Regional Summary Friday 6/6

Indiana Summary Daniels And Skillman Tour Tornado Damage At Atterbury (Edinburgh) -- The federal government will pay for most of the 19-million-dollars in tornado damage at Camp Atterbury. Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels and Lieutenant Governor Becky Skillman got an up close look at the wreckage during a tour of the training center yesterday morning. Daniels says it is hard to believe no one there was hurt. Standard training operations have not been impacted, according to officers at the base. About two-thousand personnel were at Camp Atterbury when the tornado hit on Tuesday night. That total includes a thousand U.S. Marines who are training in Indiana this month. The damage included overturned civilian vehicles and army humvees. The twister wrapped part of a metal roof around nearby trees. Skillman also toured tornado damage in the Rush County town of Moscow. --- Democrats Tap Attorney Pence For AG Nomination (Indianapolis) -- Indianapolis lawyer Linda Pence has announced her bid for state Attorney General on the Democratic ticket. Pence formed an exploratory committee in January and formalized her candidacy with multiple appearances on Thursday. She says an attorneys credentials matter more than their party. Pence has worked for the local office of Taft, Stenttinius, and Hollister, where she is listed on the firms white collar criminal defense team. She spent nine years as a Department of Justice attorney in Washington, DC and moved back to Indianapolis in 1986. Pence won a 14-million-dollar settlement for the state over a White River fish kill that involved a Madison County corporation. Democrats will formally nominate her later this month. Republicans are running Greg Zoeller, who is the chief deputy to outgoing Attorney General Steve Carter. --- Former IMPD Officer Sentenced In Wire Tap Case (Indianapolis) -- A former Indianapolis Metro Police Department officer will spend four months in a community corrections center for disclosing information on a police wire tap. Noble Duke was sentenced Thursday in connection with his guilty plea two months ago. U.S. Attorney Timothy Morrison said in a statement Duke revealed information to another person about possible indictments and arrests in connection to a legal wire tap. That wire tap was on going in the same room where Duke was conducting a separate federally authorized wire tap. Duke will also have to spend six months on home confinement and perform 180 hours of community service. He worked for the Indianapolis department for just over seven years. --- Book Publisher And Marketer Expands In Bloomington (Bloomington) -- Book publisher and marketer Author Solutions will consolidate its global operations unit in China to its headquarters in Bloomington. The company provides self-publishing and marketing services under three brand names. Author Solutions will put more than four-and-a-half-million-dollars into the project and create more than 140 new jobs. About 300 people in Indiana are employed by the company. The Indiana Economic Development Corporation has offered Author Solutions up to 675-thousand-dollars in performance based tax credits and training grants. --- Jermaine ONeal Reportedly To Stay With Pacers (Indianapolis) -- It looks like forward Jermaine ONeal will stay with the Indiana Pacers. The "Indianapolis Star" says representatives for the six-time All-Star have told the team he will not opt out of his current deal. ONeal has two years and 44-million-dollars left on his contract. The 30-year-old had until June 30th to make a decision. ONeal was limited to just 42 games last season due to injuries and averaged 13.6 points and 6.7 rebounds per game. In a 12-year career career that started with four seasons in Portland, he has averages of 14.3 points and 7.6 rebounds over 725 NBA games. Kentucky Summary (Morehead, KY) -- The Morehead State University Board of Regents have approved a pay raise for MSU President Wayne D. Andrews. The regents voting for a pay rise, a 20-thousand dollar bonus and a contract extension. Dr. Andrews became Moreheads 13th president in 2005. (Somerset, KY) -- SafeAuto Insurance Company is opening a call center in Somerset. That call center will mean 260 jobs. The company will begin interviewing in a few weeks. The call center to service SafeAuto customers in 14 states will begin operations in temporary facilities while a new facility is constructed. (Frankfort, KY) -- The Kentucky Public Service Commission has decided not to review its decision to permit Kentucky American Water Company to construct a new treatment center on the Kentucky river and a 30 mile pipeline to Lexington. The PSC decision now opens the door for groups and individuals opposed to the plans to go to court to try and stop the project. (Frankfort, KY) -- Attorney General Jack Conway is putting more resources against cyber crimes. Conway says hes honoring a campaign pledge and is forming an investigative division that will focus on investigating cyber predators, identity thieves and will work with local law enforcement agencies to process cyber evidence. (Frankfort, KY) -- Because of the high cost of gasoline, the Secretary of States office is going to test a four-day-work week for some of its employees. A spokesman says initially about a third of the staff of 36 will work on a four day, ten hour a day schedule. The test will begin in July and run for several months before a final decision is made. The spokesman is stressing that no services will be cut, and hours of operation will remain the same. (Frankfort, KY) -- The Kentucky Public Service Commission has given final approval for a Jackson Energy Cooperative rate increase. The rate increase will affect 51-thousand customers in Jackson and more than a dozen other counties. (Lexington, KY) -- A judge has granted Dawahares permission to proceed with its bankruptcy reorganization