Regional Summary, Tuesday 11/06

Indiana Summary: Indiana Residents Head To Polls For Municipal Elections (Indianapolis) -- Several contested mayoral races highlight municipal elections in Indiana on today. The most closely watched race is in Indianapolis where a public poll two weeks ago had incumbent Democrat Bart Peterson four points ahead of Republican Greg Ballard. In Ft. Wayne, Democrat Thomas Henry opposes Republican Matt Kelty in the race for an open seat. Evansville Mayor Jonathan Weinzapfel is favored against Republican challenger David Nixon. Democrat Stephen Luecke, who has been Mayor of South Bend for eleven years, is up against Republican Juan Manigault and Green Party candidate Tom Brown. Bloomington Democratic mayor Mark Kruzan is up against Republican David Sabbagh. --- Study Finds Perception Of Indy Unsafe After Dark (Indianapolis) -- Indianapolis residents have are increasingly suspicious that their city and neighborhood are unsafe at night. The IUPUI Department of Tourism, Conventions, and Even Management survey noted a decline in the safety perceptions after dark for the third straight year. Respondents were more upbeat about safety in neighborhoods and downtown during the day. The city received high marks for being clean, with friendly and healthy people. Those surveyed were also happy with attractions and cultural locations in Indianapolis. --- Indianapolis Hosts Regional Faith-Based Grant Conference (Indianapolis) -- Indianapolis is playing host to a regional White House Conference on Faith-Based and Community Initiatives. Representatives are learning how their organization can apply for government grants, partner with the government, and develop philanthropic strategies. Indianapolis Colts head coach Tony Dungy spoke to the attendees Monday morning about All Pro Dad, which is an organization he co-founded. All Pro Dad helps fathers take an active role in their childrens lives. Dungy was appointed this summer to the Presidents Council on Service and Civic Participation. --- Charlestown Bank Employee Sentenced In Embezzlement Case (Charlestown) -- A former Charlestown bank employee was sentenced to 21 months in prison after pleading guilty to embezzlement. Stella Henry embezzled more than 156-thousand-dollars from JP Morgan Chase Bank between February 4th, 2002 to October 15th, 2005. In addition to prison time, Henry was ordered to make full restitution payments. --- Police: Father Believed To Have Killed Wife, Daughter, And Himself (Argos) -- Marshall County police are investigating the deaths of a man, woman, and their daughter in the town of Argos. The case is being handled as a double-murder and suicide. Terry Snedeker apparently shot his wife Susan Snedeker, and 19-year-old Shayla Snedeker. The 12-year-old son of the dead couple discovered the bodies after waking up for school on Monday. Police say the Snedekers were experiencing marital issues and filed for divorce in October. The Marshall County Coroners Office will perform autopsies to confirm the cause of death. --- Vandals Break Into Church And Set Fire On Altar (Auburn) -- Police believe damage of between five-thousand-dollars and ten-thousand-dollars was the end result after vandals broke into a northeastern Indiana church and damaged classrooms and set fire on its marble altar. Saturday morning, police were called to about 20 miles north of Fort Wayne to the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Auburn. According to reports, one or more intruder broke into the church between Friday night and Saturday morning, after smashing a glass door. The vandals then entered the churchs main sanctuary and set a fire on the altar using artificial plants covered in an accelerant, but the fire burned out before spreading. Several classrooms and an office were also vandalized, and an undetermined amount of cash was stolen. The DeKalb County Crime Stoppers is offering a one-thousand-dollar reward for information leading to the arrest and indictment of the person or people responsible for the break-in. Although authorities do not believe the break-in was a hate-related crime, but are investigating all possibilities. Kentucky Summary: (Frankfort, KY) -- It is time for Kentuckians to vote, it is election day. After today the campaign commercials will disappear from television and radio and the robo-calls with well known Kentuckians campaigning for others will cease. The polls are open until 6 p.m., those in line when the polls closed will be permitted to vote. The secretary of state has predicted a 42-percent voter turnout. Some observers say the cooler temperatures could keep some older voters home. (Frankfort, KY) -- Governor and Mrs. Fletcher vote in a garage next to the Governors