Last shot for shots offered at schools

Three Porter County school districts will offer on-site immunization clinics to accommodate students not yet in compliance with a state law now in effect.

Local teachers to funnel educators' ideas to state reformers

Two region instructors will seek input from teachers on state education reforms as members of the Indiana Education Reform Cabinet. The group met for the first time Saturday.

Hitting the road to pre-eminence

VALPARAISO | Valparaiso's new schools chief thinks it will take five years to reach the level of pre-eminence aimed at in the district's recently crafted vision statement.

Where there's a Willis, there's a way

For the life of her, Martha Willis can't understand how someone can get through high school without learning how a bill becomes a law.

No shots, no school for students

VALPARAISO | Valparaiso middle and high school students who have not received state-required immunizations or requested an exemption by Thursday will be excluded from school until they do.

Big Brother's gone digital, prosecutor warns

WESTVILLE | The rights of citizens against unreasonable searches and seizures that were fought for in 1776 are under siege and it falls to the country's young people to preserve them.

Drug use risk factors topic of discussion

VALPARAISO | Emergency medical personnel are often not the real first responders to the emergency of substance abuse.

Obama speaks to kids

WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP | A speech to the nation's schoolchildren by President Barack Obama on Tuesday drew generally favorable reviews from students in a noontime study hall at Washington Township High School.

Churches have key role to play, pastor says

MERRILLVILLE | A key factor to success of the One Region, One Vision initiative will be "the power of the pulpit," Senior Pastor Steve Munsey of Munster's Family Christian Center told attendees at Friday's event.

Mayors more involved across region, Costas says

MERRILLVILLE | One tangible benefit of the One Region, One Vision initiative has been getting the region's mayors working together, Valparaiso Mayor Jon Costas told a Friday gathering.

Event opens the door for exciting possibilities

MERRILLVILLE | The leadership of a local news media organization in driving One Region, One Vision is extraordinary, but now The Times needs to employ a range of technologies to inform the region of the initiative's possibilities, observers of Friday's event said.

Union Twp. to explore drug testing

UNION TOWNSHIP | Union Township School Corp. may soon join three other county school districts by implementing random drug testing of certain students.

Student drug use in Porter County higher than state averages

BURNS HARBOR | Substance use among Porter County youths is higher than state averages almost across the board and follows examples set by the county's adults.

Ivy Tech students welcomed to join in

VALPARAISO | There were plenty of hot dogs and plenty of information on clubs and colleges, but not lots of games at Tuesday's Welcome Back Day at the Valparaiso campus of Ivy Tech Community College Northwest.

World music, culture highllghts festival

VALPARAISO | Globe-spanning music will highlight an upcoming celebration of international cultures and connections.

Vegetarians may be on to something

EDITOR'S NOTE: Warning: this column contains depictions of animal treatment that some readers may find offensive.

Fasting, but not slowing

Lunchtime is the low point. But it's also the peak from which the rest is all downhill.

Students abuzz during visit from honey queen

VALPARAISO | If you like your strawberries, watermelons and the cotton in your shirt, you'd better be good to bees.

Chesterton student earns national speech championship

CHESTERTON | A pair of 2010 Chesterton High School graduates took high honors in competition at the National Forensic League's National Speech and Debate Tournament this summer in Kansas City, Mo.

PNC sets enrollment record

WESTVILLE | Purdue University North Central set a new enrollment record with 4,614 students enrolled this fall, the university announced.

Veterans center opens at PNC

WESTVILLE | Counseling, benefits information, and referrals are among the services offered by the newly opened Veteran's Center of Northwest Indiana on the campus of Purdue University North Central.

VHS athlete named to IHSAA committee

VALPARAISO | Valparaiso High School junior Greg Thome has been invited to serve a two-year term on the Student Advisory Committee of the Indiana High School Athletic Association.

NWI in line for $22 million in federal schools cash

From Hebron's $210,000 to Gary's $3.2 million, region school districts are set to reap a windfall of federal funding to preserve teaching jobs, but the state's top educator is urging districts to spend cautiously.

Hebron schools anticipate lower revenue

HEBRON | Hebron schools has advertised a 2011 general fund down 3 percent from this year's spending.

