State revenue tops September target by $12.6 million\nINDIANAPOLIS -- State revenues in September came in $12.6 million, or 1.2 percent, above projections, officials said Monday.\nThat report puts state revenues for the first three months of the 2005 budget year at $44.5 million more than was forecast.\nTwo of the state's three main revenue streams came in above forecast for September, with sales taxes $5.9 million better than expected and corporate income taxes $20.7 million above projections.\nIndividual income tax revenue, however, fell short by 2.3 percent, or $9.3 million.\nThe 2005 budget year revenue was 6.3 percent, or $157.6 million, more than the state collected during the same three-month period last year.\nState Budget Director Marilyn Schultz said Indiana has achieved three consecutive quarters of year-over-year growth in sales tax money, with growth exceeding 5 percent in seven of nine months.\n"The steady increase in sales tax revenue over the last nine months indicates a strengthening economy," Schultz said. "When combined with nearly 40 percent growth in corporate income tax in the first quarter, this is a good sign that Indiana may finally be getting past the national recession."\nThe state faces a budget deficit of about $830 million, and owes more than $710 million in back payments to schools, universities and local governments. Lawmakers will begin writing a new two-year budget in January.\nRepublican Mitch Daniels, who is challenging Gov. Joe Kernan in the November election, has pointed out that the state's revenue projections were based on a forecast for 2005 that was revised downward in January by $190.5 million.
Gary to install system that finds gunshot source\nGARY -- City officials have received a $700,000 federal grant to install a system of utility pole-mounted sensors that can pinpoint the source of gunfire.\nUsing the technology, police will know in seconds if a loud pop outside a home is gunfire, a car engine or fireworks.\nThe ShotSpotter Inc. system will transmit information through telephone lines to the police communications center, where a radio dispatcher can then pinpoint the gunshot's location to within about 20 feet.\nEarlier this month, a city board approved buying two sensor systems from the Mountain View, Calif.-based company using the Department of Justice grant.\nThe receivers should be installed by late this year, Deputy Police Chief Jeff Kumorek told the Post-Tribune of Merrillville for a story published Monday.\nOne system, which includes eight sensors mounted on telephone poles in a two-square-mile area, was planned near the IU-Northwest Gary campus, he said.\nThe location for a second system has not been decided, but ShotSpotter CEO James Beldock said the equipment can, if needed, be moved to different neighborhoods.\nKumorek and Randy Jacobs, special assistant to IU-Northwest's chancellor, visited North Charleston, S.C., to see how their ShotSpotter system works.\n"They showed us that their officers get to the source so quickly, they can arrest the shooter at least 30 percent of the time," Jacobs said.\nIf police cannot find the shooter, they distribute to the neighborhood preprinted notices urging people to call authorities with information about illegal gunfire.\nAnother note goes to the house where the shots originated.
