Regional Summary, Monday 6/2

Indiana Summary --- AMBER Alert Cancelled (Vigo) -- An AMBER Alert out of Vigo County has been canceled this morning. The Indiana State Police issued the AMBER Alert on Sunday afternoon after the girl was reportedly abducted in Vigo, Indiana, approximately 12 miles south of Terre Haute. A suspect had been considered armed and dangerous. Chelsea E. Netemyer, a white female, two-feet-eight-inches tall, weighing 22 pounds, with blond hair and blue eyes has been found safe. --- Indiana Republicans Hold Convention In Indianapolis (Indianapolis) -- Indiana Republicans gather in Indianapolis today for their state party convention. Governor Mitch Daniels and Lieutenant Governor Becky Skillman will be re-nominated for a second term by the more than two-thousand delegates. The GOP will decide on a candidate for attorney general with incumbent Steve Carter having decided not to run again. Carters chief deputy Greg Zoeller and Valparaiso Mayor Jon Costas are both seeking the nomination. Daniels is supporting Costas. Greater Clark School Superintendent Tony Bennett is the only Republican candidate for the office of state superintendent of public education. The convention is being held at the Indianapolis Convention Center. The Democratic Party Convention is June 21st. --- Job Interviews Overflow At New Lucas Oil Stadium (Indianapolis) -- Job interviews are overflowing at the new Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. Even people retired are looking to get hired for whatever job because they are bored and looking for some excitement. Over the weekend, hundreds showed up to apply for numerous positions available. Facility staff answered questions to help those filling out forms. All of the positions now are part-time. Persons wanting to know more about the jobs available can call 317-262-3473. --- Here Are The Latest Winning Numbers From The Hoosier Lottery Daily Three-Evening: 5-3-8; Daily Four-Evening: 3-9-3-8; Lucky Five-Evening: 1-8-24-25-32. Kentucky Summary (Midway, KY) -- Governor Beshears GOLD fund is granting 500-thousand dollars to help build a nursing home and assisted living facility in Midway. The Midway Nursing Home Task Force has been spearheading the project witch will include a blend of private pay and publicly supported units. Officials hope the facilities can be completed within two years. (Stanford, KY) -- A woman claims a man kicked in her door and threatened her with a knife on Sunday morning. The home invasion was reported in Stanford. The woman says she begged the man not to hurt her and gave him her purse and her medicine. The man fled. State Police are searching for a suspect. (Frankfort, KY) -- State Commerce Cabinet Secretary Marcheta Sparrow says she is encouraged by early numbers, reports from the state resort parks indicate Memorial Day weekend saw almost the same numbers of visitors as a year ago. Nationally, people in the tourism industry are concerned about the soaring gasoline prices and how it will affect tourism. (Richmond, KY) -- The spring rains mean there is a lot of water in Kentucky waterways, which is the good news. The Clean Water Act shows over 70-percent of Kentuckys over four-thousand miles of waterways are not fit for "primary contact recreation, like swimming. The report shows the pollution problems in the waterways continue to increase for a variety of reasons. (London, KY) -- Lexington Clinic is closing its branch clinic in London. Officials say the "economics of the operation has become unworkable." One of the two docs at the clinic will open a private practice in London. The other doctor is transferring to a Lexington Clinic in Lexington. (Frankfort, KY) -- Sara Walker Combs will remain at chief judge of the Kentucky Court of Appeals. Re-elected by the other judges on the court, her new term begins this week. Judge Combs is from Stanton. The chief judge provides administrative oversight to the Court of Appeals and serves a four-year term. Illinois Summary --- Squad Car Crash Injures Two Cops, Three Others (Chicago) -- Five people, including two Chicago Police officers, were injured when a marked squad car and a minivan collided on Chicagos West Side last night. Police officials say the accident happened just after 11 p.m. in the 25-hundred block of South Central Park Avenue. Authorities say the squad car had its lights flashing and sirens going when the minivan ran a red light, causing the crash. A fire department spokesman says the two officers were hospitalized with serious but not life-threatening injuries. Two of the people in the minivan are in serious to critical condition at area hospitals, with the final victim in fair condition. The investigation continues, and police have not written any citations. --- Testimony Continues Today In Kelly Trial (Chicago) -- Today could be the day jurors in R. Kellys child pornography trial finally hear testimony from a woman who claims she had sex with both the musician and the alleged victim. Kelly is on trial for videotaping himself having sex with a girl who may have been as young as 13 at the time. Representatives for both Kelly and the girl in question say their clients are not the people on that videotape. Last week, the judge in the case ordered "Chicago Sun-Times" music critic Jim DeRogatis to testify about the videotape, which he first gave to police. But he wont have to discuss his sources. Lawyers for the newspaper are expected to appeal, but its not known how that might delay or otherwise impact the trial. --- Pfleger Apologizes For Anti-Clinton Sermon (Chicago) -- Controversial Reverend Michael Pfleger 1/81/8 FLAY-gur 3/83/8 says the last few days have been the most painful of his life. Pfleger told parishioners at Saint Sabina 1/81/8 suh-BYE-nuh 3/83/8 on Chicagos South Side yesterday that he was sorry for mocking presidential candidate