WFML Max News:
07/02/2009
DLC MEDIA
Three people face charges after an overnight traffic stop in Bicknell.
19-year-old Justin Babbs and 18-year-old Samual Robards were charged with dealing in a controlled substance, and posession of a controlled substance and marijuana.
Babbs was reportedly driving a vehicle when it was stopped on State Road 159. Robards was a passenger in the car.
The investigation led to a search warrant which led to another arrest. 24-year-old Robert Mulkey-Junior was charged with posession of marijuana.
The investigation is continuing.
07/02/2009
DLC MEDIA AND VU NEWSCENTER
The 4th of July Celebration is underway in Vincennes.
A carnival at the Municipal Parking lot between 3rd and 4th streets got underway last (Thursday ) night.
Friday night, the Vincennes Central Business District will sponsor "Fresh Air Flicks" at 2nd and Main. The movie will be "A League of Their Own."
Coming up on Saturday the 4th there is an all day flea market at Patrick Henry Drive. The parade is set for 7:30-pm this year and there will be food and drink available at the new Pavilion before and after the parade. There's live music featuring "The Fender Benders" at the Pavilion after the parade.
The fireworks display--sponsored by the Vincennes American Legion will go on as usual at sundown.
The American Legion is still requesting donations to help defray the cost of the fireworks display. Donations in any amount be sent to the Vincennes American Legion Post 73, P.O. Box 823, Vincennes, IN 47591.
07/02/2009
NEW INTERIM A.D. NAMED/POLICE DEPARTMENT GETS FIVE MORE OFFICERS
VU NEWSCENTER AND DLC MEDIA
Harry Meeks has been named interim athletic director at Vincennes
University.
The 67-year-old Meeks replaces Tina Miller, who had been VU’s interim athletic director for three years. Miller is handing off
the athletic director responsibilities to spend more time on the Trailblazer volleyball program that she has led since 1984.
In addition to his duties as Athletic Director, Meeks will continue to coach the VU Women's basketball team.
Meeks previously was athletic director at Massanutten Military Academy
in Woodstock, Virginia. That position and his 37 years as a coach and educator
overall provide him with a wealth of management skills and other
abilities that will help VU remain a top-notch two-year institution for
athletics excellence, Assistant Provost for Student Affairs Lynn White
said when she announced Meeks’ selection.
Five officers have joined the Vincennes University Police Departrment.
The new officers include Assistant Police Chief Robert Dunham, who
served for 24 years with the Vincennes City Police Department where he
served as an investigator, assistant chief, and then chief for eight years.
Three of the new officers are VU graduates. They include Joseph Millspaugh, an Emergency Medical Technician, and Khristopher Morris, who both served as cadet safety officers with the VU P-D while they were students. The other VU alumnus to join the Department is Robert Wood, a former
jail commander at the Knox County Sheriff's Department who also served in the
county’s Reserve Deputy Program.
Also joining the VU Police Dept. is Loren Myers, a graduate of the Indiana
Law Enforcement Academy who attended VU. He formerly was a member of the
Bicknell Police Department.
The VU Board of Trustees approved the officers at its June 29 meeting at the VU Jasper Campus.
07/02/2009
2nd STREET BEAUTIFICATION DISCUSSION CONTINUES
VU NEWSCENTER AND DLC MEDIA
The debate continues over a proposed residential painting program along 2nd street in Vincennes.
The idea was first proposed by members of the city’s Urban enterprise Association—as a beautification effort along a multiple block area of 2nd Street.
The city is currently working on the plans to re-surface and enhance 2nd street—after receiving a 3-point-2 million dollar grant for the project.
City officials hoped creating an additional program that would pay for paint and supplies would encourage the owners in the area to work on their homes’ curb appeal.
City officials have learned that most of the homes in the area are owned by Landlords—many of which live out of town. Questions have arose as to how the money would be distributed and who would make sure the homes would not return to disrepair. One resident of the area voiced their concern over the effectiveness of the program—saying their neighbors won’t keep their trash picked—let alone finish any outdoor projects on their homes. Mayor Al Baldwin says he and the city inspector are looking into how they can ammend current city ordinances to try and enforce tighter regulations in regards to maintaining city residences.
