Local News

Today:   Northwest Indiana financial advisor Greg Hammer talks about the decision by the Federal Reserve Bank board on Wednesday to once again incrementally raise interest rates --the third such hike in the  past 13 months.  Hammer looks at the impact  on Hoosiers ranging from mortgages, to credit cards, to student loans, to what'll happen on Wall Street.

According to Green Cities Incorporated Lake County has the second highest number of asthma related emergency room visits in the state. All the more reason they say, that the forty one hundred students in the East Chicago schools can benefit from a new plan to use green propane fueled school busses. As   Lakeshore Public radio’s Steven Lattimore reports school officials are making the move because the technology can save money on fuel and cut the pollution output from busses by eighty percent.

The General Assembly is debating an $800 million road funding package, but Indiana’s water infrastructure needs more than $2 billion in urgent repairs.

School districts and towns all over the state are having problems with water infrastructure. Some have lead pipes, 100-year-old pipes or pipes with big holes that leak water.

One such town is Greentown, in Howard County, near Kokomo.

In October 2015, Eastern Howard Elementary School found elevated lead levels in its drinking water.

The trustee of Indiana's second largest township -- Lake County's Noth Township -- is crossing the Region this week and next, speaking to school students and community groups about the shocking issue of child sexual abuse.

Purdue University Northwest Chancellor Thomas Keon was on "Regionally Speaking" on Tuesday to talk about the progress of the Hammond and Westville campus unification that just earned an Innovators Award for the month of March from the Society of Innovators in Northwest Indiana. 

The merging of academic and business operations of both campuses -- that began more than one year ago -- created the state's 5th largest university, with 15,000 students and more than 1,500 faculty and staff.  Here's the conversation.

Today:  Region food columnist and author Phil Potempa is in the studio to talk about the long-awaited "Farm Cooking Show," coming April 2nd to the Center for the Performing Arts in Munster.  The program goes along with his "From The Farm" column recipes and cookbooks.  The last time that Phil offered the audience his preparation of tasty dishes was in May 2010.

Today:   Indiana economist, writer and speaker Morton Marcus joins us with an update on his views on the Hoosier State economy and, in particular, how one national magazine ranks Indiana's higher education institutions and government finances.

A spring cleaning, of sorts, is underway in one Gary neighborhood suffering from urban blight. Lakeshore Public Radio's Steven Lattimore reports on the latest work this is underway in Aetna.

John Cain, host of Eye on the Arts, talks with Kirk Muspratt about the 75th Anniversary of the Northwest Indiana Symphony Orchestra and Northwest Indiana Symphony.

The National Weather Service is predicting heavy Lake Effect snow starting early Tuesday morning and pushing through until the late evening hours. Lakeshore Public Radio's Dan Clark has more.

Gov. Eric Holcomb is extending his emergency declaration in East Chicago, Indiana another 30 days. The original order expired Saturday.

The extension comes on the heels of a report from the city to the governor’s office outlining additional resource needs to address the lead contamination crisis.

East Chicago Mayor Anthony Copeland identified 15 projects totaling over 56 million dollars.

There are jobs to be landed in Northwest Indiana.  That was proven recently at the Hammond Job Fair.  About one thousand prospective employees attended the event Thursday March 9th at the Hammond Civic Center.  Africa Tarver, Director of Economic Development with the city of Hammond says 84 companies were at the fair ready to talk to candidates.   She also says the event has experienced huge growth since Hammond's first job fair 14 years ago.  Tarver says she thinks the event is an important vehicle that addresses the hiring needs of Hammond and the surrounding communities and in that it g

Spring cleaning has begun in Gary. Every year at this time when the cold air is replaced by warmer temperatures the  city of Gary begins their  campaign against their legendary urban blight.

The mayor says they are making progress because of help from local contractors who are donating time and resources. Steven Lattimore has the story about how  the wrecking ball is bringing hope for a better future in the steel city. 

