Local News from WIKY

Evansville speller out

Evansville's representative in the National Spelling Bee is out of the running. Fourteen-year-old Aaron Manning easily spelled a pair of words Wednesday, but he came up just short in a written test. Just 41 of this year’s 281 participants advanced to the semifinal round.

Boy's body recovered

A sad ending to the search for a missing boy in western Kentucky. A dive team recovered the body of nine year old Warren Patterson from Kuttawa Harbor, a popular beach area on Lake Barkley, late Wednesday night. State police and emergency crews had been searching for the boy since his parents reported him missing Wedneday afternoon. Patterson was at the beach with family members and was last seen at a playground about 30 yards from the water.

Police chase ends in river

A soggy ending to a police chase in Downtown Evansville. Police say they were chasing 24-year-old Jason Rose on foot early Thursday morning, after he allegedly stole a vehicle. Police say Rose ran behind the Pagoda and onto the Greenway. As police approached, he jumped into the Ohio River. Police called for a fire department rescue team, but Rose came back out and was taken into custody. Rose faces preliminary charges of vehicle theft and resisting arrest.

Gibbs on the grow

Good paying jobs .... some 160 of them .... are coming to Henderson through a $23-million expansion of Gibbs Die Casting. The Henderson Gibbs facility employs more than 560 people. Kentucky encouraged the project with tax incentives of up to $3 million through the Kentucky Business Investment program. Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear joined local and company officials to make the announcement at the plant, owned by Koch Enterprises of Evansville. read more

Ivy Tech looking for tuition hike

Ivy Tech Community College is considering an increase in tuition for the next two years. The college system is considering a $20 increase per credit hour. The increase equates to 4.5 percent for the fall of 2013 and 4.3 percent for 2014.

Boil advisory issued for Evansville's Westside

A boil water advisory is issued... It invovles German Township Water District customers in Vanderburgh County on Bender Rd. north of Boonville New Harmony Rd. It also includes customers on Sensmeier Rd. east to St. Joseph Ave., and both Steinkuhl Ln. and Patdora Dr. A broken water main has been repaired but the temporary precautionary measure is recommended because the water pressure dropped below the required pressure for about two hours during repair work. WIKY News will let you know when the advisory has been lifted.

Evansville community pride to be on display

A number of downtown events will incorporate the "We Are Evansville" theme. Friday is a community pride day, the "Evening on the River" is that night, and a "Clean Evansville" pick-up Saturday morning will be folowed by a community photo and video shoot, that can later be viewed on YouTube. Pam Hight of the Parks Foundation teaches at USI, and that's where her class initiated the "We Are Evansville" campaign. She says the shoot starts at 11 a.m. read more

Sen. Rand Paul coming to Henderson

A rising star in the Republican party comes to Henderson July 1st to speak to a joint meeting of the chamber of commerce, the Henderson Breakfast Lions Club and the Henderson Lions Club. Kentucky Senator Rand Paul will keynote the gathering at the Henderson Fine Arts Center. His local speech will provide a break in his schedule of talking to voters in other state's -- including Iowa -- an early-voting state. Paul has made it clear he'd like to be president

Bradford appeal denied

The Indiana Court of Appeals agrees with a Vanderburgh County trial court's denial of an appeal by former Evansville Police Officer Patrick Bradford. Lawyers presented their cases in March at Indianapolis, and disagreed on whether Bradford received a strong defense at his trial. His attorney Hope Fey also said new scientific evidence raised questions about the timing of a fire in civilian jailer Tammy Lohr's home in 1992. Bradford was convicted of murder and arson for stabbing Lohr to death and setting the fire.

Fireworks store blaze destroys Dale building

A fire that started in a fireworks store destroys a building in Dale. It broke out at about 6:00 Tuesday night in the building on Washington Street in the Spencer County town. Fire Chief Can Reinke says when firefighters arrived, the entire building was engulfed in flames, and fireworks were flying. He says firefighters and spectators had to be moved back. Officials say everyone got out of the store and three apartments on the top floor of the building.