Kouts has a new councilwoman. 36-year-old Nicole Markovich will fill the remaining term of Democrat Orville Jefferson, who left his at-large seat on the town council to become the town's building inspector. Markovich was the only person to file for the vacancy.
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Read more: Kouts Council Vacancy Filled

A broken rail is delaying westbound South Shore trains today, according to officials with Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District. NICTD issued this advisory this morning:
Westbound South Shore Trains originating out of the Shops/Carroll Avenue are expected to be 15-20 minutes late due to a broken rail causing red signals west of our 11st Station in Michigan City. Please be at your departing station on time incase delays are shorter than expected.
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Read more: Broken Rail Delays South Shore

The healthiest county in the state is Hamilton, just outside Indy, according to a newly-released study. Porter made it into the top 20; Lake County, however, was at the other end, at number 81. One Region county, Starke, ranked just five spots above the bottom of the list. That's according to the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s annual report, which not only ranks the health of all 92 Indiana counties but the overall health for every county in all 50 states using a formula to measuring health and longevity.
Health indicators used in the study include smoking, obesity, and alcohol use as well as income and education.
For all the county rankings and data click here: http://www.countyhealthrankings.org/app/indiana/2013/rankings/outcomes/overall/by-rank
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Read more: Lake, Starke Counties: Unhealthy

Chief Keith Cash (Photo provided/IU)
Indiana University Bloomington Police Chief Keith Cash passed away suddenly Wednesday evening.  The university issued a news release saying the " entire Indiana University Bloomington community is deeply saddened and shocked by the unexpected death of IU Police Chief Keith Cash, who passed away at approximately 6:20 p.m." Wednesday at Bloomington Hospital of natural causes.
Cash, a 29-year veteran of the IU Police Department, was named chief in October 2010 after serving as an operations captain on the force for nine years. During his time as chief, Cash, 50, oversaw a police force of approximately 100 officers and staff responsible for the public safety of IU's flagship campus.
"Keith served Indiana University with enormous distinction and honor for nearly three decades, culminating in a highly successful, and all too short, tenure as chief," IU President Michael A. McRobbie said. "Keith's love for this university, and the Bloomington campus in particular, was apparent to all who knew him. Our deepest sympathies go out to his family members. He will be greatly missed, and we all grieve at the loss of such a wonderful man."
Cash, a native of Jeffersonville, Ind., earned his bachelor's and master's degrees in criminal justice from IU Bloomington and in 2004 graduated from the Federal Bureau of Investigation National Academy. Cash was honored in 2011 by IU student media with the Trevor R. Brown Award, given annually to the IU Bloomington staff member who demonstrated respect and support for the First Amendment and student media.
Cash also was an instructor at the IU Police Academy and a guest lecturer in criminal justice and other classes at IU Bloomington. He served on the board of the Indiana Association of Indiana Chiefs of Police and was a member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police.
"Keith was ideally suited for the role of police chief of one of the largest college campuses in the United States," said Mark Bruhn, associate vice president for public safety and institutional assurance. "Keith was admired and respected by the entire police force and, on a personal note, I will be forever grateful for his wise counsel. Our hearts go out to his family and friends."
IU Executive Vice President for University Regional Affairs, Planning and Policy John Applegate added, "Keith had a deep understanding of the IU Bloomington campus and community, as well as an appreciation of the unique challenges of ensuring the safety of the more than 40,000 students who call IU Bloomington home each year."
Cash is survived by his mother, Judy Cash; father, Tom Cash; brother Mike; and brother and sister-in-law Steve and Nancy Cash. Funeral arrangements are pending.
Deputy Chief Laury Flint, who will serve as acting police chief until a permanent successor is named, called Cash "the type of leader you can't replace and a true mentor to me and other members of the force."
"Keith was as fine an officer as I have had the honor to work with during my more than 30 years with the IU Police Department," said Jerry Minger, who oversees the police forces on all IU campuses in his role as public safety director. "I have lost a dear friend, and the IU community has lost one of its best advocates and protectors. The entire IU Police family mourns the loss of Keith Cash."
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Read more: IUB Police Chief Dies Suddenly

Gary Police say two teenagers have been charged in connection with a double homicide that claimed the lives of two brothers. The suspects have been identified as 17-year-old Johnte Crawford and 16-year-old Donnell  Wilson.  Both are facing murder and robbery charges. The Lake County Coroners office says 19-year-old Shaqwone Ham and 18-year-old Charles Wood were both found with gunshot wounds in the 25-hundred block of 13^th Avenue Sunday afternoon; Ham was pronounced dead at the scene and Wood died Monday.
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Read more: Two Teens Charged in Double Homicide

