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Wilson Files Lawsuit Against Calumet City Officials

A democratic candidate for Mayor of Calumet City, Illinois, filed a lawsuit on Thursday claiming officials in Calumet City government are trying to undermine his campaign, that according to today's Times. Published reports say Brian Wilson's lawsuit contends that information about debts he allegedly owed to the city were withheld when he inquired about them, and that exact information was used against him to try and remove him from the spring ballot.
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Sentencing Deliberation Begins in Isom Case

(Photo Courtesy of the Times)
The Times reports the jury began deliberating on sentencing today regarding the conviction of 47 year old Kevin Isom. Published reports say Isom was found guilty of murder on Wednesday by jurors in the deaths of his wife and two step-children, in August of 2007. and found guilty of three-counts of criminal reckless for shooting at law enforcement officers during a standoff. The Times reports Isom faces either the death penalty, life without the possibility of...

Free Tax Prep Community Forum Events in Gary

Gary Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson will host a Legislative Community Forum on Saturday, Feb. 16th at 10:00a.m. – 11:30a.m. at the Genesis Convention Center (5th & Broadway) in the Indiana Room. The purpose of the forum is to update citizens on various Senate Bills that directly concern and impact Gary and Northwest Indiana.
Meanwhile... tomorrow, the first of two Super Saturday free tax prep events for individuals who qualify hosted by the city of Gary and Urban League at the Genesis Convention...

Indiana Flu Deaths Up to 47

The latest data from the Indiana State Department of Health now show 47 flu-related deaths in the state this season, four additional cases since last week's report. Officials also say three of the deaths have occurred in individuals under the age of 18; that figure was at two last week. Six of the deaths have occurred in Marion County, the Indianapolis area. The department does not report the number of deaths in a county until five deaths have occurred in a specific county.
Click here to read...

Special South Shore Service for Auto Show

Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District is providing special weekday train service to the Chicago Auto Show. Normally, the South Shore only serves McCormick Place on weekends. The show runs February 9^th through the 18^th. For specifics on the schedule, click here: www.nictd.com
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Lake County is Getting Lake Effect

In Northwest Indiana, Lake County is getting hit with lake effect snow showers today. Accumulations of 1-2, or even higher amounts, are possible in these lake effect snow bands before they diminish later today. Here's a Special Weather Statement from the National Weather Service in Chicago:
913 AM CST FRI FEB 8 2013
...LAKE EFFECT SNOW SHOWERS TO PERSIST TODAY...
ONGOING LAKE EFFECT SNOW SHOWERS WILL PERSIST TODAY PRIMARILY
AFFECTING AREAS IN SOUTHEAST COOK COUNTY ILLINOIS AND ALL OF LAKE
COUNTY...

Crash, Gas Main Break Close CR 500 West

Porter County Sheriffs Police say County Road 500 West between the Boone Grove and Hebron areas will be closed for a time following a crash and gas main break. Public Information Officer Sgt. Larry LaFlower says 500 West is closed between County Roads 650 South and 700 South for crash cleanup and repairs to the gas main, which could take a while.
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Astronaut Jerry Ross Donates Items to Purdue

[Photo courtesy NASA]
Crown Point native Jerry Ross is the latest alumni astronaut to donate papers to Purdue. The collection includes artifacts from his time as a Purdue student, including his research thesis; test pilot manuals and flight checklists from work on the B-1 aircraft at Edwards Air Force Base; and documents and more from his long NASA career. Ross was an Air Force ROTC student at Purdue who received his undergraduate degree in 1970 and master's degree in mechanical engineering in...

Hundreds of O'Hare Flights Canceled

Hundreds of flights have been canceled at O-Hare International Airport as a blizzard marches toward the east coast. A blizzard warning is in effect for some 23 million people in the Northeast, as they brace for what forecasters say could be a historic snowstorm. ABC's Scott Goldberg reports the blizzard warnings stretch from New Jersey and New York City up through Maine, with snowfall predictions ranging from a few inches in Philly to more than two feet in parts of New England. Fears of...

