Don’t forget to nominate your Unsung Hero. TODAY is the Deadline. Look for the ‘Unsung’ link here on praiseindy.com!!!
Storm Deaths Suffered By Our Neighbor
The Weather Channel says storms swept through eight states Sunday including here, in Indiana. The death toll in our neighboring state Illinois has now reached six. Disruption there also included an evacuation of Soldier Field and a two-hour delay on a Bears home game against the Ravens.
Indiana Battered By Severe Storms, Tornadoes
National Weather Survey Teams from Indianapolis will be looking at storm damage across Central Indiana today. The Veedersburg-Lafayette-Kokomo area will see a team, another will go from Lebanon to Tipton and a third will check out the damage in Vincennes and Washington. A suspected tornado hit Lebanon hard, trapping around 20 people inside a Starbucks and tossing a car through its windows Sunday afternoon. Several people were injured in Kokomo, but no deaths are reported in the state from the storm.
Kokomo Mayor: Worst Storm In 48 Years
In his 48 years in Kokomo, Mayor Greg Goodnight says Sunday’s storms produced the worst damage he’s ever seen. The roof of a fire station collapsed onto a fire engine while cars piled on each other at an apartment complex. Plus there were several injuries. Governor Pence will be in Kokomo and in other areas later today to survey the storm-ravaged areas first-hand.
Utilities Working To Restore Power Following Sunday Storms
Utility crews are hard at work trying to get all the downed power lines back up and the lights on for thousands of Hoosiers. As of early Monday morning, Duke Energy had over 30-thousand customers in the dark, while Indianapolis Power and Light reported 74-hundred without electricity.
Scam Warning from State Police
As you attempt to regroup and recover after storm damage, Indiana State Police are warning you to protect yourselves from scammers. They tweeted that you should find reputable contractors and get references. They also urged citizens to report suspicious activity and check on elderly neighbors in the storm’s affected areas.
Accused Child Molester Arrested After Years On Run State police and federal agents finally have a 30-year-old man in custody after he spent seven years on the run evading child-molestation charges. Terry Waugh, Jr. was wanted in St. Joseph County and was caught hiding in the bathroom of a motel near Pokagon State Park early Saturday morning. Waugh now faces multiple felony charges.
Children In SUV With Sex Offender
Six children are in the custody of Child Protective Services. Metro police found them in an SUV with a registered sex offender asleep on the front seat. A gas station clerk told police the Suburban had been parked for six hours. No arrest was made after a 12-year-old said the man hadn’t done anything inappropriate.
IndyCar Driver Ed Carpenter Chauffeurs Santa Claus To Carmel Mall
Forget the reindeer. For Santa Claus’ arrival at Clay Terrace in Carmel on Saturday, he was driven in a two-seater IndyCar with racer Ed Carpenter at the wheel. The mall set up a winner’s circle for Santa, who downed a bottle of milk in the spirit of the winners of the Indianapolis 500. School kids joined him to light the community Christmas tree after the ceremony.
“USA Today” Amends “Best Man” Box Office Headline After Complaints
“USA Today” is drawing fire for its race-themed headline in connection to the box office hit “The Best Man Holiday.” While we were dodging high winds and tornados, here in Indy, social media was blowing up Sunday after the daily posted the online headline, “‘Holiday’ Nearly Beats ‘Thor’ as Race-Themed Films Soar.” Many on Twitter called the headline racially insensitive, blasting the paper for labeling the romantic-comedy sequel about a group of friends gathering for the holidays “race-themed.” “USA Today” changed its tune and edited the headline to read “‘Holiday’ Nearly Beats ‘Thor’ as Ethnically Diverse Films Soar” online and deleted its original tweet. The paper’s follow-up article also made mention of films like “Fruitvale Station” and “The Butler” as successful box office films that also had predominantly African-American casts.
Old Friends Reuniting On-Screen Means Box Office Bucks “The Best Man Holiday” made a strong debut at the weekend box office behind the superhero sequel “Thor: The Dark World,” which grossed 38-point-five-million-dollars in its second weekend in theaters. Reuniting original stars from “The Best Man” after 15 year, Taye Diggs, Nia Long, Terrence Howard and the others pulled loyalists into theatres with a strong 30-point-five-million-dollar showing. That almost doubles the 17-million-dollar budget from the first film in the series.
Black Film’s History in Indianapolis
Did you know on this date, November 18, 1992, Spike Lee’s film “Malcolm X” starring Denzel Washington opened in theaters across the U.S. Indianapolis was one of three cities across the country to host a national premiere. The star-studded event held here was hosted by the Indianapolis Association of Black Journalists, Indiana Black Expo and others bringing a touch of Hollywood to the Madame C.J. Walker Theatre on Indiana Avenue.
Monday’s Weather:
Tornadoes and storms have moved out of the area leaving cooler temps and a breeze—mostly sunny and windy today. The high will be 50 degrees.
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