A Christmas Story

Merry Christmas everyone!

I am sharing a holiday shopping story from last year. It reminds me that it's not the most expensive or biggest present under the tree that matters the most.

"My 6 year old son insisted on getting me a present to put under our Christmas tree. Surprisingly on Christmas Eve the Tippecanoe Mall was not packed with last minute shoppers. Brett and I went into JC Penney, where he tried to pick out something for me. Soon it became evident there was no way this could happen without me seeing what he had chosen. I couldn't let a child roam freely around the store, nor let him loose with my credit card. Poor Brett was so frustrated he began to cry.

I turned to one of the sales associates behind the jewelry counter. The woman gladly accepted the challenge and helped Brett pick out a gift. They spent quite a bit of time looking. Then, he proudly brought the box to the counter, where I paid for it. The sales associate asked Brett if he wanted the gift wrapped. At first he said yes, then changed his mind. Brett wanted to wrap the present himself. So, the sales associate escorted Brett behind the counter where they proceeded to wrap the gift together. They put so much care and attention (and tape) into it. Now, I was the one starting to cry.

I glanced at the sale associate's name tag. It was Whitney. Thank you Whitney and the others at JC Penney for helping a little boy pick out and wrap the perfect present for his mom! The gift turned out to be a pretty, heart-shaped necklace, that I will cherish forever."

Shop With A Cop

About 25 children enjoyed shopping Saturday morning at the Lafayette Wal-mart with some local police officers. This is the sixth or seventh year I have helped with the event. I look forward to it each year. It really makes the holiday season!
Each child picks up a few 'necessities,' like socks, shoes and sweatshirts. Then, he or she gets to pick up a few fun items, like toys and DVDs. The shopping excursion ends with a visit with Santa. Believe it or not, one girl asked for more snow!


My little shopper was Lacy. She's a student at Klondike Middle School. Our cart filled fast with many items associated with 'High School Musical.' She picked out some clothes, the sound track and the latest release 'High School Musical 2.'

Congratulations Kelly

Congratulations to our morning meteorologist Kelly Greene. She won WLFI-TV's employee of the year award. The announcement was made at our company Christmas party Saturday. Stations throughout LIN Television select employees for the honor, the Circle of Excellence. Next year all the winners will be treated to a cruise. Kelly was chosen for her positive attitude and the energy she shows every morning giving the weather.
This is a picture of Kelly on national television. She joined the crowd outside the broadcast of the CBS Early Show in New York city in September.

Ice, Ice

Ice is everywhere! The slick road conditions prompted many schools to start on a two hour delay. North White School Corporation and a couple others to our north closed for the day. Unfortunately, we have covered several accidents, including some fatal wrecks. Our news and weather departments are watching the changing road and weather conditions. We will show school closings on the bottom of your screen. We will also announce when big businesses cancel shifts or close. There is a complete listing of closings/cancellations for organizations, clubs, and other businesses on our web page.

Christmas Parade

Rain poured on the Lafayette Christmas parade. I was pleasantly surprised to see so many people bundled up under umbrellas and ponchos to watch the festivities. Understandably, the number of people lining the streets was down from previous years. Maybe it was everyone wanting to get through quickly, but the parade down Main Street and over the bridge moved at a pretty brisk pace. This was Brett's first year to walk (instead of being pulled in the wagon). He helped carry our banner.

The News Channel 18 crew gathered by our live truck about 30 minutes before the 2:00 parade start. Our weather folks, Mike Prangley, Steve Scherer, and Kelly Greene correctly predicted the rain. Even though some of us were hoping for snow instead.

You can watch the Christmas Parade on Channel 18 Noon-1:30 on December 15th and again on Christmas Day from 5:00p.m.-6:30p.m.

