Observors: Van Til's indictment adds to region's political corruption stain

CROWN POINT | Prominent Lake County Democrat George Van Til's indictment Friday on felony fraud charges has local politicos wondering just how many more black eyes the party will take in the federal government's ongoing corruption probe.

Florida author hails sacrifices of Northwest Indiana Civil War soldiers

“Boys From Lake County” author James Keir Baughman, of Florida, speaks to distant relative John Berg, of Hammond, Saturday during a book signing at the Region United, Nation Divided: Civil War in the South Shore historical exhibit at the Indiana Welcome Center in Hammond. Baughman delivered …

Region debut of Civil War film attracts about 80

Members of the cast and crew of “To Ride the River” prepare to view the film at the Indiana Welcome Center on Saturday. About 80 people attended the region debut of the film, which was shot locally and depicts the fictional tale of a boy who loses his father in the Civil War and must fight t…

Region debut of Civil War film attracts about 80

Independent filmmaker Tre Manchester, 20, of Lakes of the Four Seasons, gives a short presentation Saturday before the region debut of his short film, “To Ride the River,” at the Region United, Nation Divided: Civil War in the South Shore exhibit in the Indiana Welcome Center in Hammond.

Civil War re-enactors invite governor, lawmakers to April region exhibit

Members of the 20th Indiana Infantry re-enactment group traveled Monday to the Statehouse to invite lawmakers to April's Northwest Indiana Civil War exhibit. They joined Indiana Rep. Chuck Moseley, D-Portage, (center) on the Indiana House of Representative's speaker podium before marching th…

Ghost Soldiers detailing on the mural

Part of the detailing for a special mural to be displayed at the Region United, Nation Divided: Civil War in the South Shore exhibit in April shows specters of region soldiers honoring their dead comrades at Maplewood Cemetery in Valparaiso. The mural will provide the backdrop for the "Ghost…

Marion Kellum painting the mural

Crown Point artist Marion Kellum has donated his time to paint this "Ghost Soldiers of the South Shore" mural for a special Civil War veteran gravestone preservation exhibit to be featured at the Region United, Nation Divided: Civil War in the South Shore exhibition. The exhibition runs Apri…

Crash in Winfield cuts power to Jerry Ross Elementary School

Buses loaded with Jerry Ross Elementary School students prepare to transport the school's children to Winfield Elementary School on Wednesday after a power outage. The power came back on a short time after the buses were loaded, and children returned to class.

Crash in Winfield cuts power to Jerry Ross Elementary School

Kankakee Valley REMC workers restore electrical lines at Randolph Street and 121st Avenue after a car crashed into a pole, knocking out power to Jerry Ross Elementary School.

Hell's Half Acre 2

Hazen's Monument, located at Stones River National Battlefield in Murfreesboro, Tenn., marks the area of the battlefield known as Hell's Half Acre. Valparaiso's Col. Isaac Suman and men from his 9th Indiana Infantry helped build the monument, which is the oldest standing Civil War monument.

Hell's Half Acre 1

Headstones mark the graves of men from Col. Isaac Suman's 9th Indiana Infantry at the Stones River National Battlefield in Murfreesboro, Tenn. Suman suffered Confederate gunshot wounds near this location, also known as Hell's Half Acre, but survived. He went on to become mayor of Valparaiso …

Historic region Civil War sacrifices honored with Christmas wreaths

The Salem Cemetery grave of Pvt. Benjamin Shoup was among 80 receiving Christmas wreaths during the past two weeks. Shoup, who served in an Ohio regiment during the Civil War, worked as a Hebron constable after the war.

Historic region Civil War sacrifices honored with Christmas wreaths

Fred Granger, of Fishers, Ind., places a holiday wreath Saturday at the grave of Pvt. John Flint at Valparaiso's Maplewood Cemetery. Flint served with the 12th Illinois Infantry during the Civil War. Flint's grave is among those of 19 Civil War veterans buried at the cemetery to receive new …

Honoring Civil War Pvt. Corydon Pierce

Alice Smedstad, of Crown Point, tells the story of her great-uncle Corydon Pierce to Ross Township Trustee Joe Shudick at Merrillville Cemetery on Wednesday. Calumet Region Civil War Preservation Project volunteers installed a new memorial marker for Pierce, a Civil War veteran who died of s…

Illinois man fought the law in Lake County — and won

Don Ray, 57, of Bridgeview, Ill., stands next to the Ford F-150 custom truck that he was driving Sept. 16, 2011, when Schneider police pulled him over for allegedly speeding. He eventually was charged with resisting law enforcement and chose to represent himself in his Lake County criminal t…

Stephen Baughman Descendants

Three generations of Ohio Cavalry Pvt. Stephen Baughman's descendants helped install this new government-issued headstone for their ancestor in 2011. The headstone is among 11 new Civil War veteran markers being dedicated at Hammond's Oak Hill Cemetery Sunday at a special Veterans Day servic…

Only minor problems reported locally on Election Day

A few problematic poll workers and a handful of disqualified absentee ballots were among the hiccups in Lake County's Election Day, county officials said.

