Regional Summary, Tuesday 4/8

Indiana Summary --- Warm Stays In Indiana (Indianapolis) -- A warm week continues in Indiana. Yesterday, the high in the Indianapolis area was recorded at 71 degrees. Lots of sunshine and blue sky joined the Monday weather scene. Today, a high in central Indiana is expected around 70 degrees. Some pop up showers could also show up by days end. The rest of the week also is expected to be warm and sunny with some rain. Around 50 degrees during the weekend. --- Man Found In White River Identified (Indianapolis) -- The body of a man found in the White River over the weekend has been identified. Police say the remains are those of John Nies. Investigators say Nies had been missing since January. A boater found the body on Sunday afternoon and called police. The body was found slumped over a log. Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Sergeant Paul Thompson says the body may have been floating down the river and become hung up on the log that was submerged at the time. Thompson says when the water receded, the body was exposed. The exact cause of death for the 39-year-old man continues to be sought. His pick up truck was found about 20 miles away from the scene with no visible signs of violence. --- Marion County Records Syphilis Outbreak (Indianapolis) -- Marion County has recorded a syphilis outbreak. Health officials are issuing a warning that concerns of outbreak. Officials say there have been 45 cases so far this year. There were 38 cases in 2007 and there was a monthly average of just over three cases each month. Authorities say the current outbreak is focuses on men who have sex with men. --- Here Are The Latest Winning Numbers From The Hoosier Lottery Daily Three-Midday: 6-4-0; Daily Three-Evening: 0-5-7; Daily Four-Midday: 8-7-5-9; Daily Four-Evening: 8-2-7-3; Lucky Five-Midday: 4-6-23-24-32; Lucky Five-Evening: 2-9-30-34-35. Kentucky Summary (Louisville, KY) -- Police officials testified yesterday that Gail Coontz, a woman accused of killing her two children, had told a friend that if anyone threatened to take her children away, quote, "she would kill the kids and herself." Detectives testified yesterday during Coontzs probably cause hearing in Louisville District Court. Police also testified that Coontz went to the University of Louisville campus where she held a gun while speaking with a counselor there. Coontz has pleaded not guilty to two counts of murder and one count of terroristic threatening. A grand jury is set to hear the evidence in the case next month. 1/81/8 watch for updates in following 3/83/8 (Louisville, KY) -- The pilot of a single-engine plane is in critical condition after crashing into the front lawn of a home in Seneca Gardens over the weekend. Officials say the pilot, who is from Colorado, was attempting to land at Bowman Field when he clipped the tops of some trees. Emergency crews were called out to a house along Valleta Drive, where the incident occurred. The pilot was rushed to University Hospital where he remains. The plane, a Cessna 210, will be taken to Bowman Field where investigators will conduct a more detailed investigation. (Louisville, KY) -- The University of Louisville will soon open a law clinic downtown, allowing students a chance to provide free legal services. U of L President Dr. James Ramsey will join Law School Dean James Chen later today to announce details about the new clinic. Plans will call for the clinic to open in the spring of 2009. (Louisville, KY) -- Papa Johns International will open 57 restaurants in Canada later this year. The Louisville pizza chain announced the deal yesterday morning saying it will open 20 locations along the east coast of Canada. The signed agreement is with Atlantic Franchising Limited. Another ten locations will be opened in the Saskatchewan province by MJ Taylor Holding Company and 27 stores will open in western and eastern Ontario. (Frankfort, KY) -- Kentucky State Police say eleven people died on area roadways last week. Officials say the eleven died in eleven separate incidents. Four of the motor vehicle fatalities was a result of the suspected use of alcohol, and one was a pedestrian. Citizens are encouraged to report erratic driving by contacting the Kentucky State Police at 800-222-5555. (Elizabethtown, KY) -- Elizabethtowns unemployment rate ranks the highest of Kentuckys metropolitan areas, according to the Kentucky Office of Employment and Training. Numbers released yesterday show that Elizabethtowns unemployment rate stood at five-point-nine-percent. Lexington ranked the lowest at four-point-seven-percent. Illinois Summary --- Gunfire Injures Three More Chicago Teens (Chicago) -- Separate shootings on Chicagos West and South Sides injured three Chicago teenagers last night. The first incident happened in the 900 block of West Garfield Boulevard at about 9:30 p.m. A Chicago Police spokesman says the 19-year-old male victim and three other people were in a car that stopped for a red light. Someone in a group of four standing on the sidewalk opened fire, hitting the teen twice in the back. No one else in the car was hurt, but the victim was last reported in critical condition. Police believe that shooting may be gang related. About half an hour later, a 15-year-old boy was hit in the back of the head with a bullet fragment at the intersection of West Grenshaw Street and South Pulaski Road. Police have arrested a 28-year-old man in connection with that shooting. They believe he was aiming for another victim, who was not hurt. The boys injuries are not life-threatening. Shortly after that incident, a 16-year-old girl was shot twice in the abdomen during a drive-by shooting near West 45th and South Honore Streets. Police say she was standing with a 17-year-old girl who was not hurt. Theres no word on the victims condition. Chicago Police are investigating all three-shootings. --- SUV Hits, Kills South Side Child (Chicago) -- An SUV hit and killed an eight-year-old boy last night