GUEST COMMENTARY: Take part-time elected officials off county insurance plan

By Jim Biggs

Earlier this year, several members of our Porter County Council recommended reviewing the growing cost associated to our county’s health insur…

KATHY LUTHER: Become well grounded for groundwater protection

By Kathy Luther

I’ve written a lot about stormwater runoff and ways to protect it. Today I’m thinking about the water underneath the ground and how the two ar…

YOUNG VOICES: Some thoughts on the gay marriage debate

By Holly Savage

All men are created equal, but the government is not responsible for that. In other words, the government protects the natural equality of hum…

YOUNG VOICES: Citizens should have right to same-sex marriage

By Katie Goodrich

With President Barack Obama declaring a personal stance for gay marriage, the hot button topic has once again been thrust to the forefront of …

EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD: After-school programs bridge the gap for kids

By Lincoln Ellis

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention statistics show: “Juvenile violence peaks in the after-school hours on school days," bet…

EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD: Programs reduce violence, health and safety risks

By Terry McCullough

Summer is right around the corner, so it seems, and thousands or millions of school-age children will enter into one of most influential and p…

GUEST COMMENTARY: RBA has proved regional bus service works

By Tim Brown

If funding is not found soon, all Regional Bus Authority operations will cease on June 30. This will be a sad day for Northwest Indiana.

GUEST COMMENTARY: Is this really the best we can do?

By Lee Hamilton

As you know if you pay attention to national affairs, the United States faces a perfect fiscal storm at the end of this year. A confluence of …

GUEST COMMENTARY: NATO summit highlights policy, political complexities

By Arthur I. Cyr

“The military-industrial complex,” was the theme of Dwight D. Eisenhower’s farewell address as he completed two terms in the White House, sust…

GUEST COMMENTARY: Criminal justice must remain nonpartisan

By Greg Zoeller

During the primary election season there was much discussion regarding whether bipartisanship is a positive or negative attribute as it relate…

ANDREA NEAL: Colleges fail students in the liberal arts

By Andrea Neal

Congratulations and best of luck to the Class of 2012. Even with a degree in hand, they’ll need it.

YOUNG VOICES: Give thanks before you're unable to do so

By Amanda Martin

Sometimes in life, things can hit you harder than you would like.

YOUNG VOICES: Technology has changed, that which we hold most dear has not

By Emma Grdina

Around this time last year, I took my friend on a Skype tour around my home. My laptop seemed clunky and out of place as I navigated it throug…

JOHN DAVIES: St. John woman is granite's ‘rock star'

By John Davies

Stone masons split blocks of granite older than the time of dinosaurs to make modern products like counter tops.

GUEST COMMENTARY: Voucher program shows promise for future

By Lindsey Brown, John Elcesser and Glenn Tebbe

School choice has Indiana brimming with opportunity and the benefits of change are being seen across the state. As the current school year sta…

EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD: How would Mom get by without Social Security?

By Dennis Rittenmeyer

Those of us who are lucky enough to still have our mothers should ponder the question, "What if Social Security did not exist? How would Mothe…

EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD: Thank you for 40 wonderful years at SSC

By George Dammer

As of June 30, I will be retiring as the president of South Suburban College after 40 wonderful years of service. It's hard to believe so many…

GUEST COMMENTARY: EPA is functioning like an abused child

By Marc Lame

Like an abused child too terrified to perform normal tasks, is the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency too terrified to do its job?  The word…

GUEST COMMENTARY: School libraries crucial for reading achievement

By Amanda Cleary

If the situation were not so serious, it would be laughable. How can we improve reading achievement if we make it more difficult to put books …

GUEST COMMENTARY: Shareholders are taking charge

By Calvin Bellamy

The media have been flooded with campaign ads focused on state and federal elections. These elections are, of course, important, but there is …

YOUNG VOICES: Academic conference an inspiration

By Brandy Dieterle

Recently I had the pleasure of doing a panel presentation at the 48th Annual Allerton English Articulation Conference thanks to two full-time …

YOUNG VOICES: Morons can remind us how to not act

By Kyle Malec

I feel as if the media are trying to spark a race war among blacks and whites.

EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD: Tourism efforts in region pay dividends

By Speros Batistatos

This week is National Tourism week. As residents and taxpayers of the South Shore, please take a moment to consider the importance of the hosp…

GUEST COMMENTARY: 11 steps to more jobs, higher incomes

By Jamie Merisotis and Jeff Terp

Per-capita income is a key indicator of economic well-being. Currently, Indiana's per-capita picture is not pretty.

EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD: Tourism contributes to Chicago Southland economy

By Jim Garrett

All across America this week, Destination Marketing Organizations, like the Chicago Southland Convention & Visitors Bureau, are celebratin…

LARRY DeBOER: Smell test doesn't work when economy stinks

By Larry DeBoer

Indiana has a state income tax. Ninety-one Indiana counties have local income taxes (all but Lake). To make things easier for taxpayers and lo…

MITCH BARLOGA: New region trail maps earn your pedal of honor

By Mitch Barloga

In 2008, the Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission released the first bicycle route map for Lake, Porter and LaPorte counties. At …

ANDREA NEAL: Divisive primary could affect November outcome

By Andrea Neal

If family feuds make you squirm, you'll be glad when this primary's over. While Democrats across Indiana have lain low, infighting among Repub…

GUEST COMMENTARY: The importance of our courts, dangers of underfunding them

By Erik Chickedantz

Whether you are a consumer or a corporation, a victim or an accused, a lender or a debtor, a parent or a child, the work of the courts affects…

GUEST COMMENTARY: Rotary Club provides philanthropy here, abroad

By Jim McNabney

In newspapers, the Internet and other media we read time and again of serious societal ills -- of crimes, insurmountable debt, civil strife, w…

GUEST COMMENTARY: Investing in schools is economic development

By Brian Williams

As a tightwad, I don't like to part with my moola.

YOUNG VOICES: Scary stories don't merit wimpy illustrations

By Brian Lynch

There's just something about a good scary story. They draw you in and make you feel like a participant in whatever horrifying event is taking …

YOUNG VOICES: Become well-rounded, study hard for success

By Caelainn Crnjak

Everyone wants the comfortable lifestyle that comes with having a dream job and being paid huge amounts of money, but one of the most importan…

EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD: Help Catholic health care providers guard beliefs

By Seth Warren

The nation's Catholic hospitals are taking issue with the Health and Human Services mandate to guarantee "free" contraceptives for all women. …

EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD: Industrial jobs require postsecondary education

By Tom Keilman

Education is one of the foundations of society, fundamental to maintaining our country's high standard of living and to support our way of lif…

GUEST COMMENTARY: It's election year, is there a doctor in the house?

By Morrell Roper

After years of observing, listening, reading and evaluating, some would come to the conclusion that our government is sick. The disease causin…

THURM FERREE: Parting advice in my last column

By Thurm Ferree

Well, everyone requires a rest, and that is what I am going to take from writing this column. It has been a joy to say what you think even tho…

GUEST COMMENTARY: Advice for teens on summer job hunt

By Bill Stanczykiewicz

While the nation's job market slowly is warming up, the summer months might not be so hot for teen employment.

YOUNG VOICES: Preserve memories, relationships in tangible form

By Stephanie Truchan

The hard drive in my laptop crashed without warning last month. Fortunately, a friend was able to install a new hard drive, operating system a…

YOUNG VOICES: Turn yourself off, it's not about you

By Hannah Byma

I recently had the pleasure of traveling about 11 hours away to beautiful Alabama for a mission trip.

YOUNG VOICES: Keep sugar tasty, deregulated

By Jared Huhta

Can sugar kill you? The answer, sadly, is yes. And just when I'm in the mood for a Snickers bar.

GUEST COMMENTARY: Indiana's economy requires more college grads

By James Dworkin

The lottery fever that recently swept the nation clearly indicates that most of us covet financial security.

EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD: National Park Service values diverse forms of diversity

By Costa Dillon

Diversity continues to be a topic of much discussion in Northwest Indiana. The National Park Service has a strong history of diversity and is …

GUEST COMMENTARY: Amid partisan squabbling, remember true leaders

By Mark Heckler

In this presidential election year we have been inundated with divisive political rhetoric that dismisses bipartisan collaboration for the com…

GUEST COMMENTARY: Indiana's community assets matter

By Michael Hicks

For too many places in our state, the long-term prospects for economic growth are poor. For at least a third of Indiana's counties, the long-t…

KATHY LUTHER: When geese are well fed, you'd better duck

By Kathy Luther

Now that spring is truly here, it is hard not to notice some of our feathered friends settling down for a season of reproduction. Who doesn't …

ANDREA NEAL: 2012 election will determine our bicentennial governor

By Andrea Neal

The next governor will have a unique opportunity to refine Indiana's reputation and mold its future. That's true of every governor, of course,…

GUEST COMMENTARY: Immigration and the human thirst for freedom

By Danny Lopez

As a Cuban American and son of political refugees, I know that there is no greater motivating force than the desperation and hopelessness felt…

YOUNG VOICES: Class basketball talk isn't in people's court

By Robby Howard

Whatever your stance on class basketball in Indiana, it really doesn't matter.

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