Regional Summary, Wednesday 11/07

Indiana Summary: Man undergoes surgery after being shot by son and the latest winning numbers from the Hoosier Lottery. --- Some Upsets In Indianapolis Marion County City Council Race (Indianapolis) -- Some upsets when all was said and done with the Indianapolis Marion City County Council races. More Republicans replace Democrats in the chairs after the final tallies were made. "The Indianapolis Star" reports that Democrats entered Election Day holding a 15-14 majority. As it turned out, Republicans win 15-seats, and at least a few more are probably going to be on board. There were five-Republican incumbents who chose not to run again. All 15-Democratic council members did. Among those keeping his job despite conflict-of-interest charges against him, Council President Monroe Grey. --- Clay, Pabey, McDermott Win New Terms (Crown Point) -- Incumbent mayors in the three largest Northwest Indiana cities will hold office for the next four-years. The "Northwest Indiana Times" reports the mayors of Gary, Hammond, and East Chicago, all Democrats, won re-election Tuesday. In Gary, Rudy Clay defeated runner-up Charles Smith Jr. by a wide margin. East Chicago Mayor George Pabey 1/81/8 pa-BAY 3/83/8 won handily as well. But in Hammond, Mayor Thomas McDermott Jr. bested Republican challenger George Janiec by less than 500-votes. --- St. Joseph County Looking At Move To Central Time (South Bend) -- There is a renewed possibility of moving St. Joseph County from the Eastern Time Zone to Central time. Two county commissioners have filed a letter with the U.S. Department of Transportation that asks for an extension for a possible petition. Five-counties in southwest Indiana joined the Eastern Time Zone last weekend. A one-year moratorium on petitions from Indiana counties expired with the changes. Proponents argue that it is economically necessary for St. Joseph County to be on the same time as the Chicago area. --- U.S. Increasingly Concerned About Pakistan Crisis (Washington, DC) -- The U.S. is growing increasingly concerned about the crisis in Pakistan. Senator Evan Bayh of Indiana says Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf must end the constitutional blockage. Bayh, who is a member of the Senate Committee on Intelligence, says Pakistan must hold the previously scheduled elections in January and to step up their fight against radical Islamists. He says Musharrafs agreement with radicals in the tribal areas to back off has not been good for Pakistan or the United States. --- Fire Strikes Fitness Center South Of Indianapolis (Indianapolis) -- A fire south of Indianapolis yesterday left heavy damage to a business. Firefighters rushed to the LA Fitness Center at Southport and McFarland Roads around mid morning. The fire burned through the roof. The cause of the fire is under investigation. --- Man Undergoes Surgery After Son Shot Him (Danville) -- Investigators are working to try and find out why a 14-year-old boy shot his father in the leg in their Danville home Tuesday morning. Reports show the shooting happened around 4:30 a.m. The boy was taken into police custody shortly after they arrived. Danville police say the man who was shot is a dentist, but will not release his identity. Authorities have not released any additional information about the case. --- Here Are Tuesdays Winning Numbers From The Hoosier Lottery Daily Three-Midday: 5-2-4; Daily Three-Evening: 8-1-9; Daily Four-Midday: 4-2-2-2; Daily Four-Evening: 5-9-4-6; Lucky Five-Midday: 1-4-5-17-26; Lucky Five-Evening: 5-11-18-31-32; Mix & Match: 4-7-32-33-36. Kentucky Summary: Frankfort, KY) -- Democrat Steve Beshear will be Kentuckys new governor. Beshear defeated Republican incumbent Ernie Fletcher by a wide margin last night. Democrat Jack Conway will be Kentuckys new Attorney General. Conway defeated Stan Lee in the race. Democrat Crit Luallen will keep her seat as the Kentucky State Auditor and Republican Richie Farmer maintains his seat as the Kentucky Commissioner of Agriculture. In other races, Todd Hollenbach defeated Melinda Wheeler to take over as the Kentucky Treasurer. (Louisville, KY) -- Churchill Downs will ban all indoor smoking starting on November 25th. The move comes just one day after Churchills fall meet. A judge ruled earlier this week that smoking had to be banned at Churchill Downs. Officials say smoking will continue to be permitted in outdoor areas of the track. (Louisville, KY) -- Metro Police are looking for a suspect after a bank was robbed yesterday in the Highlands. Officials say a suspect entered the Chase Bank yesterday morning and then fled on foot. There are no other details at this time and it is unknown if the suspect stole any money. Officials say the Chase bank is located in the 17-hundred block of Bardstown Road. Anyone with information is asked to contact 574-LMPD. (Louisville, KY) -- A Jefferson County