Local News

A criminal investigation ends - but an Internal Investigation will continue at the Evansville Police Deparrment after the family of  a local school student filed a complaint against an EPD officer last week. A police department spokesman says the department has been working closely with the family. The EPD told the family it would pursue charges the same as they would with any other citizen. The mother advised the department that the student didn't want to see the officer charged criminally and the parents concurred with his wishes.

Lottery officials say Powerball paid off for Hoosiers even though someone in Florida is the winner of the historic $590,000 jackpot. There‘s $148,000 worth of winning Powerball tickets in Indiana. Tickets sold in Evansville, Brownstown, Crown Point, Elkhart, Fort Wayne, Hobart, Kokomo and Spencer are worth $10,000 each.

Posey County Republican lawmaker Wendy McNamara says Fatima Group still has her support. Republican Gov. Mike Pence withdrew the state's financial backing of the Pakistan-based fertilizer company. He was concerned about security risks voiced by the Pentagon about the company's fertilizer being used in terrorist bombs that have killed American GI's overseas. Fatima owns 48 percent of Midwest Fertilizer which wants to build an almost $2 billion plant in Mount Vernon. McNamara says the company has reduced risks associated with its products.

Hundreds were biking, rollerblading, and dancing on Fulton Avenue Sunday. The stretch of Fulton between Columbia and Diamond was closed to cars and trucks for Evansville Streets Alive. Gloria Schwartz of the Healthier Evansville Committee says the goal was to get kids and adults out of the house and to exercise. Vendors lined the street to promote healthy foods and choices. Organizers hope to put-on a third Streets Alive event next year.

It looks like the Twin Bridges will need another coat of paint soon. Keith Todd of the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet says the paint that was applied in 2007 is already deteriorating, especially on the northbound bridge. Todd says the paint manufacturer altered the paint recipe, so it didn't adhere to the bridge as well as it should. He says that manufacturer has been removed from the supplier list. The last painting cost $21 million.

Purdue is studying how autism develops in young children.  Researchers are seeking infants between 6 and 18 months who have an older sibling with autism.  Purdue will observe the children until they are 2 and a half years old, assessing language development, physiological development, and several other developmental areas.  For more information or to enroll a child in the study, call 765-494-6610 or email AJLab@purdue.edu

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway announced Friday that six World War II-era planes will fly over the world‘s most famous racecourse prior to the start of the 97th running of the Indianapolis 500. The pre-race flyover will feature a North American B-25 Mitchell, nicknamed "Axis Nightmare," and five North American T-6 Texan trainer aircraft. The planes will fly over the speedway at the conclusion of the National Anthem.

We may be punching-in more numbers in the future. The Indiana Office of Utility Consumer Counselor is recommending the all-services overlay option for implementing a new telephone area code. It would overlay the 812 area code, because the 812 exchange will run-out out of numbers by 2015. We'd be required to include 812 or the new overlay number in all local calls. The new code would be used for new phones and services beginning in late 2014 or 2015. Calls that are local before a new area code is added would remain local afterward.

Republican Congressman Larry Buschon of Newburgh is supporting legislation that would make an end-run around President Obama on the Keystone XL Pipeline project. He testified at a committee hearing on the bill. Buschon says President Obama has been studying the Keystone Pipeline longer than World War II lasted - and it's time to move the project forward.

For the first time, Indiana will earmark some state funding for preschool next school year -- but not as much as advocates had hoped for. Indiana will offer four-million dollars over the next two years to preschools to give more pupils an early start. House Republicans had proposed $14 million for a pilot program in five counties to give scholarships directly to low-income students to pay for preschool.