Wolf Lake festival takes families back to nature

HAMMOND | With fall-like temperatures hovering at 48 degrees, a hearty group of adults and children took to the shores, paths and waters of Wolf Lake on Saturday for the first day of the Wetlands, Wind & Water Festival.

East Chicago school paraprofessionals join union, draft first contract

EAST CHICAGO | A party spirit filled Club Ki-Yowga on Friday as more than 100 East Chicago public school paraprofessionals and their well-wishers celebrated new union membership and the draft of their first contract.

Lake Central trustees honor award-winning art students

ST. JOHN | Artistic talent finds many expressions — a fact demonstrated by Lake Central High School students during contests this school year.

Elementary textbook fees going up in Lake Central School Corp.

ST. JOHN | Textbook rental fees will increase next school year for Lake Central School Corp. students enrolled in kindergarten through fourth grade.

Developer lashes out at Winfield Plan Commission over regulations

WINFIELD | William Bobey, developer of the Wynbrook subdivision, stormed out of the Plan Commission meeting Thursday after commissioners told him his application for phase two of the subdivision was incomplete.

County: Consolidated E-911 system not an option – it’s a law

CROWN POINT | Consolidating Lake County’s E-911 networks into one countywide system isn’t an option; it’s state law. And it will cost all 17 municipal units most of their public safety funds whether officials agree with the mandate or not.

Police: Beware of tornado relief scams

Natural disasters such as the tornadoes that ripped apart communities in Texas and Oklahoma and the tragedies of Boston and Cleveland bring out an American spirit of giving, especially money to help with relief efforts.

Gander Mountain shifts to firearms super center

MERRILLVILLE | Gander Mountain’s new focus on firearms debuts Friday at the Westfield Southlake Mall store.

Munster may hurdle park maintenance funding obstacle

MUNSTER – The Redevelopment Commission is exploring how to fund ongoing maintenance at Centennial Park and other municipal parks.

PUC success story encourages grads to impress early in workplace

MERRILLVILLE | “It’s a great day because the world is waiting for you. Don’t listen to all the talking heads about how the nation’s best days are behind us.”

Indiana School Board Association reps decry level of state funding for public education

SCHERERVILLE | Education and school reform in Indiana mean different things to state legislators and those responsible for educating students in the state’s public schools.

Steel execs address strengths, challenges of North American industry

To stay competitive globally and to grow, the North American steel industry needs reasonable, streamlined and effectively enforced policies from the U.S. and Canadian governments, top steel executives said.

Students plant gardens to supply food for cafeteria meals, help teach healthier lifestyles

A new “back to the land” movement is starting to sprout in region elementary schools.

Boy Scouts honor Times publisher Masterson

MUNSTER | Calumet Council Boy Scouts of America saluted Times Media Co. Publisher Bill Masterson Jr. on Wednesday as 2013 Distinguished Citizen of the Year in his last public appearance before starting his new position with Berkshire Hathaway in Oklahoma.

Ending gridlock at Calumet Avenue/45th Street still years away

MUNSTER | Beginning to end the traffic gridlock on Calumet Avenue at the Canadian National railroad tracks is still three or four years away, but progress is being made on the first phase of the project, said Town Manager Tom DeGiulio.

Munster redevelopment panel OKs capital project list

MUNSTER | Capital projects totaling more than $5.9 million received the green light from the town’s Redevelopment Commission.

LOFS Clubhouse closed for near future

WINFIELD TOWNSHIP | The Lakes of the Four Season Clubhouse will be closed for an undetermined amount of time after a man drove a van in reverse into the building on Sunday, authorities said.

Visclosky: Investing in NWI essential

GARY | Investment by all layers of government, economic development agencies and private industry is what’s needed to secure the future of the U.S., Indiana and Northwest Indiana, said U.S. Rep. Peter Visclosky at Monday’s Gary Chamber of Commerce annual meeting.

Manor Avenue park will replace older homes

MUNSTER – A long block of green space will replace the older brick duplexes that line Manor Avenue from Ridge Road to Broadmoor Avenue.

Allergy season nothing to sneeze at

If you are sneezing, coughing, have itchy swollen eyes and feel tired all the time, you’re in good company.

Week highlights major public health issue

GRIFFITH | Rather than nourish her small body, food threatens Charlee Prutsman’s life.

Mother's Day march in Gary targets gun violence

GARY | Families who have lost loved ones to gun violence gathered Saturday with political and community leaders and law enforcement for the sixth annual Mother’s Day Stop the Violence March and Rally.

Lake Central board honors retiring employees

ST. JOHN | It was a night of recognitions at last week's Lake Central School Board meeting.

IUN grads revel in their successes at commencement in Gary

GARY | “Life is full of days that seem like they’ll never come. This is one many of us never thought would come."

Latino students, adults stage protest at Hammond Area Career Center

HAMMOND | A group of Latino students who left Clark High School during classes Wednesday morning staged a protest across Sohl Avenue from the Hammond Area Career Center, where Glenda Ritz, Indiana superintendent of public instruction, was talking with administrators and teachers.

