The state of Indiana is synonymous with a wealth of American staples: high school basketball, Indy car racing, rock legend John Mellencamp.

But it’s been more than a generation since the state has mentioned in the context of another American tradition as being an influential player: the presidential primaries. Yet, with this presidential race, every vote in every state does indeed matter. And in this state, election officials and voters alike are excited to once again have an impact on the presidential nominating process.

Indiana Secretary of State Todd Rokita told reporters who gathered for his pre-election briefing Monday, that his greatest concern is a “good one” to have: long lines.

“Hoosiers are ready to make their mark on national, state, and local politics during the 2008 Primary Election, an election that may have an impact on national presidential politics for the first time in 40 years.”

Already, the high stakes of this election have resulted in unprecedented absentee turnout, with more than 167 thousand absentee ballots cast statewide. That’s nearly triple the number the Hoosier State usually sees in a primary. And it almost equals the number of early ballots cast in some recent general elections.

Traditionally, Indiana, with its May Primary, has been too late to dance to have an impact in the presidential primaries. In the past 10 presidential races, each party’s nominee had been selected before the state’s spring primary.

This time around, because the Democratic race is so close, the state’s 30,000 poll workers have gotten hours of extra training. And every first-time voter in Indiana, a total of about 160,000 Hoosiers newly registered to vote since the state’s November municipal election, has received a voter tip-card in the mail from Indiana’s Secretary of State.

One of the top election officials in Indiana’s most populated county says the excitement surrounding this election is unlike anything she’s ever witnessed.

“It’s going to be an election we haven’t seen. Not only the increased interest in voters. But also you the media. We have national exit polling companies coming to our community that we have never seen in my lifetime,” Marion County Clerk Beth White told me.

Polls for most of the state stay open until 6 pm eastern. But some of the counties in the heavily populated northwestern part of the state near Chicago, which are on central time, don’t close until 7 eastern. Pollsters say these urban counties could be significantly influential as to who wins Indiana.

But at the end of the day, many political observers say it won’t be Democrats deciding whether Senator Obama or Clinton take this state, but Republicans and Independents. The reason: Indiana has an open primary, meaning Republicans and Independents can cross over and cast a Democratic ballot.

American Airlines handed cookies and juice today to its customers at Chicago O’Hare International Airport, but these snacks weren’t provided by flight attendants on planes, rather by ticket agents inside the carrier’s terminal. This wasn’t a part of some kind of promotion for the world’s largest airline, but a small gesture of goodwill in an effort to save face with tens of thousands of stranded passengers nationwide. Yet, for some, it seems, cookies and juice just aren’t going to cut it!

“This is ridiculous. This should have happened a long time ago,”stressed an agitated Nicole Ferrera, in referring to American’s decision to ground 500 flights yesterday, another 850 already today, in order to re-inspect wiring on board the workhorse of its fleet: the MD-80. About half of American’s flights use the MD-80, mostly out of Dallas-Fort Worth and here in Chicago. This is American’s second round of mass cancellations in fewer than two weeks for wiring inspection failures.

American is apologizing for the disruption and footing the bill for things like hotels and meals. But that’s failed to satisfy many weary travelers. “We’re very frustrated and I feel hot … and sick” said a nine-week pregnant Ferrera as she sipped a cup of American provided juice with her husband, Phil, by her side, carrying their son Anthony, who is nearly two years old himself.

Having two little ones myself with twins on the way, I couldn’t help feel terrible for the Ferreras, who took a 90 minute bus ride this morning from Beloit, Wisconsin to catch a flight to Dallas for the 30th birthday party of Nicole’s sister. There’s a baptism this weekend too, and the Ferreras are the godparents. As of this hour, little Anthony seems to be blissfully unaware of this travel fiasco. He has his American airlines provided juice and his cookies … and his pacifier.

One Detroit City Council member is calling it a “constitutional crisis:” a City Hall scandal involving sex, text, and the mayor of one of America’s largest cities.

Both daily newspapers have called on Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick to resign from office for the good of the city. But Motown’s Mayor refuses to go, at least for now, creating a political power struggle in city of 900,000, a city which for decades has struggled with poverty, blight, and crime … recently earning the dubious honor from Forbes magazine as the “The Most Miserable City in America.”

Kilpatrick, 37, is a father of three with immeasurable political skills. He is the youngest African American to be a leader of any party in the Michigan Legislature, and the youngest person ever to be mayor of this city. He’s a hulk of a man, a former college football lineman and ex-team captain at Florida A&M, standing 6′5″, and somewhere in the neighborhood of 300 lbs. His figure notwithstanding, during my numerous interviews with the guy, I’ve found him to be an engaging and outgoing man…a guy who once wore a diamond studded earring as mayor … a guy with such a gift for gab that the Detroit press once nicknamed him “The Hip Hop Mayor.”

His flashy ways and widely reported partying have been scrutinized by local media from the get-go, even though he succeeded in cleaning up some of the most impoverished neighborhoods, brought business to downtown Detroit, and launched campaigns to rid the streets of guns. But his good work seems long forgotten in Motown, with foes and even former supporters, calling for his resignation. As one of his most biggest campaign contributors told me, “This guy could have been mayor for life. But instead, he screwed us all.”

On the surface, this story might just seem like another sex scandal … another politician falling from grace … but let me tell you why this is far from a provincial “affair.”

