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Lake Station Man Charged With Murder

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Prosecutors in Lake County Friday charged a Lake Station man in the death of his wife last fall. Reports Say Troy Shawn Meyers, who also goes by the name Shawn Troy Meyers, has been charged with murder. Authorities say Shannon Meyers died in September of multiple blunt force injuries. Witnesses told police the couple fought on average about two to three times a week, according to a report in the Times today, and reported hearing a short fight the same night or early morning the day an ambulance was called to the couple's home.
http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/lake/lake-station/lake-station-man-charged-with-wife-s-murder/article_4f6822de-7bd4-524b-afe9-67e45c6d5702.html
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Visclosky Supports Currency Reform Act

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First District Congressman Pete Visclosky has joined a bipartisan group of legislators in supporting the Currency Reform for Fair Trade Act of 2013, a measure designed to crack down on foreign currency manipulators. Visclosky says the bill would help to level the playing field for American workers by providing the administration with the ability to combat the artificial devaluation of currency. Visclosky says currency manipulation policies significantly hamper domestic job creation, allowing foreign countries to export their products at below-market prices.
“For Northwest Indiana workers, each and every single day is a fight against foreign nations like China that illegally prop up their industries with artificial currency controls,” Congressman Visclosky said. “I will not stand aside while we welcome illegally-subsidized imports into the country at the expense of American workers. I urge my colleagues to pass this commonsense, bipartisan legislation and send it to the President’s desk without delay.”
Currency manipulation policies significantly hamper domestic job creation, allowing foreign countries to export their products at below-market prices. The Peterson Institute for International Economics noted that "half or more of excess U.S. unemployment – the extent to which current joblessness exceeds the full employment level – is attributable to currency manipulation by foreign governments.” The nonpartisan Economic Policy Institute estimates that the U.S. trade deficit with China alone cost over 2.7 million jobs from 2001-2011.
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Pelath: Policy Paralysis in the General Assembly

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House Democratic Leader Scott Pelath, of Michigan City, on Friday spoke about the “policy paralysis” as he labeled it, which says has a grip on the General Assembly, because Republicans cannot govern on their own, which has led to no clear direction for the state.
Pelath says while Indiana's unemployment rate inched up a third of a percent, there have been no efforts to create a significant number of jobs. Pelath says Republicans have spent public tax dollars for business tax deductions, abatements, and loan guarentees, yet nothing has been down to empower consumers or workers.
State Representative Chuck Moseley, of Portage, last week expressed a similar frustration, after legislation to assist Indiana's steel industry with reduced income tax rates and additional economic incentives to encourage the manufacture of wind turbines components using steel produced in Indiana, instead in China, was shot down by House Republicans.
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Governor Mike Pence Visits the Region Today

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For a third time since taking office as Indiana's 50^th top executive, Governor Mike Pence was back in the Region this afternoon to honor former Senator Richard Lugar and local business leaders at the Times Northwest Indiana Business and Industry Hall of Fame luncheon at the Radisson Hotel in Merrillville.

Governor Pence, Congressman Pete Visclosky and junior Congressman Todd Rokita all lavished praise on the former senator, who received a lifetime achievement award.

The governor said, “today we're paying one small deposit in a debt of gratitude to American statesman.” The governor acknowledge the former senator's lengthy career in public service including

serving on a school board and two terms as mayor of Indianapolis for which Lugar was cited for starting voluntary desegregation.

Senator Lugar expressed his appreciation to the mainly business audience, “I thank you especially for this opportunity to express the love I have for Northwest Indiana, for each of you who have done so much to bring new insight to me and to all who have counted upon you.”

Along with the former senator's award, area business leaders were honored at the luncheon for leaving an “indelible mark on the Region.” Those leaders acknowledged included Tom Collins Sr. of Luke Oil and County Line Orchard in Hobart, Dr. Danita Johnson Hughes of Edgewater Systems, Tom Sourlis, of Mortar Net, and Stephen Teibel of Teibel's Restaurant.

