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Winter Storm Could Bring Several Inches of Snow

Wake Radio

Mar 05 |09:24

A winter storm could dump up to six to ten inches of heavy, wet snow on parts of the Region. Valparaiso University Meteorology Professor Dr. Bart Wolf tells the Region News Team it doesn't look like 'one for the ages', but it does look like, given how little snow we've had overall this winter,"the snowstorm of the winter" for Northwest Indiana. Hear our interview with Dr. Wolf here online at On Demand, which can also be accessed from www.Regionnewsteam.com .
A Winter Storm Warning was in effect from 9 am today CST until midnight tonight.
National Weather Service Chicago website for the latest forecast updates: http://www.crh.noaa.gov/lot/
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Bank Robbery Suspect Arrested in Alabama

Wake Radio

Mar 05 |08:58

Police in La Porte say a suspect was taken into custody in Alabama in connection with a bank robbery last Thursday at a 1st Source Bank. Officials say the 24-year-old man was being extradited back to the Region. Published reports say a man, who indicated he had a gun, but did not display one, handed a note to the teller demanding money, and fled with an undisclosed amount of cash. La Porte Police were posting updates on their Facebook page, and sending out thanks to the public for any assistance provided. The Times reports it was the fourth bank robbery in La Porte since November.
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Downtown Valpo Fire Investigation Continues

Wake Radio

Mar 05 |08:16

[Photo Karl Berner/Region News Team]
Investigators continue to try to determine the cause of a fire that destroyed a century-old building that housed a number of businesses at Lincolnway and Michigan in downtown Valparaiso. The Valparaiso Fire Department got the call around 1:30 am Monday, and they were assisted by crews from Morgan and Washington Townships. Assistant Fire Chief Dan Lamb says one firefighter was checked at the hospital for smoke inhalation and he was released. Another firefighter fell on the ice, and he was okay as well, and went right back to work. No one is believed to have been inside when the fire broke out. Smoke continued to pour out of the rubble for hours, and what was left of the two-story brick structure -- the outside walls -- were torn down Monday for safety reasons. A number of downtown road closures associated with the fire were expected to remain in effect through this morning (Tuesday morning).

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Downtown Valpo Fire Investigation Continues

Wake Radio

Mar 05 |08:16

Chalkboard Comments Investigated in Lake Station

Wake Radio

Mar 05 |08:05

[Photo provided/The Times]
Lake Station Police Chief Kevin Garber says an incident regarding comments a longtime Edison Junior-Senior High School teacher allegedly wrote on a chalkboard is being investigated. During a news conference Monday, School Superintendent Dan DeHaven said the issue was a personnel matter and that the teacher, who was not identified, has been with the district for more than thirty years. The teacher has reportedly been suspended. Officials say a photo of what was written on the board was posted on Facebook by a student. Read more about the investigation in today's Times
http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/lake/lake-station/edison-teacher-suspended-as-threats-on-chalkboard-investigated/article_799c1c4d-5af7-5a30-900d-ef20d3b31771.html ...

Guilty Plea from Portage Man Accused in Dragging Death

Wake Radio

Mar 04 |18:56

(Photo Courtesy of the Times)
A 50 year old Portage man pleaded guilty Monday to leaving the scene of an accident and drunk driving resulting in death. The Times reports James Lohman III, on September 3^rd, 2011, ran over an off-duty bartender in parking lot of the Shift Change Bar on U-S 20, at State Road 149, in Burns Harbor, and dragged the woman's body for more than a mile before she finally became dislodged from underneath the vehicle. Published reports say sentencing is expected for May 6^th.
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Sobriety Checkpoints in Porter County Start Friday Night

Wake Radio

Mar 04 |18:35

Starting this Friday, you can expect to encounter sobriety checkpoints during the late evening hours in Porter County. Indiana State Police Lowell Post, in conjunction with the Northern Porter County Traffic Safety Partnership, and Portage Police, will be conducting the checkpoints, as part of “Operation Pull-Over Blitz” that begins March 8^th and runs through March 24^th. Authorities say driver's that encounter a check point are required to produce a valid driver's license and registration, and if you are not impaired, then you shouldn't spend more than a couple of minutes in the checkpoint.
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Efforts to Minimize Impact of Sequester on Hoosiers

Wake Radio

Mar 04 |18:10

Indianapolis - The Administration is working to offset the expected impact of mandated spending cuts to federal services the state provides to Hoosiers. The cuts are part of federal sequestration, which began March 2.

"Thanks to Indiana's strong fiscal position and careful management, the state will be able to manage the budget cuts with minimal impact to Hoosiers," said Chris Atkins, Director of the Office of Management and Budget.
State agencies are making every effort to absorb the cuts administratively wherever possible, to minimize the impact on programs and services Hoosiers rely on. For example:

The sequestration cut will eliminate $4.1 million in food funds from the state's Women Infants and Children program (WIC). Due to Indiana's low transportation cost, administrative cuts of $1.6 million and a declining WIC caseload, Indiana will continue to provide full benefits to all recipients.
The Department of Workforce Development (DWD) will see funding for job seeker services reduced by $1.1 million and GED remediation cut by $515,000. DWD will mitigate the impact of these cuts completely with a discounted contract extension and a performance-based funding model.
The Department of Labor (DOL) will lose some federal matching dollars for the Indiana Occupational Safety and Health Administration and INSafe, but can minimize the cuts with other funding sources. In addition, DOL is implementing new technologies later this year to increase efficiency and minimize personnel redundancy. The department expects significant cost savings that will mitigate any effects of sequestration.