Historically black colleges and universities were established to offer higher education degrees when  traditional colleges and universities would not allow blacks to enroll. There are 105 historically black colleges and universities in the U.S. They have produced a Nobel prize winner an astronaut and many educators. The Mayor of Gary, Karen Freeman Wilson's daughter, went to a HBCU  Howard University, and it's part of why she held a breakfast fundraisers to help support HBCU's Lakeshore public radio's Steven Lattimore has more.

The Indiana Passenger Rail Alliance holds its monthly board meeting on March 23rd in Michigan City, and one of the discussion topics is the South Shore Line improvement plan for the commuter line running through that city.   

The IPRA supports moving the tracks to alongside city streets rather than their present location in the middle, along with the "double tracking" of the Line between Gary and Michigan City and the West Lake Corridor project. 

Steven Coxhead, the president of the IPRA, was on "Regionally Speaking" on Wednesday and here's the conversation.

Today:  "Regionally Speaking" focuses on rail transportation in northwest Indiana.  

First, a conversation with Steve Coxhead, the president of the Indiana Passenger Rail Alliance.  The Alliance holds its monthly board meeting on March 23rd in Michigan City, and one of the discussion topics is the South Shore Line improvement plan for the commuter line running through that city.    The IPRA supports that work, along with the "double tracking" of the Line between Gary and Michigan City and the West Lake Corridor project.

Legislation unanimously approved by the Senate Health Committee Wednesday will require students at Indiana’s public colleges and universities to receive a meningitis immunization before attending.

Indiana’s public college and university presidents made their case in a Senate budget hearing at the Statehouse for funding increases Tuesday.

Each university presentation to lawmakers generally goes the same way: the school president talks about what their school does well, how they’re improving, and then how much money they want.

In some cases, as with Indiana University’s President Michael McRobbie, the school president frets over the budget bill’s funding increases.

Tri-Creek School Corporation in south Lake County is the recipient of a March "Innovators Award" from the Society of Innovators in Northwest Indiana. 

Superintendent Debra Howe came on "Regionally Speaking" on Tuesday to talk about the programs that led to the award, beginning with a student-pilot project on solar energy that led to a district-wide program that will save tens of thousands of dollars in energy costs each year -- more than enough to cover the cost of the project.  Here's the conversation.

Today:  Tri-Creek School Corporation in south Lake County is the recipient of a March "Innovators Award" from the Society of Innovators in Northwest Indiana.  Superintendent Debra Howe joins us to talk about the programs that led to the award, beginning with a student-pilot project on solar energy that led to a district-wide program and will save tens of thousands of dollars in energy costs each year -- more than enough to cover the cost of the project.

The political climate of late with the election of President Donald Trump is turbulent.

His Travel Ban, that targets predominately Muslim countries, the expanded field of undocumented immigrants targeted for deportation, Trump's repeated talk and promise of building a wall at the US/Mexico border and calling for 15-thousand more Border Patrol Agents and Immigration Customs Enforcement agents has sparked great anxiety among immigrants and those wanting to come to the United States.

 At a town hall meeting in Gary reps from mainly the northern part of lake county talked to constituents to give them an update on their work. As Lakeshore Public radio’s Steven lattimore reports Gary school funding was top of the list.

Tom Pappas is a member of the city of Portage veterans' committee, which holds monthly meetings in Portage to bring together veterans across northwest Indiana to learn more about issues that affect them, including healthcare and -- as Tom mentioned on "Regionally Speaking" -- Porter County's Veterans Court.  Here's the latest conversation.

Today:  City of Portage veterans' committee member Tom Pappas joins us for a monthly review of the latest committee meeting, with guest Porter County Veterans' Court Judge Jent.  He also talks about VA healthcare issues that include why veterans' claims get denied, and the 70th anniversary of the Department of Veterans Affairs' work with medical colleges across the country to give physicians-in-training valuable experience in veterans' health issues.