Washington, D.C. — Senator Joe Donnelly spoke with Indiana media today to engage the nearly 500,000 Hoosier veterans and their concerns, including the timely receipt of benefits and healthcare, securing civilian employment, the Veterans History Project, and a recent controversy over the placement of a medal recognizing drone pilots and cyber warriors over battlefield decorations including the Purple Heart. 
“I’m focused on ensuring that veterans earn the benefits they earned and that we appropriately honor their sacrifices,” said Donnelly.  “This takes a comprehensive approach.  From VA benefits and employment programs to recording veterans’ experiences with the Veterans History Project, I want Hoosier veterans to know that I am their advocate in Washington.” 
Donnelly encouraged veterans to contact his office in the event of difficulty with a VA claim or GI Bill benefits, giving the number to his Indianapolis office, 317-226-5555, and his official website, www.donnelly.senate.gov.  The Senator said he is making other efforts to contact and support Hoosier veterans as well, citing a letter to the editor on the Veterans History Project that recently ran in several Indiana newspapers.  A copy of that letter can be found by following this link, http://www.donnelly.senate.gov/documents/2.13_VHP_LTE.pdf.
Donnelly also expressed optimism that the Department of Defense would “do the right thing” and rank medals earned on the battlefield above a new decoration honoring drone pilots and cyber warriors.  Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel ordered a review of the medal’s order of precedence this week after veterans groups and a bipartisan coalition of lawmakers criticized the decoration’s placement above battlefield decorations including the Bronze Star and Purple Heart. “I’m pleased that Secretary Hagel has initiated this process,” said Donnelly.
You can hear the Donnelly's conference call "On Demand" at regionnewsteam.com.
# # #...

Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio  of Argentina ... now Pope Francis the first ... in Rome ... the choice of the cardinals was announced to thousands of frenzied onlookers, crowding to get a glimpse of the red-clad balcony of St. Peter's Basilica ... and the 1.2 billion Catholics around the world.  Bergoglio becomes the first ever Latin American Pope.
# # #...

ABC News reports white smoke is billowing from the roof of the Sistine Chapels, bells ringing ... and in St. Peter's Square the flags are waving. After just five ballots, the Catholic cardinals have chosen a new Pope, but at this a name has not been released.
# # #...

(Photo Courtesy of the Times)
A performance by actor Ed Asner Tuesday night in Gary was cut-short after he was taken to a Chicago hospital. The Times reports the actor was hospitalized for exhaustion, and at last check he was expected to be released sometime today. Published reports say Asner was taken from the stage during a sold-out show of his one-man performance of F-D-R at Marquette Park Pavilion.
# # #...

The city of Hobart is back to having three staffed ambulances. This past Friday, one was added to Fire Station Two on Old Ridge Road, on the west side of the city. It was moved from Fire Station One on Tenth Street, which is now home to a new Advanced Life Support engine, which is similar to an ambulance, but doesn't provide transport. Hobart Mayor Brian Snedecor says the fire chief had looked at a system that would place ambulances on the north and south sides of the city, and in the middle – on 10^th Street – there would be an ALS engine as well as a rescue truck and battalion chief vehicle that could respond to any emergency. To hear Hobart Mayor Brian Snedecor on this and a number of topics, visit our Region Newsmakers On Demand at Regionnewsteam-dot-com
###...

Hoosier Lottery officials say a Region man has defied amazing odds. Chris Ziegler of Valparaiso, a US Marine and wartime veteran who served in the Gulf War, is one of five finalists in an upcoming Hoosier Lottery Lucky Millionaire drawing in which one of the five will walk away with a million dollar prize – and this isn't his first shot at the Lucky Millionaire prize. Ziegler, who currently works as an EMT, was also a finalist in the previous Lucky Millionaire drawing last September. He didn't walk away with the million dollars that time --the prize went to Greg Langel of South Bend, so he kept entering his non-winning tickets into the mylottery second-chance drawing. One of his entries was drawn in the Jan. 30 drawing, earning him $500 and a second shot at the $1 million. The drawing is Friday at the Indianapolis St. Patrick's Day Parade and Festival.
The four other finalists are Shane Dorsett of Bedford, Michael Richardson of Warsaw, Lorrie Warner of Warsaw and Bonita Henson-Turner of Crete, Ill.
###...

There's another opportunity today (Wed Mar 2013) for Region residents to connect with the construction and building trades. Michigan City officials, in partnership with NIPSCO and the Indiana Plan for Equal Employment, schedled two public information sessions on construction jobs needed for NIPSCO’s air quality improvement project at the Michigan City Generating Station. The first session was Tuesday evening, and another takes place today, 9am to 12:30 pm., at Michigan City City Hall. Construction for the multi-year 250-million dollar project is expected to continue through 2016.
###...

The Gary Jet Center is reportedly planning to appeal the impending tower closure at Gary/Chicago International Airport resulting from the sequester cuts. The jet center manages jet aircraft and handles operations for fueling and cargo handling requirements at the airport. The airport itself had already announced it would not contest the closing, scheduled for April 7.
###...

The Lake County Council has approved an agreement merging Lowell's dispatch operations with the sheriffs department. Under the merger, the town's two dispatchers continue as employees of Lowell. It's unclear how a county-wide consolidation of all seventeen E-911 services in Lake County that the state is mandating by the end of next year will affect that.
###...

The Valparaiso men’s basketball team is going back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2004 after a 62-54 victory over Wright State to earn the Horizon League tournament championship at the ARC Tuesday night. Valparaiso, 26-and-7, set a new program record for victories in a single season on Tuesday as well with their 26th win of the 2012-2013 campaign. The Crusaders will find out their Second Round opponent for the 2tourney Sunday evening when CBS unveils the brackets [ 5 p.m. on Sunday, March 17]. Valpo will be holding a viewing party for the selection show in the Harre Union ballrooms starting at 4 p.m. on Sunday afternoon.
###...