Well we are just 6 days away from the election and no matter where I turn people want to talk politics. For me it can be a little bittersweet. All the excitement leading up and Wednesday the 7th it’s all over.

Since 1992, elections have been my hobby; obviously the presidential election is exciting, but yes I love the off-year city council elections just as much. I think it’s the one time we participate in a singularly unique process across the world, specifically the Electoral College. (Now whether or not you agree or disagree with the process is a whole different argument; email me or message me if you’d like to share your opinion.)

But back to the week leading up, today Joe Astrouski (of News and Storm Team 10 fame) and I were talking about past elections and some of the fun facts associated with them, so I thought I’d share some with you:

Did you know?

-since 1860, Republicans have won every presidential election held on November 6th.
1860: Abraham Lincoln defeated Stephen Douglas
1888: Benjamin Harrison beat Grover Cleveland
1900: William McKinley over William Jennings Bryan
1928: Herbert Hoover beat Al Smith
1956: Dwight D. Eisenhower defeated Adlai Stevenson
1984: Ronald Reagan over Walter Mondale

-No Republican presidential candidate has won an election in the last 60 years without a Nixon or Bush on their ticket.

-Only 12 US presidents have been elected for a second term.

-No Democrat has won consecutive elections by a majority of the popular vote since Franklin Roosevelt.

If you search on the internet there are copious facts for the election, but I thought I’d share those with you.

Enjoy the next 6 days. After that politics returns to it’s place on the back burner.

If you have any fun facts, questions, or memories of past presidential races share them here.

“We shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air…we shall never surrender” –Winston Churchill

If you have been reading this blog then you know by now I love history. It’s how I got started with the archive stories and it’s what makes theWabashValley so interesting to me. Whether we know it or not, so much history has happened all around us. Today, I got to see the most important story of the last 100 years of American history up close. (Well it’s at least one of the most important.) World War Two.

As the war raged on in Europe and the Pacific, American men (just 18 or older, barely men really…) left their homes to go abroad.  It was different than World War I or any previous war.

This one seemed to threaten the American way of life. Japan performed the first enemy attack on U.S. soil since the War of 1812. (British would say we were the enemy on their soil, even then.)Germany had steamrolled the nations of Europe in the blink of an eye.

 So our grand-parents and great-grand parents left their homes; many after just graduating high school or college.

One of the people I met today was one of those now great-grandparents. If you see the story, you’ll meet Archie Goodwin, a crew member on a B-17.

Archie, now 88, lit up when he saw the old plane at the Terre Haute airport. He was too excited to contain himself. Talking shop with the current pilot, sharing stories with me and the current crew, and showing his family his home in the sky from 1944 till the end of the war.

But even beneath his story you will see that Archie was just a young kid when he went to war. He told me he wasn’t ever really afraid until later on in the war. When he and his crew were told that they had a three minute lifespan over a target. He and his crew survived enemy aircraft fire that significantly damaged their plane and in the end the war was won.

These young men and women went home; as heroes that faded into society. They got jobs, raised families, and then had grandkids. Some loved talking about their war days. Others kept quiet for years.

We don’t take for granted that they sacrificed their youth for our country. We just forget. The greatest generation put us on a course for global domination. They clung to a philosophy evem after the war, similar to the one Winston Churchill had: never surrender.

These days it gets easier to forget. Right now World War Two veterans are dying at a rate of 1,000 a day. It’s a tragedy that the greatest generation is leaving us, when we need their character the most. In such a tough time in our nation’s history, a turning point, we could take a page from their book.

Or maybe just a motto: Never Surrender.

We’re working on a story for News 10 at 6 about the final days of Chauncey Rose Middle School. As you know, the building will no longer serve as a school after this year, and many of you either know someone, or went to Chauncey Rose. Share a memory, we’ll share a few responses tonight at 6:00.

Areas of rain and thunderstorms will continue tonight and through the day on Wednesday. Some will reach severe limits because of gusty winds and hail.  Scattered rain and thunderstorms will stay in the forecast until Thursday when less humid air moves in for the weekend. Temperatures will drop into the lower 70′s tonight and then warm back up into the lower to mid 80′s Wednesday afternoon. High temperatures for the second half of the week will only reach the mid 70′s before slightly warming up into the lower 80′s for the weekend.

Scattered rain and thunderstorms will continue tonight with heavy rainfall expected. Rainfall amounts of one to three inches is likely through Sunday evening Wabash Valley wide. Isolated severe storms will be possible tonight and through the weekend as well. Temperatures stay close to average with highs in the mid to upper 60′s with overnight lows staying in the mid 50′s.

