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Mark Reid, of the Band of Brothers Pipes and Drums, spins his drum during the fourth annual Crown Point St. Patrick's Day Parade.

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A decorated old fashioned car drives past during the fourth annual Crown Point St. Patrick's Day Parade.

Hebron starts year with new businesses, major sewer project

Students at Hebron Elementary sign posters last spring to thank sponsors of their Reading Club. It meets before school once a month.

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Duane Stephens from East Wind Acupuncture gives a massage during the Speaking of Women's Health Conference in 2011.

Lake Station's new water plant will filter out problems

Lake Station resident Jennifer Miller pulled out a dirty water filter during a February Lake Station City Council meeting about a proposed water hike.

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The Fall Antique and Collectibles Show sponsored by the Crossroads Regional Chamber of Commerce will be held at the Lake County Fairgrounds on November 3 and 4.

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Porter County Sheriff David Lain

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Jelly Bean paints Aleksa Ledesma's arm at last year's Griffith's Rock 'N'Rail Street Festival which features local food vendors, a beer garden, music, crafts and activities for kids.

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Performers play at last year's annual Rock 'N'Rail Street Festival.

Gerry Scheub

Lake County Commissioner Gerry Scheub, D-Crown Point, supports E-911 consolidation, but is opposed to passing a local personal income tax to finance the $30 million cost of building call centers and buying communications equipment.

Car repair costs

A mechanic works on a car at Heinold and Feller in Valparaiso. Northwest Indiana drivers face some of the highest fuel prices in the country, but according to a new report, they pay among the lowest for car repairs.

Car repair costs

A mechanic works on a car at Heinold and Feller in Valparaiso. In 2011 Indiana ranked as the state with the lowest car repair costs. The average cost for car repairs in the state last year was $283.95, according to CarMD, which analyzed more than 160,000 repairs made on vehicles with “check …

EDITORIAL: Urban gardens plant food for thought, too

Newly donated plants from Grow NWI were planted by volunteers at Stewart House Urban Garden in Gary.

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Students at Kenwood Elementary School in Hammond on Tuesday plant their "Teaching Garden," which was made possible by a grant the school received from the American Heart Association.

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Kalea Fincher, 6, and Jason Ford, 6, check out the corn plants they were about to plant tuesday in Kenwood Elementary School's "Teaching Garden," which was made possible by a grant the school received from the American Heart Association.

Fairest of the four-legged

Anne Kutka plays tug-of-war with her dog Penny Lane during the Dyer's Cutest Dog Contest at Dyer Summerfest. The festival continues today with carnival rides from 1 to 9 p.m. at Pheasant Hills Park.

Fairest of the four-legged

Charley, a chocolate Yorkie, the winner of Dyer's Cutest Dog Contest at Dyer Summerfest is owned by Joanna Gornick. The festival continues today with carnival rides from 1 to 9 p.m. at Pheasant Hills Park.

Commissioned to exhibit

Sandy Becker, left, of Portage, looks at artwork with Charlotte Strowhorn, of Gary, at an art exhibit that featured the work of more than 70 alumni from the Indiana Universtiy Northwest Department of Fine Arts in Gary.

Commissioned to exhibit

IUN alumna Beth Davis, left, speaks to Carol Davis about her piece at the art exhibit that featured the work of more than 70 alumni from the IUN Department of Fine Arts.

Urban garden taking root in Gary

Jim Roseen, left, and Chuck Gleason plant tomato plants at Stewart House Urban Farm & Gardens in Gary.

Urban garden taking root in Gary

Volunteer Sandy Rodriguez starts planting tomato plants Saturday at Stewart House Urban Farm & Gardens in Gary.

Urban garden taking root in Gary

Volunteer Jim Roseen, of Munster, helps carry donated plants at Stewart House Urban Farm & Gardens in Gary.

There was a little black spot on the sun Tuesday

Valparaiso University's physics and astronomy department hosted a public viewing of the transit of Venus from 5 p.m. to sunset Tuesday at the Astronomical Observatory. The type of transit will not be visible again until the year 2117.

There was a little black spot on the sun Tuesday

Jack Buinicki, 7, of Valparaiso, views the transit of Venus at Valparaiso University's Astronomical Observatory.

FBI raids Lake surveyor's office

FBI law enforcement officials seized computers from the Crown Point office of Lake County Surveyor George Van Til early Tuesday afternoon.

FBI raids Lake surveyor's office

FBI officials converged on the Crown Point office of Lake County Surveyor George Van Til early Tuesday afternoon. They took documents, computers and other items from his office at the Lake County Government Complex.