Mansion, Democrat Steve Beshear votes in Clark County, then all must wait for the results. The Fletchers will join other Republicans at the Marriott Griffin Gate in Lexington this evening. The Beshears will join Democrats at the convention center in Frankfort this evening. (Frankfort, KY) -- A new chapter in the controversy over the display of the Ten Commandments in public buildings. Workers have posted the Ten Commandments along with other famous documents in the Capitol Rotunda. In a written state, a spokesperson for the governor says he directed the "Foundation of American Law and Government" display be set up after a ruling on Monday by a federal judge that the display is not covered by a previous injunction. Among the items in the display along with the Ten Commandments, a copy of the Magna Carta, the Mayflower Compact and the preamble to the Kentucky Constitution. (Corbin, KY) -- A father suffered injuries to his hands as he tried to break a window to get to his son inside the familys home in Corbin. Fire had isolated two-year old McKinzie Robinson, but by the time firefighters could get to the youngster it was too late. The Laurel County coroner says the boy probably died of smoke inhalation. Its believed a heating pad overheating started the fire. (Frankfort, KY) -- A barn fire in Franklin County has taken the lives of six-horses. Lightning apparently struck the barn at the Stuart Home School sparking the blaze. Workers managed to lead one-horse to safety, but the others perished. The horses were used to work with disabled students at the school. The cause of the fire remains under investigation. (Murray, KY) -- Departure ceremonies are being planned for a Kentucky Army National Guard group being sent to Iraq. The ceremony will be Saturday at the Murray High School Gymnasium. One-hundred-and-thirty-six-soldiers from the 438th Military Police Company are heading for Fort Dix, New Jersey for final training, before departing for Iraq. (Frankfort, KY) -- Governor Ernie Fletcher has directed that flags at all state office buildings remain at half-staff in honor of a Fort Campbell based soldier killed by an improvised explosive device in Iraq. Thirty-year-old Lieutenant Tracy Lynn Alger was fatally wounded while on patrol. Flags already fly at half-staff for another Fort Campbell soldier who was fatally injured in a similar event last week. Lieutenant Alger is from New Auburn, Wisconsin. (Somerset, KY) -- A man wearing a clear plastic mask and carrying a handgun held up the Burger King on South Highway-27 in Somerset. The robber escaped with an undisclosed amount of money. There were no injuries. Somerset Police are searching for suspects. (Frankfort, KY) -- Kentucky State Police report that as of the end of last week 576-people have lost their lives on Kentucky roadways. Last week, 13-people died in eleven-separate accidents. Two-pedestrians were also killed. Illinois Summary: Four-Story Fire Burning On Citys South Side (Chicago) -- Chicago fire crews are battling a two-alarm fire on Chicagos South Side. A fire department spokesman says the four-story building in the 24-hundred block of South Wabash Avenue caught fire about 4:20 this morning. Firefighters had to rescue four-people from the flames, and another person jumped from the third floor. Authorities say that person is the only injury so far. About 30-residents evacuated the building, which had a business on its first floor. Fire investigators are on the scene but have not determined a cause. --- One Dead, Three Injured In Rogers Park Fire (Chicago) -- A man in his 50s died and three other adults were injured in an apartment fire in Chicagos Rogers Park neighborhood last night. Fire officials say the blaze happened shortly after 9 p.m. at a three-story building in the 15-hundred block of West Devon Avenue. Fire officials say all four-victims suffered smoke inhalation, and three were burned. The survivors are in serious-to-critical condition. Its believed the blaze started in a third-floor hallway, but a cause has not been determined. Firefighters on the scene said they saw smoke detectors, but none appeared to be working. --- New Green Plan Possible For City (Chicago) -- A wide-ranging green proposal that would reduce the number of greenhouse gases emitted in Chicago could be made public early next year. The "Chicago Tribune" reports the plan has not been drafted, but Mayor Daley is considering parts of the ambitious plan. It would include an investment of more than two-and-a-half-billion-dollars in transportation improvements, and a push to get existing homeowners to reduce energy consumption by 30-percent. Former President Bill Clinton is coming to Chicago tomorrow to announce a pilot test