The UEZ tabled the painting proposal for continued discussion at next month’s meeting.
07/02/2009
CITY WILL STAY IN MAIN STREET PROGRAM
VU NEWSCENTER AND DLC MEDIA
The Urban Enterprise Association of Vincennes has decided to maintain it’s involvement in the Indiana Main Street Program.
The city got involved in the program 2 years ago—but the State’s Manager Program Shae Young went before the UEZ last night to make sure the city’s involvement was going to continue.
Young says there are advantages to participating in the program.
The city’s involvement in the program did pay off—after it receive a 500-thousand dollar matching grant to spruce up the streetscape of Main Street last year.
The UEZ will continue to act as the umbrella agency for the program—while most of the required work will done by Downtown Merchants involved in the Central Business District.
07/02/2009
MARIJUANA FOUND IN VIGO COUNTY
DLC MEDIA AND VU NEWSCENTER
Although no arrests were made, Indiana State Police troopers from the Terre Haute Post, acting on a tip, seized 123 marijuana plants near the Wabash River in southwestern Vigo County wednesday.
State police say the plants, ranging in size from 4 to 6 feet, had an estimated street value of 75 to 100-thousand dollars. The investigation is continuing.
07/02/2009
DLC MEDIA AND VU NEWSCENTER
Gibson County Sheriff's Deputies arrested two men early Wednesday morning for trying to steal anhydrous from a Gibson County CO-OP.
The Gibson County Sheriff's Department said two deputies on routine patrol spotted two men at the Mackey co-op.
The deputies said they went to investigate and found Michael Deneke and Jason Taylor with a cooler full of anhydrous ammonia. Authorities said both were taken to the Gibson County Jail and charged with stealing anhydrous ammonia, illegal storage of anhydrous ammonia, and trespassing.
07/02/2009
VU NEWSCENTER AND DLC MEDIA
State health officials are urging Hoosiers to take steps to protect themselves from the West Nile virus this holiday weekend. West
Nile virus is transmitted by mosquitoes.
Last year, there were four human cases of West Nile virus in the state.
State epidemiologist Doctor James Howell
recommends, if possible, people avoid being outdoors during prime mosquito biting times, dusk to dawn.
When outdoors, Hoosiers
should apply insect repellent and Wear long-sleeved shirts and pants.
Dr. Howell says throughout the summer people should: Dispose of old tires, tin cans, plastic containers, ceramic pots or
other unused containers that can hold water;
Keep their lawn cut short and shrubbery trimmed; Clean clogged roof gutters, particularly if leaves tend to plug up the
drains; and Aerate ornamental pools, or stock them with predatory fish.
07/02/2009
GOVERNOR SAYS BUDGET WILL WORK
ASSOCIATED PRESS AND NETWORK INDIANA
Governor Mitch Daniels says Indiana taxpayers came out ahead in the special legislative session.
He says the extra session resulted in a two-year budget that increases overall funding for public schools while preserving much of the state's reserves. The two-year budget will increase overall state spending on public schools by an average of 1.1 percent in the first year and 0.3 percent in the second year. But many school districts with declining enrollments will get less money than they got this year, while some suburban districts with Growing enrollments will get large increases.
Governor daniels says school districts with declining enrollment who are protesting budget cuts are actually receiving increases in per-pupil funding. Daniels says the $27.8 billion budget passed by the General Assembly on Tuesday spends a little more than he would have liked. But he says enough lawmakers made tough choices and compromised on a responsible bill that he quickly signed into law.
07/02/2009
UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFIT CHANGES GO INTO EFFECT
NETWORK INDIANA
Hoosiers on unemployment now face some additional requirements to collect their checks.
The same law that jacked up payroll taxes on employers to close a deficit in the unemployment trust fund also created some new rules for recipients.
