Regional Summary, Thursday 2/7

Indiana Summary: --- Over 21-Thousand Apply For HIP First Month (Indianapolis) -- The new Healthy Indiana Plan that provides insurance to lower-income residents has resulted in more than 21-thousand applications since the start of the year. Family and Social Services Administration Secretary Mitch Roob 1/81/8 rahb 3/83/8 told the state Senate and House Health Committees that the program is "off to a good start." The requirements for HIP eligibility include an income limit of 200-percent of the federal poverty level. Roob says the program is imperfect, but an improvement for many people. HIP is funded through a cigarette tax increase. Applicants must have been without insurance for the last six months and not have access to employer-provided insurance. That scenario has left stage-four cancer patient Cheryl Robinson without chemotherapy since the start of the year. Robinson told the committee that her employer closed last year, leaving her without a health insurer that would cover her treatments. She is ineligible for HIP because of the prior coverage. There are 295-people currently enrolled in HIP, with more than 15-thousand-applications yet to be reviewed. Just over 12-hundred-applications have been denied for a variety of reasons. --- Top Priority For DPW Is Fixing Potholes (Indianapolis) -- The Department of Public Works says theyve received over two-thousand calls alone in January for pot hole requests, so theyre making it a top priority to begin fixing them. According to Paul Whitmore with the DPW, its the most requests, theyve ever had. With 69-hundred lane miles to handle in the city, theyll first target the pot holes that pose the biggest risk to public safety. Of the two-thousand calls that have been reported, Whitmore says 90-95-percent of them have been fixed. If youd like to report a problem spot, you can call the mayors action center at (317) 327-4622. --- 18-Year-Old Volunteer Firefighter Accused Of Six Arsons (Merrillville) -- Authorities in Northwest Indiana say a volunteer firefighter has admitted to committing several arsons in Merrillville. Eighteen-year-old James Marshall Edwards of Merrillville is charged with six counts of felony arson. A prosecutor tells the "Northwest Indiana Times" that one of the fires caused an estimated one-million-dollars in damage at Prairie Point Apartments last November. --- Father Freed In Gary Boys Shooting Death (Gary) -- The man considered a "person of interest" in connection with the fatal shooting of a 13-month-old Gary boy has been released from behind bars. The "Gary Post-Tribune" reports 34-year-old Terry Bethel Noel was let go Monday night after family members posted his five-thousand-dollar bail. Young Josiah Shaw was killed, and his mother, 29-year-old Kwana Shaw, was critically wounded in the attack on January 28th in Gary. Noel, of Portage, Indiana, spent a week in jail before being released. Gary Police say they have received no new information in regards to the shootings. --- Here Are The Latest Numbers From The Hoosier Lottery Daily Three-Midday: 2-3-0; Daily Three-Evening: 8-3-5; Daily Four-Midday: 0-6-2-6; Daily Four-Evening: 2-2-2-7; Lucky Five-Midday: 2-5-20-29-31; Lucky Five-Evening: 3-6-13-18-26. Kentucky Summary: (Louisville, KY) -- The National Weather Service says it will have survey teams back in the field today investigating Tuesday nights storm. By last night the National Weather Service offices in Louisville and Jackson had confirmed at least 12 tornado touchdowns. Governor Steve Beshear toured damaged areas of the state by helicopter yesterday and took a call from President George Bush. A White House spokesman says the president wanted the governor to know "his thoughts and prayers are with the people of Kentucky." Seven people were killed by the storms in Kentucky. (Hodgenville, KY) -- First lady Laura Bush is coming to Kentucky next week. She is to deliver remarks at the inaugural ceremony of the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial. The public ceremonies begin at 10:30 a.m. Eastern time Tuesday morning at the Lincoln Birthplace Historic Site near Hodgenville. She is also to visit the Abraham Lincoln Elementary School in Hodgenville. (Bowling Green, KY) -- Western Kentucky University reports its state mandated budget cuts will total over two-and-a-half-million-dollars. The cuts in a number of areas will include a decrease in professional development and an increase in class size. WKU President Gary Ransdell says, quote, "We hope the negative impact will be minimum, but only time can tell." (Frankfort, KY) -- A group of black ministers took their concerns about expanded gambling to the capitol. Over three dozen members of the African-American Fellowship Against Expanded Gambling say they will fight expanded gambling. The group says the expansion of gambling "places vulnerable people at increased risk of developing gambling addictions that wreak havoc on families." (Georgetown, KY) -- Too many students staying home because of illness has forced Scott County School officials to halt classes for a couple of days. The "Georgetown News Graphic" reports schools have been closed until Monday because of the flu and other ailments. (Oldtown, KY) -- Kentucky State Police are investigating the death of an Eastern Kentucky man but say they dont suspect foul play. The body of 84-year-old William Stephens was discovered in his burning Greenup County home. The cause of the fire is under investigation. (Stanton, KY) -- The trial of the man accused of the fatal shooting of the Clay City Police chief is being moved. A judge has granted a change of venue for the trial of James Barnett. He is charged with the murder of Clay City Police Chief Randy Lacy. The trial is to begin on July 8th in Montgomery County. Defense attorneys cited media coverage and the small size of the community in urging the change of venue. (Richmond, KY) -- Congressman Ben Chandler says he has secured over 200-thousand-dollars in federal funds for Madison County law enforcement. According to the "Richmond Register," the money will be used to equip Richmond Police, Eastern Kentucky University Police, Berea