A Hammond/Highland flood prep drill that had Kennedy Avenue shut down near the Borman for a few hours overnight this week. The exercise using concrete blocks and sandbags to build a 'wall' in just a couple hours on Kennedy Avenue as if floodwaters were rising was held in conjunction with the Army Corps of Engineers to make sure Region responders, public works and safety officials, are ready to act quickly in the event of a major flood. Little Calumet River Basin Development Commission Executive Director Dan Repay says there's a flood drill coming up in  Gary April 19th, near Harrison, just west of Broadway, near where the Little Cal runs through there.  That exercise will be held in conjunction with Indiana University Northwest. The exercises follow the devastating floods that hit Lake County in September 2008.  To hear our interview with Dan Repay, visit On Demand here at our website.
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For the time being, the process to replace outgoing Lake County Juvenile Judge Mary Beth Bonaventura is on hold. The Indiana Supreme Court has granted a temporary stay preventing Lake Superior Judge Nicholas Schiralli from taking over. Three Lake County Juvenile Court Magistrates sued, asking for the opportunity to be considered for the job and arguing that sitting county judges exceeded their authority in making the decision to fill the vacancy. Bonaventura is leaving to head the Indiana Department of Child Services.
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Purdue Calumet says child care will continue at the Hammond campus. The university had said the Riley Child Center, which opened in 1992, was in danger of closing due to a lack of funds. Purdue Calumet officials say the facility will remain open, thanks to reallocated federal community development block grant funds pledged by Hammond Mayor Thomas McDermott, Jr. Officials say declining enrollment at the center, which has capacity for up to sixty children, has led to a 40-to-60-thousand dollar annual deficit which the university can no longer afford to subsidize.
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Hammond Police report the first scam of spring... an elderly person duped into letting a fake public service worker into their home. Hammond Police Chief Brian Miller says it happened about a week ago. The victim was not harmed, but money was taken. Chief Miller is asking the elderly and any resident to not let people who show up on your doorstep claiming to be from a utility department into your home, and to call 911 if they want to enter. Miller also says keep an eye out for suspicious persons at grocery stores, banks, and financial institutions, as some of the city's previous victims have been followed from these businesses to their homes.
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[National Weather Service]
The National Weather Service says a potententially significant storm system will lift northeast into the Ohio Valley Saturday night and Sunday, a system has the potential to produce several inches of accumulating snowfall after midnight Saturday night through Sunday. However, meteorologists say there is still some uncertainty on the precise track of this system, and that could affect snow amounts and where the heaviest snow might fall.
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(Photo Courtesy of the United Way of Porter County)
Porter Health Care System was named "Company of the Year" by United Way of Porter County at the 2013 United Way Volunteer of the Year Awards State Banquet held March 7^th at the Fountains Banquet and Conference Center, Carmel.
“With health as one of United Way’s primary impact areas, it was an honor to nominate Porter Health Care System, which has been recognized for the award-winning medical care it provides to Northwest Indiana,” stated Sharon A. Kish, President of United Way of Porter County.  United Way annually invests in three core initiatives which serve as the building blocks for a good quality of life:  Health, Education and Financial Stability. 
Led by CEO Jonathan Nalli, and CFO Cheryl Harmon, who serves as United Way’s current Board Chair, Porter Health Care System is committed to United Way efforts.  Jonathan and his wife, Cathleen, chaired United Way’s 2011/12 Annual Campaign, which raised $1.8 million in Porter County.  This past year, Porter also hosted United Way’s 1^st Annual CEO Leadership Breakfast in the new Porter Regional Hospital before it opened.  With standing room only, the event was a great start to their campaign.  In addition, Porter served as the Premier Sponsor for United Way’s Annual Golf Classic in its 1^st year at Sand Creek Country Club, and will serve again this year in 2013. 
“Porter Health Care System is a great advocate for volunteerism,” added Kish.  In 2012, the company served as the Corporate Steward Sponsor for the United Way Regional Volunteer Center.  Among the sponsored activities is the Regional Day of Caring, which attracts more than 2,000 volunteers each year. 
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INDIANAPOLIS – Thanks to the efforts of State Rep. Mara Candelaria Reardon (D-Munster), legislation designed to assist Hoosier veterans interested in pursuing a college degree now contains language that helps the children of those who were disabled during their military service.
            On a 93-0 vote today, members of the Indiana House approved Senate Bill 177, which contains a series of provisions assisting veterans who wish to attend a state-supported college or university once they have completed their service.
            Among those provisions is a proposal from Candelaria Reardon that ensures that any child of a veteran with any form of service-related disability will be able to attend college without paying any tuition or fees. The benefit covers students pursuing an undergraduate degree and covers a four-year period.
            “This change corrects an egregious error made by the Indiana General Assembly back in 2011, when it was decided to scale back this plan in an effort by the previous administration to cut costs,” Candelaria Reardon said.
            “Up until 2011, any child of a veteran with any level of disability was able to attend college and have 100 percent of tuition and fees remitted over a four-year period,” she continued. “The change from 2011 reduced the level of benefits, which meant some children would have to pay for a portion of tuition and fees.
            “I felt that change reneged on our commitment to take care of those who give so much to take care of the rest of us, particularly when you consider that at the same time the Republican majority in the Legislature was cutting this benefit for disabled Hoosiers, they were also cutting corporate taxes,” Candelaria Reardon said. “This year was a perfect time to restore a sense of fairness to this issue.”
            Senate Bill 177 also provides that combat veterans can receive in-state tuition if they choose to go to a college or university in Indiana within a year of being discharged from their service. The bill also enables veterans to pursue a higher education with their tuition and fees frozen at a fixed rate over four years.
            “It is very easy for us to talk about demonstrating a commitment to those who place themselves in harm’s way, but I think now is the time to put those words into definitive actions that tell our veterans that we care for them, and we are willing to do everything we can to thank them for their service and help both them and their families,” Candelaria Reardon concluded.
            Senate Bill 177 now returns to the Indiana Senate to see if members there concur with changes made in the House....

Gary Police say that anyone with information regarding a Wednesday afternoon shooting in the 22-hundred block of West 17^th Avenue is encouraged contact them and ask for Detective Lorenzo Davis. Public Information Officer, Corporal Gabrielle King, says a 74 year old woman and a 22 year old man were shot and hospitalized, and at last check the 22 year old, identified as Richard King, had been released.
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A 16 year old male suspect remains at-large at last check, regarding a double homicide that claimed the lives of two brothers, and for an armed robbery that took place minutes before the shooting. Gary Police Public Information Officer, Corporal Gabrielle King says17-year-old Johnte Crawford, who is in custody, and 16-year-old Donnell Wilson, who is at-large, each faces two-counts of murder and one-count of robbery armed robbery, for the two separate incidents that began with the robbery in the 15-hundred block of Ellsworth Place Sunday afternoon.
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In Gary today, officials say Lew Wallace STEM Academy was on lockdown for about twenty minutes after one of the school security officers realized he didn't have his gun.  Reports say the missing weapon was not related to a fight that broke out between students today. The officer reportedly went home where he located his weapon, and the lockdown was canceled.
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