offering five-billion-dollars in funding to reduce energy use by commercial buildings. At least ten-major Chicago buildings, including the Sears Tower and the Art Institute, will reportedly be involved in the "Clinton Climate Initiative." --- Proposed Tax Hikes Clear Council Committee (Chicago) -- Despite angry pleas from constituents, Chicago aldermen are going along with Mayor Daleys proposed 83-million-dollar property tax increase. The City Council finance committee yesterday voted 16-6 in favor of the plan. Aldermen also voted to accept higher taxes on liquor, lease transactions and other items. The committee even approved a five-cent tax on bottled water. The entire council will vote on the projected 275-million-dollars in new taxes next week. Its not clear yet whether Daley will have enough votes in the full council to pass the plan as-is, or whether further changes will be necessary. Aldermen say their offices have been swamped with phone calls and emails against the added taxes. --- Ryan Could Go To Prison Tomorrow (Chicago) -- The freedom clock is ticking for former Governor George Ryan. Hell report to a federal prison in Wisconsin tomorrow unless his request for continued bail is approved. U.S. Justice Department officials said yesterday that Ryans latest request to stay out of jail does not demonstrate the "extraordinary circumstances" required for bail. U.S. Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens will make the final determination. The former governor is facing six-and-a-half years behind bars for his conviction on corruption and fraud charges. --- Purloined Puppy Publicity Possibly Pointing To Perpetrators (Chicago) -- Phone tips discussing the whereabouts of 17-puppies stolen from a Southwest Side pet store could eventually lead to the burglars. The "Chicago Sun-Times" reports the owners of Pet Luv Pet Center have received several phone tips since the late Saturday night burglary. They range from a woman who found two-beagle puppies in her garbage can to other callers who saw puppies for sale at area flea markets. The stores owners say theyve passed the tips on to police. --- Lawsuit Filed In Deadly Eisenhower Crash (Chicago) -- The family of one of the victims of last weeks fiery crash on the Eisenhower Expressway is now suing the driver who caused the accident. Five-people died in the crash, which police say was caused by 29-year-old Frederick Sy 1/81/8SEE3/83/8 of Chicago. He was driving the wrong way in the eastbound lanes when his car plowed into another, killing all five-people in the vehicles. The family of 27-year-old Frida Perez Escalante is now suing Sys estate, saying Escalante "experienced great pain and suffering." --- Search For Stacy Peterson Continues (Chicago) -- Theres still no sign of missing Bolingbrook woman Stacy Peterson. Illinois State Police investigators combed several "areas of interest" yesterday looking for the 23-year-old. That search turned up empty. Petersons family has asked for help from the Texas-based group "EquuSearch" 1/81/8ECK-wuh-serch3/83/8. That group says its found 300-missing people alive, and 76-more dead, since 2000. Stacy Petersons 53-year-old husband Drew, a Bolingbrook Police Sergeant, is currently living at an undisclosed location and has not helped with any of the searches. He says his wife called him last Sunday to say she was leaving him. Stacy hasnt been seen since that morning. --- Vernon Hills Man Allegedly Formed Molestation "Club" (Waukegan) -- A 50-year-old Vernon Hills man is accused of sexually molesting at least ten-teenage boys over four-years. Lake County Sheriff Mark Curran calls Michael Rebecca "one of the most narcissistic, manipulative, and perverted" people hes ever seen. Rebecca allegedly formed what he called a "club". Deputies say he rewarded members with money or video games after sexual encounters. Officers say some children were abused more than fifty-times. The teens hailed from several northwest suburbs. Rebecca faces several counts of predatory criminal sexual assault of a child and is being held without bond. 1/81/8Stations: Note Nature Of Following3/83/8 --- Infants Genitals Mutilated By Dog (Waukegan) -- Waukegan police say a four-month-old boys genitals were mutilated and eaten by the family dog. The attack happened at the infants apartment in the 13-hundred block of White Oak Drive about 1:30 Sunday morning. Authorities say the dachshund chewed through the childs dirty diaper while the boy was asleep. The infant is in stable condition at Childrens Memorial Hospital in Chicago. Police say the boys father and his girlfriend were sleeping in another room at the time. Charges have not been filed. (Copyright 2007 by Newsroom Solutions) RNS-11-06-07 0608CST