CROWN POINT
Man pleads not guilty to 2007 E.C. slaying
Haneef Jackson-Bey pleaded not guilty Monday to accusations he and seven others killed 19-year-old Dominique Keesee in an execution-style shooting.
Keesee was shot 14 times in broad daylight Nov. 16, 2007, in his East Chicago home, police said.
Anthony Rias II, 18; Khalid Jackson-Bey, 20; and Mrtyrone Metcalf, 17, each were charged with murder and murder in the perpetration of a robbery, Lake County Criminal Court records state.
Haneef Jackson-Bey, 19; Jamal Hillsman, 19; and Jermaine Hammonds, 19, each were charged with felony assisting of a criminal.
Edgar Covington, 18, is being charged in Lake County Juvenile Court with possession of stolen property, allegedly taken from Keesee's home after he was killed.
An eighth person, whom prosecutors declined to name, also has been charged as a juvenile in Keesee's death, Lake County prosecutors said.
NORTHWEST INDIANA
State troopers arrest more than 25 drivers
The Indiana State Police's increased patrols of U.S. 20 as part of an enforcement blitz yielded at least 25 traffic arrests and nine truck arrests Nov. 14, a state police news release shows.
The traffic arrests were for violations such as speeding, drunken driving and driving with a suspended license. The increased patrols are a part of the Safe Family Travel Operation Pull Over campaign and will continue through the end of the month.
One focus of the patrols is to crack down on motorists and their passengers who aren't in seat belts or child restraint devices and those who drive under the influence of alcohol or other drugs.
The state police are one of 31 law enforcement agencies working on the U.S. 20 patrol initiative spanning Ohio and Illinois, the news release said.
HAMMOND
Cops seeking man who robbed downtown bank
The FBI has been called in to investigate the robbery of a downtown bank on Monday afternoon.
Witnesses said a young black male approached a teller at the Chase Bank in the 5900 block of Hohman Avenue around 12:30 p.m.
The man displayed a handgun and demanded money, police said, before fleeing on foot with an undisclosed amount of cash.
No one was reported injured in the incident, and agents with the FBI Merrillville office were on the scene Monday afternoon.
LAKE STATION
School district donating to Parents as Teachers
For the first time ever, Lake Station Community Schools is dedicating $42,000 to the Parents as Teachers program in Lake Station out of its Title I budget.
Parents as Teachers, or PAT, is an early childhood parent education and family support program that serves families from pregnancy until a child enters kindergarten, enhancing the child's development and school achievement through parent education and support. It began at Lake Station's Virgil Bailey Elementary School in 2002.
The program currently serves 62 families and 89 children in Lake Station.
HAMMOND
Police shut bar, saying occupancy exceeded
A popular south side night spot was shut down for the night after police discovered too many patrons inside early Sunday morning.
Officers from Hammond, East Chicago and Highland, along with State Police and officers with the Indiana Alcohol and Tobacco Commission, visited McTavern's in the 7400 block of Indianapolis Boulevard, shortly after 1 a.m.
No arrests were made, but the bar was cited for significantly exceeding safe occupancy limits for the establishment, police said, as well as excise violations.
A McTavern's security guard was shot and killed outside the bar in late September, and no one has yet been arrested for the crime.
EAST CHICAGO
Police believe suspect the same in robberies
A pair of daylight armed robberies in Indiana Harbor on Friday afternoon could have been committed by the same man, police said.
An ArcelorMittal Steel employee told police he picked up his lunch shortly after noon at a restaurant in the 1300 block of East Columbus Drive and was getting into his car when a man pointed a handgun at him and demanded his money.
The man took his wallet and fled on foot, the worker said.
Three hours later in the Prairie Park neighborhood, a 76-year-old resident told police he was carrying groceries from his car in the 2200 block of Cardinal Drive when a man approached, pointed a handgun at him and demanded his money.
The resident said he gave the man all the cash he had, then followed him toward the street when the man turned and fired a shot, which missed.
The alleged robber in both incidents was described as a young black man, 17 to 20 years old, approximately 5 feet 3 inches tall, wearing a dark hooded jacket and carrying a chrome-plated semiautomatic pistol.
Anyone with information about the robberies is asked to call the anonymous police tip line at (219) 391-8500.
MERRILLVILLE
Police say thefts from vehicles may be linked
Thefts from two vehicles parked at two different Merrillville hotels may be related, police said.
Numerous electronics were stolen sometime late Thursday night or early Friday morning from a car parked at the Courtyard Hotel, 7850 Rhode Island St., police said.
The items included a digital camera, two Global Positioning Systems and a satellite radio system.
Police said a GPS unit also was stolen early Friday morning from a vehicle parked at the Best Western Inn, 8293 Louisiana St.
There are no suspects in the thefts.
Anyone with information about the crimes is asked to call Merrillville police at (219) 769-3531.
SCHERERVILLE
Three residents escape blaze in a living room
A Schererville woman and two toddlers escaped harm during a Monday morning house fire.
The cause of the fire appears to be accidental, Schererville Fire Chief Joseph Kruzan said.
The woman called 911 about 10:30 a.m. Monday when she noticed a fire in the living room of her house at 238 Kennedy Ave. Throwing water on it didn't put it out. She and the children got out of the house safely, Kruzan said.
When firefighters arrived on the scene, they saw heavy smoke and flames in the front window. They extinguished the fire within 15 minutes, and crews remained on the scene to watch for about an hour, Kruzan said.
The living room was gutted, and the house sustained extensive smoke and heat damage. It is not liveable, Kruzan said.
The Lake Hills Fire Department assisted.
CROWN POINT
Church offers breakfast and photos with Santa
The First United Methodist Church, 352 S. Main St., invites city residents to join Santa for breakfast from 9 to 11 a.m. Dec. 6.
The cost is $5 for adults and $3 for children 5 years old and older. For more information or to buy tickets, call the church at (219) 663-1515.
CROWN POINT
City square embraces seasonal spirit Sunday
The Greater Crown Point Chamber of Commerce is hosting a Christmas open house around the downtown square from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.
Stores will offer light refreshments and free carriage rides will be available from 1 to 3. The open house is in conjunction with an antique show that begins Saturday and continues through Sunday at the Lake County Fairgrounds from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. both days.
SCHERERVILLE
Wilhelm Street to stay closed until Nov. 26
A portion of a Schererville street will remain closed until Thanksgiving.
Wilhelm Street will be closed through Nov. 26 between Austin Avenue and Reiplinger Road.
Town officials said motorists should avoid this area or use Joliet Street as an alternative route.
