Rick has been a member of the WFPL News team since 2001 and has covered numerous beats and events over the years. Most recently he’s been tracking the Indiana General Assembly and the region’s passion for sports, especially college basketball.
Indiana officials are working to formalize regulations for tornado sirens, but some counties could decide not to install them.
The regulations being finalized by the Indiana Department of Homeland Security allow each county to decide whether it needs sirens.
The agency recommends sirens for counties with more than four homes per acre and for urban and commercial areas with more than 2,500 people present per square mile during the day. Sirens also are recommended near major highways.
The Transit Authority of River City’s Board of Directors has approved several service reductions that will take effect in August, but the cuts are not as steep as originally proposed.
Under a plan approved by the board today, half of the cuts proposed two months ago will be spared, due to lower than estimated diesel fuel costs, a boost in occupational tax revenue in May and in response to public input. TARC gets much of its funding from the occupational tax.
Louisville developer Ed Hart says he’d be open to resuming talks with the state fair board to get the Kentucky Kingdom amusement park back up and running, but such negotiations don’t appear likely.
A week ago, the Koch family pulled out of its agreement to reopen the park as Bluegrass Boardwalk. The owners of Indiana’s Holiday World cited potential problems that could arise from leasing the property from the state.
The former chief of the McMahan Fire Department has admitted to taking some $200,000 collected for the Crusade for Children.
Under a plea agreement announced today, Paul Barth faces a recommended sentence of three years and five months in prison for mail fraud, wire fraud and money laundering.
He must also pay $190,000 in restitution to the crusade and more than $8,000 to the McMahan Fire District.
Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels speaks at Purdue University following his election by school trustees. Looking on is trustees chair Keith Krach.
(Photo courtesy of Purdue University)
The Purdue University Board of Trustees made it officials today, selecting Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels to be the school’s 12th president.
Daniels will assume the post when his second and final term as governor ends in January.
"The balance of this calendar year I will use the time not consumed by my current duties to begin the process of earning by learning. Effective immediately, I will recuse myself from any partisan political activities or commentary," Daniels said.
Artist LeRoy Neiman is flanked by boxing trainer Angelo Dundee, left, and photographer Howard Bingham. They were in Louisville for the grand opening of the Muhammad Ali Center in 2005
(Photo by Rick Howlett)
Artist LeRoy Neiman has died at age 91 in New York.
Neiman was best known for evoking the kinetic energy of the world's biggest sporting and leisure events with bright quick strokes. He was a contributing artist at Playboy magazine for many years and was the official painter of five Olympiads.