Michigan has the highest unemployment rate of any state in the nation. As Detroit goes…so goes Michigan…so goes the U.S. auto industry based here in Detroit and its suburbs. Kilpatrick claims he’ll be able to carry out business as usual. But so many people here tell me it’ll be tough for anyone here to focus on anything other than this City Hall scandal, potentially meaning long decaying Detroit might continue to suffer.

(Photo courtesy of Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office)

“There’s no such thing any more as a 100 year flood.”

Jeff Snider told me those very words a few days before this week’s historic rise of the Meramec River, just outside St Louis.

Snider owns a real estate business in Pacific, Missouri, a quaint “city” with an apt name this week as it took on oceanic qualities.

It’s the third time this place has seen water swamp its downtown since 1982, when they saw a record crest of the Meramec of more than 33 feet.

Come midnight-ish is when the river is expected to crest this time around, and it’s predicted to do so around 31 feet.

It’s mind-boggling to think, given all the water, that Pacific isn’t experiencing a record flood. That said, not far away, they’re forecasting that the St Louis suburbs of Eureka and Valley Park may indeed see the Meramec at unprecedented heights.

In most places, the Meramec and dozens of other swollen rivers nationwide now are flowing without challenge … essentially swallowing homes and businesses. But so far, Jeff Snider has put up a formidable fight. He’s surrounded his business with a four-foot high wall of more than 10,000 sandbags. Right now, he’s dry and he intends to keep it that way.

Here’s a photo of of my tireless crew, hard at work in the Meramec, as well as a few pics of downtown Pacific.

Keep Reading …

Sometimes when you cover the news you end up becoming a part of it.

That was the case this morning in Jefferson County, southwest of St. Louis. I was sent here to cover flooding, with rivers in the area expected to crash at record or near-record levels later in the week, after a winter of heavy snow and a week of unprecedented rain.

• Dramatic Coverage of the Flood Damage in the Midwest

While searching for a live shot location, near the city of Eureka, Mo., we went in search of an area someone told us had high water. We came upon a sign that said Road Closed. We drove up a nearby road so we could turn around, but decided to instead stop there to set up our cameras.

As soon as we got out of the trucks, my photographer Dutch Wargo asked me if I heard something.

“What?” I asked.

“Someone is yelling for help!”

Sure enough, I did hear a woman yelling for help. Dutch pulled his camera out, zoomed in on the river, and we saw a car partly submerged. Right about that same time, a resident from a nearby farm ran up, waving her arms. She was awakened from her sleep when she heard the same cries we did. Within seconds, rescue personnel showed up. They got a call and didn’t know exactly what was going on, so we directed them down the road to where the car was submerged … where someone was trapped in the water.

About 15 minutes later, a canoe came with rescue personnel, wearing life vests, ready to search for the woman. We were told that this river, named the Big River, had been rising a foot and a half per hour today. We got on the scene at 6:30 am — a rescue worker said they did a road check at 2:30 am, and that the roads were passable.

After a few tense minutes, we were told the woman had been rescued. I didn’t see her until later … and we’ll tell you more about it in a bit.

Meanwhile, as the river rescue is happening, another nearby resident came up to us in a panic.

Christine Ellis’ pickup truck (see photo) got stuck in the river outside of her house. She decided to evacuate her house when she still could, and packed her 65-year- old mother, furniture and pets into her truck that was connected to a horse trailer.

• Watch an interview with Christine Ellis

She gunned it — but got stuck about 20 yards out in front of her house. Slowly, the water rose into the pickup truck. They were all stuck there – air temperature was 40 degrees and the water temperature was 40 to 45 degrees. Christine and her mother sat there for an hour until fire and rescue personnel pulled her out.

At first, Christine couldn’t be more elated — she made it out, her mom made it out and her pickup made it out. Shortly, the story took a sad turn.

As we were interviewing Christine, she went back of the horse trailer to check on her pets. Her parrots made it out OK, her Saint Bernard made it out … but sadly, most of her animals did not. Five chickens, three dogs, three cats and a quail drowned in the water.

Christine’s frail 65-year-old mother hobbled to the truck with a cane. When she learned of the death of the animals, it was one of the most jarring and upsetting things I’d ever seen. This elderly woman screamed, “No, not Bubba!!!!”

She then preceded to give her beloved pet dog CPR and chest compressions for 15 minutes – a dog whose eyes were fixed in a glassy stare of death and tongue hanging out. We finally had to tell the woman, “Dear, they’re gone.”

The Jay Leno show. Jimmy Kimmel Live. Face it, most of you out there will never appear on one of these shows. But I have the distinction, dubious in my case, of being on BOTH shows the same night. I can laugh about it all now. But I couldn’t at the time.

Rewind time here with me if you will to September of 2003. The network sent me to Virginia Beach, Virgina to cover Hurricane Isabel, which at one point, if my recollection serves me correctly, was classified as a major hurricane, exceeding category 3 strength. As Isabel approached land however, she quickly fell apart. And by the time the storm got to Virginia Beach, Isabel was barely at hurricane strength, with wind gusts hovering around seventy miles per hour. That said, a weak hurricane is still a HURRICANE, and I wanted to demonstrate the power of these storms to our viewers. So, I put some protection over my eyes in the form of goggles, and then ventured in between two buildings on live TV, informing the audience I was about to go into a wind tunnel, so that our viewers could see the strength of Isabel for themselves.

Keep Reading …