A bill to prevent an estimated 57 million dollar property tax increase on Indiana farmers now heads to the Governor's desk, after unanimously passing the House of Representatives today. Senate Bill 319, the first bill to be passed by both the House and Senate, would delay, for an additional year, the implementation of new soil productivity factors by the Department of Local Government Finance, or DLGF. The bill would also require the DLGF, with the Purdue University College of Agriculture, to...

Read more: Bill to Protect Farmers from Tax Increase Goes To Gov

(Photo Courtesy of Valpo Parks)
Valpo Parks is offering a special Saturday registration opportunity to get your children signed up for spring sports before the upcoming deadlines. Youth Program Director Phil Blasko says their office doors will be open on February 23^rd, from 9am to noon, at 3210 North Campbell Street, in Valparaiso. The deadlines for each sport is as follows: Softball, ages 5-16, February 28^th; baseball, ages 9-15, March 1^st; and soccer, ages 4-12, March 8^th.
Blasko...

Read more: Saturday Registration for Valpo Parks Sports on 2/23

A Calumet City Mayoral candidate has been removed from April 9^th municipal election ballot. Today's Times reports the Electoral Board met today and voted to accept challenges made by Calumet City's Mayor, and mayoral candidate Victor Green, which argued Wilson made himself ineligible to run when he first filed nominating petitions to run as a Democrat in next weeks primary, and that Wilson had debts owed to the city, as well as not having enough valid signatures of his nominating petition due...

Read more: Wilson Removed from Calumet City Election Ballot

Indiana State Police Excise Police shut down an East Chicago bar over the weekend. The Times reports authorities entered Alexis Hall, located on the four-thousand block of Alder Street, around 9:30 Friday night, and allegedly found two 16 years along with another minor inside the establishment. Published reports say the bar was cited for numerous illegal activities and code violations, after receiving a compliant of illegal activities there.
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Read more: Authorities Shut Down East Chicago Bar

The death of an 87 year old Crown Point man has been ruled “accidental” according to the Lake County Coroner's Office. Charles Green was pronounced dead at 2:40 Sunday afternoon, after suffering burns to his body and smoke inhalation. The Coroner's Office reports Green was burning debris in a field, just east of his home, in the 69-hundred block of East US 231, when the incident occurred.
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Read more: Crown Point Man's Death Ruled Accidental

Police in Portage say their city saw significant reductions in crime last year. They report the lowest number of thefts/stolen property incidents and vehicle thefts in more than fifteen years. They also say 2012 saw the lowest number of burglaries in Portage since 2001.
Police credit their department's efforts, and note their police reserve program assists with thousands of donated hours in daily operations. Also a second school resource officer has been added, and an officer has been assigned...

Read more: Portage Reports Reduction in Crime for 2012

Gas prices continue to go up, with prices at the pump in Indiana and Illinois among the highest in the country, according to the latest AAA Fuel Gauge Report. In the Gary metro area, a gallon of regular unleaded is averaging nearly $3.87-- 65-cents more than a month ago. ABC's Linzie Janis says in California, some drivers now paying more than 5 dollars a gallon for gas, but in almost every corner of this country, prices are skyrocketing. The average price now 3 dollars 71 cents a gallon,  a...

Read more: Region Gas Prices Continue to Climb

Applying for a marriage license is becoming easier in most Indiana counties thanks to an Indiana Supreme Court initiative. Online marriage license applications are now available in 78 counties, including all of northwest Indiana , and most recently, Marion County.
Couples can enter basic information online to get the process started instead of having to answer questions in person at Clerk’s offices around the state. Then, applicants go to the Clerk’s office to provide required identification an...

Read more: Marriage License Applications Online in Most of Ind

Two Indiana cities both just outside Indianapolis, have landed in Neighborhood Scout's list of "Top 100 Safest Cities in the U.S." The website looked at cities with 25-thousand or more people, and ranked communities based on the total number of property and violent crimes per one-thousand residents. Crimes include burglary, larceny-theft, motor vehicle theft, murder, forcible rape, armed robbery, and aggravated assault.-- Fishers was number 19, Carmel number 33.
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Read more: Two Indiana Cities Land on List of 100 Safest

A Crown Point man suffered burns to his body reportedly while burning debris in his yard in the 69-hundred block of East US 231, according to the Times today, and the Lake County Coroners office says 86-year-old Charles Green was pronounced dead at the scene shortly after 2:30 Sunday afternoon. Manner of death was currently listed as pending. Lakes of the Four Seasons Fire Department responded.
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Read more: Elderly Lake Co Man Dies in Fire in Yard