Tristate Regional News, Friday 4/20

Indiana & Kentucky State News: Fire Leaves Two Dead At Assisted Living Center In Greenwood (Greenwood) -- Two persons were killed this morning when fire erupted at an assisted living center in the Greenwood area. Five persons were rushed to the hospital. Three continue being treated. The blaze broke out at the Crestwood Village Assisted Living Apartments along Madison Avenue, north of County Line Road. Seven people had to be rescued from a third floor. Two end units burned and smoke entered nearby units. The cause is being sought. Bells Will Ring Across Indiana Today In Honor Of Virginia Tech Victims (Indianapolis) -- The victims of this weeks Virginia Tech tragedy will be honored today across Indiana by the ringing of bells. Virginia Governor Timothy Kaine sent a letter this week to governors across the nation to ask them to encourage churches and citizens to ring bells at noon Eastern time in honor of the victims and to show support for those who lost loved ones in the massacre. Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels encouraged people to observe the noon bell-ringing memorial. --- Head Of Lucas Oil Products Pledges Money To Support Indianapolis Super Bowl Bid (Indianapolis) -- The head of the company that secured the naming rights for the next home of the Indianapolis Colts is giving the city one-million-dollars to help secure the 2011 Super Bowl. The City of Indianapolis is one of three cities hoping to host the 2011 Super Bowl. Indianapolis, Dallas and Phoenix will all pitch their cities to NFL team owners during a meeting next Month in Tennessee. Lucas Oil Products President Forrest Lucas yesterday announced that he would give Indianapolis 2011 one-million-dollars to help bring the game to town. Indianapolis 2011 is a nonprofit organization created by city and other officials to attract the Super Bowl. The group says the city will need to secure between 20-million and 25-million-dollars to host the Bowl. Lucas Oil Stadium is currently under construction in downtown Indianapolis. Tomasco Officials Join Politicians To Break Ground On Expansion (Winchester) -- Executives with a major employer in Winchester have broken ground on an expansion that will nearly double the companys workforce. Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels joined other politicians and executives from Tomasco to break ground yesterday on the companys expansion, which will allow the company to add a manufacturing line to supply parts to the new Honda plant being built in Greensburg. The 29-million-dollar project is expected to be completed in late 2008. Tomasco currently employs around 130 employees and produces metal hinges, locks and other brackets for Honda. 2007 Midwest Republican Leadership Conference Expects To Bring GOP Presidential Hopefuls to Indianapolis (Indianapolis) -- Republican presidential hopefuls are expected to woo GOP leaders in August during a meeting in Indianapolis. The 2007 Midwest Republican Leadership Conference has announced plans to hold its next gathering in August in Indianapolis. The event is expected to bring a number of presidential hopefuls to town as the GOP candidates work to secure votes ahead of the 2008 primary. The Midwest Republican Leadership Conference is comprised of Republican leaders from a dozen Midwestern states. Indiana last hosted the conference in 1997. Indiana State Fair Commission Votes To Extend Length Of Fair To 17-Days In 2009 (Indianapolis) -- Visitors to the Indiana State Fair will soon be able to spend more time eating corn dogs and riding rides. The Indiana State Fair Commission has voted to extend the length of the fair from 12-days to 17-days starting in 2009. Fair Spokesman Andy Klotz says the extension gives people an extra weekend to stop by. Klotz says the extended duration will happen at least through 2011. The Indiana State Fair has been a 12-day event since 1982. However, Klotz says the commission is considering whether to shut down the Fair for a day or two during its run for maintenance and other things, which would lower that 17-day total if the shut down is approved. DePauw University President Announces Plans To Retire (Greencastle) -- The longest-serving President in DePauw Universitys history is retiring. Robert Bottoms says he plans to retire at the end of the 2007-2008 academic year. Bottoms will become the Chancellor of the university after he retires. Bottoms has been the President at DePauw since 1986. Bottoms says he will oversee the Janet Prindle Institute for Ethics and write a book on leadership during his upcoming tenure as Chancellor. More Than 100-Pounds of Marijuana Seized During Motel Raid (Indianapolis) -- Two men are under arrest after narcotics investigators allegedly found them carrying more than 100-pounds of marijuana. Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department Sergeant Matthew Mount says 22-year-old Alfredo Cardenas and 20-year-old Isaac Villarreal were arrested Monday at the Days Inn Motel on East 21st Street after the two allegedly picked up the three boxes containing more than 100-pounds of marijuana at the Indy Auto Shop on East Michigan Street on Monday. Cardenas and Villarreal are both from Brownsville, Texas and are being held on multiple drug charges. --- Fourteen Miles Of New Trails Open Along Cardinal Greenway (Losantville) -- The state now has 14-miles of new trails. Governor Mitch Daniels was on hand yesterday to join community leaders in Indiana to officially open 14-miles of new trails along the Cardinal Greenway, which is a 60-mile privately-owned greenway that runs from Richmond to Marion. The Greenway was built using nearly nine-million-dollars in state and federal funding along with three-million-dollars in private donations. The new section of the Greenway includes seven-miles of paved trails along with seven-miles of equestrian trails. Here Are The Latest Winning Numbers From The Hoosier Lottery Daily Three-Midday: 8-4-5; Daily Three-Evening: 1-3-6; Daily Four-Midday: 5-5-4-0; Daily Four-Evening: 1-0-9-5; Lucky Five-Midday: 7-9-26-28-30; Lucky Five-Evening: 6-8-17-19-25. A Day of "Hokie Hope" (Berea, KY) -- Berea College students and faculty are being encouraged to wear maroon and orange today, to show "Hokie Hope". Maroon and orange are the school colors at Virginia Tech. Bereas director of career development, Mary Lamb tells the "Herald Leader," that maroon and orange ribbons are available in the development office today for those who dont have anything maroon or orange to wear. Governor Directs Security Review (Frankfort, KY) -- Governor Ernie Fletcher is directing Kentucky university college presidents to submit their campus emergency plans to state government for review by the Justice and Public Safety Cabinet. Governor Fletcher says he had a conference call with university presidents and state officials earlier this week and hes reassured to hear what preventative measures are being taken to make campuses as safe and secure as possible. KSU Reviewing Campus Security Plans (Frankfort, KY) -- Officials at Kentucky State University say theyre confident in their campus security plan but are planning to review it none the less. KSU President Mary Evans Sias tells the "State Journal" she wants to bring in an outside consultant to review the plan. Fletcher And Miller Win Mock Elections (Frankfort, KY) -- The Secretary of States Office reports the results of a mock election at seven Kentucky universities are in with Ernie Fletcher and Jonathan Miller winning. The results in the mock Republican primary : Ernie Fletcher 44-percent, Anne Northup 40-percent, Billy Harper 15-percent. The results in the mock Democratic primary : Jonathan Miller 35-percent, Jody Richards 16-percent, Steve Beshear 15-percent, Burce Lunsford and Gatewood Galbraith with nine-percent, Steve Henry and Otis "Bullman" Hensley with seven-percent. Judge Sending Comair Lawsuits Back To State Court (Lexington, KY) -- A number of lawsuits filed against Comair by families of passengers of Flight 5191 are now back in Fayette Circuit Court. According to the "Herald Leader" a federal judge is sending the suits back to the state courts. A Comair spokesperson says they airline wont appeal, an attorney representing families of two of those who died on Flight 5191 says "The best place for our clients is to be in state court". State Receives Tobacco Settlement Money (Frankfort, KY) -- Attorney General Greg Stumbo says Kentucky has received and annual payment of more than 106-million-dollars in tobacco settlement money. Stumbos office enforces the 1998 master settlement agreement between tobacco companies and states. Since the settlement in 1999 Kentucky has received more than 940-million-dollars in settlement funds. Copyright-RNS (Regional News Service 2007)