#WTLCIndyNews: Student Charged In Lawrence Central High Shooting; More Charges For Indy Bounty Hunter In Grizzly Murder of Teens; Charges Filed Against Videographers Who Targeted Planned Parenthood

Source: David Hills / Getty

Get In the Know With Kim’s Tuesday News & Sports Headlines

Local:

A student at Lawrence North High School is facing charges for a shooting that injured a 15-year-old boy outside of Lawrence Central High School.  Seventeen-year-old Paul Rayner is accused of shooting the teen in the leg Friday night during a boys basketball game.  Both Rayner and the victim told police they and their friends had been in a dispute for more than a year.

Students will be back in class at Park Tudor today, after the school’s headmaster committed suicide not far from campus over the weekend. Investigators confirmed on Monday that headmaster Matthew Miller took his own life. No one is saying why. This is the second shocking headline from the school in recent weeks. Park Tudor’s former basketball coach is being investigated for child pornography charges. School was canceled Monday, however, as students return to class on Tuesday, counselors will be in place and available. The school released a statement to media denying any relationship between the two events. It read: “We have heard from some members of our community regarding speculation that Dr. Miller’s death was linked to law enforcement’s investigation of former basketball coach, Kyle Cox. We want you to know that throughout that investigation, we have been repeatedly assured by law enforcement that neither the School nor any of its employees (including Dr. Miller) were targets of their investigation. In addition, they have advised us that they are not aware of any threats to the safety of our students. We are continuing to work with law enforcement and Dr. Miller’s interview was one of the standard witness interviews being conducted by the Cox investigators.”

Prosecutors are filing new charges that reveal more of the case against the Indianapolis bail bondsman and bounty hunter charged with a heinous murder of two teenagers. Kevin Watkins, 49, is now facing charges of confinement and impersonation of a public servant. Prosecutors say he handcuffed another person and pretended to be a federal officer as he looked for the people he said broke into his house. Watkins is currently charged with killing the two teens he says were responsible for the burglary, Timmee Jackson, 15, and Dionne Williams, 16. The bodies of the pair, to date, have not been discovered.

There’s a price tag for Indiana’s fight over religious freedom and LGBT civil rights. A new report says last year’s RFRA fight cost Indianapolis 12 conventions and at least $60 million. Visit Indy officials say they know of at least a dozen conventions that didn’t book with the city because of the fight. Lawmakers are trying again this year to extend gays and lesbians some protections without running afoul of religious liberties. The Indianaapolis Star has more on this story HERE.

Circle Center Mall is losing another retailer—this time an eatery. Johnny Rockets 50’s diner-themed hamburger restaurant has already closed up shop in the downtown mall, becoming the second location in the state to close recently. The location in Greenwood Park mall has closed, as well. Johnny Rockets is the latest retailer to leave Circle Centre Mall, according to The Indianapolis Star. The Gap Kids store announced its planned closure which is scheduled this week, while American Greetings, Yankee Candle Co. and Johnston & Murphy shoe store are also set to exit. The Castleton Square location of Johnny Rockets remains open.

The American Red Cross is in desperate need of blood and platelet donors. A spokesman says severe winter weather has caused more than 300 blood drives across 20 states to be canceled, further depleting an already low winter supply. Donations can be scheduled by using the Red Cross Blood Donor App, by visiting redcrossblood.org or by calling 1-800-RED-CROSS. Here in Indy, the office has moved to a new location at 1510 North Meridian Street and their phone number is 317-684-1441.

In International & National News:

Two people who produced undercover videos accusing Planned Parenthood of selling unborn baby body parts are now under indictment in Texas. In an unexpected turn of events, a Houston grand jury returned charges of tampering with governmental records, flipping the script, against David Daleiden and Sandra Merritt, over their visit to Gulf Coast Planned Parenthood last year. Their videos made the rounds and became the center of political fodder in attempts to deny Planned Parenthood federal funding.

The three Democratic presidential candidates are back out on the road after making their closing arguments before next week’s Iowa caucuses. During Monday night’s CNN forum in Des Moines, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, and former Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley each made their case for caucus-goers to support them.  In her closing arguments ahead of the Iowa caucus, frontrunner Clinton cited her experience in domestic politics and foreign affairs and argued that she is best-qualified to be president. Clinton faces a tough challenge particularly from Sanders.

Charleston, South Carolina’s Emanuel A.M.E. Church is continuing to make history in the wake of last summer’s tragic mass shooting. For the first time since ‘Mother’ Emanuel was founded 200 years ago, a woman is now the lead pastor. Reverend Dr. Betty Deas Clark accepted the position to lead the congregarion following the death of Reverend Clementa Pinckney who was one of the “Emanuel Nine” victims. Learn more about Clark and her first sermon from Sunday, January 24 HERE.

In Sports:

Two Indianapolis Colts players are being added to the Pro Bowl roster. Vontae Davis and Mike Adams will replace the Broncos’ Chris Harrison and the Seahawks’ Kam Chancellor. The game will be played January 31 in Honolulu at Aloha Stadium.

The Indiana Pacers are back home tonight to take on the Los Angeles Clippers at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Indiana has dropped five of its last six games, most recently a 108-97 loss to Sacramento Saturday to finish up a four-game road trip. The team sits at 23-and-21 on the season, good for fourth place in the Central Division standings. Tipoff is 7:00 p.m.

In tennis…Serena Williams is in the semifinals at the Australian Open. The top-ranked American defeated Maria Sharapova, 6-4, 6-1 in the quarterfinals Monday, logging her 18th straight win against the Russian. Williams is just two wins away from her 22nd Grand Slam title, which would tie her with Steffi Graf for the most in the Open Era. It would also be Serena’s seventh Australian Open title.

Weather:

Cloudy with today’s high at 33 degrees.

Finally:

Bernie Sanders’ campaign for President is getting some “sweet” support. Ben and Jerry’s is offering a new ice cream flavor honoring the Vermont Senator. The flavor called Bernie’s Yearning has a thick disc of chocolate at the top to represent the top one-percent of earners, with mint ice cream in the bottom representing everybody else.

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