Year in Review

As the year comes to a close, it is time to look back at some of the events that made news in 2008. What do you think are some of the top stories of the year? I think the presidential candidates campaigning through our area has to be among the top stories. We had visits from Hillary Clinton, Bill Clinton, and Barack Obama. Other important stories, historic flooding, the fatal bus crash in Cass Counties, and the child left at the Frankfort Wal-Mart. I also think the economy was a stop story. I don't think many of us will forget paying more than $4.00 a gallon for gas! Our end of the year show will air at 7:30p.m. Wednesday and again 12:30p.m. on New Year's Day. Best wishes to everyone in 2009!

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas everyone! I hope you are enjoying the holidays. If you were too busy rushing around buying gifts and preparing food to enjoy some of the scenery, I highly recommend the lights on Greenview Drive in Battle Ground. The lights are synchronized to music. The kids love it. For more information on the display go to: http://www.christmasongreenview.com/home.html
The owners take donations. The money is given to a different charity each year.
Thank you also to Faith Baptist Church for putting on its annual Living Nativity. The display gets better every year.

Whether it's a Hannah Montana guitar or a Clone trooper helmet, I hope you get the gift you were hoping for this season.

Ice Storm

Some areas to our north received up to an inch of ice overnight. There are more than 10,000 people without power in White, Carroll, and Benton counties. In the Lafayette area, drivers had to slowly cross the US 231 bridge over the Wabash River. High water signs are posted on the bridge. The passing lane had standing water and large chunks of ice.

Christmas break started early for many children. The Tippecanoe School Corporation and other districts are closed today. Stay tuned for more updates on road conditions and power outages. Drive careful!

This is only a test...

Digital television is here, and the old system of broadcasting will go away on February 17th.
Tonight, viewers will have the chance to test their TV's to make sure they are ready for the change. Cable customers won't need to do anything to continue receiving News Channel 18.
Those who watch W-L-F-I through an antenna may need a converter box or new T-V.

At 7:30p.m., if the program goes away and you see the message, the T-V is NOT ready for the digital switch. During that time, you can call the number on the screen for personal help from a panel of experts that will guide you through the transition. People who still see regular programming won't need to do anything, and are ready.

Helen Magazine

Helen Magazine features an article about the four female anchors here at WLFI-TV. Laura Kirtley, Alyssa Rossomme, Niccole Caan and I were interviewed by Sharon Martin. Art Director Susan Woodson and photographer Vince Walter had fun with out photo shoot in an downtown alley.

Helen Magazine is available at Pay Less grocery stores, as well as various shops and offices throughout the Lafayette area. I hope you will enjoy learning some behind-the-scenes information about the reporters, as well as our fearless leader, News Director Chris Morisse. It is also available on line. But at last check, it had not been updated.

http://www.helenmagazine.com/index.asp

Shop With A Cop

Police officers from West Lafayette, Lafayette, and Tippecanoe County took part in this year's Shop with a Cop Saturday at the Wal-Mart on State Road 26 East. About 25 children were treated with breakfast and a shopping spree. A couple dispatchers, Officer Lowe and I had fun helping a family of six. I shopped with Isaac, a student at Glen Acres school. He picked out a clone trooper talking helmet, a Star Wars movie, and some clothes for school. The family appreciated the help, which made it all worthwhile.

The L-Town Hour

The L-town hour is a daily program on WSHY, 1410 AM. From 3:00p.m.-4:00p.m. Jeff Holmes and Matt Wilson talk about different topics around town. They also bring in different guests to add some commentary. The station is located at 9th and Main.

Jeff Smith and I have both been on the show now. It was a neat experience. It reminded me of my radio days. I moved to Lafayette almost 21 years ago to work at WASK radio. I enjoyed being part of a news team and learning the ropes from some talented broadcast veterans, like Amy Halter, Max Showalter, Kim Wood, Gary Michaels, Dave Roberts, Don Pratt and others.

Lafayette Christmas Parade

The Lafayette - West Lafayette Christmas parade continues to be one of the state's largest holiday parades. Hundreds of people bundled up along the parade route. I thought attendance was down this year. It may have had something to do with the temperatures. Still, I think a lot of people had fun, including our WLFI family.

