Crown Point Community School Corp.

Today:   We talk with Andy Downs, of the Mike Downs Center for Indiana Politics at Purdue University Fort Wayne, about the impact of precinct consolidation on Hoosier counties -- and Lake County, in particular.  The Indiana Secretary of State resented a precinct consolidation plan, following up on a state legislative mandate to bring all precincts  to a minimum of 600 active voters.   How many counties in the state have gone through the procedure in the past?  Andy looks at the implications on political party activities.

Today:   It's Reporter's Roundtable Thursday and we asked three "Times of Northwest Indiana" reporters to join us to talk about the May 8th primary election races they kept track of -- Bill Dolan, Dan Carden and Carmen McCollum.  Carmen reported on the Lake Central and Crown Point school referenda questions.  The "Times'" Lauren Cross talked about her story on the financial questions under review of the city of Gary's ambulance and EMS-related bank accounts.  And Chicago "Tribune" reporter Michael Hawthorne talks about his story of more lead contamination found in neighborhoods in northwest

Every one of the 12 school funding measures on the primary ballot passed this week.

Anderson Community Schools had two measures on the line, for school operations and construction. Both passed with around 60 percent of voter approval.

Goshen Community Schools also had two measures up for consideration, but the margin of victory was a bit closer – both passed with a little more than 50 percent of the vote.

The first wave of 2018 school funding referenda are up for consideration in about two weeks. That means voters in several counties will have the power to approve or deny tax measures to make millions of dollars available for their local schools.

Purdue University economics professor Larry DeBoer says school funding referenda are usually more likely to pass in May, and the overall number of those winning voter approval has grown in recent years.

Today:  a conversation with Will De Jong, the operations manager for the new Natural Prairie Dairy organic farm in northern Newton County.  It's a facility that has drawn attention from nearby residents for its plan to build a controversial confined animal feeding operation (CAFO) for the dairy cows that will live and graze on the pasture and produce milk for sale to local markets.  The farm is owned by Donald and Cheri De Jong.  The operation's explained in more detail here.

Today:  Crown Point Community Schools Superintendent Teresa Eineman is the recipient of one of the latest "Innovator of the Month" awards from the Society of Innovators in Northwest Indiana, for the successes and improvements made during her 13 years so far as CPSC's CEO.  She joins us on the program to talk about it all.