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.

Porter County's assets promote economic development

The new Porter Regional Hospital officially opened Aug. 25.

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

Lorenzo Rivera, 9, of Portage, washes-off after a day at the Portage Lakefront and Riverwalk within the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore last summer.

Snapshots of everyday life

A car is stopped along Smoke Road in Valparaiso while a large tree sits over the road and power lines just south of Division Road after a strong midsummer storm moved through the area.

Snapshots of everyday life

A strong storm moves over Valparaiso last summer.

Snapshots of everyday life

Valparaiso resident Ed Byrne takes photographs of daffodils at Ogden Gardens in Valparaiso last spring.

Snapshots of everyday life

Window washer Nathan Welch wipes a Blackbird Cafe window during a foggy winter afternoon in Valparaiso.

Snapshots of everyday life

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

Park improvements, fests keep South Haven moving

Mignon Kennedy, executive director of Gabriel's Horn Women's Shelter in South Haven, gives a tour of the facility last October.

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.

Law enforcement, public must work together

Police enter a real estate building last May in Valparaiso after a gunman fired shots inside.

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.