Coats for Kids

Some children will be heading to school in warmer coats today after the annual Coats for Kids distribution Saturday at the Community and Family Resource Center in Lafayette. The event was supposed to start at 10:00a.m. But, there were people waiting in line outside the building as early as 6:00a.m. CFRC opened the doors to let people in out of the cold and started people through the process by 9:30a.m.

More than 700 donated coats were cleaned by Hudlow's, then given away to families in need. The event included many volunteers from News Channel 18 including Stephanie Davis, Mike Prangley, Niccole Caan. My son, friend Alice Morales, and I helped with hats. There were piles of hats--all shapes and colors. But less than two hours later, there were only a few left.

Donations of coats, hats, gloves, shoes and other items can still be made through December 10th. Drop off locations include WLFI-TV and all Hudlow locations. Coats will be distributed as needed through CFRC or at the organization's annual Christmas dinner.

Holiday Happenings

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas! The snow has helped, along with all the holiday lights that are going up throughout the community. Don't forget the Lafayette Christmas parade. It starts at 2:00p.m. Sunday in downtown Lafayette. One of the best places to watch the parade is along Main Street. Watch for the WLFI news team. I think we are entry number 8.

One of the brightest light displays is near Rossville. Calvin Cottrell has been wowing spectators with his light display for more than 30 years. It's located at 3113 W, 800 North, in Clinton County. The display is on Sunday-Thursday, 6:00 P.M-10:00 P.M and Friday & Saturday,

6:00 P.M.-11:00 P.M.

Poinsettia Open House

Our noon guest today gave us a preview of the annual poinsettia open house. It will be held from 1:00p.m.-5:00p.m. Sunday at the Purdue Horticulture Greenhouse potting room. Roberto Lopez told us there will be more than 95 varieties on display. But, you cannot purchase the poinsettias, but there will be a drawing to win some of the newest cultivars. People will be asked to fill our a survey to help breeders identify which varieties people like best. The one above is called 'Iced Punch.'

Happy Thanksgiving!

There are many reasons to be thankful this holiday season. One is the lower price at the pump. What a change from earlier this year when we were paying $4.19 a gallon! Be safe on the road. This is one of the busiest travel times of the year. In addition, Mike Prangley says we may see about an inch of snow on Saturday night - Sunday.



Food Finders Food Bank is thankful to everyone who donated to Community Harvest. The organization met its goal of collecting 120,000 pounds of food going into the holiday season. Stay tuned for more food drives this season. In addition, drop some change in the red kettles for the Salvation Army.
We received lots of positive responses to our story about the backpack program at Miami Elementary School. People were calling the school offering to donate food when they saw the preview stories airing. Thank you to Wilma Scott at Logan's Roadhouse. The restaurant is stepping up to sponsor another Lafayette school. In addition, a Lafayette church is interested in getting involved.

Although many of us have to work, make time to spend quality time with your family this holiday season. You never know what the new year holds. And, children grow up so fast. Enjoy your holiday traditions. If you don't' have one, start one.

My 'Lafayette family' has a gingerbread making contest after the Thanksgiving meal. Some of the edibles are very creative. Below is the 'fisherman on the lake' scene Emilee, Tom and I made. Maybe I should brush up on all those cool Good Housekeeping creations for next year!

Tiller Tribute

Joe Tiller will long be remembered as the winningest coach in Purdue's history. He led the Boilermakers to the Rose Bowl and several other bowl games during his career at Purdue. In his final game, Purdue beat IU 62-10 for the Old Oaken Bucket. I remember talking to the coach on several occasions. He was very down to earth, and quite honestly funny. He had a wonderful sense of humor.


We will miss Joe, along with his wife Arnette. I enjoyed getting to know her, as she spearheaded an annual food drive at Ross Ade stadium. During one noon interview I told her how much my son Brett enjoyed going to the games, but didn't watch much football. At the age of 6 he was more entertained by Purdue Pete. Days later, Arnette sent an email mysteriously asking where Brett and I would be sitting during the game. Then, during the game, Purdue Pete came up into the stands to meet Brett. Thanks for the wonderful memories!

