The death of an 87 year old Crown Point man has been ruled “accidental” according to the Lake County Coroner's Office. Charles Green was pronounced dead at 2:40 Sunday afternoon, after suffering burns to his body and smoke inhalation. The Coroner's Office reports Green was burning debris in a field, just east of his home, in the 69-hundred block of East US 231, when the incident occurred.
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Police in Portage say their city saw significant reductions in crime last year. They report the lowest number of thefts/stolen property incidents and vehicle thefts in more than fifteen years. They also say 2012 saw the lowest number of burglaries in Portage since 2001.
Police credit their department's efforts, and note their police reserve program assists with thousands of donated hours in daily operations. Also a second school resource officer has been added, and an officer has been assigned...

Gas prices continue to go up, with prices at the pump in Indiana and Illinois among the highest in the country, according to the latest AAA Fuel Gauge Report. In the Gary metro area, a gallon of regular unleaded is averaging nearly $3.87-- 65-cents more than a month ago. ABC's Linzie Janis says in California, some drivers now paying more than 5 dollars a gallon for gas, but in almost every corner of this country, prices are skyrocketing. The average price now 3 dollars 71 cents a gallon,  a...

Applying for a marriage license is becoming easier in most Indiana counties thanks to an Indiana Supreme Court initiative. Online marriage license applications are now available in 78 counties, including all of northwest Indiana , and most recently, Marion County.
Couples can enter basic information online to get the process started instead of having to answer questions in person at Clerk’s offices around the state. Then, applicants go to the Clerk’s office to provide required identification an...

Two Indiana cities both just outside Indianapolis, have landed in Neighborhood Scout's list of "Top 100 Safest Cities in the U.S." The website looked at cities with 25-thousand or more people, and ranked communities based on the total number of property and violent crimes per one-thousand residents. Crimes include burglary, larceny-theft, motor vehicle theft, murder, forcible rape, armed robbery, and aggravated assault.-- Fishers was number 19, Carmel number 33.
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A Crown Point man suffered burns to his body reportedly while burning debris in his yard in the 69-hundred block of East US 231, according to the Times today, and the Lake County Coroners office says 86-year-old Charles Green was pronounced dead at the scene shortly after 2:30 Sunday afternoon. Manner of death was currently listed as pending. Lakes of the Four Seasons Fire Department responded.
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Indiana State Police say an Indianapolis woman lost her life in a single-vehicle crash in northwest Indiana Saturday evening.  Troopers say a preliminary investigation revealed, at approximately 6:15 p.m., Saturday, February 16, 2013, a 2001 Ford Explorer, was north bound on I-65 at the 226 mile marker, four miles south of the Demotte exit, in the right lane, when for unknown reasons, the vehicle lost control, over-corrected, and rolled onto its driver’s side, skidding a short distance on the ro...

First District Congressman Pete Visclosky says flood control projects and more could be affected by sequestration – automatic, across-the-board spending cuts of 85-billion-dollars, approved by Congress, that take effect next week, if Congress can't compromise on a spending plan. Visclosky says the U-S Army Corps of Engineers alone would face cuts totaling 225-million dollars, likely resulting in the defunding of 65 ongoing construction projects and 43 dredging projects. He says the Corps’ flood...

An iconic magazine goes bankrupt. ABC's Aaron Katersky reports Reader's Digest, which has been around more than ninety year, is steeped in debt and the publisher has filed for bankruptcy. It says more than 25 million people still read the magazine but fewer in print and more on a digital device where advertising just isn't the same. Reader's Digest is the latest in a string of iconic brands to seek protection in bankruptcy court, including Hostess and Eastman Kodak.
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Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller is urging Region tax filers to take precautions to protect themselves from identity thieves who can steal their information and file a tax return in their name. Last year, Zoeller's office got nearly 70 complaints of tax-refund fraud, and in most cases, Zoeller says thieves used a legitimate taxpayer’s personal information to file a tax return and the victim was unaware – until they were notified by the IRS. Also, Zoeller cautions if you receive an uns...