IndyStar.com: News
Indiana's leading news source for all the top stories, local news, sports and weather.
Local bands dominate list of 10 finalists for Bands of America competition
Indianapolis-area bands dominated the list of 10 finalists chosen at the Bands of America regional competition this afternoon at the Lucas Oil Stadium to compete in tonight’s regional finals. The 10 marching bands, in alphabetical order, are Avon,...
Wisconsin runner finishes first in Indy's Monumental Marathon
Thousands of marathon runners winding their way through Downtown and the Northside on Saturday under a sunny sky included Niklas Kroehn. Kroehn, 37, came from his home in Villach,, Austria, for his first visit to the Midwest to participate in...
Bloomington mayor: Limit chain stores downtown
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — A Bloomington business group is opposing the mayor’s push to ban new chain stores and restaurants from parts of the city’s downtown. The Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce says a survey of its members found many against the...
Budget cuts best option for now, Daniels says
Governor sees trims as way to avoid pay cuts or layoffs By calling Friday for emergency budget cuts that include a pay freeze for the state’s 30,487 employees, Gov. Mitch Daniels said he hopes to avoid measures such as pay cuts, unpaid...
Indiana legislators mum on how they're leaning on health-care reform bill
Even Democrats aren’t tipping their hand on bill, which Obama wants but is politically sensitive WASHINGTON — Indiana’s Democratic lawmakers are keeping their opinions on the House’s health-care reform bill to themselves....
Remaining vigilant on civil rights
Indiana’s latest cross-burning case illustrates challenge facing state and feds Cross burnings may seem like a relic from a dark chapter in American history, but an incident in Indiana resulted this week in prison sentences of a year or more...
Graffitist 'CHOKE' tagged, police say
Miguel Villanueva has painted a reputation from California and Las Vegas to Cincinnati and Bloomington, police say. Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department detectives believe the Richmond man is the artist “CHOKE,” who has left his...
Daniels says 'no dice' to tax breaks for casinos
Gov. Mitch Daniels had two words Friday for Indiana casinos seeking tax breaks to ward off new competitors in Ohio: Forget it. After Tuesday’s approval of an Ohio referendum to create land-based casinos in Columbus, Cincinnati, Cleveland and...
Student on her way to bus stop is raped
A 15-year-old girl was raped Friday morning as she walked to her school bus stop on the Eastside, police said. The attack occurred about 6:30 a.m. in the 1200 block of North Tuxedo Street, said Sgt. Paul Thompson, spokesman for the Indianapolis...
Prisoner: Reese said he lay in wait for officer
A jury heard testimony Friday from a man who shared a holding cell with the defendant accused of shooting Indianapolis police officer Jason Fishburn in the head during a foot chase. Brian Reese said he waited for Fishburn around the corner of a house...
Two children, mother critical after I-65 crash
An Illinois woman and her two young children were critically injured Friday when a recreational vehicle smashed into their car, setting off a chain-reaction crash on I-65. Indiana State Police said six vehicles were involved in the 5:40 p.m. crash,...
Dad: Soldier raised in Ind. killed in Fort Hood
INDIANAPOLIS — An Indiana man says his son was among the 13 people killed when an Army psychiatrist allegedly opened fire on fellow soldiers at Fort Hood, Texas. Daniel DeCrow of Fulton, Ind., told The Associated Press that 32-year-old Army...
15-year-old girl raped while walking to bus stop
A 15-year-old girl was raped Friday morning as she walked to her school bus stop on the Eastside, police said. The attack occurred about 6:30 a.m. in the 1200 block of North Tuxedo Street, said Sgt. Paul Thompson, spokesman for the Indianapolis...
Feds in Indianapolis say hate crimes are top priority
Federal authorities who gathered today in Indianapolis to highlight efforts to crack down on hate crimes pointed to a case out of Muncie as a reason for vigilance. On Thursday, a U.S. District Court judge sentenced three men for their involvement in...