National Family Week

Congratulations to Gil and Janet Smith and their two children, for being named Family Services Incorporated Family of the Year. The Smiths were honored at a ceremony last night at the Purdue University Ballrooms. The family was chosen as an example of a strong, healthy family. They are foster parents through the Villages, active in mission work through their church, and volunteer with local service projects.
Other National Family Week award winners include: Chella Foster-Flynn for her poster; Alicia Casilles for her essay; Tempest Homes Scholarship winner -Kailee Jensen; Volunteer of the Year- Dave Williams; Business Partner of the Year-Hippensteel Funeral Home; Lillian Kaplan Human Service Award - Indiana District 4 Pro Bono Corporation; and the Family Advocacy Award-State Representative Sheila Klinker.

Faces of Hunger

November 16th-22nd is National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week. While many people think hunger is a problem only in foreign countries, but there are hundreds of families here in Lafayette who have trouble putting food on the table every night. Food prices are going up and the economy is in a slump. Food Finders Food Bank Director Katy Bunder said more than 5,000 children live in poverty in Tippecanoe County.

On Tuesday, November 18th, I will have a special report called 'The Faces of Hunger.' You will get to meet the Weikel family in Lafayette. They have five children at Miami Elementary School and rely on the backpack program to make ends meet. The Noon Rotary Club fills backpacks each week with about 10 pounds of food. That helps ensure the children have enough to eat through the weekend. All the children and Rotary volunteers I met at Miami were wonderful. I hope this story will create more awareness of hunger in our community, as well as inspire people and organizations to sponsor additional needed backpack programs in our area.

Cumblerland Crusaders

Michelin Newton's third grade class at Cumberland Elementary School is learning about news. They invited me to come speak to them Monday. I enjoyed meeting the children. They asked lots of good questions, including 'what if one of our cameras didn't work' or 'what if the power went out?'
These four students are among several who volunteered to be my news anchors for a pseudo newscast. Our top story was a visit from President-elect Barack Obama and $50,000 from the Governor to build a swimming pool at the school. The forecast called for snow. And, that's what they are hoping to see soon!

Provisional ballots

It appears the race for Statehouse District 26 is far from over. Democrat John Polles filed an injunction in Tippecanoe Circuit Court. He said the move was to force the election board to start reviewing 414 provisional ballots. The county said it can identify which ballots were cast by voters who claimed they registered at an agency, like the BMV, but their names were not on the county's voter registration list. Only one ballot fit that category after today's review.

The ballots will be counted on Friday, November 14th. Republican Randy Truitt leads the race by 21 votes. No one knows if there will be enough provisional ballots ruled 'valid' that will impact the Dist 26 race.

And, it is interesting to know, Nicole Martin, the Purdue student whose name is on the court papers, told us she didn't even vote in the Dist 26 race. She told us she only voted for President. Martin voted a provisional ballot because records show she is registered to vote in Porter County. But, she later registered in Tippecanoe County.

The results are in

We have a new president! Barack Obama won and will become our nation's 44th president and our first African American President.
It first appeared support for Obama was spilling over on all the local democratic races. Democrats were leading in races for Judge of Superior 1, County Commissioner and Council At-Large. But as the night progressed, the tide turned toward the republicans. Although the final votes have not yet been counted, it appears republicans won all the county races.
The closest local race is for State Representative District 26. Republican Randy Truitt beat democrat John Polles by 20 votes. Those results could change, as there are 414 provisional ballots yet to be counted. Provisional ballots are cast when a voter cannot verify he or she is properly registered or show proper ID. Voters have until the 14th to provide that information. If it is not, the ballots are thrown out. The election board will review the ballots on the 14th. The election is expected to be certified on the 17th. Stay tuned for more possible changes.

Election Day

Election day is finally here! More than 38,000 people voted early. Thousands more will vote today. I was among them. I went to LFD station #5 at Creasy and Union around 9:00a.m. The process went very smoothly. I was in and out in less than 10 minutes. I was very impressed. Others here at WLFI had the same Election Day experience. A heavier turnout is reported at the Purdue Union, where about 250 students were in line to vote.

After I voted this morning, I took part in the exit poll that is being conducted by students in Dave Walker's class at Jeff High School (other locations at Lafayette City Hall, the Tippecanoe County Fairgrounds, and Jenks Rest). The questionnaire asked voters who they chose for Presidential race, Congress-Dist 4, and Governor. The poll also included a question about what motivated us to vote: economy, war, immigration, taxes, and other.

