Local News from WIKY

Springing Into Caring food drive in high gear

Submitted by WIKY News on Mon, 05/06/2013 - 2:44pm
This is the week of the "Springing into Caring" food drive. It has two goals - to make people more aware of the need to collect food to feed the hungry people - and then to get the job done. The United Way of Southwestern Indiana and the National Letter Carriers Union are spearheading the effort. And Mary Blair of the Tri-State Food Bank is thankful. She says that during a time when the demand for food is higher, donations have been considerably lower. The event culminates Saturday when letter carriers will collect bags and boxes of food that people will leave at their mail boxes.

New info released on Walmart shooting

Submitted by WIKY News on Mon, 05/06/2013 - 1:44pm
Police release new information on what happened before 30-year-old Travon Burns was shot in the lower back as he tried to flee into the Walmart at Burkhardt and the Lloyd in Evansville. Officers say Burns was alert when they arrived, and told them he was trying to get away from two men in another car. He's being treated at Deaconess. A woman in Burns' car said they had been cut off while on the Lloyd, before both vehicles got to the parking lot. read more

Internet shoppers may all pay state sales taxes

Submitted by WIKY News on Mon, 05/06/2013 - 1:39pm
Internet shoppers could be a step closer to paying sales taxes on items purchased online. The Senate is expected to vote in favor of a bill that will require all online retailers to collect sales taxes for the states where they ship goods. Indiana's Joe Donnelly says he'll vote for it. The legislation still needs to pass the House before it can become a law. read more

Former Gov. Otis Bowen dies

Submitted by WIKY News on Mon, 05/06/2013 - 9:08am
Governor Mike Pence is directing flags at state facilities statewide be flown at half-staff to honor former Governor Otis "Doc" Bowen. He died over the weekend at 95. The former small town doctor served two terms as governor, from 1973 to 1981. President Reagan chose Bowen to head-up the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in 1985, as the Reagan administration faced criticism over its response to the AIDS epidemic. Bowen addressed the issue squarely and the criticism subsided. read more

Van hits house; Occupants safe

Submitted by WIKY News on Mon, 05/06/2013 - 9:05am
A van crashes into a house on Evansville's West Side, and the driver is arrested for drunken driving. The Vanderburgh County Sheriff's Office says 53-year-old Larry Joe Sanders of Evansville lost control of the van on a curve, and crashed into the home of Keith Vonderahe at 2814 Harmony Way  Sunday afternoon. Investigators say the van slammed into a bedroom shared by Vonderahe's two young daughters, but luckily, nobody was in the room. Members of the family had just returned home before the crash.

Man shot outside Walmart; Suspect arrested

Submitted by WIKY News on Mon, 05/06/2013 - 9:01am
One man is in the hospital and another is in jail after a shooting outside the East Side Walmart. Evansville Police say a dispute between the occupants of two vehicles on the Lloyd led to the gunfire just before 9:00 Sunday night. Spokesman Jason Cullum says 30-year-old Travon Burns got out of his car and was heading toward the door of Walmart when somebody in the other car got out and shot him in the back. Police later arrested 24-year-old Isaiah Green at an apartment in the Arbors at Eastland. He faces preliminary charges of attempted murder and criminal recklessness.

Illinois casinos could hurt Indiana budget

Submitted by WIKY News on Sat, 05/04/2013 - 9:11am
The potential for new Illinois casinos is threatening to throw the Indiana spending and tax cut plan out of balance. The Illinois Senate voted Wednesday for a Senate Bill permitting new casinos in Chicago, the south suburbs and three other cities; slot machines at horse racing tracks and the two Chicago airports; and a reduction in casino tax rates. The gaming plan, which now goes to the House, is strongly backed by Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, who has pledged to give schools all the revenue from the Chicago casino.

USI Board of Trustees makes plans for the future

Submitted by WIKY News on Sat, 05/04/2013 - 9:11am
The University of Southern Indiana's Board of Trustees makes plans for the next two school years.  Yesterday, the Board learned more about the state's new two-year budget and other outcomes of the 2013 Indiana General Assembly.  Trustees determined the university's operating appropriation will increase by about 5% during the 2014 fiscal year.  USI is also alotting funds for dual credit priority courses, full-time faculty support, and renovations and repairs.  The school will hold a public hearing the week of May 20th to talk about tuition and fees for 2013 through 2015.<

Reality of easily obtainable guns a counterpoint to NRA party in Houston

Submitted by WIKY News on Fri, 05/03/2013 - 2:46pm
As NRA members celebrate victories against background checks and limits on large magazine assault rifles at their national convention in Texas, police are dealing with the reality of gun violence in Evansville neighborhoods. Officers made several arrests Thursday during a detail designed to address the problem. Members of the EPD Crime Prevention Unit, the Gang Unit, and the Narcotics Joint Task Force were assigned to specific neighborhoods based on the number of gun related complaints. The calls included shootings, shots fired, and person with a gun complaints.

Wind feeds fire near Robards

Submitted by WIKY News on Fri, 05/03/2013 - 2:44pm
A wind-whipped field fire is fought by volunteers from several western Kentucky fire departments. They asked the state of Kentucky to close one lane of the Breathitt-Pennyrile Parkway near Robards so that their fire units would have a place to stage. Winds gusting to almost 30 miles an hour helped the fire spread over more than a mile of land and threatened some farm buildings in the area.