as the child ran out into the street to pick up a jacket. Chicago police say the accident happened just before 10 p.m. yesterday near the intersection of West 55th Street and South Princeton Avenue. The 28-year-old woman who was behind the wheel is in police custody, but no charges have been filed. Chicago police are investigating. --- Mother Held In Fatal Stabbing Of Six-Year-Old (Waukegan) -- Waukegan officials are questioning a single mother in connection with the stabbing death of her young daughter. Police say six-year-old Evelyn Vazquez was found dead around 4:40 a.m. Monday at an apartment in the 42-hundred block of Hickory Hills Drive. Authorities say the girl had eleven stab wounds, mainly in the neck area. Neighbors say the girls mother, 25-year-old Gabriela Vazquez, was being interviewed by investigators Monday evening. Police say the woman had superficial cuts on her hands. No charges have been filed. --- "Angel Of Death" Civil Lawsuit Planned (Woodstock) -- Family members of an elderly woman allegedly given overdoses of morphine at a Woodstock nursing home are planning a wrongful death lawsuit. Nurse Marty Himebaugh and former Woodstock Residence Nursing Home Director Penny Whitlock are charged with administering the drugs to Virginia Cole and three others. They are not charged with killing the seniors, but attorney Steve Levin says theres no other explanation. Prosecutors say Whitlock referred to Himebaugh as the "Angel of Death." Both women face several felony counts of criminal neglect. Himebaugh is also charged with obtaining and distributing a controlled substance, while Whitlock is charged with obstructing justice. --- Lake Shore Drive Speed Limit To Stay At 40-MPH (Chicago) -- The speed limit on Lake Shore Drive is staying at 40-miles-per-hour for the time being. Chicago Department of Transportation officials say there are simply too many potholes to allow the annual spring and summer hike to 45-miles-an-hour. Short term repairs wont begin for at least a month. A long-term fix likely wont come until the state passes a capital budget. Thats because major repairs on Lake Shore Drive are the Illinois Department of Transportations job. --- Man Charged In Students Beating Death (Chicago) -- A 22-year-old Chicago man is charged with the beating death of a Julian High School student. Nathaniel Tucker of the 15-hundred block of West 72nd Street is charged with one-count of first-degree murder for killing 18-year-old Albert Vaughn with a baseball bat. Police say the victim was at a party Saturday night in the 70-hundred block of South Throop Street when a verbal altercation turned physical and he was struck with a bat just after 11 p.m. The Cook County Medical Examiner says Vaughn died of head injuries. Last year another Julian High school student, Blair Holt, was killed by gunfire while on a CTA bus. Tucker is scheduled to appear in bond court Tuesday morning. --- Defense Attorney Again Targets Levines Credibility And Drug Use (Chicago) -- The corruption trial of ex-fundraiser Tony Rezko has resumed, with the defense team taking more shots at witness Stuart Levine. Rezko attorney Joseph Duffy questioned Levine Monday about an audio recording he was supposed to making for federal officials in a June of 2007 conversation with former Chicago Alderman William Singer. Levine admitted that both recording devices he was wearing that day were shut off, but he told Duffy that he did not intentionally turn them off. Levine testified that, after the failed recording, federal agents never again asked him to record Singer or Rezko again. Duffy also Monday asked more questions about Levines drug use. Levine admitted that he went to drug parties which lasted more than 24-hours. Rezko is on trial for allegedly shaking down companies that wanted to do business with the State of Illinois. --- South Suburban Soldier Dies In Iraq (Washington, DC) -- A U.S. soldier from south suburban Sauk Village has died in Iraq. According to the Defense Department, 19-year-old Private First Class Shane Penley died Sunday from injuries suffered while he was on duty at a guard post at Patrol Base Copper. Penley was an infantryman assigned to B Company, Second Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, Second Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division 1/81/8Air Assault3/83/8, Fort Campbell, Kentucky. His death is under investigation. --- Car Returned To Missing Plainfield Womans Husband (Joliet) -- The husband of a missing Plainfield woman drove his car away from the Plainfield police department yesterday. Craig Stebic picked up the keys to his Saturn Ion at the Will County Courthouse after agreeing not to challenge any evidence taken from the vehicle. Police seized the car shortly after Lisa Stebic went missing last April. Officers also took a pick-up truck and two-dozen guns, but are fighting to hold on to that evidence. Craig Stebic has not been charged in Lisas disappearance, but police call him a person of interest and say Lisa is probably dead. The judge in Stebics case is also presiding over the case of missing Bolingbrook woman Stacy Peterson. Her husband Drew, who police consider a suspect in the disappearance, had to agree to a similar clause in order to have some cars returned to him. --- Council Committee Passes Taxi Fuel Surcharge (Chicago) -- Chicagos full City Council could vote this week to let cabbies charge passengers a dollar more to cover high gas prices. The councils Transportation Committee okayed the measure yesterday. It lets taxi drivers add fifty-cents to a fare when the price of gas is at two-dollars-70-cents-a-gallon or more, and a dollar a ride if the pump price hits three-dollars-20-cents. Triple-As Daily Fuel Gauge report puts the average price for the Chicago area at three-dollars-40-cents right now. Some cabdrivers would rather have a permanent 16-percent fare increase, but aldermen declined to move that forward. (Copyright 2008 by Newsroom Solutions) RNS-04-08-08 0631CDT