A measure addressing chronic absenteeism in Hoosier schools is on its way to the full Senate. Senate Bill 338 would require school corporations to determine contributing factors to absenteeism and establish plans to address the issue. It also provides a 95-percent attendance rate requirement for students to get a graduation waiver.
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Read more: School Absenteeism Addressed in Senate Bill

The Indiana Senate is considering a bill that would outlaw photographing or video-taping a farm or industry without the owner's permission. Critics of Senate Bill 373, including the Humane Society of the United States, say undercover videos expose wrongdoing like inhumane treatment of farm animals and unsafe conditions. Supporters say it's meant to protect privacy rights.
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Read more: Senate Considers So-Called 'Ag Gag' Measure

Legislation that was moving through the Indiana House to merge the Hammond Library with the Lake County Library system has been removed and the measure, sponsored by Munster State Representative Mara Candelaria-Reardon, now instead would have a legislative study committee meet this summer to review the issue of library consolidation. A couple years ago two Hammond library branches closed due to budget issues.
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Read more: Lake Co, Hammd Library Merger Measure Removed

No word on a possible cause at this time on a fire in the town of Porter Tuesday night that is reported to have destroyed a home under construction on Sunset Avenue. Crews from several Region departments worked for hours in icy cold temperatures and high winds. There were no reports of injuries.
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Read more: No Injuries in Porter House Fire

After two-and-a-half weeks, prosecutors have wrapped up their case against a 20-year-old man accused of fatally shooting 19-year-old Amanda Bach of Portage. Her body, police say, was found less than three-hundred yards from the suspect's former Union Township home, the day after her car was discovered off State Road 130 in Wheeler in September 2011. According to today's Times, a defense attorney for Dustin McCowan requested a mistrial, which was denied. In today's Times and at nwi-dot-com,...

Read more: Defense Begins Calling Witnesses in McCowan Trial

An Indiana State Senate committee unanimously agreed with a proposal to dump the state's A-thru-F grading system for schools. Letter grades were first issued a couple years ago, now Democrats and Republicans want the State Board of Education to put together a new way of assessing school improvement and performance
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Read more: Lawmakers Say Nay to School Letter Grades

CROWN POINT | St. Clare Health Clinic is seeking donations of nonperishable food items, paper goods, including toilet paper; laundry detergent and personal care products, such as deodorant, shampoo and soap; for its food pantry, which is nearly depleted due to increased demand.
The clinic, which is under the auspices of Franciscan St. Anthony Health-Crown Point, provides free primary health care for residents of Northwest Indiana who fall within established income guidelines, are uninsured and...

Read more: Cupboard Nearly Bare at St. Clare Health Clinic

(Photo Courtesy of the Times)
A 22 year old Portage man was sentenced today in a fatal hit-and run that resulted in the death of 22 year old Frank Ivey, of South Haven. The Times reports Reinaldo Figueroa III was sentenced to six-years in prison, with the judge suspending three-years, so with good behavior, they calculate he could serve just 18-months. Published reports say Figueroa pleaded guilty to hitting a mo-ped, driven by Ivey, on County Road 700 North, in April, and fleeing the scene,...

Read more: Portage Man Sentenced in Fatal Hit and Run

The Times today reports the Lake County Board of Commissioners took no action after Sheriff John Buncich requested tightening up prerequisites at six gun shows, scheduled this year at the Lake County Fairgrounds in Crown Point, so venders comply with federal firearms license regulations. The Sheriff's comments echoed those made last week in Gary, at the "Gun Trafficking Suppression Summit", where according to a study by the University of Chicago Crime Lab, 20-percent of weapons recovered by...

Read more: Lake Co Commissioners Take No Action on Gun Shows

DeMotte State Bank is continuing to urge their customers to not respond to a text message asking for your personal information for a security update, as it is a scam. Bank officials say it is a fraudulent text messaging scam that is circulating, asking you to contact the telephone number listed, but that DeMotte State Bank does not contact their customers in this manner. DeMotte State Bank is asking its customers to not respond to the text message, but if you already have responded, and entered...

Read more: DeMotte Bank Warns of Fraudulent Text Message Scam