Ice, tomatoes, squash make going tough for drivers on I-57

If the ice wasn’t enough of a problem, motorists along I-57 had to deal with tomatoes and squash on the road following one of 11 crashes early Wednesday, one of which closed I-57 for about four hour. Illinois State Police District 21 reported 11 crashes …

Trucker sought for threatening girlfriend with gun

JOLIET — Police are looking for an Indianapolis trucker who stuck a gun in his girlfriend’s mouth when she accompanied him to pick up a trailer at an intermodal in Joliet early Wednesday, police said. He is currently being sought in the Indianapolis area.

Lt. …

Indiana colleges respond to calls to trim tuition

That laid-back, slow motion atmosphere on college campuses during the summer months is about to shift. Purdue University’s West Lafayette campus has announced a move to a year-round trimester calendar and Indiana University campuses are slashing tuition 25 percent on all its campuses to bolster …

Militia trial starts with jury picks; Hammond man among accused

DETROIT — Nearly two years after arrests, jury selection began Tuesday in a trial against seven people including a Hammond man, accused of conspiring to rebel against the government as members of a southern Michigan militia. U.S. District Judge Victoria Roberts asked potential jurors, one …

Ex-GOP prosecutor running as Democrat for congress

WARSAW (AP) — The former Republican prosecutor for Kosciusko County is seeking the Democratic nomination to challenge Republican Rep. Marlin Stutzman in this year’s election. Warsaw attorney David Kolbe is the third candidate to file for the May 8 Democratic primary for northeastern Indiana’s 3rd …

FAA asks school district to downsize wind turbine

GREENTOWN (AP) — A central Indiana school district has downsized its planned wind turbine after the Federal Aviation Administration raised concerns about the height of the project that would generate power for the district’s schools. Eastern Howard Schools announced plans last year to build a …

Bloomington exhibit will feature 5-foot-tall brains

BLOOMINGTON (AP) — An Indiana brain scientist whose memoir about her recovery from a stroke became a best-seller has dreamed up an exhibit featuring giant brains that will be mounted around Bloomington this spring. Bloomington-based brain scientist, author and motivational speaker Jill Bolte Taylor says …

Iraqi war vet killed himself in treacherous cave

LEAVENWORTH — An Iraq war veteran and carving enthusiast who was reported missing four months ago died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound inside a treacherous cave in southern Indiana, authorities said Tuesday. Kevin Eve, 25, of Georgetown, Ind., was last seen Oct. 1, and his …

110 mph Amtrak service approved in Indiana, Michigan

Good news for Amtrak riders in western Michigan and northern Indiana: you’ll be getting to your destinations a lot faster. Amtrak and the Michigan Dept. of Transportation have received federal approval to increase maximum speeds of Amtrak trains in western Michigan and northern Indiana to …

Appeals Court: California gay marriage ban unconstitutional

SAN FRANCISCO — A federal appeals court on Tuesday declared California’s same-sex marriage ban to be unconstitutional, putting the bitterly contested, voter-approved law on track for likely consideration by the U.S. Supreme Court. A three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled …

Komen official quits in wake of Planned Parenthood dispute

An executive with the Susan G. Komen for the Cure breast-cancer charity has resigned after a dispute over funding for Planned Parenthood. The resignation came in a letter obtained by The Associated Press. Karen Handel announced her resignation as vice president for public policy in …

Dems ask court to replace secretary of state

INDIANAPOLIS — The Indiana Democratic Party on Monday asked the state appeals court to replace convicted Republican Secretary of State Charlie White with the Democratic candidate White defeated in the 2010 election. The push to prevent Gov. Mitch Daniels from being able to appoint a …

Marion County judge blocks House Dem right-to-work fines

INDIANAPOLIS — A Marion County judge has ordered Indiana House Republicans to return some fines levied against House Democrats in the right-to-work battle and has blocked other fines. Marion County Superior Court Judge David Dreyer ordered Monday that fines against Democrats because of last year’s …

Authorities: Body in cave may be missing man

LEAVENWORTH (AP) — Authorities say a body discovered in a cave at a state forest along the Ohio River in southern Indiana may be a man reported missing four months ago. Indiana Department of Natural Resources spokesman Phil Bloom says items found near the body …

Dad files lawsuit over breast cancer awareness bracelet

LAFAYETTE (AP) — The father of a Monticello eighth-grade student who was told by school officials he could be punished if he continued to wear a bracelet promoting breast cancer awareness by using the word “boobies” has filed a lawsuit in federal court. The lawsuit …