Regional Summary Friday 6/13

Indiana Summary --- Looters Taking Advantage Of Columbus Flood Victims (Indianapolis) -- Over a dozen looters have been arrested in Columbus after being caught stealing from flood victims, and authorities say they expect more arrests to come. Lieutenant Joe Richardson with the Columbus Police Department said the first arrest came Tuesday afternoon and was just the first of many. Richardson also says its a crime of opportunity, while flood victims pull precious belongings from their homes to put outside to dry. Police say theyve stolen everything from bikes to dishwashers, scrap metal and even carpet. To help catch more of the looters, authorities are now hitting the streets on foot. --- More Storms Coming To Indiana (Indianapolis) -- There are more storms coming to Indiana. Theyre due later today, in this case in the central Indiana area. No damaging weather is forecast now. Meanwhile, the weekend is expected to be hot, dry and sunny with temperatures in the 80s. --- Gas Prices Past Four-Dollars A Gallon (Indianapolis) -- Gas prices have surpassed the four-dollar mark. Yesterday morning, prices for regular unleaded rose to four-dollars-19 cents a gallon. Analysts predicted that prices would rise to that level by August, then drivers started to see the new numbers at the pump Thursday morning. --- Here Are The Latest Winning Numbers From The Hoosier Lottery Daily Three-Midday: 3-1-0; Daily Three-Evening: 8-3-4; Daily Four-Midday: 6-1-2-3; Daily Four-Evening: 4-7-6-8; Lucky Five-Midday: 6-13-15-21-35; Lucky Five-Evening: 8-9-18-29-34. Kentucky Summary (Louisville, KY) -- Gas prices across Kentuckiana crossed that four-dollar a gallon line yesterday and then jumped up 15-cents. The average price for a gallon of unleaded gas is four-dollars-and-15-cents. Louisvillegasprices.com is reporting that gas is selling for as much as four-dollars-and-29-cents a gallon in Kentuckiana. (Louisville, KY) -- Local Ford plant officials will meet at the companys global headquarters in Michigan later today. Leaders will discuss high fuel prices and how Ford will adjust. Ford officials had already planned to cut the night shift at the Louisville Assembly Plant starting next month because of plummeting Explorer sales. Fords Anne Marie Gattari confirmed that the meeting will include local plant officials. She says Ford is moving ahead to face upcoming challenges and wants to include local leadership teams in the briefing. (Mt. Washington, KY) -- A board member of the Mt. Washington Youth Baseball League was arrested earlier this week and is charged with sexual abuse. Police say that Stephanie Evans allegedly sexually abused a 13 and 14-year-old who are members of the baseball program. The alleged incidents happened last July and in March of this year. Evans pleaded not guilty in court yesterday morning. (Louisville, KY) -- Campus police at the University of Louisville sent out warnings of a possible bomb threat yesterday after a number of employees reported receiving threatening e-mails. The school posted alerts on its website and sent out text messages and e-mails to alert students and staff to watch for suspicious packages or behavior. Officials say the schools provost and vice president of student affairs were among the seven or eight who reported receiving the e-mails. The investigators determined the e-mails were sent just before 3 p.m. from an off-campus account. (Washington, DC) -- The House of Representatives approved Kentucky Congressman John Yarmuths amendment the requires NASA to make global warming data, critical research and other scientific discoveries available to the public. The amendment was approved yesterday. Congressman Yarmuth said, quote, "The taxpayers are funding government studies everyday, and they should fully benefit from the results." (Washington, DC) -- Top Thoroughbred racing figures are to testify next week in Washington. The topics of discussion are horse deaths, drugs and gambling. Rick Dutrow, the trainer of Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Big Brown, is one of those set to testify. The Herald Leader is reporting congress is questioning the industrys special status under federal law. Churchill Downs Vice President Kevin Flanery says the status is very important to the industry and the state. (Louisville, KY) -- The National Baptist Congress of Christian Education will hold their annual meeting in Louisville next week. The meeting will start on Monday, June 16th and run until Friday, June 20th at the Kentucky Exposition Center. More than 350 Christian education classes will be held and the Congress will present the Fourth Annual Health Fair at the meeting as well. The Convention is expected to bring in more than 45-thousand visitors to Louisville next week generating an estimated 40-million-dollars in spending. This is the 103rd year for the annual meeting. (Bullitt County, KY) -- A Bullitt County school board member has resigned. Debra Johnson made her announcement at a special meeting of the board. Johnson represents the 3rd District. She was elected to the board in November of 2006. (Caneyville, KY) -- A Caneyville man was seriously injured after he was partially ejected from his car yesterday afternoon. Kentucky State Police say that 52-year-old Steve Gaither was traveling eastbound on the Western Kentucky Parkway when he lost control of his car. The car crossed the median and overturned, causing Gaither to be partially ejected. The accident happened around 12:30 p.m. Gaither was taken to University Hospital in Louisville and remains in serious condition. Illinois Summary --- Thousands Without Power After