grand jury could decide the fate of a retired Jeffersontown Police officer accused of shooting another man in a parking lot. Officials say the shooting left Darren Pickerill with brain damage. The Jefferson Commonwealths Attorney says investigators had delayed taking the case to the grand jury because they were hoping Pickerill might recover enough to provide a statement. Officials say Pickerills condition has actually become worse. Pickerill was critically injured after police say Koenig allegedly shot him multiple times after an argument over the right of way at a four-way stop sign in a J-town shopping center. (Radcliff, KY) -- A Radcliff man was sentenced to three years in prison on Friday after pleading guilty to stealing over four-thousand-dollars from the government, through the use of a government credit card he possessed while working at Fort Knox. Anthony Williamson allegedly used the card between November 2004 until May 2006 while employed as a civilian worker at Fort Knox. As part of his plea agreement, Williamson will repay the government for the charges. (Louisville, KY) -- Free health screenings for residents in Louisville are in their final week this week. Officials say the screenings are part of a settlement between the state and the Metropolitan Sewer District. The screenings are being held at St. Stephens Church in the one-thousand block of South 15th Street from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m. today and from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Thursday and Friday. (Louisville, KY) -- Mayor Jerry Abramson applauded residents for their cleanup efforts yesterday. Officials say residents helped to cleanup over one-thousand tons of trash and recyclables during several city-sponsored events. Abramson says the residents did an outstanding job in helping keep Louisville clean, green, and beautiful. The largest effort came from Brightsides Community-Wide Fall Cleanup campaign, which helped to attract nearly five-thousand volunteers who helped to pick up trash. Illinois Summary: George Ryan Will Report To Prison Today (Kankakee) -- Former Governor George Ryan left his Kankakee home shortly before 6 this morning for a federal prison in Oxford Wisconsin. Ryan lost his final appeal for bail yesterday, and will begin serving a six-and-a-half year sentence on racketeering and fraud charges this afternoon. Outside his Kankakee home last night, Ryan told reporters his conscience is clear. He maintained his innocence, saying it would have been "easy" to take a plea bargain and spare his family pain -- but that would not have been truthful. He also said he "did his best" during 40 years in government. --- Ryans New Digs Not Hard Time, But Still Prison (Oxford, WI) -- Inmate 16227-424 will be able to keep his glasses and his wedding band. But those are the only personal items George Ryan will be allowed to bring with him to the minimum security federal prison in Oxford, Wisconsin. The former Governor begins serving a six-and-a-half year sentence on corruption and fraud charges today. Federal prison officials say Ryans uniform will be a button-down shirt, khaki pants and a pair of steel-toed boots. Ryan will live with three other inmates in a bunk-bed room with one toilet. Hell make as little as 12-cents an hour on work details that start at dawn. The facility has no cellblocks, and houses just over 200 inmates. Oxford is located about four hours north of Chicago. --- Peterson Home Again Searched, Though Police Arent Saying Why (Bolingbrook) -- Investigators again searched the home of missing Bolingbrook woman Stacy Peterson last night. Authorities would not say what they were looking for during their second trip to the house with a warrant. State Police investigators originally took computers and vehicles from the Peterson home last Thursday. The 23-year-old woman has been missing since last Sunday, when she was supposed to help a relative paint but never showed up. Fifty-three-year-old Drew Peterson, a Bolingbrook Police Sergeant, says his wife called him Sunday night and told him she was leaving him. Meanwhile, representatives of a Texas group helping in the Peterson search say they found something interesting at a construction site in the area. A spokesman says theyll show police the area this morning, but says the search did not result in any concrete evidence. Drew Peterson has not helped search for his wife, and has not been seen in public for days. Investigators looking to give him papers showed up at the home Monday, but no one answered the door. What those papers were is unknown. --- Easier Protest Punishments Demanded At Suburban High School (Berwyn) -- Morton West High School students and their parents are calling on the school board to lessen punishments handed out for the students roles in an anti-war protest. Ten of the 25 suspended students picketed the Berwyn high school