WFML Max News:
11/21/2008
SHOP WITH A COP IS SET FOR NEXT MONTH
VU NEWSCENTER AND DLC MEDIA
The annual Christmas tradition of "Shop with a Cop" is December 16th in Vincennes.
And again this year...area law enforcement are asking for your support.
The event is sponsored locall by the Vincennes Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 62. This will be the 10th annual event where children from three to six from Head Start Programs will shop for clothes and toys at the local Wal Mart.
Last year 115 dollars per child was spent.
If you would like to donate you can send checks to SHOP WITH A COP Care of the Vincennes Police Department at 501 Busseron in Vincennes.
Or call Sergent Brian Moyer of the Vincennes University Police Department at 888-5555.
11/21/2008
DOWNTOWN CHRISTMAS STROLL THIS WEEKEND
VU NEWSCENTER AND DLC MEDIA
The annual Christmas Stroll in downtown Vincennes takes place this weekend. The event is put on by the Vincennes Central Business District.
Downtown merchants will be offering special discounts and treats as part of the event. Friday evening the annual lighted Christmas Parade will be the main attraction. Line up is at five today (Friday) and the parade is at six thirty.
Hours for the Christmas Stroll are from 5 til 9:00 p.m today and from 10 a.m til 4 p.m. Saturday.
11/21/2008
CAMPUS CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP HOLDS OPEN HOUSE
VU NEWSCENTER AND DLC MEDIA
Vincennes University's Christian Campus Fellowship held an Open House Thursday to celebrate it's new facility on Lyndale avenue. One of the new additions includes a spacious fellowship hall that is even equipped for recording CCF’s worship services...which are then available to the public on CCF's website as podcasts.
Campus Minister, Scott Shipman says they have also created an inviting place for students...where they have many choices.
With the construction and renovation of the facility just completed...Shipman says they have yet to tally a final project cost. Although VU is chipping in for some of that cost....the debt CCF has accrued is expected to be significant.
CCF expects to kick off a fundraising campaign during the Spring Semester…to cut away at that debt.
11/21/2008
VU DRAWS ATTENTION TO HOMELESS
VU NEWSCENTER AND DLC MEDIA
Members of the American Culinary Federation's Junior Chefs Club at Vincennes University spent Wednesday night sleeping in
cardboard boxes so that they could increase campus awareness of homelessness and hunger.
Carol Keusch, associate professor of
Hospitality says poverty is not just something that happens in other countries or to other
people. It is right here in our backyard. Keusch believes we have a responsibility to help feed people and this project
is part of that effort.
As part of the project, the students also collected donations and nonperishable food to be donated to Harbor House.
11/21/2008
LAWRENCE COUNTY ILLINOIS HAS HIGHEST JOBLESS RATE
VU NEWSCENTER AND DLC MEDIA
An official with the Illinois Crossroads Workforce Center spoke to members of the Lawrence County Board Wednesday about the area's unemployment rate.
Jim McShane says since 2001, the region served by his agency has lost over 10-thousand high paying jobs.
McShane says in order to replace those jobs they have to have entrepreneur's interested in creating new jobs.
He says the Effingham School Corporation has partnered with Eastern Illinois University to offer an entrepreneurship curriculum at the High School level.
McShane also shared the latest unemployment figures with county board members. He says Lawrence County had the highest unemployment rate in the region at 9-point-2 percent.
McShane says that figure doesn't include young people looking for their first job, and people who have not found a job and have run out of unemployment benefits, which means the number is actually double.
11/21/2008
ROAD RAGE INCIDENT LEADS TO ARREST
VU NEWSCENTER AND DLC MEDIA
A Greene County man is in jail after threatening another motorist Wednesday afternoon on State Road 54 East of Linton.
36-year-old Greg Parsley of Worthington is charged with Criminal Recklessness with a deadly weapon.
