Local News

Today:   Yohlunda Mosley with Purdue University Northwest is on "Regionally Speaking" to talk about the University's plans to disburse nearly 4 million dollars in federal pandemic-related assistance directly to PNW students in financial need. The latest round of funds were distributed to PNW by the U.S. Department of Education.  Andy Campbell and Tara MacElmurry with NIPSCO talk about the utility's renewable energy initiative, including the newest wind farms and other projects coming up.  And we have another conversation from the Welcome Project at Valparaiso University. This time, a former Gary resident recalls how his old neighborhood changed over the years.

Today:    Porter County Health Officer Dr. Maria Stamp is on "Regionally Speaking" with the latest on the county's battle against COVID-19, including the mass vaccination sites and other efforts to get Porter County residents immunized against the virus.  We have some COVID-related features today from Side Effects Public Media and Indiana Public Broadcasting reporters, and Valparaiso city parks and recreation director John Seibert is also on the program with how the city's parks and other facilities are re-opening during the pandemic and some warm-weather month activities.  

GARY -

The Gary Human Rights Commission may start hearing cases dealing with age-based complaints, if the Gary Common Council approves a proposed amendment to the city’s civil rights ordinance.

The Public Safety Committee discussed the amendment on Tuesday that would give the Gary Human Rights Commission the ability to hear any case referred from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission or the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

The Sierra Club has won a lawsuit against BP for pollution violations at its Whiting refinery in northwest Indiana. The plant exceeded its limits for particle pollution from 2015 to 2018 and also failed to do required follow-up tests.

Northwest Indiana financial advisor Greg Hammer is on "Regionally Speaking" to talk about Financial Literacy Month, which is the month of April. 

Urban Land Institute member Christopher Kunz and ULI staffer Tom Eitler are on "Regionally Speaking" with details of a committee's final report to Hammond city officials on the upgrading of the downtown Hammond master plan. 

Today:  "Times" chief political reporter Dan Carden is on "Regionally Speaking" to talk about his stories in print and online, including stories involving Lake County government and the 2021 General Assembly session.  "Post-Tribune" freelance reporter Amy Lavalley is also on the program to review her stories coming out of Porter County, and "INside Indiana Business" host Gerry Dick and his guests talk about a program underway to make the Jasper County Jail a "greener," more comfortable building by using solar energy technology.

"Post-Tribune" freelance reporter Carrie Napoleon and "Times" reporter Mary Freda are on "Reporters' Roundtable" to talk about the stories they put out in print and online. 

NFIB in Indiana director Barbara Quandt is on "Regionally Speaking" to talk about the latest NFIB small business optimism index. 

One of the biggest debates of the COVID-19 pandemic has been when and how to open school buildings without putting more people at risk of infection, and a recent study finds a smaller than expected relationship between in-person schooling and the spread of COVID-19 in Indiana communities.

Experienced professionals may soon have another pathway to become teachers in Indiana, under a bill lawmakers say is designed to help combat the teacher shortage. 

Indiana economist-writer-speaker Morton Marcus is on "Regionally Speaking" to talk about his latest "Eye on the Pie" columns about the Hoosier economy during the COVID-19 pandemic and other topics. 

Northwest Indiana political activist Ruth Needleman is on "Regionally Speaking" to talk about some of the events and protests over local and national issues.

CHESTERTON - Over 200 people protested at Chesterton Middle School on Monday in support of the LGBTQ community.  The "Times" reports that's after Duneland school administrators directed three middle school teachers to take rainbow flags, and other affirming items, off of their walls.  The school corporation said there were complaints from parents and students that the items, “conflicted with their personal social and political beliefs.”

Today:   NFIB in Indiana director Barbara Quandt is on "Regionally Speaking" to talk about the latest NFIB small business optimism index.  She notes that there is some optimism as the pandemic restrictions ease but Hoosier small business owners are still hampered by hiring issues.  IPB News reporter Jeanie Lindsay talks to Hoosier families about how they've adjusted their at-home learning, one year after the start of the pandemic.  And "Morning Edition" host and Indiana native Steve Inskeep talks with two members of Congress about a bipartisan effort to boost civics and history education, through a little financial incentive.

Indiana surpassed 700,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases Tuesday. After weeks of declining cases, the state is seeing a slow uptick.

High school courses in areas including cosmetology and culinary arts will keep their state funding in a version of the budget approved by the Senate after language that would’ve cut their funding was removed from the current budget bill.

UNDATED - Three vaccines sites in Northwest Indiana were giving the Johnson & Johnson vaccine at the time the state was directed by federal health agencies to stop administering it.  Vaccine sites in Northwest Indiana and the rest of the state are making the necessary adjustments amid the pause on the J & J vaccine.

