TERRE HAUTE —
The condition of former Terre Haute Mayor Judy Anderson has been upgraded to good at an Indianapolis hospital.
Anderson sustained multiple injuries in a 5 p.m. Sunday crash that resulted in the death of her husband, Brent, who was driving the couple’s Lincoln Town Car. She was airlifted to Methodist Hospital for treatment.
Investigators remain unsure what caused the single-vehicle accident on U.S. 40 at the Putnam County town of Reelsville. Police report that no skid marks or brake marks were found on or along U.S. 40 where Anderson’s westbound car drove off the four-lane highway and struck a tree head-on.
Chief Deputy Tom Helmer of the Putnam County Sheriff’s Department reports that investigators did find a rust mark on the inside of the driver’s front door, and they believe that mark may have come from a makeshift cargo trailer that was struck by the car before the vehicle hit the tree. Helmer said it appears the parked trailer caused damage to the driver’s side and roof of the car beyond the damage that occurred when the car struck the tree.
Both Judy Anderson, who was a front-seat passenger, and her husband were wearing seatbelts, Helmer said.
An autopsy on the body of Brent Anderson is scheduled for late this afternoon in Vigo County by forensic pathologist Dr. Roland Kohr.
Judy Anderson held several positions in local government before being elected mayor of Terre Haute in 1999. She won the Democratic Party primary that year, defeating the incumbent mayor and easily winning election in the fall. Anderson was the first woman elected mayor of Terre Haute, serving one term, 2000 to 2004.
Brent Anderson taught in Vigo County schools and was a former athletic coach at area schools. He was inducted into the Wabash Valley Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2010.
Anderson was a graduate of Schulte High School and Indiana State University. He coached at Fort Wayne Central Catholic for several years before coaching at Clinton/South Vermillion High School from 1972 through 1984, according to Tribune-Star archives. He was the first South Vermillion football coach.
After retiring as a head coach, he taught and coached at Sarah Scott Middle School in Terre Haute.
During her term as mayor, Judy Anderson said that her husband was very supportive of her in her governmental duties.
In an interview with the Tribune-Star in March 2002, midway in her administration, she said: “I’m very, very fortunate to have Brent as a spouse and a partner, because we enjoy the same activities, we enjoy them together. We like the same things. We like the same food. He comes to City Council meetings. ...
“He’s going to be retiring next year, so he’ll be totally free to do all these things. He enjoys it. And the deal was that when he was the head football coach, you know, I took all four of our kids and went to every football game and gave 100 percent support. Now our lives have turned around and he’s doing exactly the same thing,” she said.
Local & Bistate
LATEST: Anderson’s condition upgraded to ‘good’
- Local & Bistate
-
-
Illinois Senate approves sex education bill
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — A proposal that revamps sex education in Illinois public schools to include information about contraception and sexually transmitted diseases has cleared the state Senate.
-
Gregg pondering 2nd run for Indiana governor
INDIANAPOLIS — Former Democratic gubernatorial candidate John Gregg is pondering another run at the state's top job, but has yet to make a decision.
-
Illinois senator apologizes for Nazi remark
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Illinois Sen. Donne Trotter has apologized for remarks that compared a member of Gov. Pat Quinn’s cabinet to a Nazi.
-
Vigo County Jail Log: May 22, 2013
The following individuals were booked into the Vigo County Jail by area law enforcement on Tuesday and Wednesday, based on jail records.
-
Rose-Hulman professor researching ways to make homes storm safe
Tornadoes produce greater uplift forces than hurricanes, which can flatten homes such as in Moore Okla., south of Oklahoma City.
-
Group wants to connect downtown Terre Haute with the Wabash River
Fairbanks Park is underutilized.
The Wabash River is peaceful and inviting, but there is some concern about its cleanliness as well as pollution levels. Also, people can’t get on the river unless they have a boat. -
New conservancy district appoints first directors
Members of the first board of directors of a new lake conservancy district were appointed Tuesday by the Vigo County Board of Commissioners.
-
Vigo law enforcement signs Triad charter to protect seniors
Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller joined Vigo County law enforcement and community activists Tuesday to sign the county’s first Triad charter, becoming the 22nd Triad in Indiana.
