Friday’s News & Headlines with Kim Wells
Happy Halloween people!!! I’m dressed as a newsperson to celebrate the spooky Halloween holiday.
Police have now released the name of the man shot and killed Thursday evening on Indy’s northeast side. The victim is 25-year-old Derrick Thomas. Around 6:30 pm, metro police answered a call of several shots being fired in the 10100 block of Ellis Drive. When whey arrived on the scene, they found Thomas who was unidentified at the time, unconcious and shot multiple times. He was pronounced dead on the scene. The officers investigation led them to five suspects located in the 4100 block of Elmont Terrace whom they took into custody for questioning, three men and two women. At this time, none of the suspects has been arrested but investigators don’t believe Thomas’ murder was random. IMPD detectives are continuing to investigate. Have any info on this case? Call Crime Stoppers at 317-262-TIPS (8477).
A man was stabbed Halloween morning during an early morning robbery, according to Fox 59. Metro police answered a call in the 400 block of South Randolph Street around 6:30 a.m. That’s where they found the victim who was then taken to Eskenazi Hospital in stable, but serious, condition. Police are now looking for a red pickup truck in connection with this robbery. Have info? Call Crime Stoppers at 317-262-TIPS (8477).
A Greenwood man in police custody is accused of giving two underage girls “sex lessons.” Police arrested Jessie Rodarmel Thursday on charges of child molesting and dissemination of matter harmful to minors. The girls told investigators the 24-year-old made them watch pornography last summer and gave each of them 20 to 30 “sex lessons.” Rodarmel denies any sexual contact with the girls.
Major bus route changes are planned for public transportation in the city of Indianapolis. IndyGo says growing ridership and increased demand for more transit from the general public is requiring them to make a plan of action for the next five years to accommodate the new Downtown Transit Center which will open on Washington Street in 2015. To check out the plans and give your input, logon to their web at Indygo.net.
The town of Speedway is looking for a new fire chief. Mark Watson stepped down Monday, but no details have been released on what prompted the decision. A spokesman says Watson handed in his immediate resignation and town officials accepted it.
The man whose body was found in a Beech Grove fire died of a suicide. Marion County officials say Ryan Thomas died of a gunshot wound sometime before firefighters arrived at his home Wednesday morning. Firefighters found his body while battling the blaze near 6th Avenue and Albany Street. They found Thomas after climbing over piles of clutter and debris inside the burned home.
If you have leaves in your yard, pick-up is beginning soon. The Indianapolis Department of Public Works says they’ll collect leaves from November 10th through December 5th. You can dispose of as many as 40 bags per week on your regular trash day. Leaves must be in plastic or specially built large paper yard waste bags.
Cue the Ike & Tina Turner music…Some Indiana legislators want casinos to get “rolling OFF the river“…State legislative officials are recommending riverboat casinos be allowed to rebuild on land. They’re also proposing that horse track casinos be allowed to have live dealers. The package is meant to help Indiana casinos compete with those out of state–usually, just across the river in Cincy and Kentucky. This proposal will go in front of the full legislature in the next session starting in January.
A group made up of police wives are preparing for civil unrest that could happen after a grand jury returns a decision in the Michael Brown investigation. The St. Louis Police Wives Association is asking for donations of snack items, like nuts and trail mix. They also say cops are asking for energy drinks. A spokesperson for the group says all of this is to make sure officers have food in their stomach while working an expected 12 hour shift in Ferguson.
Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett is praising local, state, and federal law enforcement officers after the capture of suspected cop killer Eric Frein. Frein is accused of ambushing two Pennsylvania State Troopers, killing one of them. U.S. Marshals arrested Frein at an abandoned airport Thursday. He’s making his first court appearance this morning.
The U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations is checking herself for Ebola symptoms after a brief trip to West Africa. Samantha Power returned to New York Thursday and will report her temperature twice a day to the state health department for the next three weeks. Texas-based Kimberly-Clark is being sued for a half-billion dollars over accusations the company committed fraud in regard to Ebola protection. The lawsuit says the company sold surgical gowns they claimed could be used for protection against Ebola. The law firm behind the suit claims the gowns have failed industry tests, placing healthcare workers and patients at risk.
Crude oil prices keep falling. U.S. crude is now below $81 a barrel, the lowest it’s been in more than two years. It’s going down in Europe as well. Both could mean gas prices could continue to dip as well.
Back here at home…
Jobs are leaving the city. Genesis Casket is closing its plant on Indianapolis’ east side. The company’s 56 employees will be laid off beginning December 27th. There’s no word on why the plant is shutting down.
Cartoon character Garfield and his creator, Jim Davis, are joining a costumed Indiana Governor Mike Pence and his wife for some trick or treating festivities at the Governor’s mansion at 46th and Meridian Streets. Pence and the Missus who are dressing up as a beekeeper and his honeybee will pass out candy from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Be careful tonight if you’re heading out into the neighborhoods or going to costumed praise parties with the kids for Halloween.
Have you ever really wondered, what is Halloween? And, where did it come from? Here’s the skinny. Halloween has its modern origin in an ancient Celtic fire festival. Halloween is the Eve of All Saints Day, or All Hallows Eve. It’s believed to be a time when the dead and other demonic creatures rise to walk the earth again. Black cats became a symbol of the day because it was once believed that souls could travel back into the world of the living in the body of an animal, which was usually a black cat. The broomstick that a witch rides is symbolic of the magical powers of females, because it’s used to cleanse ritual places. Now you know.
INDIANAPOLIS WEATHER : Overcast with showers. Windy this afternoon. High 43 degrees. Tonight’s Trick or treating forecast…Windy. A mixture of rain and snow. There’s an active freeze warning because tonight’s low dips to 29 degrees.
IN SPORTS:
The Indiana Pacers are in action tonight in game two of their regular season. They take on the Memphis Grizzlies Friday with each team entering with a game a-piece under their belts. Tip at Banker’s Life Fieldhouse is at 7p.m. Up next, the Pacers at Atlanta Saturday at 7:30 p.m.
I’m Kim Wells. Enjoy your Halloween weekend and catch me on “Access Indy” with Kim Wells this Sunday morning at 8 8 a.m. Eastern on 106.7 WTLC.###
kimwellsmedia 103114 Twitter: @kwellscomm
#WTLCIndyNews #AccessIndy