The Greene County Sheriff's department says Parsley had passed another vehicle driven by 30-year-old Michael Tennant of Linton. After passing, Parsley's vehicle was struck in the rear by Tennant's SUV, at which point police say a gun shot was reportedly fired from Parsley's pickup truck striking Tennant's vehicle.
Parsley was arrested and taken to the Greene County jail, after being treated and released from the Greene County Hospital.
The case is still under investigation.
11/21/2008
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Great Dane Trailers will lay off half the workers at it's Terre Haute plant following what the company calls ``tremendous'' cutbacks by its customers.
The announcement that about 115 Terre Haute workers will lose their jobs next month comes a week after Great Dane announced that in January it will close its nearly 100 year-old plant in Savannah, Georgia., where the company is based.
The closure and layoffs imposed by the maker of both dry and refrigerated trailers come after its customers have been hard-hit
by the struggling global economy.
The company's 50 percent staff reduction at its Terre Haute plant will take place December 19th, paring the plant's staff to about 115 workers.
Plant workers received a layoff warning Monday advising them of the imminent job cuts.
11/21/2008
NEWBURGH MAN FACES BANK ROBBERY CHARGES
ASSOCIATED PRESS
An Indiana man faces up to 20 years
in prison if he's found guilty of robbing a southern Illinois bank
last year.
A federal grand jury in East St. Louis indicted 33-year-old
Albert Jones on Tuesday on one count of bank robbery.
Authorities say the Newburgh, Ind., man stole $3,600 during a
holdup of the Bean Capital Banking Center in Wayne City in April of
last year.
Federal marshals say they don't have Jones in custody, and it
isn't immediately clear whether he has an attorney.
11/21/2008
ANOTHER FIRE AT RIVERSIDE DOWNS
ASSOCIATED PRESS (picture courtesy of Evansville Courier and Press)
Evansville's Kenny Miller celebrated his
33rd birthday last week when his horse Kept Lady won a race at
Churchill Downs in Louisville. A few days later, his racing
business is in ruins.
A fire swept through a barn at a former race track in western
Kentucky yesterday, killing 27 horses _ including the only two
thoroughbreds owned by Miller.
Now Miller says everything is gone.
Other horsemen are mourning their losses, too, in the second
deadly fire this year at Riverside Downs outside Henderson, Ky.,
near the Indiana border. The cause of the fire still isn't known.
The horses killed included one that survived the blaze but had
to be euthanized. Four others in the barn at the time survived
11/21/2008
PROFESSOR JOINS OBAMA'S TRANSITION TEAM
ASSOCIATED PRESS
An Indiana University law professor who
helped Bill Clinton make the transition to power in 1992 before
serving in his administration has joined President-elect Barack
Obama's transition team.
Dawn Johnsen is a member of Obama's Department of Justice Review
Team, but it's unclear what her role will be. Under transition team
policy, she cannot speak publicly about her role.
Johnsen served on then President-elect Clinton's transition team
in 1992 before holding key posts in the Justice Department under
Clinton from 1993 until 1998, when she came to IU.
She served as acting assistant attorney general, heading the
agency's office of legal counsel. The IU School of Law says she
also served as deputy assistant attorney general, counsel to the
president and general counsel to various executive branches.
11/21/2008
DLC MEDIA
Henry Frederick Hellert, of Vincennes died Thursday. A funeral service is Noon Monday in Gardner-Brockman Funeral Home. Burial will be in GreenLawn cemetery with military rites. Visitation is from 10:00 a.m. Monday until the service time at the funeral home.
Henry Frederick Hellert was 91.
11/20/2008
VU NEWSCENTER AND DLC MEDIA
Former Vincennes Police Officer Jeff Mooney has been sentenced in Knox Superior Court.
Mooney was sentenced to four years work release for forgery, and three years supervised probation for check fraud. 20 other charges were dropped as part of a plea agreement reached in October.
The charges stem from incidents in 2003 and 2004.
Earlier this year--- Mooney was sentenced to 18 months in the Department of Corrections after pleading guilty to possession of meth charges.