Instead of just looking for work with at least three employers a week, you have to actually apply to at least one of them-- and after four weeks of jobless benefits, you‘ll have to accept a job offer that pays at least 90-percent of what your old job did. Turning it down cuts your benefits by one-fourth. After eight weeks out of work, the threshold drops to 80-percent of your former pay.
The old law said only that you had to accept "suitable" work. Legislative analysts estimate 99-percent of people on unemployment already apply for jobs. They expect closing the loophole to save the state 12-million dollars a year. The tax changes for employers don‘t take effect till January
07/02/2009
NETWORK INDIANA
Indiana‘s new silver alert program is in place. State Police are waiting to assess the impact.
1st Sgt. Dave Bursten says he can‘t predict how often you‘ll be alerted to a missing person, most likely elderly but possibly a younger adult--the program applies to anyone 18 years of age or older.
Florida had 24 silver alerts in that program‘s first two months. An entire year in indiana typically produces fewer than half that many amber alerts for missing children. But bursten says that‘s not a fair comparison because Florida has the nation‘s highest elderly population.
There are two types of silver alerts--regional or, in a case involving a vehicle, statewide---and unlike an Amber Alert, a Silver Alert will not activate the broadcast industry‘s emergency alert system.
It‘s up to individual radio and television stations to decide when and how to interrupt regular programming. Theres more information silveralert-dot-in-dot-gov.
07/01/2009
ASSOCIATED PRESS/NETWORK INDIANA/DLC MEDIA AND VU NEWSCENTER
Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels has quickly signed into law a new two-year state budget that lawmakers approved just hours before the current spending plan was to expire.
Daniels signed the bill Tuesday night in his statehouse office, about an hour after the senate adjourned. the Republican Governor says the budget has some flaws but does limit spending to preserve Indiana's reserves. The biggest and most controversial piece of the budget is a school funding formula which increases spending just 1.3% over the course of the two-year budget and cuts spending to dozens of districts. Some democrats charged the budget is the start of a GOP plan to kill off public schools.
Democrat State Representative Kreg Battles of Vincennes was among those voting against the plan. Battles said he felt comfortable voting his conscience and voting no on the budget because he knew it would pass and there would be no government shutdown.
The Republican-controlled Senate voted 34-16 in favor of the plan, which the Democrat-led House had passed on a 62-37 vote amid impassioned debate earlier in the day.
Republican State Representative Bruce Borders of Jasonville had three praises for the plan. He says it is a two year budget adding that a one year spending measure would've created a full time legislature.
Borders says the budget created a small increase for education even though lawmakers did not fulfill everyone's desires on school spending.
Borders also says the budget does not raise taxes commenting that Indiana is one of only nine states that did not resort to tax increases this year.
Governor Daniels issued a statement saying the budget "has its defects" but controls spending enough to leave a billion-dollar surplus against further declines in revenue.
07/01/2009
LOCAL CHURCHES CANCEL MISSION TRIP
VU NEWSCENTER AND DLC MEDIA
A Mission Trip to Honduras has been cancelled for a group of local churches.
The cancellation comes after the US State Department issued an alert for all non-essential travel to the country--due to violence over the removal of the country's President.
Those attending the Mission trip had raised 20-thousand dollars to aid their effort and were set to leave on Saturday.
Former House Speaker John Gregg was one of those looking forward to going on the trip.
Gregg says while everyone here is disheartened by the cancellation--it's the families in need that continue to suffer.
Gregg says it is unknown at this point if the mission trip will be rescheduled.
He says the hundreds of pounds of clothing and food that the group collected will still be distributed to the interior villages of Honduras at some point in time.
07/01/2009
SULLIVAN PASTOR AND 3 SONS CHARGED
ASSOCIATED PRESS
A Former Sullivan County pastor and his three sons face 10 separate felony counts each involving violations of the Indiana Securities Act.
The charges allege that Vaughn Reeves and his sons Chip, Chris and Josh engaged in a multi-million dollar, faith-based affinity fraud.