Distinguished Families

Family Services honored several people, including three distinguished families at a ceremony Monday night at the Lafayette Country Club. The organization chose three families based on the 40 developmental assets needed to succeed in life. The winners are: Doug and Laurie Cupp and their children; William and Pat Calhoun and their children; and Paul and Beth Krogmann and their children. The Tempest Scholarship Award went to Cory Nordenbrock of Crawfordsville High School. The Lillian Kaplan Human Service Award went to North Central Health Services. The business partner of the year was Pay Les Super Markets. Volunteer of the year Awards went to Dan Oldenkamp and Vicki Toole from Pay Less for their help in raising money for Family Services' Penny Harvest. The Family Advocacy Award went to Patty Jischke for her work with the Alliance for Children and Families. For more information about Family Services Inc. you can contact them at (765) 423-5361 ext. 2330. www.fsilafayette.org

More Turkey

Hope you are enjoying your Thanksgiving holiday weekend. Today you will see reports from the Community Thanksgiving Dinner at Central Presbyterian Church. Hundreds of people will show up for turkey and the trimmings. Some people are in need, others just want to share the holiday with others.
Spiro Moisidis and his daughter Maria have reopened the Nirvana Restaurant. They are now located in the old Arby's at US 52 and Teal. Many of you may remember the restaurant when it was located at US 52 and SR 26. Even though the restaurant opened only a few days ago, Spiro will be offering free Thanksgiving meals today. It was a tradition he started in 1996 after his restaurant was destroyed by fire. I remember talking to Spiro then. He told me he had much to be thankful for and this was his way to give back to the community. The free meals are offered from 4:00p.m.-8:00p.m. tonight.
I have much to be thankful for this year. Most of all being able to spend time with my mom, family and friends. Above is a picture from a friend's annual gingerbread making contest. I worked with Emilee, Debbie and Tom to create a ranch. The barn was filled with candy corn and the grass was frosting with green sprinkles. Others made a castle, the North Pole, and a race car. There is some serious competition there. I guess I have a year to come up with a more creative design next year!

Happy Thanksgiving!

On a cool rainy day, don't you wish you were in Hawaii with this group? These are members of the Twin Lakes High School Marching Band. They are in front of the Battleship Missouri Memorial. I wish I got to go on trips like that when I was in high school!

On this day before Thanksgiving, it is sad to see more and more people lining up for a free holiday meal at St. Ann's Soup Kitchen. Some of the people we talked to said they were having trouble making ends meet. St Ann's will have another holiday meal distribution before Christmas. Contact the church on Wabash Avenue if you'd like to donate.

Be careful on the roadways this weekend. Mike and Kelly are calling for falling temperatures and snow flurries.

Coats For Kids

There were dozens of people standing in line at the Community and Family Resource Center in Lafayette Saturday as distribution day of Coats for Kids began. It was overwhelming, yet sad, to see the line wrap around the building.
Volunteers from our station and Hudlow's Cleaners helped families find the right size of coats, shoes, gloves and other items that were donated for the event. Santa was there to talk to the youngsters.
There are two more distribution days for anyone still in need of a coat. They will be given out December 4th and 6th from noon until 7:00p.m. at CFRC at 4th and Fountain Streets.

If you have a coat that your little one has outgrown drop it off at any one of these locations:

All Hudlow's Dry Cleaning locations; WLFI-TV 18, West Lafayette; Arnett Health Plans, 415 N26th Street, Lafayette; Chick-Fil-A, State Road 26 East; AAMCO Transmissions, State Road 26 East; Twin City Dodge-Chrysler, Sagamore Parkway, South; St. Elizabeth Medical Center; Home Hospital; and Wild About Horses Equestrian Center, West Point.

Red Kettle Campaign Begins

Watch for bell ringers and red kettles outside Lafayette area stores. They are raising money for the Salvation Army. The organization is working to help many local families. Money raised during the holidays will help feed, clothe and shelter people all year.
The Salvation Army says it helped 11,600 people during the past 12 months. That's more than 2,000 over the previous year. There are many ways you can donate. You can volunteer to be a bell ringer. Just contact Audrey at 742-0006. You can also ring the bell online. For more information on how to do that go to http://give.salvationarmyusa.org/goto/Lafayette

Paws For Art

The Humane Society in Tippecanoe County will benefit from the arts this weekend. "Paws for Art" is a free event to benefit the "Almost Home Humane Society" on Friday night. It is from 6:00p.m.-10:00p.m. at the Historic City Lofts at 14 N. Third Street in Lafayette. Local artists will be selling items and there will be animals for adoption there. Consider attending the event to raise money for the shelter or adopt a pet. They make great companions. My cat even helps with the laundry.