FBI raids Lake surveyor's office

One sign on the door of Lake County Surveyor George Van Til's office says the office will be closed for two hours; another sign says it is closed indefinitely. FBI officials seized computers and other items from Van Til's office at the Lake County Government Complex early Tuesday afternoon.

FBI raids Lake surveyor's office

FBI officials seized computers and documents from Lake County Surveyor George Van Til's office early Tuesday afternoon at the county Government Complex in Crown Point.

FBI raids Lake surveyor's office

FBI officials make their way down the escalators at the Lake County Government Complex in Crown Point after confiscating computers and files from county Surveyor George Van Til's office last year.

Staying afloat: Officials say community pools rarely turn profit but boost quality of life

Swimmers soak up the warm weather Sunday at the Munster Community Pool.

Staying afloat: Officials say community pools rarely turn profit but boost quality of life

One-year-old Maksim Samoukovic holds his father Alex's hand as he wades into the water Sunday at the Munster Community Pool. Municipal officials in the region say pool budgets often break even — though rarely turn a profit. Officials in Munster, however, hit on a winning strategy a decade ag…

Visitors to Hobart festival go mad about strawberries

Kim Kender, 4, eats a chocolate-covered strawberry Saturday at the Strawberry Madness Festival.

Visitors to Hobart festival go mad about strawberries

Buckets of strawberries stand ready for customers Saturday during the annual Strawberry Madness Festival at Johnson's Farm Produce in Hobart. Johnson's moved up the festival this year because warm spring weather led to an early harvest.

Taste of Downtown sizzles in downpour

Natalie Wasko watches her son, Nathaniel, 11, eat cotton candy in Central Park Plaza for The Taste of Downtown in Valparaiso.

Taste of Valpo sizzles in downpour

The Valpo Dining Group filled downtown with live music and food Saturday in Central Park Plaza for The Taste of Downtown.

Whiting's Alec Veloz

Whiting's Alec Veloz throws to first base during the Class 2A Whiting Sectional championship game against Bishop Noll.

Whiting's Coty Sparks

Whiting's Coty Sparks slides in to grab a infield hit during the Class 2A Whiting Sectional championship game against Bishop Noll.

Whiting catcher Joseph Bondi, Bishop Noll's Danny Oseguera

Whiting catcher Joseph Bondi tags out Bishop Noll's Danny Oseguera at home during the Class 2A Whiting Sectional.

Whiting's Nicholas Filipek

Whiting's Nicholas Filipek pitched during the Class 2A Whiting Sectional championship against Bishop Noll.

Whiting's Justin Jendreas

Whiting's Justin Jendreas swings during the Class 2A Whiting Sectional championship game against Bishop Noll Institute.

Bishop Noll's Julian Guerrero

Bishop Noll's Julian Guerrero pitches during the Class 2A Whiting Sectional championship against Whiting on Monday.

Whiting's Caleb Strabavy

Whiting's Caleb Strabavy fields a ball during the Class 2A Sectional Championship against Bishop Noll Institute.

Matthew Dvorscak

Whiting players celebrate as Matthew Dvorscak scores the game's first run during the Class 2A Whiting Sectional championship against Bishop Noll.

Whiting's Justin Jendreas and Alec Veloz

Whiting's Justin Jendreas and Alec Veloz celebrate during the Class 2A Whiting Sectional championship against Bishop Noll.

Bishop Noll's Danny Oseguera

Bishop Noll's Danny Oseguera bunts during the Class 2A Whiting Sectional championship game.

Chesterton's Sydney Cooley

Chesterton's Sydney Cooley batted .360 last season with six home runs and 28 RBIs.

Hobart conducts annual Trash or Treasure Citywide Garage Sale

Hobart has its annual Trash or Treasure Citywide Garage Sale on Saturday at Police, Court and Community Complex as well as houses throughout the city.

Hobart conducts annual Trash or Treasure Citywide Garage Sale

Crystal Shuck, left, and Jesse Shuck, of Thayer, Ind., look through clothes Saturday at the Trash or Treasure Citywide Garage Sale at the Hobart Police, Court and Community Complex.

Hobart conducts annual Trash or Treasure Citywide Garage Sale

Susan Fick, of Hobart, looks through compact discs at the Trash or Treasure Citywide Garage Sale on Saturday at the Hobart Police, Court and Community Complex.

Still comrades in arms

Veteran Robert L. Johnson, left, and his daughter Ruth Jones, of Portage, show veteran Joe Smrt, of Knox, a map used during the Battle of the Bulge at the memorial service at Calumet Park Cemetery on Monday.