[Photo courtesy Barbara Hiestand]
We're told Lowell fire crews were on scene about two hours after responding to a fire involving multiple cars on a semi car-hauler on State Road 2 just east of I-65 in Lowell around 7-o'clock this morning. Flames and thick black smoke could be seen at the scene. Lowell was assisted by Hebron Fire. There were no immediate reports of any injuries, and there is no word on what caused the fire at this time
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Read more: Lowell Car-Hauler Fire

The Boy Scouts of America will no longer prohibit gay youths from participating. A vote on Thursday lifts the ban effective January of 2014. Gay adults remain barred from scout leadership.   The Boy Scouts of America councils of Chicagoland issued this statement regarding Thursday's decision:
Scouting's focus in Chicagoland remains to deliver the nation’s foremost youth program of character development and values-based leadership training. The information we have provided on this issue helped provide perspective to the process, and we respect the integrity of the national decision-making process. As leaders of Scouting in Chicagoland, we believe this update to our policy will allow all kids who sincerely want to be a part of Scouting to experience this life-changing program while remaining true to the long-standing virtues of Scouting. While people have different opinions about this policy, we can all agree that kids are better off when they are in Scouting.  We believe good people can disagree and still work together to accomplish great things for youth. Going forward, we will work to stay focused on that which unites us.
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Read more: Area Councils Comment on Scouts Decision

Over the Memorial Day weekend,  Indiana State Police will be participating in “Operation CARE”, (Combined Accident Reduction Effort), and “SWDUIEP”, (Statewide Driving Under the Influence Project). Troopers will be specifically looking for drivers who speed, follow too closely, make unsafe lane changes, and fail to buckle up or to properly restrain children. Troopers will also be aggressively looking for impaired drivers.  Indiana State Police will also be participating in the “Click it or Ticket” enforcement campaign through June 2nd. The campaign will include not only the Indiana State Police, but more than 250 local law enforcement agencies throughout the state.
Additionally, troopers and motor carrier inspectors will work extra hours to ensure commercial motor vehicles are operating safely. Their efforts will concentrate on enforcing traffic, logbook, size, weight and mechanical violations as well as illegal interstate parking.
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Read more: Multiple Safety Campaigns Over Holiday

The Cedar Lake Town Council has removed “interim” from Police Chief Jerry Smith's title. Smith, a longtime Cedar Lake police officer and a former town councilman, had been serving as interim chief since former Chief Randall Majersky left the position last fall. Smith's appointment was unanimously approved recently by the town's police commission. Smith is a native of Cedar Lake, served in the Marine Corps, and joined the police force when he returned.
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Read more: Cedar Lake Chief No Longer Interim

The National Weather Service has issued a Beach Hazards statement for the Lake Michigan shoreline in the Region.  High waves and life-threatening rip currents are expected through this evening.  Meteorologists say strong north to northeast winds will gust to 30 to 35 mph this morning before diminishing into the afternoon. Waves of 6 to 9 ft with occasional larger waves are expected tol gradually subside through the evening. Officials say the winds and waves will create dangerous conditions at Lake Michigan beaches.
Officials say rip currents are powerful channels of water flowing quickly away from shore...which occur most often at low spots or breaks in sandbars, and rip currents can sweep you out lakeward.
For updates and additional information from the National Weather Service:
http://forecast.weather.gov/hazards/lot
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Read more: Dangerous Rip Currents Expected

Investigators continue to look into a crash that injured more than fifty people, mostly middle and high school students, in northern Indiana this week. Officials say the chain-reaction crash involved four school buses near North Webster Wednesday. Most of the injuries were minor, but one of the bus drivers was flown to a Fort Wayne hospital.
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Read more: School Bus Crash Investigation Continues

There's been a lot of debate on how to make it happen, but happen it must for Lake County to avoid losing millions in state grants for public safety, per a 2008 state law that mandates counties and municipal governments consolidate their E-911 services by the end of 2014. At a joint meeting of the 911 Commission, Lake County Commissioners and Lake County Council Thursday, the message was, it's got to be done, but there's still a lot to be done between now and then. In Lake County, that means the consolidation of seventeen E-911 networks.
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Read more: Much Work Ahead to Merge 911

The 103-year-old Boy Scouts of America Thursday voted to lift the ban on gay youth. A ban on gay adult leaders remains. The President of the Calumet Council, which represents hundreds of troops in the Region, tells the Times today that members agreed with the vote. The vote came after a decade of debate within the Boy Scouts, 14-hundred members of the national council voting to end the ban.
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Read more: Ban Lifted on Gay Boy Scouts

Crews are responding to a semi fire on State Road 2 east of Interstate 65 in Lowell.  It reportedly involves a semi hauling cars. Listeners tells us some cars on a car-hauler are on fire.   Eastbound State Road 2 blocked just east of I-65.
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Read more: Car-Trailer Fire on SR 2

GRANGER, Ind. – In anticipation of the 2013 Memorial Day weekend, ITR Concession Co. (the Indiana Toll Road) announces the removal of lane restrictions during this time to help ease heavy holiday traffic. As of Thursday morning, May 23, all lane restrictions have been removed.
Exceptions for the Memorial Day moratorium on construction projects are made for emergency situations, and work zone speed limits would be in effect if any emergencies occur.
“We want our travelers on the ITR to have a safe, worry-free trip, and opening all lanes this weekend allows drivers to concentrate on driving as opposed to construction,” said ITRCC CEO Fernando Redondo.
Current construction projects – including mill-and-fill, bridge painting and bridge improvements – will resume at 8 p.m. EST Tuesday, May 28.
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Read more: IN Toll Rd Lane Restrictions Removed for Holiday Weekend