Graffiti in Downtown Indianapolis leads police to arrest 'Choke'
Police have arrested a graffiti vandal who they say has wreaked $100,000 in damage on businesses and other property across the city. Miguel Villanueva, 23, Richmond, Ind., was prelimiinarily charged Thursday with three counts of misdemeanor criminal...
Indiana school districts warned about spending
Indiana school districts have been put on notice that the state budget crunch may soon come to them and that they should hold off on major expenditures. Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Bennett told districts around the state in a conference...
Daniels cutting state spending, no pay raises
Gov. Mitch Daniels this morning announced an additional $300 million to $400 million in state spending cuts, including no pay raises for state employee and a moratorium on most state building projects. Daniels said the cuts are necessary after state...
Indiana Muslims denounce Fort Hood shootings
Indiana’s Muslim community is reacting swiftly to denounce the mass shootings at Fort Hood, Texas, which appear to have been perpetrated by a Muslim Army officer. “As American Muslims, we are terribly saddened and hurt by the cruel and...
Feds indict two for computer intrusion
A federal grand jury in Indianapolis has indicted two men on charges that they illegally accessed their former employer’s computer system for financial gain. Forty-five-year-old Scott R. Burgess of Jasper, Ind., and 39-year-old Walter D....
IU takes H1N1 vaccine reservations
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Indiana University is taking reservations for Bloomington students and employees who want to get a free swine flu shot once the vaccine arrives on campus. IU is taking reservations online and will give the H1N1 vaccine to...
Cash-strapped Muncie shutting off street lights
MUNCIE, Ind. — Many streetlights will be going off soon in a central Indiana city in a budget-cutting move. The Muncie City Council has slashed its $630,000 streetlight budget in half as it tries to close a $1.5 million spending shortfall for...
Car chase ends at airport as driver jumps or falls off ramp
Indianapolis resident who fled police after traffic stop is listed in serious condition A 44-year-old man fell or jumped Thursday from an elevated ramp at Indianapolis International Airport after a car chase that ended in a crash, police said....
Evidence-gathering comes under scrutiny at Reese trial
A defense lawyer challenged evidence-collection efforts Thursday during the trial of a man charged with attempted murder in the shooting of Indianapolis police officer Jason Fishburn. The Porter County jury also heard from detectives Steven Scott and...
Neighbors help police nab slaying suspect
Eastside residents who knew victim provided key clues that led to woman’s arrest A tattoo, a red purse and a birthday boast. That’s all Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department detectives had to work with when they found Gregory Ray...
For Mind Trust, star power
Jane Pauley first heard about The Mind Trust this spring during a dinner party focused on education issues in Washington. By the end of the dinner, she wanted to know more. The former “Today” show host was intrigued by the nonprofit...
Fort Hood victims include former Indiana man
A former Lafayette man stationed at the U.S. Army base in Fort Hood is being treated for two gunshot wounds, caused when another soldier opened fire Thursday afternoon at the post in Texas. One bullet grazed Nathan A. Hewitt’s hip. A second...
Army: Fort Hood shootings suspect is alive
FORT HOOD, Texas — A military mental health doctor facing deployment overseas opened fire at the Fort Hood Army post on Thursday, setting off on a rampage that killed 12 people and left 31 wounded, Army officials said. Authorities said immediately...
Four school districts sign on to lawsuit
At least four school districts have signed onto a class-action lawsuit, seeking millions of dollars in health insurance credits owed to them by the Indiana State Teachers Union Insurance Trust. David Day, an attorney with the Hamilton County firm...
Car chase ends at Indy airport
An Indianapolis man led Plainfield police on a car chase today from that Hendricks County town to the Indianapolis International Airport, where that man apparently jumped or fell from an elevated ramp. The injured man, tentatively identified by...
Drunken driving excuse amuses Indiana State Police
PORTAGE, Ind. — A northern Indiana driver arrested with a blood-alcohol level nearly four times Indiana’s threshold today claimed his innocence with a novel defense, police said. “Dude, I do this every night; I’m straight up...