Today:   Northwest Indiana political activist Ruth Needleman is on "Regionally Speaking" to talk about some of the events and protests over local and national issues.  Recent protests happened outside the Lake County Government Center in Crown Point and in Hobart. Dana Dornsife with the Lazarex Cancer Foundation will talk about the organization's Community IMPACT program to help improve health outcomes and disparities related to cancer. They hope to be able to expand it into the Chicagoland area.  And Indiana Youth Institute president-CEO Tami Silverman talks about Child Abuse Awareness Month.  She says there are signs that adults should know to help protect the safety and well-being of Hoosier children.  We also have another conversation from the Welcome Project at Valparaiso University.

CHESTERTON - Miller Woods in Indiana Dunes National Park is once again open after a 425-acre wildfire that occurred earlier this month.

The wildfire began on Friday April 2nd. According to a Indiana Dunes National Park news release, fire crews from the National Park Service and US Forest Service battled the fire into late Friday evening. Crews returned to the fire area every day to ensure no hot spots remained and to begin the recovery process.
 

Here is Katie Eaton, president, Michigan City Chamber of Commerce.

Today:    Indiana economist-writer-speaker Morton Marcus is on "Regionally Speaking" to talk about his latest "Eye on the Pie" columns about the Hoosier economy during the COVID-19 pandemic and other topics.  Dr. Maggie Stevens and Tiffany Powell with "Foster Success" will also tell us about a new college readiness program coming to northwest Indiana that will benefit young people from foster homes, leading them to a  better transition to college.  Powell's been named as the director for the new program. And we have conversations with two  Hoosiers who've endured the pandemic for the past year -- a school bus driver from Valparaiso who also is a delivery person for Instacart, and a high school teacher from western Indiana.

HAMMOND, WESTVILLE - Nineteen Purdue University Northwest faculty members will begin the upcoming academic year with promotions, as approved Friday by the Purdue University Board of Trustees. The promotions are effective August 16th.

PNW Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Kenneth Holford says
the promoted faculty members demonstrated excellence as scholars and teachers, making important impacts in their chosen fields of study, and serving the university and the community.

Today:   "Post-Tribune" freelance reporter Carrie Napoleon and "Times" reporter Mary Freda are on "Reporters' Roundtable" to talk about the stories they put out in print and online.  Carrie attended the first day of the mass vaccination clinic at Gary Roosevelt High School and she tells us about the event, along with other stories.   Mary's stories review some public comments made by Cedar Lake's fire chief and two public school district stories.  We also have a special edition of "Indiana Lawmakers" with Jon Schwantes and his guests, legislators who are working on the next two-year Indiana state government budget. 

Republican lawmakers want to require an extra check of a voter’s identification on absentee ballot applications. Supporters say it’s about election security. Opponents argue it will unfairly cost some Hoosiers their vote.

Today:   Urban Land Institute member Christopher Kunz and ULI staffer Tom Eitler are on "Regionally Speaking" with details of a committee's final report to Hammond city officials on the upgrading of the downtown Hammond master plan.  The plan has been under discussion since 2019. (Pictured above is a view of State Street, taken in the 1950s.)  Another COVID-19 conversation from "Neighborhood Voice" is also on the program, about how Northwest Indiana Community Action, a social service agency, adapts to the needs of residents during the pandemic.  

LAKE  STATION - A two semi crash that happened at around 2 in the morning on Tuesday caused a 12-hour closure on I-94.

It happened at the 14.8 mile-marker.  An Indiana State Trooper, who was responding to another crash, saw a 2016 Volvo truck and semi-trailer rear end a FedEx truck that was pulling two semi-trailers.
 

Today:   Steve Coxhead of the Indiana Passenger Rail Alliance is on "Regionally Speaking" to talk about Amtrak's plans to expand its nationwide routes with $80 billion from President Biden's infrastructure plan.  IPB News reporter Mitch Legan has a feature on diversity and the lack of it in the General Assembly and state politics in general.  Valparaiso University music professor Jeffrey Brown talks about this week's virtual Jazz Fest and VU civil engineering professor Jay Grossman talks about his continuing research into traffic signal detection systems this year that will come with an INDOT grant. The research will study if the  new technologies are as safe and efficient as current ones.

CHESTERTON -  After the prescribed fire and wildfire at the Indiana Dunes National Park on Friday, and with the increase in relative humidity and cloud cover on Monday, the National Park Service planned to burn approximately 239 acres of the Mnoke Prairie in Porter.

It's located on the west end of Beam Street and around the Dunes Learning Center.

For the last 20 years fire has been used as a primary tool for the restoration of rare tallgrass prairie in Northwest Indiana.