National Family Week

This is National Family Week. Family Services joined state lawmakers and local leaders in kicking off the occasion on Saturday. I was honored to help hand out awards to the essay and poster contest winners at Ivy Tech. Children wrote about how important their parents, siblings, grandparents, and others are in their lives. One little girl made us cry when she read how much she loves her mom and appreciates her coaching soccer. Another child made us laugh when he talked about 'how very old' his grandfather was. Others made colorful posters showing the family having fun at the park or at a pool in Florida. Congratulations to all the winners. Winning entries will be on display November 18th through November 24th at the Lafayette Coldstone Creamery.

Here is a list of the Essay Contest Winners: First Grade: Kelly Justice and Ashleigh Sincebaugh from Wea Ridge Elementary School. Second Grade: Caleb Bunch and Joel Montes from New Community School. Fourth Grade: Daniel Smith from Happy Hollow Elementary. Fifth Grade: Samantha Hatter and Madison McCoy of Earhart Elementary School.
Poster Contest Winners: Kindergarten: Josh Persin and Caroline Riley, Oakland Elementary School. First Grade: Alex Ebershoff and Anna Weeks of St. Mary's Elementary School. Second Grade: Chella Foster-Flynn and Jessica Hefner of New Community School. Third Grade: Alise Weeks and Dianne Santos of St. Mary's Elementary.

Election Results

West Lafayette has a new mayor. Republican John Dennis beat democrat incumbent Jan Mills. Democrat Tony Roswarski easily won re-election as mayor of Lafayette.
Democrats had a big night. They swept the city council races in Lafayette. Control of the West Lafayette council has yet to be decided. Based on the preliminary results, democrats will control the council 4 to 3. But, there are 125 provisional ballots that have yet to be added to the totals. Provisional ballots are made when a voter doesn't appear to be eligible or does not have ID. Voters have 10 days to get to the election board to verify their information. On Friday November 16th, the election board will add the provisional ballots into the mix and certify the election results. Those ballots could impact three West Lafayette council races. Democrat Paul Roales won by 2 votes in district 1 and republican Vicki Burch won by 8 votes in district 5. I heard that most of the provisional ballots were from West Lafayette. So, stay tuned to see which races are affected by the provisional ballots. The election board meets November 16th.
I also suspect the election board will have more to say about how the election went. There were numerous problems at the polls during the day. That was followed by a long delay in getting the results tallied. Our news crew was at the Tippecanoe County Office Building for results after midnight.

Election Day

It's election day. It is a rough start for Tippecanoe County's pilot satellite voting centers. Several voting locations were not ready to open at 6:00a.m. Some election workers say they couldn't get logged onto the system. Others had issues with verifying who is eligible to vote. You will hear from several disgruntled voters who were turned away at the polls, others who were happy to be in and out of the polling location within minutes.
Tippecanoe and Wayne counties are taking part in this project. Secretary of State Todd Rokita will be in Lafayette to observe how the vote center concept worked.
Stay tuned for continuing coverage on the vote center problems and if the election board will consider extending the time to vote. We will also bring you results when they start coming in after 6pm.

Fallen Soldier

Another soldier from this part of the state has died in Iraq. Our hearts go out to the family and friends of Army Captain Timothy McGovern. He was killed last week when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle during combat operations. McGovern was 28 years old. He graduated from Twin Lakes High School and Purdue.

Visitation for Captain McGovern is Thursday, from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Springer Voorhis Draper Funeral Home in Monticello. Funeral Services will follow on Friday morning at 9:30 at the Our Lady of the Lakes Catholic Church in Monticello. The funeral service on Friday is for Family Only.

We have not shown pictures of McGovern, at the family's request. We also will not be covering the services, at the family's request. While we would like to honor this soldier, we respect the family's wishes.

Spring Forward-Fall Back

Don't forget to set your clocks back on Saturday night. Indiana is going to Eastern Standard Time starting at 2:00a.m. Sunday. The good news -- we get an extra hour of sleep!

Enjoy the fall leaves. Unfortunately the fall colors won't last long.

