Enviro leader touts ecotourism, partnerships

CHESTERTON | More needs to be done to help build partnerships between businesses and environmental organizations to maximize tourism dollars generated by our local natural resources, according to one local leader.

Region's ecological history is etched in the landscape

GARY | Just southwest of the South Shore commuter rail line tracks and the Indiana Toll Road at Burr Street in Gary, 120 acres of land tell the environmental history of Northwest Indiana.

The Mansards working to improve image

GRIFFITH | Say the words The Mansards and for many, a host of images of violent crime and low-income housing come to mind.

Hammond officials investigating blaze at business in area hit by arsons

HAMMOND | Hammond fire investigators are probing a blaze at a used car lot early Friday in a neighborhood plagued by a series of arsons.

Summit strengthening environmental ties across state line

GARY | Calumet-area stakeholders gathered Tuesday for the first of a two-day summit aimed at making connections on environmental issues across the Illinois/Indiana state line.

New St. Thomas More cross placed on bell tower

MUNSTER | The Rev. Michael Yadron stood outside St. Thomas More on Wednesday watching a crane with a 3,000-pound steel cross dangling from it and smiled.

Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore superintendent to retire

CHESTERTON | Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore Superintendent Constantine "Costa" Dillon will leave his post in August, he announced in an e-mail late Tuesday.

Environmentalists question INDOT reps on Illiana plans

PORTAGE | Region environmentalists on Thursday urged Illiana Expressway planners to make groundwater protection a key component in the project.

K-9 catches suspect wanted on warrants after chase

CALUMET TOWNSHIP | A Lake County K-9 captured a suspect wanted on multiple warrants Wednesday after a chase in Calumet Township.

Man killed after being ejected in crash on I-94

CHESTERTON | A retired Chesterton doctor was killed Tuesday night when he was ejected from his vehicle in a rollover crash on Interstate 94, police said.

Gary SWAT standoff prompted chase leading to IUN officer crash

GARY | A Monday afternoon chase of a man wanted on warrant in two counties led to a standoff with Gary SWAT teams and a crash involving an Indiana University Northwest squad car that sent an officer to the hospital.

Advocacy group hosts training seminars on planned BP air monitors

HAMMOND | A local environmental justice group and a California-based organization gathered Tuesday to teach residents living near BP's Whiting Refinery how to read air quality monitors to be installed there next year.

American Discovery Trail re-route brings national path through region

PORTAGE | Northwest Indiana and Chicago's south suburbs are now linked to a 6,800-mile trail system spanning from Delaware to California, officials announced Thursday.

Man shot, killed by Calumet City police

CALUMET CITY | A 22-year-old Calumet City man suspected of shooting a Hammond man was shot to death by police early Monday night after allegedly pulling a gun on officers.

Cady Marsh Ditch oil sheen investigation nearing completion

The cleanup of an oil sheen on the Cady Marsh Ditch is complete and the investigation into the responsible party should wrap up by week's end, a representative for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said Monday.

Hammond hit with another suspicious fire

HAMMOND | Hammond firefighters responded to what appears to be yet another arson in a neighborhood just west of the city's downtown Saturday morning.

Newton Co. meth lab investigation nets two arrests

KENTLAND | Two Kentland residents are being held at the Newton County Jail on charges related to the discovery of a meth lab, police said early Monday.

Earth Day sheds light on climate change close to home

Ryan Richardson knows all too well how global climate change can affect local lives.

Rivers nearing crest as roads closed for flooding reopen

Many roads closed due to flooding on Thursday were reopened on Friday as flood waters began to recede.

IDEM chief: LaPorte Co. violates Clean Air Act for ozone

HAMMOND | LaPorte County does not meet the federal Clean Air Act for ozone pollution, Indiana's top environmental official said Thursday.

Cady Marsh oil sheen cleanup continues

The cleanup of an oil sheen that appeared Thursday on the Cady Marsh Ditch is expected to be complete by midweek, according to a representative for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Officials honing in on potential cause of Cady Marsh oil sheen

Investigators believe they are honing in on a potential cause of an oil sheen on the Cady Marsh Ditch.

Hammond fire officials asking for public's help in investigating rash of arsons

HAMMOND | Chief Fire Inspector Michael Opinker said investigators are frustrated by the lack of cooperation in the neighborhood hit by five arsons since Easter.

Hammond officials investigating fifth arson in nine days

HAMMOND | Hammond fire officials are investigating the fifth arson fire in the city in nine days and believe at least three are related.

Civil War re-enactors spotlight personal side of war

HAMMOND | Dave Crane spent Saturday as his alter-ego, working to teach families about the local men who fought in the Civil War.