You can hear the award ceremony luncheon available On Demand at: http://www.regionnewsteam.com
Gov Mike Pence
Times, Bill Masterson Jr., Governor Mike Pence, Congressman Pete Visclosky, Jr. Congressman Todd Rokita
Senator R Lugar
Times, Bill Masterson Jr., and former Indiana Senator Richard Lugar
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Winter Storm Watch for Region on Sunday

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It seems Old man Winter isn't done with us quite yet, as a storm system is expected to blast the region Sunday into Monday. Meteorology Graduate Student at Iowa State University, Brandon Fisel, says initially, we can see one-to-three inches of snow on Sunday, with a total of three-to-six inches by Monday morning due to lake-effect snow Sunday night.
Fisel says while this could make for a another rough start to the work week, it will tapper off making the evening commute much easier. As for the rest of the March, the Hebron native says expect below-average temperatures, and dryer conditions, with no accumulating precipitation until April. The National Weather Services has issued a Winter Storm Watch for parts of the region, Sunday through Monday morning.
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Webber Named as Temp Judge for Lake Juvenile Court

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75 year old Judge Thomas Webber, of Porter Township, was named by the Indiana Supreme Court today to serve as the temporary juvenile court judge to replace outgoing Lake County Juvenile Judge Mary Beth Bonaventura The Indiana Supreme Court granted a temporary stay preventing Lake Superior Judge Nicholas Schiralli from taking over. Three Lake County Juvenile Court Magistrates sued, asking for the opportunity to be considered for the job and arguing that sitting county judges exceeded their authority in making the decision to fill the vacancy. Bonaventura will officially step down Sunday, as she is leaving to head the Indiana Department of Child Services.
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Bond Set at Ten Million for Cal City Murder Suspect

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(Photo Courtesy of the Times)
A 20 year old Calumet City man charged with killing a 15 year old Hammond girl and wounding her 19 year old cousin over the weekend, had his bond set at ten-million dollars today. Published reports say Eric Brown, who was apprehended by authorities on Thursday, is charged with two-counts of murder, and one-count of aggravated battery with a firearm. Ashaya Miller and Dahnyah Williams were in the kitchen of the William's Calumet City home Sunday night, when they were shot at through a window. Miller was pronounced dead at an Oak lawn hospital, while Williams at last check remains hospitalized. The family is reportedly holding a vigil tonight, outside the home where shooting occurred.
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Investigation Continues into South Bend Plane Crash

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An investigation into a small jet that crashed into a South Bend neighborhood Sunday, killing two-people, including University of Oklahoma football legend, 60-year-old Steve Davis, continues. Officials with the National Transportation Safety Board results of their preliminary investigation are anticipated to be released sometime next week.
The small fixed wing multi-engine plane crashed right into homes after the pilot of the plane reported loss of power and hydraulics. The crash happened near the South Bend regional airport. Two other people on the plane and one person on the ground were at last word still hospitalized.
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FAA Rejects Gary Airport Appeal to Keep Tower Open

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An appeal made to keep the Gary/Chicago International Airport tower open was rejected today by the Federal Aviation Administration. The airport is one of 149 across the country will close on April 7^th, as part of the agency's sequestration implementation plan. Published reports say despite the loss of the control tower, Allegiant Air will continue two flights a week from Gary to Florida.
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Indiana Pearl Harbor Survivor Passes Away

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A Pearl Harbor survivor in Indiana has passed away. Commander James Moore of Peru, Indiana, was one of the members of Pearl Harbor Survivors Association Indiana Chapter Two. James Laud, Sr., of Highland, who is Indiana State Chairman of Sons and Daughters of Pearl Harbor Survivors, says Moore had a lengthy career with the Navy. Commander Moore died Monday at the age of 94. Laud says it's believed there are about forty Pearl Harbor survivors living in Indiana now.
Link to Commander Moore's obituary: http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/indystar/obituary.aspx?n=james-f-moore&pid=163754221&fhid=14494&eid=sp_ommatch#fbLoggedOut
Hear our interview with James Laud Sr on the passing of Commander James Moore here at our website at On Demand.
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Indiana Recovers Insurance Proceeds

