Daylight-saving bill advances to Senate\nINDIANAPOLIS -- Legislation that would move all of Indiana to daylight-saving time advanced to the full Senate Monday for the first time since 1983 after an opponent provided a decisive vote to help it win a committee's endorsement and stay alive.\nThe Senate Rules Committee approved the bill 6-5, with Republican Sen. Allen Paul of Richmond siding with the majority even though he has pledged to vote against the bill on the Senate floor.\nA vote by the 50-member chamber is expected to take place Tuesday, and Senate President Pro Tem Robert Garton predicted the tally would be close.\nEven if it passes, it must win approval in the House once again because of revisions made by a House-Senate conference committee. Among other things, that panel removed provisions that would allow some counties, on their own, to opt out of the twice-a-year time switch. It took two votes to pass the House earlier this session and cleared the chamber with the bare minimum of 51 "yea" votes \nrequired.
State's 1st agriculture department signed into law Monday\nINDIANAPOLIS -- Gov. Mitch Daniels signed into law legislation creating Indiana's first cabinet-level agriculture department, an agency he predicted would play a key role in reviving the \nstate's economy.\nUntil Monday, Indiana was one of only four states without a stand-alone Department of Agriculture overseeing all elements of the agriculture industry.\nThe governor said the new cabinet-level agency will help Indiana tap into the potential of bio-based fuels such as ethanol, a corn-based gasoline additive, that would also benefit farmers by expanding a new market for their crops.\nAndy Miller, a popcorn industry executive who is the department's first director, said Indiana farmers might have missed some opportunities over the years because the state lacked an agriculture department. He is working on a strategic plan scheduled to be released next month.\nMiller said he hopes Indiana can become a leader in the biofuels industry and develop its food processing industry to use more of the crops and livestock that its farmers raise.
Winter-like weather blamed for traffic accident deaths\n\nCROWN POINT, Ind. -- Police said snow contributed to two fatal accidents over the weekend \nin Indiana.\nDavid Megquier, 38, of Lowell, Ind., died when the SUV he was riding in went out of control and struck a utility pole along Indiana 55 near Crown Point. Three other people were in the vehicle but were not seriously injured, police said.\nThe crash occurred just before 1 a.m. Sunday.\n"Weather conditions were real bad because it was snowing and there was a lot of slush on the street," said Lake County Police Chief Gary Martin.\nEarlier, a truck driver died when his vehicle slid out of control on an Interstate 70 bridge also made slick by snowfall, police said.\nJames E. Spicer, 40, was ejected and died instantly when his westbound truck overturned about 20 miles west of Richmond about midnight Saturday, Henry County Sheriff's Deputy Jason \nWilliams said.\n"I'm sure it was the weather conditions," Williams said.\nRoad crews spread salt on bridges and overpasses Saturday night because of worsening conditions caused by the spring snowfall.
