Two weeks to the day of his first visit to Northwest Indiana, Governor Mike Pence returns for a second visit as Indiana's new governor.  The Gary Chamber of Commerce hosted Governor Pence today at the Genesis Convention Center in Gary.
Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson says that she hopes that it will not be his last visit and that the governor would be making regular visits as he develops his vocational education and agricultural programs and as he develops his, "investment in Hoosiers relative to...

The President and CEO of the South Shore Convention and Visitors Authority is scheduled to make a presentation at the next meeting of the Hammond City Council, this Monday at 6pm, at Hammond City Hall. The South Shore CVA reports Speros Batistatos will update the council on current projects they are working on that affect the South Shore region including hospitality, legislative initiatives, sporting events, and tourism.
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(Photo Courtesy of the Times)
The Times reports 47 year old Kevin Isom will receive the death penalty, after being sentenced this afternoon. Published reports say Isom was found guilty of murder on Wednesday by jurors in the deaths of his wife and two step-children, in August of 2007, and found guilty of three-counts of criminal reckless for shooting at law enforcement officers during a standoff. The Times reports Isom faced either the death penalty, life without the possibility of parole, or a...

Valparaiso's most famous statue will be getting some company this Sunday afternoon, and this Sunday only, as the actual Oscar statuette, the Academy Award, will be in Central Park Plaza in downtown Valpo. Mayor Jon Costas says, “we'd like to thank the academy for selecting Orville Redenbacher and Valparaiso as one of the stops along this fun motion picture tour.” The public is invited to attend Sunday afternoon at 3:30, and the festivities are said to include breakout comedians, producers, and a...

(Photo Courtesy of ISP Lowell Post)
A 28 year old Lake County man was arrested this morning on a federal charge of receiving child pornography. Indiana State Police Lowell Post reports a warrant was served at approximately 10 this morning, on the 600 block of West Porter Street in Crown Point, for Joshua Atwood, who was taken into custody without incident. Indiana State Police say the arrest stemmed from an investigation conducted by Immigration Customs and Enforcement, as well as Crimes Against...

Porter County Sheriffs Police say a gas main break followed a single-vehicle crash on County Road 500 West between the Boone Grove and Hebron areas this morning. 500-West will remain closed, between County Roads 650 and 700 South, until 7pm tonight for repairs to the gas main.
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A democratic candidate for Mayor of Calumet City, Illinois, filed a lawsuit on Thursday claiming officials in Calumet City government are trying to undermine his campaign, that according to today's Times. Published reports say Brian Wilson's lawsuit contends that information about debts he allegedly owed to the city were withheld when he inquired about them, and that exact information was used against him to try and remove him from the spring ballot.
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(Photo Courtesy of the Times)
The Times reports the jury began deliberating on sentencing today regarding the conviction of 47 year old Kevin Isom. Published reports say Isom was found guilty of murder on Wednesday by jurors in the deaths of his wife and two step-children, in August of 2007. and found guilty of three-counts of criminal reckless for shooting at law enforcement officers during a standoff. The Times reports Isom faces either the death penalty, life without the possibility of...

Gary Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson will host a Legislative Community Forum on Saturday, Feb. 16th at 10:00a.m. – 11:30a.m. at the Genesis Convention Center (5th & Broadway) in the Indiana Room. The purpose of the forum is to update citizens on various Senate Bills that directly concern and impact Gary and Northwest Indiana.
Meanwhile... tomorrow, the first of two Super Saturday free tax prep events for individuals who qualify hosted by the city of Gary and Urban League at the Genesis Convention...

The latest data from the Indiana State Department of Health now show 47 flu-related deaths in the state this season, four additional cases since last week's report. Officials also say three of the deaths have occurred in individuals under the age of 18; that figure was at two last week. Six of the deaths have occurred in Marion County, the Indianapolis area. The department does not report the number of detahs in a county until five deaths have occurred in a specific county.
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