Meth Watch Community

Reynolds in White County is the area's first 'Meth Watch Community.' Town leaders worked with Indiana State Police for about six months to earn the status. Citizens attended meetings to learn about drug abuse and hazardous ingredients to look for. In addition, firefighters and police officers received additional training. Signs will be posted around town declaring Reynolds a 'Meth Watch Community.' Town Board Member Fred Buschman told me he hopes the signs will deter people from coming into Reynolds for illegal activity. ISP Meth Suppression Officer Jerry Holeman is hoping other community will adopt the program. If your town is interested contact Indiana State Police at (765) 567-2125.

After spending time in Reynolds we were called to a truck-train accident in the small town of Lee, near Monon. One man was hurt after his truck hauling fertilizer struck an Amtrak passenger train. Police do not believe Dennis McCutchan's injuries were life-threatening. There are no signals or crossing arm at the railroad crossing. Police say there have been fatal crashes there in the past.

Thanks to everyone who participated in an auction at Earhart Hall at Purdue on Wednesday. I don't talk nearly fast enough to call myself an auctioneer. But I did help sell some items to raise money for the United Way. Thanks to Debbie Harmeson and Kathy Smith for the flowers! The group raised more than $1,000 for the United Way.

Happy Halloween!

Black cats, skeletons, and pumpkins--it must be Halloween! Blackie (who was born in our barn a year ago) is still a very playful kitten. This is Brett's first carved pumpkin. And the skeleton is just some of the fun decorations we have 'hanging' around the house.

Brett will be a Star Wars 'storm trooper' tonight. We actually purchased the costume three weeks ago. At first, he played in it. Then, he wanted to sleep in it. I'm hoping by the time he goes door-to-door tonight, people won't notice the dirt and ketchup stains on his uniform!

There are several places holding Halloween activities. We will be live at 5:00 and 6:00 at Lommel Park in West Lafayette. The neighborhood is having a costume contest and other activities for children. University Plaza Hotel is having a party for children under 10 from 6-8 tonight. They will have story telling, pumpkin bowling, and candy. We did not hear from the Tippecanoe Mall this year.

Just be safe our there and have fun!

And can you guess who this trick or treater is??
Yes, he is on the air!

Haunted Feargrounds

I was too busy concentrating on what ghost, ghouls and goblins were about to jump out or creep up behind me to take any pictures at the Haunted Feargrounds. The Coliseum and other buildings at the the Tippecanoe County Fairgrounds have been transformed into the new and improved 'Haunted Mansion.' It is open 7:00p.m.-11:00p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
The event is a fundraiser for Jefferson High School music groups.

It has been a few years since I've been to the Haunted Mansion. So, I was ready for some ghostly fun. It took some time to convince some friends they would survive the 30 minute tour. But once we got inside, it was a lot of fun. In fact, I think we all felt 20 years younger as we screamed our way through one scene after another. Watch out for the man with a chain saw in the hay maze and the car that flies over your head with its lights and horn blaring. Don't worry I didn't give away all the fun, there's more surprises inside.....
http://www.feargrounds.org/

Boo at the Zoo

The Columbian Park Zoo had some scarey creatures to share with us on the noon show. One was a boa constrictor. Yes, that's a snake wrapped around Jeff's waist!
The other was a skink. The blue-tongue reptile and the snake will be among the animals you can see at this year's Boo at the Zoo. This is a fun event for young children. The zoo has an enchanted train ride and several activities (pumpkin bowling, eyeball toss, and the bat wing fling) that will have youngsters howling. Boo at the Zoo is 6:30p.m.-9:00p.m. Wednesday-Friday. Admission is $4 per person. That money goes toward continued renovations at the Columbian Park Zoo.

Boiler Up!

Saturday proved to be a perfect day for football! The leaves are changing color and the skies were clear. And of course Purdue's win over Iowa made the day complete. The Boilers beat the Hawkeyes 31-6. That assures Purdue a bowl game and breaks a 2 game losing streak. Hopefully that gives the team plenty of positive energy going into its match up with Northwestern this weekend. After that the Boilers are on the road against Penn State, at home against Michigan State, then at IU on November 17th to end the season.

