northwest Indiana financial advisor Greg Hammer

Today:  Northwest Indiana resident and insurance agent Areceli Corona and retired Army Reserve Colonel Cullen Wright talk about a recent public forum at the American Legion post in East Chicago that focused on the coordination of Veterans Affairs healthcare benefits with those benefits coming from the Medicare program.  Corona says combining VA healthcare with Medicare can be confusing -- and not registering for either benefit has financial implications.

Today:   Eugene Guernsey of Merrillville, one of the organizers of the "100 Club of Lake and Porter Counties," is with us to talk about the nearly one-year-old organization that helps the families of any first-responders (police, fire, EMS, male or female) who have lost their lives in the line of duty.  Five years ago, two police officers died in Lake County communities in incidents about two months apart.  The trauma that their families experienced in 2014 is still on the Club members' minds -- and it gave them the incentive to help others who may face the same situation in the future. 

Today:   Northwest Indiana activist Ruth Needleman is in the studio to give some updates on local topics of concern, including illegal immigration -- but she also talks about the upcoming city and town primary elections and offers questions she thinks should be asked of the candidates for mayor or council.

Today:    We bring in Purdue University agricultural economist Larry DeBoer to explain the changes that Lake County property taxpayers will see on their tax bills, mainly in 2020 when the state's ten-year exemption from tax caps in Lake and St Joseph Counties is lifted.  Based on the state's report on local taxing units, the city of Gary will have the state's highest tax rate: 43% higher than any other tax rates in Lake County and more than double any of Porter County's tax rates.  DeBoer talks about why the rates will be so high.

Today:   we bring in with northwest Indiana financial advisor Greg Hammer, for our previous conversation on getting everything together for the 2018 tax year income tax returns.  "Green Fleet Radio," supported by South Shore Clean Cities, is back with Carl Lisek and his guest.

Today:   A conversation with Hoosier Environmental Council's Kim Ferraro, the agricultural policy director and chief attorney, about HB1378 that would, if passed into law, close some serious gaps in state environmental law about "factory farm" pollution.  Reps. Tom Saunders and Sue Errington co-sponsor the measure that is up for House Environmental Policy Committee review on February 13th.  Natural Prairie Dairy in Newton County and other similar operations around the state would come under the measure.

Today:   We find out more about the Lake Area United Way's 2019 campaign -- continuing 0n the effort of 2018 by the nonprofit, to help Lake County "working poor" families with affordable childcare and into jobs paying livable wages.  Statistics show 22-percent of Lake County households are considered in the "working poor" category, and that is on top of an additional 15-percent of local households in poverty.

Today:   Andy Downs, the executive director of the Mike Downs Center for Indiana Politics at Purdue University Fort Wayne, talks about the 2018 Indiana midterm elections, the issues surrounded some counties (like Porter County) in reporting their returns on Election Night, the races for General Assembly and what issues may come up in the 2019 legislative session.  We have another conversation from the Welcome Project at Valparaiso University, and Steve Beekman with the Food Bank of Northwest Indiana tells us about several holiday food assistance days -- the first of which is on Wednesday. 

Today:   we begin our look at the Lake County general election ballot candidates, with the Indiana House District 15 race between incumbent Republican State Rep. Hal Slager and his Democratic Party challenger Chris Chyung. Both joined us in the Lakeshore Public Radio studio for a discussion of the  issues.

Today:   We revisit our conversation with northwest Indiana financial advisor Greg Hammer about the upcoming deadlines on Monday, October 15th for those with individual retirement accounts (IRAs).

On this week's "Green Fleet Radio," host Carl Lisek talks to James Turnwald, the executive director of the Michiana Area Council of Governments about the multi-county organization's green initiatives. "Green Fleet Radio" is supported by South Shore Clean Cities.

Today:    A conversation with Val Lay of the St. Jude House in Crown Point, on Domestic Volence Awareness Month and about its 23rd annual candlelight vigil and walk this evening to kick off the special month.  The candlelight vigil will be held at the First United Methodist Church in Crown Point.  Val also talks about a financial empowerment program supported by a national foundation as well as local sponsors like Centier Bank.