Regional Summary, Thursday 5/15

Indiana Summary --- Warren Township Teacher Arrested, Having Sex With Student (Indianapolis) -- Police in Indianapolis yesterday arrested a special needs teacher who is accused of having sex with her 15-year-old student. Investigators say that 37-year-old Sheila Vazquez is suspected of taking advantage of the boy starting earlier this year. They say the boy told his parents who contacted school officials who then contacted police. Authorities say the boy claimed he had told the teacher he was bored and she told him she had something that would keep him busy. Investigators say Vazquez even wrote a note to help get the student out of class so the two could have lunch together. Police say the two engaged in sex at Vazquez home. School officials had earlier let Vazquez know her contract was not being extended because she didnt meet expectations in her teaching. She is being held on a 30-thousand-dollar bond. --- Threat Makes Attendance Optional At Mishawaka School (Mishawaka) -- Student attendance at Marian High School in Mishawaka has been made optional today because of threatening note found in the school. A custodian discovered the threat written on a bathroom stall on Tuesday and alerted the administration. Mishawaka Police are at the school as a precaution and will return again on Thursday. The exact nature of the threat has not been made public. Classes are being held, but attendance has been left up to the parent or guardian of each student. --- Clarksville Teachers Agree To Raises (Clarksville) -- The Clarksville teachers union has agreed to a two-point-one percent salary increase. The raises were based on a formula putting 70-percent of increased school system funding into higher salaries. Last year the teachers did not receive raises except for seniority pay. The Teachers Association has agreed to keep using the formula for the next few years, according to the "Courier Journal." Officials say the teachers will receive their pay raises retroactively in June. --- Northwest Indiana Superdelegate Supports Obama (Lake County) -- One of Northwest Indianas two superdelegates is throwing his support behind Senator Barack Obama in his presidential bid. The "Northwest Indiana Times" reports U.S. Representative Pete Visclosky endorsed the Illinois Democrat on Wednesday. In a statement, Visclosky said Obama, quote, "promises to bring Americans together to reach pragmatic, progressive solutions to the problems we face." Obamas rival, Senator Hillary Clinton, narrowly won Indianas primary earlier this month, but Obama carried Lake County, where most of Viscloskys constituents live. The regions other superdelegate, former East Chicago mayor Robert Pastrick, continues to support Clinton. --- Democratic Leaders Unite Behind Thompson (Indianapolis) -- Indiana Democratic leaders are showing unity behind their nominee for governor. Jill Long Thompson narrowly won last weeks primary despite the partys backing of Indianapolis architect Jim Schellinger 1/81/8 shell-ENG-err 3/83/8. Indiana Democratic Party Chairman Dan Parker says the primary turnout delivered a powerful message. Parker joined more than a dozen office holders and leaders from Marion County and state government at the State House to show their support for Thompson. She takes on incumbent Republican Mitch Daniels in the general election. Parker said the Democratic Governors Association has made the race a priority, although Thompson faces a significant money disadvantage. She did not directly address recent fund raising efforts, only saying that it is going "extremely well." House Speaker Pat Bauer added that Democrats like good fights but are stronger afterwards. --- Sampson Hired As Bucks Assistant (Milwaukee, WI) -- Milwaukee Bucks general manager John Hammond announced Wednesday Kelvin Sampson and three others will join the team as assistant coaches under new head coach Scott Skiles. The announcement comes less than three months after Sampson was forced to resign as head coach at Indiana amid five major NCAA rules violations. The NCAA released a list of allegations against the Indiana basketball program on February 13th, including impermissible phone calls by Sampson and his staff. Sampson and his staff have been accused of violating telephone recruiting restrictions imposed because of previous violations by Sampson at Oklahoma. The coach was also accused of lying to the school and NCAA investigators. The others hired to round out Scott Skiles staff include Jim Boylan, Lionel Hollins and Joe Wolf. Kentucky Summary (Elizabethtown, KY) -- Former President Bill Clinton is campaigning in Kentucky for his wife today. He stop in Louisville and Bardstown and ends the day in Elizabethtown. The campaign says tomorrow he visits Owensboro, Madisonville, Paducah, Murray and Hopkinsville. Meanwhile, a spokesman for the Obama Campaign says they dont know if their candidate or his wife are planning Kentucky visits before Tuesday, but stress Kentucky is very important to Barack Obama, citing the opening of more than a dozen campaign headquarters in the state. (Stanton, KY) -- Robbers came into the Save-A-Lot in Stanton after it closed, tied up two workers and left them in an office and escaped with several thousand dollars. Police say there were no injuries. (Garrett, KY) -- A man believed armed with a handgun held-up the Citizens National Bank in Garrett, Floyd County. The man approached a teller and demanded money, when she didnt respond quickly enough the man said "dont make me shoot you." The robber escaped with an undisclosed amount of money. (Independence, KY) -- Vandals struck at a northern Kentucky church. Vandals broke into St. Patricks Church in Independence. The vandals damaged a number of things including a life sized marble statue of St. Patrick carved in the 1800s. Church officials estimate damage at 50-thousand dollars. (Scottsville, KY) -- State Senator Richie Sanders is taking a new position. When his term ends in January he will become director of economic development for Allen County and Scottsville. Sanders has served in the Senate for 18 years. (Corbin, KY) -- Workers have been toiling since Sunday to clear debris and fallen trees and make other repairs at Cumberland Falls State Resort Park. The park damaged by storms on Sunday night, some of the park was able to remain open, but some parts were closed because of the damage. (Mayfield, KY) -- Kentucky State Police are alerting people to be award of emails from "FEDEX Courier Services." Post 1 officials say several people have received the emails asking for personal information and promising to send a check. Investigators say the email is not from Fed-Ex the shipping company and should be ignored. (Holmes Mill, KY) -- Kentucky Department of Fish and Game officers are investigating a bear kill. The carcass of a 200 pound bear was discovered in a wooded area of Holmes Mill, which is in extreme southeastern Kentucky. Killing a black bear in Kentucky is illegal. (Frankfort, KY) -- Three new members of the Kentucky Horse Park Commission are named by the Governor. The three are Luther Deaton of Lexington, president and CEO of Central Bank, W.B. Rogers Beasley of Lexington, director of racing at Keeneland, and Alston Kerr of Lexington, chairman of the Kentucky Horse Park Foundation. Illinois Summary --- Two Dead, Two Hurt In Niles Fire (Niles) -- Two men are dead and two other people are injured following a fire last night at a nursing home in Niles. The fire broke out around 11:30 p.m. at the Hampton Plaza Nursing and Rehabilitation Center on North Greenwood Avenue in the northern suburb. Two men were taken to Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge, where they were pronounced dead, while two other people were taken to different hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries. The cause of the fire is under investigation. --- Report: Sandi Jackson Might Run For Congress (Chicago) -- A published report says Chicago Seventh Ward Alderwoman Sandi Jackson might run for Congress. The "Chicago Sun-Times" reports Congressman Bobby Rush, whos suffering from cancer, is being urged to step down so a successor could step in before the November election and Jackson could decide to run. Sandi Jackson, who currently represents Chicagos Seventh Ward on the South Side, is married to Congressman Jesse Jackson, Junior who represents the Illinois Second District which covers parts of the South Side and many south suburbs. --- Park District Settles Soccer Field Fight, Field Might Still Be Built (Chicago) -- The Chicago Park District is ending a controversial deal for a soccer field in Lincoln Park. The Park District will pay two-million-dollars to the private Latin School because its canceling its 2006 contract under which the private school was to build the field in exchange for having exclusive use about 25-percent of the time. The "Chicago Tribune" reports the decision is part of a settlement with Protect Our Parks, which sued the Park Board and persuaded a court to order the school to stop building the soccer field. The Park District will pay the group 40-thousand-dollars but will attempt to continue building the field. Protect Our Parks says the land should be kept an open meadow. --- Jury Selection Continues In R. Kelly Trial (Chicago) -- Jury selection continues in the child pornography trial of singer R. Kelly. The juror count currently remains at eight as no new jurors were chosen Wednesday, after many of those interviewed gave various reasons why they would not be able to give the singer a fair trial. The selection process will continue until 12 jurors and four alternates are seated. The 41-year-old Kelly is charged with 14 counts of child pornography for allegedly making a sex tape with an underage girl. --- City Repeals Controversial Ban On Liver Delicacy (Chicago) -- One of Chicagos most controversial laws is no longer a law. The Chicago City Council has repealed its ban on foie gras. The council voted 37-to-6 on Wednesday to repeal the ban on restaurants serving the dish made from duck or goose livers. Opponents of foie gras say its cruel to animals. The ban was instituted two years ago. --- City Settles Its Portion Of 2003 County Fire Lawsuits (Chicago) -- The City of Chicago will pay a 50-million-dollar settlement of lawsuits regarding the fatal fire at the Cook County Administration building. The City Council formally approved the settlement on Wednesday. Six people were killed in the October 17th, 2003 fire at 69 West Washington after being trapped in a locked stairwell that was filled with smoke. There have been several other settlements regarding the fire including one already agreed to by Cook County. --- Mayor Says Its "Hard Decision" On Whether Clinton Should Quit Race (Chicago) -- Mayor Daley is weighing in on whether Hillary Clinton should drop out of the presidential race. Mayor Daley said "thats a hard decision" and pointed to part of his political past when he lost the Mayoral race to Harold Washington in 1983 and then supported Washington. Daley supports Barack Obama. 1/81/8note nature3/83/8 --- Teen Critically Hurt In Suburban Accident (Frankfort) -- A Matteson teenager is in critical condition following an accident last night near Frankfort that left him impaled on a fence pole. Police say 18-year-old Christopher Wibel was traveling at an "extremely high rate of speed" around 11 p.m. when he lost control of his 1994 Pontiac Firebird at Frankfort Square Road and Sterling Drive. Wibel then reportedly struck a tree, then hit a chain-link fence, driving a fence pole through the windshield and into his stomach. Two 16-year-old girls in the car were not injured. Police say alcohol appears to have been a factor in the crash. --- Cops Cite Store Managers Bravery (Tinley Park) -- The gunman who killed five women at a Lane Bryant store in Tinley Park in February remains at large, but police say the stores manager showed bravery in the face of danger. Investigators say 42-year-old Rhoda McFarland could have escaped after freeing herself from the duct tape that was used to bind her, but instead, she summoned help by calling 911. The gunman opened fire after seeing McFarland on the phone, killing her and four others. One woman survived and is working with police to find the killer. --- Suburban Boy Finalist In Google Doodle Contest A South Suburban boy wants your help in convincing Google that he has the top doodle. Nine-year-old Nathan Viola of Mokena is one of 40 regional winners in a national "Doodle 4 Google contest." The Internet search engine invited kindergarten through 12th grade students to submit their own Google logo and write a short essay centering on a "What if...?" theme. Nathan, who attends Spencer Pointe School in New Lenox, chose the theme "What if we lived under the sea." Anyone can vote by going to the Google website. The national winner will be announced next week. (Copyright 2008 by Newsroom Solutions) RNS-05-15-08 0709CDT