OFFBEAT: Lookingglass Theatre marks 25th Anniversary with "Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo

Phil Potempa's daily entertainment news column.

OFFBEAT: Final weekend to see moving and heartfelt 'Freshly Fallen Snow' at Chicago Dramatists

Phil Potempa's daily entertainment news column.

Workshop to focus on health problems of returning war veterans

CROWN POINT | Lake County Sheriff John Buncich will sponsor a presentation meant to help civilians and law enforcement understand mental health problems experienced by veterans returning from wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Family, friends host benefit in memory of Lansing Marine killed in Iraq

LANSING | Saturday’s afternoon thunderstorms cooled the air, but not the camaraderie at the second annual Lance Cpl. Philip J. Martini Memorial Benefit at J.J. Kelley’s Restaurant in Pub.

Michigan City to honor Iraq War veterans with parade

MICHIGAN CITY | Iraq War veterans from Michigan City and surrounding areas will be honored with a parade this summer.

South Haven soldier gets warm welcome home from family, friends

PORTAGE | Army Sgt. 1st Class Chuck Litzkow's family and friends gathered at Portage American Legion Post 260 on Sunday to celebrate.

EDITORIAL: Peace on Earth requires effort

The message of peace on Earth, proclaimed two millennia ago, came as welcome news. The world was at war then, and the angels proclaimed their message in an occupied land.

Local soldiers come home from war as part of troop withdrawal from Iraq

Indiana National Guard Pfc. John Wilson, 20, returned from Iraq last month as part of the U.S. withdrawal of troops from that war zone. The Hammond man joined the military after graduating from Morton High School in Hammond.

VIDEO: Adjusting to life after Iraq tour

Tom Horn, a member of the Indiana National Guard and a Valparaiso police officer, is back home after his recent tour in Iraq.

Local soldiers come home from war as part of troop withdrawal from Iraq

Joy Wilson had to pinch herself in October when President Barack Obama declared an end to the Iraq war and announced all U.S. troops would be home by year's end.

Interactive: Overview of the Iraq war

Learn more about the 9-year war in Iraq as America prepares to withdrawal from the conflict.

Local soldiers come home from war as part of troop withdrawal from Iraq

Indiana National Guard Pfc. John Wilson, of Hammond, stayed in contact with his mother through voice and video computer technology while serving in Iraq. His mother, Joy Wilson, said he kept the talks positive. "He kept a lot of it quiet," she said. "He's a great kid." He returned last month.

Local soldiers come home from war as part of troop withdrawal from Iraq

Indiana National Guard Pfc. John Wilson, of Hammond, arrived home from Iraq last month, in time for Thanksgiving dinner with his mother's extended family.

Injured Ill. soldier pens biography

Bryan Anderson points to a 9/11 painting he won in an auction at his home in Rolling Meadows, Ill. Anderson has written a book titled "No Turning Back" that details his enlisting in the Army and receiving a deployment date of Sept. 11, 2001, serving two tours in Iraq, driving over a roadside…

BRIAN HOWEY: Thank God for the end of our Iraq lie

President Barack Obama announced recently that U.S. troops will be leaving Iraq by year's end.

After 9/11, soldiers who return home fight personal wars on U.S. soil

GARY | When Master Sgt. Duane Haney left for Iraq in 2004, the military base in Georgia had a memorial garden with four trees -- one for each soldier killed in combat in the wake of Sept. 11, 2001.

War, bias, tougher travel are among legacies of Sept. 11

While the impact of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks has waned over the past decade, Charles Gallmeier said the events of that fateful day were profound enough to have left a lasting impact on this country.

Portage firefighter being redeployed to Iraq

PORTAGE | Portage firefighter/EMT Chuck Litzkow will return to Iraq in the next few weeks.

GUEST COMMENTARY: U.S. must say no to endless war in Iraq

"The American combat mission in Iraq has ended. Operation Iraqi Freedom is over, and the Iraqi people now have lead responsibility for the security of their country."