Police and Madison County Sheriffs cruisers with mobile data terminals. The MDTs enable law enforcement to search data bases and communicate online. Illinois Summary: Endless Winter: More Snow, More Delays (Chicago) -- Its another day of digging out for the Chicago area as several more inches of snow fell on Wednesday with as much as ten inches dropping on some northwest suburbs. The roads were bad in some suburbs and terrible north of the border in Wisconsin where the National Guard was called in to help when more than 500 cars became stranded on I-90. More than 900 flights were cancelled at Chicagos OHare Airport and 130 flights were cancelled at Midway while Mitchell International Airport in Milwaukee has been closed since 1:30 Wednesday afternoon. The snowfall has caused some scattered power outages in the Chicago area and some schools cancelled classes on Wednesday and today. Chicagos full fleet of 273 snow trucks were out overnight and more than 700 Illinois Department of Transportation trucks were also deployed to clear snow from the highways across Northern Illinois. --- Police Release More Details On Tinley Shooting Suspect, Survivor Releases Statement (Tinley Park) -- Tinley Park Police have confirmed that the man who shot five women to death in an armed robbery attempt also fondled one of the victims. However, there was no further sexual contact, which could have allowed investigators to collect DNA evidence. Officers also refined their description of the gunman, saying he has three puffy corn rows that begin at the top of his forehead and one strand of hair with green beads hanging over his right cheek. Authorities now say the gunman has a "large frame with weight proportionate to his height." Hed previously been described as five-feet-nine and about 230 to 250 pounds. Police have also released a statement from the lone surviving victim who has not been identified. The statement read in part, quote: "I am working with the authorities in any way possible." The statement also said, among other things, that she has deepest sympathies for the families of the other victims, whom she says were brave and says the victims were thinking of their families on the day of the shooting. --- Five People Shocked At Ashland And Division (Chicago) -- Five people suffered electric shocks on Chicagos West Side last night. Fire Department officials say the victims stepped in a puddle around 8:20 p.m. near the intersection of Ashland and Division. The five people were taken to Saint Marys Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. ComEd crews are investigating. --- Increase Passes, Will Help Fund CTA (Chicago) -- The Chicago City Council has approved a 40-percent increase in the real estate transfer tax to help fund the CTA. Mayor Daley questioned the "political courage" of those alderman who said they would vote "no," saying that would be like the lawmakers saying they dont want the CTA in their ward. Many aldermen who indicated they would vote "yes," said they didnt want to raise the tax, but the state left them no other choice. The vote was 41 to 6. The increase, which affects homebuyers, takes effect in April. --- Stroger Supports 40-Dollar County Vehicle Sticker (Chicago) -- Cook County Board President Todd Stroger says he supports a proposal which would require all county residents to buy a 40-dollar vehicle sticker in addition to the one for their local city or village. Stroger said Wednesday that the plan was "not a bad idea," in that most of the expected 180-million-dollars in yearly revenue would go toward funding the Bureau of Health. Schaumburg Trustee George Dunham blasted the idea, calling it "another in a long line of attempts to gouge the suburbs." --- Council Approves Earlier Curfew (Chicago) -- Chicago kids have to get home a little bit earlier. The Chicago City Council approved an ordinance on Wednesday making curfew for everyone 17 and under 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. Mayor Daley says the new law is aimed at protecting the citys young people, who are often the innocent victims of gun and gang violence. --- New Ordinance Proposed To Protect Bike Riders (Chicago) -- A new measure designed to improve bicycle safety in Chicago is being proposed by the City. The ordinance sets fines for motorists who turn left or right in front of a cyclist, pass a cyclist with less than three feet of space or open a vehicle door into the path of a cyclist. Mayor Daley says there were more than six-thousand crashes between bicycles and motor vehicles reported in Chicago between 2001 and 2005, with 30 cyclists killed. --- Council Approves Starks For New Job (Chicago) -- Chicagos former Interim Police Superintendent has a new job. The Chicago City Council has approved the appointment of Dana Starks as the new Chairman of the Chicago Commission on Human Relations. Mayor Daley called Starks "the right man" to lead the commission, which enforces the citys Human Rights and Fair Housing Ordinances and investigates and prosecutes incidences of discrimination. --- Free Testing For Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (Chicago) -- Today is the eighth annual National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness day and there will be several events in Chicago. The day, which promotes HIV testing and education in the African-American community, will feature free HIV testing at several places including four Chicago Walgreens stores. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that in 2005, African-Americans accounted for about 49-percent of new diagnoses of HIV/AIDS in the U.S. even though African-Americans make up only about 13-percent of the U.S. population. --- Congressman Kirks Father Dies (Chicago) -- The father of Highland Park republican congressman Mark Kirk has died. The "Daily Herald" reports Frank Kirk died Monday of pulmonary fibrosis while surrounded by his family in his Kenilworth home. Mister Kirk led a colorful life, at different times working as a pilot, pig farmer, computer designer, sculptor and author. He also served in the military. Frank Kirk was 74. (Copyright 2008 by Newsroom Solutions) RNS-02-07-08 0713CST