Regional Summary Friday 2/22

Indiana Summary --- McCain Visits Indianapolis Today For Town Hall Meeting (Indianapolis) -- Republican Presidential candidate John McCain will be visiting Indianapolis for awhile this morning. He will be holding a town hall meeting in the lobby of Emmis Communication on the Circle downtown. Doors open at 8:45 a.m. The public is invited to attend. Indiana and Marion County Republican leaders are excited about the visit. --- District 7 Candidate Forum To Be Aired On WTHR Sunday Morning (Indianapolis) -- A special forum featuring District 7 candidates running in the special election to replace Julia Carson will be held this Sunday. The event will be shown on WTHR 1/81/8 Channel 13 3/83/8 at 9:30 a.m. Candidates include Democrat Andre Carson, Republican John Elrod and Libertarian Sean Shepherd. The special election is next month. Julia Carson died while in office, last December. 1/81/8note nature3/83/8 --- ISP, KBI Net Sex Offender (Jeffersonville) -- Indiana State Police and the Kentucky Bureau of Investigation announced yesterday the arrest of a Jeffersonville man. A joint investigation led to the arrest of Aaron Basham, who has been charged with five-counts of child solicitation and obscene performance. The charges came after officers had internet conversations with Basham. Officials say the conversation was of explicit nature. Basham was later arrested and lodged in the Clark County Jail on charges of violations to the Indiana Sexual Registry Laws. Basham was a registered sex offender on the Indiana Sexual Offender Registry before the case was initiated. --- Here Are The Latest Winning Numbers From The Hoosier Lottery Daily Three-Midday: 0-5-5; Daily Three-Evening: 0-8-7; Daily Four-Midday: 1-1-0-0; Daily Four-Evening: 9-6-0-1; Lucky Five-Midday: 1-7-19-24-25; Lucky Five-Evening: 7-9-25-28-33. Kentucky Summary (Lexington, KY) -- Fayette County and a number of other Kentucky school districts decided to play it safe this morning and cancelled classes. The ice storm didnt bring as much accumulated ice as anticipated in many areas, but it brought enough to cause concerns about school buses on slick roads. Police report main roads wet but in good condition while rural roads and subdivision streets remain hazardous. (Frankfort, KY) -- A cervical cancer vaccine would be added to the list of immunizations required for school-age girls under legislation on the way to the Senate. The House-passed bill would allow parents or guardians to opt their children out of the vaccinations for any reason. The bill would specifically target sixth-graders. (Frankfort, KY) -- No debate or hub-bub in the Senate and House chambers today. Leaders of both houses took the warnings of an ice storm seriously and cancelled todays sessions of the General Assembly. When the lawmakers return Monday morning they will begin the second half of the 60-day session. The session is scheduled to end April 15th. (Frankfort, KY) -- The state pension system is in a financial crisis, under funded by billions of dollars. Governor Steve Beshear has presented his plan to reform the system he says could save the system as much as 500-million-dollars the first year enacted. The annual cost of living increases for retirees would be locked in at 1-point-5 percent and workers would have to work longer. (Greenup, KY) -- For sale, one very old bridge. The state is taking bids on the old bridge on Main Street in Greenup. The bridge was built in 1884 and crosses the Big Sandy River. It was closed to traffic in 2003. The bridge is being replaced, but the Federal Highway Administration and the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet are seeking letters of interest from governments, organizations and individuals interested in purchasing, dismantling and moving the bridge. (Frankfort, KY) -- Weeks of rigorous training completed, 62 men and women are preparing for a very special day. Kentucky State Police will hold graduation exercises for the new troopers Monday. Family, friends and state officials will attend the ceremonies at 11 a.m. at the Frankfort Convention Center. (Frankfort, KY) -- Governor Steve Beshear has directed that flags be raised to full-staff at all state office buildings. For several weeks the flags have flown at half-staff for several Fort Campbell soldiers who died overseas. Illinois Summary --- Investigators Say Petersons Third Wife Was Murdered Former Bolingbrook Police Sergeant Drew Peterson says its, quote: "unbelievable" that Will County authorities are now ruling his third wifes death a homicide. Peterson tells the "Joliet Herald News" its "hard to believe" that officials have reversed the initial finding that Kathleen Savios death in 2004 was accidental. Prosecutors announced yesterday that they received the final report on an autopsy performed on Savios remains after they were exhumed in November. Drew Peterson has been named a suspect in the disappearance of his fourth wife, Stacy Peterson. Illinois State Police are investigating Savios death and Stacy Petersons disappearance. --- Silence Observed In Honor Of