Regional Summary, Tuesday 4/15

Indiana Summary --- Schellinger Calls Education Top Budget Item (Indianapolis) -- Indiana gubernatorial candidate Jim Schellinger is promising to make education spending the top priority in his budget. Schellinger released his education platform on the day before his first debate with Democratic primary rival Jill Long Thompson. Schellinger says he wants the state to have a better relationship with public schools. Schellinger added that education funding would be held at least at current levels, but he declined to talk about the affect on individual schools. He proposes that during good economic times, 50-percent of any budget surplus be put into an interest-generating trust fund for schools. Retaining quality teachers would be accomplished through helping educators buy their first home, according to Schellinger. The Indianapolis architect also proposes a state payback of student loans if a graduate spends five years teaching in a designated high-need school. Thompson has advocated changing how the state complies with No Child Left Behind to enable schools to address their own needs. --- Police Continue Search For Burger King Robber (Indianapolis) -- Indianapolis Metropolitan Police continue their search today for the man who robbed a Burger King at gunpoint yesterday. The suspect is described as a black male, around 22-years-old, wearing a red jacket and white hood. Investigators say the suspect greeted two employees, including the manager, as they opened the store for the day around 5 a.m. The holdup man was hiding in a restroom and police believe he made have come in before the store closed the night before, and hid out waiting for the early crew. He ordered them to open the safe and took around one-thousand-three- hundred dollars. The employees were then locked in the freezer and then suspect fled. The manager called police from his cell phone and officers arrived to let them out. --- Police Search For Man Who Attacked Female Student At I U (Bloomington) -- Police in Bloomington are looking for the man who approached and groped an I U student who was walking and talking on her cell phone over the weekend. The 22-year-old woman told investigators that she knew it was unsafe to walk home from a bar alone, so she called a friend on her cell. As they talked, the victim was approached by the suspect. She told police that she heard footsteps behind her just before the man pushed her up against a car, and groped her. The man then fled the scene. Police urge the buddy system when walking alone during darkness hours. --- Here Are The Latest Winning Numbers From The Hoosier Lottery Daily Three-Midday: 1-1-0; Daily Three-Evening: 3-1-5; Daily Four-Midday: 8-4-0-7; Daily Four-Evening: 0-2-9-6; Lucky Five-Midday: 12-20-25-32-35; Lucky Five-Evening: 3-16-17-33-35. Kentucky Summary (Louisville, KY) -- Today is April 15th, which means today is the deadline to send in your taxes. Several post offices throughout Kentuckiana have extended hours tonight for the mailing tax deadline. The main post office on Gardiner Lane and the Standiford Post Office will both be open until midnight. The St. Matthews Post Office will be open until 10 p.m., and the New Albany Post Office will be open until 6:30 p.m. All other locations will operate normal hours. (Louisville, KY) -- Gas prices in Louisville continue to rise. Louisvillegasprice.com reports gas in the area is selling for as much as three-dollars-56-cents a gallon. Prices are up from three-dollars-and-44-cents a gallon from last week. Officials say oil prices were higher yesterday after reports of a temporary shutdown to repair a small leak in Shells Capline pipeline system. The system transports oil to the Midwest. (Frankfort, KY) -- Governor Steve Beshear has exercised his veto power to veto ten items in the budget approved by the General Assembly and one item in the judicial branch budget. Among the items vetoed, an exemption for smaller race tracks not to pay fees that support the Kentucky Horse Racing Authority. Today is the final day of the legislative session, and is the last day for lawmakers to approve bills or override any of the governors vetoes. (Frankfort, KY) -- The Prosecutors Advisory Council has announced that it may be forced to lay off nearly 100 workers across the Commonwealth because of under funding in the 2008-10 Fiscal Year budget. The estimated layoff constitutes nearly ten percent of the prosecutorial work force throughout the state. Members of the prosecutorial employees accounts for victims advocates, detectives, and support staff in every county in the state. Officials say the council will begin later this month formulating a potential