Hillary Clinton from the pulpit. He suggested during the sermon delivered at Trinity United Church of Christ eight days ago that Clinton felt "entitled" to the Democratic nomination because she was white. That speech contributed to Barack Obamas decision Saturday to cut ties with Trinity, where he had worshiped for two decades. It also caused Cardinal Francis George to rebuke Pfleger, who says hes received hate mail and death threats since the videotaped sermon hit the internet. Obamas decision to leave Trinity was not mentioned at that church this Sunday, except in a handout distributed to members after the service. --- Governor To Speak On Budget Today (Springfield) -- We could learn more about what Governor Blagojevich plans to do with the new Illinois budget later today. Hes holding a news conference to talk about the 60-billion-dollar spending plan that legislators passed just hours before Saturdays midnight deadline. Republicans say the budget is about two-billion-dollars out of balance, which could force the governor to make tough cuts. But Blagojevich has said he cant imagine lawmakers would send him an unbalanced spending plan. Legislators did not pass a capital construction plan before adjourning for the summer. State Senators and House Republicans were on board with the 34-billion-dollar road, bridge and school plan. But House Democrats stopped the bill from even reaching a final vote by shooting down the proposed sale of the Illinois Lottery to pay for the package. --- Business Groups Suggest State Put Pensions Back On Workers (Chicago) -- A number of prominent business groups are urging the Governor to solve Illinois pension problems by getting workers to give up some benefits. The "Chicago Sun-Times" reports a letter signed by representatives for several organizations urges Governor Blagojevich to use union negotiations to help recover more than 90-billion-dollars in unfunded debt. The groups recommend, quote, "fair and practical" changes to pensions and health care. They suggest benefits for state workers should be closer to those of ordinary taxpayers. American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 31 executive director Henry Bayer says negotiators for the state are pushing for concessions. But he also says thats, quote, "like blaming the victim" and would cut the net pay of employees. --- Streets Could Be Reconfigured Near Mass Transit Hubs (Chicago) -- Dangerous streets near two of Chicagos main transportation hubs could be re-configured if recommendations from a new study are adopted. The "Chicago Tribune" reports some one-way streets near Union Station and the Ogilvie Transportation Center could be changed to take two-way traffic. Curb parking near the two stations could also be limited. Taxicab stands, parking meters, and disabled-parking spaces throughout the city could be re-located as well. Chicago Department of Transportation officials hope to have the full study complete and ready to be put in place later this year. --- More Deliberations In Rezko Trial Today (Chicago) -- Another week of jury deliberations begins today in political fundraiser Tony Rezkos federal corruption trial. Speculation ran high last Thursday as those involved in the case thought jurors might return a verdict before taking off for a three-day weekend. They did not, despite an earlier note that jurors would work late Wednesday and Thursday of last week to, quote, "conclude their decision." So far, jurors have deliberated for seven full days and two half-days since receiving the case on May 13th. Rezko is on trial for allegedly shaking down companies that wanted state business in exchange for contributions to the campaign of Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich. Last week, Nevada authorities issued a warrant for Rezkos arrest for allegedly defaulting on 450-thousand-dollars worth of debts to casinos. --- Report: Grand Jury Still Probing Chicago Special Ops Scandal (Chicago) -- Federal authorities might not be done investigating the Chicago Police Department for improprieties related to the Special Operations corruption scandal. The "Chicago Tribune" reports police internal affairs investigator Christopher Taliaferro testified to a grand jury in April about a memo he wrote in 2005. That memo questioned whether bosses were ignoring misconduct that eventually led to criminal indictments against several officers. One of those officers, Jerome Finnigan, allegedly led a ring that robbed and falsely arrested people. He is also charged with conspiring to murder a fellow cop. --- Man Killed In Lake Shore Drive Crash (Chicago) -- A motorcyclist was killed when he lost control of his bike on Lake Shore Drive last night. Chicago police say the man was headed north near Foster Avenue when he hit a curb. The unidentified man flew off the motorcycle. He died a short time later at Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center. Detectives are investigating the cause. --- Report: Still No Water Security Replacement (Chicago) -- The security company whose guards were fired from Chicago water-filtration plants last fall because of incompetence is still staffing other Water Management posts. The "Chicago Sun-Times" reports City Hall has so far been unable to decide on a replacement for Honor Guard Security. Guards were caught sleeping on the job and abandoning their posts, forcing city watchmen and police officers to temporarily take the duty. Those watchmen are racking up overtime despite a city budget crunch. The city was reportedly close to signing a deal with SkyTech Enterprises back in February. But that companys president says hes been waiting to move forward on the contract for months. A city procurement department spokesperson says all of last falls security bids are being re-evaluated. (Copyright 2008 by Newsroom Solutions) RNS-06-02-08 0604CDT