Source: Apostrophe Productions / Getty
Get In the Know With Kim’s Thursday News & Sports Headlines
Local:
In a three-hour stretch between Wednesday night and early Thursday morning two people were killed leaving Indy Metro Police investigating what happened. The first shooting happened around 10:30 p.m. in the 3100 block of North Eastern Avenue. That’s where a resident discovered a man in the street, flagged down an officer and his K9 partner and then it was determined the male victim had been shot. He was taken to IU-Methodist Hospital where he later died. Later, around 1:30 a.m., in the 10000 block of Pineneedle Court, two men took fire after they were followed to a vacant apartment in an apartment complex. One man was shot multiple times and died at the scene. The other was able to flee and call police. Police ask if you have any info on either of these deadly shootings, or at least two other shootings that happened in the city overnight where the victims survived, to give them a call at Crime Stoppers at 317-262-TIPS.
A Northwest High School student is recovering after being stabbed by another student during a fight. IPS says student safety is their top priority and the altercation is under investigation. They also say appropriate corrective action will be taken.
The grade school principal, who was struck and killed by a school bus on Tuesday, will be laid to rest this weekend. Visitation for Susan Jordan will be held Friday from 2-to-8 p.m. at St. Luke’s United Methodist Church at 100 West 86th Street on Indy’s north side. The funeral is Saturday there at 3 p.m. Governor Mike Pence is directing flags at state facilities in Marion County be flown at half-staff on Saturday in honor of the Amy Beverland Elementary school principal. She reportedly pushed many children out of the way, sparing their lives before losing her own. Police say nothing was mechanically wrong with the bus that crashed into a few students, who are now recovering, and Jordan. Operator error is being considered as a cause.
Source: Getty / Getty
The latest plan to give gays and lesbians civil rights protections here in Indiana would essentially take the state back to before last year’s heated battle over the same issue. In a startling move on Wednesday night, a Senate panel approved a plan to extend protections for gays and lesbians, but specifically not to transgenders. A transgendered veteran, Rhiannon Carlson, weighed in by saying, “to honor them (transgenders), I choose to continue living a life of service to my two communities—veterans and transgendered Americans, but more broadly, I continue to strive to the idea that we are all Americans and we’re all worth fighting for.” Carlson says she’ll have to continue trying to survive without the same protections as everybody else under the plan. Senate leaders say it’s not clear if the proposal stands a chance in the full Senate.
Source: Richard Ellis / Getty
Also a plan to restrict public records requests by media and others for the recorded footage from police body cameras, and therefore, keeping them secret here in the state advanced at the Statehouse also on Wednesday afternoon. By a 65-30 vote, the Indiana House passed House Bill 1019, which how heads to the Senate. If approved there, it will be sent to Governor Mike Pence’s desk for a signature to become law. Opponents, like those with the Indiana Broadcasters Association say this legislation sets a bad precedent. IBA’s chairman has said previously about this legislation, “In an era when the public is demanding more accountability with law enforcement – not less – it’s simply wrong to deny access to recorded activities of those who are sworn to protect and defend the public.” In real world application, think what would have happened in Chicago if no one saw the police footage of the shooting of Laquan McDonald.
Hoosiers are going to have to wait to be able to buy beer or liquor on Sundays. A House panel shot down the idea, once again, on Wednesday. Few lawmakers oppose selling booze on Sunday. The source of contention in this fight is a decision that needs to be made on who gets to sell beer and liquor on Sundays–grocery stores or liquor stores. The grocers support the idea, but the liquor store lobby is fighting the move.
The woman police say drove into three emergency responders, including two firefighters, is now facing drunk driving charges. Indianapolis Metro Police officers arrested Kaitlyn Carlson for OWI. Investigators say Carlson smashed into a car that had already been wrecked. The firefighters and an EMT were responding to that first wreck. Both firefighters were transferred to IU-Health Methodist Hospital.
In International & National News:
Ceremonies are being held at NASA centers across the country today to mark the 30th anniversary of the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster. NASA’s administrator will lay a wreath at Arlington National Cemetery for the victims of the disaster. This was a moment in time that you remember where you were when you heard the news. Challenger exploded barely a minute into the flight after its takeoff, killing all seven on board including schoolteacher Christa McAuliffe and African-American astronaut trailblazer Ronald McNair.
Source: cnn / CNN
Michigan Governor Rick Snyder is asking the state for money to keep Flint residents from having to pay for tainted water. Snyder said yesterday he’s looking to get three-million dollars from the state’s budget to assist city residents who are still getting water bills. Meantime, a new federal lawsuit accuses Flint and state of Michigan officials of continuing to violate the federal Safe Drinking Water Act. In the meanwhile, Snyder has formed a 17-member committee who will be charged with making the decisions for long-term solution to fix the lead contaminated water issues in the city. The panel will also make recommendations to those exposed to lead and take steps to improve communication between local agencies and the state. The committee will include Flint Mayor Karen Weaver, Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha, and Virginia Tech professor Marc Edwards who has studied lead contaminated water.
Officials in Ferguson, Missouri are seeking the public’s input to an agreement reached with the Justice Department on the operation of the city’s police department. The proposed deal would revise the department’s use of force and stop and search policies. It would also require a change in the city’s municipal code, including the sections that impose prison time for failure to pay certain fines and not complying with police orders. The proposed consent decree comes ten month’s after the Justice Department’s blistering report of the city’s racially-biased police tactics following the shooting death of Michael Brown. The agreement must be approved by the Ferguson City Council.