I will be checking some of the vote centers this afternoon and will be giving live reports at 5 and 6 tonight from the Tippecanoe County Office Building. That's where some of our reporters will be most of the night watching the results come in. Stay tuned at WLFI or on the web for results throughout the night.

Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween everyone. Here are some pictures of some friendly ghosts and ghouls. If you are looking for a safe, fun place to take your children to trick or treat, you can head over to the Tippecanoe Mall. From 6-8pm stores are participating in Operation Trick or Treat. We will have reports of the event tonight at 6pm. Have fun and stay safe!

Think Pink

The John T. Myers pedestrian bridge is now glowing in pink. Structures all over the world are lit each year in observance of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The lights on the pedestrian bridge over the Wabash River are meant to be a symbol to promote awareness, but also as a means to honor those from our own community who are breast cancer survivors and to remember those who have died from breast cancer.

Thank you to the many people who braved the cold weather Tuesday night for the bridge ceremony. Thank you to the survivors, Deb Mears and Adrienne Harlow, for being willing to share their stories. Thanks also to the young, talented girls called the StarCity dancers who performed for the crowd.

The YWCA Women's Breast Cancer program helps many women in our community who do not have insurance to cover routine exams and mammograms. For more information go to the YWCA's website: http://www.ywca.org/site/pp.asp?c=brJJKUNLG&b=61662

Campaign 08

Just two weeks remain before the November election. While much of the attention has been focused on the presidential candidates, there are several important local races to decide. Tonight WLFI is hosting a debate between Republican Randy Truitt and Democrat John Polles, who are running for the statehouse seat being vacated by Joe Micon. The debate starts at 7:00p.m. We will also hear from the Tippecanoe County Commissioner candidates: Republican David Byers and Democrat David Woolums. I interviewed the commissioner candidates earlier this month. You can check that story on our website too.

The political 'buzz' around town is that the 4th District Congressional race could be a close one. Republican Steve Buyer is being challenged by Democrat Nels Ackerson. You can see lots of yard signs for both candidates, as well as TV and radio ads.
WLFI will be previewing many of the local races leading up to the November 4th election. We are also planning on providing you the results on election night--on the air and on line. With a record number of people registered to vote, it could be a long night. The Tippecanoe County website, http://www.county.tippecanoe.in.us/ has a list of all the early vote centers and when you can vote early. Long lines are expected on election day, so take advantage of one of the satellite centers if you can.

Ye Olde Madrigal Feast

Tickets go on sale Tuesday for the first ever Ye Olde Madrigal Feast at McCutcheon High School. About a dozen choir students came to the studio today during the noon news. Chad Barker and Christy Pairitz gave information about the event. They say a madrigal dinner is like an American dinner theatre, only set in the Renaissance period in England around 1600.

Music teacher Mary Jane Gregan is using money from a Public Schools Foundation of Tippecanoe County grant to put on the production. Students said they used the money to buy the costumes, set pieces and other items need for the Madrigal.

The feast will be on December 12th at McCutcheon High School. Doors Open at 5:00p.m. The dinner and procession will be at 6:00p.m. Reservation Forms available in the MHS Office. 474-1488 ext 3028 or ext 3029 mgregan@tsc.k12.in.us or cposada123@hotmail.com

Angel Wings

Family, friends, and teachers are still trying to come to grips with the death of four children in last week's Twin Lakes School Corporation bus crash. Today I attended the funeral of Kale Seabolt. Renetta DuBose attended the funeral of Trevor Ingram. Those families invited our news coverage. We are grateful they allowed us to share their memories during a very difficult time. WLFI didn't cover the other services for Tyler Geiger and Lauren Melin at their families' request. We respect decisions. It is difficult to say how any of us would handle the situation.


This is part of a poem Reverend Chris Dodson of Monticello Christian Church read at the funeral. It is called Angel Wings. "Please forgive my death so young. I know it didn't seem fair. The accident took my life, but mommy don't despair. I didn't leave you behind. I know that is hard to see, but look deep down in your hearts. That's where I will always be. When you feel like crying, shed no more tears for me because now I have my angel wings and God is here with me."