plans. Beginning today the company can hold closing sales at the seven stores that are to be closed. Those stores are in Owensboro, Bowling Green, Paducah, Glasgow, Maysville, Mount Sterling and Maysville. The stores are expected to close in August. Twenty-two other company stores will remain open. (Richmond, KY) -- Law enforcement agencies are making a symbolic torch run today, that ends in Richmond. Tonight opening ceremonies for the Special Olympics Kentucky Summer Games will be held on the Eastern Kentucky University campus. Nearly 12-hundred Special Olympic athletes and more than 500 volunteers are expected to take part in the weekend games. Illinois Summary --- City Committee Votes In Favor Grant Park Move, Suit Filed (Chicago) -- The Chicago City Councils Zoning Committee has approved a controversial 100-million-dollar plan to move the citys childrens museum from Navy Pier to Grant Park. Panel members voted six-to-three in favor of the proposal Thursday. The move is expected to go before the full city council next Wednesday. The "Chicago Tribune" reports that opponents of the proposal have filed a lawsuit seeking to overturn the Chicago Plan Commissions recommendation that the museum be allowed to relocate. --- ComEd Worker Suffers Critical Burns (Chicago) -- A Commonwealth Edison employee is hospitalized with critical burns following an explosion while working underground early this morning. The incident happened about 2:20 a.m. in the 51-hundred block of West Roosevelt Road on Chicagos West Side. The "Chicago Tribune" reports the employee was in a manhole working on an underground cable when a "flashover" occurred when a piece of equipment malfunctioned. --- Suspect In Nicarico Murder Claims He Was Molested By Gacy (Wheaton) -- The man accused of raping and killing ten-year-old Naperville girl Jeanine Nicarico in 1983 says he was molested as a teenager by notorious serial killer John Wayne Gacy. The "Daily Herald" reports Brian Dugan has claimed on several occasions that Gacy molested him when he was 15-years-old. The 51-year-old Dugans attorneys are reportedly examining the alleged incident in an effort to spare him the death penalty if hes convicted in the Nicarico case. Hes already serving life terms for two murders in the 1980s. --- Few Answers Four Years After Girls Murder (Wilmington) -- Today is the fourth anniversary of a terrible crime that remains unsolved. It was on June 6th, 2004 that three-year-old Riley Fox of Wilmington was found bound and gagged in a creek near her home. She had also been sexually assaulted. The little girls father, Kevin Fox, was charged with her murder and spent more than six months in jail before charges were dropped because DNA evidence failed to link him to the crime. Fox and his wife were awarded a multi-million-dollar award this year stemming from a lawsuit against Will County deputies over the arrest. --- Chicago Cop Charged In Alleged Scam (Chicago) -- A Chicago Police officer is charged in connection with an alleged insurance fraud scheme. The FBI says 45-year-old Joseph Grillo and 39-year-old James Athans of Wood Dale are charged with mail fraud. Grillo is a patrol officer and 12-year veteran of the Chicago Police Department. Police say he has been relieved of his duties, pending the investigation which also involves Police Internal Affairs and the IRS. --- Parishioners Call For Controversial Priests Reinstatement (Chicago) -- Parishioners at Chicagos Saint Sabina 1/81/8sa-BYE-nah3/83/8 Catholic Church arent taking the suspension of Reverend Michael Pfleger 1/81/8FLAY-ger3/83/8 lightly. Last night, they met with Francis Cardinal George to demand the reinstatement of their controversial priest. Cardinal George asked Pfleger to take a leave of absence because of mocking remarks he made about Senator Hillary Clinton during a guest sermon at Trinity United Church of Christ two Sundays ago. --- State Lawmakers Get Little Done In Meeting (Chicago) -- Senate Republican Leader Frank Watson says little progress was made during a meeting with Governor Blagojevich and top legislative leaders about the state budget. Blagojevich called Thursdays meeting with top lawmakers to talk about fixing a state budget that he says is two-billion-dollars out of whack. Blagojevich also still wants to pass a massive public works program. Blagojevichs office says they want to meet again with leaders next week. --- South Side Hospital Will Shutter Its Doors (Chicago) -- One of Chicagos oldest hospitals is closing. Michael Reese Hospital, at 29-29 South Ellis Avenue, is expected to shut down by the end of the year. The closing of the hospital has been in the works for several months after financial problems, deteriorating issues with the structure and an increasing number of uninsured patients who cant pay their bills. Michael Reese was founded in 1881. --- Gunfire Wounds Three In Chicago (Chicago) -- Three people are recovering after being shot in separate incidents in Chicago late last night and early this morning. The first happened around 11:30 p.m. in the 72-hundred block of South Coles Avenue. A 25-year-old man was shot in the leg by a gunman in a passing car. Just minutes later, a 32-year-old man was shot multiple times by a gunman who approached him on a bicycle in the 84-hundred block of South Carpenter Street. The third incident happened shortly before 1 a.m. in the 27-hundred block of North Laramie Avenue. A 33-year-old male was shot after a verbal altercation with an unknown offender. --- Its In To Be Blue: Fest Continues (Chicago) -- Its easy to be "blue" this weekend. More than 750-thousand people are expected to pack Chicagos Grant Park this weekend for the Chicago Blues Festival. The event kicked off Thursday and will run through Sunday. Some of the featured acts include B.B. King, Eddie Clearwater and Koko Taylor. Admission to all concerts is free. (Copyright 2008 by Newsroom Solutions) RNS-06-06-08 0658CDT