Regional Summary, Wednesday 1/16

Indiana Summary: --- Daniels Pushes Property Tax Plan At State Of State Address (Indianapolis) -- Governor Mitch Daniels is continuing to push his proposal for property tax reform, calling it both historic and permanent. Daniels used his State of the State address on Tuesday night to tell lawmakers that passing legislation reducing the property tax burden is their "one paramount assignment." He reiterated the outlines of the plan announced last October, which includes a cap on property taxes and an increase in the sales tax. The governor says the stage is set for reforms. Daniels labeled the proposal as "fair, far-reaching and final." He wants a revamped assessment system and more stringent controls on local spending. The governor warned that a special session would be called if reforms are not complete by the March 14th adjournment. Former Governor Otis "Doc" Bowen, who is remembered for property tax reforms in the 1970s, was among honored guests in the House chamber. Speaker Pat Bauer called it a "positive speech," but said Daniels still has to do work to ensure the plan becomes policy. --- Senate Committee Considering Marion County Government Reforms (Indianapolis) -- An Indiana State Senate committee has advanced legislation that would reshape parts of Marion County government and services. Senate Bill 280 consolidates fire departments in the county and puts control of the Indianapolis Metro Police Department in the mayors office. The bill is on its way to the full Senate for a second reading. Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard says the proposal saves money and makes government more efficient. Senator Jim Merritt crafted the bill, which would take effect in 2011. Township trustee positions would also be abolished. The number of taxing districts in the county would also be slashed. Township small claims courts would be replaced with four Superior Courts. The Indianapolis Airport Fire Department and the Airport Authority were amended out of the bill. --- Indianapolis Police Vow To Catch Suspects In Quadruple Murder (Indianapolis) -- The Indianapolis Metro Police Department is vowing to catch the men responsible for gunning down two women and two children on Monday night. More than 80 investigators have been on the case since the first reports of shots on Hovey Street. Twenty-four-year-olds Gina Hunt and Andrea Yarrell were each holding a baby when they were found. Jordan Hunt was 23-months-old and Charlii Yarrell was four-months-old. Marion County Sheriff Frank Anderson said the shooters will be tracked down "like dogs." Neighbors reported seeing two men run from the home where the four people died. Police say that security cameras had been placed at the house before the incident due to other activity in the area and investigators hope that the contents of the cameras will help in the case. --- Family Of Sniper Victim Sues Gunman (New Albany) -- The family of a southern Indiana man killed by a teenage snipers bullet on I-65 North last year, has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the shooter and his family. The suit was filed in Floyd County Court yesterday by the estate of Jerry Ross, and seeks an unspecified sum of money from the shooter, Zachariah Blanton, his grandparents, and several other relatives who took part in a deer hunt with Blanton on the weekend that the shooting happened. The "Courier Journal" reports that Blanton was sentenced to 42-years in prison last month. --- Suspected Drunk Driving Crash Leaves Two Injured (Indianapolis) -- Police suspect that drunk driving left to people injured. One person is listed in critical condition after a car crash late last night. The accident near 10th and Oxford Streets happened about 11 p.m. Investigators say that 35-year-old Douglas Livelsberger of Indianapolis struck a Dodge Magnum. Police say he then fled the scene on foot. he was apprehended in the 900 block of north College Avenue. Both Livelsberger and the other driver were injured, the driver of the other car is the one in critical condition. Livelsberger faces numerous charges now. --- Driver, Passengers Rescued From Retention Pond After Car Crash (Indianapolis) -- Divers jumped into a retention pond last night in the Indianapolis suburb of Beech Grove to rescue a woman driver and several other persons after the car crashed through the chain link fence and into the water. Rescue personnel were called to the scene near the Wal Mart off Emerson Avenue near I-465 where the found the driver, in her 60s. She and three witnessed were taken to the hospital suffering from mild hypothermia. Kentucky Summary: (Louisville, KY) -- A Jefferson County grand jury declined to indict a retired Jeffersontown police officer who shot a man during a road rage incident. Officials say retired officer Richard Koenig shot Darren Pickerill during the altercation last year, leaving him with brain damage. The grand jury returned a "no true bill" declining to indict Koenig on the charges, which included assault and wanton endangerment. (New Albany, IN) -- The