Rain and thunderstorms are moving out for a few hours but will redevelop after midnight.

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTHI) – Sports 10 has learned that Indiana State Athletic Director Ron Prettyman will interview for the open Athletic Director job at Cal Poly.

Sports 10 has obtained a copy of an email Prettyman sent to ISU coaches and other staff members Thursday.

Here is part of that email:

Team:

I wanted to notify you about something prior to you hearing it through the grapevine. As senior members and leaders of the Sycamore Athletics family you deserve to be kept informed.

I have been asked to come to campus at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo to talk to them about their open AD job. I am very happy at Indiana State and am not seeking to make a change. But for a variety of reasons, I owe it to my family and my career to take a close look at this opportunity. Details about the visit are yet to be determined.

I appreciate every one of you and am grateful for the opportunity that I have to work with you all every day. You are very good at what you do and you are the reason that we have seen such a resurgence in the Sycamore Athletics program as we strive daily for excellence in the classroom and on the surface of competition.

Most likely the news will hit the media on Friday or Monday. I would appreciate you keeping it under wraps until the story breaks, but I did want you to hear it from me rather than see it in the paper or on someone’s blog.

We have many coaches competing and traveling this weekend, that is why I chose to notify you through an email rather than try to call a meeting. I hope you understand. Have a great weekend and let’s get some victories for the good guys.”

GO SYCAMORES!
Ron Prettyman
Athletics Director
Indiana State University

Prettyman did confirm to Sports 10 that he had a teleconference call with Cal Poly a week ago and he said that he has been invited to the campus to interview sometime in the next three weeks.

Prettyman also told Sports 10 that It has to be something pretty special to make him leave ISU.

The Cal Poly job is just four and a half hours from where he used to live and he does have family that still lives out there.

This is not the first time another university has shown interest in the Sycamores Athletic Director. In 2010, San Diego State contacted Prettyman about their open AD job, but nothing ever happened.

Prettyman is currently in his fifth year as Athletic Director at Indiana State University, many programs have been very successful during Prettyman’s tenure at ISU.

A Terre Haute woman faces charges of neglecting her two children and false informing to police.

Police arrested 41-year-old Telissa True after she turned herself in on Wednesday.

Police say True left her two, 6-year-old children home alone with a dead man for several hours.

Officials say it all started when True and a man smoked meth on February 14th.

They say, later that night the man died but True was unaware.

That’s when she left her home with a friend leaving her children behind with the body.

They were alone there for hours.

Police say True eventually reported the man’s death, but lied about leaving the children there with him.

True remains in the Vigo County jail on $25,000 bond.

The children are in the custody of True’s parents.

PUTNAM COUNTY, Ind. (WTHI) – The Indiana State Police have arrested a Putnam County man for two counts of child molesting.

Detectives started the investigation on Thursday they were contacted by the Indiana Department of Child Services.

The Child Services “abuse hot-line” received a tip about the possible molestation of a 14-year-old female in Putnam County.

During the investigation, detectives discovered that not only was the 14-year-old female allegedly a victim of molestation, her 15-year-old sister was as well.

Police have arrested Brian Beaty, 47, of Fillmore, Ind. and he is being charged with two counts of child molestation.

On numerous occasions over the last three years, Beaty allegedly performed various sexual acts on the sisters at his home.

The investigation is ongoing and additional charges are possible. Beaty is being held in the Putnam County Jail with bond.

Good afternoon everyone.  Snow showers will move in later tonight closer to midnight with snowfall totals between 3″ to 5″ inches by the end of the day on Thursday.  The heaviest snow bands will be south of I-70  and therefore the highest snow totals will be in our southern counties.  Counties north of I-70 will still see measurable snow but an inch or so less than those to the south.  Snow will be on the ground for your Thursday morning commute so please give yourself extra time to get to your travel destination.

Futurecast at Midnight tonight;

Futurecast at 7:00 AM EST;

Futurecast at 10:00 AM EST…still snowing;

Futurecast as the snow begins to let up and move out;

Brief freezing drizzle and a few snow flurries this morning will make for a slick morning commute. Mostly cloudy skies will be around for the rest of today with highs reaching the lower 30′s. Cloudy skies and snow showers are moving in for tonight with one inch of snow expected by sunrise Thursday morning. Two to four inches of snow is expected by Thursday afternoon with temperatures reaching the upper 20′s. Single digit temperatures and below zero wind chills will move in as the snow moves out for Thursday night.

Current temperatures;