Duneland tightens 2011 belt

CHESTERTON | The Duneland School Corp. will advertise a 2011 general fund budget of $35.9 million, almost 8 percent lower than this year's.

PNC sets Constitution Day activities

WESTVILLE | Are you smarter than a sixth-grader when it comes to the U.S. Constitution?

Tech takes over in Valpo schools

Valparaiso schools move aggressively to incorporate more technology in the classroom.

President Ford's son tells of comeback from addiction

VALPARAISO | Years after his recovery from alcoholism and well into an acting career, Steve Ford was challenged by his three nieces to do more with his life, to speak out to help others struggling with addiction.

First VU night football game to highlight Communiversity Day

VALPARAISO | The first home night game in Valparaiso University football history will highlight Communiversity Day -- a university initiative celebrating the 152-year-old relationship between VU and Northwest Indiana.

New school year, new principal at Chesterton Middle School

CHESTERTON | Amid the swirling chaos of hallways full of uncertain but high-spirited seventh graders at a new school, Chesterton Middle School Principal Craig Stafford provided comfort and direction.

Clicking on all cylinders

VALPARAISO | There's more to middle school than your locker combination.

VU students called to start journey of service

VALPARAISO | The journey of a lifetime began for new Valparaiso University students with a march to Tuesday's opening convocation through a chute of applauding professors.

VU strikes up the brand

VALPARAISO | A new branding initiative unveiled by Valparaiso University on Tuesday is aimed at strengthening and clarifying the university's identity.

Superintendent urges teachers onward, upward

VALPARAISO | Despite clear and present challenges, the Valparaiso school system has the human and material resources to become a top, exemplary district not only in the state, but in the nation as well.

Reaction mixed to Bennett's address

HEBRON | Laura Roeske was surprised by the large number of cars when she arrived at Hebron High School for a public screening of Superintendent of Public Education Tony Bennett's State of Education.

Wheeler High in text of wills over phones

UNION TOWNSHIP | Wheeler High School is aiming for a little hands-off learning this year.

Valpo schools clip budget

VALPARAISO | The Valparaiso school board has approved a proposed 2011 general fund budget for the district 4.6 percent lower than the 2010 funding level.

Valpo schools add two at top

VALPARAISO | Two central office administrators have joined Valparaiso Community Schools.

To school, perchance to dream!

Scene: I take my son to the high school for freshman registration. In the cafeteria, we pinball around the various stations: class schedule, health forms, lunch money, athletic pass.

Pay cut provision built into school contracts

PORTER TOWNSHIP | The Porter Township School Corp. board has tied salaries in administrators' contract extensions to state funding levels.

'Displaced' students prompt Valpo to hire teachers

VALPARAISO | Valparaiso Community Schools has added two elementary class sections and hired two teachers to reduce a large number of students turned away from neighborhood schools.

Hoosiers better off because of fiscal prudence, Daniels says

VALPARAISO | Boosting Hoosiers' disposable income while creating an environment attractive to business investment has been the aim of the Daniels administration -- and it has succeeded at that.

No more education cuts planned, Daniels says at Valparaiso event

VALPARAISO | The $300 million in cuts to public education imposed earlier this year will be incorporated into the baseline for school districts' 2011 budgets, Gov. Mitch Daniels said Wednesday.

Rallying for a Republican revival

VALPARAISO | Republicans walked away from their core principles in 2008, U.S. Rep. Mike Pence, R-Columbus, told some 200 GOP supporters Tuesday, "and the American people walked away from us."

Superintendent outlines career academies for Valpo schools

VALPARAISO | Valparaiso middle and high schoolers would pursue their studies as members of one of four career academies, under a plan Superintendent Andrew Melin presented to the School Board on Tuesday night.

Education speech to be telecast at Hebron High

HEBRON | Hebron High School will host a public viewing of Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Bennett's first Indiana State of Education speech at 5 p.m. on Aug. 23.

Alcoholism was 'a dark period'

VALPARAISO | When former first lady Betty Ford began treatment for alcoholism and prescription drug addiction shortly after her husband left the White House, her family was as scared and uncertain as any other family would be.