Lowell South Shore Civil War Memorial

Calumet Region Civil War Preservation Project volunteer Ken Ziese helps make ready the new Lowell South Shore Civil War Memorial Thursday, preparing for a 9:30 a.m. Saturday dedication ceremony. The memorial, located on Commercial Avenue between Lowell Memorial Cemetery and the police and fi…

New headstones for the Robbins brothers

Lowell-area brothers Stillman and Albert Robbins each served in separate Indiana regiments during the Civil War, and both died within weeks of each other in 1864 while in service. Stillman reportedly died of a hemorrhage following a bout with fever, and Albert died of wounds he suffered at t…

Civil War headstone preservation slideshow

This video slideshow documents the replacement of dozens of worn, broken or missing headstones for Northwest Indiana Civil War veterans. The project, ongoing since Memorial Day 2011, is being led by Marc Chase, investigative editor of The Times of Northwest Indiana.

Civil War headstone preservation slideshow

This video slideshow documents the replacement of dozens of worn, broken or missing headstones for Northwest Indiana Civil War veterans. The project, ongoing since Memorial Day 2011, is being led by Marc Chase, investigative editor of The Times of Northwest Indiana.

C.P. Civil War soldier honored on 150th annivesary of his wartime death

Civil War re-enactors David Crane, aka Capt. Charles Bell, and Michael Miller, aka Col. John Wheeler, lower a special granite marker into the ground Friday for Sgt. Edwin Sprague on the 150th anniversary of Sprague's Aug. 10, 1862, death from typhoid fever. The special marker was one of four…

Descendants hail volunteer efforts to preserve ancestors' region Civil War headstones

This new granite headstone for Civil War cavalry Blacksmith William Drago was installed Wednesday at Valparaiso's Maplewood Cemetery through the volunteer efforts of the Calumet Region Civil War Preservation Project and the South Shore Civil War Memorial Trail. The headstone was obtained thr…

Descendants hail volunteer efforts to preserve ancestors' region Civil War headstones

Pat Lane, of Valparaiso, stands near the new veteran's headstone of her great-great-grandfather, Civil War Sgt. Uriah Jaqua, at Valparaiso's Maplewood Cemetery. Jaqua's grave received a new granite marker Wednesday through the volunteer efforts of the Calumet Region Civil War Preservation Project.

What to expect at the South Shore Air Show

Members of the Golden Knights U.S. Army Parachute Team — from left, Staff Sgt. Brian Karst, of Washington; Spc. Trey Martin, of Texas; and Sgt. 1st Class Dustin Peregrin, of Oregon — await their jump Thursday while circling in the skies over U.S. Cellular Field in Chicago. The team parachute…

What to expect at the South Shore Air Show

Army Staff Sgt. Kevin Presgraves, of Maryland, and Spc. Trey Martin, of Texas, prepare to leap from their plane over U.S. Cellular Field on Thursday with the Golden Knights U.S. Army Parachute Team.

Headstone of Gettysburg survivor replaced on anniversary of battle

Ken Ziese, of Crown Point-based Ziese & Sons Excavating Inc., helps install a new granite headstone for Civil War Pvt. Robert Livingston on Tuesday at Crown Point's Historic Maplewood Cemetery. Ziese has volunteered his time and equipment, helping install dozens of new Civil War veteran …

Reenactment Photo 3

Karla Crane and her husband, David Crane, 20th Indiana Infantry Co. B re-enactment group members, pose on the steps of the Old Lake County Courthouse in Crown Point in much the same fashion as reunion groups of local Civil War regiments in the late 1800s.

Reenactment Photo 2

David Crane, who portrays 20th Indiana Infantry Co. B Capt. Charles Bell, and his wife, Karla Crane, prepare Friday for weekend living history demonstrations on the Old Lake County Courthouse lawn in Crown Point.

Civil War Reenactment Photo 1

Jim Bondarenko, right, visiting Crown Point from San Francisco, gets a lesson in Civil War musketry Friday night from 20th Indiana Infantry Co. B re-enactors Heath Fredendall, of New Chicago, and Bill Horn, of Highland.

Civil War Headstone offload

A forklift at Ziese & Sons Excavating Inc., Crown Point, unloads 3,000 pounds of new granite Civil War veteran headstones Friday. The 19 new markers will replace the worn or broken headstones of veterans buried in cemeteries in Crown Point, Valparaiso and Hammond. The Calumet Region Civi…

Civil War preservation, tourism initiative lands $10,000 grant

Volunteer Adam Graper, of Crown Point, helps mark the graves of region Civil War veterans with commemorative medallions Saturday at Hammond's Oak Hill Cemetery. Thirty medallions were placed at the cemetery as part of the Calumet Region Civil War Preservation Project. Oak Hill contains the g…