The Lake County Coroners office says the manner of death was pending for a 40-year-old woman who died from strangulation in her home in Schneider, a community of less than three-hundred people in far south Lake County. Authorities say Tracy Loitz was pronounced dead at an area hospital Monday night. The Lake County Sheriffs Department is investigating. No other information was available at this time.
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Read more: Schneider Strangulation Death Investigated

Two people, a 74-year-old woman and 22-year-old man, were injured in what police say may have been a drive-by shooting yesterday afternoon in the 22-hundred block of West 17^th Avenue in Gary, though the incident remains under investigation. One of the victims reportedly has been released from the hospital. No other details were available at this hour.
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Read more: Two Hurt in Possible Drive-By Shooting

The Food Bank of Northwest Indiana has a new executive director. Angie Williams is leaving the organization to take a position with a local nonprofit; Arleen Peterson will succeed her. Peterson was vice president of education services for Indianapolis-based Simon Youth Foundation, an organization that provides educational opportunities for students at risk of dropping out of high school.
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Read more: Food Bank of NWI Has New Exec Dir

ESPN reporting that the Chicago Bears have broken off contract talks with linebacker Brian Urlacher, making him a free agent.  No agreement could reportedly be reached between the two sides.
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Read more: Bears Break Off Talks with Urlacher

INDIANAPOLIS—Hendricks County joins Hamilton and Boone counties as ranking the highest in health outcomes, according to the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s annual report, ranking the health of all 92 Indiana counties. The fourth annual County Health Rankings, released today, rank overall health for every county in all 50 states by using a standard formula to measure how healthy people are and how long they live.
 
Nationally, the data revealed that unhealthy counties have more than twice the rate of premature deaths than healthy ones and childhood poverty rates are twice as high in unhealthy counties. The Rankings allow counties to see how they compare to other counties within the state based on a range of factors that influence health including high school graduation rates, obesity, smoking, and family and social support. This year’s Rankings include new measures, such as how many dentists are in a community per resident.
“Statewide, we know that we have major improvements to make in infant mortality, childhood immunizations, obesity and smoking,” said State Health Commissioner William VanNess, M.D.
“The annual County Health Rankings provide us with an additional data set to show exactly where Indiana communities are struggling, as well as providing resources to assist them with their improvement plans.”
The Rankings include a snapshot of each county in the state with a color-coded map comparing each county’s overall health ranking. There are also new county-level trend graphs detailing change over time for several of the measures, including children in poverty, unemployment and quality of care.
“We all have a stake in creating a healthier community and no single sector alone can tackle the health challenges in any given community,” said Patrick Remington, M.D., MPH, professor and associate dean at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. “Collaboration is critical. The Rankings are sparking action all over the country as people from all sectors join forces to create new possibilities in health—county by county.”
According to this year’s Rankings, the 10 healthiest Indiana counties based on health outcomes are: Hamilton, Hendricks, Boone, Dubois, LaGrange, Wells, Brown, Tippecanoe, Whitley and Putnam.   The 10 counties with the lowest health outcomes are: Lawrence, Vermillion, Sullivan, Orange, Jennings, Starke, Blackford, Fayette, Crawford and Scott. For more about information or to view the report, visit www.countyhealthrankings.org.
Last year, the Indiana State Department of Health, Indiana Hospital Association, and the Indiana Business Research Center launched the Indiana INdicators website (www.IndianaIndicators.org). This free data resource is available to help Indiana communities perform community health needs assessments, guide the development of community improvement plans and much more. IndianaINdicators.org provides the most current Indiana health-related data and information at the state and local levels in an easy to search and sort format and can be used as a supplement to the annual County Health Rankings information.
About the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation focuses on the pressing health and health care issues facing our country. As the nation’s largest philanthropy devoted exclusively to health and health care, the Foundation works with a diverse group of organizations and individuals to identify solutions and achieve comprehensive, measurable, and timely change. For 40 years the Foundation has brought experience, commitment, and a rigorous, balanced approach to the problems that affect the health and health care of those it serves. When it comes to helping Americans lead healthier lives and get the care they need, the Foundation expects to make a difference in your lifetime. For more information, visit www.rwjf.org. Follow the Foundation on Twitter (@RWJF) and Facebook (facebook.com/RobertWoodJohnsonFoundation).
About the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute
The University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute is the focal point within the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health for translating public health and health policy research into policy and practice. The Institute strives to:
·        Address a broad range of real-world problems of topical importance to government, business, providers and the public;
·        Promote partnerships of inquiry between researchers and users of research, breaking down barriers between the academic community and public and private sector policy makers;
·        Make useful contributions to public health and health policy decisions that improve the health of the public. For more information, visit http://uwphi.pophealth.wisc.edu/. 
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Read more: Porter Co in Top 20, Lake County # 81 in Health Ranks