Regional Summary, Tuesday 11/13

Indiana Summary: Three People Hurt In Bus Crash This Morning (Lebanon) -- Three people were hurt this morning in a crash involving a Greyhound bus along I-65 in Boone County. Police say the three people hurt were sent to the hospital. The bus was traveling from Chicago to Indianapolis. Investigators say the driver told police that he was trying to pass a car when he blew a tire. The bus then drove off the road and into some cable barriers, then bounced back onto the highway. Passengers have been saying that the bus driver may have fallen asleep. The injuries are said not to be serious. --- Property Tax Panel To Release Recommendations (Indianapolis) -- The state commission examining property tax reforms in Indiana is due to announce its recommendations today. Senator Luke Kenley, who chairs the bipartisan effort, says the tax for homeowners could be cut in half. Kenley also predicted in a statement that the tax on rental properties could be reduced by 25-percent. Governor Mitch Daniels is proposing a constitutional amendment that caps property taxes in exchange for a higher sales tax. Rising property taxes are widely seen as the major factor in the defeat of Indianapolis Mayor Bart Peterson last week. --- Indianapolis-Marion County Republicans Announce New Leadership (Indianapolis) -- Last night, Indianapolis Marion-County was introduced to new leadership. Councilman Bob Cockrum is now set to be the next City-County Council President. He replaces the controversial Monroe Gray who faces charges of unethical practice by Republicans. Its Republicans who will out number Democrats on the council this time. Lincoln Plowman was re-elected without opposition and newly-elected Kent Smith will be serving as councilman at-large. The prime concerns are taxes and crime. Police are also hoping for better leadership than what they experienced under Mayor Bart Peterson. --- Lawrence Police Department Looking Forward For Change With New Mayor (Lawrence) -- The Lawrence Police Department is looking forward to what they say will hopefully be positive change with a new mayor. Paul Rickettes outdistanced Deborah Cantwell in last Tuesdays elections. After going through various police chiefs, officers say are looking for new and more-long lasting leadership. The Lawrence Police Union backed republican Ricketts. Mayor-elect Ricketts says that right now, he doesnt know for sure who will be the next police chief. During Cantwells administration, five police chiefs were appointed during her four years at the helm. --- President Bush To Deliver Budget Speech In New Albany (New Albany) -- President Bush is scheduled to be in New Albany today to deliver remarks about the budget. The President will also meet with community and business leaders in the area. Bushs speech at the Grand Banquet Center will be around 1:15 p.m. His last trip to the New Albany-Louisville area came in March, for remarks on the No Child Left Behind education law. --- Study Estimates Notre Dames Economic Impact (South Bend) -- A new study estimates that the University of Notre Dame accounted for more than 873-million-dollars in St. Joseph Countys economy last year. Economic development consulting firm Appleseed found that Notre Dame accounts for more than seven-thousand jobs in outside sectors. Total payroll for the school amounted to 280-million-dollars. More than 114-million-dollars in off-campus spending was spent by about 685-thousand visitors last year. Notre Dame commissioned the study based on data from the university, government, and other sources. --- Santas Mailbox Set Up For Christmas On Monument Circle (Indianapolis) -- Santas mailbox has been set up this morning on Monument Circle near the Worlds Tallest Christmas tree which itself will be lit up along with other decorations around the monument the day after Thanksgiving for the holidays. The mailbox is decorated festively with half of the box showing a reindeer complete with antlers and the other half dressed like Santa. The box is set up on the east side of Monument Circle. The post office says that each year, the holiday mailbox is installed for children of all ages so they can drop off their letters addressed to Santa. Santa himself personally answers each letter that has a rerurn address. The letters can be sent today through December 19th. More than 56-hundred letters were sent to Santa in 2006. Kentucky Summary: (Ballard, KY) -- Kentucky State Police are investigating the shooting death of an Anderson County teenager. Sixteen-year old Dezarae Driskell was fatally wounded in her home near the community of Ballard. The girls brother had returned from hunting and one of his rifles may have accidentally discharged. Kentucky State Police say an autopsy