Regional Summary, Friday 12/7

Indiana Summary: --- Warmer Temperatures As Snow Ends Today (Indianapolis) -- Warmer temperatures today through the weekend will help to lessen the snow that Indiana is getting today. The high in central Indiana today is forecast for 38-degrees, and that temperature is also expected for the weekend. Forecasters say that no more than three-inchs of new snow, adding to snow from earlier in the week, are expected by the time it ends before noon. Crews stay busy dropping the melting mix and scraping where necessary. Drivers are encouraged to drive safely. --- Fatal Fire Leaves Man Dead Inside Decatur County Home (Indianapolis) -- A fire this morning inside a home in Decatur County in Indianapolis has left one person dead. Fire investigators say that they were called to the 69-hundred block of Stanley Road near Kentucky Avenue and Mann Road after they received a call of a fire there. Firefighters managed to get inside the house where they found the body of a man. His name has not been released. The cause of the fire is also under investigation. --- Too Many Animals At Marion Shelter (Grant County) -- According to Marions animal shelter, they currently have too many animals, now theyre looking for help from the public to find new homes for the pets. They say they have 75 neglected animals, and some of the animals recently taken to the shelter cannot be adopted due to pending investigation and custody issues. Animals that were already housed at the shelter are available for adoption or foster arrangements. --- Couple Arrested After Child Found In Freezing Car (Castleton) -- A couple was arrested this week after police say they shopped while leaving one of their young children in a freezing car outside the store. The two are seen shopping with a baby inside the Costco along east 86th Street on Wednesday. Police were called to the parking lot after hearing a small boy crying and screaming. Authorities found the young boy in the couples van, wearing clothes, including a wet diaper. Police say the child was in the van for about 40-minutes before being rescued. Robert and Hong Hoffman face various charges today. --- Thursdays Winning Hoosier Lottery Numbers Daily Three-Midday: 5-6-6; Daily Three-Evening: 9-8-1; Daily Four-Midday: 6-8-1-7; Daily Four-Evening: 2-3-1-0; Lucky Five-Midday: 16-22-24-31-36; Lucky Five-Evening: 3-10-15-19-30. Kentucky Summary: (Louisville, KY) -- The man charged with murdering a four-year-old Louisville boy pleaded not guilty in court yesterday. Cecil New the Second is charged in the death of Ivan Aguilar-Cano. A pre-trial conference has been scheduled for January. Canos body was found in a trash can near Churchill Downs earlier this year after he went missing from his home near Churchill Downs. (Louisville, KY) -- University of Louisville quarterback Brian Brohm has signed with an agent. Brohm signed with David Dunn of the California based sports agency Athletes First earlier this week. Dunns firm represents National Football Leagues quarterbacks Carson Palmer, Matt Hasselback, Matt Schaub and Derek Anderson. Brohm threw for a little over four-thousand yards and had a school record 30 touchdowns this season. He is expected to be picked in the first-round of the NFL draft. (Fort Campbell, KY) -- Three Fort Campbell soldiers have been killed in Iraq. Army officials say two 101st Airborne Division soldiers were killed by an improvised explosive device and the other one died of wounds sustained in the same incident. The three were Sergeant Eric Hernandez, Private Dewayne White and Captain Adam Snyder. All three were infantrymen assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team. (Frankfort, KY) -- Governor-elect Steve Beshear announces that Nikki Jackson will serve as Secretary of Personnel Cabinet. Jackson most recently served as director of Human Resources at Norton Suburban Hospital in Louisville. Maysville banker Robert Vance will serve as secretary of the Environmental and Public Protection Cabinet, Marcheta Sparrow, who has served as president of the Kentucky Tourism Council will serve as secretary of the Commerce Cabinet, and state Representative J.R. Gray of Eddyville will serve as commissioner of the Department of Labor. The governor-elect says he plans to elevate that position to secretary of Labor. (Madison, IN) -- Prosecutors say they are confident that Melinda Loveless will not prevail in her attempt to overturn her murder conviction for the death of Shanda Sharer. Loveless had asked a judge to rule that she was under duress when she agreed to a plea agreement in the deadly slaying. Her lawyer claimed that she received ineffective counsel. Loveless testified that she did not remember most of the legal proceedings before she signed the plea deal. She was sentenced to 60 years in prison for the 1992 torture murder of Shanda Sharer, of New Albany. (Louisville, KY) -- A woman has died from injuries she sustained in a crash earlier this month. Jessica Morrison died at University Hospital yesterday morning, according to a deputy Jefferson County Coroner. Morrison was involved in a single vehicle accident in which her car went over an embankment along Brownsboro Road and Barbour Lane. Her car hit a tree after going over the embankment. (Frankfort, KY) -- The Kentucky Parole Board has denied a convicted murderer parole. Kevin Murtaugh has been serving a life sentence for the murder of his wife, Dianne Camm, in 1977. Officials say Murtaugh cannot petition for parole again for eight years. Police say Camm was strangled, and then had her arms and legs severed. Camms sister and brother say they were pleased with the decision. (Louisville, KY) -- The University of Louisvilles winter commencement will take place next