Regional Summary Friday 2/1

Indiana Summary Mix Of Snow, Sleet And Freezing Rain Not To Add Up As Much (Indianapolis) -- The amount of snow, sleet and freezing rain is not expected not to add up as much as earlier predicted. In the Indianapolis area, no more than three-inches are now expected by the time it all ends later this morning. Drivers are encouraged to drive safely as crews continue dropping the melting mix and scraping roadways where necessary. Temperatures are warming up with highs forecast in the upper 30s this weekend and high 40s early next week. --- Murdered Gary Boys Family Disputes Carjacking Theory (Gary) -- The family of a 13-month-old boy shot and killed in Gary Monday night say they believe the deadly incident was not a carjacking, but a personal dispute. Josiah Shaw was shot by a gunman who also shot and wounded his mother, 29-year-old Kwana 1/81/8kuh-WAHN-uh3/83/8 Shaw. Authorities say Kwana Shaw was putting her son in the back seat of her SUV when the gunman shot her, then drove off with the vehicle, shot the boy, and fled. The child was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital, while his mother remains in critical condition, heavily sedated and on a respirator. Gary police officials say 34-year-old Terry Bethel was being interviewed as a "person of interest," but no charges have been filed. Police also say they do not believe the shooter acted alone, and they continue searching Northwest Indiana for other possible suspects. --- Schellinger Names Tim Jeffers To Lead Campaign (Indianapolis) -- Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jim Schellinger has enlisted Indiana political veteran Tim Jeffers to lead his campaign. Jeffers will become campaign manager for Schellinger next Monday. He is credited with helping Democrats regain control of the Indiana House in 2006. Jeffers earlier served on active duty as a deputy public affairs officer under General David Petraeus in Iraq. Schellinger and former Congresswoman Jill Long Thompson are competing for the nomination. The primary winner will take on incumbent Mitch Daniels this fall. --- Here Are Thursdays Wining Numbers From The Hoosier Lottery Daily Three-Midday: 3-9-7; Daily Three-Evening: 4-3-3; Daily Four-Midday: 3-3-9-3; Daily Four-Evening: 5-3-0-5; Lucky Five-Midday: 10-12-29-30-32; Lucky Five-Evening: 2-4-18-24-27. Kentucky Summary (Owensboro, KY) -- A four-alarm fire overnight in Owensboro. Firefighters battled a blaze in the Old Wards Trend House building. The building also contains several second floor apartments. No injuries have been reported. (Nicholasville, KY) -- Initial reports indicated a construction worker fell to his death from a ladder while working on a new Goodwill Store in Nicholasville. Now an autopsy reveals the worker suffered a heart attack that apparently caused him to fall from the ladder. (Danville, KY) -- Some prisoners in the Boyle County jail will be completing their sentences at home. The Boyle County Attorney says the jail is overcrowded, with 60 more people in the jail then it was built to accommodate. Richard Campbell says in a few-weeks a number of prisoners will be sent home to complete their sentences with home incarceration. (Frankfort, KY) -- An Alabama truck driver indicted for the murder of a Frankfort woman is to be arraigned today. Police charged with Paul Neto with murder, DUI and other charges after his semi struck a van driven by Leslye Robertson head-on. Robertson was fatally injured. The accident occurred on U.S.-421 between Frankfort and Midway. (Middlesboro, KY) -- The governor is recommending approval of a 500-thousand-dollar Appalachian Regional Commission grant for Bell County. The grant will be used to assist local government in bringing jobs to the Bell County Technology Park. The grant would be used to purchase necessary equipment for SouthEast Telephone to begin operations in Bell County. SouthEast Telephone would create 80 new high-tech jobs in Bell County. The grant awaits final ARC approval. (Frankfort, KY) -- The governor and Economic Development Cabinet Secretary announce new jobs for Lexington. According to WLEX TV Pacific Pulmonary Services, a home respiratory therapy provider is opening a customer service center in Lexington this month. The center is to create over 200 full-time jobs. (Frankfort, KY) -- Supporters say it will improve the health of Kentuckians and raise a lot of new revenue. According to the "Courier Journal," Representative David Watkins of Henderson will introduce a bill to raise the cigarette tax by 70-cents. This would take the Kentucky tax on cigarettes to one-dollar a pack. Bill backers say it would create several-hundred-million-dollars in new revenue. (Frankfort, KY) -- The House has passed a bill to set new more aggressive goals to reduce the number of school drop-outs in Kentucky. The bill will also direct grants for drop-out prevention programs to school districts with the highest drop in rates. The bill now goes to the Senate. Illinois Summary Snowstorm Hits Area, Causes Delays At Airports (Chicago) -- Flights are cancelled, roads are slippery, schools are closed and Chicago is digging out. A Winter Storm Warning remains in effect until 6 p.m. for the Chicago area which has been getting hit with a snow storm since yesterday afternoon. One foot of snow is expected to have fallen in some areas by the time the storm comes to an end. More than 600 flights were cancelled at OHare Airport yesterday and already this morning, some incoming flights at OHare are delayed by two and-a-half hours. Chicagos entire fleet of 273 snow trucks have been out all night and were clearing main streets first before planning