will be performed in Frankfort today. Grief counselors will be at Anderson County High School today to help students adjust to the tragic news. (Harrodsburg, KY) -- A 23-year-old motorcyclist has died overnight in a fatal accident on the U.S. 127 by-pass. The unidentified motorcyclist crossed the median and struck a guard rail, where he was fatally injured. Authorities say wet roads were not a factor in the accident. (Georgetown, KY) -- Visitation will be held this evening at a Georgetown funeral home for a Scott County High School student. Eighteen-year-old Jeremy Disney was fatally injured in a one car accident over the weekend. Funeral services for Disney will be held tomorrow afternoon at the Tucker, Yocum and Wilson Funeral Home. (Covington, KY) -- The Kentucky Board of Education is meeting today in Covington. The board begins two days of interviews of the four finalists for the states next education commissioner. Board members say the interviews with the finalists will take about two hours each. The board had hoped to name a new commissioner before the end of the week, but Governor-elect Steve Beshear met with the group last week and urged them to delay their final decision and expand their search. (Prospect, KY) -- A Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate is to announce today. Prospect Dr. Michael Cassaro is holding a news conference today. The 51-year-old physician is also educated as an engineer and as a lawyer. Cassaro calls himself a political newcomer but pledges to be more representative and responsive to the needs of Kentuckians. (Frankfort, KY) -- Governor-elect Steve Beshear has named Thomas Preston as a senior advisor. Beshear says Preston has been a close friend and confidant for more than 30 years. Preston will serve as a Senior Advisor. Preston served as an assistant to Governor Wendell Ford as well as Commissioner of the Kentucky Department of Public Information. Illinois Summary: Four Contract HIV, Hepatitis From Donated Organs (Chicago) -- An organ donor infected four recipients with both the HIV virus and hepatitis C earlier this year. The "Chicago Tribune" reports the transplants happened at three Chicago hospitals in January, but the recipients did not learn until this month that they had contracted the diseases. Officials say its the first time in 22 years that a U.S. organ donor has transmitted the HIV virus to recipients. Organ donation officials say the infections werent detected in pre-transplant tests because the patient likely picked up the diseases within three weeks of their death. A spokesman for the University of Chicago Medical Center says the organ donation system is safe, but more sensitive tests could make it safer. --- Drew Petersons Ex-Wife To Be Exhumed As Stacy Search Continues (Bolingbrook) -- As the search for missing Bolingbrook mother Stacy Peterson enters its third week, authorities are preparing to exhume the body of her husbands ex-wife. Kathleen Savio will likely be exhumed today. She was Bolingbrook Police Sergeant Drew Petersons third wife, and her bathtub drowning death was originally ruled an accident. But now that Petersons fourth wife Stacy is missing, Will County authorities are taking another look at Savios death. They set up a tent over Savios Hillside grave yesterday. Volunteers looking for the 23-year-old mother of two found a few things of interest, but no major evidence. Drew Peterson has not been charged in the death of either wife, though Illinois State Police officers are calling him a suspect in Stacy Petersons potential homicide. Searchers will gather again at a Bolingbrook church this morning. --- Rainbow/PUSH Backs High School War Protesters (Chicago) -- The Rainbow/PUSH Coalition is throwing its support behind 25 students suspended from Morton West High School for their roles in an Iraq war protest. The "Chicago Sun-Times" reports the coalition is threatening to sue the Berwyn school. Reverend Gregory Livingston with Rainbow PUSH told a news conference today there was no violence during the protest, that quote "this was just young people with a high consciousness, trying to say we need to save lives." Most of the students received ten-day suspensions following the November 1st sit-in at the high schools cafeteria. However, some face possible expulsions. Livingston says if the possible expulsions arent rescinded and the records of the students are not expunged, then a suit will be filed by the end of the week. --- School Board May Consider Protest Punishment Today (Berwyn) -- A special Morton High School Board meeting today is concerning parents of the students disciplined for an anti-war protest. The district recently scheduled the meeting with little fanfare, and a press release says the board will