week at the Kentucky International Convention Center. The event will be held at 7:30 p.m. next Thursday and nearly 14-hundred students will receive degrees. Officials say 900 students are expected to participate in the commencement ceremony, which would make it the largest winter commencement in the universitys history. (Elizabethtown, KY) -- Justice and Public Safety Cabinet Secretary General Norman Arflack announced yesterday that the Outreach Victim Advocate Program and the Advocacy & Support Center of Hardin County will receive a grant. The money will be allocated through the federal Victims of Crime Act, which relies on criminal fines, forfeitures, and assessments instead of taxpayer dollars to support victim services. Hardin County is one of 63 that will receive funding, which in total adds up to around 5-point-3-million dollars. Illinois Summary: --- Funeral Today For Henry Hyde (Chicago) -- The funeral will be held today for former Illinois Republican Congressman Henry Hyde. The service will be at 10 a.m. at Saint John Neumann Church in west suburban Saint Charles. Hyde will be entombed in Assumption Cemetery in Winfield. Hyde, who served 16 terms in Congress, died on November 29th at the age of 83. --- Country Club Hills Soldier Killed In Iraq (Chicago) -- A U.S. soldier from southwest suburban Country Club Hills has died in Iraq. Twenty-seven-year-old Private Dewayne White is one of three soldiers who died when their vehicle was struck by an improvised explosive device on Tuesday. White was a member of the First Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, First Brigade Combat Team. --- Home For The Holidays:Aurora Native Whose Brother Was Killed In Iraq Gets Heros Welcome (Chicago, IL/Aurora) -- A graduate of East Aurora High School who has been serving in Iraq was given a heros welcome home on Thursday. Twenty-four-year-old Marine Noah Ramos was honored at his former high school where a group of Marines greeted him after he received an escort by police officers and the fire department. Ramos brother, Hector, was also a Marine and was killed in a helicopter crash in Iraq two years ago. Noah Ramos will spend a month at home with his family then will be deployed to Japan and could go back to Iraq after that. --- Illinois Native Among Omaha Mall Dead (Moline) -- An Illinois native is among the victims of the deadly Omaha, Nebraska mall shootings. Maggie Webb died Wednesday at Westroads Mall in Omaha. Webb is a 2001 graduate of Moline High School, in the Quad Cities. She graduated with a degree in business administration from Illinois State University in 2005. The 24-year-old Webb is the youngest of the eight victims killed by the gunman who also killed himself. Most of the other fatalities were her co-workers at the mall. --- Expert Says DNA "Exonerates" Kevin Fox (Chicago) -- An expert witness in Kevin Foxs federal civil rights trial says DNA evidence exonerates the Wilmington father of charges he sexually assaulted and killed his three-year-old daughter, Riley. Molecular biologist Karl Reich testified yesterday that Kevin Foxs DNA profile does not match any of the DNA evidence collected from the crime scene. Fox and his wife Melissa are suing various Will County authorities, claiming detectives coerced Kevin into making a false confession and fabricated evidence against him. Kevin Fox spent eight months in jail. Their daughters killer has never been found. --- Drew Peterson Feels Betrayed (Bolingbrook) -- The husband of missing Bolingbrook woman Stacy Peterson says hes not enjoying his sudden fame. Drew Peterson tells the "Chicago Tribune" he is being ignored by former co-workers on the Bolingbrook Police force and betrayed by his friends. Peterson is considered a suspect in his wifes disappearance, but has not been charged with any crime. --- Governor Hopeful About Compromise On Transit Funding (Chicago) -- Governor Blagojevich is hopeful about reaching a funding compromise to prevent fare hikes and service cuts for Chicago area public transportation. The Governor says he and Senate President Emil Jones are having good talks with Republican leaders saying theyre quote:"...better than 90-percent in agreement on virtually everything..." --- Dogs That Attacked Boy To Be Put To Sleep (Chicago) -- The two pit bulls who savagely attacked an eight-year-old boy in his South Side yard on Wednesday afternoon will be destroyed. Joshua Dixon remains in critical condition at University of Chicago Comer Childrens Hospital. The "Chicago Tribune" reports the dogs owners have surrendered custody to the citys Animal Care and Control department, which will euthanize the animals, then check them for rabies. --- Its All But Over:Bears Fall To Redskins, Virtually No Chance Of Playoffs (Landover, MD) -- A year ago at this time, the Bears were marching to the Super Bowl. Now, its almost certain they will not even make this seasons playoffs. The Bears lost to the Redskins, 24-16 last night at FedEx Field outside Washington. The Bears are now 5-and-8 on the season. The Bears play at Minnesota on Monday the 17th, then host the Green Bay Packers on December 23rd and then finish the regular season against the New Orleans Saints at Soldier Field on December 30th. --- Gary Mayor Looking For Snow-Plowing Help (Gary, IN) -- If youve got the proper equipment and want to earn some money, Gary Mayor Rudy Clay may have a job for you. Clay is reportedly offering to hire private citizens, paying around 12 or 15-dollars an hour, to help keep snow off of the citys streets. Qualified applicants will need a pickup with a blade, proper insurance, a valid drivers license and a cell phone. Anyone interested is asked to call 219-881-1310. (Copyright 2007 by Newsroom Solutions) RNS-12-07-07 0644CST