Civil War preservation, tourism initiative lands $10,000 grant

The Hammond grave of Centier Bank founder Henry Schrage, who served in the Union Army during the Civil War, was honored with a Grand Army of the Republic commemorative medallion Saturday at Hammond's Oak Hill Cemetery. Schrage's grave will be featured on the new South Shore Civil War Memoria…

Civil War preservation, tourism initiative lands $10,000 grant

Volunteers Chrissy Terry, 21, and her mother, Carol Muenich, both of Hammond, help mark Civil War veterans' graves with commemorative Grand Army of the Republic medallions Saturday at Hammond's Oak Hill Cemetery. The medallions were bought with funds donated to the Calumet Region Civil War P…

Charles Swisher funeral

A relative of Charles Swisher, Randy Berkshire, of Lincoln, Ill., salutes Swisher's casket following a funeral service Wednesday at Crown Point's First Christian Church. Swisher, a decorated World War II veteran and prominent Crown Point citizen, was later buried at Hebron's Salem Cemetery.

Work begins to restore Oak Hill grave sites

Gary Diocesan grounds foreman Kert Hansen, left, volunteers his time Wednesday to help return discarded headstones at Hammond's Oak Hill Cemetery to their previously unmarked grave sites. Hansen helped return five markers Wednesday, including this one for former Whiting resident Walter Lippi…

Civil War walkway preparations

The cornerstone for the Civil War veterans' memorial walkway at Historic Maplewood Cemetery in Crown Point includes a poem commemorating fallen soldiers by Oliver Wendell Holmes, a U.S. author and physician (1809 to 1894).

Civil War walkway preparations

Workers from Crown Point-based Hubinger's Landscaping complete work Wednesday on a Civil War memorial walkway at Historic Maplewood Cemetery. The walkway incorporates the original worn or broken headstones of war veterans' graves that received new granite markers this year through the Calume…

Civil War headstone dedications begin today

The Crown Point graves of Civil War Sgt. Henry W. Wise and his wife, Eliza C. Wise, both received these new granite headstones through the efforts of the Calumet Region Civil War Preservation Project. Henry Wise's old government-issued headstone was worn to the point of being difficult to re…

Oak Hill headstones, management missing in action

Genealogical records show the grave of World War II veteran James Dillon is supposed to be on the unmarked grave site just to the right of this headstone. Dillon's government-issued headstone has been missing from its grave since at least 1992, records show. It is sitting in a debris pile in…

Oak Hill headstones, management missing in action

According to Oak Hill Cemetery records, this empty row is supposed to contain markers for several graves, including the headstone of former Whiting resident Walter Lippincott, who died in 1926. Lippincott's granite headstone is in a debris area of the Hammond cemetery.

Oak Hill headstones, management missing in action

The gap between these two headstones at Oak Hill Cemetery in Hammond supposed to contain the headstones of Anna and Arthur Klug, according to cemetery records. Anna Klug's granite monument is stacked in a debris area behind a trash bin on the other side of the cemetery. The location of Arthu…

Schneider site for sale

This field in Schneider was supposed to be the future site of a trash-to-ethanol plant that was to be privately built and operated under a contract between Powers Energy of America and the Lake County Solid Waste Management District. The site recently went back up for sale when Powers' optio…

Henry and Eliza Wise markers

The Calumet Region Civil War Preservation Project obtained a new granite headstone (left) for Union Army Sgt. Henry W. Wise earlier this year. The group is now preparing to replace the pauper's marker of his wife, Eliza C. Wise. Photo by Marc Chase

Existing Eliza Wise pauper's marker

This concrete pauper's marker is the last monument to the life of Eliza C. Wise, wife of Civil War Sgt. Henry W. Wise. The Calumet Region Civil War Preservation Project has raised enough funds to replace the marker with a new granite headstone displaying the woman's full name, birth and deat…

John J. and Belle Holton Wheeler Headstones

These thin marble markers lie broken on the Crown Point graves of Union Army Sgt. John J. Wheeler and his wife, Belle Holton Wheeler. The Calumet Region Civil War Preservation Project is preparing to replace these broken markers with new granite headstones.

Robert Woods' old headstone

Civil War veteran Robert Woods' old headstone was replaced after the effort of a local preservation project.

Rober Woods new headstone

Pvt. Robert Woods, who fought for the Union Army in the 138th Indiana Volunteer Infantry during the Civil War, is one of 41 veterans of the war whose graves have received new headstones in Lake and Porter counties through the Calumet Region Civil War Preservation Project. Woods' Crown Point …

Civil War marker placed

Civil War Pvt. Patrick Buckley's great grandchildren, from left, Bill Gauthier, of Munster, Rita Nangle, of Crown Point, and Don Berg, of Munster, gather Wednesday at their ancestor's Lowell grave to place a commemorative veteran's medallion near his headstone. Buckley was a Lowell pioneer w…

Civil War marker placed

Descendants of Patrick Buckley discuss their family history during a gathering Wednesday near his grave at St. Edward Cemetery in Lowell. Buckley was a private in the 33rd Indiana Infantry during the Civil War. Three of his great-grandchildren placed a commemorative veteran's medallion on hi…