Mooney had resigned from the Vincennes police force in October 2003 and a month later was arrested for possession of meth. In March 2004 he was charged with perjury and false reporting. He went missing later the same year while out on bail. Mooney was captured in Mississippi in December 2007 and was extradited to Knox County.
11/20/2008
RESIDENTS CALL FOR FIRING OF LAWRENCE COUNTY EMA DIRECTOR
VU NEWSCENTER AND DLC MEDIA
Nearly five months have passed since this summer's flooding in Lawrence County, Illinois and some residents remain upset
that they didn't receive sufficient warning to evacuate their homes after the levees had been breached.
Those residents hold the county's Emergency Management Agency Director Jess Angle accountable for the lack of information.
Those same residents told members of the Lawrence County Board last night that Angle should be fired.
Board President Charlie Gillespie says Angle's job status will be disccused after the newly elected board members are sworn in next month.
Dean Kelly spoke up in defense of Angle. He said that Angle has brought in over 86-thousand dollars in emergency grants to benefit Police and fire departments in the county.
Kelly acknowledged that mistakes were probably made, but no one could have anticipated the scope of the flooding that took place. He added the good news is that not one life was lost as a result of the flooding.
11/20/2008
LEVEES IN LAWRENCE COUNTY HAVE BEEN REPAIRED
VU NEWSCENTER AND DLC MEDIA
The Levy wall's along the Wabash and Embarass rivers in Lawrence County, Illinois have been repaired following this summer's floods.
Now, county officials want to make sure they stay that way.
Lawrence County Board President Charlies Gillespie says he want's an ordinance drafted to keep people from riding A-T-V's and horses along the top of the levee's.
Gillespie says he will meet with the new State's attorney to draft an ordinance. He will recommend that persons caught riding on the levy without authorization should be fined up to one-thousand dollars and face other penatlies including the loss of their driver's license.
11/20/2008
LAWRENCE COUNTY ILLINOIS BUDGET APPROVED
VU NEWSCENTER AND DLC MEDIA
The Lawrence County Board approved a 2-point-7 million dollar operating budget for 2009.
Board President Charlie Gillespie says the county is in good financial shape even though they have yet to reach new agreement's with the Fraternal Order of Police and the Union representing Courthouse employees.
Board member Kerry Emmons says the budget also doesn't take into account out of pocket expenses from this summer's floods.
He says several claims have been turned into FEMA which yet to be reimbursed.
11/20/2008
VINCENNES UNIVERSITY GETS GREENER
VU NEWSCENTER AND DLC MEDIA
Efforts are in full-force--preparing for Vincennes University's new Recycling Program, that bears the slogan--
"Blue and Gold Makes Green."
One person involved in the new recycling program is Assistant Professor of Life Science, Curt Coffman--who along with External Relations Director Kristi Deetz has helped bring this program to life.
Coffman says it was Deetz's recognition of a student awareness that played a major role in creating the program.
The new recycling program will consist of new recycling locations in each of the six residence halls...as well as three additional locations across campus.
VU has been awarded a 5-thousand dollar grant from the Indiana Office of Pollution Prevention and Technical Assistance.
VU has also committed an additional 7-thousand dollars to help the effort.
11/20/2008
DLC MEDIA
A motorist got away after a chase in Daviess County on Wednesday.
Conservation Officer Kiersten Forbey began a pursuit of a vehicle southbound on Daviess County road 100 West. the pursuit continued until the vehicle ran off the road into a creek on Jersey Street in Washington. The driver fled on foot, wearing black pants, black shirt, and a black hat. Washington City Police and Daviess County Sheriff's Officers and State Police helped with the search but the driver was never found.
The State Police Meth Lab Team was called in to process the vehicle.
11/20/2008
DLC MEDIA
Former Washington High School Basketball stand out Tyler Zeller had successful surgery Wednesday after injuring two bones in his left wrist in North Carolina's win over Kentucky.