discuss a lawsuit unrelated to the Morton West protests. But the parents are worried board members will actually use an Executive Session to officially expel students. The districts superintendent says the 25 students given suspensions were disciplined because they didnt listen to teachers, not because of their views on Iraq. Students involved say the district is going back on its word not to discipline them harshly. --- Chicago Cardinal Says Abuse Lawsuits "About Money" (Chicago) -- Chicagos Archbishop has reportedly called a proposed state law lifting the statute of limitations on sexual abuse suits "irresponsible." The "Chicago Sun-Times" reports that in a letter written earlier this year, Cardinal Francis George apologized to a victim abused decades ago by two now-dead priests. But he also wrote that the proposed law is "not about the safety of children," but "about money". George will likely be elected president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops this week. Hes come under fire from groups representing clergy victims, who say George has not properly handled abuse cases. --- Elgin Leaders Prepare Gang Prevention Committee (Elgin) -- Elgin city fathers will likely approve an anti-gang task force this week. The suburb was rocked by gang violence this summer, with two people killed and seven injured in a series of shootings. The "Daily Herald" reports the new street gang prevention and intervention committee will include council members, city officers, and members of the clergy. Its goal will be to put together a report giving Elgin a more structured approach in dealing with gang violence. City Council members will likely move forward with the committee during their meeting tomorrow. --- Governors Latest Emergency Order Upsets Lawmakers (Chicago) -- The Governors latest emergency order is angering some key lawmakers. The Governor last week moved to let 147-thousand parents and caretakers buy cheap health insurance through the states FamilyCare program. But the "Chicago Tribune" reports the administration doesnt know where it will get the hundreds of millions of dollars needed to pay for the expansion. And some members of a legislative committee that must approve the rule for it to be permanent say they arent sure the Governor can legally bypass the legislature on this issue. That committee meets in Chicago today, but members will not likely vote on the measure yet. --- Foreign-Operated Hate Sites Work Out Of Chicago (Chicago) -- A watchdog group says the U.S. is home to hundreds of extremist websites -- many of which are based in Chicago. The "Chicago Tribune" reports foreign language web sites based in other countries use American servers to dodge laws prohibiting hate speech. The Anti-Defamation League of New York says one Chicago server company hosts up to 17 hate sites. That companys owner says he doesnt agree with what is said on the sites, but as long as the content is legal he doesnt interfere. --- Accidental Fall Likely Killed Aurora Boy (Chicago) -- A two-year-old Aurora boys death is being called a likely accident. Authorities say Christopher Young fell from a bunk bed late Saturday night. he was pronounced dead at 6:05 Sunday morning at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge. An autopsy determined the child died of a head injury. Although foul play is not suspected, police and the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services are investigating the case. A family member was baby-sitting Christopher at the time of the fall. --- Donda Wests Death Perhaps Caused By Surgery Complications (Los Angeles, CA) -- The official cause of death has not been announced, but several sources are reporting that the death of rapper Kanye Wests mother may have been caused during a surgical procedure. A publicist for Dr. Donda West told CNN that the surgery was cosmetic, but did not provide further details. An autopsy is set to be performed Wednesday on West, who died Saturday in Los Angeles. She was 58. (Copyright 2007 by Newsroom Solutions) RNS-11-13-07 0655CST (Lexington, KY) -- A coalition of health groups is advocating an increase in the tax on cigarettes. The lung, heart and cancer groups funded a poll that shows 60-percent of Kentucky voters support a 75 cent per pack increase in the cigarette tax. The groups say the tax increase will reduce smoking and return millions of dollars to the state. (Barbourville, KY) -- The Knox County Judge Executive says the jail is about to be re-opened. Officials closed the jail in 2003 after several questionable incidents including an escape. Judge Executive J.M. Hall says the re-opening the jail will save the county money being paid to other counties for housing prisoners and will mean the creation of 15 new jobs.