News From Iraq

Good to hear from a local soldier serving in Iraq. PFC Adam Prickel, a 2000 graduate of Harrison High School is a combat correspondent for the US Army. This is a picture of Adam with General David Petraeus. Adam's Public Affairs Unit has been moved to Baghdad to cover the 3rd Infantry surge. Before he joined the Army, Adam was studying telecommunications at IU.

Frontier Fun

8th grade students at Frontier Junior Senior High School are beginning to learn about career options. During the first program, students heard what it takes to be a vet tech. Then, I told them a few things about getting into broadcasting. Some of the students stood before their classmates and did a mock newscast. We even had someone fill the role as floor director. (That's the person who tells us when we are on and what camera to look at!) I really enjoyed my visit to Frontier. The students were great and asked lots of good questions.

Safe & Sound

The Safe and Sound Squad is performing this week to hundreds of children at Jefferson High School, as part of Fire Prevention Month. The S&S Squad consists of a group of firefighters and specialists who entertain and educate children, parents, and teachers about fire safety through he universal language of music. Children enjoy songs like 'Two Ways Out,' "You Gotta Click It," and "Stop, Drop and Roll." The band is performing a free show for the public tonight at 7:00p.m. at Jefferson High School.

Apple Pie Time

It's Apple Pie time again! Lafayette Christian School is having its 13th annual Dutch Apple Pie sale this week. Watch for stories on Wednesday about how volunteers make hundreds of pies as a fundraiser for the school. To get a pie, drive by the school Thursday and Friday from 8:30a.m.-6:00p.m. or Saturday from 9:00a.m.-noon. Lafayette Christian School is located at 525 North 26th Street in Lafayette. Pies are $8.50 each. The pies are great to freeze, then bake for family and holiday gatherings.

Riley Ride Results

Saturday's Ride for Riley was a success. Thanks to everyone who rode and/or donated to Riley Children's Hospital. It was a little warm, which made everyone enjoy the wooded areas and creeks even more. Roanie wanted to stop and splash around in every creek we went through. (not that I blame him!) Thanks to the Red Hat Riders and Billy Reeves Stable in West Point for hosting the fundraiser. The event raised more than $2,200 for Riley Hospital.

Light The Night

A string of lights circled the front of Harrison High School Friday night. More luminaries could be found in the end zones of the football field. Each bag had the name of someone whose life has been affected by cancer (patients, survivors, family members, friends, etc) The 'Light The Night' was a fundraiser sponsored by the Harrison Student Council. Money raised will help a family with a 5-year old daughter with cancer.
Cancer affects so many people. I have a friend and co-worker who were treated for skin cancer. I know several women who've had breast cancer and men who were treated for prostate cancer. As many of you know, my mother is suffering from pancreatic cancer. Thank you to my friend Mary Jane who donated money to have my mom's name on several luminaries.

Champion's Centre

Anyone tired of looking at the run-down Family Inn on Northwestern Avenue in West Lafayette will be glad to hear today's news. A $60 Million development is planned at that site.
The Family Inn will be torn down in the spring to make room for the new development, which
will include a hotel with 80 to 100 rooms, retail space, office space, a restaurant and 115 sports
condominiums.
The company is targeting sports fans. Collegiate Ventures President Gary Spillers said, "What we do is we target the season ticket holders in the major sports as our buyers and we sell them these fully furnished condominiums. And when I say fully furnished, they're all the way down to the knives, forks and spoons." The condos range in price from $150,000 to more than $600,000.

Riley Ride

This Saturday is a trail ride to raise money for Riley Children's Hospital in Indianapolis. Billy Reeves Stable, 5731 SR 25 South in West Point, is hosting the event. There will be one two rides going out at 10:00a.m. and another ride will be heading out at 1:30p.m. Roanie and I will be leading one group. We are expecting about 50 horses and the weather looks great for the weekend! If you want more information on the ride or to donate, you can call Billy Reeves Stable 572-2815.

Cancer Awareness Month

These are a few of the hats you'll find at a Woman's Place. The shop is located on State Street (behind Rural King) in Lafayette. It is a store that caters to breast cancer survivors. You'll find lots of pink and 'pretties' inside. The shop sells wigs, prostetic breasts, and other items. Tracie Bedwell is the store owner. She is a cancer survivor herself. It is a place where you hope you never have to go. But, if you or a loved one is in that situation, it's nice to know it's there.

