IDEM chief: LaPorte Co. violates Clean Air Act for ozone

Waves pummel a pier at Washington Park beach in Michigan City in October. IDEM Commissioner Tom Easterly on Thursday said LaPorte County no longer meets the Clean Air Act standard for ozone due to high levels at the Michigan City air monitor.

Portage enjoys both commerce, recreation

Portage Food Bank volunteer Charlie White pulls a cart of donated food inside a room at the pantry last October. Portage volunteers are a vital part of the city's character.

Rough road to recovery for Griffith boy

Griffith resident Blake Loudenber, pictured here in March 2012 when he was 8, continues to recover from surgery that gave him a new kidney.

Justin King, Bowman Academy

Bowman Academy's Justin King tries to grab a defensive rebound against Park Tudor in last year's Class 2A state championship game. The last two seasons the Eagles have ended their run with bad losses. Coach Marvin Rea said now is the time to finish.

Harvest in Union Twp

Farmer Russell Harders of Harders Farm harvests soybeans from a field near Ind. 130 in 2011. U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack told The Times the continuing federal budget sequester could crimp Indiana's $3.4 billion agricultural export industry, especially soy and corn, as well as c…

Porter County's festive life

Ride operator Dewayne Williams sings "Go Dinosaur, Go Dinosaur" to children on his ride last summer at the annual Nativity Church Festival in Portage.

Porter County's festive life

Jennifer Gonzalez, of Valparaiso, laughs with Margaret Pellegrini, one of the last living munchkins from the film "The Wizard of Oz," during an autograph session last September at the start of the Oz Fest in Chesterton.

Groundbreakings and ribbon cuttings

Portage Mayor James Snyder, at left, along with St. Mary Medical Center CEO Janice Ryba, front right, and kids from the Portage YMCA cut a ribbon dedicating the American Heart Association walking path near the Portage YMCA.

Snapshots of everyday life

Dillon Rountree lies on the snow after falling off a sled at Park Place Apartments in Portage.

Dune Acres dedicated to neighbors, environment

The National Parks Conservation Association and the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore work with college student and faculty volunteers in June 2011 to plant native species at Cowles Bog in Dune Acres.

Ogden Dunes teams up to protect its natural resources

Ogden Dunes is a tight-knit beach community nestled in the Dunes.

Sequester may shut Gary control tower

The control tower at Gary/Chicago International Airport, seen in this March 2012 photo, is set to close Friday, falling victim to federal sequester budget cuts, Airport Interim Director Steve Landry told the authority board Monday.

Justin King, Bowman Academy

Bowman Academy's Justin King tries to grab a defensive rebound against Park Tudor in last year's Class 2A state championship game. On Sunday the IHSAA state tournament draw came out and the Eagles open against River Forest in the Wheeler Sectional.

RECORDS - Larry Clark

Valparaiso Library Head of Genealogy Larry Clark looks up an obituary notice requested from someone in California. Clark says he receives many requests about former area residents from family and friends that now live out-of-state.

Chris Seibert, Portage girls basketball coach

Portage girls basketball coach Chris Seibert yells to his team during a game earlier this season. Seibert has lost 120 pounds since August, forcing him to buy new suits because his old suits couldn't be taken in any more.

Comforting local children

Watson Elementary School fourth-grade teacher Gretchen Pishkur is surrounded by the nearly 1,000 teddy bears that have been collected.

PORTWALKING - Walking Path Dedication

Diane Kemp, Greater Chicago Area executive director for the American Heart Association, speaks during a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a walking path near the Portage YMCA.