The Crown Point City Council approved an ordinance establishing an annual registration and inspection program for rental housing units located within the city. Mayor David Uran (you-ran) says this ordinance changes the name from “officer” to “inspector”, who will establish what is a residential or rental property within the city. Mayor Uran says the inspector position, which is currently looking to be filled though internal postings, will be paid through a combination of established rental fees,...

Read more: Crown Point to Establish Rental Compliance Inspector

Three people are dead after a vehicle was discovered this morning submerged in Cedar Creek, in unincorporated Lowell. The Lake County Sheriff's Office reports they responded to a personal injury crash just after 7am today, in the 75-hundred block of Belshaw Road, and found a vehicle resting on its roof in Cedar Creek. Authorities say 21 year old Raymond Rodriguez and 20 year old Sarah Spencer, both Lake Village, were found deceased in the vehicle, and that a second passenger, 40 year old Dustin...

Read more: Third Victim Identified in Cedar Creek Crash

A Lake County bar was cited with three violations of the state Alcoholic Beverage Code Sunday relating to illegal gambling on the Super Bowl. The Times reports Indiana Excise Police were called to the Spike's lakeside Inn, in Schererville, on an anonymous tip, and as many as 400 people were allegedly involved at the bar. Published reports say a representative of Spike's turned in more than 200-thousand dollars to excise police today and an investigation into the incident continues.
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Read more: Lake Co Bar Faces Charges Relating to Illegal Gambling

The bodies of two Lake Village residents, a 21 year old man and a 20 year old woman, were recovered from their vehicle this morning, which was discovered submerged in Cedar Creek, in unincorporated Lowell. The Lake County Sheriff's Office reports they responded to a personal injury crash just after 7am today, in the 75-hundred block of Belshaw Road, and found a vehicle resting on its roof in Cedar Creek. Authorities say Raymond Rodriguez and Sarah Spencer were both found deceased in the vehicle, and...

Read more: 2 Lake Village Residents Found Dead in Vehicle

(Photo Courtesy of the Portage Police Department)
The Portage Police Department today announced it received ten Canon Power Shot 14-point-one mega pixel digital cameras as a donation last month. Sgt. Keith Hughes reports U-S Corporate Security Manager Doug Snider and Senior Security Investigator Terry Swickard presented Chief Troy Williams with the ten cameras, valued at approximately 25-hundred dollars, on January 17^th. The cameras are said to be assigned to the patrol division to be used to...

Read more: Portage PD Receives 10 Digital Cameras as Donation

(Photo Courtesy of the Times)
A 27 year old man who was found guilty in December to numerous charges relating to aiding in child molestation and exploitation was sentenced to 54 years in prison today. The Times reports Ryan Schroeder will have to serve 85-percent of at least 45 years of the sentence. Published reports say Schroeder's former girlfriend, Tara Tryon, who also faces charges that relate to this case, is expected to appear in Porter County Superior Court in mid-March.
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Read more: 54 Year Sentence for Schroeder

Statement from Michigan City Mayor Ron Meer's office:
Sec. 94-254 – Parking restrictions during a snow removal condition.
    Effective at 11:00 a.m., Monday February 4, 2013.  The following snow removal condition has been declared by the Mayor, the following traffic regulations shall be in effect:
(1) No vehicle shall be parked on a designated “snow route”.
(2) On even numbered days, no parking shall be permitted on that side of the street with even numbered addresses from 6:00 a.m. to midnight.
(3...

Read more: Michigan City Snow Statement

In Griffith, town officials say about eighty residents are under a boil order after a water main break in the 900 block of Ash Place Sunday. The break occurred on the west side of town. The public works department says residents who are affected by the boil order have been notified door-to-door.
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Read more: Boil Order for Part of Griffith

Two public forums are scheduled in Munster this week to discuss the possibility of raising taxes to help fund schools. Just last week, in Boone Township, the school board in Hebron approved a referendum that'll be on the ballot this May. Within the past couple years, voters in three other Region school districts – Lake Central, Crown Point, and Duneland – approved a similar referendum for their schools. The Munster forums are at 7:30 p.m tonight// Feb. 4 and tomorrow night (Feb 5) at the high sc...

Read more: Munster Schools May Ask for Tax Increase

Authorities say they're investigating a double murder in Monticello. In White County early Saturday, Indiana State Police, Monticello Police and White County Sheriff’s Department responded to a 911 call about possible stabbings. Indiana State Police say a preliminary investigation revealed that a 20-year-old man allegedly stabbed his 41-year-old mother and his seven-year-old half-sister. Police say the suspect's mother was able to make the 911 call before succumbing to her injuries. Police say D...

Read more: Double Murder Investigation in Monticello