It seems I know more and more women with breast cancer. The American Cancer Soceity says the chance of dying from breast cancer is 1 in 35. Breast cancer death rates are going down. This is probably the result of finding the cancer earlier and improved treatments.

October is breast cancer awareness month. It means reminding the women in your life to get a mamogram. If there is a family history of cancer, get a mamogram by age 35. If not, women need to start at age 40. For more information, talk to your doctor or go to the American Cancer Society website.

Dynasty

Our hearts go out to the family of Dynasty Wortham. The 6 year old girl was killed while crossing the street Tuesday on her way to school. Dynasty was walking to school early with her siblings to have breakfast at Glen Acres Elementary School.

What happened is a nightmare for any parent. When something like this happens people can be quick to place blame. Should the crossing guard be there earlier? Was the driver distracted? Should the city lower the speed limit? Etc. It is good to ask questions and explore ways to make the situation safer, so something like this doesn't happen again.


Covering a tragic event like this is a real challenge for a reporter. Unlike what a few J&C readers put in the comments section, WLFI did not have a reporter camped out at the family's house, nor did she knock on the door. That may have been Indianapolis TV. But in the same respect, there will be people watching that station because they will have the sensational story.

This is a comment sent to WLFI from Karen Combs, the principal of Glen Acres:
"Thanks for your appropriate and respectful coverage of this tragedy. I will certainly convey your remarks to our staff. It is greatly appreciated. It was a difficult day at school today. "

There is a group of parents who are trying to help the Wortham family with funeral expenses. Cindi Collins says donations can be sent to Glen Acres School in care of Dynasty. Cindi says some parents may be going door to door to collect donations.

City Elections?

By this time each year most of us have the candidate commercials memorized. We are bombarded with messages on TV, radio, mail, and the newspaper. Citizens are told "Don't vote for this person" and "That person will raise your taxes." But this year appears to be different. Have you seen many campaign yard signs either? Do we have an election coming up? I'm not sure we have a good answer for this, so far, quiet election year.
Not that many of us are complaining. It just seems like the campaigns are being handled a bit differently than previous years. Our reporters have talked to some of the candidates about this new strategy. Some say they are just waiting until closer to the vote. Others are doing more door-to-door and small group talks instead.
Many people were surprised by State Representative Joe Micon's announcement that he will not seek re-election next year. The democrat ran two hotly-contested campaigns against republican Connie Basham. The rumors are already starting to fly about who might possibly run for the seat. Stay tuned!!

Seeing Greene

It's not unusual to see Meterologist Kelly Greene on TV in the morning. But, today she was on Network television! Kelly is on a trip to New York City. During her visit, she joined the crowd gathered where CBS broadcasts the 'Early Show.' So, if you were watching this morning, you got a glimpse of Kelly and our WLFI banner in the big apple.

Great Ride

The CHAPS Ride/Walk-A-Thon was a success. The organization raised thousands of dollars for its therapeutic horseback riding program. The weather was great. We had more than 50 horses in the ride. We went through some open pastures and through some wooded trails at Camp Tecumseh. Thanks to the sponsors and everyone who donated for such a worthy cause. CHAPS will be having a bowl-a-thon in February.

CHAPS Ride/Walk-A-Thon

It's time to saddle up for the CHAPS Ride/Walk-A-thon. This is the annual fundraiser for the CHAPS program. CHAPS is a therapeutic riding program for individuals with physical, mental or emotional disabilities. My horse Roanie and I plan to be there Saturday for the event. The ride starts at 9:30a.m. at Camp Tecumseh. If you don't have a horse, you can always take part in the walk that starts at 10:00a.m. Camp Tecumseh is a beautiful setting for the event. Afterwards, there is lunch, an auction and the children give a demonstration. It is so rewarding to see them smile and laugh as they show off what they have learned while on the back of their 'trusted steed.'

For more information on the event, you can call (765) 563-3797 or (765) 494-8433.
http://www.four-h.purdue.edu/chaps/