The latest crop report from the U-S Department of Agriculture says warm, sunny days allowed Hoosier farmers to make good progress planting corn and soybeans, with the most acreage planted across northern Indiana and some central counties. 64-percent of intended corn acreage is now in the ground, compared with 96-percent last year, but 65-percent is the five-year average. Thirty percent of soybean crops are planted, compared with 84-percent last year, and 36-percent for the five-year average. Just a couple weeks ago, there had been little to no progress on planting corn because of rain and soggy field conditions, especially in portions of southern Indiana.
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Whiting Police are asking for the public's help as they investigate a shooting near the Community Center Saturday night. At about 7:30 pm, officers responded to Clark Street and Community Court in reference to a shooting. Whiting Police say their preliminary investigation indicates a 19-year-old Robertsdale resident and an unidentified male individual were in the area when words were exchanged, and the unidentified male pulled a handgun and fired at the 19-year-old, striking him in the back, then fleeing in a dark-colored vehicle. Police say the victim was taken to a local hospital in serious condition, then later airlifted to a Chicago-area hospital. Whiting Police say they believe the incident was gang-related, and they are currently following leads. Anyone with information is asked to contact Whiting Police Police Department Detective Bureau at 219-659-2131.
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Hoosier school kids will be getting their eyes checked more often. Indiana Governor Mike Pence has signed into law a measure that expands vision testing to students entering fifth grade. Current policy only requires screening for students entering kindergarten or first grade, third grade and eighth grade. Senate Enrolled Act 553 also requires exams for kindergarteners and first graders must be performed by a licensed opthalmologist or optometrist
Photo provided | Pictured, from left to right at desk: Sen. Jean Leising (R-Oldenburg), Sen. Becker, Gov. Pence, Rep. Ed Clere (R-New Albany); from left to right in back: Yara Catoira-Boyle, MD; Kim Williams, Executive Director of the Indiana Academy of Ophthalmology, Inc.; Rep. Ron Bacon (R-Chandler); Derek Sprunger, MD; Polly Hendricks, OD, Indiana Optometry Immediate Past President; James Stewart, OD, Indiana Optometry President; Rep. Suzanne Crouch (R-Evansville); Jim Zieba, Executive Director of the Indiana Optometric Association.
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Munster HS Science Olympiad Team [provided]
Region students were among more than a-hundred teams to compete in the Science Olympiad National Tournament at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio, Saturday. Munster High School placed 18^th, and Thomas Jefferson Middle School in Valparaiso placed 19^th. The local schools advanced to the national tournament after winning at the state competition at Indiana University in Bloomington in March. This was the 24^th consecutive year T- J students competed in the national championships. Science Olympiad competitions are like academic track meets, consisting of a series of 23 team events in each division, with a division for middle school and a division for high school.
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Paving crews in Valparaiso will hit the streets toward the end of next month for their annual repaving program, starting with Montdale Drive in Montdale Industrial Park. Parts of several other roads in the city are also having work done, including Academy Street, Andover Drive, Don Hovey Drive, Howard Street, Linden Street, and Sheffield Drive. Some sidewalks are also being replaced in parts of the city.
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Tuesday May 21, 2013, is the next deadline to sign up for Indiana's Do Not Call List. Since January, Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller's office has gotten more than five-thousand complaints about telemarketing calls either with a live operator or prerecorded message. Zoeller says nearly one-thousand consumers got an automated call from a woman from “Cardholder Services” offering to lower credit card interest rates, asking for money but not really providing any service.
Nearly four-hundred complaints have been filed this year about an automated call that mentions an FBI report on home break-ins offering a “free” home security system, but Zoeller says they'll sell your info to a home monitoring company that will charge you. Zoeller also says these telemarketers have no relationship with federal law enforcement agencies.
Individuals do not need to re-register for the Do Not Call list unless their address has changed. To sign up or to confirm a number is already on the list, visit www.IndianaConsumer.com or call 1.888.834.9969.
Zoeller's office says out-of-state area codes can also be added as long as the billing address is located in Indiana. Those consumers who are registered and receive an unwanted call can file a complaint with the Attorney General’s Office by visiting www.IndianaConsumer.com  and clicking on “file a complaint.”
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(Photos Courtesy of the Cook County Sheriff's Office)

Two men face first degree murder charges in connection with the death of a 35 year old Markham man whose body was discovered in April in unincorporated Calumet City, Illinois. The Cook County Sheriff's Office reports an joint investigation with the Harvey Police Department led to the arrest of 27 year old Brandon Johnson, of Harvey, and 25 year old Lester Larkin, of Riverdale, Illinois, for the shooting death of Eddie Bell. The Sheriff's Office reports Bell, who had been the subject of a missing person's investigation, was identified on April 16^th, after his body was found near Thornton and Lansing Road, east of Stoney Island Avenue in Calumet City. An investigation began in late March while Harvey Police were investigating Johnson's residence where blood, weapons, and cleaning materials, but no body, were found, after gunfire had been reported. Both men were denied bond in their court appearance today.
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(Photo Courtesy of the Times)
The Times is reporting a Merrillville officer shot a man for illegally parking a semitrailer at Planned Parenthood. According to the article, the incident occurred while a citation was being written, and both the officer and the man were reportedly taken to a local hospital. No further information is available at this time.
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Lake County Surveyor George Van Til plead not guilty today in Hammond District Court and was freed on a 20-thousand dollar bond. Van Til was charged on Friday with six-counts of wire fraud and two-counts of obstruction of justice, and is alleged to have devised a scheme to defraud Lake County of money and property by utilizing county employees to perform personal and political services so Van Til would be reelected surveyor.
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Police in Whiting are asking for the public's help regarding a shooting incident Sunday near the Whiting Community Center. The Times reports a 19 year old Robertsdale resident was shot in the back around 7:30pm, and the suspected shooter fled in a dark-colored vehicle. At last check, Authorities report no one is in custody and charges have not been filed. According to the article, the 19 year old was listed in serious condition at an Oaklawn hospital. Police say they believe the incident is gang related, and anyone with information is asked to contact the Whiting Police Department.
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