to switch to side streets. People are being urged to take public transportation if possible as the roads remain wet and slow-moving and there have been numerous spinouts and accidents all morning long. Classes at many schools in the area have been cancelled and many other schools have late starts today. --- Sun-Times Endorses Obama For President (Chicago) -- The "Chicago Sun-Times" is endorsing Illinois Senator Barack Obama in Tuesdays Illinois democratic presidential primary. The "Sun-Times" says Obama is "right on the issues, right in daring us to believe in a goodness greater than ourselves, and right in having the confidence to appeal to all of us as one America." The newspaper also praises Obamas stance on issues such as the war in Iraq, which he has long opposed. In choosing Obama over Hillary Clinton, the newspaper says Clintons, "reliance on negative campaigning speaks more of her willingness to stick to the old ways of the Establishment and less of her capacity to foment change." --- Cops Shoot And Kill Man On South Side (Chicago) -- Chicago police shot and killed a man at a South Side motel this morning. Authorities say the incident occurred around 12:30 a.m. in the 91-hundred block of South Stony Island Avenue. Hostage and Barricade Team officers were called to the motel by beat officers, who had been on the scene since around 9:30 last night. Officials say three of the HBT officers fired their weapons, striking a man in his 40s, who was later pronounced dead at Stroger Hospital. No one else was injured. The circumstances surrounding the shooting are still being investigated. --- New Superintendent Weis To Be Sworn In Today (Chicago) -- Chicagos new Police Superintendent Jody Weis 1/81/8 WEESE 3/83/8 will officially take the oath of office today. The former FBI agent will be sworn in at Chicago Police Headquarters at 12:30 p.m. Judge Timothy Evans will preside. Weis was selected by Mayor Daley to take over for Interim Superintendent Dana Starks. --- Teen Killed In West Side Crash (Chicago) -- A teenager is dead and two other people are injured after a van rear-ended a car last night on Chicagos West Side. Police say the crash occurred around 11 p.m. on the 300 block of South Kostner. An 18-year-old male who was in the car was pronounced dead at Stroger Hospital. A 17-year-old female in the car was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital in stable condition. The vans driver, a 37-year-old male, is in stable condition at Stroger Hospital. Police believe alcohol was involved, but there is no word yet of any charges being filed. --- Retrial Of Men Accused Of Plotting To Blow Up Sears Tower (Miami, FL/Chicago) -- Opening statements will get underway today in the retrial of six Miami men accused in a plot to blow up the Sears Tower. The retrial of the Liberty City group comes after the original jury deadlocked on six of the defendants and acquitted one during proceedings last month. All were charged with conspiring with al-Qaeda in an FBI-led undercover sting to blow up the Sears Tower in Chicago and federal buildings in several other cities, including Miami. --- Savios Family To Sue Drew Peterson (Chicago) -- The family of Drew Petersons third wife might be planning to sue him. The "Chicago Tribune" reports two of Kathleen Savios siblings filed a petition in Will County civil court on Thursday seeking to reopen the estate of their sister in preparation for a possible wrongful death lawsuit against the former Bolingbrook police sergeant. The 40-year-old Savio was found dead in an empty bathtub in 2004 and her death was ruled an accident. However, investigators have been re-examining the Savio case which received renewed interest following the disappearance of Petersons fourth wife, Stacy. Stacy Peterson has not been seen since October. Drew Peterson has been named a suspect in that case but has not been charged in that case or in the Savio case. --- Rezko Accepts Offer Of Later Trial (Chicago) -- The trial of indicted political fundraiser Tony Rezko will begin a week later than originally scheduled. A federal judge offered Thursday to move jury selection from February 25th to March 3rd, in an effort to give Rezkos legal team more preparation time. The former advisor to Governor Blagojevich is accused of using two state boards to extort kickbacks from companies. --- Second Man Questioned In Gary Boys Murder (Gary, IN) -- Gary police say they have questioned a second man in connection with the fatal shooting of 13-month-old Josiah Shaw on Monday night. The "Northwest Indiana Times" reports police were interviewing 36-year-old Joe Noel when they learned he was wanted in Ohio on an outstanding warrant. Police there are expected to request his extradition. Meanwhile, no charges have been filed against the boys 34-year-old father, Terry Bethel, a relative of Noels who police say remains a person of interest in the case. The babys mother, 29-year-old Kwana 1/81/8kuh-WAHN-uh3/83/8 Shaw was also shot and remains in "very critical" condition. --- Northwestern University Replacing Student Loans With Grants (Evanston) -- Starting this fall, Northwestern University says it will eliminate student loans and replace them with grants for undergraduate students with the greatest financial need. The school says the changes mean that new students who qualify will be able to attend Northwestern without taking on the burden of student loans. Returning students who qualify will receive aid packages without loans until they graduate. Northwestern says funding for the additional grants and scholarships will come from its endowment earnings. (Copyright 2008 by Newsroom Solutions) RNS-02-01-08 0705CST