Storms (Chicago) -- The Severe Thunderstorm Watch issued for Northeastern Illinois and Northwest Indiana is no longer in effect but about 44-thousand Commonwealth Edison customers are still without power. A Flash Flood Watch remains in effect until 1 p.m. for Lake, Kane and McHenry Counties, and until this evening for much of the rest of the Chicago area, including Cook County. Overnight, storms caused widespread damage and left thousands of people without power. ComEd says of the 44-thousand homes and businesses still without power, 30-thousand are in the western suburbs, three-thousand are south of the city, nine-thousand are in the north suburbs and two-thousand are in the city of Chicago. --- Police Investigate After Aldermen Get Letters With Powdery Substance (Chicago) -- Chicago Police and a joint terrorism task force are investigating after letters containing a harmless powdery substance were sent to several aldermen. Investigators say there is no credible threat to elected officials or anyone else but the Chicago Fire Department also says its taking all necessary precautions regarding the letters which arrived on Thursday afternoon at the Daley Center and several aldermanic offices. --- Deliberations In R. Kelly Trial Set To Resume (Chicago) -- Deliberations in the R. Kelly child pornography trial are set to resume at 8:30 this morning. The jury deliberated for more than three hours yesterday afternoon and then were being sequestered at a motel. Yesterday, jurors requested the entire trial transcript to look at the testimony of Lisa Van Allen, who testified she had a three-way sexual encounter with Kelly and the alleged victim. The judge sent the jury a note saying the transcripts are not available at this time, but they should continue with their deliberations. --- Northwestern Student Died After Attending Drinking Party, Investigation Continues (Evanston) -- Northwestern University officials are investigating whether to take action against underage drinkers after the alcohol-related death of a student. Nineteen-year-old freshman Matthew Sunshine was found in his dorm room Tuesday morning and was pronounced dead later that day of accidental alcohol intoxication. Police say he was at a drinking party in the dorm the night before. Evanston Police continue investigating the incident. --- Boy Tells Police He Made Up Story About Abduction Attempt (Bolingbrook) -- Bolingbrook Police say the attempted abduction of a nine-year-old boy Wednesday night was nothing more than a tall tale. Police said the boy originally told them two men tried to lure him into their van in the 300 block of Blair Lane around 8:45 p.m. Detectives say that after interviewing the boy, he admitted he made up the whole story. --- Teenager Killed In Motorbike Accident (Chicago) -- A 14-year-old boy is dead after a motorbike struck a garage on Chicagos Far Northwest Side Thursday evening. Authorities say another person was seriously injured in the accident, which happened around 5 p.m. in the 32-hundred block of North Olcott Avenue. The incident is still under investigation. --- Woman Awarded Millions In Lawsuit Against City And Several Cops (Chicago) -- A woman who pulled a Chicago Police officer from a burning car and was then accused of stealing the officers weapon says she feels vindicated after being awarded a lucrative settlement. The "Chicago Tribune" reports a federal jury has awarded Rachelle Jackson seven-point-seven-million dollars in her suit against the City of Chicago and several police officers. Jackson claimed she was forced into signing a statement police had prepared for her regarding the 2002 incident and spent more than ten months in jail awaiting trial. Her case was later thrown out by a judge. --- Defendant Loses Legal Maneuver In Case Of Murdered Pizza Driver The man accused in the 2006 murder of a Saint Charles pizza delivery driver remains on track to stand trial after losing a legal battle. The "Daily Herald" reports a DuPage County Circuit Judge has ruled that police acted properly in November, 2006, when they arrested Bradley M. Justice after tracking him through the use of the slain womans cell phone. Justice is accused of murdering Karen Hassan on November 2nd, 2006, as she delivered pizzas near West Chicago. --- Man Accused Of Assaulting Two People At Little League Field (Evergreen Park) -- An Evergreen Park man faces multiple charges, accused of attacking two people at a Little League ballfield. Bail was set at 55-thousand dollars for 47-year-old Willie Johnson, who is charged with aggravated battery and simple battery. The "Southtown Star" reports the incident happened at Norris Field on Tuesday. Johnson apparently became enraged at a female volunteer who made his daughter clean up a bathroom she allegedly had vandalized. After taking the girl home, Johnson allegedly assaulted the woman and a man who tried to intervene. --- Bike To Work Today, Naked Bike Ride Tomorrow Night (Chicago) -- Chicagoans who would rather bike to work than drive will be gathering today at Daley Plaza. The annual "Bike to Work Rally" takes place from 7:30 a.m. until 7 p.m. at 50 West Washington Street. The rally is part of "Bike Chicago 2008" and is meant to promote bicycling and healthy, energy-saving transportation. Bicyclists with a more adventurous side will be out on Chicago streets on Saturday night for the "World Naked Bike Ride." The ride, which is held in cities all over the world at various times throughout the year, is set to start at 9 p.m. The naked trek is held to celebrate the human body and to protest oil dependency. (Copyright 2008 by Newsroom Solutions) RNS-06-13-08 0644CDT