Regional Summary, Monday 12/17

Indiana Summary: --- Colgate Plant To Close This Week (Clarksville) -- The Colgate-Palmolive plant in Clarksville will officially close later this week. About 115 employees at the plant will end their tenure with the company when the doors close Friday. Colgate announced two-years ago that it would close the plant and move from the area. The future is unknown for the 83-year-old Colgate Clock. Earlier this year, the clock was named one of the states ten most endangered historic sites. --- Commissioners Decide on Fate of Jeffersonville Methadone Clinic (Jeffersonville) -- The Clark County commissioners voted last week in favor of an injunction to have the methadone clinic in Clark County shut down. They will now ask a judge for a court order to remove the business. The CRC Health Group Clinic opened last week, and has caused major parking and traffic problems in the area off Highway-62, where its located. The judge will decide the fate of the clinic on Wednesday. --- Police Investigate Shooting Death Of Man And Son (Indianapolis) -- Indianapolis Metropolitan Police today are investigating the shooting death of a man and his son over the weekend. Police found 47-year-old Anthony Earl and his 18-year-old son Michael dead from multiple gunshot wounds at their home in the 49-hundred block of West Troy Avenue. Police say they are treating the crime as a home invasion. Some weapons were found inside the home. --- Crash Kills Jeffersonville Man (Floyd County) -- A crash early Sunday morning in southern Indiana took the life of a Jeffersonville man. Police say Daniel Mullins was killed when his vehicle flipped after striking a utility pole. Investigators say Mullins was not wearing a seat belt. The crash happened along Moser Knob Road at North Skyline Drive in Floyd County. --- Sundays Winning Hoosier Lottery Numbers Daily Three-Evening: 2-9-9; Daily Four-Evening: 6-5-1-5; Lucky Five-Evening: 4-27-31-32-35. Kentucky Summary: (Floyd County, IN) -- A crash early Sunday morning in southern Indiana took the life of a Jeffersonville man. Police say Daniel Mullins was killed when his vehicle flipped after striking a utility pole. Investigators say Mullins was not wearing a seat belt. The crash happened along Moser Knob Road at North Skyline Drive in Floyd County. (Lexington, KY) -- Governor Steve Beshear says two big concerns about casinos can be answered. Governor Beshear is already working on legislation to put a constitutional amendment before Kentuckians. He says many people have concerns about the number of casinos, he says a specific number will be put in the amendment, and any effort in the future to increase that number would have to go back to voters. He says people are also concerned about just where the estimated hundreds-of-millions-of-dollars in tax revenue would go, and says that could also be put in the amendment. Beshears comments came in remarks to the State Chamber of Commerce in Lexington. (Louisville, KY) -- A judge is set to make a decision this week as to which company will perform tests on the broken cable on a ride at Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom that severely injured a teenage girl in June. Officials with Six Flags are asking the judge to award the contract to a Chicago lab, while attorneys for the victim are requesting a local company to inspect the cable. The test results will be immediately handed over to the Kentucky Department of Agriculture, which has jurisdiction over the investigation. The testing will take about two weeks after the judge makes his ruling. (Louisville, KY) -- Republican presidential candidate Fred Thompson has named his Kentucky campaign leaders. Thompson has named Republican Representative Jamie Comer of Thompkinsville, and Senator Julie Denton of Louisville as his state campaign chairs. (Louisville, KY) -- The Ad Hoc Transportation Committee meeting on the 86-64 Proposal scheduled for tonight has been cancelled. Committee officials say in light of the holiday season and the swearing in of a new administration last week, the meeting will be rescheduled for sometime in mid-January. The As Hoc Committee has invited Kentucky Transportation Cabinet officials to give an overview of the current state of the Ohio River Bridges Project. The next meeting will be announced sometime after the first of the year when the Metro Council resumes its regular schedule. (Indianapolis, IN) -- Indiana Congresswoman Julia Carson has died at the age of 69 at her home in Indianapolis. She had announced after Thanksgiving that doctors diagnosed her with terminal lung cancer. The Democrat had intended to serve in 2008 and retire at the end of her current term. Carson was the first African-American to be elected to Congress from Indiana. (Nelson County, KY) -- A car crash killed a 72-year-old Nelson County woman, Saturday night. Murna Shelburne of Bardstown was pronounced dead shortly after 9:00 p.m. Saturday night. Her car hit a concrete bridge abutment. Police say Sleburne apparently tried to leave the car, which then slid off the embankment and overturned in the creek below, trapping her. The "courier journal" reports that Shelburne was pronounced dead at the scene. Illinois Summary: The Latest Here are the latest stories making news this hour: Snowplow drivers are back on Chicagos roads, but todays commute should be clear of ice and snow. Drew Peterson could learn today whether he will get some personal items seized by police back. A second man involved in the theft of money from Hollinger, International will be charged today. And the mother of Bears linebacker Lance Briggs child says hes not taking care of the girl. --- Chicago Snowplows Back On The Roads (Chicago) -- Touch-up work has begun for Chicagos snowplow drivers. The workers took what Streets and Sanitation officials call a "well-deserved break" Sunday evening, but 146 trucks started up again at 6 a.m. The full fleet was in operation from Saturday morning through Sunday night. Parts of Chicago saw more than nine inches of snow, and some southern suburbs saw snowfall totals of more than ten inches. Almost the entire