve Beshear has called a news conference this morning in Frankfort. In a written statement, its indicated he will announce some personnel appointments. Inauguration day is December 11th. (Louisville, KY) -- Mothers Against Drunk Driving 1/81/8 MADD 3/83/8 will hold its annual candlelight vigil to honor those killed during drunk driving incidents next week. The yearly vigil will take place Monday at the Executive Inn on Phillips Lane at 7 p.m. The vigil will honor all fallen police officers in Kentucky and Indiana, according to the "Courier Journal". MADD officials say the group has decided to add the honor for fallen officers because of all that police do to try to curb drunk driving. (Frankfort, KY) -- The Personnel Cabinet has launched a new website aimed at helping to make applying for state jobs easier. The new Career Opportunities System has many features, including one that helps applicants create, view, and update their employment application 24-hours a day. Applicants can also create an electronic "Search Agent" within the Career Opportunities System to help them identify preferences in areas such as job title, salary, or part or full-time employment. Anyone interested can look online at personnel.ky.gov. (Louisville, KY) -- The Scottish Society of Louisville teamed up with the Louisville Metro Police Department last night to help some children in need. The Scottish Society presented 75 teddy bears to local LMPD officers to carry in their cars for when they encounter children who are victims of traumatic events. The event took place last night at the Strathmoor Presbyterian Church. The Scottish Society of Louisville was founded as a nonprofit organization, and will be hosting their 16th annual Burns Supper at Mastersons on Saturday, February 2nd. (Louisville, KY) -- GSI Commerce officials say they will hire at least 28-hundred new workers for two facilities for the holidays. The company, which is has facilities in Louisville and Shepherdsville, will offer the jobs, which will pay anywhere from nine-dollar to ten-dollars-per-hour. The jobs will end after the holiday period, although officials say some workers may be hired for permanent positions afterwards. The "Courier Journal" reports that the company employs around 34-hundred full-time nonseasonal employees. Illinois Summary: --- Teenager Charged With Murder, Robbery In Doctoral Student Shooting (Chicago) -- Chicago police say theyve charged a teenager in the shooting death of a University of Chicago doctoral student. Officials say a 16-year-old boy is charged with first degree murder in the death of Amadou Cisse 1/81/8 AHM-uh-doo SEE-say 3/83/8 last Monday. The boy also faces one count of attempted robbery with a firearm, one count of aggravated discharge of a firearm, and three counts of armed robbery with a firearm. It is not known whether those charges stem from the Cisse shooting or two other incidents in the Hyde Park neighborhood that happened in the hour before Cisse was killed last Monday. The teenagers name has not been released. Police say they will have more details later today. --- Peterson Relative: I May Have Helped Get Rid Of Stacy (Bolingbrook) -- Former Bolingbrook police sergeant Drew Petersons stepbrother says he may have helped dispose of the body of his wife Stacy one-month-ago. The "Chicago Tribune" reports the relative told a friend that on October 28th he helped Drew Peterson carry a large container, which was warm to the touch, out of a bedroom. The relative was reportedly hospitalized two days later after apparently trying to kill himself. Earlier reports indicated that Drew Peterson was spotted loading a huge blue barrel into his SUV hours after his wife was last seen alive. Peterson denies those allegations, and his lawyer, Joel Brodsky, called reports of a blue barrel "one of a growing swirl of rumors" surrounding the case. The relative was interviewed by authorities, but has not been charged with a crime and is not considered a suspect. Drew Peterson has been identified as a suspect. --- Race Blamed For County Budget Dispute (Chicago) -- He says hes not playing the race card, but a black Cook County Board Member is leveling some serious accusations at white commissioners. Bill Beavers says objections to Board President Todd Strogers two-percent sales tax hike would fade if Stroger were white. Stroger himself says board members are "stuck" as they try and pass a budget for the next fiscal year. He wants to raise the sales tax to cover a nearly 240-million-dollar budget gap and says either a tax hike or