family of a southern Indiana man killed by a teenage snipers bullet on I-65 North last year, has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the shooter and his family. The suit was filed in Floyd County Court yesterday by the estate of Jerry Ross, and seeks an unspecified sum of money from the shooter, Zachariah Blanton, his grandparents and several other relatives who took part in a deer hunt with Blanton on the weekend that the shooting happened. Blanton was sentenced to 42-years in prison last month. (Louisville, KY) -- Metro Police say a man who was found dead yesterday, apparently jumped from the Humana tower downtown. Officials say the man has not been identified and was found on the roof of a neighboring building along West Main Street. The victim was reportedly seen alive by someone around 1:30 a.m. and a security system had indicated that he used some sort of access card a few hours later. (Louisville, KY) -- A Louisville man was sentenced to six-years-nine-months in prison yesterday for aggravated identity theft and conspiracy to commit bank and wire fraud. James Hardison fraudulently obtained mortgage loans on a residence in the Indian Hills area and in the Cherokee Triangle. In addition, Hardison was ordered to pay restitution of over two-million-dollars to Homecoming Financial. (Frankfort, KY) -- Governor Steve Beshear delivered welcoming remarks yesterday to the 2008 Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration. The event was held at the Kentucky Historical Society. The society is located in Frankfort. (Louisville, KY) -- The Louisville Metro Police Department has partnered with the Louisville Apartment Association to train managers for a new apartment watch program. The new program will organize apartment residents to meet on a regular basis to talk about problems within the community. Police officials say the goal of the new watch program is to reduce crime and to help improve the quality of life of all involved. (Louisville, KY) -- Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom will add a water ride this Spring. The new ride, called the "Mega Wedgie" will send riders down a tunnel into a 30-foot bowl. The ride will represent a multi-million-dollar investment for the park. Officials say Mega Wedgie is similar to another water ride at the park named the Tornado, which appeared in 2005. (Louisville, KY) -- A local landmark Chevron will be sold. Brenzels Chevron Service Center located at Bardstown Road and Taylorsville will be sold in the next 90-days to a bank, according to its owners. The station has been at its location for the past 35-years. The owners say they plan on still doing service work at another family business located at Texas and Burnett Avenues. Illinois Summary: --- Potential Chicago 2016 Olympics Cost Laid Out (Chicago) -- A cash infusion of Olympic proportions will be needed to bring the 2016 Summer Games to Chicago. Bid Chairman Patrick Ryan says new and temporary buildings would cost at least 900-million-dollars, and thats in current dollars, so the final price tag will likely go up. Organizers say tax dollars would only be used as a last resort. Private donations and money from sponsors and the sale of TV rights will pay for much of the construction. Donations have already paid the 49-million-dollars its costing just to bid for the games. A private developer is also likely to pick up the one-point-one-billion-dollar cost of the Olympic Village for housing athletes. Officials also say the average ticket price would cost 75-dollars if Chicago wins the 2016 Games, and 500-thousand tickets will be given away to schoolchildren. --- Few Violations Of States New Smoking Ban Recorded (Chicago) -- Chicagoans are apparently following the states instructions to put out their cigarettes. The Chicago Public Health Department says only 54 violations of the states new smoking ban were reported in its first week. No two violations came at the same establishment. The Illinois Department of Public Health recorded 578 potential violations for the state as a whole in the bans first two-weeks. An American Lung Association spokesperson tells the "Chicago Sun-Times" her group thought there would be more turmoil than there has been. --- Outside Assistance Coming For Cop Complaint Agency (Chicago) -- The caseload for the new agency that handles excessive-force complaints against Chicago Police officers has grown so large, some of the work will be temporarily outsourced. According to a report in the "Chicago Tribune", Ilana Rosenzweig, chief administrator for the Independent Police Review Authority, calls the high number of cases currently being handled by each investigator "unacceptable." She says the only way to catch up is to hire attorneys and private investigators from the outside. City Spokesman Bennie Currie said in a statement that the outsiders will handle only backlogged cases, and will be held to strict confidentiality standards in order to protect the officers rights and maintain the integrity of each investigation. --- Millionaire Murder Trial Begins With Juror