Jonathan Nalli

Porter Health Care System CEO Jonathan Nalli

Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore superintendent to retire

Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore Superintendent Constantine "Costa" Dillon stands behind the park headquarters in 2010. Dillon on Tuesday announced plans to retire in August.

Strongbow Inn Anniversary

Russ Adams, owner of Strongbow in Valparaiso, stands in the main dining area of the restaurant.

Valparaiso's Kyle Meihofer

Valparaiso golfer Kyle Meihofer has committed to Illinois State.

Earth Day sheds light on climate change close to home

People walk around protected areas marked with fences at Mt. Baldy at Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore in July 2011. Researchers say Mt. Baldy shifted 20 feet in 2012 due to record low Lake Michigan water levels caused by climate change.

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.

Ivy Tech merges north central, northwest regions

Ivy Tech Community College students work in an anatomy and physiology class at the college's Valparaiso campus.

WILDCLOCK - Round the Clock free dinner

PARCELS2MARKET - Parcels Ready for Business

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.

Celebrate vibrant, visionary Valparaiso

Valparaiso resident Bob Cunningham and his son Tyler play in the splash pad at Central Park Plaza in Valparaiso last May .

Celebrate vibrant, visionary Valparaiso

V-Line bus driver Dorian Quinn departs from a transfer at the Heart Center parking lot at Glendale Boulevard and Roosevelt Road in Valparaiso last May.

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 assets promote economic development

Jack Powers, left, Jeremy Powers, center, and Ben Powers, all from South Carolina, walk on the Indiana Dunes State Park beach while a cargo ship sails over Lake Michigan behind them last spring.

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.

Groundbreakings and ribbon cuttings

Various officials pose for a photo during a ceremony last fall breaking ground on the new $1.6 million Construction Safety Institute building at the Construction Advancement Foundation in Portage.

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 Parks Department worker Andy Blastick disassembles a light on the Lions Pavilion in Kirkoff Park prior to the pavilion being torn down last September.

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

Kindergarten student Martina Healy pulls a bonnie green bell pepper off its vine while harvesting vegetables last September from the South Haven Elementary American Heart Association Teaching Garden.

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.

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.

Portage blessed with location, access

Longshoremen unload pieces of the world's most powerful crawler crane from a ship last July at the Port of Indiana in Portage. Shipping and industry are a key part of life in Portage.

Portage blessed with location, access

The Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore Portage Lakefront and Riverwalk, shown during calm waters last September, is a popular spot during high winds, when waves are spectacular.

Valparaiso's Costas bullish on city's future

Tyler Adams, 6, of Hebron, plays at Valparaiso's Central Park Plaza splash pad while temperatures soar in the mid-90s last June.

Valparaiso's Costas bullish on city's future

Valparaiso's new interchange at Ind. 49 and County 400 North/Vale Park Road overpass officially opened Nov. 21. At night, Valparaiso's name is lighted on the bridge.

Trustee's office serves Union Township

Kindergartener Mike Wheeler receives a gingerbread cookie from Cindy Bellovary, a Simatovich Elementary School media aide. Bellovary read Wheeler and his classmates the "Gingerbread Girl" in the school library.

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.

Lake County progress moved to fast lane

A semi exits the Indiana Toll Road onto the Borman Expressway in Lake Station.

McDermott eyes new development in Hammond

The area around Cabela's in Hammond is picking up interest among developers, city officials say.

Mike Adams

Mike Adams is executive director of the Hobart Chamber of Commerce.

Crown Point is attracting development

Mason Maravilla, 3, of Crown Point, drops a book in the return slot inside the newly opened Crown Point Library last fall.

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.

Grow economy through investment, collaboration

Shipping is a vital part of Northwest Indiana's economy, as this September photo of the Indiana Harbor Ship Canal shows.

NWI needs health facilities, better data

Jerry Stein, 75, is the lead instructor for the spinning class at the Fransican Omni Health and Fitness Center in Chesterton. Northwest Indiana residents need to switch to healthier lifestyles, data show.

Industry ready for another productive year

Officials gather inside a boiler building at ArcelorMittal during a tour of its new $63.2 million Energy Recovery & Reuse: 504 Boiler Project. The project uses heat from a blast furnace to heat water into steam and make electricity via a turbine.

Industry ready for another productive year

The No. 14 blast furnace at U.S. Steel Gary Works in Gary illustrates the region's industrial might.

Construction sector likely to improve slightly

A portion of the BP expansion project at Whiting Refinery is shown in this September aerial photo. The BP project is the largest in Indiana history.

Visitor spending means big business in NWI

Valparaiso resident Jeff Gatz walks his dog Zoe along the Indiana Dunes State Park beach under brilliant white clouds last September. The Indiana Dunes area is a top tourist draw.