Source: Jacom Stephens / Getty
A check of maintenance records shows that Chicago police officers routinely sabotaged the audio components of their dash cam video systems. DNAinfo reports that 1,800 police maintenance logs show that officer error and “intentional destruction” were responsible for the lack of audio on 80 percent of dash cam videos before a management crackdown last month. The squad car used by officer Jason Van Dyke the night he shot and killed Laquan McDonald had multiple video system repairs, including some for intentional damage. Only two of five squad cars at the scene that night in 2014 had functioning cameras and none recorded audio. Read the full story by reporters Mark Konkol and Paul Biasco HERE.
Oregon authorities are trying to convince the last protestors occupying a wildlife refuge to leave. A statement from the FBI says federal and local authorities have set up checkpoints near the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge. They say they are “working around the clock to empty the refuge of armed occupiers in the safest way possible.” Three more protesters were arrested overnight as they approached one of those checkpoints manned by the FBI and Oregon State Police. Five others in the group were released. It’s unclear how many protestors are still inside. The leader of the protest, Ammon Bundy, was arrested Tuesday with several other occupiers while driving to a speaking event. Shots were fired during the arrest and one of his supporters was killed.
Hundreds of guns, badges, credentials, and cell phones are missing at the Department of Homeland Security. A new report from the website Complete Colorado reveals that more than 160 firearms have been lost or stolen over the last two and a half years. Thirteen-hundred badges or credentials have been lifted or misplaced. Most of the missing items belonged to Customs and Border Protection or Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers, while some of the guns were property of the Transportation Safety Administration.
Source: Mario Tama / Getty
The World Health Organization is considering declaring a public health emergency over the spread of the Zika virus. The WHO will convene an emergency meeting in Geneva on Monday, saying the level of alarm is “extremely high,” especially among pregnant women and their doctors because the virus is passed from the mother to the fetus. Zika is spread by mosquitoes and can cause microcephaly, a rare disease in which babies are born with small heads and brains. A simple mosquito bite and no vaccine is at the center of their concerns. The CDC has issued a travel advisory to more than two dozen Latin American and Caribbean countries and territories, including the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. Meanwhile back here the U.S., the Zika virus is now being confirmed in ten states. Cases have turned up in New York, New Jersey, Hawaii, Florida, California, Texas, Arkansas, Virginia, Illinois and Texas.
Today is the day that Walmart is closing over 130 stores, as part of its plan to shut down a total of 154 stores across the country. The outlets targeted for closing are mainly Walmart express stores—small stores set up for convenience—that were to go head-to-head with convenience retailers like the 7-Eleven chains. These are generally not the Walmart Neighborhood Market stores. The retail giant’s move will affect about 10,000 employees, although the company has said it would try to place laid-off workers at other stores. Critics say this move will create food deserts in several states. Most items at the stores about to close their doors have been marked down by 75 percent, which may be a silver lining to those who’d like to stock up before the doors shutter.
Republicans will debate tonight in Iowa without their frontrunner on the stage. Donald Trump is sticking to his guns and will skip the Fox News debate because of a long-simmering dispute with the network and his beef with yet another high profile woman, Megyn Kelly. Trump will instead hold what his campaign is calling a “special event” tonight in Des Moines that is a benefit for veterans organizations.
In Sports:
The Indiana Pacers will try to break a three-game slide tonight as they host the Atlanta Hawks at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. The Pacers have dropped six of their past seven games overall, and now sit with a record of 23-and-22. The Hawks enter tonight’s match-up at 27-and-20 after losing to the Clippers Wednesday night. Tip is at 7 p.m. Eastern.
Three Colts players will represent the Indianapolis franchise in Sunday’s Pro Bowl in Hawaii. In Wednesday night’s Pro Bowl Draft, cornerback Vontae Davis and safety Mike Adams were both chosen to play for Team Rice, captained by Hall of Fame wide receiver and Circle City Classic inaugural alum Jerry Rice. Rice played in the first CCC game in the Colt’s stadium in 1984 for Mississippi Valley State. So this teaming may be more than fitting.
Source: Streeter Lecka / Getty
Superstar Panthers’ quarterback Cam Newton tackled a sensitive subject today though he is usually hesitant to talk about how people perceive him. Newton is now saying for the first time that race factors into why he’s often criticized. Less than two weeks before appearing in his first Super Bowl, Newton said, “I’m an African-American quarterback that scares people because they haven’t seen nothing that they can compare me to.” The MVP candidate put up record-breaking numbers this season, but some critics among the public have a distaste for his playing style and regular on-field celebrations. Newton will lead his team against ‘#Colt4Life’ Peyton Manning and his current team, the Denver Broncos during next month’s Super Bowl.
Source: The New York Times / The New York Times
In tennis…Serena Williams will play for her seventh Australian Open title after defeating No. 4 ranked Agnieszka Radwanska 6-0, 6-4 in the semifinals at Melbourne Park. Williams will take on German player Angelique Kerber who beat Brit Johanna Konta 7-5, 6-2. The championship match is set for Saturday night. Williams is just one win away from her 22nd Grand Slam title, which would tie her with Steffi Graf for the most in the Open Era.
Weather:
An overcast afternoon is expected after a morning of scattered clouds. Snow flurries are possible into the evening. Today’s High: 42 degrees. Tonight’s Low: 25 degrees.
Finally:
Source: Michael Stewart / Getty
Tyra Banks is a new mom. The former supermodel and her photographer boyfriend Erik Asla announced Wednesday that they’d welcomed their first baby with the help of a surrogate. The couple named their baby boy York Banks Asla. Breaking the news on her Instagram, Tyra said York has her eyes and Erik’s chin.
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