Local News from WIKY

Federal grant to help fight substance abuse and child abuse

Submitted by WIKY News on Wed, 04/03/2013 - 3:39pm
Kentucky Governor Beshear says a $2.5 million grant will help families with substance and child abuse and neglect disorders in Daviess County. The 5-year Health and Human Services' Grant will support the Sobriety Treatment and Recovery Teams, or START program. It's aimed at helping families at risk of child removal, by assisting parents in overcoming their addictions. Beshear says the funds should be enough to support comprehensive services for 130 families.

Fire destroys Warrick Co. home

Submitted by WIKY News on Tue, 04/02/2013 - 5:53pm
The Red Cross is helping members of a Warrick County family who lost their home to fire. Firefighters responded to the call at 800 E. Meyers Road, near Boonville, at about 9:30 Tuesday morning and found smoke and flames coming from every door and window. No one was injured in the fire, and there's no word on what caused it.

Bill to atttract gun makers approved

Submitted by WIKY News on Tue, 04/02/2013 - 5:52pm
A resolution that tries to attract small arms manufacturers to Indiana has passed the Indiana House. A Senate Committee has passed an almost identical resolution. The measures tout the state’s tax climate and gun rights laws. The House resolution also directs the chamber’s clerk to a copy of the resolution to vendors and businesses that deal and manufacture small arms. The Senate resolution gives that duty to the Senate secretary. Senator Jim Tomes of Wadesville authored the Senate measure.

Bill calls for guns in schools

Submitted by WIKY News on Tue, 04/02/2013 - 5:50pm
An Indiana House Committee has approved a bill that would require every public school in the state to have an armed and trained officer or staff member on site. The House Education Committee added the provision to Senate Bill 1, legislation backed by Attorney General Greg Zoeller that was originally intended to give schools grants to encourage more schools to hire school resource officers. Those officers – who can be the people designated by the school to carry a gun – must undergo law enforcement training and specialized training for schools.

Redevelopment commissioner indicted

Submitted by WIKY News on Tue, 04/02/2013 - 5:49pm
A member of Evansville's Redevelopment Commission is free on bond, after being indicted by a federal grand jury. 48-year-old Jay Carter faces 9 counts in connection with a money laundering scheme that brought hundreds of pounds of pot to the Evansville area. U.S. Attorney Joe Hogsett calls it "troubling" that the charges have been filed against a man who holds a position in the "public trust." The Evansville City Council appointed Carter to the Redevelopment Commission in January 2011. read more

Local official indicted

Submitted by WIKY News on Tue, 04/02/2013 - 9:39am
U.S. Attorney Joseph Hogsett comes to Evansville today to announce the indictment of an Evansville public official. Federal agents and prosecutors will join Hogsett at a news conference this afternoon at the Federal Building. Hogsett says the indictment comes at a time that he is redoubling efforts to combat public corruption through he launch of the state's first federal public integrity working group.

Deal may be near on Medicaid expansion

Submitted by WIKY News on Tue, 04/02/2013 - 9:38am
A house committee has added its endorsement to an expansion of Medicaid, as long as it‘s on Indiana‘s terms. But it‘ll take negotiations with the Senate to finalize the bill. House and Senate Republicans have backed Governor Pence in tying Medicaid expansion under the federal health care law to receiving government permission to do it under the state‘s Healthy Indiana Plan. The House Public Health Committee tacked on an escape hatch, declaring the state can terminate any expansion if the government breaks its funding promises.

Duke warns of debit card scam

Submitted by WIKY News on Tue, 04/02/2013 - 9:37am
Authorities have a warning for customers of Duke Energy. If you recieve an unsolicited phone call saying your electricity will be disconnected you unless you make an immediate debit card payment, don't do it. It's a scam. The caller tells the customer to buy a prepaid debit card and call back with the card's receipt and PIN numbers. The caller then has access to the money loaded on the card. Duke Energy says it never asks past due customers to but a prepaid card. If you get this sort of call, hang up and notify police.

Body found in Wabash river

Submitted by WIKY News on Tue, 04/02/2013 - 9:33am
We're still waiting to learn the identify of a male found in the Wabash River Monday at about 5 p.m.. A resident of a river camp saw the body north of Mt. Carmel, near Patton, Illinois. Wabash County Sheriff Joe Keeling verifies it was a male and says his department was trying to reach family members.

Highway cleaned-up after crash, spill

Submitted by WIKY News on Mon, 04/01/2013 - 6:45pm
It was a mess that took four hours to clean-up. A tanker truck carrying liquid fertilizer ran off Old Highway 231 in Spencer County between Gentryville and Dale Monday. State Police Sgt. Todd Ringle says 55-year-old Larry Colter of Tennyson suffered a minor head injury when the truck overturned and started leaking liquid fertilizer. A nearby farmer helped contain the chemical spill, and Environmental Services Company cleaned-up the mess. Colter was treated and released from Jasper Memorial Hospital.