Removal (Waukegan) -- A juror was dismissed yesterday from the panel that will decide Peter Hommersons fate. Hes the man standing trial in Lake County for the murder of Marvin and Kay Lichtman, whose Barrington Hills mansion burned down 12-years ago. The dismissed juror told the judge she knew of the Hommerson case from "Americas Most Wanted", knew that he had fled to Mexico for several years, and had already made up her mind on his guilt. After she was replaced, opening statements began and the prosecutions first witnesses were called. Defense attorneys say Hommerman could not have shot the Lichtmans and burned down their home because videotape shows him at a gas station six-miles away at about the same time. Police officials testified yesterday that Hommerson changed his story several times, and lied about owning a weapon that may have been used in the case. Hommersons trial continues today. --- Boat ID Checks Lead Police To Arrest Over 300 (Chicago) -- State Gaming Board officials say warrant checks at Illinois casinos netted more than 300 arrests in 2007. State Police recently began checking patrons IDs against criminal databases for warrants and unregistered sex offenders, without telling the Gaming Board. Chairman Aaron Jaffe tells the "Daily Herald" the full board will make an announcement on criminal checks within the next month. Also yesterday, the board extended the deadline for proposals on the rebidding of Illinois vacant tenth casino license. The board had received just two bids. --- Governor To Seniors: "Hold Your Nose And Take" Free Rides (Chicago) -- Governor Blagojevich yesterday again called on lawmakers to back his plan adding free senior bus and train rides to a mass transit funding bill. Not all seniors attending a question-and-answer session at a Chicago retirement community were in favor. When an elderly woman asked why the program did not focus only on poor seniors, the governor suggested she "hold your nose and take a bus for free." Blagojevich also says his version of the free rides proposal is easier for CTA, Metra, and Pace officials to manage because they already have senior discount programs in place. The governor announced his idea shortly after the legislation passed in Springfield last week. The transit funding bill raises the regional sales tax to provide 500-million-dollars in needed funding for the agencies. Lawmakers are scheduled to vote on the change Thursday. --- Mexican Officials Make Arrest In 26-Year-Old Illinois Murder (Addison) -- More than 26-years after someone gunned down John Spoors in Addison, police have made an arrest. Mexican authorities took 49-year-old Jesus Rodriguez into custody last Tuesday. Authorities believe Rodriguez shot and killed the man on August 26th, 1981 following a traffic altercation. Police settled on Rodriguez as a suspect in the 23-year-old Spoors death shortly after the shooting, but he fled to Mexico and authorities could not track him down until now. Rodriguez is being held in Mexico City, and likely wont be extradited to the U.S. for several months. --- Father In Deadly Oak Forest Blaze Indicted (Markham) -- Authorities have now officially indicted the man charged with setting a deadly Oak Forest apartment fire last month. Fifty-seven-year-old Subhash Chander 1/81/8 soo-BAHSH CHAHN-der 3/83/8 was indicted at the Cook County Courthouse in Markham yesterday on three counts of first-degree murder, one count of intentional homicide of an unborn child, and one count of aggravated arson. He has been held without bond since January 1st. Chander is accused of setting the December 30th fire that killed his pregnant 22-year-old daughter, Monika Rani, her husband, 36-year-old Rajesh Kumar, and their three-year-old son Vansh Kumar. Prosecutors allege Chander started the blaze because he considered his son-in-law inferior. --- Date Set For Franklin Murder Trial (Chicago) -- The case against the man accused of murdering pharmaceutical representative Nailah Franklin is going on its fourth judge. The "Chicago Sun-Times" reports Judge Nicholas Ford recused himself yesterday in the case of 31-year-old Reginald Potts Jr. Ford is the third judge in the past week who has left the case for a variety of reasons. Potts, who is charged with 16-counts of first-degree murder, four-counts of aggravated kidnapping, and one count each of vehicular hijacking and robbery, is due back in court Thursday, where another new judge will be assigned. Potts has pled not guilty, and said he plans to represent himself in court when trial begins on February 19th. --- Stolen Van, Five Dogs Recovered (Chicago) -- All five dogs a van thief accidentally took for a joyride have been found safe and sound. Police found the van yesterday morning near Union and Roosevelt. The thief is still on the loose. He drove off with both the van and the dogs Monday afternoon after a professional dog-sitter left it unlocked and running outside a building in the 100 block of West Hubbard Street. Police dont believe he knew the dogs were in the van. (Copyright 2008 by Newsroom Solutions) RNS-01-16-08 0618CST