Kim’s Monday News & Sports News and Headlines
Jurors this week are expected to hear the last witnesses in the trial of Mark Leonard. He’s accused of devising the insurance fraud scheme that caused an explosion three years ago in the Richmond Hill neighborhood on Indy’s southside. It damaged or destroyed 80 homes and killed two people who were next door neighbors. The trial continues in South Bend today.
Source: NICHOLAS KAMM / Getty
Fans all over Indianapolis are celebrating the U.S. women’s soccer team’s World Cup victory. Indy native Lauren Holiday scored the third goal in their 5-2 victory over Japan Sunday. Holiday was a soccer standout at Ben Davis High School on Indy’s far-west side. She was also named Parade All-American and Gatorade Player of the Year. Hundreds of fans watched the game at a downtown viewing party to close out this Fourth of July holiday weekend. Overall, the Twitterverse loves this team and still haven’t stopped talking about them and a sense of American pride their win has renewed. President Obama posted an invite for the team to come celebrate their first World Cup since 1999 at the White House.
Indy Honor Flight is looking for World War Two veterans for its upcoming trip to the nation’s capital. The next flight leaves on September 5. Indy Honor Flight is a non-profit that was created solely to honor veterans for their sacrifices by taking them to Washington DC to visit the memorials built in their honor. Applications are available HERE.
A Marion man is dead from a fireworks mishap during a family Fourth of July celebration. Police say James Drake died from extensive trauma to the face. They say he was checking on a shell that had not yet fired from a cannon.
Fireworks are also being blamed for two area house fires. The Fishers Fire Department was called to a home late Saturday night when heavy flames coming from a garage spread into the kitchen. Several hours later, Indianapolis firefighters were called to a vacant home that was under renovation. Investigators say based on the burn patterns they detected, fireworks likely started both blazes.
And though a good breakfast can set off a celebration in your tummy much like fireworks do in the night’s sky, no one can blame fireworks for this. Hotcakes Emporium Pancake House on Ditch Road is dealing with another major setback after an incident on Sunday. A truck drove through the front door of the restaurant Sunday afternoon. The popular breakfast eatery recently reopened from a fire that caused $ 125,000 in damage. No injuries were reported from the crash.
The Rolling Stones’ Fourth of July concert is being called a success. About 50,000 people gathered at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Saturday to listen to the rock legends perform hit after hit. Indiana State Excise Police reported eight arrests for possession of marijuana, underage drinking and possession of a fake ID. Track leaders say they’re a racetrack first and foremost, but future concerts are possible.
The Fourth of July proved once again to be violent in our neighbor to the north. Chicago Police are investigating nearly three-dozen holiday weekend shootings that left nine people dead and 40 wounded. Police said a seven-year-old boy was among those killed. Amari Brown died from a bullet that was meant for his gang leader father. A police superintendent officers recovered about one illegal gun per hour over the Fourth of July weekend. Yet many leaders in the area are ticked off at filmmaker Spike Lee for the title of his latest project that’s based on the violence in the city and will be filmed there. It’s called “Chiraq“–a play on words meaning that the streets of Chicago are oftentimes deadlier than the war zone in Iraq.
South Carolina lawmakers will be back in special session today to take up the long-running debate over whether the Confederate battle flag should fly over government grounds. The controversy gained international attention after last month’s mass murder of nine African Americans inside historic black church “Mother” Emanuel A.M.E. in Charleston. The accused shooter, Dylann Roof, is a self-avowed white supremacist who’d posted numerous online pictures of himself with the flag and firearms.
In Sports…
The Pacers are making some moves. They’re bringing back Rod Stuckey. Stuckey has agreed to a three-year, $21-million deal with a player option in the third year. He’ll fill out that three-man rotation for the team in the back court. But as they say hello to one familiar player, it’s goodbye to another. A big trade is in the works between the Pacers and the Lakers for 7’2 Center Roy Hibbert. The proposed deal would send the 28-year-old big man to Los Angeles for a future second-round draft pick. This isn’t a done-deal yet, they’re working on it with an expectation of having it done by Thursday, according to Yahoo! Sports.
It was a late night for NASCAR and driver Austin Dillon. Dillon is lucky to be okay after a scary wreck at Daytona International Speedway early Monday morning before reduced crowds because the race was weather-delayed for hours. The crash occurred just seconds after winner Dale Earnhardt Jr. crossed the finish line in the Coke Zero 400. Dillon’s number-three car was sent up in the air and into the catch fence, then came apart.
Source: Annie Leibovitz / Annie Leibovitz, for Vogue magazine
It’s Manic Monday in the world of tennis that some observers say is just like old times. In a fourth round match at Wimbledon that pit Williams versus Williams on center court in jolly ole England, Serena Williams solidly and respectfully played to victory over her older sister, Venus Williams 6-4; 6-3. Serena is on a historic mission and is ranked number one in the world and has won her last three majors. Venus is ranked number 16. Serena now prepares for another American player, Coco Vandeweghe, in Tuesday’s match-up.
Indianapolis Weather…
Sunshine and clouds mixed with a high of 88 degrees today.
Make it a great Monday!!!…I’m Kim Wells.
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