WOWO News

Updated: 11-20 1:29am

Allen County Republican Party Chair Steve Shine got to spend a few minutes with Sarah Palin before her book-signing on Thursday. Shine says that Palin has promised to return to Fort Wayne within a year to speak at a local Republican party event. He says Palin also told him that she considered Fort Wayne one of her most gratifying stops on the campaign trail.

A Fort Wayne hair stylist will have a client she can brag about for a lifetime after Sarah Palin's handlers asked her to do the former governor's hair Thursday morning. Sarah Rentschler works at "The Salon" in Fort Wayne. She says Palin was not picky at all about her hair, and was happy with the job she did.

The plan to co-locate city and county offices in the Renaissance Square building is now dead. The Allen County Council did not approve enough spending to make it happen. Mayor Tom Henry says he is "disappointed", but will now move ahead with the original plan to move most city offices to that building. Council President Roy Buskirk tells WOWO News that he doesn't think the city was every really serious about the idea.

Six more people in Indiana died from the H1N1 virus last week, even as the number of people hospitalized with flu symptoms continues to drop. That brings the total number of H1N1 deaths in Indiana to 28 since June 1. The Department of Health says it's a sad reminder that the virus is still a problem and is urging you to get the vaccine.

The Huntington County Department of Health says a woman there has died of the H1N1 virus. The department says they will not release any more information about the 27-year-old for confidentiality reasons. The woman died in late October.

A medical contractor is moving its headquarters to Allen County, and bringing 51 new jobs with it. Maxim Medical Services is currently located in LaOtto, but will be moving to Churubusco starting in 2012. The company installs and resells medical equipment to health care companies.

Police say an 18-year-old man broke into a home in Indianapolis and warmed up a bottle for a crying baby inside the house. Officers say Robert Coleman and another suspect were robbing a house when a baby started crying. At that point Coleman warmed a bottle in a microwave and gave it to a child to feed the baby. He now faces several charges.

Indiana Senator Richard Lugar's wife has been arrested and charged with drunken driving and hit-and-run after a crash in northern Virginia. Senator Lugar says he and his wife are "deeply sorry and embarrassed", and just glad that no one was injured.

The City of Fort Wayne is teaming up with Fort Wayne Community Schools, the police department, and the Mad Ants basketball team to unveil its new "Safe Haven" program. The program helps children in danger get to a safe location. Safe Haven decals will be given to homes and businesses that pass a background check...and that's how kids will know that it is a safe place for them to go.

A South Bend man will spend ten days in jail after causing a car wreck that killed two young girls. Leroy Hoover admitted to having marijuana in his system at the time of the crash. He will also have to take substance abuse classes and his license has been suspended for a year.

The Senate has confirmed an Indiana judge to sit on a Chicago-based Federal Appeals Court. Republicans had filibustered the nomination of David Hamilton, calling him a liberal activist. Democrats were able to stop the filibuster and confirm Hamilton to the higher court.
A WOWO job alert....The U.S. Census Bureau is looking for thousands of people to work in temporary jobs across Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin. The jobs involve going door-to-door to interview residents. The Census is conducted once every decade and counts the U.S. population. It determines the number of seats states have in the House of Representatives. Click here to apply.