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Beneficiaries of long forgotten insurance policies may soon be able to recover proceeds they never knew existed. Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller announced today that more than 18-million dollars in unclaimed property has been recovered through agreements with some of the nation’s largest life insurance providers. The money is the result of unclaimed insurance proceeds previously held by American International Group, John Hancock /Manulife, MetLife,. and Prudential Financial. Zoeller says the funds can be claimed now at www.IndianaUnclaimed.gov .
The agreements came after audits performed by Verus Financial LLC on behalf of Indiana and multiple other states. So far, Indiana has received more than 20,000 unreported insurance accounts from the audits. The properties belong to Hoosiers who may have forgotten details, misplaced a policy, or not even known they were listed as a beneficiary on an account.
These initial funds are only a portion of the proceeds that are expected to be uncovered as the state continues to work with the auditor to identify other companies and accounts that have never been remitted as Unclaimed Property. As part of this process, more than $3 million of additional life benefits have already been returned to Hoosiers through the due diligence process conducted by providers.
“Indiana’s leadership in this audit process reflects our commitment to the rightful owners of unclaimed property,” Zoeller said. “It’s our obligation to do what we can to seek out these types of funds and to return them to the rightful owners. The recovered money represents hundreds of unreported insurance accounts for Hoosiers, so it is very important that people go online and check for their name, their relatives, neighbors and friends’ names to determine if any of these funds belong to them or someone they know.”
The funds that have been turned over to the state are posted online at www.IndianaUnclaimed.gov and can be searched 24-hours a day, 7 days a week. The Unclaimed Property Division’s toll-free number is 1-866-IN-CLAIM (1-866-462-5246). This is a free service of the Indiana Attorney General’s Office.
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Two Armed Robberies in Portage Today

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[Photo provided/Portage Police]
Police in Portage this morning are investigating two armed robberies that occurred within about an hour of each other, and police reports say the suspect description is similar in both cases – as well as a robbery at a Speedway Gas Station at Central and County Line in Portage around 3 in the morning two days ago. The first incident this morning happened shortly before 5am at Zip Foods on US Highway 20. Police say the suspect after demanding money and cigarettes, allegedly threatened to shoot the clerk, then apologized saying he had to feed his kids. Then about 5:30 this morning, Portage Police say an armed robbery occurred at the Comfort Inn on Willowcreek. Descriptions have included the suspect as a white man, about 5-10 to 6 feet tall, dressed in dark-colored clothing , described in one case as coveralls and stocking cap, and in another, a dark-colored hoodie.
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Spring? Here? Where?

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If you think that Spring so far seems the exact opposite of last year, you're on to something. Dr. Bart Wolf, Associate Professor of Meteorology at Valparaiso University, says data show that it looks like we're going to continue on the unseasonably cool side for maybe the next ten days to two weeks. Dr. Wolf says when Spring does catch up with the calendar it could be just as extreme, and "within the course of a week we could go from significantly below normal temperatures to signifcantly above normal temperatures when and if this pattern decides it's finally going to shift." More of our interview with Dr. Wolf including how to prepare for Severe Weather Preparedness Week, which is next week in Indiana, is available On Demand at regionnewsteam-dot-com.
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Gary Schools Ordered to Lease Building

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A Lake Superior Court judge says the Gary Community Schools must lease an unused building to a local charter school for one-dollar. The order says per state law the school corporation shall "immediately" lease the old Ernie Pyle Elementary School to LEAD College Preparatory charter school in Gary. The issue has been in the courts for several months. In a separate issue, the charter for LEAD College Prep was among those not being renewed by Ball State this year – LEAD is appealing that.
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Responders Build 'Wall' in Flood Drill