layoff plan to deal with the lack of sufficient funding in the 2008-2010 budget. (Louisville, KY) -- A man serving time for a deadly DUI crash has asked to change his guilty plea in order to get out of prison early. Paul Gorence admitted he was drunk and driving the wrong way down Bardstown Road last year when he hit a truck being driven by Freddie Brown head-on. Gorence pleaded guilty to the crime and agreed to spend 22 years in prison without asking for shock probation. Now Gorence has changed his mind and wants to withdraw the plea agreement to have his sentence reduced. A ruling could be handed down later this week in the case. (Louisville, KY) -- The Louisville Slugger Field will once again host "Dog Day At The Park" starting tomorrow. The event will start at 7:05 p.m. and over 400 dogs are expected to participate. Officials say a dog agility course, which will be located outside of the Witherspoon Gate will be added to the event and will feature veteran instructors who will be on hand to give pointers to owners and animals. Jake the Diamond Dog will also be in attendance during the Bats game. The game is set for 7:05 p.m. and gates will open at 6 p.m. The Louisville Bats and Your Community Bank are sponsoring the event which will help support the Kentucky Humane Society. (Louisville, KY) -- Mayor Jerry Abramson will open the first 23 miles of the 100-mile Louisville Loop today. The effort is part of the City of Parks initiative to build a bike and pedestrian path that will circle Louisville. The event will take place at the Swamp Restaurant along Cane Run Road. (Louisville, KY) -- Mayor Jerry Abramson will present 45 students with the annual Mayors Outstanding High School Seniors Award tonight. The event will be held at the Hyatt Regency of Louisville on West Jefferson Street, downtown. This years recipients contains at least ten Governors Scholars, a National Merit Scholar, and several teens who have overcome personal adversity to succeed in the classroom. The program will begin at 6:30 p.m. and the awards presentation will take place at 7:30 p.m. (Elizabethtown, KY) -- An activities fair is being planned for this Thursday night at the Historic State Theater in Elizabethtown for parents with gifted children. The event is being sponsored by the Central Kentucky Association for Gifted Education. The "News Enterprise" reports the activities fair is held twice a year, and the event this week will consist of an enrichment fair. Organizations who are expected to attend the event, include several area colleges and universities, as well as area theaters. Registration begins at 6:30 p.m. Illinois Summary --- St. Xaviers College Remains Closed Due To Threats (Chicago) -- The Chicago and Orland Park campuses of St. Xavier University remain closed, days after officials first shut down the school due to terror threats. The threats were found scrawled on bathroom walls, and one of them specifically mentioned yesterdays date. A statement from the school says an investigation by the FBI and Chicago Police continues, and that the University will stay closed "until further notice." Meanwhile, a similar threat forced Malcolm X College on the Southwest Side to evacuate for several hours yesterday. Interim University President Ghingo Brooks says security teams deemed that threat unfounded. The school re-opened at about 4:30 p.m., though few students were in attendance and extensive bags were checked. --- Teen Found Shot To Death In South Side Alley (Chicago) -- Chicago police are investigating the death of yet another teenager as a homicide. The body of a 16-year-old boy was found in an alley near West 57th and South Whipple Streets about 8 a.m. yesterday. He had been shot to death. The Cook County Medical Examiners office identifies the teen as John Mendoza, who lived about a block away. Police have no further details about the shooting, and no suspect is in custody. --- Virginia Tech Survivor Headlines Violence Forum (Naperville) -- Gun control advocates gathered at the Naperville branch of Northern Illinois University last night to mark the two-month anniversary of the shootings at NIUs main campus in DeKalb. One of the speakers discussing ways to stop school violence was Garrett Evans, who survived the Virginia Tech shootings nearly one year ago. He and others spoke in favor of new gun control measures in Springfield. But several members of the Illinois branch of the National Rifle Association spoke out against the proposals. They say the laws would only hurt law-abiding citizens, and do nothing to criminals. On February 14th, a gunman burst into an NIU classroom and shot five students, plus himself. --- "Huskies For Hokies" Vigil