INDIANAPOLIS – Today the Indiana House of Representatives approved legislation co-sponsored by Rep. Vernon Smith (D-Gary) to establish the Indiana Family Friendly School designation program.
            The bill requires the Department of Education (DOE) to consult with statewide organizations that study the correlation between family involvement and student achievement, and develop the guidelines for the program. The DOE must also make available to schools best practices for encouraging family engagement.
            “The purpose of this bill is to involve parents in their children’s education,” said Smith. “Warm and inviting schools can make a difference in the quality of performance.
            “Schools could create packets and workshops to show parents what the students are learning,” he added. “They can provide summer packages to encourage families to work together on simple schoolwork over the summer. Even welcoming parents into the building can make a difference in a child’s education. This bill is very important.”
            Senate Bill 422 passed through the House 96-0 and now will advance to the Senate for further review.
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(Photo Courtesy of Indiana State Police)
Authorities say a thirty year murder case can now be brought to a close. A 52 year old Scottsburg, Indiana, man was arrested this morning, in Louisiana, on a LaPorte County warrant for felony murder by the U.S. Marshals out of New Orleans. Indiana State Police report Paul Stucker is awaiting extradition back to Indiana, accused of killing 34 year old Johnny Hodge in his cell, at the Indiana State Prison, in Michigan City, on October 19^th, 1983. State Police report Stucker was an inmate at the prison at the dame time as Hodge when the murder occurred. Hodge was serving a life sentence on a double-murder charge at the time.  Indiana State Police Detectives assigned to the SEllersburg and Versailles Post are reportedly responsible for closing this cold case.
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A full-alert on the campus of Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis has been lifted.   Officals reported the "all-clear" was given just after 4pm, about three-hours after it was first issued.   Police were reportedly searching for a suspicious individual, after a man with what maybe a gun, was allegedly seen near Barnhill and Vermont. The campus will now return to normal operations.
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The Lake County Prosecutor's Office today accepted charges against a 39 year old St. John man, who fled the scene of a firey crash Sunday morning in Crown Point that left one man dead. The Lake County Sheriff's Office says David Hatfield is charged with operating while intoxicated resulting in death, and leaving the scene of a crash resulting in death, both of which are felonies, as well as two misdemeanor counts of operating while intoxicated. Investigators report Hatfield's vehicle struck the rear of a 59 year old Crown Point man's vehicle as it traveled west on 109^th Avenue, killing the Crown Point man, and causing both vehicle to go up in flames. Authorities report extremely excessive speed by Hatfield also contributed to the crash.
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Starting tomorrow morning at 7am Central Time, contractors will begin painting the bridge over the westbound Calumet City exit on the Indiana Toll Road, causing the westbound exit ramp to be closed. Indiana Toll Road officials report traffic from the westbound exit ramp will be detoured through the make-up/break-up lot, which in-turn will restrict parking to tractor-trailers in that lot. The closure is scheduled to be lifted this Friday afternoon, but will begin again Monday, March 25^th, through Thursday, March 28^th.
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Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis's twitter reports the campus remains on full-alert, as police reportedly continue to search for a suspicious individual. IUPUI send out a text message just before one this afternoon, stating a man with what maybe a gun, was seen near Barnhill and Vermont. All buildings remain on lockdown at last check, and ask people to avoid campus until further notice.
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There's a send off 11:45 this morning at the ARC for the Valparaiso University Mens basketball team as they set off to participate in this year's NC-double-A tournament. The Crusaders take on Michigan State in the second round, with tip off this Thursday morning, 11:15 am Region time, at Auburn Hills, Michigan. When the team takes the court, it'll mark a first for a family to have a father and two sons coach teams that have made to the Big Dance. Former VU Head Coach Homer Drew took his Crusader teams into March Madness seven times... he's now followed by his son and current VU Head Coach Bryce Drew making his first tournament appearnce. Drew's son Scott has taken Baylor to the tourney three times in the past five years.
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City officials in Valparaiso have announced LaPorte Avenue will be closed for several hours Wednesday (March 20, 2013) to remove an MRI machine from the former Porter Hospital building.  Work is scheduled to begin at 7am and continue until 5 pm, though actual removal may take less time. The length of road affected is from Healthy Access to the parking lot east of the old hospital building.
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Purdue President Mitch Daniels has announced the university is eliminating merit pay raises for all senior administrators, deans, and administrative and professional staff with salaries above $50,000 for the next two years – in a letter posted online he says that's expected to save five-million dollars, and part of the need to offset forty-million dollars in foregone revenue from a two-year tuition freeze, the first break in a 37-year string of increases.
Daniels says it's been too easy in higher education for institutions to decide first what they would like to spend, and then raise student bills to produce the funds. He says Purdue shouldn't forget the dollars they spend come for the most part from either a student’s family or a taxpayer.
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Longtime correspondent for the Times of Northwest Indiana, Steve Zabroski [zuh-BRAH-skee] of Hammond, has passed away after battling cancer. Zabroski's byline was seen in the newspaper for many years, covering Hammond, Whiting and East Chicago and the Region's business community, on and off, for 25 years. Zabroski was also the former sports editor of the Sun Journal in Lansing, and editor-in-chief of the Calumet Day in Whiting before coming to the Times. Zabroski was 55.
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