area received at least three inches of snow. --- Mother Of Beaten Two-Year-Old Charged With His Murder (Chicago) -- A murder charge has been filed against the mother of a two-year-old boy found beaten in his South Side home. Police charged 24-year-old Lakeshia Murph late last night with first-degree murder in the Saturday death of Brandon Nelson-Murph. Shell appear in court today. Authorities say the childs father came home from work Saturday to find his son unresponsive and with several bruises. He died at a hospital that evening. Authorities say Lakeshia Murph originally told detectives the boy was fine when she put him to bed on Friday night. --- Peterosn Lawyer Wants Grand Jury Investigated (Bolingbrook) -- Drew Petersons lawyer will file a complaint today questioning the grand jury investigating the disappearance of his wife. ABC News reports Peterson will ask a judge to appoint a special prosecutor to investigate leaks in those proceedings. The grand jury is investigating the disappearance of Petersons current wife, Stacy, and the death of his third wife, Kathleen Savio. Peterson is considered a suspect in Stacys disappearance, but has not been charged with any crimes. Illinois State Police officials spent much of last week searching the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal in Romeoville and Lockport for Stacys body or a blue barrel police say may be involved. Peterson could also learn today whether he will get items seized from his home by police back. --- Second Hollinger Sentencing Coming Today (Chicago) -- A former "Chicago Sun-Times" publisher who helped his business partner take millions of dollars from the newspapers parent company will be sentenced today. David Radler entered a guilty plea two years ago to mail fraud and agreed to testify against Conrad Black. Black was sentenced to six-and-a-half years in prison last week for stealing millions of dollars from Hollinger, International. Radler will likely be sentenced to slightly more than two years behind bars, and may be allowed to serve that sentence in his native Canada. --- Ex-Girlfriend Accuses Linebacker Briggs Of Ignoring Child (Chicago) -- The mother of Chicago Bear Lance Briggs child says the linebacker isnt living up to his promises to take care of their three-month-old girl. Brittni Tribett tells the "Chicago Sun-Times" that she and the baby are sharing a room at her mothers house. She says she has unpaid medical bills and has had to ask her family for help with diapers. A lawyer for the 21-year-old says Briggs has only paid about 250-dollars a week over the last six months. Briggs makes seven-and-a-half million-dollars a year. His lawyer says Briggs has done everything necessary and made generous settlement offers that have been rejected. Tribett also says there are two other women now claiming to be pregnant by Briggs. --- One-Time UIC Assistant Forced Out By False Allegations Still Jobless (Chicago) -- He was cleared of all wrongdoing, but a former University of Illinois-Chicago assistant mens basketball coach is still without a job in college basketball. A walk-on player accused Mitchem almost a year ago of touching him inappropriately and making suggestive comments. A university inquiry, however, said there were no facts to back the allegation and that there were no other complaints against Mitchem in his six years at the school. Mitchem signed a separation agreement after he was cleared, which means he wont be able to work at any University of Illinois campus. But Mitchem hasnt been able to find work anywhere in college basketball since he left UIC in April. Mitchem filed a federal lawsuit seeking one-million-dollars in damages. The "Chicago Sun-Times" reports it was settled in September for 24-thousand-dollars. --- Aurora Skate Center Roof Collapses; Five Hurt (Aurora) -- The weekends heavy snow may be to blame for a roof collapse in Aurora. About 200 people were inside the Aurora Skate Center when part of the roof caved in yesterday. Four children and an adult were hospitalized with minor injuries. Fire officials continue to investigate, and the skate center will be closed until further notice. --- Second University Of Chicago Murder Suspect Held Without Bond (Chicago) -- A judge has ruled a second man charged in the murder of a University of Chicago doctoral student will be held without bond. Police say 21-year-old Benjamin Williams of Dolton acted as a lookout for a group of teenagers involved in a series of robberies leading up to the shooting of 29-year-old Amadou Cisse 1/81/8AHM-uh-doo SEE-say3/83/8. Williams is charged with first-degree murder and three counts of armed robbery. Sixteen-year-old Eric Walker of Chicago is also charged with murder, and 17-year-old Demetrius Warren of Chicago is charged with robbery and gun offenses. Two others allegedly involved in the November 18th crime have not been charged. --- Governor, Others Get Campaign Donations From Mobsters Friend (Chicago) -- A friend and business associate of the former head of the Chicago Mob has reportedly given Illinois politicians more than 200-thousand dollars. The "Chicago Sun-Times" reports Governor Blagojevich has received 35-thousand dollars in campaign donations from Oak Brook businessman Nicholas Vangel. Thats more than any other politician, though others who have received money from Vangel include ex-Governor George Ryan and current House Speaker Michael Madigan. Vangel has denied involvement with James "Little Jimmy" Marcello, who was convicted in the "Family Secrets" trial. But a videotape played to jurors and testimony from Marcellos mistress connected Vangel and Marcello. Vangel has not been charged with any crimes. --- Plane Hit By Luggage Truck At OHare (Chicago) -- A luggage-hauling vehicle crashed into a United Express plane at OHare International Airport last night. It happened at about 7, right after the plane from Madison, Wisconsin landed. Nobody on the jet was hurt, but the tug vehicles driver was taken to an area hospital. The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the accident. (Copyright 2007 by Newsroom Solutions) RNS-12-17-07 0605CST