Planned (DeKalb) -- Days after the shooting spree that rocked Northern Illinois Universitys DeKalb campus two months ago, the Virginia Tech University community gathered to honor the five students slain thousands of miles away. Now NIU is returning the favor. The school has planned a Candlelight Vigil for tomorrow night, the one-year anniversary of the Virginia Tech shootings in which a gunman killed 32 people and himself. An announcement from the school says Virginia Tech students, faculty and staff shared information and advice in the aftermath of the NIU attacks. Some Virginia Tech student groups even traveled to DeKalb to comfort NIU students. --- Wild Cougar Killed By Police (Chicago) -- Chicago police officers shot and killed a 150-pound cougar as it roamed the Roscoe Village neighborhood on the citys North Side last night. Commander John Kenny says police cornered the big cat in an alley about 5:30 p.m. He says the six-foot animal tried to attack officers, then ran into a yard. Kenny says police had no choice but to kill the cougar. Animal control officers plan to check the animal for identifying marks, but say it was not wearing a collar or an ID tag. Authorities also arent sure if this cougar is the same one spotted Saturday morning in Wilmette, or two weeks ago in North Chicago. --- Lawmaker Pushes To Open Some Hearsay Testimony (Springfield) -- A suburban state lawmaker wants to ease Illinois restrictions on hearsay testimony in a courtroom. Joliet State Senator A.J. Wilhelmi has filed a measure that would amend the states criminal code to make some hearsay testimony legal. It would allow for the testimony if the witness who originally made the statements could not testify because the defendant had a hand in their absence. The "Chicago Tribune" reports that if it became law, the measure could have a direct impact on any future criminal proceedings against former Bolingbrook police sergeant Drew Peterson. His wife Stacy went missing in October, and though Drew Peterson hasnt been charged, police consider him a suspect. Authorities are also investigating the drowning death of Petersons third wife, Kathleen Savio. Wilhelmi wont say if the new law was directly influenced by the Peterson case. --- Olympic Media Summit Gives Chicago Chance To Show Off (Chicago) -- One year to the day after Chicago was chosen as the United States candidate for the 2016 Summer Olympics, Mayor Daley welcomed a contingent of foreign media to the city. Over 400 journalists convened on the city for the Olympic Media Summit, and Daley urged them to think of Chicago as an Olympic city. But some International Olympic Committee members have issues with Chicagos bid. Some are concerned about visas and revenue sharing. Others say they dont know enough about the city. Daley and other members of the Chicago delegation will also spend part of today at the summit promoting the city as a top 2016 candidate. --- Bullet Falls From United Overhead Bin (Chicago) -- A United Airlines jet bound for New York from Chicagos OHare Airport was delayed two hours yesterday after a bullet rolled onto the floor of the cabin. The "Chicago Sun-Times" reports the bullet dropped out of an overhead bin and was picked up by a passenger, who notified authorities. All passengers had to get off the plane, go through security again, and then re-board. Transportation Security Administration officials interviewed passengers, but never did find the bullets owner. --- Brew Pub That Launched Goose Island Shutting Down (Chicago) -- The original home of one of Chicagos most famous brand names is closing. Goose Island Brewing Company is shutting down its brew pub at 1800 North Clybourn Avenue by the end of the year. The company blames rising rents. Goose Island founder John Hall tells the "Chicago Tribune" the closure wont affect beer production. Its brewery at 1800 West Fulton and a brew pub in the Wrigleyville neighborhood will remain open. Goose Island has seen sales of its Honkers Ale, 312, and other varieties rise dramatically since it reached a distribution deal with Anheuser-Busch last year. --- Popular Donut Franchise Closes Overnight (Mundelein) -- Over ten-thousand people showed up for the grand opening of a Krispy Kreme donut franchise in Mundelein seven years ago. Now, the building is empty. The "Daily Herald" reports the Route 60 store closed without warning over the weekend. Sweet Traditions, LLC owned the franchise, but a spokesman did not return calls made by the "Daily Herald." That St. Louis-based company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection last September. Its Gurnee franchise remains open. (Copyright 2008 by Newsroom Solutions) RNS-04-15-08 0644CDT