Local News from WIKY

Garage fire is suspicious

Submitted by WIKY News on Wed, 05/15/2013 - 10:18am
Authorities are investigating a suspicious fire in Evansville. Firefighters were called to 15 W. Tennessee at about 12:30 Wednes morning and found a garage on fire. They knocked down the flames in about ten minutes and then found a metal can with some type of accelerant in it. Nobody was injured and there's no word of any arrests.

John Whinrey wins coveted Rotary Civic Award

Submitted by WIKY News on Tue, 05/14/2013 - 4:42pm
The latest in a long succession of Rotary Civic Award winners is named by the Rotary Club of Evansville. Civic Award Committee Chairman Tom Austerman noted John Whinrey's leadership of the Yucatan Project, which is sending needed medical supplies to the Tizamen District - one of the poorest areas on the continent. One spin-off of Whinrey's work was the City of Evansville and Tizamen signing a sister-city relationship that includes cultural exchanges as well as support for the region in the Yucatan.

Beer sales battle hits courts

Submitted by WIKY News on Tue, 05/14/2013 - 4:21pm
Indiana convenience stores are suing the state for the right to sell cold beer. Under current law, only carryout stores can sell beer cold. A complaint in the US District Court filed by the Indiana Petroleum Marketers and Convenience Store Association, a statewide trade association, challenges that law. Indiana is the only state in the country that regulates beer sales based on temperature. A 2012 proposal to allow grocery and convenience stores to sell cold beer as long as that beer is made in Indiana died in the legislature.

UE engineering students step-up to help Rehab Center clients

Submitted by WIKY News on Tue, 05/14/2013 - 4:19pm
A mechanical engineering project at the University of Evansville will help the Easter Seals Rehab Center and its clients. The UE Wheelchair Aquatic Team donated a special chair that will get people in and out of the center's salt water therapy pool. Team leader Kenneth Kaufman says it was a lengthy, but worthwhile project. Materials for the chair cost about $23,000. Much of which had to be raised by the students. Kaufman says he and the other students feel good about helping the community.

John Whinrey wins coveted Rotary Civic Award

Submitted by WIKY News on Tue, 05/14/2013 - 4:11pm
The latest in a long succession of Rotary Civic Award winners is named at a mid-day meeting of the Luncheon Rotary Club in Evansville. Civic Award Committee Chairman Tom Austerman noted John Whinrey's leadership of the Yucatan Project, which is sending needed medical supplies to the Tizamen District - one of the poorest areas on the continent. One spin-off of Whinrey's work was the City of Evansville and Tizamen signing a sister-city relationship that includes cultural exchanges as well as support for the region in the Yucatan.

Mt. Vernon couple arrested in Tennessee for Dale Pharmacy robbery

Submitted by WIKY News on Tue, 05/14/2013 - 1:17pm
Authorities have tracked down a Mt. Vernon couple accused of robbing a southern Indiana pharmacy. Federal officers arrested 26-year-old Jacob Beyers and 27-year-old Mallory Johnson in Knoxville, TN. Indiana State Police say tips from the public following the hold-up at the Dale Pharmacy helped identify and locate Beyers and Johnson.

City Council approves more washing machines for EFD

Submitted by WIKY News on Tue, 05/14/2013 - 1:13pm
The Evansville City Council has approved three more specialized washing machines and two dryers for the fire department. The machines are used to clean firefighters gear and remove any cancer-causing agents that might build up. The department currently has four of the extractors. City Council member Al Lindsey, who is also a firefighter, voted against the $155,000 plan Monday night. He wants every fire house to have its own machines.

Meetings underway on sewer upgrade

Submitted by WIKY News on Tue, 05/14/2013 - 1:10pm
Evansville residents are learning more about a major sewer upgrade that will eventually hike sewer bills. The first informational meeting was held Tuesday at McCollough Library. The $540 million Renew Evansville project will be submitted to the EPA later this month. It can't start until the agency approves it. The project to separate sanitary and storm sewers is expected to last nearly 30 years.

Information on school choice program available Wednesday

Submitted by WIKY News on Mon, 05/13/2013 - 5:57pm
If you'd like to know more about Indiana's revised school choice program, you'll have an opportunity Wednesday evening. A parent informational session will be held at Christ the King School at 6:30 p.m. The meeting will provide local parents with information on the school voucher program eligibility requirements, steps in the application process, and a list of schools participating in the program. In addition to the state’s school voucher program, the session will cover the tax credit scholarships program, tax deductions, and public school options in the area.

Third round of "resiliancy training" offered to police and firefighters

Submitted by WIKY News on Mon, 05/13/2013 - 5:55pm
"Resiliency  training" is underway for local persons who carry a badge. Police, firefighters and deputies are learning about preparing themselves to deal with the physical and mental trauma that's part of the job. Presenter Allan O'Keefe says the training also assists their agency. And training helps the emergency workers keep in close touch with their families, during both traumatic and non-traumatic times.