Zeller went up for a dunk in the final minutes, took a hard foul, and landed on the left wrist. zeller has started both North Carolina games so far in his freshman year averaging 10 points per game in place of injured Tyler Hansbrough.
University doctors say recovery time for an injury like Zeller's is usually 12 to 16 weeks.
Zeller will travel with the team next week for the Maui Invitational in Hawaii.
11/20/2008
LAYOFFS ANNOUNCED AT EVANSVILLE PLANT
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Whirlpool Corporation plans to lay off about
100 employees at its Evansville plant because of a dwindling demand
for refrigerators.
About 170 others were laid off earlier, leaving some 1,260 workers at the Evansville plant, said Jill Saletta, the Whirlpool
director of external communications.
She said the layoffs are considered temporary, and the employees
may be recalled when conditions improve.
That means the 100 workers being cut here are not part of the 5,000 permanent job reductions Whirlpool is making at other plants
throughout the world. Those cuts were announced last month, but company officials declined to say whether they would affect the
Evansville plant.
11/20/2008
ASSOCIATED PRESS
The Indiana House will once again invite
clergy members and other guests to give opening prayers before legislative work begins.
A U.S. 7th Circuit Court of Appeals panel ruled last year that taxpayers who sued over the prayers did not have the legal standing. So as lawmakers gathered for an organization day at the Statehouse Tuesday, the House started its business with a prayer.
One new rule, though, puts the prayer before the period when Representatives register their presence.
House speaker Patrick Bauer says that makes the prayer optional and voluntary.
The ACLU of Indiana represented the taxpayers in the previous lawsuit and says it could bring another lawsuit if sectarian
prayers continue.
11/20/2008
ASSOCIATED PRESS
The Bureau of Motor Vehicles says a woman
may have a personalized license plate carrying the words ``BE
GODS'' after all.
The reversal comes after Liz Ferris sued the BMV in federal
court for refusing to issue a new plate carrying the same words she
had on other plates for several years. Commissioner Ron Stiver says
the BMV will give Ferris a new plate bearing her old message _
which she intended to mean ``Be God's'' or ``belong to God.''
But her lawyer says the lawsuit will continue because the BMV's
policy is still in place and if Ferris were to let her license
plate lapse again, she would still be subject to the same policy.
11/20/2008
INCREASED POLICE PATROLS PLANNED
DLC MEDIA AND VU NEWSROOM
Thanksgiving is one of the most traveled holidays of the year.
State Police say they will increase patrols during the holiday period next week.
Troopers will participated in Operation CARE, The Combined Accident Reduction Effort from Wednesday through Sunday next week. Operation care is federally funded program allowing extra state police to patrol various areas. Troopers will be looking for those who drink and drive, speed, follow too close or drive aggressively.
Police will also be involved in the "Click It or Ticket" campaign which aggressively enforces seat belt laws.
Last year 10 people died on Indiana roadways during Thanksgiving.
11/18/2008
INDIANA'S CAR DEER CRASHES ARE UP
ASSOCIATED PRESS
The number of Indiana motorists
colliding with deer is on the rise despite state-sanctioned hunts
intended to bring down their numbers.
State Farm Insurance used claim reports to determine that
deer-vehicle accidents in Indiana are up 25 percent since 2003
compared with 15 percent for the rest of the nation.
Indiana has the 11th-highest rate of deer collisions in the
nation.
State police urge motorists to be alert, particularly in the
evening, now that deer are in the midst of their mating season.
According to the Institute for Highway Safety, 10 people in
Indiana died in deer-vehicle accidents last year.
The Indiana Department of Natural Resources says over 124,000
deer were killed by hunters last year.
11/11/2008
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Seventeen Indiana state parks will be closed
for two more days while hunters reduce the deer population. The Indiana
Department of Natural Resources says the parks will close Dec. 1-2. DNR biologists say reducing the deer herd in
the parks helps protect endangered plants.