NIU Victims, Classes Resume Monday (DeKalb) -- Northern Illinois University observed five-minutes of silence on Thursday to honor the five students killed in a gunmans attack last week. Bells also tolled on campus for five-minutes in honor of the victims, and bells also rang at churches throughout DeKalb. All university events, including athletic competitions, remain cancelled through Sunday. All NIU classes at all locations will resume on Monday. --- Hanson Eligible For Death Penalty, Jurors Meeting Again Today (Wheaton) -- A DuPage County jury will gather again today to begin deciding whether to recommend that Eric Hanson be given the death penalty. Yesterday, jurors determined that the 31-year-old Naperville man was eligible for the death penalty after he was convicted on Wednesday of murdering his parents, his sister and her husband in 2005. Prosecutors say Hanson committed the murders because his family discovered he was stealing thousands-of-dollars from them. --- Slight Crime Drop For City (Chicago) -- Crime in Chicago is down for the first month of the year. According to statistics released Thursday by the Chicago Police Department, January of 2008 saw a decrease of slightly less than one-percent compared to the same period last year. Criminal sexual assaults declined 31-point-four-percent, while arson dropped ten-percent. However, overall violent crime, including murders, saw an increase. --- Devine Warns Of Consequences Of Budget Cuts (Chicago) -- Cook County States Attorney Richard Devine says spending cuts by the county would lead to big problems for the criminal justice system. According to a report in the "Chicago Tribune", Devine says that the proposed cuts, coupled with an inability to boost revenue, would eliminate hundreds of jobs, including those of police and prosecutors. He said the system is heading toward a point where it becomes "dysfunctional." --- Suspected "Kangol Bandit" Remains Held Without Bond (Chicago) -- The man believed to be the "Kangol Bandit" is still being held without bond after waiving a preliminary hearing Thursday. Fifty-seven-year-old Edward Eason of Chicago is charged with last Novembers robbery of a Chicago bank and also faces bank robbery charges in Lake County, Indiana and is suspected in at least eight other bank robberies in the area. Federal agents arrested the stylish dresser last week in Lansing, after receiving tips from people who recognized him from bank surveillance photos. The FBI coined the "Kangol Bandit" nickname because of the distinctive Kangol hat the robber wore during the crimes. --- Its A Beautiful Day For Buying Cubs Tickets (Chicago) -- Win or lose, Cubs fans will be there. Single-game tickets for Cubs games at Wrigley Field go on sale today. The Cubs say a virtual waiting room will be used for all Internet orders. That waiting room will begin accepting customers at 9:30 this morning and then customers will be randomly chosen from that waiting room to buy tickets at 10 a.m. For fans who want to buy tickets the old fashioned way, its already too late. A random wristband system for buying tickets at the Wrigley Field box office is being used and those wristbands were given out on Wednesday and Thursday. --- Bears Raise Ticket Prices (Chicago) -- The Chicago Bears are going to be more expensive to see in person this Fall. The team says the price for tickets in all categories at Soldier Field will increase for the 2008 season. All nonclub seats will increase by three or four-dollars. Club seats will be raised by ten-dollars per ticket. The Bears nonclub ticket prices now range from 68-dollars to 108-dollars and account for approximately 86-percent of the seating at Soldier Field. --- Barack Name Popular Amongst Parents-To-Be Illinois Senator and Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama is making waves on the baby name circuit. According to "The Washington Times", IVillage.coms Baby Name Wizard has crowned "Barack" as Name of the Year. Although his name has yet to appear on the official roster of popular baby names kept by the Social Security Administration, IVillage says Obama is, quote, "leading American political names into uncharted territory." As for Obamas rival Hillary Clinton, Hillary ranks number 982 out of one-thousand names for girls on the SSA list. Republican candidate John McCains first name ranks number 20 out of one-thousand for boys on the list. --- Members Of "Animal House" In Woodridge This Weekend For Anniversary (Chicago) -- Theyre breaking out the togas in west suburban Woodridge. Cast members of the 1978 blockbuster movie "National Lampoons Animal House" will be reunited this weekend at the Hollywood Boulevard Cinema for the films 30th anniversary. Karen Allen, who played "Katy" in the movie, is scheduled to make appearances before screenings of the classic comedy today, tomorrow, and Sunday. Shell be joined by several other cast members including the actors who played "Boon," "Flounder," "Niedermayer" and "Babs." Also, Otis Day will be singing before every screening. (Copyright 2008 by Newsroom Solutions) RNS-02-22-08 0654CST