The charges were filed today (Tuesday) in Sullivan Circuit Court.
According to court documents, the Reeves allegedly duped investors into buying bonds that raised at least $120 million that supposedly was to finance church construction and expansion. However, Authorities claim the Reeves shuffled the money among various accounts and stole approximately $6 million for themselves in the process.
07/01/2009
VU NEWSCENTER AND DLC MEDIA
Crews are installing crossing arms and
flashing red lights at three rural railroad crossings in Greene County--following a woman's plea for safety work at the site where her great-grandson was killed last year.
Six-year-old Christopher Perez died when the car he was riding in was hit by a train at a crossing.
Teddi Harmon of Linton says she heard at his funeral about many narrow escapes at
that and other nearby crossings, which were only one-lane wide, with steep grades and only stop signs.
Harmon then wrote to the Indiana Department of Transportation, asking for crossing signals.
Highway department spokeswoman Valerie Cockrum says the crossings' accident history was a factor in deciding to go ahead with the $610,000 project.
07/01/2009
MAN SENTENCED FOR CHILD PORN POSESSION
VU NEWSCENTER AND DLC MEDIA
A Rockport man was sentenced to 60 months in prison for child pornography.
61-year-old Charles Citta pleaded guilty in federal court Friday to one count of receipt and two counts of possession of child pornography.
Timothy Morrison, U-S Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana says the case was the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Between January 29, 2008 and June 25, 2008, Citta possessed ten images and one video depicting sexually explicit conduct on his home computer and a data storage disk. U.S. District Judge Richard Young also imposed supervised release for life following Citta’s release from prison. During the period of supervised release, Citta must register as a sex offender, participate in a sex offender treatment program, and must submit to monitoring of his computer use.
07/01/2009
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Kroger is alerting customers in its central region, which includes Indiana, that some beef sold in its stores is affected by a national recall.
J-B-S Swift Beef Company of Greeley, Colorado has voluntarily expanded its recall to 380,000 pounds of beef products that may be contaminated with e. coli.
Kroger, Pay Less, Owens, Hilander and Scotts stores in the central division are included in the recall.
07/01/2009
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Indiana state health officials warn Hoosiers that elevated lead levels have been found in products sold at Target stores.
The product causing concern is Wink Bath and Body’s shimmer lip gloss in the following flavors: mango colada, frosted pineapple and strawberry sangria. As of June 25, Target has removed all of the products from their
shelves.
Dave McCormick, director of the lead program at the Indiana State
Department of Health says Lead poisoning is the number one preventable environmental disease in the U.S., and it can be especially dangerous for children.
Health officials warn that elevated levels of lead in blood are especially dangerous for children younger than six years of age, whose developing brains are particularly vulnerable.
06/30/2009
FOOD FOR THE 4TH/HOLIDAY CLOSINGS
VU NEWSCENTER AND DLC MEDIA
There will be plenty of tasetful treats during the 4th of July celebration this Saturday in VIncennes.
Food vendors will be filling Patrick Henry Drive downtown--as well as the new Riverfront Pavilion.
The Mayor's Chief of Staff Lori Buehlman--along with the local firefighter's union has worked to bring in vendors to create quite a selection of food.
Some new items this year include hot dogs wrapped in bacon and corn on the cob flavored with lime and hot sauce.
The food vendors will open in the afternoon and through the evening.
The 4th of July Parade will start at 7:30 this year.
Followed by free entertainment by the Fender Benders in the Pavilion and the American Legion-sponsored fireworks over the Wabash River once the sun has set.
Reminders....
The Vincennes Street and Sanitation Department will be closed this Friday and Saturday in observance of the July 4th holiday.
Home recycling normally picked up on Friday is cancelled. The recycling center will also be closed both days.
In addition the Vincennes Post Office has announced it will close at noon on Friday July 3rd. The last collection of mail deposited in blue collection boxes will also be at noon on Friday. There will be regular mail delivery on Friday....there will be no mail delivery on Saturday July 4th.