Ritz: Referendums needed to fund public education until state legislature changes

Referendums to add money to shrinking public school budgets, such as those held Tuesday in Lake and Porter counties, will be the wave of the future as long as the Indiana General Assembly controls funding.

Munster school referendum passes by nearly 2-1

MUNSTER | Jubilation filled a room at Charleyhorse Restaurant on Calumet Avenue as the school referendum votes from the town’s 25 precincts were displayed on a big screen.

Three area high schools place in state Academic Super Bowl

WEST LAFAYETTE | Teams from three Northwest Indiana high schools took top medals at the Academic Super Bowl state finals held Saturday at Purdue University.

Slager updates Lake Central schools board on legislation

ST. JOHN | State Rep. Hal Slager, R-Schererville, delivered a legislative update to the Lake Central School Corp. board about school funding during Monday’s meeting.

Man sought in Highland for indecent exposure

HIGHLAND | A man who allegedly exposed himself to several girls during separate incidents along the Erie Lackawanna Trail last week is being sought by police.

Hundreds turn out for Walk/Run for Kailey to honor girl, fund research

ST. JOHN | Hundreds came together Sunday on the Clark Middle School track for the Walk/Run for Kailey.

Hub Run draws 1,600 participants to Crown Point

CROWN POINT | More than 1,600 runners, many dressed in what one registration worker called “wow yellow,” took off Sunday from the courthouse square for the 33rd annual Hub Run hosted by the Southlake Family YMCA.

Visitors at Munster show get revved up about vehicles

MUNSTER | Thousands of car lovers descended on Community Park on Saturday for the 15th annual Car & Cycle Show.

Healthy East Chicago honors 3 as Pillars of the Community

EAST CHICAGO | Three residents who work to create a shared vision of a united and healthy urban community on Thursday were named Pillars of the Community.

3 local high school bands to compete in state finals Saturday

Bands from Munster, Valparaiso and LaPorte high schools will head to Indianapolis to compete with bands from 13 other schools in Saturday’s ISSMA concert band finals at Butler University.

Winfield, LOFS residents can drop off trash during cleanup

WINFIELD | The town plans to take on spring cleaning Saturday with the annual Spring Clean-Up.

Dust expected to settle by mid-June along White Oak Avenue

MUNSTER | What began as a sewer separation project along White Oak Avenue has turned into a driving and walking challenge for motorists, schoolchildren and residents, town officials concede.

Home construction numbers up for St. John

ST. JOHN | Residential building permits for this year are running ahead of last year.

Christian Reformed Church land rezoned

MUNSTER | The Christian Reformed Church at 214 Ridge Road can move ahead with plans to relocate, add and demolish structures now that the Town Council has approved rezoning the land into a single commercial planned unit development.

L.C. board debates public comment policy change

ST. JOHN | The Lake Central School Corp. board examined Monday whether the public comment portion of School Board meetings should be modified and how the district’s new strategic plan will be produced.

Fundraiser aids girl, 9, with rare degenerative disease

SCHERERVILLE | Kailey Florkiewicz enjoys donning her leotard and taking dance classes at Patti’s All-American in Dyer with her younger sister, Kenzie, 8.

St. John to replace water mains in two areas

ST. JOHN | More water mains will be replaced this year in two areas of town, members of the Board of Water Works have been told.

City humane officer ramps up care for abused, neglected animals

GARY | Max sniffed the chairs, floor and people sitting in the waiting room at the Humane Society of Northwest Indiana as if reacquainting himself with the place where he began to heal from the neglect he experienced last year.

Munster council amends economic development area

MUNSTER | Three major economic development projects are now possible because the Town Council recently amended the Munster Economic Development Area, town officials said.

St. John council scraps controversial park proposal

ST. JOHN | The proposed Bramblewood subdivision tot lot park is now history.

Munster modifies budget, approves hiring cops

MUNSTER | The Town Council has modified the 2013 municipal budget of $47.7 million to match transfers between funds authorized earlier this month.

Munster event celebrates ties between Israel, NWI

MUNSTER | The annual Walk With Israel took on a special celebratory spirit Sunday as the more than 100 participants honored Israel’s 65th anniversary as a modern nation.

Officials: St. John set to save $750,000 by refinancing bonds

ST. JOHN | St. John will save more than $750,000 by refinancing two municipal building corporation bonds issued in 2005 and 2006, town officials said.

11 receive Leaders as Heroes awards at LNI-sponsored event

HOBART | “Leadership is not about popularity. It’s about being effective. Those we honor are those who are the founders, the risk takers and doers and the shakers.”

Ceremony honors fallen workers

GARY | The dozens of names engraved on the waist-high, three-sided wall on the U.S. Steel Gary Complex Workers’ Memorial date back to 1908 and are a stark reminder that not everyone who leaves home to work returns to loved ones.