yesterday. They admit they took part in last Thursdays protest, and admit they were loud. But they say Superintendent Ben Nowakowski told them they would not be disciplined if they moved, then punished them anyway. Nowakowski has said the protest was not peaceful and disrupted the school day. He says the students being punished were those who would not listen to police or teachers asking them to move. The students are getting support from other anti-war protesters, some of whom showed up at yesterdays picket. A school board meeting is scheduled for tonight, and more anti-war protesters are planning to show up to defend the students. --- Daley May Alter Property Tax Proposal (Chicago) -- Mayor Daley has already lessened the tax burden hes requesting for the 2008 Chicago budget. Now Daley says he could once again tweak the property tax bill that passed a Chicago City Council finance committee Monday. Daley has already had to lower his suggested increase to get aldermen to support a package of tax hikes. Now, Daley says its possible the current tax request will again be revised. Aldermen against the increases will propose a new tax on downtown commercial buildings tomorrow that they say would serve as a substitute for the property tax hike. Daleys bill goes before the full council next week. --- Leaders Report Some Progress On Capital, Transit Bill (Springfield) -- It might take two weeks, or even more for legislative leaders to work out a transit and capital development bill. But, word out of the first leaders meeting since the CTA called off its "Doomsday" plan is that lawmakers are making projects. No one will give specifics, but the plan appears to now include only one new casino for Chicago and another to go "elsewhere," as well as slot machines at horse racing tracks and an expansion for current riverboats. Lawmakers are not saying how much money the plan may generate. Last Friday, the governor suggested a deal could be struck within "seven to ten days", but leaders say that timeline may be too ambitious. --- Priest Who Allegedly Abused Children Now Out On Bail (Oak Lawn) -- Pending an appeal of his Wisconsin conviction or a conviction on new charges a Jesuit priest accused of child sex abuse is out on bail. A judge is requiring Reverend Donald McGuire to stay at his Oak Lawn, Illinois apartment while he awaits trial on the new charges and his appeal. The 77-year-old McGuire is also not allowed to have contact with anyone under 18. Prosecutors wanted McGuire held without bond, but the judge ruled he was not an immediate danger to the community. The head of the Chicago Jesuits yesterday said he asked Jesuit headquarters in Rome to remove McGuire from the religious order more than a year ago. McGuire has been terminated pending Vatican approval. --- Mother Killed In Gang Gunfire On Halloween Night Is Remembered (Chicago) -- Well over 400 people gathered yesterday at a South Side church to remember a mother shot and killed while trick-or-treating with her children Halloween night. Police say Leticia Barrera was an innocent bystander hit by gang gunfire. Her six, four, and two-year-old children were with her at the time of the killing near their house in the 48-hundred block of South Seeley Avenue. Authorities say they have received several leads, but no one has been arrested in the shooting. An neighborhood anti-violence march is planned for tonight. --- District 211 Teachers One Day From Strike (Schaumburg) -- Palatine-Schaumburg High School District 211 officials met with the teachers union and a federal mediator for another six hours yesterday, but theres still no deal on a new contract. Teachers have threatened a Thursday strike. The two sides are working on a new two-year contract at the mediators suggestion, but are still far apart on salary terms. District 211 Superintendent Roger Thornton tells the "Daily Herald" salary is the only sticking point remaining. The union is scheduled to present the districts latest contract offer to teachers for a vote today, but a spokesman says they dont have an offer to present. District 211 is the states largest high school-only district, with about 13-thousand students enrolled. --- Chicago Police Officers Judged By Caller Survey (Chicago) -- The Chicago Police Department wants your input on how officers are responding to the publics concerns. The "Chicago Sun-Times" reports police officials are now asking callers to the non-emergency 311 number to take a brief survey. It asks how the officer handled a call, whether the officer was patient and knowledgable, and even if the caller felt discriminated against. The surveys are handled by the University of Illinois at Chicago and are anonymous. Interim Police Superintendent Dana Starks says the survey is not a response to recent scandals, and says he hopes other large cities follow Chicagos lead. (Copyright 2007 by Newsroom Solutions) RNS-11-07-07 0610CST