Local News from WIKY

First for Indiana Gov. Mike Pence. He signed his first two-year budget and then vetoed legislation, bringing a halt to four new licensing and certification requirements. Pence says bills requiring licensing of dietitians, diabetes educators and anesthesiologist assistants create unnecessary barriers to the free market, and would get in the way of economic growth. The governor says the state should be looking for ways to require fewer licenses, not more. The governor notes he supported a bill establishing a panel to review all Indiana‘s licenses and consider which could be eliminated.

Columbus, Indiana police take and destroy a small arsenal of low-velocity airguns from a teen at the request of his father. The "Republic" reports the 14-year-old boy‘s father made the request after his son was caught pointing one of the guns at passing motorists. Officials say the boy‘s activity has created several incidents of panic, including a school lockdown. Police took a total of 11 airguns from the youth.

A steel fabrication plant and distribution center will be coming to the Vanderburgh Industrial Park. DSI Underground Systems plans to create 44 new jobs over the next five years with an average wage of $22.50 per hour. Workers will help fabricate raw steel into roof bolts, plates, and other steel products for the mining industry. The plant will also distribute adhesive products, and plans to be in business by the end of the third quarter. read more

There should be a lot of smiles on the faces of Toyota workers in Gibson County and elsewhere. Toyota's quarterly profit more than doubled to $3.2 billion, as cost cuts and better sales worked with a weakening yen to add momentum to the automaker's comeback. Toyota, which last year reclaimed the title of world's top-selling automaker, says it expects the strong results to continue in its new business year that ends next March. It projects a profit of almost $14 billion.