Local News from WIKY

The number of Indiana children who died from abuse or neglect has increased. The Department of Child Services say many of the deaths involved social issues that the department can‘t control. There were 40 deaths from abuse or neglect in 2011, which is up from 25 the previous year. It‘s the first year of a statewide hotline to report abuse and neglect. Nearly half the deaths from abuse were children under a year old.

The work to prepare the Owensboro Blue Bridge for cleaning and painting has begun. Transportation Cabinet Spokesman Keith Todd says the project's contractor got it underway Sunday night, and the bridge will likely be closed to traffic Sunday through Thursday, from 8 at night until 5 in the morning. Crews are installing rigging, that's needed for securing containment tarps, that will go up before the cleaning and painting begins in mid-March. The bridge will then be closed 24-7 until about mid-November.

  Gas prices have seen a spike in Indiana over the last few days, and one expert says it‘s due to problems in Chicago. Patrick DeHaan of GasBuddy.com says massive power outages in that area forced the shutdown of refineries and pipelines that carry gasoline through Indiana. DeHann says it‘s hard to say when prices will settle back down, but says it won‘t happen until traders regain confidence in the market.

Congressman Larry Buschon tells WIKY News that he supports the decison of Gov. Mike Pence to proceed cautiously on the proposed fertilizer plant at Mount Vernon. Buschon says questions must be answered about the involvement of Fatima, a Pakistani company, as a major part of the project. And Buschon is concerned about safety, following the blast that killed several persons and left 60 unaccounted for --and probably dead -- at West, Texas. Valley Watch President John Blair raises questions about the safety of the Mount Vernon project, and a similar undertaking at Rockport.