Cuts to federal unemployment benefits cannot be mitigated by the state. Per instruction from the U.S. Department of Labor on Friday, March 1, EUC benefits to 33,000 Hoosiers will be reduced by 10.7 percent beginning March 31.
The Indiana National Guard will put 1,000 Army and Air National Guard full-time military technicians into unpaid furlough one day a week from the end of April through September. The Guard also will hold off on awarding $30 million in military construction projects at Terre Haute and South Bend for fiscal year 2013. The Guard will implement changes to training methods and will stagger furloughs to reduce training costs and ensure that mission requirements are still met.
The state will not backfill the federal cuts, but thanks to Indiana's hard work in balancing the budget and holding the line on spending, the state is poised to make strong investments in some of the very areas the federal government is cutting, including education and job training. Governor Pence's budget includes $127 million in new funding for Indiana schools, full funding of our state-funded college aid, and $18 million in additional job training funds, all of which would help mitigate the impact of sequestration.
A number of state agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security, the Family and Social Services Administration, and the State Department of Health have not received guidance from the federal government about how the cuts will be administered. These agencies have put together their best estimates on the impact and are preparing to handle the cuts with as little impact on services and programs as possible.
The Bureau of Motor Vehicles, the Department of Environmental Management, the Department of Natural Resources, the Department of Revenue, the Department of Transportation, and the Department of Veterans Affairs will see either no impact or minimal impact that can readily be absorbed by the agency.
As agencies continue to learn more from the federal government about how they are to implement the reductions to their funding, the state will continue to provide additional updates.
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Winter Storm Expected Tuesday

Wake Radio

Mar 04 |17:26

Forecasters say the Region could get pounded by heavy, wet snow, with accumulations of six to eight inches in some areas, in a winter storm Tuesday afternoon and evening. Valparaiso University Meteorology Professor Dr. Bart Wolf says the heaviest snow looks to fall sometime in the afternoon to early evening, making the evening rush hour especially challenging. The City of Gary reports the Department of General Services is asking residents to adhere to the two-inch parking rules in area areas where signage is posted.
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Rd Closures Around Fire Scene Until Tuesday Morning

Wake Radio

Mar 04 |16:50

Road closures surrounding the two-block area of the structure fire in downtown Valparaiso at Lincolnway and Michigan continue, and are expected to remain blocked off through at least tomorrow morning, according to Valparaiso fire officials. Smoke is reportedly still smoldering at the site at last check, and the facade of the building was pulled down around 4pm today, the last major piece of the structure to be razed. Fire crews are reportedly still searching for hotspots at the site, monitoring the stability of surrounding buildings, and forklifts are digging through the rubble searching for a cause of the fire, which at this time remains unknown.
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Valpo Residents: Awoken to the Smell of Smoke

Wake Radio

Mar 04 |16:29

Valpo Residents: Awoken to the Smell of Smoke

(Photo Courtesy of the Porter County Museum)
Residents near where the fire occurred to the two-story brick building, at Lincolnway and Michigan, say they awoke to the distinct smell of burnt wood, and one of those residents including Mayor Jon Costas, who says he could smell the smoke when he got into his car this morning. Our own Jay Stevens spoke with the son of the building's owner, Duwayne Dermaylen, at the scene, who stated he received a phone call about 1:45 this morning about the fire at the building, which was built back in 1905, and was one of the first commercial building's in Valparaiso.
valpo tear down 3

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NIPSCO: Power Could Be Back by this Evening Due to Fire

Wake Radio

Mar 04 |15:44

Today's fire in downtown Valparaiso has caused some outages in the area of Lincolnway and Michigan. NIPSCO spokesperson Nick Meyer says they have about 38 customers, most of which are businesses, that are without power at last check. Meyer says crews are on-scene, waiting for the okay to switch the power back on, but with the damage, there is a number of inspections and steps that the city must take first before power is restored, but that process should be relatively quick, and they anticipate power being restored sometime tonight.
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Fire fighters Still On Scene Downtown Valpo

Wake Radio

Mar 04 |14:40

Several pieces of fire fighting equipment remained at the scene of a fire that was reported around 1:30 a.m. this morning in an over 100-year commercial building located at the southeast corner of Lincolnway and Michigan Ave. Valparaiso Fire Department Assistant Fire Chief, Dan Lamb says crews were still finding hot spots and were pumping water on those areas with some of the hot spots unreachable.
Chief Lamb says the fire destroyed and weakened the structure of the building making it potentially hazardous to the general public and because of that the remaining walls, especially located on the west side along Michigan Avenue will come down.
As of two o'clock this afternoon, Laura Waluszko of the Region News Team reporting from the scene, said a crane had begun to knock down the compromised walls of the burnt out structure. Assistant Fire Chief Lamb earlier said that the fire department hopes to have Lincolnway reopened by four o'clock this afternoon, but that is no guarantee.
Currently, Lincolnway is closed between Morgan Avenue and Franklin Street.
The over 100-year old building was one of the first commercial buildings to be built in downtown Valparaiso.