-
Wabash Valley Red Cross wraps up Save the Day Campaign
The American Red Cross Wabash Valley Chapter’s 2013 annual meeting concluded the 17th annual Save the Day Campaign, and the results lifted the spirits of all who were involved.
-
Some Vigo roads washed out
Spring storms resulted in $250,000 in damages to roads in southern Vigo County, with costs including sand and labor to save homes near river bottoms, said county highway Assistant Superintendent Dan Bennett.
-
County Council votes $78K toward rail spur
County officials voted Tuesday night to make good on a 2011 promise to help improve a railroad spur just north of Terre Haute for Menard Inc.
-
Spring flooding damages future CSO holding lagoon
Flood waters from the Wabash River have done costly damage to one of the city-owned “lagoons” on former International Paper property.
-
Vigo tops state average for IREAD-3 scores
The Vigo County School Corp. exceeded the state average in the percentage of students passing the state’s mandatory Grade 3 reading test, IREAD-3.
-
Storms cause minor damage in Valley
Tuesday morning storms in the Wabash Valley caused thousands of Duke Energy customers to lose power.
-
Vigo County Jail Log: May 21, 2013
The following individuals were booked into the Vigo County Jail by area law enforcement on Monday and Tuesday, based on jail records.
-
UPDATE: Damage surveys show 2 weak tornadoes hit near Indy
INDIANAPOLIS — The National Weather Service says storm surveys show two weak tornadoes struck central Indiana.
-
Storm causes scattered Indiana power outages
INDIANAPOLIS — A line of thunderstorms that moved across Indiana caused scattered building damage and power outages for several thousand homes and businesses.
-
Kindergartner diagnosed with MD treated to a day with the fire department
“He’ll just never forget this day,” Stacey Manley said, a little bit tearfully, as she watched her smiling 6-year-old son Carter sitting happily in the captain’s seat of Fire Engine 2.
-
Casey, Illinois aims for another world record
The town of Casey, Ill., may soon weave its way into the record books as the small town with the most world records. After setting records for the world’s largest wind chimes and the world’s largest golf tee, Casey is now looking to become home to the world’s largest knitting needles and crochet hook.
-
Rose-Hulman projects will promote growth, learning for people with physical challenges
Life changed dramatically for college engineering student Drew Christy on Feb. 22, 2008 when he was involved in an auto accident and suffered a traumatic brain injury.
-
‘500’ gas stations being sold to Speedway LLC
After several decades in business, the area’s familiar “500” gasoline stations and convenience stores will soon be missing from the roadsides of Vigo and Sullivan counties.
-
Terre Haute woman faces 14 charges
A Terre Haute woman faces 14 criminal counts after her arrest Friday on drug-related charges.
-
Two adults injured in ATV accident
Two adults were injured Sunday evening while riding an all-terrain vehicle near Lexington Farms Subdivision off Moyer Drive in southern Vigo County.
-
Vigo schools’ medical claims down 4 percent
The Vigo County School Corp.’s medical claims were about $13 million over the last 12 months, down 4 percent from the prior year, said Diane Titchenell, an Anthem account manager that works with the school district.
-
2013 Government Directory now available
The 2013 Government Directory is now available.
-
UPDATE: 5 killed, 6 injured in I-70 van crash in Illinois
ST. LOUIS — A van carrying church members returning from a California gathering careened off of a southern Illinois freeway and overturned several times today, killing five people and sending six others to hospitals, authorities said.
-
2 children reported dead from Indianapolis fire
INDIANAPOLIS — Authorities say some autistic children lived in the Indianapolis condominium unit where a fire has killed two children.
-
Tighter Indiana drunken driving law seems unlikely
INDIANAPOLIS — Some key Indiana legislators say it’s unlikely that the state will any time soon go along with a federal safety board’s recommendation that the threshold for drunken driving be cut nearly in half.
-
Vigo County Jail Log: May 20, 2013
The following individuals were booked into the Vigo County Jail by area law enforcement on Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday, based on jail records.
-
Life-Size Ping Pong: Valley pickleball tourney draws large crowd to Brittlebank Park
It’s been described as “ping pong on steroids.”
Some people call it “life-size ping pong where you stand on the table.” - More Local & Bistate Headlines
-
Illinois Senate approves sex education bill