a cut in spending is necessary. The county boards finance committee cut just over one-million-dollars from the budget yesterday. --- Transit Special Session Today (Springfield) -- State lawmakers will convene a special session on mass transit funding for the Chicago area today. Talk of a compromise on funding for the CTA and RTA is heating up. House Speaker Michael Madigan and Chicago Mayor Daley are both throwing their support behind a plan that diverts gasoline tax money to pay for transit. That plan was initially proposed by House Republicans, and eventually endorsed by Governor Blagojevich. But a transit deal is not certain. Downstate lawmakers, especially those in the State Senate, are saying they wont vote for a transit bill unless a capital construction plan is included. Theres been no recent breakthrough in those talks. Lawmakers also arent saying how they plan to fill the 385-million-dollar hole that will be created in the states general fund by diverting the gasoline tax money. --- Woman Found Dead In Des Plaines River (Chicago) -- A woman found dead in the Des Plaines River near Joliet remains unidentified this morning. Police say the woman was discovered about 8 a.m. Tuesday by a duck hunter. The woman is described as black, and between 19 and 25-years-old. She was found about 100-feet south of railroad tracks that go through Joliet. Police believe the young woman was in the river only a short time. Her death is being considered suspicious. --- Unrelated Felony Charge For Ex-Boyfriend Of Murdered Woman (Maywood) -- The former boyfriend of a Chicago woman found dead in Calumet City is again in trouble with the law. Thirty-year-old Reginald Potts has been arrested several times on charges unrelated to the murder of Nailah Franklin. Potts has been linked to that investigation, but not charged. On Monday, he was sentenced on charges of violating an order of protection. After the sentencing, authorities say he got into an altercation with deputies. Potts is charged with felony aggravated battery and is currently held without bail. --- Job Cuts Postponed But Budget Approved In DuPage County (Wheaton) -- February 5th is DuPage Countys "Doomsday". Board members yesterday approved a budget for the next fiscal year that would cut about 200 jobs and several programs. But they also voted to hold off on making those cuts until after Illinois upcoming primary election. Voters will decide then whether the county should raise its sales tax by one-quarter of one-percent to make up a nine-and-a-half million-dollar shortfall. If the referendum fails, the county could find itself even worse off. --- Sex Between School Guard, Teenage Girl Alleged (Chicago) -- A part-time security guard at a suburban high school and a 15-year-old girl have allegedly carried on a sexual relationship since April. Twenty-seven-year-old Mark Mendez is a dispatcher in Skokie with the police and fire department and was a special events security guard at Niles North High School. He was terminated from his security guard job, even through he has not been accused of committing the offenses while on the job at the school. Mendez, who lives in Chicago, turned himself in to police on November 21st and is charged with aggravated criminal sexual abuse. He is currently free on 50-thousand-dollars bail. --- Guilty Plea Expected In Failed Rockford Terror Plot (Chicago) -- The man accused of plotting to plant hand grenades around a Rockford-area shopping mall will plead guilty as early as today. The U.S. Attorneys Office says Derrick Shareef will change his plea less than two weeks before his trial was to begin. Shareef was arrested after a failed terror attempt at the CherryVale Mall last December. Hes charged with attempting to damage or destroy a building by fire or explosion and attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction. --- "Lousy" Iraqi Spy Sentenced To Prison Anyway (Chicago) -- A federal judge sentenced a Des Plaines man to prison for spying for the Iraqi government yesterday -- though she says he wasnt very good at it. Judge Rebecca Pallmeyer sentenced Sami Khoshaba Latchin to four-years-behind-bars. A jury convicted him in April on charges of being an unregistered foreign agent, conducting unauthorized business with Iraq, lying to an FBI agent, and lying on immigration papers. Latchin spied on Assyrian Christians, not Americans, and Pallmeyer said during sentencing that he never posed a genuine threat. She also said Latchin wasnt very effective. (Copyright 2007 by Newsroom Solutions) RNS-11-28-07 0627CST