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A Hammond/Highland flood prep drill that had Kennedy Avenue shut down near the Borman for a few hours overnight this week. The exercise using concrete blocks and sandbags to build a 'wall' in just a couple hours on Kennedy Avenue as if floodwaters were rising was held in conjunction with the Army Corps of Engineers to make sure Region responders, public works and safety officials, are ready to act quickly in the event of a major flood. Little Calumet River Basin Development Commission Executive Director Dan Repay says there's a flood drill coming up in Gary April 19th, near Harrison, just west of Broadway, near where the Little Cal runs through there. That exercise will be held in conjunction with Indiana University Northwest. The exercises follow the devastating floods that hit Lake County in September 2008. To hear our interview with Dan Repay, visit On Demand here at our website.
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High Court Halts Lake Co Judge Move

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For the time being, the process to replace outgoing Lake County Juvenile Judge Mary Beth Bonaventura is on hold. The Indiana Supreme Court has granted a temporary stay preventing Lake Superior Judge Nicholas Schiralli from taking over. Three Lake County Juvenile Court Magistrates sued, asking for the opportunity to be considered for the job and arguing that sitting county judges exceeded their authority in making the decision to fill the vacancy. Bonaventura is leaving to head the Indiana Department of Child Services.
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Purdue Cal Child Center Staying Open

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Purdue Calumet says child care will continue at the Hammond campus. The university had said the Riley Child Center, which opened in 1992, was in danger of closing due to a lack of funds. Purdue Calumet officials say the facility will remain open, thanks to reallocated federal community development block grant funds pledged by Hammond Mayor Thomas McDermott, Jr. Officials say declining enrollment at the center, which has capacity for up to sixty children, has led to a 40-to-60-thousand dollar annual deficit which the university can no longer afford to subsidize.
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Hammond Police Warn of Scammers

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Hammond Police report the first scam of spring... an elderly person duped into letting a fake public service worker into their home. Hammond Police Chief Brian Miller says it happened about a week ago. The victim was not harmed, but money was taken. Chief Miller is asking the elderly and any resident to not let people who show up on your doorstep claiming to be from a utility department into your home, and to call 911 if they want to enter. Miller also says keep an eye out for suspicious persons at grocery stores, banks, and financial institutions, as some of the city's previous victims have been followed from these businesses to their homes.
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Heavy Snow on the Way?

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[National Weather Service]
The National Weather Service says a potententially significant storm system will lift northeast into the Ohio Valley Saturday night and Sunday, a system has the potential to produce several inches of accumulating snowfall after midnight Saturday night through Sunday. However, meteorologists say there is still some uncertainty on the precise track of this system, and that could affect snow amounts and where the heaviest snow might fall.
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Porter Health Care System Named Company of the Year

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(Photo Courtesy of the United Way of Porter County)
Porter Health Care System was named "Company of the Year" by United Way of Porter County at the 2013 United Way Volunteer of the Year Awards State Banquet held March 7^th at the Fountains Banquet and Conference Center, Carmel.
“With health as one of United Way’s primary impact areas, it was an honor to nominate Porter Health Care System, which has been recognized for the award-winning medical care it provides to Northwest Indiana,” stated Sharon A. Kish, President of United Way of Porter County. United Way annually invests in three core initiatives which serve as the building blocks for a good quality of life: Health, Education and Financial Stability.
Led by CEO Jonathan Nalli, and CFO Cheryl Harmon, who serves as United Way’s current Board Chair, Porter Health Care System is committed to United Way efforts. Jonathan and his wife, Cathleen, chaired United Way’s 2011/12 Annual Campaign, which raised $1.8 million in Porter County. This past year, Porter also hosted United Way’s 1^st Annual CEO Leadership Breakfast in the new Porter Regional Hospital before it opened. With standing room only, the event was a great start to their campaign. In addition, Porter served as the Premier Sponsor for United Way’s Annual Golf Classic in its 1^st year at Sand Creek Country Club, and will serve again this year in 2013.
“Porter Health Care System is a great advocate for volunteerism,” added Kish. In 2012, the company served as the Corporate Steward Sponsor for the United Way Regional Volunteer Center. Among the sponsored activities is the Regional Day of Caring, which attracts more than 2,000 volunteers each year.
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