Semi Goes Off the Road on Lake Co Ramp

[Photo/Indiana State Police Lowell Post]
In Lake County last night, Indiana State Police say a semi driver who went into a grassy area off the ramp from southbound I-65 to the eastbound Borman was wearing a seat belt, and was unhurt. The rig remained upright. Troopers say the trailer was hauling forty-thousand pounds of appliance parts, and no load was lost. The ramp was closed for a short time to tow the semi.
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Lake County Motorists: Wheel Tax Ahead?

The Lake County Council may again consider a so-called 'wheel tax' to help pay for the maintenance and repair of local roads. Two years ago the council rejected a similar proposal. A wheel tax could be a flat tax or a tax based on a percentage of a vehicle's value. Nwi-dot-com today reports the council had to borrow five-million dollars in 2012 to repave streets with the biggest pothole issues in unincorporated parts of Lake County.
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McCowan Murder Trial Continues in Porter Co

Testimony was continuing in the Dustin McCowan murder trial, which began with jury selection on Monday. McCowan, who has maintained his innocence, is accused of killing one-time girlfriend 19-year-old Amanda Bach. Police say the Portage teen's body was found fewer than three-hundred yards from McCowan's Union Township home the day after her vehicle was discovered along State Road 130 in Wheeler in September 2011.
The Times is providing daily coverage -- click here for more: http://www.nwitimes.c...

Portage PD Need Your Help to Find Suspect

(Photos Courtesy of the Times)
Authorities are seeking your help to identify a suspect who reportedly left the scene after a failed attempted theft on January 24^th in Portage. The Times reports the suspect allegedly attempted to steal 37 bottles of liquor, valued at over 850-dollars, by concealing them in a plastic tote-type container within a shopping cart, and pushing it out the door of Walmart, located on U-S 6. Published reports say a Walmart employee and a customer intervened, and brought...

Portage Man Indicted for Taking Bribes

A Portage man who works as a guard at the federal Metropolitan Correctional Center in Chicago has had five-counts of bribery charged against him. The Times reports a federal grand jury today indicted 51 year old Tony Henderson of allegedly taking bribes, on five different dates in July and August of 2012, reportedly regarding inmate possession of contraband. Published reports say Henderson has been on administrative leave since September, and at last check an arraignment date had not been...

Indiana Senate talks with Hoosier Astronaut in Space

The Indiana Senate talked to fellow Hoosier from space. Mission control in Houston connected NASA Commander, Astronaut Kevin Ford, orbiting 200 miles above the earth to members of the Indiana Senate including District 25 Senator, Tim Lanane. The lawmaker asked at the astronaut, "how important is it that the U.S. continue the manned space flight and exploration of space?" The answer, along with the entire 20 minute conversation from space can be heard On Demand at http://www.regionnewsteam.com.
... Kevin Ford

Donnelly Touts America Works Act

Senator Joe Donnelly held a conference call today on the importance of closing the skills gap to Indiana's economy. Senator Donnelly says he just recently conducted a four-day, eighteen community tour of Indiana, and what he says he kept hearing was that employers are in need of workers with the right skill-set, which is why the Senator is once again touting the “America Works Act”, which he originally introduced in the House. Donnelly says this legislation will strengthen Indiana, and make a gr...

Griffith Interim Police Chief Gets Praise from Gov Pence

The Griffith Town Council recently presented their interim police chief with a framed letter from Governor Pence, praising the work Chief Matthew Moore has done since taking on the job just a couple months ago. In an article today, the Times says Moore has been working with Highland and Munster Police in a new task force to fight crime in the Ridge area. He has also worked with the Mansards apartment complex to start regular police patrols, and started a tip line for suspicious activity.
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Gary Mayor to Host Legislative Community Forum

Longtime East Chicago Police Officer Indicted

The U-S Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois today announced a 19-year East Chicago police officer has been indicted on federal fraud charges for allegedly taking part in a ghost-payroll scheme for nearly three years while working three different part-time security jobs in addition to his full-time law enforcement duties. Federal authorities say 42-year-old Robert Aponte has been charged with six counts of mail fraud and six counts of wire fraud in an indictment returned by a federal...

Powerball $217M Jackpot Ticket in Virginia

The Wednesday, February 6th Powerball jackpot grew to an estimated 217-point-two million-dollars, and Powerball officials say there was one grand prize winning ticket sold in the state of Virginia. The jackpot will reset to forty-million dollars for the next draw.
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