Crown Point-owned home fetches $95,000 at auction

CROWN POINT | Close to 50 people gathered on the front lawn of a home Saturday afternoon just south of the city's downtown square for a chance to buy a city-owned home at auction.

Green Notes: Reinventing the wheels

Lee Ravenscroft was tired of seeing scrappers driving down the street with trucks overflowing with bicycles.

Cops: Griffith business, owned by woman found dead at casino, a crime scene

GARY | Police early Friday afternoon said they are treating the Griffith company owned by a St. John woman found shot to death in a Majestic Star Casino garage as a crime scene.

Child playing with matches sets M'ville home ablaze

MERRILLVILLE | A 10-year-old playing with matches set the family home in Merrillville on fire Wednesday night, causing $20,000 in damage and rendering the home temporarily uninhabitable.

Conservation groups ask feds to stop Enbridge project

A consortium of 55 Great Lakes conservation groups, including Save the Dunes, filed a federal petition Tuesday calling for an end to new tar sands pipeline construction by Enbridge Energy LP until updated safety measures are in place.

Seniors rally in Indy for home-based, community care funding

MERRILLVILLE | Lois Johnson, 80, of Gary, lives independently and wants it to stay that way.

Expert: Water access will drive Indiana's economy

HAMMOND | A water expert believes Indiana is uniquely poised to attract development because of the state's abundant water supplies, but lawmakers need a plan to ensure the resource is promoted.

Urban League lauds diversity, inclusion efforts at luncheon

HOBART | Harry Vande Velde challenged region leaders Thursday to commit to not just talking about diversity and inclusion, but living it.

Official: NWI ahead of the nation in alternative fuel use

Carl Lisek, executive director of South Shore Clean Cities, said Northwest Indiana already is leading the nation in reducing dependence on foreign oil.

State officials, industry bracing for new greenhouse gas ruling

The Obama administration's push for reducing emissions that fuel climate change have many in the environmental and energy sectors bracing for what may come next.

Fair Oaks Farms lauds opening of compressed natural gas corridor

FAIR OAKS | A new compressed natural gas station fueled by cow manure at Fair Oaks Farms completes a transportation corridor investors hope will be the first of many across the country.

Cause of fatal Lake Village fire determined

LAKE VILLAGE | A fire that killed a 71-year-old Lake Village woman Friday was caused by a faulty power vent on a basement hot water heater, officials said.

Woman dies following fire in Newton Co. field

LAKE VILLAGE | A 71-year-old Lake Village woman died Friday morning following a fire in a field outside her home, officials said.

Summit aims to help land managers control invasive plants

GARY | Local land managers agree it is important to control invasive plant species, but say it is getting increasingly difficult to find the funds to make that happen.

King's daughter tells NWI to keep dream alive

GARY | The youngest child of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. took to the pulpit Saturday, telling young people they are no different than her father was.

Calumet City Sears store slated for June closure

CALUMET CITY | The nearly 50-year-old Sears store in Calumet City's River Oaks Center is closing in early June, the company confirmed Friday.

FBI investigating human remains found near Powderhorn Lake

The FBI is investigating possible human remains found near Powderhorn Lake in Burnham and Chicago's Hegewisch neighborhood, officials confirmed early Friday.

Luke Oil planning expansion in region

HOBART | Luke Oil will be expanding its scope in Northwest Indiana with the addition of at least six new retail convenience stores in 2013, the company announced this week.

Judge: No new trial for Philpot

HAMMOND | A federal judge on Tuesday denied a request for a new trial for former Lake County official Thomas Philpot while agreeing to dismiss two of the five counts against him.

Green Notes: Synagogue reuse project hits a home run

Twenty years after the synagogue closed, Andrew Berlin, chairman and CEO of Chicago-based Berlin Packaging, bought the Silver Hawks in November 2011. Berlin had a vision for turning the synagogue into a team store.

Authorities shut down E.C. bar

EAST CHICAGO | Law enforcement and fire officials on Friday ordered an East Chicago bar closed after citing numerous illegal activities and code violations.

Environmental artist weaves nature with discarded items for IUN exhibit

GARY | Bonnie Zimmer is a bit like Oscar the Grouch.

Family establishes educational foundation in Katie Hall's memory

The family of the late Katie Hall, the Gary politician responsible for the Martin Luther King Jr. national holiday, has established a foundation in her memory aimed at honoring public service and promoting education.

Asteroid set to fly past Earth

A giant asteroid as wide as a football field is set to zoom past the region Friday afternoon at 37,000 mph with no evidence of its presence here on Earth.