valpo fire resize 1

(photos courtesy of Jay Stevens)
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Crews Remain On Scene at Downtown Valpo Fire

Wake Radio

Mar 04 |08:59

[Photo/Karl Berner, Region News Team]

Water collects in on Morgan St., a half block from the fire scene in downtown Valparaiso as officials discuss the situation. Crews remained on scene at the fire, contained to one historic building at Lincolnway and Michigan St., at 8:15 this morning, and were expected to be on scene most of the day.

[Photo/Courtesy Andy Urschel]

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Fire Breaks Out in Downtown Valparaiso

Wake Radio

Mar 04 |07:28

[Photo/Camie Marfoe, Valparaiso]

Road closures -- Lincolnway, from Morgan to Washington... Michigan closed in both directions... The fire is at building at Lincolnway and Michigan.
There is a fire hose running down the middle of Lincolnway from the Porter County Courthouse all the way to the fire scene. The fire hose is also blocking Franklin.
City parking lot west of Round the Clock restaurant is closed with fire equipment
Expect fire crews to be on scene for most of the day
Llincolnway EAST of Morgan (where many people turn north to get to Calumet Ave) is open... CAN'T go south on Morgan, but you can go NORTH
Fire apparently under control, but heavy smoke still in the area, and winds from the west are blowing the smoke into the downtown area.
Also – there are some power outages, including the Lifestyles building... outages due to fire and power being shut off... NIPSCO has been on scene
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[Photo/Camie Marfoe, Valparaiso]

One firefighter has been transported to the hospital after a major fire breaks out overnight in a building that takes up about a whole block, in downtown Valparaiso. There's also fire damage to other structures on either side. The extent of the firefighter's injuries wasn't available at this time. The Valparaiso Fire Department got the call around 1:30 am. Crews from Morgan Township and Washington Township were also on scene.
Officials say the fire was in a two-story brick building at Lincolnway and Michigan, a structure that includes a mortgage company at that corner, plus businesses that face Michigan south of Lincolnway, including a barber shop and at least one other store. Authorities say almost the entire inside of that building has been destroyed. For those who are familiar with downtown Valpo, the building is a block east of Lifestyles.
Power is also out in some of the downtown buildings, east of the square, including the Lifestyles building from what we've been told this morning, and it's unknown how long those businesses will be without power.

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Fire in Downtown Valparaiso; Lincolnway Closed

Wake Radio

Mar 04 |05:22

[Photos/Karl Berner, Region News Team]

In Valparaiso, crews are at the scene of a major fire in the downtown area overnight. Authorities are asking motorists to avoid Lincolnway this morning. Tipsters tell us the fire is at the corner of Lincolnway and Michigan. We do not have confirmed what businesses may have been affected at this time. Lincolnway is shut down just east of the downtown square and it's expected it will be closed for quite some time today.

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Road Closure on LaPorte Ave in Valpo Later This Month

Wake Radio

Mar 02 |08:32

The removal of an MRI from the old hospital in the 800 block of LaPorte Avenue will require a road closure there later this month. The City of Valparaiso reports they will have to close LaPorte Avenue, in front of the hospital, from the east to the west end, to set up a crane and semi. The closure, which is scheduled to take place either March 20^th or 21^st, will begin at 6am, and the process will reportedly take approximately ten-hours.
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1st Source Bank in LaPorte Robbed Thursday

Wake Radio

Mar 02 |07:08

The Times is reporting police in LaPorte are investigating a bank robbery. According to the article, 1^st Source Bank, located on the city's east side was robbed Thursday at about 12:30pm. Published reports say a man, who indicated he had a gun, but who reportedly did not display one, handed a note to the teller demanding money, and fled with an undisclosed amount of money. The Times reports this is the fourth bank robbery in LaPorte since November.
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LaPorte Man Arrested for Child Solicitation

Wake Radio

Mar 02 |06:31

A 23 year old LaPorte man was arrested Friday afternoon on charges of child solicitation. Indiana State Police Lowell Post reports Christopher Albin was arrested without incident at his home in the 800 block of Virginia Avenue. State Police say the arrest stemmed from a joint investigation with Florida authorities into allegations the LaPorte man was having an inappropriate on-line relationship with a 14 year old Florida girl.
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Gary Man Steals Ambulance and Strikes Vehicle

Wake Radio

Mar 02 |06:24

A Gary Police Department ambulance was stolen Friday afternoon as it was left running while medics where checking on prisoner. The Times reports police medical personnel were dispatched at 2:30pm for an emergency call in the five-hundred block of Polk Street, and while inside attending to a prisoner, 59 year old Ricky Warren, of Gary, reportedly drove off in the medical response vehicle. Published reports say Warren struck a vehicle on 11^th Street, and was finally stopped by police on Ridge...

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